A most enjoyable read , very emotive & poignant read as it goes backwards & forwards through the years but shows that deep love, friendship , community spirit , but also very sadly considering it's the 21st century it pains me deeply to know that people are still being persecuted for their Skin colour ,Religious beliefs , etc , we are highly intelligent beings so by now these issues should not exist . I highly recommend this book ,#NetGalley ,#GoodReads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, # <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

This gem of a book takes place over two different timelines, both focusing on two women who live in the Honeyford house. Gloria was a young girl who grew up at the Honeyford house when WW2 was in full swing and the American GI’s came to stay at her house. Even in her small village, far away from America, some Americans held onto their prejudices against the African American soldiers, even though the British had no such feelings. Gloria ends up falling in love with one of the African American GI’s and has to try to fight for her love. Meanwhile years later Marco and Philippa buy Honeyford to open a restaurant and soon find what appears to be a grave. The couple has to try to deal with multiple things and try to come out stronger in the end. These two women’s lives end up intersecting and the ending was just such a feel good ending it was as a pleasure to read.

Thank you to the publishers and to #netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy

A dual time line historical fiction that is linked by Honeyford House in the Cotswolds. The story is told through Gloria and Philippa in alternate chapters.
Gloria’s story is set during WWII when American GIs were stationed in the area. Gloria and her mother Rose live in Honeyford House which has been allocated to be used as accommodation for American officers.
Philippa’s story is present day when she and Marco purchase the house with plans to turn it into a restaurant/function house.
There is heartache, joy, a decades old mystery and a village that becomes a family and community for both women. A truly engaging read which I could not put down till I found out the outcome to the mystery in the garden.

Review is 3.5 Stars

I loved Kerry Barrett's Book of Last Letters and was delighted when HarperCollins invited me to read her new book The Garden of Lost Secrets. Unfortunately, I found this book to be somewhat slow and it didn’t “grab” me like The Book of Last Letters.

I enjoy a dual timeline novel that is rich with historical facts that I learn from as I read. Although The Garden of Lost Secrets timeline set in 1943 felt accurate and held my interest I can’t say the same for what transpired in the present day. The main characters in both timelines were interesting, with Gloria who grew up in the Cotswolds during the war, far more engaging and appealing. Philippa, while likable was somewhat predictable and even a bit annoying at times. For me, it took too long to reach the part of the story where the timelines intersected.

Kerry Barrett is a good writer and her descriptions of the towns in both timelines are well done. I felt like I was in the Cotswolds with Gloria in 1943 and then with Philippa in current times.

The supporting characters were likable and realistic, especially Gloria's mother Rose and her boyfriend Jerome.. There were one or two soldiers who made my skin crawl even though their actions fit the war years scenario..
Barrett's well researched interactions between the White and African-American US soldiers with each other, as well as with the British residents of the town during 1943 who found segregation appalling, opened my eyes to the depth of the tensions between them all and the unexpected repercussions.

The richest parts of this book are in the final few chapters and meeting Gloria again was an unexpected treat. I won’t divulge what happens but the twist at the end is why I upped my original 3 star review to 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a digital copy of The Garden of Lost Secrets in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you netgalley for this wonderful book.
What a wonderful book full of wonderful characters, Gloria and Jerome during WW2 and Philippa and Marco in the present day, all 4 of them connected to a house and a sweetheart pin. This dual timeline book covers their lives and loves and heartbreak and tragedy to make a great book that I couldn’t put down. Well deserved 5⭐️

Wow. What a wonderful book to read.
The book is dual timeline from 1943 to the present day.
In 1943 Gloria and her Mother live in a small village in the Cotswolds but after thr death of her father in the war Gloria's mother isn't fairing to well.
But things start to change when the Americans arrive and bring some excitement to the sleepy village.
Gloria finds herself falling in love with Jerome an American GI but not everyone is happy about their relationship. Even Gloria's mother finds happiness again.
But tragedy is about to strike and it will effect the lives of so many people in the village.
Present day and Phillippa and Marco have had enough heartache in their lives to last a lifetime.
So when they decide to leave London and purchase an old rambling house in a small village in the cotswolds to help rebuild their lives again little did they know what secrets the house has been hiding.
This book has heartache and joy and it was an absolute pleasure to read.

This book was an absolute joy. I didn’t want to finish it. I’ve only started reading Kerry Barrett books fairly recently and have thoroughly enjoyed them, I liked the split timeline linked by the occupants of the house and village. The story set in war time was interesting and gave a view to racism back then that was shocking even allowing for the differences between then and now. I loved the ending, a real surprise that I didn’t see coming. All in all, a great read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

This was such a thought provoking dual timeline read, in particular the chapters set during World War Two with the reaction of the local villagers (including protagonist Gloria) to the GIs contrasting with the attitudes of many of the GIs themselves and the increasing tension this causes. In the present day Phillipa and Marco are overcoming personal heartbreak by developing a crumbling house into a restaurant but the secrets it holds may prove too much for them. The two females are very different and whilst Phillipa’s story of healing and moving on is relevant it’s definitely outshone by Gloria’s story which for me made me think about elements of the war I’d never previously considered. Historical fiction isn’t my usual genre but this is not the first Kerry Barrett book I’ve read and won’t be the lady as she writes in a style that I actually really enjoy, this was heartbreaking at times but an excellent character read. 9/10

I love a dual timeline story, and this is a really captivating one. In the Cotswolds in 1943 we focus on 17 year old Gloria, who is a strong minded young woman, and won’t be told what she can and can’t do, especially officious Americans who are trying to impose their own prejudices on the locals. Gloria is instantly likeable, she’s still suffering the loss of her father, while trying to help her mother get through her own grief, and then she meets Jerome. Their relationship is lovely, almost naive but wonderful to read about.
In the present day we have Marco and Philippa, a married couple who have suffered their own losses, but are still a strong couple, with their grief uniting them, not destroying them. Marco is an interesting character, in the way that he doesn’t feel diminished by showing his feelings. I liked the feel of the village where they live, a real community who band together to make things happen. It’s strange to read about the discrimination suffered by whole swathes of American servicemen, and the way they expected the locals to accept everything that happened. It was very moving at times to read, there were tears shed but joy too. I couldn’t imagine how there could be a satisfying ending, but the author managed it beautifully. Loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.