This book is such an uplifting and delightful read. I loved the characters, their challenges and the joys. Well written although there were a few too many 'sayings in quotation marks' for my liking in the first chapter or two. Lovely setting in Cornwall and a testament to life not being over when we reach a certain age and retire. As an older reader I loved reading about my own stage of life.

The Garden of Memories by Amanda James is a wonderful story about stepping outside of the box life has put you in to find your true happiness. Rose is a retired nurse and a widow who finds herself alone at home with no idea what to do with the rest of her life. She has always been a wife, a mother, and a nurse and now two of those roles are gone. She decides to start to refresh her garden and to plant flowers that remind her of her past. With the help of her friends and neighbors, her garden blooms with all of their memories but they also all step out of their boxes to try something new.
This story was a wonderful inspiration that a person can be many things all at once. It is a touching story of friendship and reliance. It is a story about reinventing yourself and finding happiness in yourself. I loved this story. It was uplifting, enlightening, and a nice change of pace. It would make a great beach read or picnic read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK , and One More Chapter for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

Another wonderful, cheerful book by Amanda James that I dare anyone to finish reading without feeling better. Rose a newly widowed nurse retires after 40 years of nursing in her local community. She has no idea what she is going to do with her life. Slowly she finds that she has the ability to create a magical garden that brings people together. As they come together they share their stories, their sorrows and their dreams and become a supportive community. A brilliant read I'm happy to recommend to anyone who's looking for that feel good factor.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Three women, three lives, amazing tales. Rose has just retired from being a nurse after 40 years. Her husband died a while ago and now she needs to begin again and she is not quite sure how after all this time.. She has been friends with Daisy since school and they know each other inside out. Flora has not long moved to the area and would like to make new friends but doesn't get off on the best footing with Rose when she speaks to her one day. Through their shared love of gardens the women share their experiences and learn from each other in ways they never thought possible and expand their horizons beyond their wildest dreams- all through the calming effect of plants on each of our senses.

Oh wow! A stunningly beautiful book that wrapped itself around me like a beautiful honeysuckle. Flora's story stopped me in my tracks as much resonated with me, despite being decades younger. One of her phrases to stop a certain voice I’m now adopting! The joy leaps through the pages, as well as the drama and evokes the sights and smells and sounds of the garden. A book that made me stop in my tracks a few times (in a good way) to reflect on life and sometimes how it's the little things that can make the world of difference to us all. I guess it's almost mindfulness in a way- stopping to enjoy the sight of a flower and the effects it has to offer. I can’t say how much I enjoyed this (although I’m trying!). One I really didn't want to end , I loved it so much. Has to be one of my books of the year- one that has that extra special something that left me with more than a story in my heart. A true gem, a prize bloom. 10* if I could


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I love this book so much! I want to crawl into the pages and live within this story. I want to be a part of this wonderful community of lovely people and garden with them. Seriously, I don't think I would ever want to leave.

I have read books by Amanda James previously and enjoyed them. She is a very gifted author. Ms. James' character and plot development are excellent. Her stories always drawn me in immediately and I am hooked until the very end.

I know it is early in the year, but this book is going to be in my top 5 of 2024 for sure. I rarely re-read a book, but I know I will be reading this book again. That is a huge compliment from me!

I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

I loved this book. It is full of uplifting ideas and good thoughts to get through life.
The characters really come alive in the beautiful, memory garden, supporting each other, however they can. I enjoyed reading this story immensely.

A beautiful, cosy read full of friendship and love I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book and all the well described characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins (OMC) for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

The garden of memories is a beautiful book which explores how gardens and nature can not only look beautiful but can bring inner peace and reduce stress.

Rose has just retired from nursing and feels a bit lost , her husband had passed away and all her previous plans of a shared retirement has changed. Her daughter and family have moved further away from her so she feels a bit isolated.

Rose decides to turn her extra time into transforming her neglected garden and with the help of her friends Sally, Flora and Daisy they tend the garden and form a strong friendship supporting each other through many personal issues along the way.

New beginnings, friendship, transformation, love and kindness are all beautifully explored. A book which will warm your soul I really enjoyed it,

This was such a lovely book. First we meet Rose, a widowed nurse who is retiring after 40 years working. She suddenly finds herself lost with no idea how to navigate her retirement.

We are introduced to a plethora of characters, Daisy, Flora, Sally, Louise who are all wonderful in their own way.

One thing Rose decides to do is overhaul her garden which was her husband Glen’s domain but since his death she has only done the bare minimum.

Rose decides to plant a few flowers to remember him and her daughter when she was young. Rose then invites other people who may or may not have a garden to use hers and make it a Memory/Sensory garden.

From this Rose develops a great friends network where they all seem to help one another

A wonderful story of friendship, love and kindness

Rose retired as a nurse after forty years service. She was nervous about leaving her career and still missing her husband who had died a short time earlier. However, she began working in her garden and drawing in friends and neighbours who needed the connection to nature to heal their spirits and the connection to each other to build a community. The story is about the healing power of nature and growing things for all kinds of ailments - physical, spiritual, community, and personal development.
I enjoyed the subject matter as I wait for the snow to melt and spring to come so I can get into my garden. I did find the writing a bit to syrupy for my taste but I did finish the book eventually.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of the book; the opinions are solely mine.

I was not keen on this book at first, it seemed a bit flat and formularic, by that I mean that it follows a well worn storyline where a woman is lost at a crossroads in her life then has a sort of epiphany and everything works out brilliantly. In a way, that could be a synopsis for this book, but as I got into it more, I came to like the characters more and to enjoy the book. It is a good summer read, involves mostly older people (aged 50 +) and is mostly about friendship. It does deal with some issues such as dementia , drug use, overbearing parental expectations, emotional abuse and grief though these are not really explored in very much depth so the book is not dragged down by these too much. The characters are interesting though there are a lot of them which means that some are not really fleshed out in detail. The descriptions of the garden and plants are lovely though.
An entertaining read, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

A great book which had a real feel good vibe. Although it was filled with relatable emption from he challenges of the different characters, this came together so beautifully and made it hard to put down.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

Such a lovely story! I couldn't get enough of this one and devoured it in two sittings. It was a quick read and there were a few characters to keep up with, but I found I actually cared what happened to them. A real uplifting story and a well deserved five stars from me.

A wonderful feel-good story.

I loved this warm, witty, and hugely compassionate book. The characters are brilliantly imagined and skillfully portrayed, and the flowers, and the reason for planting the memories, beautifully described. I loved the depiction of the small Cornish community and the way the sea and the weather was a part of their lives.. There’s a mound of humour in this book, and a wonderful sense of healing. Best of all, is the strength and wisdom shown by this compassionate and very endearing group of women. A wonderful feel-good read with a perfect ending.

A most enjoyable, heartwarming story of lonely people forming friendships through the medium of a community garden. Beautiful descriptions of areas planted with so many different species of flowers and plants, all with special meaning to the people who work on the garden.
It’s how we would all like it to be in real life, if only it were so.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

A lovely book about community and chosen family. Great cast of characters and a wonderful story line. Highly recommended.

A delightfully calming, reassuring hug of a book. Beautifully written , you could almost smell the flowers and the descriptions could bring your blood pressure down.

I received a free copy of, The Garden of Memories, by Amanda James, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Widow and retired nurse Rose Lanyon decides to honor her late husband with a garden, a garden of memories. Soon friendships are formed and people can relax and be themselves. Its nice to have something to remember our departed loved ones by, like a garden. I enjoyed this book of memories and friendships.

Gardening and growing together. Rose has just retired from being a busy nurse. She dreads being alone at home since her husband died. What will she do with herself? Her garden by the sea is too big for her to manage alone. She decides to give it a go. Soon other neighbours help her transform her garden. They bond through their work there and turn it into a garden of memories. As she says “People are like flowers. If you give them the right environment in which to grow, they bloom.” A joyful book about shared enjoyment of a job well done.

What a lovely uplifting story with beautiful descriptions and delightful characters that I truly cared about! At the core of The Garden of Memories is the power of nature on the human heart. Sitting in a garden of beautiful flowers can be calming and as this story shows, there’s a magic in the greenery that draws out emotions and allows wounds to heal. ‘Memories can be awakened…at a familiar flower or smelling its scent’ as character Rose, a retired nurse, points out. She started this garden initially in memory of her late husband but this haven became so much more. It resulted in a place for wounded hearts to come together in a welcoming community. Where they felt free to share and where friendships developed, matured and took shape.

Digging around in the dirt and planting flowers and vegetables, connects us to the earth we are part of. It has been long shown that nature has a way of reducing stress and can bring balance and inner peace. Rose knows how much it has helped her and she is willing to share that magic with her neighbours. Many people come her way and find the tranquility and release in her garden. Then they tell others and the circle of friends widen and next thing you know there are parties happening! Everyone is sharing their innermost thoughts and finding solace, solutions and healing in amongst the flowers. Flora, Daisy, Louise, Sally and even her daughter Bella are just a few, who receive emotional refreshment, direction and courage to fulfill their dreams. Some even to change their circumstances and to give themselves permission to be themselves: to be human, not perfect but free to love, laugh and grow.

Big cheers particularly to the women in this novel who had the courage to stand up for themselves and say ‘enough is enough’: to no more be dominated and diminished by the male figures in their lives or manipulated by controlling mothers! It is clearly shown how damaging this behaviour has been on these victims’ lives.

The novel is mostly focused on Rose but Flora and Sally share their perspectives, too. Another important character is Daisy. (Three of these women share flower names which fits nicely into the story!) Rose, as mentioned before, is not only a retired nurse still helping those in need (including her daughter Bella) but she has another gift. In her younger days she was a great singer. Through Daisy’s prompting, she manages to get lost again in the rapture of music and puts her talent back into use. Flora is a retired schoolteacher and is seen as the lighthouse of the group. Often an encourager, pointing fearful souls to safer shores—in this case Rose’s garden. Daisy, a librarian assistant, is tall, willowy, showy and outspoken with auburn curls and machine-gun-fire-words who makes everyone smile, lifts them up when down, lends an ear and heart, and has been friends with Rose since childhood. Sally is a late bloomer who joins in the garden restoration by creating a beautiful pond. In doing so, she transforms herself into a confident fit woman. No more being a door mat or under control of her abusive husband’s poisonous tongue!

This is a novel about transformation: Rose sets out to transform the garden but in the end, the garden transforms her and others who enter its domain. The salt, the sea and the scent of flowers are a balm to troubled souls. This is a beautiful story about new beginnings, the warmth of friendship, the healing and energising powers of nature, connecting with others who make you feel as Bella says, ‘like coming home’ where acceptance and love are in abundance. As Rose demonstrates: ‘flowers can evoke such wonderful memories’ that ‘keep hope alive.’ Plus, they can sow new ones, too. And as the visitors to the garden get a chance to plant a flower in memory of someone or an event, old memories live on forever. While new ones are created, too, resulting in the past and present coming together in a healthy harmony. The Garden of Memories is an important story by Amanda James about relationships and one I certainly will never forget! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for a review copy.