This is a true marvel - a YA fantasy that is truly for young adults! That isn't centered around a romance!

Even as an old adult, this was a delight - the world-building is so well-done that you're able to really understand and are able to consider the choices that Ivy makes...many of which are strikingly similar to real-world young adults' attempts to balance family tradition, school expectations, their own changing interests, etc. Ivy is smart and thoughtful, but refreshingly honest in her awareness that she's operating without all of the relevant facts.

To avoid spoilers, I won't include names...but a male character develops a crush on a longtime female friend, and when she explains that she doesn't see him that way...he lets himself pout for a few days then accepts her decision and resumes their friendship! That this so so rare in YA generally and even more so in fantasy is a sad commentary, but it's another example of how the author holds her characters to a higher standard than most.

I will note that this a true series starter, so very few threads are resolved - the point is setting the scene and providing the backstory for what will hopefully be many more installments to come.

An extremely belated thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Portal Publishing for the advance listeners' copy.

It's okay as a ya fantasy, but it all felt like one big prologue to a larger book. Most of the plot that was in the summary happens at the very end. And some characters weren't as fully fleshed out like I expected them to be. Nicholas serves his role as the one to start Ivy off on her journey into her father's secrets, I expected to see more off him... but we don't really hear from him after that. There were other teens Ivy's age that really existed to move the plot forward, and were also just dropped as soon as they did so. I'm not expecting them to be her new sidekick or anything, just a more well-rounded character. The other thing that stuck out was the one chapter near the end that's not in Ivy's pov. I've seen other books do this same thing but better executed than this, it just feels unnecessary. On the plus side, I loved the worldbuilding here, the society based on trades is interesting, and I want to know more about the magic system in place.

I enjoyed Secrets Ever Green. It didn't take much on my part imagine the world Ivy lives in. I am anxious to read the next book and find out more about Ivy's story.

🌿Secrets Ever Green by Sara Knightly is a whimsical and cozy YA fantasy full of botanical fairytale vibes and a mystery to unravel! If you loved Evergreen Academy by Heather Schneider then you need to read Sara Knightly's The Everlight Series next!

✨”The secrets were buried . . . until clues began to bloom.

Ivy Rune’s only goal is to pass her final exam and become an Arborist like her late father, even though she fears she’ll never be able to truly uphold his legacy. Just before her big test, Ivy discovers her father’s secrets . . . and they had nothing to do with the quiet life he led.

Suddenly, clues unspool from wood carvings and old journals, leading Ivy to the outskirts of town and straight to the Count’s forbidden castle. When Ivy uncovers a hidden world of magic, she and her best friend are unexpectedly altered. As they explore their new powers, Ivy realizes she is capable of much more than the simple life her father left for her.

Now Ivy must decide between inheriting her father’s Arborist trade or continuing to uncover the mystery he kept hidden. But uprooting the past might erase her father’s legacy and change the course of Ivy’s life forever.”✨

🌿This book was a wonderful introduction to Sara’s series, and was a short n sweet read, making it perfect for the weekend! This story is very YA, full of adventure, mystery, and a sweet no-spice friendship which may become something more special..But there's a lot more focus on Ivy's adventures than on romance!

🌿I loved how creative and original this story was! There were so many unique details, and the world building was beautifully done, full of lush imagery and lovely atmospheric descriptions that were mesmerizing and immersive! It made me wish Sara's town of Windermere and the enchanted forest beyond were a real place!

♥️Thank you Sara Knightly for the honor of being able to read your wonderful book as an arc! I loved this story and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves no-spice YA Fantasy Adventures!

✨🌿♥️🌿✨

For me Secrets Ever Green was 3 Stars.
It was okay but it felt a bit lacklustre. If you're after a cosy fantasy then I think you might like this one but if you're after something with a strong storyline then I would probably skip it. I felt like this book was definitely just setting up the next one because nothing really happened in it. It kind of felt like just the beginning of the book and just when it was about to get more interesting it ended.

In terms of the characters, Ivy was frustrating at times. She was very naïve and consistently made poor choices. I felt very bad for York because she was always more concerned about herself. I think maybe if I wasn't screaming in my head at Ivy to focus and study for her test throughout most of the book, then maybe I would have enjoyed it more haha.

Overall, it's not a bad book but I think you could skip this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

This review has been posted on to GoodReads. You can find my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6932812834

I enjoyed this book! The characters were lovely and so was the narrator. I was engaged and the writing was interesting!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 43%. I feel like I have this a really good shot, but I just can’t get into it. It feels very predictable and the MC seems very immature. It honestly sounds more like middle grade than YA, and I think that’s what’s not really enjoyable to me.

I do think the magic system and the idea of sorting people by trade is interesting. It would be fun to see that with a more grown up MC.

Since it was an audiobook, I also enjoyed the narrator. Easy to listen to, not a lot of fluff voice acting.

Secrets Ever Green was a struggle for me and unfortunately I decided to DNF. The juvenile writing/characters just weren’t appealing to me. Perhaps for a younger audience it would have landed better, but it isn’t my cup of tea.

I wanted to love this, but it just wasn't for me. I could not connect with the main character and had to DNF the book.

This book just wasn’t it for me. First of all, if you’re not a green thumb…. This book is not for you. It was so hard to be interested in the story at all because I don’t like gardening, I am not a plant person and I don’t know much about plants. I think it was creative and it works as someone’s first fantasy book they’ve ever written but I just didn’t care for it and it didn’t wow me.

Unfortunately, this audiobook wasn't for me and the sole reason is the narrator. I found her too monotonous for me and often found myself very bored with it. I ended up DNF'g. I will give the physical or ebook a try instead.

Thank you for providing me with an ARC copy of Secrets Ever Green. This was a really action packed YA fantasy-mystery and I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy YA fantasy. If you enjoyed the luminaries series you would enjoy this. I liked the set up of the mysteries of the small town and the different trades that people could go into. I would definitely continue with this series and want to find out what happens next. The characters and descriptions are done really well and the audiobook that was also provided was excellent. I really liked that you get some but not all of the answers as the book goes on which sets up the remainder of the series really nicely.

I love a good YA fantasy, and this one throws in some mystery and thriller elements as well!! There's a forbidden castle, runes and clues, and found magic. I cannot wait for the second book, Castle Ever Dark!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a lovely coming of age story. It's felt so indicative of what it was like as a teen become a young adult. I am now in my mid twenty's and this book seems like an amazing story for the younger generation. Think we all feel alone in those transitions through life, and this truly felt like what it was like for me. And this type of character is nostalgic for me. I can't wait for the next one. The narrator was amazing, I was very engaged and like a was listening in on someone's thoughts.
Cant wait for the next one 😊

Wow!!! When I requested this book I did not know what to expect, as a little ways in I thought I would not get thru the book.....However, the story had me keep going back to listen. Soon I found myself wanting to listen to the book even more and then when it was finished I wanted more. The story starts a little slow but soon pulls you in. I can not wait to get my hands on the second book in the series.

I really enjoyed this book, I listened to the audio version and it was very gripping, I felt like I was there with the characters. This book had a lot of world building for what I'm sure is to come and I'm really excited to start the next one and see where it goes!

Full review on tiktok https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeWvBSGW/


I very much enjoyed this book, up to a point. I have one major grievance with it that marrs my overall impression. To me it seems that this book ends just as it is beginning. It ends after act one. I was just staring to really get into the characters and the story when it all came to an end.

I understand that this is the first in a planned series, however, I feel it does not contain a full plot. Instead it ends with an unnecessary cliffhanger. I couldn't help but feel a bit cheated as it ends with nothing being resolved.

It was a shame because I was enjoying the developing story and world.

This was a very cozy little read with a dash of mystery. There weren't anything complex or highly complicated characters in book 1 but that sud not stop me from enjoying this cozy foresty academic small town book. I loved the set up, the vibes and the whole idea of studying different trades. Really enjoyed it and I'd definitely read book two. Also kudos to the Narrator, Kim Churchill's voice was so calming and relaxing.

This book was not as exciting as it sounded in its synopsis for me. The story starts strong with a young woman who lost her parents and fights for her old house with her future career path that everyone thinks is inherited from her father. This reminded me of 'A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking' and I was eager to read through which did not go well.

The issue I had with this book was too naive main character who repeats her life problems over and over throughout the story. It felt like the author made her hungry for attention from everyone else around her in different forms. I have problems with characters who are too self-centred. And the twist with finding things from her father's past was somewhat insane & felt unnecessary. The mystery related to the story was never connected with the main character's story. But it felt that there was some setting up for the next book which I didn't really care for.

The writing style was 'okay' for me, but I don't think I have the urge to continue the series. Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with this ARC copy, but I understand this book was not for me. 2.5 Stars.

This was an intriguing story of coming of age. Ivy was an orphaned girl who lived with family friends. She was working toward learning her father's trade as a botanist and arborist. The only problem was she was terrible at it.
As she tries to navigate her career choice, the final test she has to pass in order to move back into her family home, and misunderstandings with her best friend, York, she learns of secrets her father had been keeping.
I really enjoyed the mystery and sweetness of Ivy and York's relationship, the people who cared for her, and the town seemed so quaint. I loved the hidden secrets that seemed to be hiding around the edges that only Ivy could see.
This is just the right amount of fantasy to hook you and keep you wanting more. I'm looking for the next book in the series!