Rose Pauly has spent her entire life living in New York City, but thanks to her parents' recent divorce, she is going to be starting her senior year in a new town in Connecticut. On her very first night in town, Rose finds herself angry and she just takes off. She finds herself in a convenience store where she literally bumps into Hart Hargrove. They quickly form a bond, but Hart's twin, Heather, does not seem to like Rose very much. Rose and Hart spend an amazing summer together, but Rose keeps sensing that Hart is keeping something from her. When Rose does discover the secret that Hart has been keeping, she must decide if this is the life she wants. Hart is determined to hold on to their love by any means necessary. Another page-turning gothic thriller from Goldy Moldavsky.

This story was a tangle of scenes that took me through Rose and Hart's story. The way Goldy Moldavsky wrote almost feels like a dream where you flow through the story in scenes in different times. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to future works.

This is hands down my favorite Goldy book YET! The atmosphere. The romance. THAT GARDEN. That TWIST. Honestly, I finished this about two hours ago and I haven't stopped thinking about it. An absolutely genius gothic book that will keep you up on a rainy summer night.

Content Warning: violence, grief, accident, body horror

+ The twist in this story blew my mind, it’s the one book this year that has made my jaw drop.

+ Rose is new to town, but right away she meets Hart Hargrove. He’s popular, he lives on the biggest estate in town – an estate whose gardens are infamous for secret, exclusive parties. Rose and Hart fall madly in love, almost insta-love, but there are clues along the way in this book where it feels like something is off. Something doesn’t feel right with their love story.

+ The grief that is presented in this book is heartbreaking. I could understand the decisions of Hart and his twin, Heather, but when everything is revealed, it made my heart ache for all of them involved. Without spoiling the story, I couldn’t imagine what they were going through.

+ Though the love story about Rose and Hart feels invincible and meant to be, there is a dark, sinister undertone to this story. It shows up in the garden parties and Rose’s best friend, Llowell. There is some body horror but really brief and the ending is wild with action and violence.

~ Because I knew there was something off to the romance, and some moments of the “future” sprinkled in as the story went on…I did get confused. But I’m glad I pushed through to the end – the end though, it’s an open ending which shocked me.

Final Thoughts:

This story is creative, dark, has a gothic contemporary atmosphere and the romance is heady but it’s also so sad and tragic. It explored a lot of topics like love, grief, friendship, and wishes. But if you could make your wishes come true, what would you be willing to give up? The ending of this story made my jaw drop and I think it’s one of those books that I’ll never forget.

Dark academia, botanical suspense, and blooming love. A delightful trio or feelings everyone longs to know

The main character in this story has my name so I like having to be like someone in this story. her friend Lowell and her both like the Hargrove siblings who are twins, (boy and girl ) they have this garden that they run that's in the family and she falls in love with Hart (Rose) and him too but hes a little too obsessed with his garden this book had a really unique storyline plot. I love the gothic romance aspects of this story with a lot of twists thanks for the book to review netgalley!

Goldy Moldavsky absolutely wowed me with this book. Previously I had only read The Mary Shelley Club (my favorite book of 2023!). So to see her style switch up so quickly had me reeling, in a good way. I could definitely still hear her voice throughout the whole book which made me so happy. I went into this only briefly reading the synopsis, I was too excited to get to read another book from her. Another book that absolutely had me spinning, and the perspective switch up? Pure perfection, I was NOT expecting it at all, and it was beautiful. My one complaint was just not vibing with some of the phrasing of certain things, but that is a me issue personally & shouldn't stop anyone from reading this.

This was absolutely not the subjects that I expected to arise within this story, but I, happily, approve of the route this book took. It is strangely beautiful. I am here for it!

The dual POV is everything! I love when you get multiple views in books and can't wait for the audio book to come out

A chilling and romantic tale, this book weaves together the eerie tension of horror with the intense emotions of love. The haunting garden, with its hidden secrets, becomes the backdrop for a love story that’s as intoxicating as it is unsettling. With a gothic vibe and a touch of horror, this is a ya romance that explores the darker side of love, beauty, and desire. It is a must-read for fans of YA horror and romance, with an unforgettable ending that will leave you reeling. A truly gripping, thought-provoking, and darkly beautiful read; undoubtedly deserves a special place on any YA fan’s shelf.

Clever plot, unique storyline, and fun twist at the end. I think this is a great YA pick for this category.

I’ve read a couple other books by this author and really enjoyed them. I’m going to be in the minority here I know, but this one just fell a little flat for me. I did like the subtle hints to the ending all throughout. Especially some of Heather’s lines. But it just felt slow to me and not all the way cohesive. Some of the parts didn’t make sense after you knew the ending. It was still an okay read and I did enjoy it. All thoughts and opinions are my own! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

This uses the Gothic romance element perfectly to tell this story and kept me reading this. I was engaged with what was happening and enjoyed the love never dies idea. The characters were everything that I was looking for and thought the overall story worked with the dark family secrets. I enjoyed the way Goldy Moldavsky wrote this and left me wanting to read more from the author. It uses the genre perfectly and was glad I got to read this.

I don’t know what to say other than WOW. I loved reading Of Earthly Delights and didn’t want it to end. I loved the way the characters interacted and towards the end of the book I realized why some characters acted the way they acted for a reason.

The writing is wonderful and doesn’t get confusing or muddled. Goldy’s writing was well thought out and I loved the way the story unfolded and loved the dual POV. It was done in a way that I have not seen before and I actually preferred it that way to the traditional way.

This is not just one of the best YA fantasy books of 2025, it’s going on my all-time favorites list—it blew my mind, especially with its breathtaking epic ending! Love can be madness, and the pain of grief feels like shards of glass lodged in your lungs, leaving you bleeding each time you're stuck in memories. I fell in love with this dark, gothic, and disturbingly beautiful love story.

The story centers on Rose Pauly, an aspiring artist who moves from New York to a small town in Connecticut with her father, following her parents’ divorce. She’s not thrilled to start her senior year in an unfamiliar place, but on her first day, she meets a charming, mysterious boy named Hart at a gas station, despite their initial encounter leaving her shirt soaked in cherry soda. Hart quickly invites her to a party, where she meets Lowell, who becomes her best friend, and his sister, Heather, the queen bee who oddly warns Rose to leave the event.

Hart later invites Rose and Lowell to the exclusive solstice garden party at the Hargrove mansion, a lavish estate surrounded by beautiful, almost otherworldly gardens. As Rose is drawn to Hart, who is also grieving his late mother, their connection deepens despite their different backgrounds. Meanwhile, Heather struggles with depression and substance abuse, withdrawing further into her own darkness.

When Rose starts to suspect something sinister about Hemlock Hill and the forbidden garden that Hart tries to keep her away from, she realizes the twins are hiding dangerous secrets that could change everything. Her love story might not be the fairytale she imagined, but rather a chilling nightmare waiting to unfold.

I won’t spoil any more, but this book is a smart, twisty puzzle that masterfully explores themes of love, grief, greed, power, and the consequences of our wishes. It’s a hidden gem deserving to be fully appreciated, and I’m giving it a well-earned five stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group / Henry Holt and Co. for providing this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.