Filled with lush imagery of the nature she finds, The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt is a must-read story about resilience and full of twists and turns, this novel keeps readers hanging on until the very end!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, the authors and editor, for my audio of this book.

This audiobook is an absolute gem! Set in 19th-century London, it takes you on a captivating journey through the life of Harriet Hunt, a strong yet vulnerable woman who finds solace in her garden after her father's mysterious disappearance. The narrator brings Harriet's emotional turmoil and determination to life with such depth that you can almost feel the weight of her struggles. The blend of historical fiction and magical realism creates an immersive atmosphere, and the garden itself becomes a character, responding to Harriet's emotions in a way that's both eerie and fascinating. As Harriet uncovers the dark secrets surrounding her father's disappearance and tries to break free from the oppressive men in her life, the stakes are high, and the tension builds beautifully. The pacing is spot on, and the plot twists keep you on the edge of your seat. This audiobook will pull you in from the first chapter and keep you hooked until the very end. A must-listen for fans of historical fiction with a touch of magic!

This story seemed a little more niche than I imagined and I don't know if it will appeal to general readers. Then again, I said that about Lost Apothecary and it blew up.

Though it dragged a bit, and was stressful to witness Harriet's abuse, I found this book mostly riveting. I couldn't stop, and found myself listening it while at work because I needed to know what happened. I loved the inexplicable magic that happened with the garden and appreciated that the author didn't try to give it some arcane or empirical reason. I wanted it to remain a mystery. The book was well-written, the audio was fantastic, the twists were great, and the assaults were harrowing. Probably not ideal for certain audiences, but it was compelling and had a satisfying ending.

This is a beautifully atmospheric novel that blends Victorian charm with magical realism. Harriet Hunt, a solitary woman whose garden holds untamed power, is a captivating protagonist as she uncovers dark secrets surrounding her father’s disappearance. The vivid descriptions of her magical garden and the slow-building tension make for an immersive, if occasionally slow-paced, story. Harriet’s journey of self-discovery and empowerment is poignant, though the plot sometimes lags. Overall, it’s a richly atmospheric and satisfying read for fans of character-driven fantasy! I loved the narrator so much that I’ve been searching for more audiobooks narrated by her. Solid 4.25 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an advanced copy of this audiobook in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Harriet Hunt is a young woman with a scar on her face and a peculiar garden that have both been the speculation of little passers by for years. Those who do know if Harriet are her sweet cousin Eunice (who is moving away to care for her husband’s dying aunt) and her father… who has been missing since New Year’s Day. He isn’t really that missed though - he would beat Harriet and his disappearance was a good thing. That is, until Inspector Stoke’s comes snooping around wondering where her father is. While Harriet tries to handle being investigated, and selling off her household possessions for food, A charming Mr Comstock comes into her life and woos her into a new type of life. Harriet is left to navigate the world around her and protect herself from the creatures that lurk in the world.

This book started out very interesting and then turned into an 1800s domestic violence story. I liked how Iversen used the garden as a picture of the human spirit and tangled in hopeful moments. Throughout the audio, you could hear the reader’s stomach growl, hear her take breaths loud breaths, awkward pauses, and some noises in the background - it was not terrible, but definitely noticeable enough to take me out of the story. The unrealistic thought processes that were exemplified through Harriet were kind of annoying - in that if a child experiences extensive abuse as, and then as an adult experiences more, they are not going to magically believe that they are worthy or that what is being done to them is wrong. The mystery was easy to figure out in the beginning - but overall, it was enjoyable to listen to - just nothing to write home about.

Content Warning: Unconsensual sex, 2 attempted rapes, domestic violence, death, manipulation, entrapment.

2.5 Stars

This book had so much potential to be magical and portray a strong female character that had been broken down by abusive men in her life bit came out on top. But unfortunately this book was not that. It mostly consisted of events happening to Harriet, she was very passive and never took actions unless prompted by someone else or was forced to react to the situation at hand. This is including her own magic which she didn't really explore until the very end. I understand that a lot of her traits/flaws are caused by the trauma she had endured but unfortunately this resulted in a somewhat flat character and the side characters stood out more in my opinion with their strong motivations for doing the things they did and going after the things they wanted.

The magic system, though not really explained was beautiful! The ivys are my favorite thing about this book!
I liked the way the book explored the themes of loneliness, trust and friendship.

The narrator did a fantastic job!

Content warning for domestic violence.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an audio-arc in an exchange for an honest review.

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt is a magical and heartwarming story. Harriet has a talent with plants and has grown a wild and robust garden that holds many secrets. Harriet has been treated horribly her entire life and when he father disappears under mysterious circumstances, she becomes the object of the town's scrutiny and the prime suspect. But all is not lost, when a seemingly charming man comes into her life. But things aren't always what they appear....

I enjoyed this story and Harriet's quirky and eccentric character. She's terribly sweet and I enjoyed the cast of characters that supported her.

Ok. I didn’t expect to like this book once I started it.
It was hard to follow, and I didn’t always know where the author was going. That’s being said, towards the end, I changed my mind.
This story is different and weird but so special.
The characters are diverse and complicated and Harriet is so dang loveable.
When plants are a character, you know you’re in for a wild ride.
Thank you netgalley for the AAC.

I really tried to like this more but I just didn't vibe with this one. It started out interesting but halfway through it failed to hold my attention and I just found it boring and tedious. Sorry, I'm probably not the right audience for this one. The audio narration is ok though .

1 star for me for finishing it.
1 star for the narrator who did an excellent job.

I'm afraid this really wasn't for me. The first half of the book could have been condensed into a couple of chapters following, as it does, Harriet's complete lack of faith in herself. There was so much procrastination that I began to fast forward quite early on.

The story itself could have been really interesting but it only really gets going in the last quarter.

I always try to look for some good points in every book I read so the story was interesting but ruined by repetition and the narration by Anna Burnett was excellent. The production was also good on the audio.

Thankyou to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy.

After a life of trauma living under the oppressive and abusive thumb of her father, Harriet finds solace in her wild and overgrown garden. She is questioned and ostracised for living alone in 19th Century London, when a marriage could save her house and her social status. But is her husband any better than her father?

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt explores trauma. And I mean A LOT of trauma (Massive trigger warnings for SA and DV). I was initially interested in this book, because the marketing made it sound very fantastical, whimsical, and witchy. However, after listening to this, the marketing is done all wrong. This was essentially, “How many traumatic things can I do to this poor girl?”
The garden itself played a very small role in the book, and right from the beginning the magic was so understated that I thought the author was being metaphorical, or making a juxtaposition between Harriets life and the small solace she gains in the garden. Don’t get me wrong, the descriptions were beautiful.I could almost feel and smell the garden from my headphones. It was just very understated.
There were also some plot points and characters that were forgotten about, namely Nigel Davies, which the author could have done so much with. The mentions of him culminated in one scene at the end, which felt like a cop out to end the story.
The Audio was fantastic though, and I think the narrator was great for this book!

This had the potential to be a beautiful and unique story, with a magical garden, the mystery surrounding her father (which wasn’t wrapped up), and the potential for incredible character development. Unfortunately, the book missed the mark on all these points.

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this to most of the people I know that are interested in Fantasy or Magical Realism. I do however recommend this as an interesting book club book.

In the end, while I felt that this was generally well written, there were some plot holes and forgotten plot points, and I think it was marketed wrong as a fantasy. For this reason I have given this a 3 star rating.
Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for the Advanced Listener’s Copy (ALC) of this book. All opinions are my own.

While I was reading this book it felt reminiscent of a different story but I couldn’t put my finger on which one and I’ve just figured it out a week later. It feels similar to We Have Always Lived in the Castle but not at all the same.

I LOVE when a man chooses to gaslight the wrong woman. It really tickles my feminine rage in such a satisfying way.

There were parts of this book that felt a little redundant but overall I really enjoyed it, especially the fact that the garden was like the best friend willing to do what had to be done.

If I could focus a bit more on audiobooks than physical books than I'd have loved this book so much, but I didn't really have to worry about that because I was really engaged in this story for the majority of it. I thought it was really great. The aspect that stood out to me the most was the incredible world building. Whenever I heard a vivid description of the character's surroundings or just the atmosphere/location in general, I was locked in. Congratulations to the author on that. A few of the characters had great growth in this novel. Amazing supernatural imagery and elements with the garden. Some dark undertones with the evil, cruel male characters but the magical realism hooked me into a journey that was mostly beautifully written in my opinion, and I'm hoping to listen to audiobook again or read the physical novel!

2 tortured Stars - 1 of which is for the fabulous job done by the narrator of this audiobook (only 1 star for the written word).

The synopsis of this book sounds mainly magical, with a bit of bother heaped upon the main character, first by her father and later by her husband. Actually, it is more true to say that the first 3/4 of this book is ongoing, repetitive TRAUMA-PORN!!

Harriet is held captive by greedy, deceitful men, a fully traumatized perspective (skewed sense of guilt and “deservedness”), and the perverse mid 19th-century prospects of any woman. She has zero idea that she holds any power whatsoever, because she has been emotionally abused, physically held captive and gaslit for the majority of her life.

The very latter part of the book (last 1.5-2 hours of a 10.5 hour audiobook) allows some light into the darkest forest of Harriet’s and life…. though incredibly slowly.

The ONLY reason that I didn’t completely abandon this book a third of the way in is (1) I had committed to reviewing it and (2) it would have given me nightmares!

The written word itself was well rendered, but so incredibly repetitive that no true validation can be given. And while I understand that this is how a traumatized person continues to think, the author leaving her to stew in these toxic thoughts for the vast majority of a book was ugly and torturous. I also strongly question the mid 19th-century setting.

But as not every book read can be to any one reader’s tastes, I maintain huge gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher, RB Media, in exchange for my (likely far too) honest review.

Haunting. The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt effortlessly toes the line between magical realism and gothic horror.

Harriet Hunt has spent her whole life locked inside Sunnyside house with her abusive father, terrifying housekeeper, and the ghosts of her mother’s love. Her only solace has been the garden that seems to bend to her will and a cousin who refuses to give up on her. When her father goes missing and suspicion starts to turn towards Harriet, she must venture outside her garden gates to find the answers she seeks. When a chance encounter a handsome, kind stranger leads to a whirlwind courtship and marriage, she thinks her luck has finally turned- but her husband has secrets and she’s about to find them all out. In the end, Harriet has to choose- will she be the fragile, mad girl everyone thinks she is or is she brave enough to choose herself and her garden?

Filled with twists and tangled vines, this is the story of female rage, empowerment, and courage. I loved that throughout the story you are trying to figure out if Harriet is being gaslit by the men around her or if you as the reader are being manipulated and Harriet really is insane. Atmospheric, lyrical, and emotional, The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt is a stunning ode to the classic gothic novel.

This was a hidden gem of a book for those who like a little magic realism and want a very character focused plot. It is definitely more of a slow burn of a story but it's hard to be bothered by that when the writing is so smooth and just thorough enough to be immersive without going overboard.

4.5⭐️s rounded up.
Story- 4⭐️s
Narration-5⭐️s

Thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the advanced audiobook!
Narrator- Anna Burnett
I listened to this audiobook in tandem with an eARC.

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt is a gothic-adjacent mystery with magical realism centering around Harriet Hunt herself.
Burnett was brilliant in bringing Harriet's voice to life. Having a physical book or ebook wasn't necessary to enjoy and keep up with this audio.
The sadness, helplessness, and anxiety was felt in full.
Abandonment, isolation, verbal and physical abuse are only a few of the horrors Harriet experiences at the hands of men that should love and care for her. The garden is her only constant friend yet also a huge source of anxiety. It was cathartic to follow Harriet's journey in opening herself up to trusting others and herself, all while avoiding an asylum and the limitations that society forces on women.

This would've been a complete 5 star read for me had we got to spend more time with Harriet's garden. Regardless, I'm still going to need a physical copy.

Harriet Hunt has always been known as an odd child- a spectacle of everyone around her. After a tragic accident as a small child she losses her mother and is left to be with her neglectful father. With no love she is forced to be alone with her magical garden and as she grows she accepts the loneliness. It isn't until her father suddenly disappears she is finally alone to be herself. Through a marriage with malicious intent she is forced once again in neglect by her now husband. if only she could be brave and finally leave him she and her garden to be wild and free. i absolutely loved the magical realism in this book and enjoyed getting to know and love harriet hunt.

This is a historical sci-fi fantasy that I really really enjoyed. This book had hints of many books that I have read, but the one that stood out to me the most was Jane Eyre. I don't really know why, Maybe it was just a feeling of a book or the feeling of Harriet, Her loneliness or her seclusion. But poor Harriet had rotten luck and a rotten father. I really felt sorry for her.

Many thanks to Net Galley and RB Media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobooks can be a hit or a miss sometimes for me. The minute this one started, I was hooked. I absolutely love the narrators voice. I feel so bad for Harriet, her father is an abusive man. It’s definitely a bit of a dark story. I definitely think there should be some trigger warnings listed at the beginning. Harriet went through trauma which affects all parts of her life. I just wanted the best for her. I enjoyed the ending of the book. If it wasn’t for the narrator, I’m not sure I would have gotten through the book. She did a wonderful job. I personally could listen to her voice all day! Thank you NetGalley, Chelsea and RBmedia for the advanced audio copy!