Eloise is broken from the events in her life; from the loss of multiple pregnancies to miscarriage, the failure of an adoption before it could be completed, the loss of her marriage - and all exacerbated by a job that focuses on working with damaged children. She answers an ad looking for a gardener at an obscure garden in France, a job that will take her away from all of the pain her life is currently causing her. When she arrives, she discovers that the other employees are, like herself, there to recover from their problems - emotionally, physically, medically. The garden, called Paradise, appears to be a paradise in the beginning, but there is rot at the center - a rot that may destroy the garden and the people who care for it.

The Alchemy of Flowers is an interesting novel, and I enjoyed much of it - but there was a section in the middle that just seemed a little too far from the premise of the rest of the novel to fit smoothly with the rest. At its core, this is a fantasy novel, and yet, the fantasy piece fall short for most of the novel; many of the fantastical elements are ultimately explained in non-fantastical ways. It's a good story, and it is worth reading, but if you're looking for pure fantasy, this isn't it.

Thank you to Harper Collins Focus and NetGalley for the ARC of The Alchemy of Flowers in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed the overarching concept of this story and the topics addressed within, I couldn’t help but notice that the story moved rather slowly, failing to draw me back in until about 2/3 the way through the book. Much akin to The Secret Garden, the magical elements of the garden paint a beautiful picture for the reader. I enjoyed the tease between fiction and fantasy with the reader all the while questioning what’s really there and what isn’t. Eloise’s story is a difficult one to experience, but I appreciate that the writer handled it with the care it deserved as women all over the world experience situations such as hers. The bones of this book were very well done, and I’d give it a 3.5 stars out of 5. I just wish there had been a little more pull in the beginning of the book to match the energy at the end.

"The Alchemy of Flowers" was a very unusual story to me, but I really enjoyed it. A bit of dark fantasy blended with real-world problems.

The MC, Eloise, is reeling from her life falling apart. After numerous miscarriages and an adoption that fell through, her husband had enough and left her. In her grief and pain, Eloise takes a job, sight unseen, in France, primarily because one of the requirements of the posting was that there were to be no children allowed on the premises. And it seemed like just what she needed for her own peace of mind.

She travels there to find a motley crew of broken people each dealing with trauma from their pasts, and finding healing and solace in this odd little place they now call home. Yet as friendships develop and mysteries abound, Eloise isn't content just to take everything for their surface value. She needs to understand what's going on, and why La Patronne is so intent on some of her very odd and unusual rules.

In the process, she finds a future to hope for and embraces a healing she didn't think was possible, while finding a family to call her own and setting them all free from the dark magic of the place they call home.

As much as I kept thinking to myself that this was a very odd tale, I also found it almost impossible to put down and really enjoyed the characters, the setting, and even the magic of it all.

Thank you to Laura Resau, HarperCollins Focus, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

A beautiful tale of confronting insecurities and brokenness while seeking the lost pieces of one's soul.

Set in a world of magical realism tinged with eeriness, the story centers around Eloise, who is starting anew in a foreign country, carrying the bitterness of a broken marriage and her struggle to embrace motherhood.

I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the setting, but I wanted to learn more about their backgrounds, particularly that of Antoinette and her sisters. The history of the Château and the lives of the three sisters felt underexplored, leaving me wanting more details. Additionally, I wished the writing style were as elegant as the setting.

Thanks to Harper Collins Focus/Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book, and the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 3.75/5🌟.

The Secret Garden was one of my favourite books growing up, so I was intrigued by this one. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.
It had all the right elements: a touch of magic, emotional depth, grief, healing, love… but I couldn’t connect. The tone, the pacing, even the characters- it all felt a bit too removed for me. I can see how others might enjoy it, especially if they love flowery writing and surreal realism, but I just wasn’t the right reader for this story.

Not rating this one for completion, because I didn’t finish it, and I don’t think it’s fair to slap a number on a book that clearly wasn’t for me.

She applies for a job she finds in a magazine and arrives at a château in Provence. Hoping to escape the memories of children and her past pain, she accepts the strict rules: no gossip, no children, and silence under La Patronne’s watchful eye. At first, the château feels like a peaceful garden, almost like paradise.
After that, Eloise meets three people who show her the true meaning of friendship. They remind her (and me) how important connection really is. And then comes Raphael, the handyman, who awakens feelings she thought were gone forever. For Raphael, Eloise also becomes a chance to begin again.
The gardens seem alive flowers whisper, enchant, and heal. At times, the story feels like stepping into a fairytale.
As Eloise looks deeper, she finds her own strength, there is a really good character development here.
When paradise starts to feel like a prison, she must protect the fragile bonds she has built and fight for her second chance at happiness. The difference this time? She is stronger, more aware, and her pain has made her resilient.
Coming to my personal thoughts I read the book at times, and towards the end, I switched to the audiobook. The narrator’s voice was truly captivating, which made me enjoy the story even more. I deeply felt Eloise’s pain, and there were moments that even brought me to tears.
The book included quite a lot of French, and when I shared this feedback with the author, she told me the tone would be lighter in the second book. While I was happy to pick up new French words, constantly checking the dictionary slowed down my reading a little.
In short, this book will stay in my mind as a fairytale-like, mysterious, and poetic story.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free copy!
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

So interesting and creepy. I love the cult vibes that the plot gives. What is actually happening? Could not put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

A broken woman just wants to get away from everything and takes a job caretaking a French garden where no children are allowed. But despite her delightful coworkers and fabulous grounds, things are wrong in paradise. Everything has serious cult vibes and she begins to worry that her predecessors haven't left - they're dead. As she slowly unravels the mysteries around her, she meets a forbidden child and begins to heal her heart. But will she be able to protect the people she's come to love from the dangers lurking in her new home? This book is a fabulous combination of mystery, suspense, maybe-magic, and broken people finding their way back to a new life.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

A woman accepts a mysterious new job that requires her to attend a garden. She takes up residence there with only three companions, but soon begins to question the strange rules and is troubled by unexplained sights and sounds. As she digs deeper, she becomes enveloped in the secrets of the place.

I was really excited to read this book because it seemed to be a fresh take on the classic story, The Secret Garden. I'm also drawn to magical realism books with a hint of mystery, where you start to question what's real. However, I just couldn’t connect with the story.
While I appreciate the author's personal inspiration, the execution felt lacking. The romance didn't resonate with me, and I didn't feel any connection to the characters. I was hoping for a compelling mystery set in a secret garden, but the book just didn't deliver.

The Alchemy of Flowers is a beautifully written exploration of grief, renewal, and the quiet power of nature. Eloise’s journey from heartbreak to hope is tender and deeply human, set against the lush, dreamlike backdrop of a mysterious French garden. Resau weaves emotional depth with sensory detail, lavender winds, crumbling walls, and whispered secrets... all wrapped in a gentle thread of magical realism. The pacing is intentional, unfolding like a flower in bloom. Perfect for readers who love character-driven stories, found family, and healing through the natural world. This book stays with you, like the scent of something sweet you can’t quite name.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was interested in reading The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau because of the mysterious magical realism elements in the description.

I really appreciated the diversity that was presented in this novel. The main character was brought to life with a back story that felt authentic and personal. The gardens were described vividly and the author made it easy to imagine being drawn into Paradise. There was an intriguing mystery that kept me hooked to the end.

I would have liked if the magical elements had been amplified.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who likes idyllic gardens and mythological based magical realism. I would add a trigger warning for fertility issues, as these are discussed in detail throughout the novel.

This was a surprisingly interesting story - the magical elements were not expected. I also enjoyed the characters in this story and thought the development of each character was interesting to read about. I ending was action packed!

Magic Realism is one of my favorite genres as well as The Secret Garden being one of my favorite books! I was really excited to receive The Alchemy of Flowers as an arc. I definitely found the plot to be much heavier than I thought - check TW for sure. I could not really resonate with the main character in her grief involving pregnancy, but I did still find it to be moving. The romance was just okay for me, and it was not my type of trope. I will say that if you enjoy moving books especially around grief and healing I would check it out. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this eARC.

I went into this book completely blind (I just loved the cover, it sucked me in!) and I was very pleasantly surprised. It was squarely in the magical realism fiction genre and I found it interesting and charming (I adored all the French in it!!!). It also had a mystery element and even some thrills at the end. I enjoyed the characters too and it even addressed some real issues that many deal with (infertility and miscarriage, so trigger warning for that) in a very compassionate way. There was romance and found family elements too! This book truly had a bit of everything and I do think it’s best to go in mostly blind. All you need to know is that this story takes place in a magical garden in France that helps people heal from tragedies they’ve dealt with previously, but is there also something nefarious going on? Don’t be put off by the slower pace of this book, it does pick up speed eventually and everything is explained in the end. Overall, I’m glad I read it and enjoyed my experience with it.

"The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau is a lush, magical realism tale about grief, healing, and renewal. Set in a mysterious walled French garden, the story follows a woman grappling with infertility and loss, as she discovers enchantment, secrets, and found family within Jardins du Paradis. Resau’s prose is gorgeously atmospheric, full of sensory detail and quiet magic, making the novel feel both haunting and hopeful. While the pacing is slow and the romance lightly drawn, the book shines as an immersive, emotionally resonant exploration of trauma, resilience, and the power of beauty to heal.

Eloise has done it. Left her old life behind and is ready to a new one far from her broken past. Taking up a job as a gardener in an newspaper ad she finds herself in Paradise. Paradise has all she could ever need and provides every single need. Flowers galore, her own treehouse, and 3 friends who show her the wonder of it all. Everything isn’t as it seems as Eloise finds herself seeing and hearing things.

The descriptions of this book were essential to really get the feel of a magical mythic garden. Laura Resau nailed it. I felt myself being there seeing the stone statues, the towering castle, and thousands upon thousands of plant life. Now the bad part.

Fortunately, the start of this book was amazing and had me along for the ride. I don’t know what happened the moment our FML walked into the garden. There was immediate insta-attraction to a dude who would constantly look everywhere else but her. Too much info dumping that some point I got bored of how magnificent the garden was. No connections really to the other characters as everything about them was told vaguely or at a glance. Lastly, I was 20% in the book with the past idk how many chapters talking about the same thing.

I received this arc from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

The Alchemy of Flowers felt like an adult reimagining of The Secret Garden, layered with grief, myth, and healing. Laura Resau’s writing is lush and lyrical, blending garden enchantment with the raw realities of infertility and loss. The highlighted moments that stayed with me most were not just about magic but about the heartbreak of cradling a child too small to live, the rage of shattering dishes, the emptiness after grief, and the ache of imagining what could have been.

At the same time, there is profound beauty and hope throughout these pages. The mythological threads of the Triple Goddess and L’Autre Monde deepen the story, while the gardens themselves feel alive, whispering resilience and renewal. Characters like Eloise, Raphaël, and Sabine bring tenderness and meaning to the narrative, especially in the moment when Sabine says: “You didn’t grow inside my belly but inside my heart.”

This is not just a story about flowers or magic, but about what it means to be broken and find refuge, what it means to be a mother in ways the world doesn’t always recognize, and how love and life can bloom again in the darkest soil. A haunting, moving, and unforgettable novel.

The premise of The Alchemy of Flowers immediately intrigued me. A secret, magical garden in the south of France where one can escape, find free room and board, and even make money? It sounded like a dream setting for a novel blending magic, mystery, and romance.

The story follows Eloise, a woman seeking to heal after infertility struggles, miscarriages, and divorce. She takes a job at a secluded, off-the-grid garden that promises transformation. The novel leans heavily on magical realism, with hints of romance and a touch of fantasy.

While I loved the concept, the execution didn’t fully work for me. The pacing was uneven: the first three-quarters of the book felt overly slow and repetitive, with Eloise frequently revisiting her past traumas. In contrast, the conclusion and central reveal felt rushed, leaving me uncertain whether the ending was meant to be magical or simply symbolic. I had hoped for a deeper exploration of the garden’s enchantments—Eloise’s ability to communicate with flowers, the mysteries of the castle, and the “flower witch” elements—but these plotlines were sidelined in favor of her ongoing grief.

The supporting cast also fell flat. Eloise’s co-workers came across as one-dimensional, and her relationship with Rafael lacked chemistry. That said, the author excelled at evoking atmosphere. The descriptions of the garden and the food were beautiful, and I often found myself wishing the entire book had leaned more into those vivid, sensory details.

This is not the fantasy novel I expected. Instead, it’s a story about loss, healing, and found family. The themes of infertility and child loss are handled with sensitivity, and I respect that these topics are important to represent in literature. However, the marketing led me to expect something different, and had I known the true focus, I may not have picked it up.

Trigger warnings include miscarriage, death, and underage marriage.

In the end, The Alchemy of Flowers wasn’t a bad book—it simply wasn’t for me. I admired the lush writing and the enchanting premise, but the slow pacing and uneven focus kept me from becoming fully engaged. Readers looking for a meditation on grief and healing may find it resonates more deeply.

Laura Resau creates a magical, haunting estate where healing resides. But there are dangers as well, waiting to crush those not wanting to move forward. Each choice can go either way. Choices have to be made to move toward the healing and away from past hurts. Secrets, myths, and enchantments swirl through the flowers. Mysteries also dance with the dangers present in the garden. Which voices will you listen to? How can you grasp the healing while avoiding the danger? The characters are well written, helping pull the reader into this magical tale. They show the reader how healing can come through connection and support from those around us. With a setting that seems to come alive, both for the characters and the reader, this book moves around nature at it's best. This book is full of wonder and healing that jumps of the pages.
For this reader the story fell a little flat. I couldn't connect with the meaning behind the words very well. The characters are people I would love to meet but I couldn't connect with their problems and solutions. But the world Laura Resau has created is a wonder, with enough mysteries to keep the reader guessing until the end as to what all is going on. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really like all of the tidbits about France and the French language in this book. The idea of a secret garden in France is an absolute dream. I love how this garden was described, the individual living spaces, the intricacies of their daily lives. One thing that was hard for me to believe is how easily the French language came back to Eloise after last using it fifteen years earlier in college, and how she was able to express herself so intimately and in such detail with the others in the garden. The other aspect I had difficulty with was how Eloise abandoned all reason when it came to children: she would swing from frantically avoiding any mention of them to obsessing over them and lose her mind in the process. So it was extreme behavior for me personally but I could see how maybe someone who relates to Eloise in that way may identify with it more than I do. Overall I enjoyed it and it was a very unique story but probably not one that will inspire continued thoughts.