ALL THE PRETTY PLACES
BY: JOY CALLAWAY

About 4.Stars!

I really loved Joy Callaway's latest historical novel based on the factual lives of her ancestors. "All the Pretty Places," took me a lot longer to read than normal. I was quite enamored with the main
female protagonist whose strength was portrayed throughout this novel. Her name was Sadie Fremd, whose determination to go against what her father, Charles had planned for her life trajectory's direction to go once she reached the age to marry. His idea was for her to settle for being married to a rich suitor, who would guarantee her safety of not ending up poor, if their nursery failed due to the poor economy.

The writing of this historical novel was quiet, and beautiful containing rich imagery which depicted the colorful descriptions, of the hundreds of varieties of flowers and plants. I could visualize in my mind while reading the environment of which permeated Sadie's passionate love of gardening. She was happiest while planting the various plants and flowers that encompassed her family's nursery business. This business was to include supplying the rich families within, and beyond their community, with the landscape design of a myriad variety of private gardens.

This novel takes place in Rye, New York, during the Gilded age of the 1800's. Sadie has learned the family business, which her father had built as a self made man. He arrived in the United States, as an immigrant from Germany, not able to speak English, which his now deceased wife taught him. Both Sadie's mother, and father started out poor, and built their business to be one of the most successful in the Country. Sadie's mother's dying wish to Sadie's father had been to extract his promise, to seeing that Sadie marry a rich suitor, to ensure that Sadie did not experience the poverty that her parents' had endured.

Sadie is now twenty-two years old, and her father has started insisting that, Sadie pick one of her gentleman admirers, whose wealth in most cases surpasses her own. She has grown up knowing only a life of privilege. For most of the novel, Sadie refuses her father's insistence, of marrying based upon the wealth of her suitors. Sadie is strong willed, and her two choices are to continue doing what she loves most which, is to be her father's successor of the nursery, and to marry her true love Sam Jenkins, who shares her talent and passion for creating beauty from plants and flowers.

Sadie's father forbids Sadie to take his place at the helm of the family business, and to marry Sam who is an employee without wealth. Her father discourages any mixing of his children from developing romantic relationships with their family's hired help. Sadie and her father often lock horns, because she refuses to follow his preconceived ideas for her. She is a lovable character in which, she displays a stubborn vision of not marrying anybody else other than Sam. She can't imagine not being able to keep doing what she loves most, of which is to continue creating beauty by designing gardens from her family owned nursery.

Her father employs sixty people who he provides housing for them as well. The markets have crashed leaving a poor economy. Many of their rich friends' family owned businesses have failed causing them to go bankrupt. This puts their nursery in jeopardy with losing a lot of clients. What I really admired about Sadie is her optimism including her ideas, of subtle visits to the families that can still afford gardens to generate business. I also admired her refusal to settle for anything less, than her goals and dreams. Additionally, her ambition of creating beauty with her talents, for those who couldn't afford it. Her willingness to refuse marrying somebody she didn't love, for the sake of the safety of their wealth.

At 400 pages, I felt that this novel got bogged down with Sadie, and her father's opposing plans for her future. I felt that their points of view were made clear in the beginning. Her father's wishes to protect her from becoming poverty stricken, casting her out of her comfortable, and privileged lifestyle versus her love, of creating beauty with plants and flowers, and taking over the family business after he retired. Also, her deep love of Sam refusing to consider getting engaged, with more prosperous admirers. It got tedious, and could've been edited, because there wasn't anything more happening in terms of plot. I deducted one star, for that aspect. Otherwise, this has a stunning cover, which is symbolized by the atmospheric writing. I think that this will appeal to most women who enjoy historical fiction with romance. When the plot twist happened at approximately 65%, I became invested in the narrative again.

Publication Date: May 9, 2023. Available Now!

Thank you to Net Galley, Joy Callaway and Harper Muse for providing me with a Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions are entirely my own.

#AllthePrettyPlaces #JoyCallaway #HarperMuse #NetGalley

I absolutely loved reading this historical fiction with a wonderful romance in it. The character of Sadie is a wonderful strong woman that I was rooting for! I especially enjoyed the gardening references and descriptions were so vivid I could see them in my mind! Will definitely recommend this book!

I read this because the author is coming here on a book tour. It was not what I was expecting. There are lots of references to plants and nurseries, but the story became too caught up in romance. I mostly skimmed it to the end after the first third of the book, because I got tired of the forbidden love story. It just lacked a strong plot.

I couldn't get into it. It reads like Little Women, but don't get me wrong, I loved Little Women! But the thing is this book didn't have any sort of attraction that would make me want to keep reading.

Joy Callaway’s All the Pretty Places transports readers to the Gilded Age of extravagant Fifth Avenue, New York mansions surrounded by elaborately landscaped gardens and terraces overflowing with palms, roses, peonies, and lilacs. The setting is Charlie Fremd’s Rye Nurseries, famous on the East Coast for rare and exotic plants but as the result of an economic downturn known as the Panic of 1893, his nursery is in peril. Main character Sadie Fremd is Charlie’s 22-year-old daughter, whose love and lifelong study of horticulture has prepared her to take over the nurseries when he retires. At the center of the family business crisis is that neither of Sadie’s brothers is interested in running the nurseries. The oldest son Charlie Jr., an adventurer, has been lured to Florida to design gardens for Hotel Royal Poinciana, and younger Freddie has gone to Chicago to follow political aspirations. Sadie’s father does not see her as a viable successor, believing “men should be about men’s work,” and she should be about getting married.
Meanwhile, Sadie develops her own strategies to save the family business. Stubborn and loyal, she rejects the debutante’s duty to marry and refuses several matches. Her heart belongs to Sam, a nursery worker who shares her love of horticulture, but left the area after a heartbreaking decision. Readers will cheer Sadie on as she boldly confronts and rebuffs suitors her father continues to present. Anger literally seeps through the prose as he issues an ultimatum for her to marry or be sent to family in Germany until she consents.
Callaway creates emotional and familial conflict as true love, Sam, returns to Rye Nurseries. After life-changing experiences and much soul-searching Sadie confronts the fact that a mere five miles from the 5th Avenue mansions are tenements reeking of garbage and sewage. The vivid descriptions of the sights and smells capture the vast contradictions in the lifestyle and beauty surrounding the privileged as exquisite gardens and greenhouses bring their owners and readers a quiet, calming peace. But Sadie empathizes with those in the tenements dying of hopelessness. Don’t they deserve to appreciate the beauty of gardens in public parks?
The revelation that gardens and parks are a beacon of hope for everyone blooms verdantly in the hearts of readers of All the Pretty Places.

Joy Callaway is a new-to-me author, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by her! Her writing style is engaging and compelling, and I felt connected to the MC from the get-go. I also really enjoyed how she created the sense of place, in and around NYC in the Gilded Age--an era I'm quickly starting to really enjoy.

I do wish the faith thread had been more prominent--it was really subtle, which can have its perks--but I think it would have been even more of a powerful story if the MC's (and her family's) faith had been explored more, especially given the challenges they faced. Some of the kiss descriptions were also a tad ... descriptive for my taste, lol (I simply prefer "less is more")--but fans of Becky Wade and similar will see no problem! And it's still super tame compared to most everything else out there, heh.

Still, a good read, with a gorgeous cover.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As a Gilded-Age story, I really enjoyed reading "All the Pretty Places". Set in Rye, NY, it is based on the author's real ancestors, who owned plant nurseries in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some other famous historical figures are mentioned as well.

I found it to be a relaxing read, and I enjoyed learning a little about the lives of people in that place (like the lifestyle of some of the very wealthy) as well as how it was to run a nursery. If you love plants, the author has put the effort in to being very accurate. At the and of the book we learn a little of the actual people (most of whom have the same name) who lived there, which I really also enjoyed.

If you are looking for a relaxing, enjoyable read (PG rated if it were a movie) about that time period, I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC as a reviewer for NetGalley. #sponsored

I had the genuine pleasure of speaking with the author one sunny afternoon and yes she was a joy! She has the magical ability to take a place, a time and topic and wrap each in exquisite detail it’s as if you were there. The Grand Design was the first I read of hers and it inspired me to add All the Pretty Places to my wish list! What a treat! She gives us the glamour of the Gilded Age yet also shows those who lived amongst the entitled yet had little access to even the outside beauty of nature. Inside info: the story is inspired by her own great great grandmother who I have no doubt is very proud of this descendant.

Based on my recommendation, my college library will be purchasing this book for lending to students.

1893, Rye, New York, Sadie Freud has enjoyed working alongside her father and brother’s at the family’s nursery, She loves flowers and digging in the dirt and wants nothing more than to take over the family business. But she has been raised to be a society girl and is expected to marry well. When financial crisis and a tornado both hit the business hard, tough decisions have to be made.

🌸 All The Pretty Places 🌸

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@potatoesandpaperbacks on Instagram 3.5 ⭐️

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Thank you @netgalley for the arc!

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Sadie has a love of plants and dreams of running her family’s nursery one day. The only thing standing in her way is her father. Typical of gilded age society, he’s only concerned with finding her a suitable man to marry. As economic depression threatens their town and the nursery, Sadie’s dreams seem farther away than ever. Along with her former lover and nursery employee Sam, Sadie begins planting small gardens for less fortunate people in town to bring them joy through flowers. As Sadie’s passion grows to include helping others and sharing beauty, she may be forced to choose between sacrificing herself or losing everything that she loves…

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💭 Thoughts 💭

I love the gilded age! This one definitely had an interesting perspective with the class dynamics and taking into account the lives of people who are not part of the elite. However, Sadie could be a big annoying and repetitive at times in her single minded focus on running the nursery and the story seemed to take awhile to get through.

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⌛️ Favorite Moment ⌛️

This book is based on the author’s relatives who ran this nursery in Rye, NY! I love a family connection to a story, and learning about the real people behind the characters was a great twist.

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3.7 Stars
One Liner: A good historical drama

1893, Rye, New York
Sadie Fremd has two loves- her father’s nursery and Sam Jenkins. She has always hoped to become her father’s successor and manage the nursery. However, the economic recession pushes her into a corner. Sadie is asked to marry well to save the nursery and reminded multiple times that she cannot be a businesswoman, even if no one knows about plants, gardening, and landscaping as she does.
Sadie is determined not to lose the nursery or her freedom when Sam reappears in her life. She also learns about the life of the poor and how a single flower can give them hope (but both the flower and hope are kept away from them). She wants to make a difference, somehow. However, life gets complicated, and Sadie is at crossroads. She cannot have it all, not unless a miracle happens.
The story comes from Sadie’s first-person POV.

What I Like:
The detailing and landscaping are very well done. Flowers and plants are an integral part of the plot and the characters’ lives. I love how almost every memory is linked to flowers in one way or another.
The best parts of the book are when Sadie is working with flowers or thinking about them. Even when I didn’t know what the flowers were, I could feel her emotions and love for plants.
The contrast between the lives of the rich and poor is well presented. We also see how people abandon their ‘friends’ when they fall into tough times.
I haven’t read a book set in the Gilded Age, so this is a good addition to my list. It’s informative without being boring, which is a definite plus. The market crash and the parts about how public parks weren’t exactly for the public provide more insights into the past.
Sadie and Sam’s love story takes up a good chunk of the book. It’s a little typical of the class difference between them. I like love stories and some romantic drama, so this worked for me. Though I wish we knew a little more about Sam.
The author’s note at the end is detailed and informative. Since the book is about her ancestors (Sadie is her great-grandmother), knowing more about their lives and the author’s connection with them enriches the book. Oh, there’s a picture of real-life Sadie Fremd too.

What Could Have Been Better for Me:
Given the main theme of nurseries and flowers, I’d have loved a few illustrations scattered in the book. My knowledge about flowers is quite limited and more than 50% of the names went over my head. Yeah, I can Google, but that would break the flow.
I love happy endings, and things wrap up well in this one. However, character development isn’t the strong point of the book. Maybe that’s because the main characters are real people, but it makes them a little flat.
I find it a bit odd that the men were professing their love for Sadie when she was borderline rude to them. Though I understand their inability to see beyond a pretty face or even try to understand a woman, there sure would be other women if they expand their search.
The pacing is slow and annoying when the plot gets into a loop (Sadie refusing suitors, yearning for Sam, and her father ordering her to pick a rich husband…). However, you can speed-read without missing any vital details.

To summarize, All the Pretty Places is a historical drama based on the lives of real people. Those who enjoy gardening will love the book more. While the book deals with quite a few issues, it is primarily a romance between people from different stations. You’ll enjoy it more if you pick it up with the right expectations.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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This ARC copy had the HarperMuse logo on almost every alternate Kindle page. The text was adjusted around it, so you can imagine the messed-up layout. I haven’t had this issue with the publisher’s books before, and hope it’s a one-time thing.

This is a wonder of a histfic tale, with a brave female MC unafraid to go after what she wants during the Gilded Age ... whether running the family nursery business or falling in love with a man not approved by her father. It is based on the life of the author's great-great-grandmother.

The writing captivates, the characters are deftly developed, the descriptions of gardens and flowers and romance make one fall headlong into ALL THE PRETTY PLACES:

"Though life was difficult at times, nature was perpetually hopeful. I'd always taken refuge among the green-some of my earliest memories were of running to my father with fists full of wild roses and dandelions."

"Despite Jonathan's humor and wit and Stephen's beautiful face and Harry Brundage's deep pockets, I couldn't fathom marriage to any of them. It wasn't only about the nurseries. It was also about a pair of ocean-blue eyes in the moonlight; strong, work-worn hands on my waist; the feel of midnight hair threading through my fingers; the way he saw my soul laid bare."

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, lush romance, strong female characters, and stories that won't let you go. I loved it!

If you love flowers, greenhouses, and plants this is the book for you. Everything about this book surrounds having a green thumb. I do not have a green thumb; it is not even a tinge of green.

Sadie’s father only wants his children to never experience the life he had before becoming a successful nursery owner. He has given everything he can to have his children grow up successful and with minimal struggles. Sadie, being the daughter, is expected to marry well and be a happy wife. Happy wife is not what Sadie dreams of, she wants to run the nursery. I really liked how strong Sadie is. She never lets go of the dreams and works harder than anyone else to show her father that she deserves to take over, especially since neither of her brothers want that job.



The romance between Sam and Sadie is a matter of stations in society. Sam works hard and is Sadie’s father’s right-hand man but he does not come from wealth so he is not seen as deserving Sadie’s love. Funny thing, love does not care about wealth. What the heart wants, the heart wants. That is exactly their relationship. I really enjoyed watching the work together, figure out how and if they could be together, and put the well being of each other before their own. Yet, they did keep society’s expectations in their minds as they were making decisions.



This book was slow for me. There was a lot of nursery talk and that part did not excite me at all. I enjoyed the book enough to read the entire thing, but I did do a lot of skimming over the garden descriptions.

There is nothing like sinking my hands in the dirt and planting flowers. Like the author’s heritage, my grandmother was a keen gardener and I inherited some of her genes.
I loved all the flowers described and could see their brilliant colors in my mind.
I was heartsick for most of the book, thinking there was no solution, but at the last second there is, literally, a holy grail moment.
It’s a rich read and I love how Calloway used her family history to frame the story.

This talented and gifted author has written a cannot put down novel of times past. The characters are dynamic and keep the story moving quickly. The images of the times, the people, the nurseries, the events…this is a fantastic story. I felt as if I was living in that era…the Gilded Age. Even the title matches the plot. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and author. Curl up on a comfy chair by the fire and be transported.

Discover the enchanting world of "All the Pretty Places" by Joy Callaway, where the scent of flowers fills the air and the struggles of love and ambition take center stage. Set in 1893 Rye, New York, this historical novel invites readers on a journey alongside Sadie Fremd, a young woman determined to break free from societal constraints and follow her passion for plants. The vivid descriptions of botanical wonders transport you to a bygone era, where the fragrant blooms practically leap off the page. As Sadie's forbidden love for her coworker Sam simmers beneath the surface and tensions escalate with her father's refusal to let her inherit the family nursery, the stage is set for a climactic showdown that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

But "All the Pretty Places" is not just a tale of romance and ambition—it delves deeper, exposing the stark disparities between the privileged and the less fortunate during the Financial Panic of 1893. As Sadie and Sam's anonymous acts of kindness come to light, the book becomes a poignant exploration of compassion and the transformative power of even the smallest gestures. Callaway's elegant prose paints vibrant landscapes and introduces us to a cast of characters whose desires and struggles resonate with our own. Will Sadie find the strength to defy societal norms and claim her rightful place? Can love conquer all, or will heartbreak be the price they pay? These questions and more will keep you turning the pages, eager to uncover the fates of these captivating characters.

"All the Pretty Places" is not just a novel—it's an escape into a world where beauty and resilience intertwine. Callaway's masterful storytelling takes us back in time, allowing us to witness the complexities of Gilded Age society while rooting for characters who are determined to forge their own paths. With its engaging plot, rich historical backdrop, and themes of love, family, and social change, this book is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and heartfelt storytelling.

All the Pretty Places is set at a family nursery in Rye, NY during the Financial Panic of 1893. Families were losing their financial standing and the Fremds, though well-established, were not far behind. Would the business be saved? Would love triumph over necessity? Would the main character, Sadie Fremd, be able to share the hope she found in flowers and the beauty of natural spaces with the have-nots as well as with the haves?

The book was perfectly positioned to explore each of the questions it raised but failed to do so in a fulsome way. The writing was okay and I kept wanting to fall in love with the story but it just never happened. The main problem for me was that though the situation evolved, the characters themselves showed very little change; they lacked dimension.

I was particularly interested in reading about the establishment of public parks and wish there had been more on this. There was some and I enjoyed those parts very much. On the plus side, having had my appetite whetted, I look forward to learning more about the public park movement of the time.

Thank you to HarperMuse and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read All The Pretty Places in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie has grown up loving plants and helping her father’s nursery. With the grim economy Sadie’s father is determined she marry and have a fortune and man she can rely on. What her father doesn’t know is Sadie has fallen in love with Sam, one of her father’s workers. With businesses closing and families leaving Sadie is feeling more and more pressure to marry, even if none of the men can stand up to Sam. Will Sadie end up giving into her father’s wishes and marry, even if it it isn’t a love match? Or will she make her way on her own terms?

With a beautiful blend of horticulture, this was such a wonderful read! I highly recommend this for any historical fiction fan!

A seamless blend of fact and fiction, this story is a tribute to the real life story of Ms. Callaway's ancestors. Her love for their story shimmers through the beautiful prose that appeals to the senses, transporting readers to the lush gardens of the Gilded Age.

One young woman is raised in the family's nursery business that designs gardens for the wealthy. As Sadie strives to prove herself worthy to become her father's successor, she finds that there are many obstacles to overcome if she is to retain the family legacy.

I absolutely adored Sadie's grit and determination, but also her awareness and heart for others. The author does not hesitate to address the discrepancies between the rich and poor of the era, by introducing topics of homelessness and deep poverty. As the lengthening shadows of the financial collapse are felt closer to home, Sadie becomes aware of how the failing economy, industry and capitalism are affecting those in her neighborhood, becoming more active in trying to relieve the despair and hopelessness felt by the poor.

With an engaging cast of characters and a well-paced plot, this story of love and family will delight readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.