Morton Hall, a beautiful rural place was the home of Emilia. Upon her death, she had given instructions for several people to come and help fix the gardens and work around the place. This includes Ann Marie, who finds out about a past she never knew and finds a new love in Cape (the gardener). Liked this one, although did find some of the jumping into the past then back to the present, a bit tiresome after awhile. Might just be me, as it did add to the story, just felt at times a bit over the top. Still though, a good story and one I would recommend.

An absolute delight from one of my favourite, go-to authors! Victoria always produces such warm, rich characters with beautifully woven plots and the no idyllic scenery. This is no exception. Absolute perfection and a joy to read!

A very good book that will keep you wanting more. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

This is a very charming book with the central themes of beautiful gardens, friendship , history and reverence for nature. I loved that the author created a world within the garden that swept me into the story. I love the friendships, the appreciation of nature and the garden everyone loved. The characters are perfectly matched to the story. It was a great escape and I look forward to other works by this author. I highly recommend this book .
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

My Thoughts


‘I think a lot of people live with the decisions of others,’

This is an interesting little weekend read, especially so if you love your gardens and community projects. Here you will find three main storylines - two present and one past - for you to follow. So it has a little bit of everything and Victoria is always reliable in presenting heartwarming novels.

‘I can’t explain it, but I was drawn to this place. It made me feel calm. I love how a garden can do that – even one that’s neglected and unloved.’

‘Heart of the Garden’ has history and mystery, friendships and romance. Although the main characters are on individual journey’s of self discovery, the stronger theme is one of community and people coming together to recreate a beautiful garden and find solace and friendship in each other. The question is of course, why would this reclusive woman leave her wealthy home, gardens and valuable collections to a motley crew from the local village who have no prior acquaintance with either each other or the owner?

‘...this garden had the power to heal and it was her wish to pass that on to others.’

One thing that struck me as interesting, and did not sit comfortably with me if I am honest, is the romantic leads were already in relationships. I understand it happens, but for both to be already involved and the whole ‘falling into each other’s arms’ seemed a bit trite. I also struggled with Anne Marie’s sudden change from her subservient nature, seemingly overnight - it just would not happen. Indeed for both main leads, the explanation of their perspective change was not adequately elaborated upon.

‘I can’t believe your husband hasn’t noticed you’re unhappy.’

Even though a short read, it was at times, a bit slow and I was not completely happy with the ending finding some loose threads hanging. Waiting until the last ten percent of the novel for the action to begin is just too late. So overall, an easy escape tale of love lost and found all in an English maze.

‘Maybe she thought we all needed the release that gardening brings.’ Cape looked thoughtful. ‘I like it. I’ve always thought of gardening as a release too. A kind of therapy.’


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Anne Marie Is in a loveless marriage and her passion is walking in the grounds of nearby Morton Hall. The old house is owned by Emilia Morton who is somewhat of a recluse and eccentric - she employs a gardener Cape who is only allowed to maintain the maze and is not to be seen by her at all and so they are amazed when it is all left to them on the condition that the gardens are restored to their former glory in a year.

A lovely book with great characters and storyline, I loved how the back story all came out by the 3 different points of view, and as I love gardens and plants it was a lovely book for me

I am a member of the National Trust and have visited many wonderful gardens and Stately homes over the years. This book had me thinking of all the hard work that has been put into preserving those wonderful gardens and their stately homes.

I really enjoyed this story and loved the Characters. Even Tobias, the bully of a brother! It's the first time that i have read any books by this author and would love to read more. I do highly recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers. This is my honest review.

The review can been seen on Goodreads and Amazon.

The Heart of the Garden is a captivating story. I love the concept of this great old house surrounded by amazing gardens. At first, I didn't feel that Anne Marie was 100% genuine - it seemed like the author was "telling" the reader about her instead of letting us get to know her. However, this concern was short-lived. Before long, I was completely wrapped up in the lives of Emilia, Anne Marie, and Cape. The writing has a nice mesmerizing feel to it, like a charming and sweet grandmother is sharing this story with you. I especially liked the romance angle and how the author explores the sense of community. The novel's ending, while not a surprise, is very satisfactory. Not all threads are wrapped up completely - a sequel perhaps?

4.5 Stars!

I felt like I stepped out of a time machine when I finished this book. It's impossible for me to conceive that the main storyline takes place in the 21st century and the parallel story about Emilia Morton only dates back to 1980s. This is a wondeful old-timey book. I don't remember the last time I picked up a book written in the last decade that had zero references of pop-culture, television or social media. This book barely even had a radio - this feeling of having read something that felt like it belonged to another age and time was a very big part of the appeal for this book.

The second come the distinctive characterizations - there were a myriad of people in this book. We read three main PoVs. That of Anne-Marie struggling in a loveless, thankless family; Cape who is almost too good of a man with his vocation for gardening and love for his daughter Poppy (a delightful girl) and the enigmatic Emilia Morton in 1980s. Credit to the author for giving them unique voices, Cape although was a very kind man was the least convincing out of these three POVs in terms of how he sounded in the pages and Emilia's was at the other end of the spectrum. Her story genuinely made me feel uneasy and it was like a cold dread spread over me whenever her story took over. I felt for the life she lived and the life she lost making her a strong protagonist and her gesture to the community of Morton Hall makes you empathize with her and understand how well she knew people of her village despite having been trapped away in that big, old house for all these years. The less said about Tobias, the better.

I enjoyed the growing attraction and hesitation of Cape and Anne-Marie both coming from a difficult relationship. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for any of the private conversations between Patrick and Kathleen, they made me very happy - the curmudgeon meets his match :) Dorothy, Mac and Erin completed this strange circle of people who come together to renovate the gardens and home of the Morton Hall for the community. The other characters were one-dimensional but served their purpose. This book gave me a good dose of garden-lust. I have never really had green fingers, this book emphasized the therapeutic joy of doing a hard day's work by getting your hands dirty. The twist was wonderful and it is about three quarters of the book before you are given a solid hints for the big reveal. Despite figuring it out a few chapters ahead, the moment still felt emotional.

Emilia and her melancholic spirit carries the depth of this book, you keep wishing you could re-read her story and hope things will turn out for the better, but alas..
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Reading this story was much like sitting in the middle of a garden for me -- calming, delightful, sometimes surprising. I enjoyed the characters getting to know one another and gradually becoming a family while restoring a beautiful old garden that had become wild from neglect.

I got a copy of this book on Net Galley,well written plot line,and a good development throughout the book of the characters,a page turner could not wait to finish the book.
Liked the way the book jumped from the past to the present,good description of people and the surroundings.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Cape and Anne Marie find themselves among an unlikely group of villagers named in Morton Halls heiress' will, the gardens can belong to the community forever but only if they work together to bring the garden back to life within a single year.

Well, I wanted to love this story but I didn't. There were too many snippets of story threads started but were just dropped. The writing is ok, if a bit sophormoric. Appropriate for young teens and adults.

3☆

It's hard to categorize this dual time line novel- except to say that it's a charming tale of love lost and found in a maze. Emilia's tale is in the 1980s. The story of Anne Marie, Cape, and Poppy is told in the present after they discover that they, among others, have inherited Morton Hall if they can work together for a year to restore the gardens. There's a maze! Love mazes, We don't have a lot of these in the US, nor do we have many great houses with large gardens. This was a very good read, with good characters who are all more than you think originally, a little mystery, and a positive vibe. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Two thumbs up.

Heart of the Garden is a heartwarming read that’s got a little bit of everything in it: history, romance, mystery, self-discovery, friendship, and I could go on... One of the main focuses is a sense of community. I really loved how a hodgepodge group of people came together to create something beautiful to share. Several interesting characters and different time periods kept my interest and made for a fast read.

**Many thanks to Victoria Connelly, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishers for an arc to read and honestly review.**

Mazes have always fascinated me. When the owner of the remarkable garden dies her will sets everything in motion and the town on it's heels. I also love a multi-generation novel This was a great book, that I would highly recommend to others.
#arcNetGalley

This book is nowhere close to what I typically read and yet I really enjoyed it. By the last few chapters I was already hoping for the author to write a sequel. There are several mysteries and romances and a grand British garden. The book takes place in two times: the 1980's and the present day. In the 1980's Emilia and her brother Tobias are the last remaining Mortons living in an English manor house. Tobias is strange and brooding and wants no friends but Emilia. Emilia loves her brother but yearns for a life of her own.

In the present day a group of very different people inherit the old Morton place on the condition they work together to restore the gardens. From the beginning it's obvious why some people were chosen but the others question not only the inheritance but the very project itself. They are all a bit flawed and from different walks of life, however, the author manages to draw them together to form a sweet sort of family.

I particularly loved the mystery aspect of the book but wasn't put off by the romance (which usually turns me off from a book). I also enjoyed the way the author wrote about the garden and the art surrounding it.

Another fabulous book from Victoria Connelly. I really felt as though I got to know Morton Hall and its gardens in great detail.

I loved finding out about the gardens, and seeing what Anne Maries and the others would discover in there next as an unlikely group of strangers inherit the Hall and their first task is to sort out the garden as it was rather overgrown.

Learning about the different members of the group, and seeing how alliances were formed and even new friendships was inspiring and comforting. A complete mix of personalities but they do have things in common and it was lovely to see.

There are three main storylines and characters. We have Emilia whose story in the 80s we are told, of young love and its through that you start to understand a lot more about Morton Hall and its history and the Morton family.

There is Anne-Marie who is in a tricky marriage and I don't think much of her mother either. She was going to the gardens of Morton Hall even before this rather strange group inheritance and no one ever really noticed she had gone.

Then there is Cape who is the hall's gardener, and his daughter Poppy who also had a really enjoyable storyline.

The Heart of the Garden really does show how gardens can heal people, bring them together and give even the least green fingered amongst us a good sense of belonging. Really enjoyable book that I had a good time reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book as the 2 stories ran parallel giving an insight into the shaping of the current day gardening group. Very pleasant read

GREAT READ! NOT GOOD READ! BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY! WOW! What a wonderful story. I loved the characters, the plot, the way it unfolds. I love the humor, the passion, the romance. This author is one of the best I have read in some years. Her imagination is so wonderful that even with only the small amount of paranormal the rest just is enchanting. I absolute adore this book and to me it is a KEEPER! I would of thought in this series , that it would as many do, just be so so. She has amazed me making this book even better...

Morton Hall has become a refuge for Anne Marie. The once grand estate and its ruined gardens are the perfect place for her to find respite from her failing marriage. The Hall’s owner, matriarch Emilia Morton only allows one other person on the grounds, Cape, who is instructed to work only on the once glorious garden maze. When Emilia dies, Anne and Cape are shocked to find that they are in her will. They, along with the people of the town have been given one year to fix up the grounds and gardens of the estate. if they can do so, the property will belong to the community, but they must work together and find a way to get along, which proves to be harder than it sounds. I wish someone I don’t know well would leave me an amazing estate! Probably not going to happen, which is why I love books like this that let me live out my fantasy vicariously