“The simple message of a garden is hope that sprouts from tiny seeds”

This is going to be quite a difficult review to put together – not because I didn’t love the book, because I did – but because on Rhys’s recent visit to Fiction Books, she answered questions so fully and in depth, that there seems to be little else I can add without repeating the interview, or giving away too many spoilers. You really do need to check out the lovely conversation we had – and of course, read this amazing novel for yourself …

So here goes!

I truly admire authors who can write across multiple genres, for diverse reading audiences and different age groups – and most importantly – do it well! With that in mind, I fully intend to check out the several mystery series Rhys has also written, as I have very eclectic reading tastes and like to mix up my genres.
The Victory Garden is the third in a small series of war-time stand alone novels, which form exceptionally thoughtful, sensitively written and well constructed works of social history and commentary from the times.
The book was littered with strong moral messages: Death and destruction of the human mind and body to breaking point; women’s empowerment; the role and rights of women in society; the breaking down of class barriers; the culmination of the Suffragette movement; witchcraft or simply a new way of healing? – all difficult and controversial mores of an early 20th Century society at war.

All this and much more, laid bare and raw, in The Victory Garden.

The issues were incorporated seamlessly into a storyline which was well constructed, flowed smoothly and moved along at a pace which kept me engaged, interested and eager to know the eventual outcome.
If I had one very small niggle, it would be that for me personally, perhaps this story dealt with too many issues and none of them in any great depth. However, I appreciate that to have expanded on many of them in any more detail, would have made The Victory Garden a chunkster of a book and would probably have verged on the non-fiction by the time it was finished. So in retrospect, I came to the conclusion that Rhys got this this just about spot on and opened up plenty of opportunities for me to carry out more detailed research on individual aspects of the story in my own time – which I did!

The cast of characters were all well defined, strong and brought to life with every stroke of the author’s pen. Whilst none of them was perfect and all flawed to one degree or another, each was given the bandwidth and opportunity to grow into their respective roles, both physically and emotionally. Especially the main protagonist Emily for whom life is turned completely upside down and will never be the same again, after the many life-changing experiences she has to adapt to and overcome.

There was also some lighthearted banter and almost comedic exchanges between Emily and her new found friends, which whilst they highlighted the vast differences in class structure and life expectations between them, also served to bring them together as a force to be reckoned with, as they journeyed, united, on their voyage into a future of self discovery and empowerment. They learned to work as a team towards the common goal, whilst still respecting their own self-imposed boundaries and conventions, still not yet confident enough to challenge them completely, but knowing that the time is near.

Because of the lifestyle and social changing nature of World War I, much of the story revolves around female friendships and struggles, although the male characters were also treated to the same level of nurture and care, as they too had to adapt to their new and changing roles in a society which had hitherto held them in much higher esteem than their female counterparts. This also begged the question in my mind – who really had the greatest changes in social standing and convention to deal with – men or women?

If you are a fan of Rhys Bowen, this new book will not disappoint.
She again shows her mastery of character development and intriguing storyline.
A strong woman leaves her privileged life style to make a difference in the war effort.
There is love, and anguish in this book. Enough to keep a reader engaged and satisfied.

Thank you to Rhys Bowen and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Victory Garden. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to friends.

3.5 stars

Rhys Bowen is a storyteller and this undemanding novel brings us the story of Emily Bryce, a well-brought up but rebellious young woman who is coming of age during the Great War. After her only brother is killed, her parents restrict her life and acceptable activities and Emily decides to escape. When she turns 21, she enlists in the Women's Land Army without their knowledge or consent and leaves home to help work in the fields in the absence of the working class men and field hands in England who are off fighting.

This ruptures her relationship with her snobby family, but Emily proves to herself that she is worthwhile, and finds friendship with the other women. The novel expounds on a dramatic turn that her life takes and how she grows from a spoiled young rich woman into a capable adult. The story and characters are entertaining, if not particularly in depth. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Victory Garden. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Emily Bryce is determined to ignore her parents and volunteer for the war effort. A chance meeting with an injured Australian pilot gives Emily the push she needs to become independent. Desiring to be a nurse like her best friend, Emily soon discovers that her lack of usable skills make this an impossibility. Volunteering to be a land girl for the Women's Land Army, Emily finds herself living a very different sort of life than her formerly privileged one. As the war rages on, how will Emily cope with the challenges that befell her?

Having read countless historical fiction novels about the Great War, I was excited about the prospect of reading The Victory Garden. Although I did like Emily Bryce, especially in regards to the strength of her convictions, the author weakened the plot of the book with the inclusion of a romantic relationship. Had the book been focused solely on the efforts of women during the war, the novel would have made a larger impact. Furthermore, the plot was muddied with a particular side plot regarding Emily that was just not necessary to the story as a whole. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Victory Garden to other readers.

This was an enjoyable read. I found the characters to be strongly developed and enjoyed the storyline. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

A beautiful and character driven story that will pull at the reader's heartstrings. It is set in a time of struggle and turmoil, in a very memorable setting. There are numerous themes including love, heartache, war, choices, perseverance and moving on. It is touching and heartfelt, a story that will stay with you long after you close the book.

Well done! This book was amazing. I just finished spending all day and most of the night reading this and I felt the world the author created was so real. The story grabbed me so much, and I just really enjoyed this book. Thank you for such a beautifully crafted story.

2.5 stars
As a fan of Rhys Bowen’s various mystery series and IN FARLIEGH FIELD, I was excited to read THE VICTORY GARDEN. It focuses on the last year of WWI in England and the sacrifices and loss that war often requires. Unfortunately, I found it to be overly dramatic, leaning too much into romance novel country, rushed at times, and relatively light on history.

The story follows 21 year old Emily as she struggles to find purpose in a world where it seems war will never end. Wanting to do her part for the war effort, and much to her parents’ consternation, she joins the Women’s Land Army. She soon finds her dreams of the future with Australian Royal Flyer Ronnie destroyed with him dead and her all on her own and pregnant. Readers follow along as she comes of age forging her own future.

I never really felt a connection with Emily and think that a lot of her adversity was a result of her own choices and actions. That might make me sound cold, but there it is. Everything seemed to fall in line for her a little too easily. There was so much potential for a really meaty, excellent tale here, but it fell flat.

I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Extremely well rounded characters make this book come alive. It was interesting to read a book that focuses on the women and how their lives changed because of the war. I felt as though I was living with them and experiencing life in England during WW1.

Usually, I love Rhys Bowen. However, I was underwhelmed after reading this novel. This is very similar to her previous book in Tuscan Field. There did not seem to be much originality in this novel which is sad because most of her novels are charming. Still, I recommend this for fans of WWII.

I had several books on my Kindle by this author yet to read, so when this book became available, I decided to request it and see if the author was as good as her reviews, and she was and then some! The ending of the book kept me reading into the night until I finished. As WWI continues to take its toll, headstrong, pampered twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She meets an injured fighter pilot in the hospital in a hospital next door who she falls in love with and to whom she becomes engaged. When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a “land girl,” tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It’s here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden. The journals inspire Emily, and in the wake of news about her fiance, they are her saving grace. Emily’s lover has not only died a hero but has left her terrified—and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow. She thinks her parents would disown her if they knew so she is determined to make it on her own. She discovers the journals of a herbal healer in the small cottage on the estate. As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the found journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny. There were many twists in the plot deftly handled by the author, most of which took me by surprise. I highly recommend.

The Victory Garden is a very enjoyable book. It is not your typical war novel. Victory Garden revolves around a girl named Emily Bryce who when see turns 21 and can legally make her own decisions joins the Women's Lady Army in the final months of WWI. A few months prior to this she met an Australian pilot at a local hospital and defied her parents by getting in engaged to him. in the Fall of 1918 Emily found herself in a predicament of needing to look for a new home. A village accepted her and three of her fellow Lady Girls as their own.

While in her new home Emily discovered an old diary that contained herbal remedies, which she starts making. But there is a "curse" on her new home. This novel is a lovely story of people from varying backgrounds who in the most difficult of circumstances become their own family. It is also about how people can surprise us.

If you love the historical novel. especially war novels, but aren't looking for and action or spy novel this might be the one for you. It is a quick read and isn't a heavy novel.

I loved The Victory Garden so much! I read so many historical fiction books about WWII so I enjoyed a story about the first war. Emily Bryce is about to celebrate her 21st birthday and soon readers will discover secrets she has been hiding.

Another historical fiction by Bowen that offers a view into a part of World War II. This was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I love each and every one of Rhys' books!! I couldn't wait to read this one and it surpassed all my expectations!! Rhys writes historical fiction just for us readers who can't get enough!! I love her series books but I also LOVE her stand alones!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Rhys Bowen for an advance copy of this title in return for a honest review. A lovely quick read. Simple, if not predictable plot but the characters are strong, consistent and likeable. If you enjoy reading Kate Morton, this is like a lighter version. I am looking forward to reading The Tuscan Child.

I’m so glad I “judged this book by its (gorgeous) cover” and picked it up... because I truly ended up loving every last bit of it! It’s no secret that I read a ton of historical fiction, and I was so pleased with how fresh and new this one felt. Sometimes when you read so many books in the same genre, the stories can start to blend together and almost become stagnant... and I so appreciated the fact that this one brought something new to the table. Set during WWI, we follow the life of Emily, a young woman who wants something different than her predictable life determined by her family’s high class. Between unexpectedly falling in love with an Australian pilot, volunteering as “land girl”, and eventually learning of and becoming a medicine woman through a journal she finds, the course of her life changes in ways she never saw coming.

This is the first book I’ve read by Rhys Bowen and I can definitely say that it won’t be my last. I was blown away by the author’s rich and beautiful writing, which I got so wonderfully lost in. There was so much to offer in this exceptional read... an absorbing storyline, a setting that completely whisks you away, and a vast, unique group of characters that you so fully come to know and care deeply for. It was so interesting to walking alongside the characters and learn about life as part of the Women’s Land Army in WWI, something I hadn’t previously known about.

Overall a story of resilience, friendship and community, second chances, making your own way and fulfilling your dreams... this one was a clear winner for me, and gets all the stars.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Lake Union for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The story takes place in England during World War I when all able-bodied men were called to service. This left the women at home responsible for the maintenance of the farmlands, livestock, forges, etc. that are essential for the country's survival. The Women's Land Army consisted of women who were recruited to perform these critical tasks. Emily, the main character, joins in order to do her part and also escape her wealthy, overbearing parents. She meets and forms a close bond with women of different ages and socio-economic backgrounds. This was at a time when individuals of different social classes did not mix. The story follows the difficulties and rewards that Emily and her friends shared. I thought the book provided an excellent and realistic portrayal of those unfortunate times.

The Victory Garden is a poignant, sweet book that takes place at the end of WWI in England. Emily is just turning twenty-one as the book starts, and she at last has the legal standing to shake off her overprotective parents and really DO something for the war effort. Having already lost her brother, she feels the need to do something to honor him.

“I want to be useful. I want to do my bit, so that Freddie’s death was somehow not in vain.”

In the process of finding how she is going to do her bit, she (naturally) meets a dashing young pilot (Australian! Gasp!), falls in love, her lover dies a hero, and it turns out she’s pregnant.

All this is revealed in the blurb, so I picked it up thinking that it had to be more than just a romance since…well, you know. Hard to have a romance when one party is deceased, however heroically.

The “more” turns out to be the massive amount of growth and experience Emily goes through in less than a year. She becomes a “land girl,” – something I was not familiar with at all, and I think many Americans would be there with me. She stands up to her parents, who despite being protective are just as much about their own egos as they are about shielding her from heartbreak. She takes a chance on love, knowing that it will most likely end in heartbreak. In the process, she discovers the power of both independence and female friendships. Britain lost a large majority of their fighting age men in WWI, something I hadn’t honestly given much thought. The story really shows just how that loss changed – or at least how it began to change – societal roles for both genders.

The Victory Garden isn’t particular heavy on either history or romance. In fact, there could have been less of a romance and the story would have worked just as well. I knew going in that Emily’s dashing aviator was going to pass, as so many of them did at that time, so I went in willing myself to not get too invested. The history was interesting but not overwhelming in detail.

As far as the actual garden, there was SOME emphasis on it in the last half of the book, and a little tiny bit of a mystery involving an old journal Emily finds, but it was very…well, I wish had been more about the herbs and the garden. It seems like the title is a bit of a misnomer. 😛

Overall, 4/5 stars. I closed the book feeling a little sad, but hopeful for Emily’s future with her child.