As someone who really loves historical fiction, I really loved this book. It was different in that it showed a whole other perspective to history than I had before! It was a really good and calming read!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book! I was so delighted and excited to get an approval. Right off the bat, I love the cover. The title and cover + blurb are really enticing; I love books set in historical UK, so this is something that would draw my attention in the first place. As for the story, I thought that the multiple storyline/pov writing style was executed effectively. I absolutely LOVED the dual timelines. It was a charming story about the restoration of a historic garden and tracing some of the history/people related to this process. Most (if not all) of the characters were interesting and dynamic. I really loved this book. 4.5/5 stars.

I've recently started branching out from my normal genres and this one caught my eye with the description. It was easy to read and the storyline was easy to follow. Even with the back and forth on the different points in time, it didn't leave you lost and confused. You get sucked in and can feel the feelings of the characters as you fall deeper into the book.

Well written story that almost left me wanting more. I enjoyed the different time periods and all the characters. Good book club pick

A young woman is given a chance to work on the gardens in one of 5he historic gardens in England. What follows is intrigue and deception. But above all is the intricate planning and detail that it takes to showcase the splendor of a true English garden. It is not just one space that offers a respite from your troubles. There are gardens that are specific for the lady of the manor, and every plant has a purpose. If you are a gardener of any sort here is the book for you. A different and yet just as interesting as any thriller you can name. Everyone has a purpose in this account.

This felt like a cross between an Agatha Christie novel and the Secret Garden for adults. I'm not normally a person who is intrigued or even faintly interested in plants, and yet I could not stop reading this book once I started. Told across three timelines, it's not until the very final pages that we see all the threads coming together into one brilliant conclusion that connects each of the three female main characters.
Apart from having carefully exacted characters, complete with all too human foibles and desires, the settings feel immersive. As current day Emma reconstructs the historic garden and pores over the notes, for instance, I couldn't help but picture what she discovered and described, to the point that I felt disappointed this wasn't an actual garden that I could someday visit. The smallest details set apart the different time periods, and the author knows just when to include the shape and feel of a button or a particular sound that perfectly completes a scene.
Beautiful yet heartbreaking, this was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I desperately wanted happiness for each of the characters, even though it's clear from the beginning that, just like in real life, that isn't always possible.. 4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed Julia Kelly’s new novel The Last Garden in England!
Julia Kelly has written an engaging, poignant story for the women of Highbury House. The author chose to have the novel set in three time periods; 1907, 1944 and present day. This technique worked because the reader is able to relate to each of the women who are connected to the garden.
The chapters in Last Garden in England are divided by seasons. I enjoyed reading how each of the characters stories unfolded during each season. The author’s descriptive writing style and use of imagery draws you into the story. I could imagine Venetia’s plans for each garden room, smell the flowers as Diana walked through the children’s garden and imagine Emma’s disbelief when she realized that the once famous property has been neglected for years.
Emma Lovett has been tasked to bring the fabled Highbury House gardens back to life. She is honored to restore the gardens designed by Venetia Smith in 1907.
Venetia Smith has made a name for herself by designing gardens for the wealthy. She is hired by the Melcourts to create a one- of- a- kind garden showpiece. The Venetia chapters intrigued me because the distinction between classes was very apparent. Even though Venetia was the artist who designed the plans for the gardens; she was treated by her employers as a servant. The sketches of Venetia’s walled gardens intrigued me. Each garden portrays a piece of a woman’s life; the tea party garden, the bridal room, the children’s garden and the winter garden.
Diana Symonds is the mistress of Highbury House. She has experience a lot of change in the past year; the death of her husband, food shortages and rationing during the war and her home being requisitioned as a hospital. I loved the interaction between the Highbury house cook Stella and Beth who was conscripted during the war. Diana, Beth and Stella are very different – their bond? The Highbury House gardens.
Julia Kelly is able to weave each of these stories together flawlessly. Venetia created the Winter garden that served as Diana’s refuge during the war. Emma’s company specializes in restoration work and she is committed to bringing the gardens back to life. Loved the authors descriptive writing—I was able to picture the gardens as Venetia designed them, as Diana saw them and as Emma envisioned them. I could imagine the neglected, mysterious Winter garden and understood its importance to Venetia, Diana and Emma.
The Last Garden in London is a complex, moving story filled with hope and a bit of intrigue which I highly recommend.

I loved this book from start to finish! Set in England in 1907, 1944 and the present day, the unifying theme is the gardens at Highbury House.
In 1907, Venetia Smith, a garden designer, is hired by the the new owners of the house in create a series of gardens. Her designs boggle the mind and include flowers and plants of all kinds.
During World War II, Highbury House is serving as a convalescent hospital as well as housing the family members. Keeping up the gardens is a secondary affair, but Beth Pedley, who is working as a land girl at a local farm, shows an interest, Diana Symonds, mistress of the house, allows her to have run of the gardens.
And in the present, Emma Lovett, whose passion it is to bring old gardens to life, is hired by Sydney and Andrew to do just that at Highbury House. The couple purchased the house from her parents as they can no longer afford to keep it up. Emma is determined to stay as close to Venetia’s original design as possible, and as Sydney goes through family papers, she eventually finds the actual plans.
As we weave back and forth among these stories, we learn of several secrets that have been kept for all of those years, and follow the three women through their challenges with romance.

A delightful multi-generational story of 3 women united by a formal garden in England. Because of the nature of the format, some of the stories weren't quite as fleshed out as I would have liked, but it was an incredibly moving story that I highly enjoyed.

This was such a lovely book. I am a big fan of dual timelines and this had three. The story followed the stories of three generations of women who all were impacted by the gardens of Highbury House. It starts with Venetia who is the creator of the beautiful English gardens of this home, then three characters during World War II when the house and gardens were commandeered by the British Army and used as a hospital, and finally Emma who in the present day is restoring the gardens.

I enjoyed learning more about these women and the challenges they faced. I love gardening and could imagine the beautiful gardens that these women were able to create and enjoy. I always love a few secrets and this book also delivered on this front as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which follows three different women from three different time periods who all are involved with a very special garden. Each the women face challenges and struggles as they find their own way forward. In 1907 Venetia Smith is hired by the owners of Highbury House estate to design the gardens. Decades later, widow Diana Symonds is dealing with the loss of her husband and her estate has been requisitioned by the government to house a military hospital. She fights to protect her fabulous garden. In present day Emma is hired to restore the gardens, and she searches for information to accurately recreate the gardens, she she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden. This story was beautifully written, with stunning descriptions of the plants in the garden. If you enjoy historical fiction you will definitely enjoy this book

Author Kelly employs one of my favorite plot devices, in this, her third novel: dueling timelines. Most writers use only tow, but Kelly has stretched her writing skills by having three timelines: present day, 1944 and 1907. She does a wonderful job in keeping the characters individualized with the descriptions, but I had a hard time with their voices---all three sounded similar. This caused an occasional problem for me as I sometimes forgot whose story was being told. However, the descriptions of the times and other characters involved held ground me.

The first plotline/character we meet is Emma. Her firm has been hired to restore the garden to Scotland’s Highbury House to its original grandeur. The garden hasn’t been maintained and is grossly overgrown.

The second character is Venetia Smith in 1907. She was hired by the original owners to design the garden in the formal English style. She lays it out in a series of “rooms,” different areas for different emotions…like the Children’s Garden, The Poet’s Corner, the Winter Garden, etc. Interesting enough, Venetia is based on a real-life designer, one that Emma holds in the highest esteem.

The third plotline is 1944. Actually there are three women in this section: Highbury House’s mistress and its cook plus a “land girl,” come to work the land since all the men were off to war.

Three generations of women plan and care for the garden, each with her own story. I found Venetia’s story the most compelling. In the early 20th century there were not many women who owned a business. Second, I found the discovery of Venetia’s original plans in the present day the highlight of the novel. It had the most tension and the most excitement.

The Last Garden in England is touted as for fans of Kate Morton’s novel, The Lake House, but I don’t feel it even comes close. The tension was sporatic, and I still don’t understand the title. Therefore, The Last Garden in England receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Historical fiction centered around the garden of an estate in England. The book takes place in three different time frames: the early 1900s, when the garden is being designed; WWII, when the estate is being used as a convalescent hospital; and the present, when the garden is being restored. The book does a good job of introducing us to the characters and their lives in each time. I enjoyed the elements of mystery, history, romance, and gardening. I found the book enjoyable but felt that it did not quite live up to its potential--maybe there were just too many characters for me to really connect with them.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

2.5 stars.

This book takes place in three different timelines, the present day, sometime in the early 1900's and during WWII, I love reading this type of book. the different timelines, seeing how they interact and lead into each other. I absolutely loved the strong female characters in this book!!! I loved seeing the garden from each one of the women's point of view. However there was a little bit of confusion and clutter within the story for me with all of the different characters that were involved within each part. I honestly felt like this book was primed to be a new favorite but I felt a little let down. I struggled getting attached to any of the characters and their stories. it was just a little frustrating. The writing was lovely but the story over all just didn't do it for me.

The Last Garden in England is the story of a mysterious, overgrown garden at Highgrove House in England. The story takes place in three time periods: in 1907 trailblazing Venetia Smith designs the garden; in 1944, the garden touches the lives of land girl Beth Pedley, a cook named Stella Adderton who is raising her young nephew, and Diana Symonds, the owner of the estate; in present day, Emma Lovett takes on the big task to restore the garden.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction and enjoyed a previous read by Julia Kelly (The Light Over London).

This was a fascinating read! The narrative is unusual, unfolding in little bits over the years. There are three storylines (and five women's lives) that intertwine. I found the number of characters and storylines a bit daunting at first, but as soon as I grew familiar with the characters I could see the beauty in this unique storytelling.

I read into the wee hours of the morning to learn the mystery of this garden - why the heart of the garden, The Winter Garden "room," was locked and inaccessible. The denouement of the story that connects all the lives was stunning and so moving. I recommend The Last Garden in England highly for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone who is interested in life in England 1900's - 1940's. I am certain this will be a "top 10" book for me this year!

This is a sweeping saga set in Scotland in a beautiful garden over three separate timelines. I loved how the author invited the reader to experience the creation of the garden as well as the historic use of the garden . This was beautifully drawn to the timelines of the present day, the early 1900s, and the 1940s.

The charcters are rich within each timeline and the reader experiences heartbreak, romance and starting over through their eyes in working with the garden. A beautiful story that is a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment for all who enjoy stories of strong women in various times of history .

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinions are my own.

I love that this book revolves around the same garden and spanned around 100 years. I didn’t care for any of the characters outside of the 1940’s timeline; they were too worrisome and unsure of themselves. Aside from the garden, this book felt like pretty typical chick lit to me. I would have liked a little more depth in the book, perhaps fewer characters so we could spend more time them.

One of my favorite genres of historical fiction. Three women lives are centered in a garden of Highbury House estate. There is loss, scandel and love. The narration is done well as the intermingle the lives of each women. Present day Emma wants to bring the garden to its past glory. Uncovering the garden secrets takes time and understanding of two women's heart.

Venetia Smith in 1907. She is a common woman who is hired to design the garden. What inspires her and who is her story.

Diana Symonds in 1944 during World War II gives her home Highbury House to the war effort. The loss she endures and how the garden inspires her to go on.

Their stories remind you how time and people bring about destiny in the worst of circumstances. This was a slow read for me and at times reading several books at a time was left behind. Sometimes that is how I judge a book if it comes ahead any other books I read at the same time. I loved learning about these women and how they did not let circumstances define them. A lesson we all can learn.

A special thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Title: The Last Garden in England
Author: Julia Kelly
Genre: Fiction, historical
Rating: 4 out of 5

Present day: Emma Lovett, who has dedicated her career to breathing new life into long-neglected gardens, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime: to restore the gardens of the famed Highbury House estate, designed in 1907 by her hero Venetia Smith. But as Emma dives deeper into the gardens’ past, she begins to uncover secrets that have long lain hidden.

1907: A talented artist with a growing reputation for her ambitious work, Venetia Smith has carved out a niche for herself as a garden designer to industrialists, solicitors, and bankers looking to show off their wealth with sumptuous country houses. When she is hired to design the gardens of Highbury House, she is determined to make them a triumph, but the gardens—and the people she meets—promise to change her life forever.

1944: When land girl Beth Pedley arrives at a farm on the outskirts of the village of Highbury, all she wants is to find a place she can call home. Cook Stella Adderton, on the other hand, is desperate to leave Highbury House to pursue her own dreams. And widow Diana Symonds, the mistress of the grand house, is anxiously trying to cling to her pre-war life now that her home has been requisitioned and transformed into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. But when war threatens Highbury House’s treasured gardens, these three very different women are drawn together by a secret that will last for decades.

I enjoyed all three timelines in this novel. I’m not sure I’ve read anything by this author before, but I’ll definitely be on the lookout in the future. Emma’s timeline, the present-day, was probably my favorite, as she experiences a lot of character growth and she seemed like she’d be a fun person to hang out with. Venetia was dealing with so much living on the edge of high society—those people were awful—and this didn’t end like I thought it was going to. Beth’s timeline featured things I’d never heard of, keeping me interested and invested in the characters. This is definitely a solid read!

Julia Kelly is a bestselling author. The Last Garden in England is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 3/17.)

Highbury House estate is the center of this story, as it is transformed by talented landscape artist in 1907, turned into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers in World War II, and restored to its former glory in the present day. The intricacies of the garden, especially regarding the plantings, are richly imagined, leaving the reader with a clear picture of the setting.

The perspectives of the three main characters: Venetia Smith, Diana Symonds, and Emma Lovett are well presented, but the relationships that each maintain have more prominence than the historical aspects. With three distinct story lines in one book, it is sometimes hard to switch gears and keep track. The center timeline, that of World War II, holds more weight, but it is also the most jumbled as far as the characters and their intersecting stories. Between the land girls, the hospital, the cook, the boys, and the matron of the house, the individual dramas overshadow the focal point of the novel.

I wish that the novel was more historical fiction than relationship drama, as the idea that woman fought for the rights to be accepted as landscape artists was only barely mentioned. Overall, The Last Garden in England was a good story, but represented a missed opportunity by the author to really champion the women in this novel.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Last Garden in England by NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books. The choice to review this book was entirely my own.