Talented landscape designer Venetia Smith has cared out a niche for herslef in 1907. Few if any women are hired for landscape design. but Venetia is hired to make the gardens at Highbury House a showplace. Fast forward to current day where Emma Lovett is hired to resurrect Venetia's gardens, but there are few sketches or plans to show her where to start.

During World War II the house was requisitioned as a military hospital, but there was not time to worry about gardens. Fortunately one of the land girls made sketches of the gardens and much to the delight of 21st century landscape designer Emma, they show some details of Venetia's garden plans. As Emma digs deeper she discovers secrets long hidden. A lovely and charming book.

I love books that pair historical fiction with a contemporary perspective. So the second I started reading this book, I knew I would love it. In 2021, Emma works to restore the gardens at Highbury House to their former glory. Venetia Smith planned and built the gardens in 1907. And the house served as a military hospital in 1944 when Beth served as a Land Girl, Stella as the cook of Highbury House, and Diana Symonds was its owner.

The description of the winter garden of dogwoods and hellebores made me so happy, as I planted those early this year to create my own winter garden. I similarly loved the description of digging in the soil and the joy it brings. As a budding gardener, I treasured so many of the descriptions in this book.

The plot wasn't action packed, yet I found it a very fast read that I couldn't put down. I was entirely wrapped up in each woman's story, and I dearly wanted to know what would happen to them, and to the garden that twined them together.

Thank you for the ARC.

This is a fantastic read! I’m not a gardener but still found the lives of the four, really five, women depicted here fascinating. Even though there were 3 different time frames, I was never lost and shifted easily from 1908 to 1944 to 2008 and from Venetia to Beth to Emily with detours to Stella and Diane. All were fully realized people who had separate dreams for their futures and faced their tribulations as best they could. I hate to say too much about the plots as an adventure awaits the reader who buys this book!

This is the first book that I read by this author. I decided to request this author because of the title and the cover. This book had 3 different points of view and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I love Historical Fiction and this is no exception. I would be the first to recommend this title to anyone who enjoys this type of book!

This story happens on 3 alternating timelines with a garden connecting three women over time. In the first timeline, we meet Venetia Smith in 1907/1908 as she's planning and planting a garden for the Melcourt family at Highbury. In 1944, Diane Symonds is now the lady of the house and finds solace in her garden as her home is requisitioned for the war effort. In present day, Emma is hired on by the new owners of Highbury to restore the gardens to their original glory, which is a huge honor due to Venetia's rise to fame in the gardening world.

It's an interesting take, connecting women across such a vast time period with a garden. I found it enjoyable because it's a different take on WWII historical fiction, but I do think 3 different time periods was a bit much. There were a lot of characters in each whose names I couldn't be bothered to remember, and that's the only reason why this isn't a 5 star read. I think with a little more editing and focus, this book would easily be that for me!

Overall, this book was really great. As an unexpected bonus, I learned a lot about gardens!

Holy cow, I loved loved this book, The Last Garden in England written by Julia Kelly is a real treasure. The historical garden the story centers around is a character in itself. There are three timelines - 1907 by the original female garden designer - 1944 by the family and servants occupying the home during the war - and finally 2021 by the female garden designer hired to restore the garden to its past glory. I fell so in love with all the characters, I wished more than once I could climb into the book and be friends with all of them. I have to admit I’m not much of a romance reader so when the plot was leaning toward romances in every timeline, I was a bit worried. Surprisingly the romances only added to the story and left you with a feeling of happiness and joy after a couple heartbreaking tragedies. This book has a publication date of March 3, 2021 and I urge everyone to run out and buy this book. It’s just lovely!,
PS I was so excited about the book, I forgot to thank Gallery Books and NetGalley for this great read,,

Reading the Afterword by the author gave me an understanding of her goal in writing this book. Unfortunately, I do not feel that she achieved her goal. I felt as if I were reading a romance novel where all the resolutions were predictable. I did not enjoy this read.

3.5 but rounding up. Interesting story revolving around three women at different points in the 20th century: early 1900s, WWII, and the present. The gardens of a country estate weave through all three stories, along with love, tragedy, birth, death and professional ambition. I found it rather predictable and had some difficulty keeping focused. It is not up to the high standard of Kate Morton's novels--which I generally find totally immersing, but some may find this novel captivating, especially those interested in gardening with the vivid descriptions of the design of the various gardens. I received an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and candid review.

The Last Garden in England brings to life present day Emma (a gardener who breathes new life into long neglected gardens, 1907 Venetia (a famous gardener hired to design the gardens at Highbury House) and 1944 Beth (a land girl and talented sketch artist looking for a permanent place to call home), Diana (widowed owner of Highbury House) & Stella (a cook at Highbury House with dreams of traveling the world). The women of these different generations are all connected (and make the biggest decisions of their lives) by the gardens at Highbury House in England.

I adored The Last Garden in England. Cute love stories, imagining (and promptly Googling) all of the beautiful plants, easy to like characters all juxtaposed with some heavy topics like death, heartbreak and the toll of war.

This has been my absolute favorite advanced readers copy of the year. I now need to read more books by Julia Kelly. The book has a lot of Downton Abbey vibes (Highbury House is used as a convalescent hospital just like in the series). For fans of that series don't hesitate to pick up this book!

In this captivating historical fiction, Julia Kelly writes about five women across three different generations (the present day, 1907, and 1944) connected by one very special garden. With the chapters cleverly divided into seasons starting with winter, I was already hooked early on and wanted to get to know these women better, what ties them together, and what sets them apart – their hopes, dreams, insecurities, doubts, and strengths. The novel is brilliantly written with long-lost secrets revealed, beautifully peeling off the lingering mysteries surrounding the characters. This is an enjoyable read that reminded me of my short week in Shrivenham, a village in Oxfordshire, with its old church, pretty cottages, and historic public houses. I highly recommend The Last Garden in England!

During this pandemic, many of my friends and contemporaries have turned into plant aficionados. Their social media posts show evidence of the joy and solace they find in the plants they grow and care for. I think they will like the blooming comfort this book has to offer.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this wonderful book. I fell in love with this book. I love books that can take you somewhere in your mind and allow you to rest there. I was drawn in to the book initially by the beautiful cover, as I do judge books by the cover! The book is set in present day where Emma is commissioned to recreate a beautiful historic garden. The book then took us into other date and times to find the history of the garden. As the stories intertwine, a beautiful story emerges. I gave this book 5 stars.

I want to thank Gallery Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of The Last Garden in England by author Julia Kelly. She previously wrote The Light Over London and The Whispers of War which I liked.
Ms Kelly’s new book is all about beautifully landscaped gardens as you might suspect. But it is also about women and their stories which alternate chapters during the period of time from 1907 to 2021. Old records and sketches and a mysterious box may lead to answers.
Traveling back and forth thru time periods is somewhat confusing.
If you are a romantic, this novel will definitely appeal.
The Last Garden of England will publish March 3rd, 2021.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Everything I love in a novel came together seamlessly in Julia Kelly's THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND.

That could be the sum of the review but I have more to say about how I loved this book.

Historical fiction is my go-to, comfort, guilty-pleasure sort of fiction. If it faintly seems historically based, I'll probably give it a try. To have a book that is basically double-dipping in history - in that Venetia Smith exists in 1907 and Beth Pendley-Hastings exists in 1944 and their stories intertwine - is genius. Like the holy grail of historical fiction.

Add in that Emma Lovett exists in 2021 and her story connects to theirs, and everything becomes somehow more perfect.

THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND is not just a novel about gardens. It's not a story about romance, though the woman all find that to varying degrees.

It's a story about women, at it's heart.

Venetia Smith is a trailblazer, forging a path in garden design that no woman has done before. By the social norms of 1907, she should have been married with children by the time she arrives at Highbury House to create a spectacular garden for the Melcourts.

Beth Hastings is a Land Girl during World War II, doing her part for the war effort by working on the country farms to feed Britain. Over the course of just a few years, she grows from a shy and timid orphaned girl into an artist in her own right willing to forge her own path, even in a quick marriage where she insists she is an equal to her husband.

Emma Lovett has the benefit of a modern, more equal society and still she feels pulled and stretched beyond the things she wants to do - restore Venetia Smith's gardens at Highbury House to their former glory. She pulls hardest the way she wants to go.

These three women, and the key women who support them, are real. Their hopes and their dreams and their tragedies and their triumphs are not always what everyone, even they, might expect out of life but they are stunning nonetheless.

I am so happy to have read this book!

The Last Garden in England is a historical fiction novel written from three time periods - today (2021), WWII (1944) and 1907. The common thread between the stories is the Highbury House estate and its gardens. I loved the concept of using garden design and restoration as the common thread but I found myself wishing there was more to tie the three stories together outside just the garden.

Each time period had stories of love and loss, and making a life changing decision. It was interesting to see how integral woman were during each time period (especially as volunteers during the war) and how much woman have gained over the last century (during Venetia's time women were not even allowed in the Royal Horticulture Society and during Emma's time she was interviewing for a prominent position there).

While I love a good dual narrative, The Last Garden of England had five narrators across the three timelines as well as many side characters which made it hard to follow at times. I wish I connected a bit more with the characters, as I felt they were a little cold and closed off at times.

If you love Downton Abbey, this has a lot of similar storylines (large manor with servants, convalescent home during the war, pregnancies out of wedlock). The storylines were predictable but enjoyable and I found myself enjoying the imagery of the British countryside weaved in throughout.

This book was a very entertaining visit to different periods in English history. The story is told from the view of three women with a majestic garden linking them through history.
In 1907, landscape designer Venetia Smith is hired to design the gardens for an estate in the English country.
During WWII, Beth Pedley becomes a "land girl", sent to work on a farm adjacent to the home of the fabulous gardens.
Present day Emma Lovett is hired to bring the neglected gardens back to their former elegance.
Sometimes it it difficult to follow a story that moves back and forth through time periods, but Julia Kelly was able to weave each woman's tale into a cohesive whole.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel of three strong women and the effect their period in time had on them.
Strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, women's literature, and a modicum of romance!

The Last Garden in England weaves a spellbinding tale of 5 women that spans over 100 years total that are connected to the gardens at Highbury Estate. You have Venetia Smith - the designer of the gardens, Diana Symonds - mistress of Highbury House during WWII, Stella Adderton - cook at Highbury House during WWII, Beth Pedley - Land Girl near Highbury House during WWII, and Emma Lovett - gardener restoring the gardens in present day.

Julia Kelly weaves a fantastic tapestry of love, joy and pain that each woman experiences during their time at the estate. There is just enough information about the gardens to keep your interest (especially if you are a non-plant person like myself). I especially enjoyed the wartime depiction of Highbury House turned into a medical ward. The aspect I loved most is how little buds from each timeline revealed blooms in the next.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC and the chance to give an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc of The Last Garden in England in exchange for an honest review.
This historical novel takes place at Highbury House and follows the lives of women across three time periods. 1907 Venetia Smith is a talented artist who designs fabulous gardens for affluent professionals with money to spend. 1944 Highbury House becomes a hospital for wounded soldiers. Present-day, Emma Lovett has built her career to restoring old gardens and feels that restoring High Urey House is a lifetime opportunity.

Through Emma's research to better understand the garden, we learn more about the women's lives from each period. The women were strong, compassionate, and courageous and lived extraordinary lives that allowed them to overcome the challenges they faced in their time in history. The author did a fantastic job of weaving the stories and timelines together and brought it all together to a beautiful conclusion. It was a pleasure to read this book, and I highly recommend it.

Julia Kelly’s THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND has some of the trappings that I just love about historical fiction - written by a woman, is about strong brave women trailblazers who are able to reinvent and adapt themselves to exceptional circumstances and extraordinary moments in our history, and teaches us about a new or little known subject either in general or at least to me. It also has the added feature element of spanning over multiple generations of women who are all interconnected in various ways and through an uniquely famous English garden. It’s always intriguing and fun to read a book where as you are turning the pages you are steadily plotting a path and connecting the dots to try to figure out how all the characters are interwoven, knowing the author is leading the way to the precise moment of Aha! and to the exact timing of their chosen point of realization.

Kelly was destined to write this novel with so many influential paths and people converging to make her masterful novel a dream turned reality. She started with a book idea of a garden tying generations of women together; then that combined with growing up gardening with her dad and with her research into the War’s requisition of houses to serve in various war efforts, brought her idea into fruition. From modest country houses like her parents’ home to grand country staffed estates and manors, all were expected to do their part for their country. Various celebrated books and shows like Downton Abbey have shown these house conversions into hospitals for the recovering wounded or as barracks for soldiers. The ‘English garden’ style and tradition has become a trademark and synonymous with England, and so too in this novel - where Highbury House’s Garden becomes a character in and of itself. An epicenter for the cast of characters, it reflects its creator with intention in every detail and choice, creates a backdrop for the kindling of love but also for devastating loss, protects its inhabitants’ secrets, and acts as an escape and refuge across time. And as we see the changes that occur to the garden over the course of a season and across generations, so we too see that reflected in the women’s lives we have become invested in over the course of seasons and time.

Kelly is a new author to me and after reading her new historical work THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND that will be released in January, I am excited to see what she will create and pen next. I am not even a gardener, but I truly enjoyed this lush captivating garden with all of its garden rooms and the large cast of characters Kelly has created and intertwined with it.

Told from multiple perspectives through three different time periods, The Last Garden in England takes us from its inception in 1907, through World War ll, and to its re-birth in 2021. Venetia Smith designs the original with much symbolism to reflect women and their roles at that point in time. Beth Hastings is a Land Girl in 1944 who is given permission to sketch the garden by the widowed owner of the estate, Emma is the owner/gardener/designer who has been hired to restore the gardens to their former glory in 2021. Through Emma’s efforts to discover more about the original gardens, we learn about the others and and all those who in some way contributed. Julia Kelly has given us a tour of not only the gardens but the lives and times of the key women involved.

This book is centered around one magnificent garden, and three timelines. The author expertly blends the three timelines as she follows the story of the garden's creation, maintenance throughout the years of World War II, and the 2021 plans to restore the garden to its former glory. I love gardens and gardening, so I enjoyed reading of the design and creation of the gardens. The concept of garden rooms was not one I was familiar with, but it was fascinating. The research for the restoration of the garden revealed the various stories in the garden's history. But the heart of the story were the characters, who were quite unforgettable for their courage and compassion. The three main characters were strong women who overcame tragedy and were able to forge ahead in spite of obstacles and prejudices in each timeline. I loved the ending, as the three stories converged into a beautiful conclusion. I did receive a complimentary copy from Netgalley and the publisher, and I am very glad I did.