A lovely feel good read. The story of one women who brings a community together to work in her garden. Lowena opens her garden in her new cottage by the sea to the locals ,some who are lonely and a few who are hard to like. A carved box left to her by her mother may have magical properties but Lowena doesn't really believe it until it proves itself.
Set in beautiful Cornwell this is an easy to read story with a touch of Amanda James's Cornish magic.

A very gentle quick read which is full of quirky characters which delight. A little twee and slightly old fashioned in a sense but quite heart warming. The book lacks depth as the reader doesn't really get beneath the surface of any of the characters despite all the issues raised but for a quick light read this book delivers especially if an uplift in spirits is needed.

The Garden by The Sea from Amanda James was as real a novel as you can find. This was my first time reading a book by this author but I absolutely felt the writing as it came from the heart. This is a second chance story of Rowena when she starts over with a new job in a new city. I love her adventure! Looking forward to reading more from Amanda James and she is a gifted writer!

I really loved this book. Amanda has such a way with words. I did love her writing style as it was so descriptive you could really imagine yourself there - especially sitting on the bench watching the sea. I loved how she described things going as far as the shadow of clouds on the beach or life before you like a rolled up carpet. I could just see that lively seed box with the soil from Tintagel lying in the shed. The characters were wonderful Lowena sounded lovely and it was wonderful how she gathered friends around her. A story of hope, friendship, love and community. I couldn't put it down.

Lovely story set in Cornwall with a hint of magic. Cosy read about the magic of wishing. Well written and enjoyable. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

Lorwena's mum had a magic seed box which was said to contain soil from Tintagel. If you wished on it something special would happen. Lorwena was a miracle baby born after her mother made a wish on te box.
Now Lorwena is on her own but the box is still working its magic. She has moved into a cottage overlooking the sea, opened a library and has made a lot of new friends. Can she find happiness at last.?

I felt this was a truly special story, full of tales depicting the importance of community. Rowena finds the cottage she has always wanted with plenty of surprises in store. When emptying her mother’s loft she comes across a box of seeds which is supposed to have magical powers. She and some of her friends make wishes on it- is it magical as lots of romance happens? A real feel good novel.

I really enjoyed this book, it was just a lovely quick and easy read. It had history, mythology, romance and unpredictability. I loved it.

What a lovely quick read! We follow Lowena, a woman who has recently lost her mother, as she takes her inheritance and invests it in a cottage by the sea. The only thing is, she has a box of seeds that her mother wished on and then subsequently became pregnant with her. So the first thing she does in her garden by the sea is plant more seeds from it, and from it grows the stalks of beautiful friendships, happiness, and joy in her new little home. It was a great little uplit book to read during these dark days of winter and I highly recommend it if you want something that will bring up your spirits this winter!

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have only recently discovered this author and am so pleased that I have as love that Amanda James writes books from the heart about real people and real issues. The garden by the sea is a story of second chances and new beginnings and focused on how Rowena starts a new life when she moves to a Cornish village to start a new job and live in a new cottage and also shows how much stronger we all become when we are surrounded by friends and that sometimes these friends come in the most unlikely of places and people and how the characters are all able to bond over their love of gardening and plants and also covers a diverse range of topics from teenage pregnancy, sexuality and fertility issues through to finding love and happiness all bound together in one beautiful and quirky read about an eclectic mix of characters who all come together and in doing so seek to enrich the lives of each other. This was an uplifting and heartwarming read.

Another lovely read by Amanda James - heartwarming and life affirming.

Lowena - newly moved to the community brings together a disparate collection of characters - all of whom she enriches and brings the best out of. She finds her place and real love for the first time.

Lots of themes are explored - loss, loneliness, racism, suppressed homosexuality - but with a light touch.

A gentle read I will be recommending.

Easy enjoyable read! A mysterious box passed on from Mother to daughter is believed to grant wishes. After serious life changes, Lowena now has the box and makes the decision to move to a new home by the sea. Her new world offers her friends, gardening, companionship and love and a lot of life questions. What would you wish for if you had the chance?
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own. Thank you One More Chapter/Harper Collins for allowing me to read this book.

this was a really nice and comforting read. it didn't bring anything new to the reading table, but it was nice to just cozy up and read this generally good book.

After Lowena’s mum dies she is sitting out the attic and finds a box filled with soil and seeds that she remembers her mum saying had something to do with Lowena’s conception as she didn’t think she would ever conceive. She wished in the box and it happened. Lowena moves to a glorious cottage from where she can see the sea. It’s got a large overgrown garden but decided to sprinkle some if the soil and seeds in the garden. She meets the gorgeous Ben and after a few hiccups they become an item. The box seems to be working its magic in everyone that comes in to contact with Lowena. A great outing to the Eden Project happens. Even grumpy Janet shows her true colours. I loved this book. It’s the first ie I’ve read but I enjoyed it so much I bought the previous one. Thank you

Another cute read by Amanda James. She loves to throw a tiny bit of magic in her books, along with some characters we love and some we despise.

Lowena's mum left her a seed box that she said was special. She decides to move to a house by the sea and her life is transformed.

I love to read books set in idyllic sounding Cornwall. This is a nice, heartwarming story with magical and mythical grooves running through it. A lovely tale of a small knit community, friendships evolving and definitely stories to be told.

The Garden by the Sea by Amanda James
Lowena Rowe’s beloved mum always claimed her family seed box was special. Said to contain soil from Tintagel, the mysterious seat of the legendary King Arthur, whomever made a wish upon the box would have ‘a beautiful garden, bountiful crops and love of their fellow man’. Lowena isn’t inclined to believe the myth but can’t part with the box, knowing how much it meant to her mum.

Starting over with a new home and a new job in the Cornish village of St Merryn, Lowena can’t help feeling lost and alone… but she isn’t the only one. Now, as a community of misfits finds solace and friendship in the shade of her growing garden, she realises there might have been truth to the mythical box after all, and she may just be growing the life and love she’s always wanted…
A magical read , one of my favourite reads of the year . Cosy yet exciting . Brilliant.

My word Amanda has only gone and done it again so well written and has you hooked from the beginning with many twist and turns and you just want to keep going to see what happens. It’s full of sadness magic new beginnings and romance and friendship. The characters are brilliant and of course based in Cornwall so you can’t go wrong. Well worth more than five stars and hope more books to follow as just so fantastic and an amazing warm read.
Lowenas mum has had a family seed box that she claims is special and filled with soil form Tintagel and claims who ever makes a wish on it will come true and will have a wonderful garden and a wonderful man. She doesn’t really believe this at all but when her mum passes away suddenly she just can’t come to throw it away. She sees the house of her dreams in Cornwall and sets to buy it and every one things she is silly as it needs far to much work doing on it. She is feeling lost and alone but sadly she’s not the only one as a number of people around her are feeling just the same. They all come together to help in her garden and form an unlikely formed ship and she makes a wish over the box and will it come true and she get the man of her dreams or when it’s just in her reach will it be snatched away from her. Al the friends soon start to unravel their past and start to look to the future and will they all be happy or not. Many twists and turns and will her garden be something of magic as well as she starts spreading the seeds.
Simply fantastic read from the first page didn’t want it to end and highly recommend anyone to read it and learn of the magic and happiness.

I read and enjoyed A Secret Gift.
So was very excited to see a new read from James.

The Garden by the Sea is a wonderfully uplifting book which is filled with everything you would expect from this author.
An utterly gorgeous, heartwarming book to escape with.
An easy read and may be predictable at times, but I tend to look for this in a light read.
This book has it all from very likable characters, to a charming storyline, to an exceptional conflict and resolution.
This book which deals with friendships, sweet life moments and new beginnings.
Lowena is a wonderful character I enjoyed seeing her growth throughout while living in Cornish village of St Merryn.
The side characters were great as well. I really liked them all.
Overall, A quick read that I couldn't put down.

Thank you One More Chapter for this eARC!