“The Daughter’s Garden” is the second book in the Tales from Goswell series by Kate Hewitt. This book was previously published as “The Lost Garden” in 2015.

What I liked about the book - that it can be read as a stand-alone; while reading the first book gives a titch of depth, important information is filled in by the author. The concept of the little house I found very sweet, from how it came about to the gathering of the items. I’m not into gardening, but that garden (and herb garden) sound purely like heaven! The exploration of post-WWI PTSD (not called that then) was really dealt with well.

What I was meh about: One again, I couldn’t tell if this was to be another Christian book or not - there’s mention of G-d and one of the characters is a vicar, and some Bible verses are mentioned. The ending - it felt a bit like the story had a page count and the ending was hastily concluded.

What I didn’t like: I never warmed up to the current (Marin) story. I understand that she hadn’t been around teenagers a lot but she could’ve gone to her neighbor to ask for advice. The pacing felt a bit off - between the ending quick wrap-up and the beginning pacing (it felt for a long while that not much happened at the beginning).

I think overall this book, too, was a good idea, but it wasn’t executed as well as it could’ve been. It had glimmers of potential, but I was hoping it would be better than it was.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Family dynamics…history…friendship…love…these themes are part of this book written by a gifted author. I could not put down this novel. Although it is fiction, it reads like nonfiction. The characters come alive on the pages. This is book two in the series…grab a cozy blanket…settle in a comfy chair…be transported…although there is a dual timeline…it works…

The war may be over, but Eleanor is still keenly feeling the loss of her brother of the battlefields of World War I. Spending her days in her family’s once glorious gardens is a balm to her broken heart. When her father hires Jack to restore the gardens, she is drawn to the gruff man, who understands her loss in ways no one else ever could. Sadly, his lower social status means her family will never accept him as a suitable beau. In the present, Rebecca is forced to not only confront the death oh her father and his wife in an accident, she must take on the role of guardian to her 15 year old half sister, Rebecca. Completely out of her element, she agrees to Rebecca’s request that they move to Goswell on the Cumbrian coast. Once there, the two women discover a locked secret garden and a mysterious photograph. The quest to uncover the truth about the garden and photograph bring the two of them together as they redefine what family really means