A regency romance and historical fiction that I really wanted to enjoy. I tried a few times to get into the flow of the characters, but the language and pacing required more effort that I wanted to give.

(thank you netgalley and barbour publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review)

I think it’s safe to say that I am a Hannah Linder fangirl at this point. I loved "Beneath His Silence", I enjoyed "When Tomorrow Came" and I loved “Garden of the Midnight” as well.

William Kensley has known all his life that he is to inherit Rosenleigh Manor. It has been his home despite the death of his mother, the indifference of his cousin and the abuse of his aunt. When he finds himself in numerous ‘near accidents’, he’s starting to believe that someone is out to kill him. But when he seeks out the one person who can finally tell him what exactly is happening, William finds him near death. His last words, the name of his father he thought long dead.

Isabella Gresham is now at the age where she should seek to marry but none of the gentlemen are able to keep her attention. Except the newly arrived William Kensley but he comes bearing secrets of his own.

I loved this. “Beneath His Silence” still remains my favourite but I really enjoyed this. The atmosphere was mesmerising and the writing was beautiful. The theme of forgiveness was heavily explored in this book and it was very well written.

I can’t wait for Hannah Linder’s next book!

I am not one for gothic fiction - but this was great!,

Tons of twists and turns. I did not expect the ending.

A great read I highly recommended.

I just reviewed Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder. #GardenoftheMidnights #NetGalley

This is 2 of my loves, regency and Gothic. This was written to perfection I could not stop reading this. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. I will definitely be reading more from Hannah Linder!
I just reviewed Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder. #GardenoftheMidnights #NetGalley
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The book starts with Edward finding out he has a child and the mother is deceased . He chooses to forget the child and to get married . A different kind of beginning which made me want to know what’s going to happen next. Hi will this story be about ? Fast forward years later .

His daughter Isabella is of age and should be getting married . She doesn’t seem to have any interest in any of the male options and Edward is frustrated with her .

At the same time Williams uncle recently passed leaving him the estate. His aunt and cousin are cruel , vicious really. Mysterious things keep happening on the property . When his lead Gardner and old family friend is murdered he is told to speak with his father . He learns his fathers name for the first time. He leaves the estate and heads to Edwards estate.

He finds Isabella and believes she is the sister he never had. He and Isabella spend much time together (Edward is away on business ) . Isabella is carefree with him. He teaches her to love life , the sea , to experience and feel. They bond as friends .

Soon edward comes home and the story continues .

Eventually William finds out that Isabella is not his sister and the story continues .

In walks Lord Livingstone a wealthy man who is very interested in making Isabella his wife. Appears would show that he is a man worthy of her but why does she sense a nothingness in his eyes and at times an evil ?
This is a story that keeps you on your toes . There are many twists and turns that made me want to know what happens next.

This book covers depression , love , betrayal, being born “out of wedlock”, status , wealth , the “have and have nots”, and more.
I will read this one again!
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Garden of the Midnights is a well written romantic regency mystery suspense novel, with wonderfully crafted MC. The hero, William, has had a difficult life, and he is understandably bitter at times but his severe trials have not killed the innate goodness in him. It was a relief to find that he is not altogether too perfect, remaining hopeful and cheerful always - it makes his character more realistic. The heroine, Isabella, is a very lovable character as well - she is honest and compassionate by nature and matures a lot during the course of the story. The characterization that failed for me was Isabella's father, who is very loving and considerate towards his daughter, but not compassionate and sensitive to others. He also tries to push her into a marriage she does not want, and forces the company of the unwanted suitor on her even after accepting her refusal. His backstory (not relating more to avoid spoilers) also shows him to be an unkind man. His enormous faith in Lord Livingstone, despite the mistrust of the MC, demonstrate him as a bad judge of character.

While I appreciate the fact that this has much more substance that the fluff many Regency Romance stories tend to become, I found it a little too bleak for the genre. It is a long sequence of misery, except for the interlude when Isabella and William get to know each other, until the end when everything suddenly to fall into place. The coincidental turn of events at the end felt as quite rushed.

It may be a gap in my understanding of the customs of the times, but one of the things that form the foundation of the story seems to be a big plot hole. Lord Gresham and Isabella believe that the public knowledge of existence of his illegitimate son will ruin them socially. However, from several regency books I have read, I inferred that aristocratic men (not women, of course) having illegitimate offspring was not an exception, and these children, when acknowledged by their fathers, were even accepted in the society.

It was my first book by Hannah Linder, and I liked the narration as well as the story, and would definitely read some more of her books. I received and ARC from Barbour Publishing through Netgalley, and thank them for this copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Garden of the Midnights is a well written offering from Hannah Lindor that has put her on my favorite author list.

The story is a well paced mystery and romance that keeps you engaged througout the duration of the story. The characters were likeable and I found myself rooting for them. The Faith moments didn't detract from the story which was a relief to me.

Thank you Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for this ARC, opinions are my own.

This book had a lot of subtle mystery to it and had me hooked from the very beginning. So many things happened that I wasn’t expecting, and the story kept moving, never got stagnant, and when I neared the end…I had no idea how it was going to wrap up. Well done. Both of the main characters went through a lot—both physically and emotionally. The author does not shy away from the difficult details. My favorite parts were when the main characters were together. The author wrote fun and interesting details into their world as they got to know one another.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow! From the start this book was riddled with drama, questions, and very few answers. As the storyline progressed I found myself immersed in the storyline and cheering the two of them on. One of the best historical books I’ve read in a while. This clean historical romance is one I highly recommend.

Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder is a romantic regency mystery with characters that convey depth and integrity. William has not had the easiest life, but when he finds out nothing is as it seems and someone is determined to see him dead, he sets out. Believing to have found his father, he befriends Isabella, his sister.
Isabella has long known her parents did not have a love match and she will settle for no less. William turns her world upside down and challenges her to truly live and experience life. He teaches her things like never run away, do sunshine, experience the seaside, and other beautiful life lessons.
A twist, or two, threw off everything I was expecting, yet kept me reading for more. I loved the character development, the dialogue, both internal and external, and the various supporting characters.
Being true to one’s self and forgiveness are central themes woven throughout. Hannah Linder writes with depth and conviction and I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Tender-hearted and earnest Regency romance for Christian readers, a perfect fit for those who enjoy authors like Mimi Matthews, Anna Lee Huber, and Rachel McMillan!

William Kensley and Isabella Gresham are brought together during the London Season under circumstances that neither could have imagined for themselves, given their previously well-ordered, if highly predictable lives, as members of the landed gentry (William) and aristocracy (Isabella). The futures that have been planned for them by their families since childhood are soon thrown into question as they discover the follies of judging by appearances, making uninformed assumptions, and sacrificing love and honor for the sake of societal expectations.

Props to Hannah Linder for a page-turner prologue. Hitting all the right notes in terms of style, pacing, dialogue, characterization, and ability to tease the plot, in the first 2 ½ pages is truly impressive and served up her writing talent to the reader on a fabulous silver platter. The rest of the novel continued to showcase her skills in all of these areas, and I enjoyed it all the way to the end.

The love story between William and Isabella was so endearing that I would love to keep reading about them. Maybe as parents when their children grow up and experience their own romances? There were quite a few squee moments, and the romance tropes do not disappoint! I will not give any spoilers in this review, but the next time I “do sunshine” I will smile and think about this book.

True confession, I rarely read fiction marketed as Christian because I’ve been put off in the past by a saccharine sweet plot and heavy-handed moralizing. This novel was a wonderful surprise, and I’m glad I gave it a chance because it did not contain either! Although there were doctrinal themes, such as the healing power of forgiveness and faith, they were organic to the plot and true to the characters. I believe that the novel could be marketed and well-received as a YA because it is not preachy or sanctimonious.

I have only two criticisms. The first is that one of the two mysteries was resolved in a rather anti-climactic way by the end of the first act, and was a bit too obvious. The solution and resolution of the second mystery took place in the 3rd act and was more satisfying for me as a reader. The second criticism involves the beginning of William and Isabella’s relationship that is a bit squicky for me. With that said, it is a minor plot point in the overall romantic arc and is not problematic in any way other than personal preference/bias.

Romance tropes: friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, forbidden love

TW/CW: death, emotional abuse, grief, injuries, kidnapping, murder, violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.

Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder is a unique, yet odd title. As I was reading the novel usually the title makes sense, but this time, I did see where Linder would reference the phrase in the story, but it still felt like it did not belong. As for the plot, it had many twists and turns and an odd suspenseful moment. Linder does a wonderful job at crafting the setting and the time period. They do ring true for a Regency time period novel. She did a wonderful job at crafting this. She does a wonderful job at creating suspense moments that will have the reader guessing how this novel would end. The heroine, Isabella, was a typical rich girl from the Regency period that wanted to marry for love, which I honestly do not blame her. She saw through Mr. Livingstone’s façade and wanted more for her life. On the other hand, William, the hero, had to come to some hard truths about his beginning to his life and how to deal with that. Overall, Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder is a predictable Regency romance with some elements of a modern suspense novel twisted into the overarching climactic moment.

I received a complimentary copy of Garden of the MidnightsbyHannah LinderfromBarbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Garden of the Midnights
What a delightful surprise this gripping novel was for me. I finished it in a day, because I had to know what happened. The story drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. I thought “I do not read gothic”; at least I thought I did not enjoy anything that had a side that was scary. But maybe now I have to say this was like my all-time classic favorite, Jane Eyre, a tale that both made you ache for the main character and kept me flipping pages to discover what happens. I also thought I do not like regency. Again, I suppose it depends on the author, I love Emma, and Jane Austin, she is regency and romance but done so very well. So I will look for more by Hannah Linder, because she surprised me by crafting a story that though it was decidedly romantic, it was not fluff and was not too much description of balls, gowns, and calling cards. Rather it was in depth look at character and forgiveness. There was despair, yet there was hope. Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Fiction for an ARC copy, no review required.
#netGalley, #HannahLindar, #BarbourFiction

This was such a great read, loved the way the author's mind works, surprises abound!

There is a lot of jealousy here, greed, and outright hate! What a tale and quick thinking of an evil intent person, and yet someone who was guilty could have come to the aid of an innocent child.

There is a lot of action, and sure did keep my attention, and beware some people are not what they are pretending to be.

We are also given a bit of sweet romance, but can anything come from it.

I also love that there was an epilogue!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

Wow, wow, wow! This book is exceptional! The characters are wonderful! Their stories are so complex and authentic. I found myself emotionally involved with all of them. There is murder, intrigue, deception, unrequited love, and true love!
I was provided a copy of the book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hannah Linder transports readers to Regency England with "Garden of the Midnights". This is not the all-too-common Regency romance that describes the lives of shallow debutantes dancing the night away in ballrooms or going for rides in Hyde Park. While fluff can be diverting, this book is much more than that.

William Kensley and Isabella Gresham's bond is initially forged due to incorrect assumptions. Their romance evolves beautifully, with shared adventures, "doing sunshine and feeling the seashore". These are finely developed characters, and secondary ones are as well. The garden of the title also plays a role.

This novel has plenty to happily satisfy fans of gothic romance. There's not one villain, but two, and both are truly evil. Between the two, there's abduction, blackmail, violent theft, murder, and assumed identity. The latter came as a complete surprise, although there are other intriguing twists.

This is a Christian novel, and forgiveness is an important theme. William struggles as his life is upended for the worse. Doing their best to mitigate past wrongs, truly unlikable Edward Gresham and Horace Willoughby have surprising epiphanies. "A man is not what he possesses but what he does with himself" is an important sentiment voiced throughout the book.

Hannah Linder's prose is lovely, lush and evocative. This book is clean. However, there is some gruesome violence. A couple of editing errors stood out to me: in chess, a rook does not move up two and over one, that is a knight. A young female horse is a filly, not a colt. Aside from these criticisms, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, as I did her two previous novels. 4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for an ARC of this compelling read.

Whenever I start reading a historical fiction book by a new-to-me author, I always have a few questions in the back of my mind. Will this book be well-written and feel appropriate for the time period? Will the story weave details together in surprising ways and tie up all loose ends? Will I be kept guessing, or will I be bored?

Well, let me just put your mind at ease on all three fronts. Garden of the Midnights, Hannah Linder's newest book, is well-written and uses authentic 19th century language. The artful way she arranged words was one of my favorite parts of this novel. I was delighted to learn a few new words from the Regency period by reading this book.

Additionally, Hannah took me on a journey through this book, weaving all the parts of the story together, and kept me guessing until the last page. Our hero William and heroine Isabella have a forbidden love story and encounter many perils and difficulties in their fight for a happy ever after. I was quietly cheering them on from the other side of my Kindle.

As a content summary: There were a few kisses, and also some violent/slightly abusive scenes.

The Biblical influence in the book is well-placed and not preachy or awkward. Throughout most of the book, only short prayers are uttered and it is not until close to the end of the book that the characters experience more open spiritual development. I enjoyed the organic way the spiritual content was written in this book.

Note to Publisher/Author: Consider exchanging the word "riding dress" with "riding habit."

Thank you NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing this free copy of Garden of the Midnights. My review is honest and in no way influenced by the Publisher.

Kept me guessing!
I definitely did not have this story figured out as I went.

William is quite simply wonderful. Dedicated. Fervent. Strong.
*swoon*

Isabella and William strengthen and help each other to grow as they each see the world in ways they never anticipated.

I have a bit of soft spot for Edward Gresham in the end as well.

Hannah is on point, as always. Such a great read!!!

Highly recommend. :) Thanks for letting me advance read, Net Galley!

The ambiance of Garden of the Midnights was flawless, featuring characters that evolved and elicited emotions such as anger, jealousy, pride, hatred, love, and satisfaction. The plot had a natural flow, gradually intensifying until you become completely engrossed in the story, causing you to turn pages faster than usual to fully appreciate the writing and discover what would happen next.

William has fallen into poverty, with no money and no one to turn to. The only solace he finds is in the unwavering love of Isabella Gresham, but their relationship is at risk. A dangerous enemy from their social circle emerges and puts Isabella's life in danger. Will William be the only one brave enough to save her? And if he does rescue Isabella, will he have to give up on their love?

This book reinstates one's belief in people and exceptional writing. Very captivating storyline that kept you wanting more. Reading it was a privilege.

Thank you Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for the eARC, All opinions are my own.

This was truly wonderful book. The emotions, the story, the characters everything worked so perfectly. William felt like the ideal man any woman could want for. He was kind, gentle, generous, hardworking and considerate. He never begrudged Edward for thinking about Isabella’s happiness. Isabella has this wonderful steadfast character which is often missing in historical romance heroines. I loved how the author portrayed Williams struggles and his difficulty forgiving people who did them wrong. The story was not all about balls and parties and had so much real life into it. Overall good book.