This one was kindly given for a readalong. I loved a lot of aspects of this book but it didn’t quite hit 5 stars for me. I still really enjoyed and would read more from this author. Definitely for those who like stories about community and friendships and it was refreshing to read outside my usual genres.

Charming story from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You will surely love this story if you love gardening and know how it can help you to heal as it's working on beauty.
I loved it and it remained with me: the setting, the fleshed out characters, the good storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

★★★ 3.5 stars

This book is difficult for me to describe. It's a story about friendship, community and self discovery centred around a garden that becomes the centrepiece for this tale...and one of many memories. It is a beautiful story that's happy, sad and bittersweet. But most of all, it is feel-good.

Rose Lanyon prepares for her last day at work - a job she has held for the past 30 years as a nurse in the local GP practice. But now Rose is retiring and losing her identity as a nurse to become...what, exactly?

Her first day of freedom, so to speak, has her pondering her new found freedom and questioning what she's to do with the rest of her life. The old hippy woman down the road dressed in loud garish outfits may well pass judgement on her as she sees Rose pottering uselessly about hr garden, knowing full well she knows nothing about gardening. This was her late husband Glen's domain.

>>
Before long, Rose has befriended the hippy woman, Flora, from down the road. And discovers she has a sad story of her own, and her own memories to share. Soon one friend becomes three then four and it isn't long before Rose's seed of an idea begins to bloom as her garden of memories flourishes under the tender loving care of all who visit.

And everyone who does visit comes away feeling rvitalised, refreshed and renewed. The garden has a calming effect, bringing a sense of calm and peace in an otherwise busy world. And together in their garden of memories, Rose finds new purpose and new friendships...and together they bloom. Just like her garden of memories.

I really didn't know what to write about this book. I enjoyed it but I admit I did struggle with it a little too. Maybe because it is not my usual genre and maybe my reading slump isn't helping. But I did enjoy it and found myself wishing I was in that very garden amidst the scents and fragrances and vibrant colours. Especially the honeysuckle...I miss honeysuckle. I loved it in our garden as a child.

A delightful read about the therapeutic power of nature.

I would like to thank #AmandaJames, #Netgalley and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheGardenOfMemories in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

A pure delight!! This is one of those books that I just wanted to go on and on!! It had such wonderful characters and lots of plant/gardening chat that just made me happy!!

It begins with Rose who is retiring from nursing after 40 years, and is faced with the daunting prospect of filling her days with new projects. It's been 2 years since her husband Glen died, and his passion was gardening so her garden comforts her with the memories of him. She knows next to nothing of plants but feels that connection with Glen, so throws herself into the challenge of restoring it to its' best.

And as people see her gardening it starts off a chain in the local community of others all coming together, to confront their own different problems and to help one another out. Flora is an elderly neighbour, who likes to be involved and loves the library, Sally is dealing with discovering her husband has been having an affair, and Daisy is missing her daughter and her family - these are women who are all facing new challenges in their lives and they find that through each other it gives them the confidence to try new things and start standing up for themselves.

You really get to see through these women, how the negativity of others impacted on their self worth and confidence. As they come together to share their problems, they each find strength and it really is a wonderful thing to see! And doing it with the backdrop of the garden, holding memories of different people in different plants was wonderful as a garden is such a healing place to be.

Highly recommended!!

Rose is recently widowed and now about to retire from 40 years of nursing, she has loved her job but is determined to redefine herself and stop existing in the ‘box’ that the world has put her in.

Since losing her husband her garden has been neglected and she feels it’s time to tidy it up and enjoy the flowers and shrubs that mean something to her.

As her work progresses, she finds help from friends old and new and together they tackle problems that life throws at them but also learn that it’s never too late to start something new, make new friendships and that sometimes, your best years are still ahead of you.

An uplifting read, a great holiday read and I’m now planning improvements in my own garden that needs a some love.

Definitely worth a read this summer.

My favourite quote from this truly lovely book:

'People are like flowers. If you give them the right environment in which to grow, they bloom. And why? Because people need similar things to flowers. A bit of sunshine, a safe sheltered spot, water, food … and love. Most of all, that.’

Newly retired Rose is finding her way in this new stage of her life. Feeling a bit lost she plants a tree in her garden in memory of her husband. From here the garden of memories grows 🌱

I loved this book and felt completely captivated by the characters. If you need a feel good book - this is it ❤️ also good if you need inspiration to get out into your garden - it worked for me! 🌱🌻🌷

A good mix of characters come together in this beautifully written, charming book.

The author reminds the reader what's important in life by ensuring they can relate to one or more of the characters.
Some great thought provoking quotes are included for example:

'People are like flowers. If you give them the right environment in which to grow, they bloom. And why? Because people need similar things to flowers. A bit of sunshine, a safe sheltered spot, water, food … and love. Most of all, that.’

An emotional laugh out loud, lump in throat & sometimes tearful novel. I loved this book & found it hard to put down.
Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet book, sweet smelling too (cause of the garden you know). It starts with Rose retiring after years of being a nurse and finding what the next step in life is going to be (sadly without her husband, Glen). She is joined by several others, Flora, Daisy, Sarah at the start but with more joining in as the garden of memories that Rose starts, expands to fit all of them and their pasts that they want to remember even as they move forward in the present. They find their way through trials, heartache, joy and resolve. I would love to be able to go and visit that wonderful garden, even if I might be allergic. So, while I would love that, I had so much fun reading this and it left me with a feel good and so I do recommend this book if you want to experience a slice of life that has a happy ending!

The Garden of Memories is a beautifully written story of dealing with grief and loss with the help of the healing power of nature.

The characters are predominantly women of a certain age who come together to create a little sanctuary in a Cornish garden. As each person plants the flower or shrub of their choice, they share the memories that plant brings back to them and strong friendships blossom along with the flowers.

An absolutely delightful and heartwarming book, 4.5*

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

WoW.......The Garden of Memories by Amanda James was a book that just took my breath away. It was a beautifully written book from start to finish.

The Garden of Memories is about retired nurse Rose Lanyon finds herself drawn to the garden that had once been her husband’s pride and joy. Rose wants to honour her husbands memory especially as he spent hours working hard to make it beautiful. Now, all her's her little Cornish garden comes alive again it becomes her pride and joy, a little place pf hope where the lost and lonely can find solace, the forgotten can be remembered, and second chances take bloom. As the flowers begin to bud and blooms beautiful flowers all over her garden there will always be hope and new memories will be made.

WoW.........I highly recommend this book......it was a joy to read.

What a sweet and enjoyable book this was. Rose, who is retiring after a long professional life as a nurse is dreading the days to come. Days in which she has to shape the day herself, but with exactly what? She is also dreading the conversations she is about to have where, if asked, she will then say "I was a nurse". Her daughter has moved up north with her husband and their two children so she doesn't see them as often as she used to when they lived in the same town. Her husband died some years ago so she has just herself left. What is she going to do? She lives in a lovely house with a garden that was always given a lot of love and attention by her husband and since his passing she has done only the bare essentials. Now she is about to go for it, but not just like that, no she plants a little bush that reminds her of her husband so that he is always at her side. But not only she is planting a bush or plant in memory, more plants and bushes with memories of others are following and there is even going to be a beautiful pond. In the meantime, you get to learn more about all the characters who plant a bush or plant as a reminder and I can't help but think I would like to have a place like this with a garden like this too when I grow old!

This was a lovely story, full of strong women who were going through challenges & tough times. I loved the diversity of ages that were featured and the range of issues. The setting and use of Rose’s garden and the gardening/horticulture ties to each character worked. Each and every character drew out strong emotions. I found the whole story facinating frustrating and funny! Well done and thank you for letting me into your garden for a short while.

It's a very sweet story about a woman (Rose) who is retiring. She is a widow and doesn't know what to do with her time. Then she decides to take care of her garden, which her husband always enjoyed so much. It brings back memories. Slowly, people are joining us who also have memories and would like to contribute to the garden. It will be a group full of solidarity and friendship.

Amanda James has written a very beautiful story. The characters are real and recognizable. They all have a history that shows that life has ups and downs, but most importantly how you can deal with them and that things will get better. James has a nice way of writing, it reads smoothly and there is plenty of time to sympathize with the characters and enjoy the beautiful moments in Rose's garden. The ending is beautiful, not too sweet, but definitely feel-good. The Garden of Memories is a nice novel and really wonderful to read.

I did enjoy this book!

Wonderful friendships came from memories & gardens. This group of ladies bond over their past lives, the flowers that brought back wonderful memories & a future of contentment. It certainly made me think about memories attached to flowers.

Lovely read & highly recommended.

This was such a cute story to read and made me wish I could have a garden like Rose. The idea of collecting plants for memories is so beautiful but also this tells the stories behind the flowers of memories which are varied and beautiful. This is such a nice book to read whatever the weather as it just reminds you of summertime and warm nights. A book you should read.

A truly delightful book and one of my favourites. On retirement, Rose is unsure what to do next. Having lost her husband she feels quite lonely until she decides to work on her garden. She plants things that contain memories of the past and help,her to feel better. One by one, she encounters other people in need of support and allows them to plant something that means a lot to them. Her garden becomes a solace for others and friendships develop. It is a truly lovely read..

Rose retires from nursing ,and decides to spend her time in the garden ,her late husband's pride and joy .She and her new and old friends all plant a particular flower or shrub which brings back happy memories. A lovely tale of lasting friendships and memories evoked by plants .

Nice easy read
I found it easy to follow the storyline and loved the character development whilst also touching on some important topics.
A very feel good book that leaves you wanting to go and enjoy the outdoors

What a beautiful read, I've met some wonderful characters, really struggled to put it down to do normal stuff, when all I wanted to do was sit myself in this garden with Rose and the rest of her friends, loved it