This book was so good and interesting to read, I was instantly hooked and I was unprepared for the ending. I love the fact that within this gothic setting we are playing around with love and grief and the complexities of them both. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Goldy Moldavsky.

Moldavsky pulls you in with beautifully written prose and somehow never lets you in to the story. The short chapters help to push this one along, but I think I've seen this film before.

Of Earthly Delights delivers a truly eerie, gothic atmosphere that had me questioning everything from the very first page. There’s something unsettling about the garden and the parties - something you can’t quite put your finger on - and I loved how that unease built as the story unfolded. The mystery is compelling, and a late-stage plot twist genuinely caught me off guard in the best way.

While I found myself thoroughly intrigued, I did wish for a little more - more depth in the world building, more development in certain areas, and just a bit more time to sit with the characters and their experiences. The story moves at a brisk pace, which keeps the tension high, but I wouldn’t have minded a few extra pages to really soak in the setting and explore its secrets further.

Overall, this one had a lot of elements I enjoy -dark atmosphere, lingering questions, and a twist that made me reconsider everything. It’s a quick, mysterious read with a beautifully eerie vibe.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars, rounded up.

Goldy Modalvsky is a never-miss author for me, but this was unlike the previous novels I've read of hers in the best way. This was a beautiful exploration of grief, of love, of wishes and consequences, with just a touch of magic. I devoured it in less than 48 hours because I needed to know what would happen next.

This book was hauntingly beautiful — and I enjoyed it even more than I expected. If you’re a fan of a slow burn with gothic vibes and a touch of mystery, this one’s for you.

The story follows Rose Pauly, an aspiring artist who moves from New York City to a quiet Connecticut town with her father. On her first day, she meets the enigmatic Hart Hargrove — who, in true meet-cute fashion, spills a cherry slushy on her shirt. From the start, their connection is undeniable, yet hard to define.

Soon, Hart invites Rose to a private garden party on his family’s estate. The garden is unlike anything she’s ever seen — lush, surreal, and full of secrets. It becomes a space where love, loss, beauty, and grief intertwine.

While the pacing was a bit slow in parts, the atmosphere and emotional weight made it worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group / Henry Holt and Co. for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Of Earthly Delights is a Gothic horror romance that ripped my heart out of my chest. Rose has moved to a small town from New York City, a town that her father grew up in. When she meets the handsome Hart Hargrove, a boy almost too perfect to be true, Heather slowly learns that Hart and his twin sister Heather harbor secrets buried deep within the garden walls of their family home. Goldy Moldavsky's writing here is lush and beautiful, while still being palatable for the young adult audience it's designed for. The twist in this book has seeds planted throughout but it doesn't make the blossoming of this novel and its twists any less enjoyable.

(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)

In this dark, gothic YA romance — though it leans more toward horror than love story — 17-year-old Rose Pauly is up rooted from her life in New York City by her parents’ divorce and transplanted to an affluent Connecticut town. On her very first day, she has a run in with Hart Hargrove, a handsome and enigmatic member of the town’s most mysterious family.

Rose and Hart fall hard and fast, spending a dreamlike summer wandering the sprawling gardens behind his family’s estate. But even in the midst of their idyllic romance, Rose can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right. Why does Hart’s twin sister loathe her so intensely? And what really happens at the Hargroves’ infamous garden parties?

And no — you won’t guess.

The ending didn’t land perfectly for me, but that’s more about personal preference than execution. Moldavsky carefully plants the seeds throughout, and the conclusion fits her overall vision.

That said, I’d still recommend Of Earthly Delights, especially for readers who enjoy smart, layered writing and stories that explore the intensity and volatility of first love. It’s clever, atmospheric, and filled with just the right amount of dread.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7486310000

excuse my while i pick my jaw up because WHAT WAS THATTTTTT. let me stop and say thank you netgalley for this arc. anyways!!! i was a little confused at the begging of this and unsure where it was going, but this had me on the edge of my seat when i started to realize Something Was Up. you’ll think you know what’s coming next, and you’ll realize you have absolutely no clue until the moment it’s revealed.

Would you do it all over again?! For you a million times. When you have known nothing but grief and loss but you have an unlimited amount of wishes, would you sacrifice your love for grief? Even though every time you get a do over the less and less time you get with your person?

Going to be very careful to not reveal anything, but wow. I thought this entire book was great. It took me til twist #1 for me to understand everything fully I had read. I went back and re-read some of the earlier portions which made everything make sense. And then happily finished this book. It's a really good Gothic romance young adult novel. Think of "The Secret Garden" mixed with "The Haunting of Hill House."

"Of Earthly Delights" follows teenager Rose Pauly. Rose has newly arrived from New York to Meadow Falls Connecticut. Rose is angry about leaving her life behind in New York and runs out of her house after a fight with her father and arrives at a gas station store. And after a "meet cute" is run into by Hart Hargrove. Hart invites her to a party and there she runs into a young woman named Heather who seems angry at Rose's arrival. Rose leaves confused, but can't get her mind off of Hart. And then she ends up making a new friend named Lowell who seems just as obsessed with Heather. They arrive at one of the Hargrove famous parties at Hemlock Hill and for both Rose and Lowell that party changes things for both of them.

I definitely liked the characters we are introduced to in this one. I felt at times though the writing was so confusing and I was getting so confused (until the reveal) and then you start to get what was going on. I am still going to give the book 4 stars for that just because it was hard to muddle through because I kept thinking the writing style was weird in places because of the tenses the author chose to use. Once you get to the 59 percent mark the book starts to really find its rhythm. Things are explained and you get to fully understand what has been going on in the Hargrove family and the rest of the book, blooms open for you (yes that was a bad pun intended.)

The setting of Hemlock Hill though was really interesting. I could picture the house, the gardens, the maze, everything. The setting felt very much alive and was very much its own character. I also liked that there are hints throughout this book about what that garden was really about. 

The ending leaves you wondering, but I think I know what happens next. Definitely interested in hearing everyone's thoughts about this one.

5🌟 1🌶️

🖤YA Gothic Romance
🖤Botanical Body Horror
🖤Enchanted Garden
🖤Secret Garden/Saltburn
🖤He’s obsessed with her
🖤Closed Door/no spice

This book felt like if The Secret Garden had a baby with that garden party scene in Saltburn… and made it romantic? I am still sitting here in shock at the ending of this story. What an incredible read with an ending that leaves you in shock. Amazing character development, I felt like I knew the characters. Fantastic detailing, not too fast or too slow, very well paced. I never once guessed what was going to happen next. I just don’t know how any man will ever live up to Hart…. Ever 😆

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Grouph for the gifted ARC.

This book was a joy to read. The writing style is very unique, it really throws the perspective of time out the window. I had a guess of what was going on towards the beginning of the book, but there were still twists that I wasn't expecting and definitely things that happened that I didn't see coming. I loved that part of it was told from Rose's perspective and part of it was told from Hart's perspective, but not changing every chapter or so like many dual perspective books do. The only part I didn't like about this book was when it ended. I wanted so much more. I wanted more lifetimes with Rose and Hart and Heather. They were wonderfully written characters that really drew me in and kept me intrigued and entertained.

Although the plot was easy to figure out from the first chapter, I loved the journey. The writing made this a quick read with plenty of tension and mystery. The character development was shocking and tragic. Apparently I have a type, and it's doomed love.

I don't read Young Adult novels often, but when I do, books by Goldy Moldavsky are always at the top of that list.

This YA fantasy romance has gothic garden tones, and is painted in lush prose and sweet romance with a hidden dark secret. I really enjoyed it.

The Vibes:
🌹 The Secret Garden but sorta evil
🥀 Young love
🌹 Examination of grief + life & death
🥀 Be careful what you wish for
🌹 Dual POV
🥀 Magic is tricky

Make sure to grab a copy of this when it's published May 13th! Thanks @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for the early read. It's engaging from start to finish and will be one teens and adults both love.

Obsessed . I love these kind of stories where love transcends everything. Add a beautiful garden, sulky rich kids and a beautiful new in town fmc. Does it sound like the premise to twilight , yes but it’s definitely worth the read.

ARC Review of “Of Earthly Delights” by Goldy Moldavsky

⭐ 5/5 Stars

“That summer, Rose and Hart came together in a kaleidoscope of colors.”

A darkly romantic YA gothic thriller with a splash of magical realism, “Of Earthly Delights” follows Rose Pauly, a teen artist ripped from New York and dropped into a mysterious new world. When she meets the charming and enigmatic Hart Hargrove, their star-crossed romance blooms inside the secretive garden behind his family's mansion - but love this intense never comes without thorns. This story is equal parts romance, mystery, and emotional gut punch.

Wow - I’ve never enjoyed having my heart torn apart so much, and willingly so. This book completely immersed me in its atmosphere: eerie, beautiful, and emotionally raw. It made me feel like I was right there with Rose, swept up in something intoxicating and terrifying all at once. Grief, love, and obsession pulse through every page, and the plot twists hit with the weight of truth you don’t want to admit.

The characters in this book are so distinct and unapologetically themselves. Rose’s yearning and creative spark, Hart’s intensity and mystery, the garden’s uncanny allure. I loved Goldy Moldavsky’s vivid and emotional writing and how they threaded clever clues and foreshadowing through the writing without ever giving too much away. The tension builds so expertly that I never saw the twists coming, and when they did... I was wrecked.

If you love atmospheric YA with sharp writing, haunting themes, and a romance that burns beautifully dark, Of Earthly Delights is for you. Go in blind - and prepare to be completely consumed.

I was generously provided an e-ARC by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group / Henry Holt and Co. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own ♡

Of Earthly Delights is a story that is less about a secret garden and more about a garden full of secrets. A family full of secrets. From the beginning pages there is an undercurrent of unease, a feeling that something is not quite right, and it builds until everything is exposed to the roots.

Rose and her father move to Connecticut after her parents divorce. She is not happy, but quickly finds friendship in Lowell, and curiosity in Hart. Hart Hargrove, who with his sister Heather are keepers of the Hargrove legacy. Full of garden parties and exclusive invites that are whispered about by everyone. Rose and Hart form a friendship, a budding love. Heather keeps cryptically trying to push Rose away from Hart.

As their relationship blooms, Rose notices more and more moments from Heather and Lowell and the Hargrove's garden that don't quite add up. And the more she explores, the more her relationship with Hart gets exposed.

I loved the blanket of tension that enveloped this entire book. And when we finally get all the answers, we are only left with more questions. This is a story about love and obsession and understanding how to make wishes that have a chance of coming true. But it is also a story that reminds us that the universe seeks balance. And that balance can come at a cost that might be steep to pay.

The setting was so wonderfully done, absolutely what I dream of when I hear gothic fantasy. The magic system was interesting and had so many cool details supporting it and adding to the ambiance of the garden parties. The writing was beautiful and really added to the overall vibe of the story but it was at times at the expense of the pacing of the story. I also found the big twist rather predictable which also felt like it threw off the pacing a bit. That said the characters were well done especially the twins and the way the garden effects their relationship with each other and how they view the events of the book. Lowell's character was also intriguing and played a lot into the foreshadowing of the book in a cool way. Rose was a very classic gothic horror heroine and very much kept in the dark by others and a plot device for the garden's tale to advance, that said she was still really likable and while she may have been kept in the dark about some things she was also a very smart character who did pick up on a lot of the smaller details. I really liked seeing how she was both clearly capable and also trapped by her genre. Overall this was an interesting take on the gothic heroine and cool magic system.

As a child, I loved The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett where a young orphaned girl discovers a hidden garden in her new home and restores it back to its former glory, all while bringing her new family together to heal old wounds.

So when I read the synopsis of Goldy Moldavsky’s new YA gothic romance novel Of Earthly Delights, I was immediately hooked. “A dark family secret, a lush mysterious garden and a love that never dies” - this immediately evoked haunting images of the Secret Garden, but with a romantic twist.

Right from the beginning we meet our main character Rose, who has just moved to town after her parent’s divorce. She is not happy with the sudden upheaval, as she has been taken from her established life in New York City and “dumped” into a small Connecticut town for her senior year of high school. On her first night in town she meets Hart Hargrove and the two experience an instant connection that quickly develops to young love. Hart and his sister Heather live in Hemlock Hill, a sprawling estate with a massive garden - the garden is known for hosting exclusive parties and its during one of these parties that Rose discovers a hedge maze. Rumor has it that the maze is impossible to solve with a mysterious secret at its center.

I really liked this book - the premise behind the garden and it’s dark secrets was really interesting and unique, although I will say I started to figure out what was happening pretty early in the novel, which diminished the “surprise” element for me when the ending twists were revealed. Even still, I thought the book was really well written and I would highly recommend for fans of gothic romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC for Of Earthly Delights in return for an honest review.

After her parents divorce, Rose moves with her dad back to his home town. Her first day there she literally runs into Hart. A cute local boy who's family is known for their garden parties that only the select few know what happens there. Right away Rose is invited to one of those parties and at first everything seems like a normal party but then things start to not add up. Which causes a tension between Rose and Hart. The question becomes, will Hart reveal the truth but in doing so, will it cost him Rose?

The book hooked me right away and has you thinking about what is going on at those parties and what Hart is keeping from Rose. First you get Rose's point of view and then about half way through it switches to Hart's. It will keeping you guessing til the end and will leave you wanting more. What an ending!