I loved Chelsea Iversen's The Witches at the End of the World so I jumped at the chance to read her newest title, The peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt.

We find our protagonist, Harriet, wandering around her home in Victorian London, after her father left to visit relatives and never came back. Harriet has never quite fit in with stolid Victorian society and so she's happy to while away her days, working in her garden.

What at first seems like a peaceful life for Harriet, soon turns tragic, as she's suspected of being behind her father's disappearance. She quickly takes up with Mr. Comstock, who she thinks will help her navigate these troubled waters. But Comstock is not what he first appears to be to Harriet and she is once again dragged under the spell of men's influence in the lives of women in Victorian England.

There were some weak spots in The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt, especially plotwise. The narration of the audio version was perfect and I would highly recommend reading it in that format. I think the narration managed lulls very well and improved on the pacing.

This is a fun, if at times uneven, fantasy story and a great exploration of women's rights in fiction.

Actual Rating 3.5

This work is somewhere between historical fiction and magical realism, which is a wonderful blend that the author managed well. While the source of the magic is never really explored or explained, it didn’t feel like the book really needed that to happen. The work moves at a slow but steady pace, and never felt like it dragged. I did want a bit more from the broader setting to help situated the book, but the immediate settings were written quite well.

The characters were well written overall. Harriet was an excellent protagonist, and though she made many questionable/silly mistakes, it made sense based on how sheltered and gullible she was. One thing that didn’t quite work was that the antagonist felt a little too cookie cutter, which was largely because their motivations weren’t exposed until near the very end of the work. I think if we’d been given a reason for their actions sooner it would have made them a stronger villain. This work also does delve quite heavily into women’s lack of agency during the nineteenth century, which is one of the major themes.

If you enjoy slower, character-driven works of historical fiction with a touch of magic, then you’ll likely enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A hauntingly beautiful tale of resilience, mystery, and quiet magic.

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt transports readers to Victorian London, where Harriet’s magical garden serves as both sanctuary and prison. Abandoned by her father and trapped in a life controlled by men, Harriet must unravel dark secrets while finding strength in her enchanted garden.

The story unfolds slowly, reflecting Harriet’s gradual awakening as she learns to reclaim agency. While her reserved nature may frustrate readers, it poignantly mirrors the societal constraints of the era. Harriet’s quiet endurance and eventual growth create a unique, compelling protagonist.

I experienced both the book and audiobook, and Anna Burnett’s narration was mesmerizing, bringing Harriet and her eerie, vibrant garden to life.

For fans of character-driven stories with lush settings and feminist undertones, The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt is a rewarding modern fairytale about discovering the power within.

This book was slow and a bit heartbreaking. It felt much darker than i was expecting. I had thought it would be more magical, but it was mostly just about abuse.

The narration for this audiobook was nicely performed.

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

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc of the audiobook.

The premise is excellent: a young woman whose father mysteriously left and is being harassed by a suspicious detective. Add to that the fact that she has a mysterious connection to her garden that grants her powers. But the fact is that the best parts of the novel aren’t explored enough. Instead, this is more of a story of a coming of age of a woman during the 19th century, being controlled by the masculine figures in her life. Which is fine, its just not what I was expecting. Plus, how she has her powers is never fully explained.
It picked up very quickly during the second half and I really enjoyed that part. This wasn’t a bad book, just middle of the road. I think if this was a series instead of a standalone it would have been better.

I was really excited to love this book….

I enjoyed the author’s first book, The Witches at the End of the World soooo much. I thought it was such a beautiful story about sisterhood and growing up.

I was so happy when I was approved for the ARC on NetGalley. Needless to say, I went into this one with high hopes.

(Slight Spoilers, nothing explicitly spoiled but definitely hints at spoilers if you enjoy going into books completely blind)

I feel like this story is what people accuse Weyward of being… a woman suffering for the sake of suffering. There was no retaliation or retribution. This man did horrendous things to Harriet and her friend but the only punishment was for him to be mildly scared of the garden???

(Yes, I finished the book and yes, I know how it ends. I just don’t understand why she never stuck up for herself or at the very least let her garden stick up for her……)

This was a 2✨ read for the first 3/4 of the book. The last 1/4 gained another star. I’m really glad I finished it and i enjoyed the last bit being focused of female friendship and how we pick up the pieces when terrible things happen.

This wasn’t a bad book, that’s not what I mean to imply. There were many aspects I enjoyed but the fact that Harriet kept making awful decisions and never stuck up for herself or her friend just made me sad.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chelsea Iverson, and the Publisher for this ARC!

In a life marked by hardship and isolation, young Harriet Hunt faces numerous challenges. Following her mother’s death, she resides with her cruel father, who views her as a witch. When her father mysteriously disappears, suspicion turns towards Harriet, leading the local inspector to suggest she be institutionalized. Her only refuge is a magical garden where the ivy and roses react to her feelings. To evade the inspector’s watchful eye, she marries Comstock, a man who feigns honor but proves to be more malevolent than her father. Harriet quickly becomes entangled in a dark scheme, targeted by the very men she believed would protect her.

This compelling narrative requires Harriet to muster her bravery and wit to outsmart those who wish to dominate her. Set in a time when women had limited power, the story chronicles Harriet’s transformation from oppression to empowerment. With the help of new female friendships, she uncovers her inner strength and unique abilities, ultimately reclaiming her agency. This beautifully crafted novel is a poignant tale of resilience, self-discovery, and the value of true friendship. Harriet’s journey encourages readers to believe in themselves and their capacity to overcome challenges.

Harriet Hunt has lived her entire life at Sunnyside under the oppressive thumb of her father, who has recently disappeared, giving her what should be her first real taste of freedom. And while her very best and only friend, Eunice, has recently moved away Harriet has found herself being courted by a hansom young man, something she could never have ever dreamed of while her father was at home. And while Eunice has some apprehensions about Harriet's young man, Harriet has agreed to marry him, if only to stop that Inspector from coming by and asking questions about what happened to her father. She knew she shouldn't have told Inspector Stokes they had argued that evening, but she did and now he's convinced that something very sinister is happening at Sunnyside and that Harriet is at the heart of it.

This is essentially any other book with a young woman who comes into money and the evil scheming men around her who plot to get her thrown into an asylum. Except the girl can control plants. Which simply wasn't enough to save this from being predictable to the point of not holding my interest for about 85% of the book.

Overall, I think people will enjoy this because of its predictability. However, that's the reason I found myself bored. It was too predictable, which I found was a waste of adding in the whole sentient garden thing. I would have loved to see that portion of this be something more than a euphemism of Harriet's anxiety.


As always, thanks to NetGalley

Not really what I expected. The story was slow and didn’t really capture my attention. I listened to the audiobook version and found myself tuning it out most of the time. Sadly this was a miss for me.

Of gardens, roses, security, power, lineage, money and a dilly-dallying hope of a young woman trying to survive in a man's world.

The garden outside Harriet's house has always had a special connection to her. But she has always been told how strange & unacceptable she is to society's standards. Her father's disappearance has only triggered an array of questions she cannot answer. Now she can only hope to find him, to let herself live in the shadow of a man she might despise.

The pre victorian timelines created the perfect bondage situation the author referred to in the story. The magical garden is another element that added a whimsical touch to the story that made it just my kinda story. Harriet's character is mostly fierce and it is her unyielding nature that makes it interesting to the readers.

Towards the end, there are surely unexpected revelations that will shock you & keep you turning page after page. Overall, it was great for my mood read and people who associate with these vibes will get a thrill out of this story.

I was excited to listen to this ALC, as the premise really intrigued me, and I was ready for a cool Victorian-era magical mystery adventure! (I recently read The Spellshop by Sara Beth Durst, and thought it might be a similar vibe)

What I got instead was a depressing, emotional story of family abandonment and betrayal. Harriet is drifting along, afraid to take control of her life or draw any kind of attention to herself - or her unusual connection to her garden plants - owing to her (now missing) father's abusive parenting.
I didn't find the mystery to be very enthralling, as I guessed the whereabouts of her father (although ultimately prematurely) within the first few chapters, and although Christian's plans were harder to guess, I could tell he had some ulterior motive early on.

The story kept me engaged until about 80% through, when I found myself starting to lose interest.
Overall, Easy to follow, mainly historical fiction, with some low fantasy elements and a not-quite-sweet-enough just des(s)erts.

Narrator was great, well-spoken, clear, although occasionally hard to distinguish between characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy

I am absolutely in love with this book. The story is just so important and taught me a lot about life and growing. This book has everything: Love, loss, friendship and so much more. For me this is more than just a book. It tells the story of an incredible woman who is such a strong character just in the wrong environment. She needed to find her place in this world and I am so happy to follow her journey. Sometimes it is hard to get out your comfort zone and it might hurt at first when you do it. But in the end everything can be good and have to take a couple of steps back you will always take a step forward.
I can only ask you to give this book a chance to win your heart because it definitely won mine.
One of my favorite quotes from this book is definitely something that sadly still applies to our modern day society: „Men took and took and took and didn’t even care.“
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an AudioARC of this masterpiece.

This was a rather interesting take on female empowerment, although it did take a meandering path to get there. There was a beautiful push and pull relationship between Harriet and her garden, with elements of love, fear, guilt and control.

The garden itself has a lush, yet ominous feel to it. The kind where you can't quite decide if it will end up being more villainous than the men in Harriet's life.

The audiobook narration is also pretty well done and it is easy to just get lost in the story, which didn't really follow the plot turns that I was expecting.

A gothic tale of madness and magical realism, this story follows Harriet, who lives alone after her father’s disappearance, finding solace in her wild, overgrown garden. When suspicion falls on her, she agrees to a marriage meant to protect her—but things take a darker turn.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The story takes place in the last 1800s in London. We meet a incredibly niave young woman who is a cross between “Carrie”, “Poison Ivy” and “flowers in the attic”. It would seem that plants respond to her emotions, and she has some really big feelings- she feels responsible for her mother’s death, and her he “ weird way with plants “ has resulted in her father locking her in her room, and refusing to acknowledge that he even has a daughter to the outside world.
As the story opens her father had left several months ago, and never returned. She has been selling household goods to live on, but her situation is getting dire, as the bill collectors are hounding her, and a particularly nosy police officer has been by to question her. To make matters worse, her only friend- her cousin, is moving a long distance away. She can’t leave as she feels she must protect her garden.

We learn about her trauma as a child and how incredibly sheltered she had been. This might help explain why she decides to marry the literally first man she meets, after only talking to him twice. She doesn’t think though anything practical- like that he will move in with her and the magical garden might be discovered. She hems and haws forever, goes in a couple of poorly thought out investigations. She ends up befriending the daughter of her housekeeper, but proves to be a poor friend.
Honestly, Though It found to be enjoyable, this story became tedious and I really wanted to give her a good shake.
I was hoping for empowerment and more character growth but in the end she gets a happy ending handed to her.
I listed to an audio version and the voice acting was excellent.

Interesting storyline and great narration. However, it's generous use of domestic violence might be a bit triggering for some. This story isn't my cup of tea.

I got this as an audio arc on Netgalley and it has since come out. A very beautiful book, very beautifully narrated, about familial and domestic violence. It gets very intense and it builds up into a beautiful crescendo. I did struggle to follow along sometimes.

Harriet Hunt has been alone at Sunnyside, the Victorian English estate where she’s lived all her life, ever since her father disappeared months ago. Always cast on the fringes of society due to her reputation of being crazy, she hasn’t really minded. Until an Inspector pays her a visit, looking for her father and looking to make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble. Around the same time, a man named Christian enters her life and asks her to marry him. Though shocked at the speedy courtship, she says yes - it will be nice to be protected by someone other than her garden, which she felt sometimes caused more trouble. But things with Christian are far from what they seem, and her garden may be the one thing to keep her alive.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators voice was so pleasant to listen to. A lot of times with English accents I need to slow the speed on my audiobooks, but I didn’t here. It was so easy to listen to, and kept my attention as well. The story was a great one too - I went into this blind other than what’s given away in the title, and I was met with a story of strength from a woman who has been cast away by every man in her path. I loved seeing her make her own happiness at the end.

Beautiful story and beautiful writing but it moved along pretty slowly and the ending was a bit flat for me. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I liked the main characters, and I liked the overall message of empowerment. It was an interesting story, and I liked the magical realism element to it.