I see where the story is going and the writing style is beautiful. It just unfortunately did not capture my attention and I DNFed. I think it was more of a not for me than anything.

Paradise: A magical realm that brings healing and completeness. But what happens when paradise becomes more than it seems on the surface? What must be sacrificed to experience paradise? What happens when what once appeared to be paradise becomes dark and dangerous?

When Eloise finds her life too much to carry on as it is, she happens upon an ad for a job in the gardens of paradise. Feeling that this is her only opportunity to escape the heartbreak and loss she has experienced for many years, she leaves everything she knows for a chance, a hope, that this job will give her the escape she needs. Leaving everything seems like a risk, but staying seems impossible.

Once Eloise arrives in the garden, she begins to embrace all paradise has to offer: healing, friends, new opportunities to discover who she has become, and what she needs as she moves forward in life. She also finds that there are some unsettling sides to the garden and must choose to search for answers or act blissfully unaware so as not to disrupt paradise and her chance of fully healing from the challenges she has endured.
Eloise becomes close friends with Mina, Raphael, and Bao and they help her remember the importance of developing friendships and sharing life, the easy and the complicated.

After some time, and after seeing her friends share their stories, Eloise begins to open up about her struggles with infertility, miscarriage, and ultimately divorce. She reveals that she lost all of her friends and became filled with anger. Making these confessions and embracing the healing powers of the garden help her to begin healing and realizing the betrayal of her body does not define who she is and who she can be. However, while the garden offers so much, she begins to see the dark sides and must help her friends see the truth about the paradise in which they have all found respite. Will she be able to save her friends and overcome the darkness held within paradise before it’s too late?

Overall, I really love how captivating this story is from beginning to end. The story brought forth many emotions and provided the perfect amount of suspense. I do have to include that this could be a very difficult book for those experiencing fertility issues as well as those who have lost a child. In saying this, I feel the author does well in presenting the emotions and experiences related to infertility and loss, thus offering relatable elements and empathy.


I would like to thank Uplit Reads, Laura Resau, Harper Muse, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Alchemy of Flowers.

Eloise, mired in grief, walks away from her life and accepts a unique job offer in the south of France to live off the grid and tend a lush garden on a private estate. As with all opportunities, when it feels too good to be true, it probably is. A darkness lurks in the garden, and the "rules" for living inside the locked gates of the estate quickly begin to feel sinister. Is this truly the garden of paradise that Eloise so desperately needs, or has she made a grave error by taking this leap?

This novel is full of equal parts lush garden settings, decadent food writing (it is France, after all), and a lingering, creeping sense of dread. These things don't seem to go together on the surface, but in Resau's hands, it works beautifully. All these characters are flawed but most are extremely lovable. While some scenes frustrated me (I would not operate well among a group of people shrugging off some truly bizarre circumstances, for instance), everything comes together in due time. The nods to The Secret Garden and Eloise's incredible treehouse abode made the little girl still living in me gleeful.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to hide away in this garden prior to the book's publication. Now, I'm off to the farmer's market to immerse myself in the townsfolk and shop for a bounty of local wares!

The Alchemy of Flowers
By Laura Resau
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

From the moment I encountered The Alchemy of Flowers I was captivated. As a child, I adored The Secret Garden, & I assure you, @lauraresau's garden aptly named Paradise will not disappoint. You'll soon find yourself pondering the delicate line between reality and illusion in this magical realm.

The novel is beautifully written, so much so that I struggle to find the words to do it justice. We've all experienced dark moments in our lives—times when we feel utterly broken and in desperate need of healing. Life's unpredictable ups & downs can deliver some truly unexpected blows, & that’s precisely the journey Eloise faces. Her fierce desire to become a mother has cost her dear friendships & ultimately, her husband. So when she stumbles upon an ad that reads:

“Help Wanted: Seeking a gardener for the ancient walled Jardins du Paradis in the South of France. Unique and rustic lodging provided. Off the grid in all ways. One must grow flowers from one's merde…”

She thinks, "Why not?" Feeling shattered & lost, Eloise decides to take a leap of faith, leaving her life in the States behind to embrace a new chapter in France, living on the grounds of a stunning castle with a gated garden.

This novel is a tapestry woven with mystery, healing, friendships, & a touch of magic that flirts with the realm of magical realism. It’s a story that lingers in your thoughts long after the final page is turned. At its heart, it’s a poignant reminder of how one can become so ensnared by their obsessions that they lose sight of the joy in living, thereby overlooking the incredible potential that lies within.

This is a delightful narrative, one that I believe you will thoroughly enjoy. Cassandra Campbell's narration is superb, adding depth to the story & bringing each character's voice to life, not to mention her lovely pronunciation of all the French words. The enchanting garden, the French setting, & the mysteries hidden within the garden's walls add even more layers to the tale.

Special thanks to Harper Muse Audiobooks, Harper Muse & @uplitreads for providing both the audiobook & the ARC.

3.65 ⭐ rounded up

This was an interesting story of healing, or rather of alchemising pain into healing and power. The magic of flowers, and love, shone throughout the book.
The story was sprinkled with a touch of bizarrerie or weird ethereal magic.

The prose was nice, the story well rounded and the ending fast paced.
The french was... not perfect. I am French and well... I loved the french aspects but cringed at some details that felt cliché and some words or sayings were off, literal translation or not how we actually speak or use it. I would have loved that instead of just the literal translation of some sayings, they were explained for the readers to understand better.
Obviously, some details and french mannerism were spot on.

Help wanted. Requirements? Gardening, willing to travel abroad and no kids allowed.

Sound like the dream job? Or...what. Eloise gambles on life and leaves behind her shredded heart and the chance to rest and grow again. Upon her arrival, Eloise is informed of the rules, albeit unusual rules. What could ease the pain of a new beginning? A handyman will do the job! Flowers and plants whisper to Eloise, healing her broken heart. But workers of this magical place are not allowed out during dusk. Is that a fairy or something else skipping through the garden? What about a haunting vision of a girl...what happened to her and why?

Things are always what they seem on the surface, a new job in a different place might hold roses. Along with those roses come thorns.

I was drawn to this book as it was billed as for fans of Sarah Addison Allen. Unfortunately, I did not agree with this comparison. In the book, the main character wonders if anyone would read a book about her life and concludes "The reviews would be two-star, about how whiny an privileged and angry I was.:" I feel like the author should have spoken these words aloud to herself. The book very much felt like a journal writing prescribed by the author's therapist, that then got published. The supporting characters are two dimensional and unbelievable. The main character alternates between wallowing in grief and angst and floating through her days ignoring rules, regulations, and requirements. I would not recommend this book to anyone not in the midst of grief of infertility.

Laura Resau's The Alchemy of Flowers is a moving novel that highlights the power of nature to heal. It draws you into the world of Eloise, a character whose journey through infertility and the profound loss of her partner is heartbreaking. Resau beautifully portrays Eloise's resilience as she decides to take a position as a gardener in France to get away from the place where her life fell apart. The garden is magnificent and located at the foot of an ancient French castle. Resau's vivid descriptions immerse you in this living character, rich with history and secrets. Yet, beneath its beauty lies an unexpected darkness and mystery. As Eloise embraces her role as gardener, she unearths not only rare botanicals but also unsettling clues and forgotten histories. She finds friendship and understanding with the other gardeners: Mina, Bao, and Raphael. Will it be enough to heal the deep wounds that Eloise still carries? And what of her mysterious employer, La Patronne, and Antoinette?
The Alchemy of Flowers is a testament to the healing power of nature, the resilience of the human heart, and finding purpose in unexpected places. It's a highly recommended story of hope and healing, with a spooky mystery to solve.
M. Roberts

The Alchemy of Flowers is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel that blends magical realism with emotional depth. Laura Resau’s prose is lush and immersive—I could practically smell the flowers and feel the warm breeze of the French countryside as I read. The setting of Le Château du Paradis is enchanting and mysterious, and the rules of the garden added a layer of eerie intrigue that kept me turning pages.

Eloise is a compelling protagonist—flawed, grieving, and searching for healing. Her journey felt authentic, and I appreciated how the story handled themes like infertility and emotional isolation with sensitivity. The supporting characters, especially Raphaël and the other garden workers, added warmth and texture to the story.

That said, the pacing lagged a bit in the middle, and some of the magical elements felt a little underdeveloped. I also wished the mystery surrounding the child in the woods had been explored more deeply—it was intriguing but left me with a few unanswered questions.

Still, this was a lovely, haunting read that stayed with me after I finished. Perfect for fans of The Secret Garden with a grown-up, mystical twist.

TW for pregnancy loss and infertility.

To help heal from her losses and to restart her life, Eloise leaves Colorado for an enigmatic job in France to care for flowers. The property has strange rules leaning into the supernatural, including no children on the estate. Bizarre things happen and Eloise is encouraged to ignore them and continue her work with the flowers, which talk to her. There is a small group of estate workers, leading to a romance story line, a found family, and an investigation into the owner and potential fowl play. Eloise's pregnancy loss features strongly in the story as does unraveling the mysteries of the property and the owner. This story swings from lighthearted character connections to supernatural oddities to violent confrontations. This has been recommended for fans of Sarah Addison Allen, but those fans should be alerted to the more serious discussion of pregnancy loss and some violent scenes. I always leave an Allen book with warm feelings and love for the characters. This book took much more time to connect with the characters and the dark energy and violence did not leave me with that warm feeling. Verdict: this book will be enjoyed by readers who like a touch of dark with their personal growth novel and their romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the Alchemy of Flowers. Cozy mystery and story of mental health recovery through hard work, friendship, and botanic influences. Slight fantasy elements are woven in, but nothing in the story is heavy handed.

“The chateau morphed between a fairy-tale castle and Gothic lair….a refuge for the broken”

What started out as an alluring book ended on a mystery unravelling. With a host of hidden truths, painful grief and wild alchemy of flowers.

Eloise takes a chance and replies to an ad for a job in Provence. One that is rustic and remote; with 0 leaving once she’s there. But she’s desperate for a chance after dealing with infertility and the mountain of debt. So off she goes to the fantastical floral eden that holds mysteries and secrets. And while her heart tries to heal, she finds a family of her own.

This one is hard for me to rate as I flip flopped between 2 and 4.5 ⭐️. I loved the concept, was dragged into the storyline but at times it just felt very juvenile? Minus the adult topics of course. I think in the end it tried to do too much but the kernel of the story was perfection .


May it reach many hands and hearts

I really enjoyed the setting and idea behind this book. I don't think I've ever wanted to jump into a setting so badly as I did reading this book! The author is wonderful at describing and creating a cozy, warm environment even with the tinge of darkness here and there. I felt like I could really visualize the tree house.

After seeing it described as a Secret Garden retelling, I was unable to put those together and I'm very familiar with The Secret Garden so I felt that was odd. I did feel compassion for the traumas experienced by the characters but the line at the end about her body really gave me the ick. I feel like it could be triggering for several different groups of people experiencing different body traumas.

Overall, I did enjoy this. I thought it was a neat premise and loved the authors ability to share the gardens with us.

I was unsure of this book in the first few chapters but wow, once the it got to Paradise I found I could not put it down. I will admit that not being a Francophile with virtually
no knowledge of the language it wss annoying to continually needing to look up and translate many words fearing I was missing conversation points only to be disappointed that it added nothing to the plot movement and felt like an affectation on the part of the author.. The story of a magical garden of healing and change is enchanting. Some plot lines are unpredictable, the woodsprite, but so very much fun. I really enjoyed reading this and appreciate the ability to prep read it from @netscape.

This was such a great read! I’ll be honest, this book was not what I expected but in the best way ☺️ it was so lovely to see Ellie’s healing journey with her new family, along with how her presence helped them fully find their ways as well. I loved seeing her growth, renewed confidence in herself and newfound purpose. I did find myself tearing up during certain moments! And while my gut feeling was spot-on with Ellie’s, some of the twists were still fun to see revealed. The ending was simply perfect 🫶🏻

This book had so many wonderful elements. The setting—a dreamy garden in France—was beautifully described. The flowers, the friendship, the food... it all made you feel like you were really there. The writing itself was lovely and immersive. Some of the characters' trauma felt relatable, though other parts didn’t resonate as much.

**Cons:**
The story’s flow didn’t always work for me. At times, the characters' emotional responses didn’t seem to match the trauma being revealed, which created a disconnect. The pacing also felt stagnant in places, and I didn’t particularly enjoy the ending. That said, I did an immersive read (audio + print), and I think that elevated my overall experience.

While I didn’t fully enjoy this book, I’m definitely open to reading more from this author—this was my first time trying their work.

The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau is a cozy yet darkly enchanting and mysterious read. It feels like walking barefoot through a forgotten garden, where flowers whisper secrets only you can hear. At its heart, it’s about healing, essentially turning merde into fleurs, taking the mess life gives us and growing something beautiful from it.

Eloise, heartbroken from years of failed attempts to start a family, retreats to a locked French castle garden, aptly named Jardins du Paradis (Gardens of Paradise). There, she begins to heal and forge new connections, though a strange darkness lingers, manifesting through a mysterious wood-sprite girl, the elusive La Patronne, and the haunting Dames Blanches.

The strength of the novel lies in its atmosphere: whimsical and lush, laced with a gentle eeriness that keeps you turning the pages. The magic is subtle, grounded in emotion, grief, and growth. This place feels like the perfect escape for healing and forgetting the outside world. I especially loved the small floral details, the tisanes (flowers have always had a special place in my heart), the endearing french terms such as "bricoleur", "sorciere de fleurs". They added an otherworldly charm to the story.

Themes of grief, second chances, and unexpected family give the book its emotional depth and magical realism essence. That said, the story offers breadcrumbs to its mysteries without always leading to resolution. The garden’s deeper magic—especially surrounding the “Goddess” and the little girl—felt more hinted at than fully developed, which left me wishing for more emotional clarity and payoff.

I also found the romantic undercurrent underwhelming. Given the healing themes, a deeper emotional connection could’ve elevated that arc.

Still, The Alchemy of Flowers offers a beautifully imagined escape into a world of magic, mystery, and quiet transformation, a perfect read for those who believe healing can come from the earth, the heart, and just a little bit of magic.

This review covers the audio book and the actual book, read on my tablet.
I want to start with trigger warnings, there is a focus on fertility difficulties and loss of babies during pregnancies throughout. There is also some exploration of past suicidal thoughts. There is also an exploration of the theme of child abuse which includes sexual abuse including incest. There is also mention of cancer, I know it’s not much but I would have struggled with it when I was in the middle of my treatment. I do hope there will be a way of warning people about the main triggers on the book before it is released. I’ve am sure some people will find it very helpful and I feel the author has considered this carefully and does explain her own “reproductive challenges “ I also know it can be very difficult to come across these topics in a book of fiction without knowing they are present. Films have this warning and if you know you have a sensitivity you can check before you watch. I think it would be handy for books to have the same, I guess that’s why I’m writing this.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My rambling opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This was my first audio book for a long time. didn’t take long to enjoy it I found the French very pleasant to listen to. Reading the book I found the French more of a distraction.
I found the story interesting but so jarring when Eloise goes along with not being able to come and go as she pleases, or to ask questions. When her friends and herself appear to be in peril I struggled with her nonchalant response, often to just make tea and no matter how beautiful the description would be I would just be screaming do something!
I think this author is excellent and I would look at another adult book, I would love a book focused on the more magical aspects and descriptions as they were beautiful.

Tucked away in the south of France is a castle belonging to a mysterious woman known only as La Patronne. Surrounding her castle are the ancient walled Les Jardins du Paradis. Oddly enough, La Patronne finds suitable employees through advertisements she posts in gardening magazines. One requirement: they must be able to grow flowers with their own merde. Those she hires include Eloise, a woman who hears flowers speaking to her and Raphael, a handyman who builds amazing things including tree houses and a wonderful Gypsy caravan. Along with Mina and Bao, two other gardeners with their own special talents, they have all agreed to give up their past lives, live off the grid and never leave their garden quarters at dusk. Les Dames Blanche are rumored to walk the gardens at dusk.
The author Laura Resau has written a truly unique adult fairy tale. It is a story of contemporary social issues suffused with folklore and magic. The secret gardens she artfully describes contain flowers in all the colors of the rainbow, vegetables for sustenance and of course herbs and plants that can heal as well as those that are deadly. As Resau’s story unfolds we learn that all her well-written and interesting characters have been wounded in some way either physically or emotionally and were drawn to the gardens in hopes of healing and starting new lives. Their success, however, depends not only on their own actions, but on their ability to deal with the dark powers of La Patronne. I would highly recommend The Alchemy of Flowers to discussion groups. Discussion questions are included with the book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher, Harper Muse. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Surprisingly lovely. I had absolutely no preconceived notions of this book going in and I ended up absolutely loving it. Supposedly a Secret Garden retelling although I feel as if it was more of an interpretation rather than a retelling. I found a lot to enjoy here: exquisite French garden setting, loveable and dynamic characters, surprising depth of themes, and a little action and romance thrown in for good measure. The romance was secondary to the plot which I found refreshing and I also thought it was well-done and fairly free of tropiness I hate. The absolute suspense and tenseness of the ending was completely unexpected.

Eloise is a broken woman in her late thirties, coming off a debilitating divorce and a slew of depression and anxiety looking for a fresh start. The only thing that gives her peace and calm is her penchant for gardening and her love for flowers, with whom her most private and intimate conversations are had. She finds an ad for a gardener in her french gardening magazine and applies, thinking living in the Garden of Paradise in France is the perfect fresh start she needs. When she gets the job, she finds herself a fish out of water in the immaculate gardens of Paradise and among the three other residents there, Raphael, Mina, and Bao. Having isolated herself from all her friends, her family, and from society in general back in Colorado after her divorce and a lot of trauma, Eloise at first feels this is the perfect place to start fresh. She finds the rules strange: no being outside at twilight, following the rules is an absolute must, and (the best for Eloise), no children are allowed. She quickly bonds with the other residents, finds attraction and chemistry with the enigmatic Raphael, sisterly friendship with Mina, and a feeling of safety and camaraderie with Bao. The descriptions of the French gardens and the foods they eat, the herbs they collect, an the flowers that are both beautiful and medicinal were exquisite and I couldn't help but become entranced.

The characters were surprisingly dynamic and I loved the layers of depth that came out about each one as the words peeled back. The romance was handled nicely and I enjoyed that Eloise and Raphael were friends first and got to know each other before finding love in each other. Their relationship also was pulled and shaped by trauma on both ends which was nicely handled. I don't want to share too much because the unfolding of this story without prior knowledge was what made it so magical to me. The writing was exquisite and reading how each broken character found peace and healing in Paradise was the bread and butter of this book. The ending was dramatic and surprising and tense and I raced to the end to see how it would all play out! I wasn't expecting some thriller aspects, though there were some allusions to some darker sides of Paradise sprinkled throughout.

There were some very minor magical realism elements sprinkled in which were nice, and though most of the magic was given realistic explanations towards the end, the mysteries of the gardens gave a beautiful darker tone to the novel that I enjoyed. Themes of loss, grief, trauma, bodily dysfunction, mental health issues, and identity were very prevalent throughout and I was not expecting to find such depth in these pages. Eloise's experiences with infertility, loss, and trauma were very realistically portrayed and her healing both inwardly and outwardly as well as coming to terms with her own failures and shortcomings provided a stark contrast to the loveliness of the setting. The magic touch of Eloise's ability to talk to flowers and plants and those plants being a part of her healing journey also touched on a lot of the right notes for me.

I am very interested in reading more of Laura Resau's books in the future. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did and I cannot wait to reread this and revisit it in the future.
4.5 stars and HIGHLY recommended!