The Alchemy of Flowers, wonderfully narrated by Cassandra Campbell, is a beautiful story of pain, healing, and hope.

Following her divorce, Eloise moves from Colorado to France after accepting a job at a secluded garden chateau. The living will be off grid, peaceful, and quiet. This is exactly what Eloise is looking for after her painful marriage.

She's promised healing and solitude, but there are rules. No talking about the chateau with outsiders. Don't be outside at dusk. Absolutely no children.

Despite the strangeness of the rules and remote location, Eloise quickly bonds with the other workers, and she feels herself start to heal.

Until she hears the giggling voice of a child in the woods.

This is such a beautiful tribute to mothers and motherhood, grief and healing, and hope.

The characters are all so pained and full of regrets, but in sharing that pain with their friends, they find it easier to start healing.

That message should speak to so many of us. because we all just want to feel seen. Pain and all.

What we have here, and I say this with affection, is the inevitable Cozy Horror novel. I suppose it could also be called Cozy Gothic, but I usually have less patience for Gothic literature, and I really like what the author did here. There is magical realism and reality appearing to be magic at first glance, which doesn't normally work in a book (I generally prefer the author pick one or the other), but this book really works.

Also, I enjoyed the moments when phrases didn't quite translate, it's one of those details that American authors usually forget to add when they have Americans communicating in another language, while American writers do like to put non-Americans speaking English as a second language in this position all the time. It's much more realistic for Americans (and English-speakers in general) to have this difficulty too.

An unusual want ad in a gardening magazine puts Eloise on the path to Paradise - as a gardener for the remote French estate where children are forbidden. Paradise is the answer Eloise has been looking for as a reprieve from her infertility and broken marriage in the States. Here she meets three others who have been living and working under its strict rules to abide or face banishment. Eloise acclimates to the fantastical nature of her new home and it is both everything she’s wanted and a prison to the whims of Antoinette, the matron of the estate. As Eloise develops feelings for Raphael and starts seeing a childlike wood sprite, she borders on breaking the rules and facing consequences far more serious than banishment.

This was a well done and well delivered audiobook. The narrator captures the feeling of the French locale with a perfect accent to pull you right into the setting and also into Eloise’s experience. I easily listened at 1.5x speed.

I enjoyed this novel. More than anything it truly was a novel about coping with infertility and similar issues of loss. The author walks you through the insecurities of the four characters working in the garden. Then provides the foundation for each to overcome their personal reasons for seeking out Paradise and heal what was broken or hurt within them. The fantastical nature of the garden gives an interesting and engaging thread to weave experiences together. It also ultimately provides a common goal and catalyst for the climax of the story threads. A good read. 4 stars.

Based on an Advanced Audiobook provided by Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

I want to start off by saying that I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to receive an arc for this audiobook.

Now where to start... I'm very conflicted. I ended up dnf'ing this audiobook around 60% because I don't think this was written for me. I went in thinking it was more of a fantastical cozy book similar to The Spellshop or The Honey Witch, but I ended up being wrong which is absolutely okay! There are a few parts that are saving this from being 1 star. I did enjoy the fact that we had an older FMC. If I remember correctly, she was in her late 30s. I also appreciated the representation of women's health, miscarrying, and how that can affect your life and the relationships around you.

On the other side, I didn't like how much the miscarrying and fertile issues were brought up in the story. I know that it's a big part of the plot and the reason why she decided to go to these gardens, but I feel like everything was involved around it. I don't remember like anything about the other main/side characters because all I can remember is this. The start of the book was a little harder for me especially with the French that's thrown in. I don't know French and it can be frustrating not knowing what's being said as it may be important to the story, but there's no translation or anything for the audiobook. I can't look it up either because I'm horrid at spelling. I also think the story was just a little too slow paced for me.

It stinks that I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. It's just not cup of tea and that's okay. I know that there are other people that are receiving the arcs and there will be people that will read it in the future that will absolutely love and adore this book.

Happy reading everyone! :)

ARC from NetGalley
Thank you to the author and publisher.
Publish Date: Jul 29 2025

Rating: 2.5/5

Initial thoughts:
Initially, I thought this was going to be a fantasy novel. I don't see it as such. Are the flowers magical, or is it just Eloise's internal dialogue?

Plot:
Eloise is an American gardener who is looking for a fresh start. Her struggles with building a family with her ex and health issues have left her a broken woman. So when a job ad catches her eye, with the promise of paradise in France, she jumps on it. Although there are odd rules to follow at the estate, she fits in instantly with her co-workers and the gardens, especially connecting with Raphaël.

Soon Eloise experiences sightings of mystical creatures and they notice her as well.

Praise:
- Deals with difficult subjects well
- “Wood sprite” character is cute

Critiques:
- One dimensional characters
- Superficial relationships
- Mostly predictable
- Knowledge on wounds and how they effect the body was needed

Fav Quote:
There was nothing I found that struck me.

I listened to the audiobook version of Laura Resau's The Alchemy of Flowers and really enjoyed this compelling novel! Cassandra Campbell narrated performing all the characters in differing voices and demonstrating appropriate emotions when the story necessitated them.

The story centers around Eloise who suffers from manic depression after experiencing several miscarriages and the end of her marriage. She's always loved gardening and has the ability to "speak to flowers" like most of the great gardeners of the world. To basically escape her miserable life, Eloise applies for and accepts a job as a gardener at Le Château du Paradis in the South of France. There seems to be a dark undercurrent, if not a curse that surrounds the chateau. There are also a lot of odd rules that come along with job, like no cell phones, no computers, and no gossiping. Besides herself, there are three other workers in and around the gardens, each with their own talents and unique living quarters. As the story develops we learn that all four workers found themselves working in the gardens after experiencing traumatic circumstances that require healing. I really appreciated the slow development of the characters, which added dimension to Eloise's healing process. She eventually opens herself up to friendship, if not love, and ends up saving herself and little girl to great satisfaction.

I definitely recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoys gothic novels, and look forward to future books by this author.

What a lovely read. The audiobook was beautifully read, full of emotion, and with proper French pronunciation! Trying to escape from her past and infertility issues, Eloise takes a job at a secretive French garden enclosed within the walls of a private estate. There are rules that are to be followed if one wants to stay in Paradise. No gossiping. No leaving one’s room during dusk. No children allowed on the premises. This story mixes mystery, magic, the heartbreaking journey of infertility, with found family and finding happiness again. I loved the characters and Eloise’s journey during her time in Paradise. A wonderful hug to those who have experienced a similar journey. Beautifully written and an impressive debut. Don’t miss this release on July 29th!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

There were too many themes going on in this book. The plot felt all over the place and was underwhelming.

Funnily enough, after having requested this book fro Netgalley, I found myself talking with a friend who's always been fascinated by Ikebana and flowers and recommending The Secret Language of Flowers by Diffenbaugh and The language of Flowers by Sally page and An Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim.

Having read this book now, I would recommend it if you love historical fiction, tales of personal growth and descriptions of flowers and their uses, but with a splash of the magical realism and a dash of gothicism about them.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.

The Alchemy of Flowers is a beautiful story of Mother Nature where an exchange between healing gardens and poisonous plants, the magic is amazing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. A fast paced story firmly rooted in everyday life. With fairy lights at sunset, late night dinners with the most amazing food and a dark castle looming that keeps drawing you back to the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the ARC.

Thank you Harper Muse Audio and Netgalley for the ARC!

This book was heartbreaking and healing. Giving people warning that this book talks about child loss, pregnancy loss, infertility, relationships falling apart, and SA. It talks about healing from all of these in a place that is beautiful, but also showing that one cannot heal if one always runs away from the problem. If you aren't addressing what hurts you in the first place, how can you move forward?

I loved that the FMC healed in this book via everyday things, a friendship with a woman who can relate, a man who almost died, a young girl who helped get her smile back. It wasn't some grand thing, she just slowly felt better and came out of her shell day by day while living in the beautiful garden. But, I also liked that it showed that when one isn't trying to heal, the garden can be just as dangerous.

If you want a good cry, go ahead and pick this up!

I tried with this one; I really did.

I wasn't expecting the repetitive nature of the infertility discussions, and I frankly don't want to hear about that. The romance is awkward and forced, and Eloise is just SO twee and irritating. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this more as a physical book as opposed to audio—hearing the French/English combo constantly felt so pretentious and annoying. I was expecting something more cozy and magical, which sadly met neither expectation.

The narrator has an excellent voice for audiobooks, so there's that.

I don't plan on rating this on any retail sites because, clearly, I'm not the right audience for it.

What a stunning and heartfelt read! The Alchemy of Flowers is a beautifully written blend of contemporary fiction and magical realism—cozy, emotional, a little dark, at times funny, and always deeply resonant.

I listened to it as an audiobook and loved it so much that I’m planning to buy a physical copy once it’s released. There’s something so special about the way this story unfolds—mysterious in the most comforting way and full of emotional depth.

The book explores themes of love, grief, healing, and identity with a poetic and gentle voice. It touched on things that felt very personal to me, especially around loss and healing. The book made me tear up and make faces while walking home (and I am usually pretty good with managing my facial expressions in public while reading), which says a lot about how much I loved the book. The author manages to express feelings that are hard to name in any regular language, but she writes so wonderfully in the language of flowers and tea - it feels soft, safe, and powerful all at once.

The characters are full of warmth and life, each written with care and making me believe they could be real. The magical realism elements are so well done and feel completely natural. I really loved how the author worked with symbolism and all the different archetypes of woman and goddess.

As far as the plot goes I really loved the contrast of a quiet, cozy life in the magical gardens centered around croissant-eating, tea-blending, and garden-tending—until the final quarter of the book peels back the layers to reveal something deeper. As buried secrets and grief resurfaced, the story took a more intense turn, with moments of actionI did not expect. It's a perfect blend of comfort and catharsis.

I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more adult fiction by Laura Resau—this one will linger with me for some time. The Alchemy of Flowers is the kind of story that feels like it’s been growing somewhere quietly, waiting to be discovered. I am so glad I got to read it.

Some quotes I adored:
“I hated explaining my losses in the language of biology and medicine, when it should have been done in flowers, the language of heart.”
“Just when I thought I was whole another broken part of myself emerged.”
"You grew in my heart, instead of my belly.”
“There were benefits to being an adoptive mother. Body of a maiden, heart of a mother, mind of a wise crone. Three in one.”

This book had me looking up what Blue Lotus is and scouring Etsy to find tea made of it. (I didn't order any.)

I received the Audibook as an ARC and it was outstanding. A very unique story. If you had the opportunity to leave reality and move to a magical garden, would you?

After going through her own version of hell and a mental breakdown, Eloise finds a job opportunity in France as a gardener, but the position is a unique opportunity. No internet, off the grid, and absolutely no children allowed. This is exactly what Eloise needs to heal, so when she gets word that she's hired, she sheds herself of her old life and heads to France.

This whole book made me want to throw my phone in the trash, pack up my actual essentials, and go remote in a castle full of gardens. The descriptions of the flowers and scents made me long to have a flower garden myself. Eloise meets 3 additional individuals who work at the gardens and throughout the book, they become her family. The assistant to the owner of the garden is a woman sharp in tone, with very little kindness in her heart. No one has ever met the owner, but she and the three other goddess/ghosts stroll through the gardens every night at twilight. Because of this, all of those who work in the garden must go to their homes and not come out during the twilight time. The three figures who wander the garden may not interact directly with those who live there but they are ominous with making sure you follow the rules.

There's so much to this story, grief & healing of course, but finding oneself, learning to trust, learning to love others, learning to push the limits and to follow the rules. Learning that you don't have to cut things off immediately because of the pain.

Just a heads up, this book will also make you hungry. I am gluten free due to necessity and I am sitting her wondering how much a crusty baguette would really f me up.

The book gives vibes of The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, which I also loved.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC of the audiobook. This book didn’t resonate with me and I think it has a very specific audience. Please be aware it heavily covers the topics of infertility and miscarriages which some may find triggering.

The book felt unnecessarily repetitive and drawn out. I’d be ok not hearing about a fainting couch, how Eloise is an old croon, teas, etc., over and over again. At times, the book seemed to ramble without much purpose or direction. It didn’t feel like the plot was fully flushed out. It wasn’t fully fantasy, or murder mystery, or supernatural, but had some elements of each without fully committing. I also had a hard time with the characters. They all are just immediately best friends and in this garden under the guise of healing, but seems more like they were just avoiding their issues. And they were way too ok with previous staff suddenly disappearing and also finding a skeleton on the property and reporting to the mysterious La Patron. Also, very confused how they hid a child for years in the garden when La Patron seemed to know everything that went down in the garden.

Eloise has nothing left to lose after infertility and a bad divorce have left her reeling, so when an opportunity to tend a garden in France pops up she takes the job. As long as she follows a list of rules, she can stay and reap the healing powers of the mysterious gardens that may or may not be a part of this world. 

The blurb made it sound like a book of magical realism, where the main character is working through acceptance and grief. While there was some of that I was not prepared for the graphic and relentless internal monologue focusing on infertility and pregnancy loss. The whole book is about this. I can fully feel for the main character and the agony that comes with this type of journey but I also feel like a trigger warning or some sort of heads up indicating this was the main topic as it was not what I was expecting. You can tell the author feels passionately about infertility and she shows how isolating the experience can become. 

I wasn't invested in the love story unfortunately and didn't feel the chemistry. The 'twist' was very obvious IMO.  Outside of these thoughts there is not much of a plot so while the writing was nice the whole book felt like it was missing something.

This is not my usual genre, but I love The Secret Garden and, with such a beautiful cover, how could I turn this down? Set in France, les jardins du Paradis are described in such a poetic, beautiful manner, that it’s easy to smell the flowers that talk to Eloise. The characters are likable and, in the audiobook, Cassandra Campbell gives them all distinctive voices, with a French accent that sounds natural (I should know, my sister married a French guy). The whole first part is fantastic, with Eloise getting to know her new coworkers and falling in love with her new home. The gardens sound beautiful and enchanting. That said, the second part was too earnest for me. I’m a jaded, sarcastic and cynical Gen-Xer. I had a hard time telling my Dad how much I loved him - on his deathbed. So reading about Eloise and her friends talking about “their truth” and “living their best lives” so earnestly made me cringe. I am completely the wrong reader for that. The Gothic part, inside the castle, and the melodrama of everybody’s relationship was too much for me. Again, it’s not the book at all, it’s me. I only kept reading because Campbell’s narration was so fantastic, and I liked the setting. Eloise kept aggravating me by breaking all the rules from the beginning. Yes, they were bizarre (and intriguing), but she comes off as the obnoxious American upsetting everyone and everything, including the people she says she loves. Younger readers, and people who are in touch with their feelings will probably love this. I was just not the right reader for it.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Harper Muse.

This book was a wild ride in the most unexpected way! I don’t even know how to categorize it.

We meet Eloise Bourne as she embarks on the new adventure of becoming a gardener in the walled gardens of Le Château du Paradis in Provence after answering a job opening ad in one of her favorite magazines.

The allure of the gardens is hard to resist—even with all its rules. Walled off away from the world—and most importantly, children—Eloise and her coworkers are able to heal from the various traumas they’ve endured in life. But as enchanted as the gardens are, Eloise begins to sense that not all is right in Paradise.

As she digs for answers, breaking the rules to do so, she begins to uncover the secrets of the garden—secrets that the goddess of the garden is determined to keep hidden.

I almost gave up on this book. Because it begins with Eloise starting her job at the gardens, I didn’t really have a chance to connect with her. Her backstory unfolded throughout the story, so I wasn’t invested in her or the other characters until around 20% in.

I’m glad I stuck it out. I enjoyed that elements of mystery and trying to piece together the puzzle alongside Eloise. I was also satisfied with the way the story unfolded and the answers we got by the end. This is definitely slow to start, but I was totally invested as it got moving!

A few content warnings—s*xual self-satisfaction, one closed door scene, mild violence, and mentions of infertility, cancer, childhood SA, death during childbirth, and medicinal abortion

The Alchemy of Flowers was a completely different book than I expected it to be, and I enjoyed it more than I thought.

I was expecting a full on fantasy, but what Resau has delivered is more a story of Mother Nature a connection to the earth and a story of learning to forgive yourself, and embrace love after loss and found family. It was really quite beautiful,

Eloise, a husk of the woman she once was, accepts a job in the South of France as the gardener of the ancient Jardins du Paradis, on arrival she meets the other staff, and learns of the seemingly endless and unusual rules, and learn to combat the dark forces that seem to be at play. I was surprised at how swept away in the story I felt, I ended up really loving it.

I enjoyed the audio narration too .

Trigger warnings for fertility issues, baby loss and sexual assault.

My thanks to Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

A woman haunted by the all-too tangible ghost of infertility wanders into a dreamy nest of magical realism. There she meets a small group of intertwined strangers, all carrying their own shadows of grief. Together they build a little community of love, mystery, and of course, flowers. This book was lovely—evocatively written and thoughtfully narrated.