I reallllllyyy tried on this one, but I DNF'ed it. I can respect what the author was trying to do and maybe it would hit more for moms or women who have suffered pregnancy loss. It just didn't hit for me.

I loved this magical romance. A broken woman answers a mysterious ad to grow flowers in France, and with nothing to hold her back, she travels to a new continent, barely speaking the language, but with a desire to grow beautiful flowers. This is a very different kind of read for me and I loved the lyrical way the author told the story. Truly a wondrous read for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

Reading Alchemy of Flowers felt like stepping into a dreamscape: lush, fragrant, and just a little unsettling.
Laura Resau places us in a French castle and its gardens, a setting so vividly described that I could almost smell the earth and blossoms as I turned the pages. It’s the kind of place that feels alive, where every statue, every petal, and even the silence seems to be holding secrets.

At the heart of the story is Eloise: I was drawn to how her connection with the gardens mirrors her internal healing; the way she begins to sense whispers in the flowers and presence in the shadows struck me as both magical and symbolic.

Resau has crafted a sanctuary that is both beautiful and strange, where rules bend reality and magical realism heightens the sense of wonder. I appreciated the delicate weaving of themes like infertility, identity, and desire into a narrative that never felt clinical but instead deeply human. That said, there were moments where the spell broke for me: side characters and magical elements that felt underdeveloped, and a romance that leaned too much on physicality.

Even so, I admired the risks this book takes. It’s not just a whimsical escape; it asks the reader to sit with grief, longing, and transformation in ways that can be both tender and uncomfortable. For readers who share some of Eloise’s struggles, the story may resonate on a profound level. I’ll be thinking about those enchanted gardens for a long time.

DNF at 52%. I lost interest and the story's pacing just wasn't fast enough so at the halfway mark, still unsure of where (if anywhere) this story was going, I decided it wasn't for me.

Listening to The Alchemy of Flowers is like wandering barefoot through a secret garden at golden hour - sunlight dripping through petals, laughter tucked among the leaves. Laura Resau weaves a story that blooms with magic and mystery, rooted deep in love, loss, and the secret language of flowers. Her prose is pure mystery and full of bloom, and the narrator delivers each line like a breeze through wild flowers, potions and elixirs. I felt like I was sipping chamomile tea with a wise old gardener while hearing this tale - gentle, soulful, and quietly enchanting. It's the kind of story that makes your heart grow a few blossoms bigger. Highly recommend for anyone who loves stories with a little soil under their nails, flower whisperers and stardust in their soul.

I received a complimentary ebook copy of this book. I also got an audiobook of the same. It was my first time hearing an audiobook! Thank you @harpermusebooks, @lauraresau, @netgalley for sending it.

3.75 stars When Eloise from Colorado takes a job at the Gardens of Paradise in Provence, she is enchanted by the lush, beautiful gardens and idyllic setting. She enjoys her coworkers and finds Raphael particularly intriguing. Eloise has welcomed the move after a failed marriage due to infertility and miscarriage issues. As a flower whisperer, her ability to make magical, healing tisanes is revered as well as her ability to communicate with flowers. They whisper warnings to her and makes her cautious as danger, secrets, and myths are lurking around every corner. The boss, Antoinette, has lots of rules and is strict and often angry. There is no gossip, they prefer you stay on the grounds, and absolutely no children. Eloise finds that among the flowers, there is love, magic, happiness, and possibly a child as one keeps mysteriously popping up to see her while she is working.

I found this to be a great mix of historical fiction, magical realism, mystery, and romance. It intertwines women's issues with Greek mythology. This is a very strong adult debut that is reminiscent of The Secret Garden but unique in its scope. Fans of The Secret Garden or stories with a lot of magical realism will love this one. I supplemented my reading with the audiobook which is expertly performed with excellent French accents when needed by Cassandra Campbell.🎧📚

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse Books and audio, UpLit Reads, and Laura Resau for an advance reader's copy, advance listening copy, and finished copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I really wanted to like this book but the overall themes of grief and fertility challenges was just too much for me.

Laura Resau’s The Alchemy of Flowers is an intoxicating descent into a world where the boundaries between reality and the otherworld fray like old silk. It is, at once, a gothic thriller, a poetic meditation on grief and transformation, and a spellbinding ode to the hidden language of flowers.
Set in a shadow-drenched town where secrets bloom like wild vines, the story follows a young woman drawn into a web of mystery after the sudden disappearance of her sister. What begins as a search for truth quickly unfurls into something far stranger and more haunting—a journey into ancestral magic, forgotten rituals, and the ancient wisdom buried deep in root and petal.
Resau’s prose is lush, lyrical, and richly atmospheric. Every page drips with imagery that feels both delicate and dangerous, like a rose whose thorns draw blood when held too tightly. The story pulses with gothic undertones—crumbling greenhouses, cryptic journals, and apparitions glimpsed in the flicker of candlelight—yet never loses sight of the quiet hope buried in even the darkest soil.
What makes The Alchemy of Flowers so unforgettable is its ability to hold contradictions in perfect balance: beauty and decay, sorrow and wonder, death and rebirth. As the narrative unfolds, you're never quite sure what is real and what lies just beyond the veil—and that’s exactly the point. Resau invites readers to question everything they think they know about love, memory, and the nature of transformation.
Dark, dreamy, and unrelentingly immersive, The Alchemy of Flowers is more than a novel—it’s a spell. And once it’s cast, you won’t want to escape.

This book hit me with all the feels! I did not expect the end at all. @lauraresau writing is so vivid it was easy to get lost in the magic with Eloise. The flowers, the food, the enchantment of the whole castle, and the mystery surrounding it all is such a magical place to get lost in. Eloise could deal with her loss and she could find herself again and it was a magical journey with her to heal and to forgive herself and move on and I was honoured to have been there reading about this journey. Found family has never been more real than in this novel, and this is the true magic in the end if you think about it. Beautiful narrated by @cassandracampbell, her elegant French accent added in a different layer to the already complex and magical story. Perfect read for someone looking for a little bit of self-healing.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpermusebooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Although she's locked inside the castle grounds and subjected to strange rules, Eloise's new home enchants her with otherworldly lodging and magical flowers."

So I guess I thought this book was going to be fantasy, or magical realism, and based more on magical elements of whimsy. It was really an outpouring of grief, some weird whispering flowers, a very controlling, freakishly confusing and unhealthy workplace with extremely sus coworkers, and a potentially imaginary or very real child.

This book was jarring, disjointed, and very hard to read. It was repetitive (how many times did we have to hear about her pregnancy failures?) and confusing (what adult just blindly puts up with these weird rules and disappearances and asks no questions). She wants to leave, is told she cant, then it turns out the one guy sneaks out all the time, and the other people there are like what, just get over it, why are you being weird. Like... the gaslighting is unreal. But also Nina starts calling her Sis and is her best friend, too. It's just, the most disjointed and bizarre book ever. I couldn't wait for it to end. Then some super crazy, really exciting and dramatic stuff happens in the last like, three chapters, and you learn about the sisters and the dead body and the "magic." Seriously. This could have been a cool book if it had been executed completely different.

I appreciate the arc. The narrator did a good job with what she was given.

I wanted to love this book, I did love the characters and the beautiful story, but I just had some problems keeping in the story while I listened to it. Many times, I found my self re-winding it to try to understand it just a little better.

Eloise takes a job in France to work in a paradise that seems very spooky in its existence. The description of the gardens is beautifully written and makes you want to go see it.

Then she hears all of the rules that apply to this job. The owners do not want her venturing out side the gates and insist on no gossiping. Even though it is a magical place it still seems wrong to Eloise. Her past is discussed in the book and it is a hearbreaking story.

Things start turning strange as she investigates the things she sees while in the gardens. She doesn't let it lie and asks a lot of questions. So many parts of this book are beautifully written but I just had trouble getting through this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the ARC.
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The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau

Thank you @lauraresau @uplitreads @harpermusebooks for this #giftedbyuplit copy! I have throughly enjoyed reading it.

Eloise’s marriage has ended and her dreams of having a child have not come to fruition after countless fertility treatments when she spots a job posting for a gardening job at a secretive Chateau in France. With nothing to lose she applies, gets the job and relocates her life. Once she arrives, she befriends the other staff and tries her best to follow all the rules - the number one rule being no children on the property. What unfolds is a life changing experience while she tries to mend her heart.

This gave me Secret Garden vibes, there is the secretive nature of the grounds coupled with this element of magical flowers. This book covered so much - longing, sadness, hope, intrigue, mystery and it really ended with a bang.

I absolutely recommend this one for a taste of something different, especially if you love plants and flowers and all the magical things they can do.

Content warning:
- infertility is a huge theme throughout the book and with the author’s note at the end, she shares her story and hopes to ensure her readers don’t feel alone ❤️
- miscarriage
- manipulation
- violence

Partly listened to this audiobook on #netgalley and it was so great!

I had high hopes for The Alchemy of Flowers—with its promise of lush blooms and a touch of French charm—but it fell just a bit short for me. While I adored the cultural touches and lovely conversations steeped in French flavor (and of course, anything floral always draws me in), the story itself didn’t fully bloom for me. Still, it’s a gentle, atmospheric read that flower lovers might enjoy. Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC in return for my review.

Plot line: Eloise Bourne joins her new job in a mysterious garden with weird rules. The no children rule had also influenced her decision. But as she continues working there strange things keep happening.
Review: I was really interested when I read the title and description of the book. Sadly, I was disappointed. The storyline felt weak compared to the blurb and had plot holes. The dragging atory obviously had a rushed ending. Main characters are always doing things that they are forbid to do. But our MC here was annoyingly over involved in things and too trusting of others. Also throughout the story, hers was the only character with depth, where the side characters were shallow, not leaving much impression.

If you had the chance to escape to a hidden garden where time moved differently, a place overflowing with beauty, joy, and the promise of healing, would you take it? What if entering this paradise meant surrendering to a strict set of rules, with exile or even death set as the price of disobedience?

Eloise takes that leap, seeking refuge from the pain and weight of the outside world. Within the magical Jardins du Paradis, she hopes to mend what’s broken in her body and soul. But healing is never without cost, and the garden’s enchantments are as perilous as they are alluring.

From the very first page, the author offers a gentle forewarning: “This book is about healing and hope (and maybe a little bit of magic), but it does deal with issues related to infertility, loss, and heartbreak. We hope you find inspiration in Eloise’s journey and your own healing behind the walls of the Jardins du Paradis.”

Filled with wonder, secrets, and just enough danger to keep you holding your breath, The Alchemy of Flowers is a beautifully written story about taking chances, finding hope, and learning what it really means to bloom again.

Much appreciation to Laura Resau, Harper Muse and Uplit Reads for the #gifted copy of The Alchemy of Flowers.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to the audio ARC of this book!

The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau is an atmospheric and touching novel centered around many themes of loss. Each character we meet has had their own hell to deal with in life, and has come to Paradis to get away from whatever it is that plagues them.
The main character Eloise leaves behind a life in Denver in order to have a new start in an idyllic French chateau tending to the garden. As the story progresses, we come to learn more about each character’s unique backstory, like a bud opening up to become a flower. With a hint of magi-realism, this book covers some very heavy topics, so please be careful when reading.
This book was definitely more than it seemed. I anticipated it being more care-free but at the end it took a mysterious turn. It was very good, and had a lovely message about healing, and how no two journeys are the same.
If you are feeling lost or broken, I hope you find your own Château du Paradis to heal in

The Alchemy of Flowers starts off with a women who is very broken by what life has given her, failed fertility, a failed marriage, damaged friendships. She finds a job advertisement to go and work at a castle in France for a healing garden.

Slowly but surely the magical healing gardens take a strange effect on her. Her mind and body start to really blossom, she befriends others who work at the garden. With an immediate connection, feeling like she can open up to these people and repair the damaged pieces of herself. This is especially true with a young handsome man which she wasn't expecting. But the gardens and it's owner hold dark mysteries and as she learns more she finds her and the people she has grown to love might be in danger. In the end the truth is revealed and many of her dreams come true.

This was a very cute story, writing was a little choppy at times and it felt like a lot of the mysteries of the castle where not really opened up as i thought they would be.

. The audiobook production was good, and I appreciated the steady pacing of the storytelling. However, as the plot progressed, it began to feel repetitive, and I struggled to connect with both the characters and the narrative. The “big reveal” was one I saw coming, and the story unfolded in a somewhat predictable manner. While the theme itself was unique and intriguing, the character backgrounds lacked the depth I was hoping for, which made it harder to truly engage with them.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse Audio for the ALC

This was a haunting, mysterious and magical read. Cassandra Campbell does an excellent job of bringing the emotions, and mysterious elements to life. I do recommend checking for TW because this does deal with a lot of heavy subjects of loss, loss of child and infertility.

Alchemy

I found this book to be so captivating and beautifully written! I couldn’t wait to listen to it everyday. I think Eloise’s story along with the other side characters is one that really needs to be shared. This book eloquently describes a very real and very harsh aspect of a woman’s experience and the effects it has not only on the woman herself but on the people around her. The magic and fantasy aspects of this book really add a whimsy to a dark story that flows and compliments itself in a truly powerful way. The Alchemy Of Flowers has woven its way into being one of my favorite books of all time and I can’t wait to put it on my shelves!