The Lily Garden – ARC Book Review

She held the letter that she had found in the garden, and noticed the distinctive curls of her father’s handwriting etched on the worn paper. Her life had already been turned upside down by one family secret, would his last words force her to leave her childhood home forever?

When Caroline left Lake Summers thirty years ago, she thought she’d never go back to the place where she lost her parents. But when she finds out that the town’s lily garden lovingly built by her mother is going to be destroyed, she knows fate is calling. Dropping everything at her office in Chicago, she knows she is the only person who can save the garden.

Caroline and her daughter Lee are welcomed home by the warm smile of her mother’s best friend Maxine, and piles of pancakes at her cozy little restaurant in town. And Caroline soon learns that she isn’t the only person invested in saving her mother’s legacy, when she meets handsome historian Aaron. As she gets to know him, strolling along the sparkling lakeshore, she can’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be.

But then Caroline learns a terrible secret about the day her mother died. And soon the real reason Aaron is in Lake Summers comes to light. Will the truth about the people she loves force her to give up a future with Aaron, and the beautiful town that has always been in her heart?An utterly uplifting and heart-warming story about forgiveness and family. Perfect for fans of Carolyn Brown, Debbie Macomber and Mary Alice Monroe.

No. of pages:- 265 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- will be published on July 2nd 2021

Genre:- Literary Fiction

Rating:-

For some reason, over the past few book reviews, I have turned my attention away from thrillers and decided to read more family saga and literary fiction. The Lily Garden falls into that category. Not only the book cover is pretty and appealing but the plot line sounded interesting too.

Caroline returns back to Lake Summers after she heard the news that her mother’s beloved garden, known as Lily’s Garden (named after her mother) is set to be destroyed in the town and she flies from Chicago to Lake Summers with her teenage daughter, Lee. While also looking for colleges in the area around Lake Summers, Caroline meets handsome Aaron who is a historian and a professor at the university. Along with the townsfolk, can Caroline save her mother’s historic garden before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed the story. A warm cozy, and a heartwarming tale with a touch of romance in the book, I really do like the characters as well–many of them are all likable particularly Caroline and Aaron and I was rooting them to be a couple! I also like Caroline’s relationship with her daughter, who initially didn’t welcome Aaron though in the end she starts accepting him. I do really like the concept of community story line in the book. The author did a good job with the writing, drawing the reader into the story and making the reader walk with Caroline and Aaron into the small scenic town.

Overall, I enjoyed this warm cozy heartwarming tale–a perfect read for summer! Looking forward to read more books from this author! Worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Barbara Josselsohn grew up on Long Island and lived for several years in her beloved New York City before moving to the northern suburbs. She began her career as a business journalist and then turned her attention to her first love, fiction. Her novels include THE LILAC HOUSE, THE LAST DREAMER, and THE BLUEBELL GIRLS, and has two more novels slated for release in 2021.