Book Review: "The Someday Garden" by Ashley Poston

I love magical realism in books, particularly romances. Ashley Poston is one of the authors who has helped develop my fondness for magical realism. I love the way each of her books have challenged my mind and touched my heart.

While in college at Duke University, Sophie saw a documentary about Lilymoor House & Gardens up in Maine. The beauty of the gardens, the mazes, even the legendary stories about the magic to be found intrigued her completely. She and her best friend Harriett visited during their senior year and were utterly obsessed. They made a promise to return 10 years later.

Ten years later, Sophie is a horticulturist for the New York Botanical Garden. She gets a summer job at Lilymoor, helping prepare the estate’s gardens for its bicentennial celebration. Working at Lilymoor is everything she dreamed it would be, and she quickly falls in love with its grounds, its staff, and Eula Beck, the spry and crafty old woman who owns the place.

There are definitely mysteries she can’t quite figure out, including the origin of vines that threaten to kill the hedges. But one evening she finds a door that she’s never seen before. It leads to an unfinished garden no one seems to know about. And there’s a handsome man who seems to be stuck there. But the door is never in the same place twice.

As the celebration draws closer, the estate’s quirks prove endearing and frustrating. Eula plans to retire but is quiet about what she plans to do with Lilymoor. And Sophie wants to help free the man from the garden, but not her heart.

There are a lot of separate storylines that take a while to gel and pick up momentum. I felt like the book really hit its stride in the last third or so, and there’s lots of emotion to be had. The supporting characters, including Damnit, the ornery goose, are endearing as well.

Book Review: "Feeding the Grump" by Jax Calder

“I’m fairly sure that when I’m on my deathbed, I’ll still be cursing Benji Gange’s name.”

This rom-com was all kinds of adorable, fun, and steamy. I’m a huge fan of Jax Calder; she’s become an auto-buy author for me, so I was already sold on this—and then she threw in a little mischievous lamb.

David is a farmer in New Zealand. He’s very by-the-books, a stickler for traditional farming practices. Which is why Benji, who inherited the neighboring farm is such a nuisance to him. Benji isn’t interested in blithely following the way things always are done; he does research and tries new methods.

If there’s one place where David colors outside the lines, it’s his garden. He’s constantly experimenting with new varieties of fruits and vegetables, and given that he always has an overabundance of his crops, he usually shares them with Benji. It’s amazing how Benji can get under his skin so easily but David still wants to share his crops with him. And Benji usually uses the food to cook for David.

One day, the smallest of David’s lambs gets loose. He starts frantically searching for it, and Benji pitches in to help. When Benji gets tangled up in a bush, David has to help free him. And at that moment, he realizes that his feelings for Benji are far stronger than simply neighborly ones. Is it possible that Benji feels the same way? (Spoiler alert: he does.)

I couldn’t stop smiling when I was reading this. The chemistry between the characters was terrific, there was some hot steam, and their banter was so sweet. I know I can’t go wrong with a Jax Calder romance!

Book Review: "What If I Never Get Over You" by Paige Toon

Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of Paige Toon’s newest! I’ve become an enormous fan of hers the last year or two.

Ellie has been interrailing through Europe, something she had been looking forward to for years. But traveling by herself was starting to get her down, so she made the decision to cut her trip short. So of course, just before she was ready to leave Lisbon, she meets Ash.

Ash is from Wales, has a fantastic accent and a carefree spirit that appeals to Ellie, who’s always done the right things. (It doesn’t hurt that he’s sexy as hell, too.) They so enjoy each other’s company and feel such an intense connection that they spend Ellie’s last few days in Europe together. And while she is expected to fly home with her parents, Ellie and Ash decide to meet in Spain one week later.

When Ellie’s arrival in Madrid is delayed a bit, she worries Ash might think she changed her mind. When she finally arrives at their designated meeting place, he’s nowhere to be found. She can’t figure out why he didn’t show—maybe the intense feelings she had weren’t reciprocated? Crushed, she decides to move on with her life.

Six years later, Ellie gets a job as a gardener at a 500-year-old estate in Wales. Working with gardens had always been her dream, and doing so on such a vast property is amazing. When Ash re-enters her life, she is completely thrown, and she realizes how little she actually knew about him. But their feelings for one another are just as intense.

This book really captured my heart. I loved the beginning section, where Ellie and Ash meet, and while the story slows a bit in the middle, I really rooted for them to find happiness. Toon definitely knows how to create an emotional story!

The book will publish 4/15.