As always with Heidi’s books, they captivate me and pull me into her wonderous worlds very quickly. The Winter Garden takes us back to Prosperous Place, so for those of us who have read Poppy’s Recipe For Life will spot some familiar characters making an reappearance.

This book, to me, felt more ‘Winter’, rather than especially Christmassy, which means you can totally start reading it in October (not that reading Christmas books before Halloween is wrong!)

I think it has a really important message to us all about getting outside and spending time in nature. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have your own Winter garden, but it’s been proven that spending even just a short time every day outdoors will reduce your stress levels and improve your metal health. And this year, more than most, we all need that. If you’ve got a garden, wrap up warm and take a book outside to read, or try an audiobook whilst you go for a walk.

I loved the sculptures that Finn creates and can picture exactly what they look like. The Winterfest that Luke holds sounds amazing and I will be trying out some ideas that were mentioned myself. Getting creative is always a great stress reliever. Heidi’s books always make you want to pack up and move to where they’re set, befriend the locals and live in her imagined worlds.

Anothet fantastic novel by Heidi Swain... Her novels never ever fail to impress me.. Perfect winter warmer tail definitely deserves a 5* rating

I feel like such broken record when I do reviews for Heidi’s books as I always seem to say ‘Heidi you have done it again’ but it is honestly so true. Heidi consistently outdoes herself with every new book she writes, and each book is so beautifully written that I cannot help but fall in love with it. In this new adventure, we re-visit Nightingale Square and we get to meet the newest residents, Freya and Finn. Freya has such a beautiful person, and you can’t help but instantly warm to her and want to protect her whereas Finn was just an absolute dream and is now my firm favourite of Heidi’s leading men. I utterly adored this book and think it is the perfect book to snuggle up with this winter!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Thankyou to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
Three Christmases ago I discovered Heidi Swain, and have brought her latest Christmas release each year since. I find the storylines and characters enjoyable. This book was no different. The main character is Freya, who has to leave her beloved Broadmeadows after the death of her employer and friend. She is given a job at Prosperous place, where she quickly adapts to her new life, and makes new friends. She then meets Finn, and the pair seem to take a dislike to each other.
You feel the tension between Freya and Finn throughout the book, and there multiple times when you think the pair are just starting to become friends or even more the , but there are multiple obstacles and misunderstandings along the way.
I found it took me a couple of chapters to get into the book, but then became gripped.
I would really recommend this book, especially for an easy festive to get you in the mood for Christmas.
Once again Heidi Swain did a wonderful job.

this is an enjoyable book to read and would recommend to anyone it as an easy storyline to follow which is very pleasant and now await the next novel by heidi swain which im sure will just be as good

First confession - I love all Heidi Swain books. 

Second confession - I love the residents of Nightingale Square.

Third confession - I know nothing about plants and gardening.

For me, it's never a hardship to pick up and read the latest Heidi Swain's book and when I found out that this one returned to Nightingale Square AND featured a Christmasy/Winter plot I was thrilled.

The book starts with Freya and her trusty friend Nell (easily my favourite character in the whole book) feeling a bit fed up with their current situation and looking for a sign to make a change. The sign appears and somehow Freya finds herself paying a visit to Prospect Place (I am trying really hard not to give much of the early plot away here).  This leads to a big change in Freya's in life, much to the disapproval of her parents who are pinning their hopes on their daughter reconciling with her ex-fiance, Peter.

Freya and Nell don't get off to the best of starts with one of Prospect Place's newest residents, Finn, and soon they have locked horns and are falling out at every opportunity. As you might expect, there is romance, there are twists and turns and there is high drama throughout the book. I thought I had second guessed a few of the plot threads but, as usual, Heidi pulled the story a different way and gave me quite a few "didn't see that coming" moments. The story ends on Christmas Eve and it left me feeling warm, fuzzy, craving a mince pie and feeling hopeful for Christmas this year - whatever that might look like in 2020. No matter what it does look like, as long as we have our community somehow around us, it will be ok.

It was lovely to catch up with the residents of Nightingale Square again - even though they always make me want to eat and drink lots. This book also reminded me to 'shop local' and support our smaller businesses as we move into the festive period (hence the link to my local indie bookshop below!)

The book made me think a little bit about my own garden over the winter months (we recently did a garden over-haul during lockdown and we only have Mediterranean plants in our garden) and it made me think back to our usual 'start of Autumn' family activity where we visit our own local "Winter Garden" in Abbotsbury.
This book is my first of a looooooot of Christmas reads and was perfect to start the season off. Now I just need to avoid the mince pies for a few more weeks if possible.

What a wonderful wintry trip back to Nightingale Square. Freya has been through a traumatic experience having lost a very close friend so accepts a job to create a Winter Garden for Winterfest.
It’s there that she meets the Norse God of a man called Finn who certainly got her heart racing.
I won’t spoil it by saying what his creations are but they sounded amazing and I really wanted to see them. Once again the tight knit community came together to pull off another fantastic event which really drew me in.
This is a lovely gentle read by Heidi Swain with all my favourite things in it, a cute rescue dog called Nell, a handsome man, a leading lady who doesn’t suffer fools and the perfect setting.
This book will warm your cockles just in time for Christmas.

The Winter Garden is a gorgeous, uplifting book by Heidi Swain that covers amazing ground within a community of people in Nightengale Square. Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster for accepting my request to review.
Full Review:
Eloise Thurlow-Forbes is an octogenarian estate owner in Broadmeadows, country estate, Suffolk and sad events kick start something new and positive in Freya Fuller’s life. It seems very apt at the moment with all that is going on in the world. Certain things in her life, she decides need to change, such as her job, where she isn’t entirely happy. There is a bit of strength of character shown in the way she works things out and speaks up about how things were. This starts off as a journey of self-discovery as Freya stumbles over local radio stations that guide her to Nightengale Square that has a community garden at Prosperous Place, a place with a history and one that is going to have a future in the fact that people have come together to do renovations. It’s a gentle way of guiding readers to where the destination is going to be. There is then planning and plotting between Freya and Luke for turning the garden one fit for winter. Both she and Luke have some heartache in their lives and there seems to be a positivity in the book about them turning their lives around and there are elements of mental well-being within what is a gentle, cosy read as the colder months come in.

The book has stories within it of other characters and how they came to be in Nightengale Square that make a community working towards the aim of transforming the garden. It is realistic and not all plain-sailing. There are ups and downs between people and much that I think readers will be able to relate to, as they get to know each other and try to work together to meet the same goal; but tempers fray at times and romance buds amongst them. In the story, it’s as people try to create Winterfest, but the same applies for any group of people coming together trying to do something new and also discover more about themselves and each other. The book doesn’t shy away from mental health conditions and it is shown in bursts as you get to know the characters as their backgrounds are revealed. The book, however, gives a sense of positivity as the “Grow Well” group develops and all feels authentic as the story moves along in its build up to Christmas, feel-good vibe that has a lot of compassion and community throughout.

Thanks to netgalley I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was my first Heidi swain novel and I really enjoyed it. Its such a warming story and I loved the character of Freya.

I don't have a lot to say about this book, except to say I enjoyed it. Heidi Swain has a narrative style that reminds me a bit of Trisha Ashley. I hope both authors will take a compliment from that. Much of the story takes place in the run up to Christmas, so it's nice to read at this time of year. It's the third book in a series, and though I remember the first book, I missed the second, but I don't think you need to have read either to follow this one. I loved all the garden descriptions, and the fact the author tackles Seasonal Affective Disorder is great. Loved the sense of community, though I couldn't help thinking things were a bit too perfect. As for the main character, Freya, I liked her and think she was unnecessarily hard on herself at times. Her new friend Chloe was a bit much I thought, considering they'd only just met. And as for Finn, I'm afraid I never really took to him. He was prone to the dramatics. I loved Freya's dog. The ending was just right I think. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I make no secret of how much I adore all of Heidi Swain's books and her new one definitely did not disappoint. I was so pleased to find out that the setting had returned to the beautiful Nightingale Square....although I have loved immersing myself in all of her books and their various settings! It is so clever the way she weaves all the characters together, and it feels like the tiniest detail is never forgotten.
The Winter Garden focuses on the story of Freya, a brilliant gardener who suddenly finds herself in need of a new job after the death of her former boss and close friend. A chance meeting with Luke, who has featured in the other Nightingale Square books, takes Freya to the square and her new life begins with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I found myself wanting to give some characters some choice words at certain points when they tried to interfere! I love that as a reader of Heidi's books we get to be reacquainted with characters that feel like old friends and it is great to find out what they have all been up to. This time we get to meet the mysterious Finn, a character that I really liked for not looking like the archetypal hero in a story - he has long flowing hair for a start!
I have always described Heidi Swain's books as a lovely cosy read - somewhere to escape to with a blanket, a cuppa and biscuits on a cold or rainy day, and The Winter Garden definitely does not disappoint. The perfect antidote to everything that we are all going through right now.

It goes without saying that any Heidi Swain book is going to be a winner. I loved this book just as much as all the previous ones by her that I’ve read (I still have some to go) and the fact that this was another Christmas offering was all the more exciting.

I warmed instantly to Freya the main character. A quiet and gentle person, she is devastated by the death of her former employer and dear friend, Eloise as well as being forced out of the job she loved. Taking Eloise’s little dog, Nell, under her wing the two of them move to the lovely Nightingale Square which features in previous books and takes up a job as gardener on a Winter Garden project working for Kate and Luke. There she meets Finn a sculptor and the two of them get off to a shaky start and various misunderstandings follow which doesn’t help them form any kind of friendship or relationship as co- workers. However, in time their prickly personalities soften and grow into friendship and perhaps a little more. You will need to read the book to find out. I loved Nell, the timid rescue dog, and the bond that she has with Freya. There are those characters you love to hate as well in the book and I was eager to see how things turned out in regard to them and their attitude toward Freya. Although I read this a couple of months before Christmas it was wonderful and warming to feel that festive spirit oozing out from the pages and so perfectly described by Heidi who has a wonderful way of bringing people and emotions to life. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a Heidi book and this one makes me want to go back and read her previous festive favourites again. My thanks to Heidi for another delightful book and to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for my honest opinion.

Heidi Swain is one of my favourite authors to read, in part because of her exceptional world-building, and all of her books are like a warm hug from a friend, and are particularly soothing in the current non-soothing and hug-free real world. I love the world that Heidi has created, with Wynbridge, Wynthorpe Hall, Wynmouth, and Nightingale Square all feeling very real to me. This book, like all of the other books, is a standalone that is woven seamlessly into the world of Nightingale Square, but with reference to other locations and characters in the wider world that Heidi has created. You really don’t need to have read the other Nightingale Square books (Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square, and Poppy’s Recipe For Life), but it might give you a more detailed understanding of some of the characters.

The Winter Garden is not a Christmassy novel per se because the focus is on the garden in Winter so it is more of a seasonal read, but it will definitely leave you feeling festive. The descriptions of the garden really came to life, and I could picture myself there with the visitors on the opening day of the Winter Garden. I also loved sensitive rescue dog Nell, who became as much a part of the Square as the other new characters.

I loved Freya, who moved from Suffolk with Nell after the death of her friend and beloved boss Eloise, and found herself working for Luke and Kate in the gardens of Prosperous Place, on Nightingale Square. As for her love interest, and the other main character in the story, Finn the sculptor who creates statues from recycled metal, I’m sorry Gabe (from Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland), I think I have a new book boyfriend now. Finn, a Viking-like addition to Nightingale Square, complete with long hair and the ability to braid hair beautifully, had me swooning from the start!

Another diverse romance within the Square felt very natural and inclusive, and was particularly heart-warming to read for a character that I loved. It is always lovely to see recurrent characters from other books, who may not be the focus of the book, but are practically old friends to the reader, it adds to the creation of a multi-dimensional world that feels completely connected.

This was such a wonderful feel good book that made me look forward to frosty mornings and hot chocolates.

After a sign from an old friend, Freya and Nell (her rescue dog) move for a new start to Nightingale Square - to start a new job as head gardener for the winter garden. There she makes a whole new family of neighbours and friends - driving her to become more sociable and take new risks with her love life. She meets the not-so-charming Finn, a local sculptor who her new friends are determined to set her up with...

This book is the perfect book for the lead up to Christmas. It’s warm, cosy and uncomplicated. If you’re looking for a love story - you get one with this. It might be a little bit too calm and relaxed for younger readers, but for someone who wants to curl up in their living room with a good romance book then it’s perfect.

Having worked in Norwich before I was reminiscing about the markets, the small city vibe and the locals who enjoy a good evening in their local pub with great food. This job would have been my dream job! Other than for the rain, snow and mud....

I was kindly gifted this ARC from @netgalley and @simonandschuster in return for an honest review.

This was my first “Christmas” book of the year and I really enjoyed it. It’s very much a lighthearted, easy read, filled with cliché romances and witty one liners. And it was exactly what I needed to read during these pretty depressing times.

Swain sets this story in the beautiful village of Nightingale Square which sounds like heaven - she describes Christmas markets and the uses sound and smell descriptions to transport you there.

I liked the characters too - especially Old Harold and little nervous Nell who I just wanted to cuddle. Poppy (the protagonist) clearly didn’t have confidence in herself and had to overcome this but I loved following her story.

What I will say is that this book is really cheesy at points - but who doesn’t love some cheese ever so often?

There are other books in this series but I’ve not read them - and I don’t think I missed much!

Give it a go if you’re looking for a mood lifter 😌

Another super book by Heidi Swain as we are once again back in Norfolk with the lovely folk from Nightingale Square and Prosperous place. It is always heart-warming to re visit this community and welcome its new residents.
Freya becomes increasingly unhappy with her life as a horticulturist in Suffolk now that her best friend Eloise has died leaving the house to her nephew who is showing un welcoming intentions towards her making her very uncomfortable. So when an opportunity arises after meeting Luke owner of Prosperous Place and his delightful family near Norwich Freya does some soul searching and decides to take a risk and accept the job as Gardner. Luke is very enthusiastic about the grounds and has a loyal local support bunch of people who are more than happy to help out when needed. They all get involved in creating The Winter Garden which is to be enjoyed by locals and visitors. During this time Freya meets Finn who has been commissioned to create some sculptures for the gardens, there is definitely a spark between the two but there are family issues that need to be addressed on both sides before any romance can blossom.
This is a lovely story that features love, friendship and gardening so it was a perfect read for me to enjoy.
My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC and to Julie Boon for posting my thoughts of this book on her blog.

Classic Heidi Swain!

Lovely story that bundles you up with the characters, shakes you around and makes you doubt the characters’ future and then delivers in such a lovely way that you wish the story hadn’t finished.

Adored Viking lookalike, Finn, Hannah and rescue dog, Nell. Great to be back in Nightingale Square with all of the old favourites.

Only one complaint - due to the heroine, Hannah recommending some wonderful books as part of the novel, this turned out to be an expensive read! Lol.

After reading and loving Sunshine and Sweetpeas at Nightingale Square and Poppy’s Recipe for Life, I was really looking forward to going back to Nightingale Square, especially with a festive story, as I was sure that this lovely place would be perfect for a cosy and very special Christmas. And I was not wrong at all!

This time we discover Freya’s story, who after losing her close friend and employer is not sure what to do next in her life. A bit by chance and a bit by magic, she ends up being employed as the gardener in Prosperous Place. The job comes with a place to live at the Square too so she soon finds herself involved in all the activitats organised by the lovely community.

Once again, I really enjoyed reading about the sense of community in the square and how they all come together to make their shared space a better place, where everyone is welcomed. Freya couldn't have landed at a better place and it was a great pleasure to get to catch up with this bunch of lovely people. I wish Prosperous Place was real and I could attend some of the sessions they organise for their Winterfest, they sounded so original and fun!

Also a big thumps up from me for the love story! Great chemistry between the characters and perfect amount of will-they or will-they-not. I finished this book with a huge smile in my face!

Today is my stop on The Winter Garden blog tour, with thanks to the team at Books and the City and Simon & Schuster UK for the opportunity to take part.

I was thrilled to be taking part, the very first of Heidi’s books that I read was a Christmas one and it was there that I fell in love with her books. So when the opportunity came to get an early peak of this one I couldn’t say no.

The Winter Garden revisits Nightingale Square which we have seen in two previous books, Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square and Poppy’s Recipe for Life. This time round the story centers on Freya, a gardener, who, by luck, moves to Nightingale Square to create a winter garden to open in time for Christmas.

During this book we see characters return from the previous two; Luke, Kate, Graham, Carole, Poppy, Ryan, Jacob and more, but we are also introduced to some more including Finn and Chloe.

Finn is living in the studio within the grounds of the garden and he and Freya clash from the start. We see them try to navigate their personal lives and professional relationship.

This book, like the others, all has a wonderful sense of community, and they all welcome Freya, and Finn, into the fold with open arms. They both become an essential part and for Freya she finds a sense of belonging.

The Winter Garden has definitely got me in the festive spirit. I’m left wanting to start celebrating, getting the decorations up, making wreaths and going to Christmas markets.

Although this is the third book that is set in Nightingale Square you can read this as a standalone. But I would highly recommend the others as well as this one as they are all wonderful.

Perfect to enjoy curled up in a blanket with a glass of mulled wine.

I absolutely love Heidi’s books they have transported me to her wonderful feelgood settings many times when I have most needed them. I have read all the Nightingale Square books and was so excited to see this one was set at Christmas too.

In this book, we are introduced Freya is a gardener at a big estate and finds that after the death of its owner Eloise she is out of a job and homeless. Jackson is Eloise’s American Nephew and is a right smarmy piece of work wants to sell the house and he makes Eloise homeless as he wants to rent out her cottage immediately. She has to move into the big house with him but a visit to Prospero Place changes her fortune. Can she make a new life there ?

I love how Heidi’s books bring in new characters but revisits the characters from the previous books and it is like going back to visit old friends. Luke and Kate who live in Prospero Place take her under their wing and find her a place to live.

She gets off to a bad start with one of the residents Finn an artist who shouts and her and her lovely dog Nell. Poor Nell is nervous and runs away and Freya is very annoyed with him when she had just called into say hello.

Heidi’s characters are always so interesting and Finn is no exception to this with his Viking looks and his passion for art and sculpture. Sadly he had been kept back from realising his dream by his father and and his idea of what a man should do for a living.

I really liked how Heidi addresses the toxic masculinity that Finn is subject to by his father and family, but manages to find a way to make his art at the studio. Both Finn and Freya have issues with their parents and I enjoyed how their relationship develops through their work on The Winter Garden. It is not always a easy journey for them.

The familiar places of Wynthorpe Hall made me feel all warm and fuzzy as did Finn . I did wonder if Heidi also has a hankering after a Thor like man Finn 😅😅.

This is a truly wonderful read, and it was a joy to step into the world of Freya as she makes a new life with the supportive members of Nightingale Square. Best enjoyed on the sofa with the rain on the windows and nowhere else to go. If you are a fan of Heidi or a newbie you will love being transported into the wintery gorgeousness at its best from the lovely Heidi !

5 snowflakes from me