A delightfully calming, reassuring hug of a book. Beautifully written , you could almost smell the flowers and the descriptions could bring your blood pressure down.

I received a free copy of, The Garden of Memories, by Amanda James, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Widow and retired nurse Rose Lanyon decides to honor her late husband with a garden, a garden of memories. Soon friendships are formed and people can relax and be themselves. Its nice to have something to remember our departed loved ones by, like a garden. I enjoyed this book of memories and friendships.

Gardening and growing together. Rose has just retired from being a busy nurse. She dreads being alone at home since her husband died. What will she do with herself? Her garden by the sea is too big for her to manage alone. She decides to give it a go. Soon other neighbours help her transform her garden. They bond through their work there and turn it into a garden of memories. As she says “People are like flowers. If you give them the right environment in which to grow, they bloom.” A joyful book about shared enjoyment of a job well done.

What a lovely uplifting story with beautiful descriptions and delightful characters that I truly cared about! At the core of The Garden of Memories is the power of nature on the human heart. Sitting in a garden of beautiful flowers can be calming and as this story shows, there’s a magic in the greenery that draws out emotions and allows wounds to heal. ‘Memories can be awakened…at a familiar flower or smelling its scent’ as character Rose, a retired nurse, points out. She started this garden initially in memory of her late husband but this haven became so much more. It resulted in a place for wounded hearts to come together in a welcoming community. Where they felt free to share and where friendships developed, matured and took shape.

Digging around in the dirt and planting flowers and vegetables, connects us to the earth we are part of. It has been long shown that nature has a way of reducing stress and can bring balance and inner peace. Rose knows how much it has helped her and she is willing to share that magic with her neighbours. Many people come her way and find the tranquility and release in her garden. Then they tell others and the circle of friends widen and next thing you know there are parties happening! Everyone is sharing their innermost thoughts and finding solace, solutions and healing in amongst the flowers. Flora, Daisy, Louise, Sally and even her daughter Bella are just a few, who receive emotional refreshment, direction and courage to fulfill their dreams. Some even to change their circumstances and to give themselves permission to be themselves: to be human, not perfect but free to love, laugh and grow.

Big cheers particularly to the women in this novel who had the courage to stand up for themselves and say ‘enough is enough’: to no more be dominated and diminished by the male figures in their lives or manipulated by controlling mothers! It is clearly shown how damaging this behaviour has been on these victims’ lives.

The novel is mostly focused on Rose but Flora and Sally share their perspectives, too. Another important character is Daisy. (Three of these women share flower names which fits nicely into the story!) Rose, as mentioned before, is not only a retired nurse still helping those in need (including her daughter Bella) but she has another gift. In her younger days she was a great singer. Through Daisy’s prompting, she manages to get lost again in the rapture of music and puts her talent back into use. Flora is a retired schoolteacher and is seen as the lighthouse of the group. Often an encourager, pointing fearful souls to safer shores—in this case Rose’s garden. Daisy, a librarian assistant, is tall, willowy, showy and outspoken with auburn curls and machine-gun-fire-words who makes everyone smile, lifts them up when down, lends an ear and heart, and has been friends with Rose since childhood. Sally is a late bloomer who joins in the garden restoration by creating a beautiful pond. In doing so, she transforms herself into a confident fit woman. No more being a door mat or under control of her abusive husband’s poisonous tongue!

This is a novel about transformation: Rose sets out to transform the garden but in the end, the garden transforms her and others who enter its domain. The salt, the sea and the scent of flowers are a balm to troubled souls. This is a beautiful story about new beginnings, the warmth of friendship, the healing and energising powers of nature, connecting with others who make you feel as Bella says, ‘like coming home’ where acceptance and love are in abundance. As Rose demonstrates: ‘flowers can evoke such wonderful memories’ that ‘keep hope alive.’ Plus, they can sow new ones, too. And as the visitors to the garden get a chance to plant a flower in memory of someone or an event, old memories live on forever. While new ones are created, too, resulting in the past and present coming together in a healthy harmony. The Garden of Memories is an important story by Amanda James about relationships and one I certainly will never forget! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for a review copy.

The Garden of memories by Amanda James

This book is a delight to read be it curled up in a cosy corner in your own home , or sat outside in your own garden on a sunny day !
Set in Cornwall , a newly retired nurse ,, also widowed , decides to bring her husband's garden back to it's former glory but somehow it brings joy and friendship to many others.

The Garden of Memories,is about women in their later years in life are tending to a garden filled with plants which reminds them of something close to their hearts.

It is a warm, nostalgic story which will make you laugh, feel calm, curse a few and sort out some niggling thoughts while you are at it.

When Rose retires from being a nurse after many years at the local GP surgery, she decides she must tackle her neglected garden. She lives alone in Cornwall and struggles to get motivated.
Rose eventually grows specific plants to remind her of a past love and also her late husband. As her community grows she encourages her friends to bring a plant that brings them happiness and place it in the garden. The garden brings everyone together. This a joyous read with no murders or violence and is a complete delight to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a nice quick read about a bunch of elderly women (and one young man), three of them with floral names, who are getting their mojos back. It all starts with Rose's garden kind of becoming a communal garden where everyone is invited to plant memories, and much is talked about the restorative properties of gardening. Each of the women are battling with personal traumas, but the garden helps their mental health recover, and they all become firm friends.

The descriptions of Cornwall and the garden are colourful and vivid, and the characters all quirky and lovable, however, I had problems distinguishing between them, and towards the end it got almost too sweet for me as everyone seemed to get their happy ending at double speed. It's a heartwarming story but I'm not sure I will remember it tomorrow. The cover is gorgeous though.

This is a simply lovely book that is full of heart and heartbreak all at the same time. It’s also great to have stories that focus on mid age characters.

What happens when you retire after forty years of being a nurse? Are you still a nurse? Or are you a "used to be" nurse? How will people treat you,will they still ask for advice as they used to? What do you do with your time, who are you ?

These are the questions that Rose asks herself the day she retires from her job as practice nurse in the local GP Practice. Her husband died two years ago so it's back to an empty house day after day.

As Rose looks out on her garden by the sea in beautiful Cornwall she remembers how invested her husband was in his garden which he tended with love and care. She decides to put all her energy into bringing it back to the way it was in memory of him.

May has recently moved into a house along the road after a lifetime living with and nursing her uncaring mother. She has sold the big house and garden and moved into a smaller house though regrettably without a garden.

May watches the goings on outside and wonders why the woman across the road is no longer leaving home at the same time every morning and she hopes she's okay.

As Rose tends her garden she also gathers friends and offers them the chance to plant something in her garden that bring back a memory for them just as she has done in her husband's memory.

What a beautiful uplifting story this is. The people who come into Rose's life, some she has known for a long time and some she has just met are like you and me. They have troubles or regrets or sadness but they also have memories and Rose gives them a physical way to make those memories last. As she does this Rose finds a place for herself in all their lives as they all heal from the therapeutic effects of the gardens and flowers.

The descriptions of the flowers, their perfume and colour are so vivid I felt I had walked through Rose's garden myself. The characters in this book are a joy. They restore your faith in human nature.

I'm never disappointed by an Amanda James book but this one is extra special. Loved it !

The subject of this book is something that we all wonder about - what to do when we retire? Well, for Rose a retired nurse all her plans suddenly get turned upside down, when her husband passes away, but she finds a way to get through this with her beautiful garden and all her friends, both old and new. A real feel good, thought provoking read.

Oh, this is one of those lovely heartwarming books that brings back memories from your own life too, and makes you realise that you’re not on your own. A great read – and I’d love there to be a follow on with Rose and Tristan! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy.

Rose after 40 years of nursing has retired but what will she do with herself. Her husband has passed away and her daughter and grandchild have moved away from Cornwall. Her husband had a beautiful maintained garden so Rose decides to bring it to life again with the help of the community and her friends. The garden becomes a sanctuary for all that need it. A garden of memories.
A beautiful heartwarming story with wonderful characters. A lovely weekend read.

The Garden of Memories is a heartwarming story set in Cornwall. Rose, a retired nurse tends to her late husband's garden, turning it into a sanctuary of memories for herself and her friends, old and new.
This is a real feel-good read that reminds us to cherish memories, embrace new experiences, and find joy in the little things.
It’s simply wonderful - there’s no other words really 🪴

A gloriously uplifting book around a group of women who come together through flowering plants. Set in a coastal town in Cornwall with an endearing set of characters all with various relationship issues which they find encouragement to overcome in a common love of a garden. A gentle read which is certainly heartwarming and restores one's faith in community and friendship. I just loved three year old Wesley calling Louise 'weez', an endearing trait of young children and the name unexpectedly sticking.

This is an interesting story. About life after retirement , lost opportunities in your youth because of parents, a beautiful garden and so much more. I can’t write a review to do it justice but read it . You will love it and a neat ending not predictable .

Rose has retired after many years working as a nurse.
Looking for something to keep her occupied she becomes involved in looking after her garden and soon meets new and old friends and company along the way.
An easy read about friendships and community.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Funny, poignant, endearing characters, a good spattering of relatable everyday truths, a few unexpected plot twists . . . everything a good book should be! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rose has retired from nursing and can't think what she's going to do with her time. She then decides to turn her garden into a garden of memories and it changes so many lives

Not for me. I do appreciate books about female characters from all walks of life finding friendship and support amongst their difficulties (abuse, bullying, broken hearts), but somehow these characters didn't resonate with me. Their stories being just that, not something I could feel below the surface. Didn't finish.