This is a heartwarming story about self-love, friendship, and the journey of rediscovering oneself after a traumatic event. It beautifully illustrates how, even in the darkest moments, there is hope for renewal and joy. Throughout Holly's journey, I found myself deeply invested in her struggles and triumphs, rooting for her every step of the way. The emotional depth of her experiences made me long for her to achieve the happiness and fulfillment she so richly deserved after everything she had been through. It’s a poignant reminder that healing is possible and that the bonds we form with others can help light the path back to ourselves.

Warm hearted summer read, I read this over a weekend. Well crafted debut novel from Zoe Richards, can't wait to see what she writes next.

I'd been looking forward to reading this book so much. The cover is beautiful, the synopsis wonderful, and I have Zoe on Twitter and she seems delightful, so I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

I won't lie, I'd decided I was going to love this before I'd even started reading it. I got to the dedication where Zoe put "to anyone who has every struggled with their mental health - may you find some comfort in Holly's time at Pinewoods Retreat, and I haven't been shy on my social media as to how bad my mental health has been and this touched me instantly. And I decided in that moment that I would love this book.

Holly is one of the best main characters I've read. Immediately she had my love and my support. I felt akin to her and willed her every step of the way.

There's so many absolutely perfect characters. Dee and Lorraine who run the retreat who are gorgeous mother hens. Bex, Ruth and San, fellow guests who again are brilliant and work so well with Holly. Hunter, the odd-jobs guy is verrrrry nice and I want to know what garden I can pick him from! There are other characters, some nice, some not so nice. But they're all fabulously created, layered, honest, real, and they all do such a perfect job to help push Holly's story on. Even her grandparents, though not with us anymore, take a starring role and I felt like I knew them. This warmth their memories gave Holly gave me such a longing or my own grandparents.

It's very moving and I found myself welling up at numerous times. For the sad bits, yes, but also for the hope and joy and love and friendship and peace that this book explored.

I love that whilst there is a romantic element in it, and familial relationships, they pale in my view to the depiction of friendships and just how important it is to have friends that you trust. And that sometimes all it takes is a friendly "hello" to pull someone out of the darkness.

I believe this is Zoe's first book, and if so, then she's done an absolute masterful job. Rarely is a book perfect from start to finish, btu this is. In every way. The wording, characters, setting, emotion, morals, beliefs - I wouldn't change a single thing about it. And it means that I will be front of the queue for whatever she writes next.

It definitely deserves to be read by everyone. It definitely has the capacity to change lives, and I mean that from the very depths of everything I've got. I even pre-ordered a few copies to send to friends on publication day.

Normally when I have finished reading a digital copy, I delete it to make room for more books on my Kindle, but I can't bring myself to delete this one. I have a feeling I'll be needing to pop back in now and then.

As well as obviously going on my "best books of 2024" annual roundup, I'm pretty certain it will be on my "best books ever" list. There's nothing wrong with it. For me, it was perfect. An interesting plot, fabulously written characters (for good and bad), beautiful settings, an important message about friendship and love and mental health and the feeling of belonging.

Garden of Her Heart is a beautifully written debut novel which through the character of Holly looks at recovery from trauma in an empathic and sensitive way. After an attack and a period of sick leave from her work as a travel agent Holly is made redundant and as part of her redundancy package has the opportunity to take an all expenses paid trip. She decides to stay close to home and books in at a local retreat. I’d love to stay at this retreat myself !
Through her connection with gardening and a group of other women at the retreat Holly is able to find a sense of belonging and begin the path to recovery.
I loved this novel, the author writes with such warmth and understanding and I felt that I was there at the retreat with Holly who is an authentic , sympathetic and relatable character.
As someone who is on their own healing path I found this novel came into my life at just the right time and it gave me a sense of hope.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Garden of Her Heart by Zoë Richards is a stunning debut and I cannot wait to see what Zoë publishes next.

Garden of Her Heart came along at the perfect time for me. I was in need of a palette cleanser from my usual dark thrillers and this one fit the bill beautifully.

My teenage and early-twenties self related so much to Holly, the main character, there there were times I could feel her pain. I mean, I didn't go through the same things she did, but the feelings of invisibility and bullying were visceral. Holly grew and changed in a few weeks, mine took a few years, but yet I felt myself smiling and my heart growing for Holly as I kept reading.

Garden of Her Heart is the perfect summer read.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

We meet Holly, for who life is going that well. She reads in the paper about a retreat, which isn’t that far from where she lives. She decides to go and hopefully being there will help her be the person she was before everything changed.

As you read more about Holly, and what she’s been through start to root for her, that she overcomes the hardships.

At the retreat she finds friendships between the other ladies and a place where she feels like she’s between family. There was plenty of moments that made you laugh and your mouth water with all the delicious food.

I loved how well the story was written, it kept you engrossed from beginning to end.

I highly recommend this book.

I will surely review in a proper way as the style of writing and the storytelling are excellent and it made me feel good.
As it's quite a hard time I found hard to rate and and review it in the best way as it's novel that touched some very intimate chords
It's an excellent novel, a more extensive review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

In a Nutshell: A soothing read about a woman’s journey towards healing. Romance present but not as the prime focus of the story for most of the way. A nice option for those who enjoy feel-good women’s fiction.

Plot Preview:
Holly has not been resumed her job since a brutal attack some months ago left her with PTSD. The travel company she works for can’t wait anymore and fires her, but not without forcing her to take a mandatory “gardening leave” by utilising their free-annual-holiday-for-employees option. Holly chooses to go to a new retreat not so far from her place, so that she can rush home immediately in case things don’t work out. But at Pinewoods Retreat, she discovers that she isn’t the only one who needs healing, that it is better to resolve past trauma with the support of others, and that “gardening leave” can sometimes turn into literal gardening.
The story comes to us in Holly’s third person perspective.


Bookish Yays:
🍀 Holly’s character: Her transition from wallflower to an independent thinker comes out beautifully, making this seem almost like a ‘coming of age’ novel. I love how she wasn’t written as a typical naïve girl, but as someone who has the imagination to think beyond the obvious, the ability to make friends, as well as sharp business acumen.
🍀 The concept of ‘garden’, which isn’t just a part of the title but is active throughout the story, whether through the ‘gardening leave’ that Holly is forced to take, or her gardening memories with her grandfather, or of her gardening endeavours at Pinewoods. Even beyond the literal meaning, ‘garden’ can be seen as a metaphor for the experiences of some of the people at Pinewoods. As someone with a black thumb, all the green content was balm to my soul.
🍀 The incorporation of mental health issues, such as Holly’s PTSD and panic attacks, as well as Bex’s and Ruth’s complex emotions. I appreciate how the focus is more on the aftermath of the trauma than the trauma itself, making this story a journey of healing than of digging into the pain. For a debut novel, the themes are surprisingly restrained.
🍀 Holly's journal entries, that appear at regular interludes in between her third person narration. A creative way of letting us know where she is mentally without any extended first-person rambling.
🍀 The other female characters at the resort: San, Bex, Ruth, Dee and Lorraine. All strong characters with a distinct personality and an important role to play in the proceedings. Their interactions with Holly highlight the benefit of support and friendship.
🍀 The lessons, the most important one being that no one should be judged at face value. It also shows the importance of standing up for yourself, seeking help when needed, having your own support system, and changing your routine when you want a fresh start.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌿 Pinewood needs a gardener. Holly is jobless and loves gardening. So it doesn't take a genius to figure out where the story is going to end, though it takes a surprisingly long time for things to fall in place. That said, no one reads this genre wanting twists and thrills. The journey is more important, and in this case, despite the predictability, the journey offers enough of enjoyment.


Bookish Nays:
🌵 The two prominent male characters in the story, three if you count the BLT fellow, fall flat in comparison to the females. Dylan, the unethical journalist, is as cliched as can be. Hunter is meant to be the love interest, but his approach towards Holly is more annoying than adorable. (More on this below.)
🌵 The romance isn’t convincing. I get why the book has romance – many readers feel that a women’s fiction is incomplete without romance. Not for me though. I’d rather have the FMC “feel good” on her own merit than because she found someone to swoon over. That said, I still root for couples who are written well. In this story though, the Hunter-Holly dynamics are strangely unsteady. Hunter’s random blow-hot-blow-cold attitude was irksome and unjustified, making their ‘relationship” seem abrupt and weak.
🌵 Minor complaint: The title is a bit cheesy, sorry.

All in all, despite the teeny flaws, this is still a story that delivers to the right reader. It is not exactly a light read, but a good option when you want something soothing and emotional. It will also work for those readers who want to try a self-help book without reading a self-help book, as it has so many positive life lessons to offer.

Definitely recommended to fans of women’s fiction. This type of story is not much my kind of read any more, but it fulfils what it promises, and that’s what matters.

3.75 stars.

My thanks to UCLan Publishing for the DRC of “Garden of Her Heart”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

When Holly gets made redundant from her travel agency job after a period of long-term sickness, she is offered a trip of her choice as part of the redundancy package! Still recovering, she doesn't want to travel oo far and ends up at a retreat not too far from her house with the view that, if she doesn't like it, she will just come home. What she didn't expect was for this break to change where life forever!

This was a gentle and heartwarming story following Holly as she continues her recovery and makes some friends and changes along the way. It covers some pretty tough issues, but in a real and life-affirming way.

Garden of Her Heart by Zoe Richards is a heart warming and uplifting story of healing and recovery that will have readers rejoicing in the power of friendship and the importance of allowing oneself a little grace.
Holly has been made redundant from her job in a travel agency following a period of extended sick leave in the aftermath of a vicious attack that left her both physically and mentally scarred. As part of her leaving package she books a three week stay at a retreat not far from her home, hoping that it will give her time to figure out her next moves, and possibly a change in career. While there she makes true friendships, something that has been sadly lacking in her life. Working on her journal allows her to work on her mental health while a series of one on one sessions with the retreat's hunky physical trainer Hunter helps with her physical recovery... and puts a twinkle in her eye. She also takes gardening leave to the next level when she discovers that the garden at the property has been allowed to go to seed, and working there is extremely therapeutic for her and for those she ropes into helping her.
This was a really gentle but very affirming read, I absolutely fell in love with Holly as a character and loved to see her growing in strength and confidence and figuring out what she really wanted from her life. I thought the depiction of PTSD and its impact on those who suffer and those around them was very well handled , there was a gentle humour throughout the book that took the edge off some of the darker themes. I also really appreciated the balance between Holly's developing friendships with the other women at the retreat and her budding romance with Hunter, it would have been very easy to lean more into the romance but the author never fell into that trap.
I will say that there is nothing surprising about the ending of this book, there are no last minute shocking twists, everything is telegraphed well in advance, but for a comfort read like this I think it works.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Enjoyed reading this book. My dad and his dad both loved to garden so this book was a lovely reminder of spending time in the garden with them

The book tackles some tough issues for the main characters but is a lovely uplifting read about the power of new beginnings and learning to think in a positive way and finding a purpose.

Happy to recommend and I look forward to reading more by Zoe in the future.

Recuperating from a violent attack, Holly Bush - whose mother can never be forgiven for sticking her with such an absurd name! - is given an opportunity for a 3-week break at a nearby holiday area.

There Holly not only finds solace in outdoor life and "green exercise", but also through the people she encounters and the experiences that help her gain a sense of perspective of some of the harsh things she has suffered.

This book is an uplifting read - despite the fact that it deals with a number of serious issues, including grief and PTSD - with a focus on healing, warmth, companionship and kindness. It gets 3.5 stars.

Wise, warm and wonderful! I loved this book about friendship and healing.
My interest was sparked after listening to a number of episodes of the author’s podcast, which led me to hope that her writing would be insightful and authentic. I wasn’t disappointed. Holly has neglected the “garden of her heart” and allowed herself to feel like an unwanted weed, not helped by traumatic experiences in her life. When she hits rock bottom she’s offered a chance of a holiday, and chooses a local retreat.
The setting of this book resonated with me as I spent part of my gap year in Formby, and I remember a happy afternoon spent in the dunes at a red squirrel reserve, as well as late night trips to the beach. But this was only one of the ingredients which blended perfectly into the kind of book I adore. There’s glorious character growth, interesting and well-drawn secondary characters, a romance with a hunky but flawed hero, a villain, and real heart.
I’’ll definitely recommend this story to my friends, and will be first in the queue for the author’s next book.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This is a really feel good book which has alot of take aways even though it is a fiction book. Thoroughly enjoyable read and I will definitely recommend it to others.

Thanks to the publisher for giving me an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review of it!

Garden of Her Heart is a heartwarming tale exploring the main protagonist Holly Bush's journey of self-discovery, healing and inner growth. The story has themes of friendship, healing, and love, and has relatable characters as well as tender moments of emotion. Lovely to see a few recipes within it too!

An easy, summer read for anyone and would recommend.

Thank you and good luck to the Zoe!

This is a book that is gentle, healing and one that gives you hope for all the good things in life.

The story focuses around Holly Bush, who is struggling after experiencing two significant traumas in her life, one recent and one less so. She has little belief in herself and in addition to the traumas, is also grieving the loss of her beloved grandparents. She arrives at the peaceful Pinewood Retreat for a three week stay to try and escape from it all and find a way to heal. Through her interactions with those who work and those are staying at the retreat, she learns to love herself again and find a way to look forwards.

This is a lovely, gentle book and whilst there are a number of tragic events, which are touched upon (grief, knife crime related to abuse, PTSD, loss of a child), they are not the focus of the story and are explored in a way that, of course, touch upon the negatives but the emphasis is on how one can heal after such experiences and find the inner strength to move forward and find joy in life.

The main thing I have got out of this book is ‘warmth’ and how the love, support and belief of others in us can help us heal and find that very love in our own hearts for ourselves. As Holly in the story says we must not “forget the garden of” our heart. “It’s about looking after ourselves: weeding out the bad things, concentrating on and nurturing the good things that happen.”

The book has a positive ending, again focusing on the fact that life deals us all various cards, good and bad, but it is how we cope with all we are given is the true test. And everything we go through makes us who we are today and to those who love us, all of that is ok. As Hunter says in the story: “Our scars are what makes us - the hidden ones, as well as the ones that are there for everyone to see.”

A truly lovely book, whilst clearly fiction, it could almost be a self healing guide and certainly has thoughts one can take away in that way from it.

This is not a genre I usually read, but I really enjoyed this book. It's engaging, the characters are relatable and believable, and the pace is pleasing. To be able to write about painful issues with a gentle humour is a special talent, but Garden of Her Heart achieves this brilliantly. If I had one criticism it would be that the outcomes are rather too obvious and set earlier than would be ideal, so I found myself waiting for them to happen, rather than wondering if they would. But this did not spoil my pleasure in reading it.

This book was lovely! I was really rooting for the main character & felt myself longing for the kind of break she had at the retreat!
This was such a nice read as everyone can relate to going through hard times & seeking a way to deal with it positively.

Garden of Her Heart is a heartwarming tale of healing and growth centred around Holly Bush who is on a journey of self-discovery at Pinewoods Retreat. The story beautifully explores themes of friendship, healing, and love, with relatable characters and moments of both laughter and tears.
A must-read and I can’t wait to read more from this talented author!

My first five star read of the year!

The story starts with Holly, who is really going through a tough time. Stumbling across an article in the paper about a retreat, not far from her hometown, she decides to try and find herself again.
The more we learn about Holly and her trials, the more we love her.

We get found family and friendship, laugh out loud moments and even a couple of recipes. I loved seeing the female friendships develop. It’s something that I definitely find missing in a lot of books, favouring romantic relationship building instead, although that’s not to say that there’s no butterflies here!

I loved Zoë’s writing style, I was engaged from the first chapter. I found this book to be heartwarming, like a warm hug at the end of a long day! I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more from this author.