A woman alone in the world is vulnerable, but in Victorian society this was even more apparent: a time where women were allowed to own little and have a say over even less. Harriet loves her beautifully wild garden, but when she finds herself alone and at the centre of an investigation into her father's disappearance, a sinister plot begins to unfold. Harriet must accept the wild magic inside herself and take control of her life. It is a beautifully whimsical tale that is sprinkled with a little magic, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Harriet is a strange young woman who's father has disappeared. The blurb of this book had me really intrigued, however, I did struggle with the 1st half of the book. Harriet is not a likeable character at first, she's obviously a little "peculiar" and there is just something about her I didn't love.

Saying all this... the 2nd half of the book had me HOOKED. It was tense, fast paced and I was desperate to finish to find out how it was going to end. Now I've never been into these sorts of books - more gothic horror and historical fiction but maybe because there were magical elements involved I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Harriet's character development was also great and by the last few chapters I ended up liking her!

Dnf at page 33. Apologies this one is not for me. I tried to like the protagonist and the background story but it made me feel unsettled so couldn’t get myself to carry on. Thanks for the ARC

Unfortunately this did not click with me. It felt a little disjointed and i didn't connect with the protagonist Harriet at all.

I felt this was slow to start, so didn't get into it until quite a way into the book.
Harriet was an interesting character, but not quite as interesting as her garden.
I feel so much more could have been done with her garden, and if the author choses to, I'll be here for it.
Lots happening in the second half of the book, making it quite an enjoyable tale.

"The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt" is a quirky, fun historical novel. Set in the Victorian era, Harriet has a certain talent with plants and her garden. However, this doesn't make her fit in with society. Gothic in feel at time, it does have child-like elements of "The Secret Garden". If you want something a little bit lighter to read but with structure then this could be the book for you.

This is verging on gothic fantasy, really well written about a young woman who is living alone and finding it difficult to manage. The cover is beautiful, which is what drew me to it
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy

Following the disappearance of her father, Harriet Hunt's main focus is to survive and protect her garden. After suspicion lands on her, she must marry to survive, but her new husband may be worse than her father. This cosy, low-fantasy tells the tale of love, loss, friendship, and magic.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book, I made it only to 35%. The writing wasn't to my taste, and I felt it to be a little disjointed. 

I did not connect to Harriet at all. She is an interesting character for sure and falls into the most peculiar situations, but I never felt for her. She felt very fair from me, like I was never truly let into her head and her emotions. She is naive, and yes, though this is a product of her past, she didn't seem to grow out of it. She felt distant and like a character on paper.

I never felt like the story truly began. Even when Harriet was going out and about, exploring and experiencing and discovering, it still felt like build up. There never felt like there was any true progression in Harriet's journey, and the timeline felt off.

Overall, this story wasn't for me, but I can see how it would appeal and please others. There are interesting side characters, and the descriptions of the garden are very immersive. It just wasn't the type of cosy fantasy that pulls me in.

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt

Harriet Hunt is completely alone. Her father disappeared months ago, leaving her to wander the halls of Sunnyside house, dwelling on a past she’d rather keep buried. She doesn’t often venture beyond her front gate, instead relishing the feel of dirt under her fingernails and of soft moss beneath her feet. Consequently, she’s been deemed a little too peculiar for popular Victorian society. This solitary life suits her fine, though – because, outside, magic awaits.
I read this not being sure about it . Not only is the garden peculiar , Harriet is also .
It was a completely different type of book from what I would usually read and at times did question whether I would carry on , but I was totally engaged with it and couldn't stop reading !

I found this a really intriguing read with lots of mystery, family secrets and weird plants
I really connected with the main character and thought the pacing and writing style was really good
The story was very interesting while the characters were realistic and there was a dark atmosphere which added to the mystery

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc