Garden of Her Heart - Zoë Richards - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Zoë Richards

GENRE: Contemporary Women's Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: June 20, 2024

RATING: 3.75 stars.

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.

(Editing to Add: Some of my friends on  Goodreads were very excited to read about 'gardening leave'. So just to clarify, it isn't exactly something to aspire to, unless voluntary. Here's its definition from Wikipedia:

'Garden leave (also known as gardening leave) is the practice whereby an employee leaving a job – having resigned or otherwise had their employment terminated – is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll.')

🍀 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.

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