A Secret Garden Affair by Erica James

 

A Secret Garden Affair by Erica James.

Published 30th March 2033 by HQ.

From the cover of the book:

July 1981. As the country prepares to celebrate Prince Charles’ wedding to Lady Diana, Libby wants to be as far away from royal wedding fever as possible.

Having caught her own fiancé in bed with her best friend just weeks before they were due to marry, she’s fled London for the comfort of the Suffolk countryside.

At Larkspur House, with its magical garden created by renowned garden designer and one-time socialite Elfrida Ambrose, and its comfortingly familiar kitchen presided over by Libby’s great-aunt Bess, she hopes to find a way to put her life back together.

But for lifelong friends Bess and Elfrida, Libby’s arrival has stirred up the ghosts of the past. And before they can help her rebuild her shattered future, they must confront their own unspoken secrets, lost loves, and tragedies…

***********

July, 1981. The world is working itself into a frenzy in the run-up to the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, but the last thing Libby wants to think about is weddings. Having just discovered, three weeks before their wedding, that her fiancé Marcus has been sleeping with her best friend Selina, Libby heads for the comforting presence of Larkspur House, the home of famous garden designer Elfrida Ambrose and Libby's great-aunt Bess - the only place where she has ever felt truly at home.

Libby's arrival tips Elfrida and Bess' calm routine on its head, and as she tries to make sense of where she goes from here Libby's unhappiness stirs up the memories of their own painful losses. Perhaps it is time to address the secrets they have been keeping, so they can all find a way to lay the ghosts of the past to rest.

The Secret Garden Affair immerses you in the world of beautiful gardens, and difficult family relationships through the eyes of three women - young Libby who has had her heart broken, and the two characters who have been a steady influence on her throughout her life, Elfrida and Bess. Libby heads to Larkspur House looking for stability as a time when she cannot trust her own feelings, but little does she know that former socialite Elfrida and her close friend (and her former lady's maid) Bess have been keeping secrets from her too.

The story plays out from the point of view of the three women, while also delving into the past lives of Elfrida and Bess from the time of their meeting in the 1920s. James does a sterling job of dropping little hints about the secrets that they have been keeping over the years, but does not reveal the full truth until almost the end of the story. She moves back and forth between the present, where the impact of these secrets has torn family relationships asunder, and evocative episodes from the 1920s onwards that tell of the shared experiences that have bound Elfrida and Bess together. 

There are some great characters to get your teeth into in this tale, but my favourites are Elfrida and Bess. A wonderful closeness grows up between them over the years after everything they have been through together, even though they begin the story in very different places socially. Elfrida has always been the unconventional rule breaker, misunderstood by almost everyone except Bess, and their fierce protectiveness of each other is enchanting. Their interactions give rise to many humorous and poignant episodes.

James floods this story with regret and aching loss, exploring how grief and misplaced guilt can divide families, and you feel every heart-wrenching moment with real force - especially the impact of these emotions on mental health. There is a lot of pain being carried around by these characters, and my heartstrings were well and truly tugged, but there is also romance, glamour, warmth, and friendship - and over the course of the story the threads come together in forgiveness and hope. 

I love how you can feel James' own passion for gardening through this story. There is a wealth of interesting information about garden design, and designers, which I really enjoyed. It also took me right back to the Royal wedding fever of 1981, which I remember well. Setting the story at this time adds a curious level of pathos to everything that is quite intriguing given the hindsight that we now have about the golden marriage that proved to be anything but.

It is always a joy to consume an Erica James novel, and this proved to be the perfect escapist read that hits that emotional sweet spot, tied up with a rich historical drama. I think it might be my favourite of her books yet.

A Secret Garden Affair is available to but now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to HQ for sending me a hardcover copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Erica's first novel - A Breath of Fresh Air - was published in 1996 and was selected by WH Smith as a finalist for their Fresh Talent promotion. Since then she has written many more novels, most of which have been bestsellers, including Gardens of Delight which won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award and features Lake Como, one of her favourite places to visit. Her novel Summer at the Lake also features Lake Como and was a No.1 bestseller in Norway.

Her twenty-fourth novel - Mothers and Daughters - was published in March 2022 and is her first book to be published by HQ Stories. It's set on the south coast of England where recently widowed Naomi lives at Anchor House in the harbour village of Tilsham. Her eldest daughter, Martha, has decided that it's time for her mother to sell Anchor House and downsize to be nearer her. But Naomi has plans of her own, which she fears will come as a shock to her daughters.

She is a big fan of F1 and loves to mess about in her garden. She also have a serious knitting addiction. In Norway where she published by Bastion Forlag, you can even buy a knitting pattern based on a Fair Isle cardigan she designed.