The Heart of the Garden

Written by Victoria Connelly

Narrated by Jan Cramer

Morton Hall, with its beautiful, ruined grounds and its reclusive mistress, Emilia Morton, is full of mysteries. For freelance editor Anne Marie, the wild garden has become a serene and secret refuge from her loveless marriage. The only other regular visitor is Cape, the hall’s part-time gardener, who is forbidden to tend to anything except the magnificent maze or to meet his enigmatic employer.

When Emilia dies, Cape and Anne Marie are astonished to find themselves among an unlikely group of villagers named in her strange will. Morton Hall, including its dazzling art collection and once glorious grounds, can belong to the community forever, but only if they work together to bring the garden back to life within a single year.

As they try to put their differences aside to restore the tangled grounds, long-buried secrets are unearthed. Can the past be forgiven as hope and new love begin to bloom?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Feb 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543638790

Victoria Connelly

Victoria Connelly was brought up in Norfolk and studied English literature at Worcester University before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire. After getting married in a medieval castle and living in London for eleven years, she moved to rural Suffolk with her artist husband and ever-increasing family of animals. She has had three novels published in Germany – the first of which was made into a film. To find out more about Victoria Connelly please visit www.victoriaconnelly.com

Reviews for The Heart of the Garden

[Suze Lavender · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Emilia Morton is a mystery. She never leaves her house and lets her garden grow wild, except for the maze, which gardener Cape perfectly maintains. Even though Morton Hall is a private property Anne Marie often walks around the gardens. She's unhappily married and her husband and stepdaughters treat her with coldness and contempt. The garden is her sanctuary. When Emilia dies she leaves her home and the gardens to the community and she's selected a small group of people who are supposed to look after the house and its beautiful gardens. Anne Marie and Cape are part of this strange will and their shared love for the gardens of Morton Hall brings them closer together.

Cape's girlfriend isn't happy with her life. They have a beautiful girl together and Cape loves Poppy more than anything. His work is his passion and he's happy where he is, but his girlfriend would love to move to the other side of the world. This causes friction. Working on Emilia's legacy gives him a perfect chance to escape the oppressive atmosphere at home. Anne Marie feels the exact same way and they have more in common than just that. Will Emilia's plans bring the group of people she's chosen to take care of her house and gardens closer together? Will they find out more about both themselves and the enigmatic woman who never showed herself?

The Heart of the Garden is a beautiful romantic story. I was immediately captivated by Morton Hall and its history. It's an intriguing place filled with secrets, hidden gems and weird family history. Victoria Connelly alternates between the past, describing Emilia's younger years, and the present and I was equally fascinated by both parts of the story. Emilia is an interesting character and I was curious to find out why her life was so secluded. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to find out what happened to her.

Anne Marie is a kindhearted woman. She's taking care of people who will never do anything for her and reading about her life was heartbreaking. She deserves to be loved instead of being treated as a convenience. She loves Morton Hall and its gardens and there she truly feels at peace. It was interesting to see how forming friendship with the other people Emilia named in her will enriches her life and makes her come out of her shell. The same goes for Cape, even though Poppy is adorable and he's a great father, he's missing something at home and he finds happiness in the gardens. I really liked how each member of the group contributes something and enjoyed reading about all of them a lot.

Victoria Connelly has written a wonderful story. Her writing has a lovely easy flow that makes it hard to put The Heart of the Garden down. I read the book in one sitting and loved every single page. I'm a big fan of stories about old houses and the secrets behind them and gardens with mazes always fascinate me, so the setting instantly put a smile on my face. The Heart of the Garden is an amazing story filled with surprising twists and turns. I especially loved the sense of community, the heartwarming friendships and the healing powers of working together. Victoria Connelly has written a fantastic spellbinding book.