Review: The Sea Garden by Deborah Lawrenson

The Sea Garden

by Deborah Lawrenson

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 384

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  THE SEA GARDEN
On the lush Mediterranean island of Porquerolles off the French coast, Ellie Brooke, an award-winning British landscape designer, has been hired to restore a memorial garden. Unsettled by its haunted air and the bitterness of the garden's owner, an elderly woman who seems intent on undermining her, Ellie finds that her only ally on the island is an elusive war historian …

THE LAVENDER FIELD  Near the end of World War II, Marthe Lincel, a young blind woman newly apprenticed at a perfume factory in Nazi-occupied Provence, finds herself at the center of a Resistance cell. When tragedy strikes, she faces the most difficult choice of her life . . . and discovers a breathtaking courage she never expected.

A SHADOW LIFE  Iris Nightingale, a junior British intelligence officer in wartime London, falls for a French agent. But after a secret landing in Provence results in terrible Nazi reprisals, he vanishes. When France is liberated, Iris is determined to uncover the truth. Was he the man he claimed to be?


Kritters Thoughts: One present day story and two in the past make this novel.  All take place at points in France and the two historical deal with World War II.  A great spot in history to spotlight and interesting to have a present day story to tie into them.  Three different ladies are spotlighted and take the main character in each book and although at the beginning they don't seem related at the end the reader is given the connection (more on this later).

Although I would put historical fiction with current storylines as my favorite genre, I am not sure this is one that will rise to the top for me within the genre.  This is due to - three separate books that are advertised as connected, but for me the connection was made way too late in the game and I wish there had been more connection earlier on.  This was the big glaring problem I had.  I wanted them to come together a little earlier and enjoy the connection instead of it getting thrown in at the end.

If the above issue wouldn't bother you, then you would love this one.  It was honestly enough for me to get frustrated, but I know there are readers out there who could overcome my issue and love it!

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.