The Someday Garden ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston


Spanish cover
just a different color scheme

G👀dreads About Summary

The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside...

When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer—for a temporary job revitalizing the storied grounds at Lilymoor House—she doesn’t expect to fall in love.

But she does: With the beguiling land, the fragrant flowers, and the towering hedge maze. With the quirky staff and the enigmatic woman who owns the place.

And then, the door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, and unfinished, garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man trapped inside.

This mysterious garden is not the only sign that the future of Lilymoor is unstable: the foliage resists Sophie’s careful nurturing, vines threaten to strangle the hedges, and the manor’s owner has wild ideas about who will take over when she retires—including her inconveniently attractive nephew who is also there just for the summer.

Despite herself, Sophie has come to care for the residents of Lilymoor just as much as she cares for its grounds. With the help of one man on the outside of the secret garden, and one man on the inside, she might be the only person who can figure out exactly what Lilymoor needs to bloom once more.

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism, Fantasy

The How/Why: Ashley Poston has become one of my favorite authors for Romance/Magical Realism/Fantasy. Not typically one of my favorite genres because they typically lack realistic logic, but I find she makes them interesting and enjoyable. She writes in a way that makes the stories engaging and entertaining. She also approaches grief in such a gentle and loving way. 
This is my third by her.
First being The Dead Romantics. A Five Star Fav. I put this one on Notify Me with Libby as soon as I finished it and saw it advertised as "coming soon".
Then a friend gave me The Seven Year Slip. A solid Four Stars.
Now this one became available from my Libby Hold. It was just published 6-16-2026. 
I picked it first from my Borrows for a couple of reasons.
Reason 1 = there are several people waiting behind me so trying to be polite.
Reason 2 = after two murder stories (one corny and one true crime) and a highly political 'man off the rails' story which I DNF, I need a lighter palette cleanser. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was debating between 3.5 and 4 stars, but I bumped it to 4 because Lilymoor House doesn't hold a grudge - so neither will I. 

🎉🎊 Overall Storytelling? 

  • Setting the stage. Atmosphere, Vibe 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
  • Likeable Characters: Protagonist, Supporting Cast, Extras 🎉🎉🎉🎊
  • Unlikeable Antagonist: There wasn't one
  • Executing the premise 🎉🎉🎉🎊
  • Lives up to the promise 🎉🎉🎉🎊

🎣🎏 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎏

 🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕If you like Magical Realism

 🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖ 

 📚 Would I want to read more books by this author? Yes ➕

 ⚠️💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? Ǥriɇf & ɃɇrɇaṼɇmɇnt, DɇaṪh of a L0ved 0ne, Cɐncɇr & Tɇrmïnɐl IllnɇŞŞ

 🌶️🫑Spice? Google says 2 or 3 out of 5. I'll let you know. 
Update: 🌶️🌶️, maybe just 🌶️🫑 

 🌪 Plot Twist? No

 👟 Pace? Dragged on a bit

 💻 Tidbits ~ This was a sweet story. 

Highlights

Trapped in grief with survivor guilt. “Why am I allowed to be healthy?” while trying to pick up the pieces after the death of a loved one. Both Sophie and Eula a struggling with moving on. 

Lilymoor House is its own character, including a shifting Magical Door and the whimsical dream of the Someday Garden.

Angry Goose Alert! Appropriately named Damnit. When he's naughty she says Damn it-Damnit! 

Romance was less of a love triangle and more of a dual attraction with overlapping sparks. One flame fizzled while the other ignited.

Lowlights

Pacing - I felt like it was too long. I found myself saying “get on with it already” and then looking to see how much time was left. “Four hours? How can there be four more hours?”
(For reference: 🎧11.27 hours 🕮 396 pages)

Not splitting hairs but… way too much chat about Cyrus’s hair. I get it! Cyrus is a redhead. Multiple and constant references to his ginger locks made me roll my eyes long before the end.

Grief has no timeline. It’s the price we pay for love. However, Sophie has not given herself permission to live her life after Harri (Harriet) died 10 years ago. She
replays scenes in her head like it was yesterday. I’m not sure why I felt that was unnecessarily repetitive.

Favorite Quotes:

“The best stores are the ones that fill you with wonder. The ones you most believe.”

Describing a Beyond-a-Bestie: “The person who inherits the solemn duty of deleting your internet history when you die.”

Favorite Character: Eula Beck, owner of Lilymoor House was a real treasure. She and her late husband had embraced the estate’s magical property and enchanting gardens. She longs to leave their legacy in good hands.

Lilymoor sounded like a place I’d love to visit. 

🎧 Narrator: Patti Murin (one of my favs) always has the magic in her voice. 

🎧11.27 hours (Libby) 🕮 396 pages

I created with Gemini AI
I provided the book quote
AI created the background

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