Love In An English Garden by Victoria Connelly

  Love In An English Garden by Victoria Connelly

Blurb:

 

The Jacobs family has lived at Orley Court for generations. But when Vanessa Jacobs is widowed and left to manage the property, she finds costs spiralling out of control. In order to stay in their beloved home, she and her daughters will have to sell part of it off—a decision that drives a wedge between Vanessa and her mother-in-law.
The new owners of the north wing are Laurence Sturridge and his father, Marcus. Both of them long for an escape: Laurence from the monotony of his City career; Marcus from the grief of losing his wife. Could the beauty of Orley Court offer them a fresh outlook on life?
As the two families embark on a challenging new chapter over the course of a glorious English summer, secrets are revealed and relationships tested. But as Orley Court begins to weave its magic over them, will it be love, above all, that brings the two families together?

When I started to think about this review, I realized that the variety of people and of peoples' stories is one of the things that make this book very unique. Like in real life, nobody is an island and their lives overlap, they fight, they love, they ignore each other. It starts with my problem to identify the hero and the heroine because there are several of them. The main characters are Vanessa and Jonathan and Tilda and Laurence - I think. Jassy, Marcus, Dolly and Jenna are also very strong and loveable characters. All of their lives are interwoven, the actions of one of them influences the lives of the others. Different generations, different backgrounds but when it comes to love, being loved and, well, I think you could say - at being "seen" , they are all the same.

This is something very important, I think. Love is not something just for young people and life isn't over when the one you loved dies. Life and love go on, there is always a chance for a second chance if you're  just willing to take a risk. Sometimes your own strength might not be enough but there are others there who will help and support you.
The characters in "Love in an English Garden" get those second chances, they have to learn to take risks, they learn to accept help and I loved reading about them and their fight for something "more".

When Vanessa and her daughter Tilda decided to sell a part of the old manor house that has been in the Jacob's family for generations, they know that Dolly, the mother of VAnessa's late husband and Tilda's grandmother would not accept this decision no matter how much they need the money. What they didn't know was how much their lives would change for the better when Laurence and his father Marcus move into the North Wing. Second chances, new friendships, new love and a much better understanding for those around them will soon follow.

I loved this book and its complex story where one wonderful old manor house and its inhabitants touch so many lives and change them. Each of them has his or her dreams and somehow they help each other to achieve them. A wonderful book that made me think and that stayed with me even longer than the last page.

★★★★★