Book Review: The Garden of Shared Stories by Clare Swatman

It’s so exciting to be welcoming Clare Swatman back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The Garden of Shared Stories.

Emma is at an all-time low the day she meets Nick. She sits down in a quiet rose garden in her local park, and from nowhere a handsome man sits next to her and turns her world upside down.

Over the weeks, she and Nick meet regularly, always in the same place, always at the same time. They discover they have a lot in common – shared heartbreak, and shared dreams. They tell each other stories about the people they’ve lost – things they’ve never told anyone else. Bit by bit, they get to know each other, and fall in love.

But there’s a catch, because however much they have in common, they have one big thing keeping them apart… twenty years apart. Because when Nick is sitting in the garden it’s 1999 – two decades before Emma is there.

Emma never expected to fall in love again, but now she has, she’s not going to give up on it without a fight. But how do you turn something impossible into a happy ever after?

*****

Emma is mourning the loss of her husband, Greg whist Nick is trying to move on after the death of his wife, Dawn. Through a twist of fate, they both find themselves visiting the bandstand in the town gardens at the same time. Will they see where life takes them or will they be kept apart by a force stronger than fate?

I have been a fan of Clare Swatman’s books for a long time and never pass on an opportunity to jump onto one of her blog tours if I can and so, I couldn’t wait to get started on The Garden of Shared Stories.

I want to start by saying how pretty this cover is. Stunning.

OK, so down to the story. In one word, masterful.

The author wastes no time in tugging at the heartstrings and pulling the reader right into the story and taking hold, not letting go until the end.

I immediately had empathy for both Emma and Nick and wanted them to have a happily ever after. They both felt real, well developed and relatable as they try to navigate life without their spouses whilst also trying to deal with the growing feelings they have for each other. The supporting cast were also wonderful and there wasn’t one I didn’t like.

There is the added complication that they are in different times. This added such an interesting element to it and had me wondering whether I’d want to know my future if I had an opportunity to do so.

The plot overall was compelling and unfolded well. I couldn’t figure out quite how it was all going to come together in the end. Clare Swatman does a really good job of making the unbelievable, believeable.

This novel deals with themes such as love, loss and the grief that follows. It has some truly sad moments but also has life affirming ones that will make you smile and give you hope. I don’t want to say much more as I don’t want to spoil it too much.

In short, this is another fantastic novel from one of my favourite authors. Thank you for inviting me onto the tour and for allowing me to go along for the ride with Emma and Nick.

(Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review).

About Clare Swatman –

Clare Swatman is the author of bestselling women’s fiction novels, which have been translated into over 20 languages.

She has been a journalist for over twenty years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home amongst many other magazines.

She lives in Hertfordshire.

Say hello to Clare via Facebook, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

The Garden of Shared Stories was released by Boldwood Books on 3rd December. Click to buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones.

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.