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.

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