I first read this book over 8 years ago, and honestly, I have no memory of it, other than remembering that I read it. And usually I'll start a re-read and it will all come back to me but not this time. Although I wasn't enamored of the writing style the first time, I guess I've mellowed in my old age (heh) and the romantic storylines didn't bother me as much as they did previously and it did make for an enjoyable read. There were also a lot of surprising twists and turns that may not have been entirely believable, but they did make for good entertainment. And despite being nowhere close to being the main characters, Nell and Syd were the stars of this book. Nell because she was adorably direct the way only young children can be (palooka!) and Syd for being the straight talking voice of wisdom. Really, Syd is the one who held everything together, now that I think about it.

Overall I'd say I enjoyed this one more as a re-read than the first time, but I'd be even more excited if the author had split off into 2 series, one with Lori and Bill and one with Emma, Derek and the kids.


original review
I enjoyed the book, the characters were easy to like and the writing was enough to put you right in the middle of the gardens with Emma and the rest. I thought the mystery itself was a little too neatly tied up at the end, but I guess I don't feel is was the focus of the plot as much as the relationships were. I could have done without the overly cutesy epilogue, though. I didn't bother reading all of it, it became too maudlin to stand. Overall, an enjoyable read and I'll probably try other books in the series.