Night Gardening

Rating:
Summary: A Let Down
Review: I live and breathe for my next chance to garden and I also enjoy reading so I thought this book sounded very interesting. I was sorely disappointed. The development of the garden image was wonderful. However, the character development was severely lacking and the story was extremely unrealistic. The book might be worth reading simply for the descriptions of the garden and the main character's love for and connection with the garden. If you are expecting a story that is any higher quality than one of Harlequin Romance style, this is not the book for you. Also, beware of the ending - it is very anti-climactic.

Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary love story!
Review: If you love gardening and if you love romance, then this is the book for you. I've read thousands of romance novels, but this is by far one of the most subtly erotic, tender, beautiful, enchanting, bittersweet tales I've ever read. You come away knowing that love is not merely for the young or the perfectly healthy person. Maggie and Tristan renewed my faith in love and life.

The gardening knowledge in each chapter is worth the price of the book alone and seeing the exotic gardens at night through Maggie and Tristan's eyes was hypnotically mesmerizing. This is a beautifully written book. I went and planted some Moonflowers after reading it to enhance my own night garden. . .

Rating:
Summary: Lovely read for a spring afternoon
Review: Night Garden was a lovely read for a spring afternoon, especially for those who love and live in their gardens. The story was gentle and crafted nicely to incorporate the changes in the garden to the changes in Tristan and Maggie's lives. It was also nice to read about mature people having a mature relationship. The brief garden quotations for each chapter added more depth for those who enjoy the garden discussions.

The addition of the plot turns of Maggie's children, especially her son, Adams, were intrusive to the main story. I realize that the story needed some conflict for the characters but either the author needed to use some other means or have incorporated the characters more deeply through better characterizations.

As the book is now, I consider it more of a lengthy short story than a real novel. If one were to remove the garden descriptions and quotations the story and characters would never stand on their own any more than the basic outline would. It is the incorporation of the garden as a character that ties this story together and really is the story.