Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder

Garden of the Midnights
by Hannah Linder

ISBN-13: 9781636094380
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Released: October 1, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The accidents are not a matter of chance. They are deliberate. As English gentleman William Kensley becomes aware of the danger at Rosenleigh, he pleads for truth from the only man he can trust—until that man is murdered.

As the secrets unfold into scandal, William’s world is tipped into destitution—leaving him penniless and alone. His only comfort is in the constant love of Isabella Gresham, but even that has been threatened. When a hidden foe arises from their acquaintances and imperils Isabella’s life, William's determined to rescue her. But even if he saves Isabella from her captors, will he still have to forsake her heart?


My Review:
Garden of the Midnights is a romance set in 1809 in England. This story started out a little weird because we know William and Isabella are the romantic couple, but William believed Isabella to be his half-sister. Happily, they're not, but that's what ended up pulling them apart. Initially, they grew close spending time together and getting to know each other while thinking of each other as siblings. Isabella felt challenged to be a better person by William's words and actions toward others. Isabella's father wanted her to marry a wealthy, respectable young man that she didn't like. William and Isabella's love burned so strong that they couldn't be happy without the other. It got a bit melodramatic by the end.

The story was enjoyable, but some details just didn't make sense to me. Like a fortune in money seems to just disappear. William's aunt was blackmailing Isabella's father for 5,000 pounds a year, which is a huge amount (about £516,697 or US$651,136 today). Isabella's father didn't seem even remotely inconvenienced by losing this amount and had 2,000 pounds in bank notes kept at the house yet he acted like Isabella had no dowry or expectation of money and would depend solely on her future husband. William's aunt didn't live like she had a lot of money beyond her modest estate. The robbers, who took off with rich people's jewelry and money, lived in abject poverty. Money just seemed to show up or disappear on the author's whim.

Through difficult circumstances, William learned to take a poor widow woman's advice to forgive even deep wrongs rather than turn silent and bitter. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this unrealistic but enjoyable historical romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.