Rowena’s review of Red Lily (The Garden Trilogy #3) by Nora Roberts.
Hero: Harper Ashby
Heroine: Hayley Phillips
A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…
Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn’t looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery. What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she’s ever had – including Roz’s son Harper. To Hayley’s delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. To Hayley’s chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper – as much more than a friend…
If Hayley gives in to her desire, she’s afraid the foundation she’s built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she’s begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own. Flashes of the past and erratic behavior make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It’s time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again – and whether she’s willing to risk it…
I really enjoyed this book. But for the sake of I’m too lazy to really get into a long winded review on this book, I’m going to just tell you the good, the bad and the ugly about this one…
The Good: The characters and the friendship. This book was filled to the brim with great characters and great friendships. The friendship between Roz, Stella and Hayley was fantabulous. I loved reading about how much they cared for each other, how they all had each other’s back and how they were all quick to let each other know when they were being dumb asses. The patience Roz and Stella showed with Hayley was what really made me like them because had I been in their places, me and Hayley would have been fighting all throughout this book. She got on my nerves.
I loved the friendship between Harper and David. I loved how well they understood each other, I loved the bond between them and just the way they were with each other. Steady and strong, they both were and I just loved the friendship factor, Nora Roberts writes her best stuff when she’s writing about strong friendships and family.
Another good is the overall story. I loved how the romance took a backseat in most of these books but was still there. I loved the bigger story being told, the mystery behind the ghost and I loved watching the crew getting closer and closer to finding out who she was and what happened to her and then righting the wrong. I thought the story about the ghost was most interesting and it definitely had me intrigued from the jump. Good stuff.
The Bad: All the plant talk. I guess it sort of fits in with what they’re about, being gardeners and all but all the plant talk was wasted on me because I skimmed most of it. I could have planted my own garden from the descriptions in this book, but like Mitch, I can’t plant a Chia Pet…so I’ll leave all the plant business to Roz and Harper.
The Ugly: Hayley. Can the girl get on my nerves or what? With all of her mood swings, her bitchiness and just her I-got-through-this-on-my-own-and-don’t-need-a-man-to-help-me attitude drove me absolutely bonkers! I’m still debating on whether she’s a candidate for the TSTL heroine title. She got on my hot damn nerves and throughout a whole lot of the book, I kept thinking, “Are you sure you love her, Harper?”
As a whole, I really enjoyed this book and this series. It was a little slow to pick up but when it did, it took off. I enjoyed these books a great deal and this book in particular. This story closed out the series on a perfect note, everything was tied up in a neat and tidy bow and I was one happy camper!
Grade: 4 out of 5
This book is available from Jove. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
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