Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Anne Sherwood has made her life into a safe, orderly garden. She draws the plants of London's famous Kew Gardens, an entirely suitable occupation for a widowed lady in Queen Victoria's England. Then a compelling invitation takes her to Ireland, to sketch a recently discovered tree...a golden sapling with unusual qualities and even more mysterious origins. Determined to learn more, Anne finds herself confronting Michael McEvoy, an enigmatic figure who prefers the lonliness of the wild to society and its entrapments. Michael's heart beats to the rhythm of the land. The ebb and flow of the seasons and the cadence are his calendar and clock. When the prim Englishwoman arrives, he is stunned to discover her conventional exterior hides a kindred spirit, one as sensitive as he to growing things...his perfect mate. But, as much as he longs to make her his, they must first expose the origin's of the sapling and the dangerous corruption of nature that it represents...
Is Forbidden Garden appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
A Victorian historical fantasy romance with light sensuality (fade-to-black intimacy) and a mystery involving a magical tree. Themes of widowhood, healing, and cross-cultural romance between English and Irish characters.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, moderate sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include death of a loved one.
Who'll love this
Adult readers will enjoy the slow-burn romance between a proper English widow and a mysterious Irish naturalist set against a magical botanical mystery.