Ripples Through Time
The Garden Of Shared Stories by Clare Swatman is the most delightful timeslip novel that I absolutely loved and never wanted it to end.
The book is unique as the leading man and lady meet – but are twenty years apart. It is a magical meeting of two hearts beating as one. Both are grieving the loss of the loved ones of their lives. “He understood because he was grieving too.” They are two sides of the same coin. United by loss, held together with love.
Grief is very raw. “How it feels every single day as though you need to remind yourself to get up, get dressed, carry on while all the time it feels as though you’re being pressed down by a heavy weight.” The grief journey can be lonely. It may be accompanied by guilt. “After he died… I tortured myself, thinking about what I should have said or done differently.” The past is gone. Re-hashing it won’t alter a thing. We need to learn to put guilt to bed.
Clare Swatman writes with sensitivity. The emotions leap from the pages and into the reader’s heart. We really empathise with the characters.
The story is written through the eyes of the two lead characters, in alternating voices and time periods.
There is a temptation put into the hands of the leading lady. – Will she resist? Or succumb? Whichever path she chooses, there will be consequences.
All the characters were well drawn, likable and believable. I read with heart in my mouth as I desired the time hopping duo to have a happy ending.
The Garden Of Shared Stories would make a wonderful movie. This is such a beautiful book that I never wanted it to end.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
The Garden of Shared Stories
Emma is at an all-time low the day she meets Nick. She sits down in a quiet rose garden in her local park, and from nowhere a handsome man sits next to her and turns her world upside down.
Over the weeks, she and Nick meet regularly, always in the same place, always at the same time. They discover they have a lot in common – shared heartbreak, and shared dreams. They tell each other stories about the people they’ve lost – things they’ve never told anyone else. Bit by bit, they get to know each other, and fall in love.
But there’s a catch, because however much they have in common, they have one big thing keeping them apart… twenty years apart. Because when Nick is sitting in the garden it’s 1999 – two decades before Emma is there.
Emma never expected to fall in love again, but now she has, she’s not going to give up on it without a fight. But how do you turn something impossible into a happy ever after?
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/GardenOfSharedStories
Author Bio –
Clare Swatman is the author of bestselling women’s fiction novels, which have been translated into over 20 languages. She has been a journalist for over twenty years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home amongst many other magazines. She lives in Hertfordshire.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: @clareswatmanauthor
Twitter: @clareswatman
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