By Kelly Bridgewater
About the BookBook: Garden of the Midnights
Author: Hannah Linder
Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical / Romance
Release Date: October, 2023
She begged him once more to meet in the garden
at midnight.
"If you love me," said the letter.
But if he loved her, he would not come at all.
Enjoy another Gothic Style Regency from Hannah Linder.
The accidents are not a matter of chance. They are deliberate.
As English gentleman William Kensley becomes aware of the danger at Rosenleigh
Manor, he pleads for the truth of his past 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 friendship and love of Isabella Gresham. If he does not have their
nonsense at the seashore, their laughter, their reckless adventures, has he
anything at all?
He should have known that would be ripped from him too. When a
hidden foe arises from their acquaintances and imperils Isabella's life,
William may be the only one willing to risk his life to rescue her. But even if
he frees Isabella from her captors, will he still have to forsake her heart?
Some sacrifice everything for love. Others sacrifice love for
everything else. In this haunting tale of rigid social prejudices and
heart-aching regrets, the greatest decision of their life will be determined in
the garden of the midnights.
My Thoughts:
Garden of the Midnights
by Hannah Linder is a unique, yet odd title. As I was reading the novel usually
the title makes sense, but this time, I did see where Linder would reference
the phrase in the story, but it still felt like it did not belong. As for the
plot, it had many twists and turns and an odd suspenseful moment. Linder does a
wonderful job at crafting the setting and the time period. They do ring true
for a Regency time period novel. She did a wonderful job at crafting this. She
does a wonderful job at creating suspense moments that will have the reader guessing
how this novel would end. The heroine, Isabella, was a typical rich girl from
the Regency period that wanted to marry for love, which I honestly do not blame
her. She saw through Mr. Livingstone’s façade and wanted more for her life. On
the other hand, William, the hero, had to come to some hard truths about his
beginning to his life and how to deal with that. Overall, Garden of the
Midnights by Hannah Linder is a predictable Regency romance with some
elements of a modern suspense novel twisted into the overarching climactic
moment.
I received a complimentary copy of Garden of
the Midnights by Hannah Linder from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated
are all my own.
My Rating: 4out
of 5 stars
Purchase Garden of the Midnights
About the Author
Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels. She is a double 2021 Selah Award winner, a 2022 Selah Award finalist, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Hannah is a Graphic Design Associates Degree graduate who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and International bestsellers. She is also a local photographer and a self-portrait photographer. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, and ukulele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse. To follow her journey, visit hannahlinderbooks.com.
More from Hannah
Sometimes, the things we say we’ll never do are exactly the things we find ourselves doing.
Back when I was still wearing two braids and walking around barefoot everywhere, I told myself I would never make a speech. Never. But by the time high school graduation came along, despite a thousand firm declarations that I wouldn’t, my mother shook her head. “I think you should do it,” she said—and because mothers are usually right, I did.
Granted, I read the speech off a folded sheet of copy paper because I was too nervous to face the crowd. And my knees were jelly. And I stood off-centered on the stage instead of behind the pulpit like anyone else.
But I did it.
For the rest of my life, I’ll look back and remember what it felt like. Standing on the stage, reading my heart, hearing the sniffles and glancing up to see tears glistening in the eyes of endless people I love.
That was special. Mother was right.
Want to know another thing I said I would never do? Re-write a novel. I’ve heard the stories all my life. The author second guesses their own ability and burns their manuscript. Then, years later, they rewrite the story that echoes through the ages as a classic. Or the novelist loses their entire document to a computer crash, so with a blank page and a blinking cursor, they start anew.
I never thought that was something I could do.
I never wanted to.
If I ever lost a novel or was prompted to start over, I would abandon ship and try for a different vessel. Anyway, that’s what I told myself.
Garden of the Midnights was the story I wrote many years ago when I was younger, when I knew less about manors and England and history. I made mistakes. I broke writing rules. I did too little research and too much overwriting…but it had my soul. Somehow, it was alive. The characters breathed. The tears in their pillow, the aches in their throat, became a part of who I was and what I felt.
This was the one. The story I loved most.
But the edits and the mistakes and the problems overwhelmed me. Like the fearful girl in braids who refused to make a speech, I wanted to throw in the towel and say with even more defiance, “I will never re-write a novel. Never.”
But Mother knew what was needed. She knew the story was too much a part of me to tuck away in some drawer, forgotten and dusty, unread by anyone. So she nodded her head and said, “I think you should do it.”
I didn’t want to.
I was afraid because it wasn’t easy.
But because mothers are usually right, I did. Now, Garden of the Midnights is ready. My heart is still tangled in all the words, all the twists, all the secrets—but this time more, because the book has yet another part of me. The part that was fearful. The part that was too close to quitting. The part that finished anyway.
For the rest of my life, I’ll look back and be thankful. When someone writes me a note that they enjoyed the book, or gets a whimsical tone to their voice when they talk about a scene, or looks up from the pages with tears shimmering in their eyes.
That will be special. Mother was right.
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 28
Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 28
Texas Book-aholic, October 29
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, October 29
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 30
An Author’s Take, October 30
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 31
Mary Hake, October 31
Book Looks by Lisa, November 1
Alena Mentink, November 1
Connie’s History Classroom, November 2
Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 2
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 3
Sylvan Musings, November 3
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, November 4 (Author Interview)
To Everything There Is A Season, November 4
Blogging With Carol, November 5
For Him and My Family, November 5
Betti Mace, November 6
Live.Love.Read., November 6
Wishful Endings, November 7
Cover Lover Book Review, November 7
Where Faith and Books Meet, November 8
Holly’s Book Corner, November 8
Splashes of Joy, November 9
Labor Not in Vain, November 9
Pause for Tales, November 10
Giveaway
