The Unfinished Garden

Author: Barbara Claypole White
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 978-0-7783-1412-7
Pages: 384
Price: $14.95

James Nealy suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. One if the things he fears the most is dirt, so he decides he will create a garden and face his demons head-on. When he tries to hire Tilly Silverberg to work with him, she refuses. What James doesn’t realize is that Tilly is still trying to survive widowhood, striving to maintain her balance in a world turned upside down.

A family emergency returns Tilly to her childhood home in England, where she discovers her former sweetheart is now single. James follows her there, trying to coax her into creating his garden. Along with Tilly’s romantic problems, her best friend who always shared everything with her now starts harboring secrets. When life seems more complicated than she bargained for, a health scare and the potential upheaval her mother plans sends Tilly into a downward spiral that only James understands. As they both cope with their own emotional issues, they find themselves growing closer.

The Unfinished Garden is a powerful story of friendship and courage in the midst of frightening circumstances. As these two damaged souls spend time together, healing occurs. The reader won’t find any gratuitous sex scenes in this book. Instead we see a natural relationship growing from a shared bond that only deepens as the story progresses. I highly recommend this wonderful love story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger