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In the Garden #1-3

In the Garden Collection

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Now available in one deluxe box set— Blue Dahlia , Black Rose ,  and  Red Lily —all three novels in #1  New York Times  bestselling author Nora Roberts’ In the Garden Trilogy.

Against the backdrop of a house steeped in history and a thriving new gardening business, three women unearth the memories of the past and uncover a dangerous secret...

This In the Garden Trilogy box set includes:
BLUE DAHLIA
BLACK ROSE
RED LILY

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

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About the author

Nora Roberts

1,209 books59.7k followers
Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

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5 stars
2,748 (62%)
4 stars
1,115 (25%)
3 stars
408 (9%)
2 stars
75 (1%)
1 star
19 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
Profile Image for Julie.
424 reviews5 followers
January 31, 2013
I purchased the trilogy as a set. Blue Dalhia, Black Rose, Red Lily. With my Kindle I prefer all three at once; as I know I will read them anyway. For me Nora Roberts is comfort food. Macaroni and cheese, roast beef, using a recipe you have used for many years. Occasionally you change it up a little for various reasons. Certainly three women who become close as sisters is pretty regular stuff for Nora. Substitute three men again brothers or close enough as friends to consider themselves brothers.
This book the characters seemed more interwoven, we knew in the first book who Red Lily would star. Had an inkling of where Black Rose was going. In this case the experimental change was the ghost, in Three Sisters Island trilogy it was witchcraft and a possessed man, in the Gallagher's I think it was a ghost as well.
Simply put, I love reading and when I just need a good solid read I turn to Nora and one of her trilogies to fill me up and make me smile.
Profile Image for Sara Strand.
1,181 reviews34 followers
July 13, 2015
All three books are really great, but I think Blue Dahlia is maybe my favorite. Nora always develops characters really well and the characters in all three books are really fantastic. We have Stella who comes to town looking for a fresh start. She soon meets Logan, who comes off as a pain in the ass, but a sexy one. We have Rosalind (Roz) who owns the garden center Stella is hired to manage but she also owns the Harper House, which has been haunted for as long as anyone can remember. The problem is that things are certainly more active as far as haunting activity, so Roz hires an investigator (Mitchell) to sort things out. Except Mitchell and Roz basically fall in love which sends the Harper Bride ghost over the edge. Cue book three, where Roz's son Harper falls in love with Hayley. Hayley is new to town and literally rolls up pregnant and in dire straights. We meet her in book one, but she doesn't get her story until book three. But Hayley and Harper fall in love which sends the ghost into overdrive because of the unborn child. It's like the ghost sees herself in Hayley.

If you love traditional romance novels without obscene or vulgar language, with a good story line? Easily this trilogy will fit the bill, but anything by Nora Roberts will. Truly. But I love this series for the summer because the stories all take place in the summer and with the garden theme running throughout, it's a nice set of books to read while relaxing in your own garden.
Profile Image for Monica.
37 reviews
September 7, 2023
No he leído muchos libros de la autora, pero todos me han gustado. Este no es una excepción.

Me gusta mucho como enlaza historias de amor con elementos como el misterio y, en esta trilogía, un punto de actividad paranormal. Si no sabes mucho de jardinería (cómo me pasa a mí), hay momentos que se te hace un poco difícil seguir la narrativa con tanto nombre de plantas y flores, especialmente cuando usa los nombres técnicos.

Aparte de eso, los personajes están muy bien construidos, tienen carácter, se hacen reales y se hacen querer. Stella, Logan, Roz, Mitch, Hailey, Harper, David y los peques de la casa, son una gran familia (de las que se escogen) y estás deseando saber cómo avanza la historia, vives sus enamoramientos, sus dudas, su felicidad y su tristeza.

Recomiendo su lectura sin dudarlo.
Profile Image for Debi.
112 reviews
July 12, 2010
I just finished(7/8/10 afternoon) Blue Dahlia Review!!
Loved it when Stella and Logan got together and how Stella was Hayley's baby couch and just about everyone showed up in Hayley birthroom when she had the baby..smiles. Oh it was so good what the Harper Bride did toward the end of the book and how she left a name of who she was on the back of the door not going to give everything away..LOL! 4 stars.

Black Rose Review!!
Just finished 7/11/2010. Excellent read really enjoyed it. 4 stars


Red Lily Review!!
loved the way she ended the trilogy!! Excellent read 4 stars.
7 reviews
January 7, 2017
Obsessed from page one! These three books were the first I'd ever read of Nora's work and I read them in about a week, I just couldn't put any of them down. It's an original and intriguing story that scoops you up and takes you with it. Ideal for fans of supernatural and chick lit/romance. Definitely recommended!
Profile Image for Ana Sandoval Poveda.
36 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2015
Es un grupo de novelas ligeras. Son fáciles de leer pero no aportan mucho en cuanto a narrativa o estilo. Son casi novela rosa... pero se dejan leer, entretienen y permiten pasar el rato de manera agradable.
Profile Image for Marilyn.
63 reviews2 followers
May 15, 2023
one of my favorite authors. great series
213 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2023
Blue Dahlia

When Stella looses her husband in a tragic accident, she decides to go back to her roots. Here she'll learn to open her heart to new possibilities and find what matters most to her.

Logan doesn't need to have an uptight Yankee messing with the order of things. They've been fine, why stir the pot? When two little boys worm their way in your heart, you learn what you'll do to keep them safe.

I loved how Stella and Logan clashed. And then how they learned to give to each others way of rationality. When the ghost turns not so friendly toward Stella and Logan, they will do everything they can to keep what they have.

Black Rose

Roz has her life set the way she likes it. Her business is good, her sons have grown into wonderful men. Looking into the past can lead to a future she never thought she'd have again. Dare she even try to have happiness again?

Mitchell usually has his nose buried deep in his latest research. That is until he meets with Rosland Harper and learns it's wise to see what's going on around you. Tracking the identity of the ghost that haunts Harper House will be child's play compared to winning Roz over.

I loved Roz & Mitch!! Their "older and wiser" attitudes were annoying at times, but they still made me smile! Though with the ghost activities becoming more violent, I'm surprised Roz didn't go with an exorcism!

Red Lily

Hayley moved to Memphis on a chance that a relation in a weird Southern way would be willing to take her and her yet unborn baby in. Not only did she get a home, but she also got a job she loves more every day. After Lily was born, Roz became like a grandmother to her baby. What more could a girl ask for? Except maybe Roz's hunky eldest son, Harper.

Harper was happiest in his grafting house, doing what he does best. He never expected to be charmed by a little baby girl, and her mother. He'll do what he can to keep them safe from the ghost that's plagued the house for too long.

This is a great way to end the series. I got spooked a couple times when the ghost would take over Hayley. And in the end, it was all about uncovering the fate of the ghost.
Profile Image for Jessica Handley.
32 reviews
December 11, 2023
Excellent Trilogy

This was a fantastic trilogy, and I’m glad all 3 books were packaged as a set. It’s great to be able to read straight through, and these books just flew by.

Like all of Nora Roberts’ books, this trilogy was well written, with well drawn, interesting characters, a fascinating backstory that unfolded throughout all 3 books, a setting so beautifully described, that you could almost smell the flowers and feel the humidity, and a fabulous tale, spun so artfully, that it easily flowed from one book to the next, keeping the intrigue going all the way to the end. It was full of romance, mystery, some sadness, lots of laughter, enduring love, and a family ghost.

I really enjoyed these books, and I was endlessly entertained to the last page. I loved the setting, full of beauty, detail and color, the charming characters, and a really cool ghost story. If these are some of the things you like in a book, then this trilogy is perfect for you. I’ll definitely be reading it again in the future, it was that good! Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Profile Image for Mercedes.
685 reviews28 followers
February 1, 2020
✔️Me encanta la buena novela romántica, y Nora Roberts me ha gustado siempre. Esta trilogía narra la historia de tres mujeres, que después de un momentos difícil, unen sus vidas a través del trabajo y la amistad.⁣

✔️La trilogía se inicia con Dalia Azul, en este inicio se irán conociendo las tres mujeres, Hayley, Roz y Stella, con esta última se empieza a desarrollar la trama y a unirse sus vidas a través del vivero propiedad de Roz. En Rosa Negra, de impecable descripción y sentimiento, se cuenta la vida de Roz principalmente y su descubrimiento de un nuevo amor, sin embargo, una presencia misteriosa en su casa, nubla su felicidad. En Lirio Rojo, Hayley muestra su alma a sus amigas, es imposible no identificarse con ella.⁣

✔️Las tres novelas tienen una narración exquisita, con personajes definidos y fuertes, me encantó el uso de elementos mágicos en el segundo libro, sin ser exagerados, le dieron un toque diferente a su amplia producción literaria.⁣
Profile Image for Jamoz23.
5,337 reviews46 followers
September 26, 2025
1 - BLUE DAHLIA
3 stars
Three women met under different circumstances.
Add in the ghost aspect and a very light mainly ignored romance between a worker in the garden centre and a widow with two children.
Enjoyable but just too much non needed filler. I’m a gardener but even I got bored with the in-depth gardening information.

2 - BLACK ROSE
3 stars
I enjoyed having a mature couple as the main H’s.
And the ongoing back story of the family ghost mingled in with the connections between these family members and friends.

3 - RED LILY
2.5 stars.
Definitely a slow burn in the romance department between Hayley and Harper.
But the conclusion with our family ghost was both sad and nice, though Amelia taking over Hayley as she does was very scary.
But I got so bored with the plant information crap. The grafting, the this, the that. A third of this book could have been taken out for me and I love gardening.

Profile Image for Maralie Toth.
57 reviews
November 12, 2019
This one is definitely one of my favorite trilogys so far, i mean to be far i have enjoyed all of the ones i have read to far. Something i enjoy the most is the friendship bonds that are created and built within the story, but my favorite part of this story is the mystery harper bride that the bases of the story is created around. I enjoyed the story and how it unfolds, as while a lot of the romance bits were rather predicable, many aspects of the story and history surrounding the harper bride was not always predictable.

Hard to give a detailed review without any spoilers, so to sum it up, it was a really good, fast paced read for me, the audio books are wonderful as well, and i highly recommend this trilogy to anyone looking for a good story.

5 star rating!!
Profile Image for Emilie.
647 reviews22 followers
November 22, 2019
Un très joli roman féminin avec trois portraits de femmes… et un quatrième puisqu'il y a un fantôme ! J'avais un peur de me retrouver dans une histoire qui verserait trop dans le côté "sorcellerie" et science-fiction. En fait, l'histoire de la maison hantée n'est pas trop traitée du point de vue surnaturel. Nora Roberts l'utilise surtout comme une métaphore pour aborder la famille, ses douloureux secrets et la nécessité de se libérer du passé pour pouvoir aller de l'avant.

C'est un joli message et, comme d'habitude, l'histoire est bien menée, bien écrite, avec des personnages attachants. Je n'ai pas ressenti le même coup de cœur que pour L'Île des trois sœurs, mais ça reste une lecture vraiment passionnante.
Profile Image for Jorge Luis.
2 reviews
April 10, 2023
Tengo sentimientos encontrados por esta trilogía, no diría que es una seria mala pero no es lo que esperaba, Esperaba encontrarme con una historia reflexiva y de auto descubrimiento (según lo que leí en la sinopsis) pero me encontré con 3 historias de romance acompañada con una historia de fantasmas, y que puedo decir, no es mi tipo de libro.

Investigando sobre la autora descubrí varios libros con premisas interesantes,me gustaría darle otra oportunidad.

PD. Me encanto el personaje de Roz, una mujer maternal, elegante y empoderada.
7 reviews
August 8, 2022
Nora Roberts is one of those writers who can just about do anything. I got her books as a last gift from family. For this entire series. This series was a comfort in a rough time for me I reread it several times. The plot is moving and heart breaking. It is a paranormal fantasy with a subtle love story in a very non traditional way. This is definitely a book you should read the whole series to properly enjoy. Don't leave yourself on the heart breaking cliff hangers.
2,211 reviews9 followers
June 28, 2017
It was fun to re-read this series. I find I am going back to some of her earlier series in preference to her more recent ones which often strike me as repetitive and with more of a stock group of characters instead of ones that stand out. Her stand-alones are actually better these days but the series are pretty blah.
Profile Image for Julie.
1,632 reviews2 followers
June 30, 2019
I really liked being able to re-read these all in a row.
It is a typical NR trilogy, with 3 strong women paired with 3 strong men and an underlying family mystery.
I liked the bits of history intertwined throughout the stories. Made me want to visit Memphis, as I haven't been there, other than driving through, since I was about 2 or 3.
Profile Image for Cheryl Jewhurst.
254 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2022
Typical easy read through all three books. I lose myself in their world and find myself invested in the outcome. Not heavy on plot this one. Just a lunatic ghost haunting the grounds. But as always, Nora has a way of drawing you in and compelling you to see this to the end. Quite enjoyable, as usual.
Profile Image for Molly.
27 reviews
April 16, 2024
Ce fut un coup de cœur. ❤️
J'ai vraiment adoré suivre la vie de tout ces personnages si attachant. Un lien très fort les unis, on le ressent, on a même l'impression de faire partie de la famille.
Nora Roberts, dont je découvre la plume, est une excellente auteure. J'avais l'impression d'être là, avec ces personnages à vivre toutes ces aventures.
Et j'ai trouvé la fin vraiment magnifique.
Profile Image for Ann.
217 reviews
April 22, 2018
The finale

Nice sequel to the two previous books. Roberts manages to incorporate diverse elements in to a coherent ending. Haley and Harper make a good beginning. Wish we'd see these characters again
Profile Image for Keila Patrick.
1 review
November 23, 2020
Fantastic

This series had me hooked from the very beginning. The individual stories are great by themselves, but the addition of the ghost just takes this to a whole other level and ties everything together like I've never seen before!! Great, great work!!
24 reviews
Read
January 26, 2021
Loved the characters and the ghost. Wish Nora would not stop short. One more chapter in each book would have made me feel like I read this book. The way they all end its like I failed to read the epilog
2 reviews
April 15, 2025
All 3 books were GREAT. Couldn't stop reading 1 book and not going into the next.

All thumbs up. Couldn't stop reading 1 book without going to the next and then the next.
Again, all thumbs up
Profile Image for Brenda .
129 reviews1 follower
December 23, 2025
Great but sad

Great third book of the series! So many ways it's sad and disturbing and also shows such kindness and love. A little twist me up and let me go sort of thing. Doesn't disappoint!
Profile Image for April Crouch.
4 reviews
April 27, 2018
Best trilogy ever

I loved this trilogy. Couldnt stop reading once I open the first page. I gave it 5 stars and recommend it to everyone. I true page turner.
5 reviews
April 26, 2018
Very Good

This book was easy to read, kept my interest and I would highly recommend it to fellow readers. Good read.
6 reviews
May 1, 2019
Great series

I really liked the series. I love the characters and I want to know more about them. Keeps you engaged from start to finish!
200 reviews1 follower
May 7, 2019
This was a re-read for me from years ago. I love Nora’s trilogies. And this was just as good as I remembered.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews

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