The Memory Gardener

by Meg Donohue

Sure to charm fans of Chocolat, Garden Spells, and The Scent Keeper, USA Today bestselling author Meg Donohue’s The Memory Gardener is a cozy and moving tale about the power of memory and the nourishing magic of gardens.

Lucy Barnes has an uncanny ability to know exactly which scent among the flowers she grows will return a person to a long-forgotten memory, a key from their past that has the potential to change their future. When she takes a position as the gardener at a somber, colorless assisted-living home, the evocatively scented flowers that she grows awaken not only the home’s gardens, but the entire community, stirring new pleasures and unearthing long-buried secrets within all who venture through the gardens’ gates.

But when a secret comes to light that threatens to shatter the newly close-knit community, the future suddenly looks uncertain. Have the memories that Lucy has unearthed awakened something wonderful … or are some memories better left buried?

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction, Audiobook

352 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2025

About the author

Meg Donohue is the USA Today bestselling author of The Memory Gardener (11/25/25), You, Me, and the Sea, Every Wild Heart, Dog Crazy, All the Summer Girls, and How to Eat a Cupcake. Her novels have been translated into Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she lives San Francisco with her husband, three daughters, and dog. She is currently working on her next novel.

Reviews

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy is a bit of a nomad, she has never stayed in one place even for one year. After her mother‘s death, she is given the opportunity to redo the garden at an assisted living facility. But that’s not all, Lucy has a gift. She can unlock memories for people after introducing them to a specific scent. She has a past that haunts her due to her gift, and is hesitant to let other people get too close. One of the patient’s grandson, Adam, and his daughter Sophie threaten to change that.

The unlocking of memories using smells is something very unique to the story. One of my favorite scenes in a movie is in Pixar’s Coco, when Miguel uses music to unlock the memories of mama Coco. She remembers being little and her father singing to her. Music therapists have Long used music to help Patients in memory care facilities.

Although this book is probably classified as magic realism, we all can use our senses to unlock memories, the painful, and the joyful. I cannot remember ever reading a book that had so many references to scent. I feel like the book should come with an optional scratch and sniff paper so that you remember what all of the descriptive smell descriptions in the Story.

I collect perfume bottles, I have 80 or 90. Most of them don’t have any perfume in them anymore, they’ve been gone many years. But I love the bottles. And nothing brings the memory of my grandmother back to me more than smelling Estée Lauder’s Beautiful.

This is a heartwarming concept and the story carries it well.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the advanced reading copy. Book to be published November 25,2025.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was a heartfelt, feel-good women's fiction story about a nomadic woman gardener who travels around restoring gardens and has a magical ability to help people remember important things by smelling particular flowers. The story has a large cast of side characters, a old age home in need of saving, regrets, second chances and new love. It was good on audio and I would recommend it for fans of authors like Fraya Sampson or Claire Pooley. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: kissing only

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.

I have never read anything by Meg Donohue and The Memory Gardener is not really in the genres that I am reading right now. Despite those two things, I really enjoyed this book! The story moves along at a comfortable, experience-every-day pace, with hints at previous struggles that don't take away from the lightness and easy read that the story generally provides. Donohue does a fantastic job at seeing the humanity in all her characters and revealing the road they traveled on life that led them to where they are now. I found myself smiling quite often while reading The Memory Gardener. The ending even had a few surprises I didn't see coming!

The Memory Gardener by Meg Donohue will shine a little bit of light on your days. Absolutely worth the read!

[Laura Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memory Gardener is a book that blooms (pun intended) slowly and beautifully, layering grief, healing, and a touch of magic into a story that feels both tender and hopeful. From the very first chapter, you can tell this is going to be a sensory experience—the way flowers, scents, and colors are described makes the setting come alive. This is one of those books that pulls you in with its atmosphere as much as with its characters.

I felt connected to the characters grief and emotional development throughout this story and felt that it was done with tenderness and care.

I cannot wait to read more from Meg Donohue!

[SueK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this delightful book.

This is an absolutely charming book, with a beautiful setting, wonderful flower descriptions, evocative scents and some magical realism. The story was heartfelt without being syrupy, and the story of trying to save Oceanview Home, while getting to know the residents, and seeing the gardens resurrected was just the perfect read for me, especially right now. Filled with hope and practicality, I find myself being a little wistful, missing the residents. It would be lovely to have a follow-up story.

Four plus stars.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for cottage core and Secret Garden vibes, this book is for you! The author’s writing was fantastic and drew me in right away. I wanted to keep reading to see what was going on. The characters had a lot of heart and I could really see them as real people at times. I loved this and thought it was a cozy adorable read! Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

[Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @gallerybooks for my #gifted copy and thank you @simon.audio for my #gifted listening copy of The Memory Gardener! #GalleryInfluencer #gallerybooks #MegDonohue #TheMemoryGardener #simonaudio

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐞𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐡𝐮𝐞
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐲
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

4.5★

I absolutely adored this book! It was just so charming and I was drawn in from the very first page! Perhaps it had to do with the fact that I lost a parent over the past few years, and I felt a connection to Lucy, the main character and her loss. This book was just so cozy and heartwarming and I loved it. I enjoyed learning about a new flower at the start of each chapter. As someone that loves flowers but does not know a lot about them, and I appreciated the little facts throughout the book. I loved that this book incorporated magical realism through the power of scent and flowers and their power to bring back memories. I really enjoyed the focus on community in this book and loved the side characters and the romance too! This was my first Meg Donahue book but it won’t be my last!

🪻Grief & Healing
🌷Magical Realism
🌺The Power of Scent
🌻Forgiveness & Friendship
🌹Atmospheric
🪴Gully the Dog
🪻Community

🎧Narrated by Erin Moon and Chris Henry Coffey, I loved how these two brought this book to life! I found myself hooked to the audio and not wanting to stop once I started listening. While I’ve listened to Christ Henry Coffey before, this was my first time listening to Erin Moon before and I thought she did a phenomenal job! There was just something about her ability to portray the right type of emotion that made her so perfect for this book and I just loved listening to her!

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

Lucy Barnes has always had a special ability with plants. She knows exactly what flowers will spark a memory that a person has forgotten. So it makes sense that she has become a much-sought-after garden designer. She travels the country designing gardens for people, never staying in one place too long. But six moths ago her mother died, and her father has become a recluse. So Lucy decides to move back home so she can keep an eye on him, and she will accept commissions in the area. A mysterious note leads her to take a job as the gardener at the Oceanview Home, a senior-living residence. Soon, her work has everyone residing at the home out enjoying the gardens, and reliving memories that were long forgotten. But not everyone is happy to see how her presence has transformed the Oceanview Home, and when a secret comes to light that threatens to shatter the entire community, the future suddenly looks uncertain. Have the memories that Lucy has unearthed awakened something wonderful…or are some memories better left buried?

This feel-good story is perfect for fans of Heather Webber, Freya Sampson & Kate Storey. I adored Lucy, and I loved all of the quirky residents at Oceanview. I enjoyed the way at the top of each chapter it showed a picture of a different flower, and gave a description and told what properties it held/what sort of memories it might invoke. Since I already dabble i aromatherapy, I found that fascinating. There is a nice twist at the end that was a pleasant surprise. I highly resommend this one!

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I listened to this one on audio, and it was fine, but it didn't really spark much emotion from me as a magical realism women's fiction focused on grief and memories might for others. Erin Moon's narration at 2x speed was emotive and easy to listen to, but Chris Henry Coffey's portrayal of the elderly, cantankerous Fitz was grating, bordering on stereotypical. Lucy is a gardener with a special gift of pairing scents with recipients who will return to long forgotten memories when they smell them, outrunning her past and a time where this gift turned out to be more of a curse. After the loss of her mother, she returns home to look after her devastated father, and finds a mysterious appointment in her mother's calendar at a nearby retirement community. Curious, she pays them a visit, and is offered a job to bring their overgrown walled gardens back to their former splendor. Once there, Lucy embraces her gift again, and brings not only the gardens back to life, but the home's residents. This was a sweet story, and I found the chapter headers explaining the language of flowers to be interesting, but the very convenient twist at the end was a bit twee for my liking. This would be a good fit for someone who likes a touch of magic without the paranormal, and a very mild read that doesn't entirely put you in your feels.

🌷🌼🌿 Thank you Simon Audio for the ALC and Gallery Books for the gifted book

[KaseyG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Lucy has always had the ability to transport people to a memory based on the scent of a plant. She has avoided using her gift on others for years, instead focusing on her job creating beautiful gardens. When she ends up with a garden renovation job back in her hometown at a retirement home, she attempts to use her gift to help the residents.

Thoughts: I really loved this heartwarming story! This is a beautiful story of grief and healing with a touch of magic. The magical realism is so well done - the magic does take center stage, but the realness and humanity of the characters keeps things grounded in reality. The cast of characters is lovely, and the found family vibes are perfection. There is also a dog! 🐶 A note on the audio: the narrators absolutely nailed it!

Read this if you like:
👩🏻‍🌾 plants
👩🏻‍🌾 magical realism
👩🏻‍🌾 found family
👩🏻‍🌾 grief and healing

[Elaine - Small Farm Big Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but the beginning was a bit slow for me. I was also confused why her high school boyfriend stopped talking to her when the memory that returned to him was finally revealed. Overall, it's a cute story with a bit of magic mixed in. There was one twist I didn't see coming that I really liked and is why I gave the book four stars instead of three.

[Amy Brown (amylikestoreadalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and cozy story with some magical realism.

[Elizabeth Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Provided by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley.
I received the right email at the right time from Gallery Books' marketing department. They used their technology and magic to see that I love Alice Hoffman. They told me that if I like Hoffman, I'll like The Memory Gardener by Meg Donohue. They were not wrong.

While The Memory Gardener is not billed as a mystery, there are a lot of personal mysteries that do unfold in gentle reading waves. Lucy Barnes possesses skills with plant life that are playfully considered magic or supernatural, yet, there are people who have abilities to smell scents beyond the average just like super tasters can extrapolate the fine details of what they eat. The olfactory system has long been known to have a direct connection to the memory centers of the brain. If you put the green thumb, agricultural science, and magic together, what you end up with is a character like Lucy Barnes.

Lucy has an extreme avoidance of setting down her own roots (no pun intended, but it works) ever since something happened between her and her high school boyfriend, Jack. Author Meg Donohue takes her time revealing what that something is from Lucy's perspective and then even longer to get Jack's perspective.Whatever Lucy's biggest secret shame is, it's kept her from returning home to the small village of Bantam Bay in California.

It may be cliché, but in The Memory Gardener, the location is undeniably its own character. The book opens with the most lyrical descriptions from Lucy's perspective of the Oceanview Home gardens. These gardens are where 99% of the change takes place for the characters. There are small scenes with big changes in the Barnes' house where Lucy's father, Gregory, lives; and a little more at the community center. The gardens are where everything is anchored. First, the sunken garden off the terrace of the retirement home. Then Lucy and carpenter, Adam, find gates leading to other gardens: a rose garden, a native plants garden, and more.

In the sunken garden, there's a reflecting pool. This serves as more than a mere decorative element to the setting. Each character is granted time with Lucy who finds the plant that would draw out buried memories. She's fearful that her gift for making these connections could ruin their lives—some things are better left buried. This means all of them reflect back on the kinds of lives they had, love, grudges, and what they might be remembered for after they've died. Even with a sign of success in illuminating one retiree's memories, Lucy is constantly stressed that she could expose someone to crushing heartache.

As I read through all the long scenes where Lucy eases into her talents and gets involved with friendly people and a few with rock hard stubbornness, I had my own memory of watching Awakenings starring Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro. Donohue doesn't mention Awakenings, but she does address the writer and starring character, Dr. Oliver Sacks and some articles about his breakthrough work. Dr. Sacks was the genius behind being able to cure people from dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other catatonic states. I won't ruin it for you regardless of how old the movie is. This setting of the Oceanview Home and its residents finding new sparks of life also reminded me of Cocoon, a star-studded movie with Wilford Brimley, Don Ameche, Brian Dennehy, Jessica Tandy, and Maureen Stapleton directed by Ron Howard. In that, the retirement home residents discover a way to rejuvenate their bodies and minds essentially turning back the clock. It's not the magic of plants though.

It's clear there are going to be romantic feelings between Lucy, who wants to avoid it, and someone else in the cast. Is it Donovan, the owner of Oceanview Home with his good looks and financial sense; or Adam, the carpenter who feels the stories of every house he works on?

Adam's wife died two years prior to the book's timeline and he is left to raise their daughter Sophie. Sophie is a tenderhearted child with selective mutism. She provides the naive perspective of youth. The only time she lights up anymore is when she sees Lucy's dog, Gully. Everyone loves the enormous hound, even the most standoffish people.

Donohue has a spiderweb of storylines that are wrangled carefully allowing all these characters to have a starting point, a change, and a new beginning. With so many characters, it's a marvel how she accomplished this with fluidity and clarity. Even late in the book, around 80%, Donohue toys with readers as Lucy learns more about her mother's life. New questions come up and fortunately it's not too late yet for Lucy to get the answers she needs.

Donohue also fills the book with trivia and folklore about the plants in the Oceanview gardens much the same way as Susan Wittig Albert does in her China Bayles Herbal Mysteries. With the details about the way every plant looks, behaves, and smells, readers wouldn't expect anything less than nuggets of knowledge too.

Summary:

Meg Donohue's The Memory Gardener feels like a refreshing Happily-Ever-After from a book that isn't a romance though it does have a thread of it. The Memory Gardener will perfectly satisfy fans of Alice Hoffman as was promised. It's also well-suited for anyone who thinks one mistake in their past has to define their entire life. Donohue shows that there is forgiveness, misunderstandings, and relationships that can be built despite one's regrettable history.

Due to the timeline ending on May 1st, this would be a great holiday gift for someone who loves to read stories taking place in the same season, in this case Spring.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memory Gardener by Meg Donohue.
Published by Gallery Books, and thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy.

I opened this book expecting a soft, dreamy read about flowers and feelings. What I got was a gorgeously warm, slyly witty story about memory, grief, community, and the strange ways life reroots you even when you swear you are not plantable. Lucy Barnes, our reluctant heroine, has a gift that is both magical and alarmingly inconvenient. She can match people with the scent that will unlock the memory they most need. It is useful in theory, dangerous in practice, and exactly the sort of skill you never want to mention at a dinner party unless you want someone crying into the roast chicken. After a tragedy tied to her ability, Lucy flees her hometown and perfects the nomadic life, drifting from one garden project to the next like a very emotionally burdened dandelion seed.

Then her mother dies. Six months later, Lucy wakes up to the unmistakable scent of her mom lingering in the room. It is subtle, impossible, and just annoying enough to send her home to check on her father, who has fully committed to becoming a hermit. Naturally, this trip home comes with a side quest. A mysterious note leads her to Oceanview Home, a senior residence that has let its gardens slip into full haunted-house mode. Lucy signs on to revive them, assuming it will be a quick job. Instead she finds herself knee-deep in roses, secrets, and elderly residents who have zero problem telling her exactly what they think.

This is where the book shines. Oceanview is charming, chaotic, and very real. Each resident comes with a story, a regret, a stubborn habit, or a simmering grudge. They are messy in the best human way, and Lucy can’t help but get pulled in. As the gardens bloom, so do the people. Memories rise. Relationships shift. And Lucy must face the truth she has been dodging for a decade. The emotional payoff is steady and satisfying, and the humor is perfectly placed. Donohue manages to make grief tender without being heavy, magic gentle without being flimsy, and character arcs meaningful without shouting, “Look, personal growth!”

Lucy’s relationship with her father is one of my favorite threads. Watching two people try to mourn the same woman while barely knowing how to talk to each other is equal parts funny and heartbreaking. Her bond with Adam and his daughter Sophie adds even more warmth, and the dog, Gully, continues to be the real scene-stealer. Honestly, I would read an entire novella titled The Adventures of Gully, Chaotic Garden Horse.

And yes, there is a twist. No, I did not predict it, despite my completely unwarranted confidence. It lands well, deepens the story, and avoids melodrama. The pacing stays smooth, the descriptions lush, and the emotional beats linger just long enough to matter.

What I loved most is how the book treats memory. Not as a tidy archive of sentimental moments but as a living, shifting landscape. Some memories heal. Some haunt. Some need gentle coaxing. And some are better left untouched. Donohue handles this theme with honesty and a surprising amount of humor.

This is a cozy read with depth, a magical read with restraint, and a hopeful read without shortcuts. A perfect choice for fans of warm fiction with a touch of enchantment. Plus, it made me think I could grow something beyond a dying basil plant, so that alone feels like a plot twist.


#TheMemoryGardener #MegDonohue #GalleryBooks #BookReview #MagicalRealism #WomensFiction #CozyReads #GardenMagic #ReadersOfInstagram #Bookstagram #giftedbook #HealingStories #2025Books

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memory Gardener is a cozy story with just a dash of magic about a gardener named Lucy Barnes, whose connection with flowers allows her to elevate a special scent for a person that helps brings back memories they've lost.

Six months after her mother unexpectedly passed away, Lucy is drawn back home to Bantam Bay from her wandering life doing gardening jobs across the west coast of California. Her dad's state is motivation enough for Lucy to stick around, despite having left because an incident with her boyfriend years ago, but a note about the Oceanview Home left behind by her mother draws her in even more, especially when she finds out they need a gardener to rehabilitate the gardens on the property.

Despite the owner Donovan's mysterious reasons for having Lucy undertake the work, she quickly falls in love with the community and the residents quickly befriend her and her dog Gully, although the grumpy and cantankerous Fitz is slower to engage. Not only do the garden begin to transform under Lucy's care, but as some of the residents reconnect with the memories of their past the whole entire community begins to transform from a drab, lifeless facility to a vibrant and engaged community.

Lucy forms a connection with Adam and his daughter Sophie, the grandson and great-granddaughter of one of the residents while also trying to draw her father out from the wall that's he's hiding behind while grieving for his wife. Everything is almost too sweet and cozy, so when the reason Donovan brought Lucy in is exposed it provides just the right amount of conflict to keep moving the story forward.

A reader won't see a lot of character development in this story, although Lucy, her father and Fitz all find some closure from what has kept them from truly being happy. This is more a story just to make you feel good - and make you want to be a part of the Oceanview Home community. And Donahue's descriptions of all the flowers and building out a garden (or two) is icing on the cake.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[BookwormishMe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone has things in their past they’d like to forget. Or have buried somewhere deep. But there are also those things that you wish you could remember. The good stuff.

Lucy is a landscape artist and gardener. She has the gift of more than a green thumb, she would almost claim that the scents of plants find her. Over her young life, Lucy has had mostly positive experiences with her gift. There is one time in her past that has led her to think that her gift can do more harm than good.

Maybe that’s why she’s avoided being home for any time. Her mom passed away just six months ago. Lucy has been on the road for years now. She finds a job, moves into low cost housing while she completes the job, and then moves on. When her last job ended, she headed home to Bantom Bay, a small town on the California coast.

What she finds when she gets there is a father who has not been taking care of himself. He doesn’t leave the house, which worries Lucy. She also finds her mom’s planner. In there is a visit to Oceanview Home, a place for seniors. When Lucy finds it, she also finds that they are looking for someone to renovate the gardens. Lucy is intrigued.

This was such a lovely novel. A story of a young woman trying to figure out the next steps in her life, alongside a lot of elderly people trying to survive their later years. Lucy is a kind and warm and so gracious to the people she comes in contact with. While she does have a gift, her greatest gift is her generosity of spirit.

The story flows well, carrying you through both trying times and happy times. The characters at the home are truly unique, and sometimes very sad. I will admit that parts of this book made me cry. Sometimes good cries, but sad as well. Meg Donohue has the ability to keep the reader engaged and excited about what’s to come.

I loved this book and will absolutely want to dive into some of her other work.

[Anne Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when Summeer's lush growth it at it's peak, this book brings a sweet, relaxing and wonderful connection to the scent of flowers. In this charming novel, there is a magical connection between the smell of flowers and plants thaf link to forgotten moments, to memories of when that scent was inhaled. No, it's not Proust, (although Proust gets a shout-out here), but a nostalgic story of memories of love.

Lucy Barnes is a professional gardener. She travels from place to place, planting and restoring gardens, avoiding her home near San Francisco. Her unhappy ending to her first love with a boy named Jack keep her away. She comes back to visit her recently widowed father, still grieving her mother, to find an entry on her mother's calendar reminding her of an appointment at the Oceanview Home, a retirement/nursing home nearby.

Lucy's visit there results in a job to restore the four overgrown gardens on the property. There is lots of information about weeding, planting and smelling of plants and flowers. There is also a delightful, very large dog and some grumpy and depressed old folks. Magically, Lucy brings new life to Oceanview while making surprising discoveries.

for its genre, a bit of magical realism thown in, the Memory Gardener is a quick and relaxing read. Thanks to Gallery Books and Net Galley for offering me the ARC copy to read and review These are my honest opinions.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine knowing all about plants and flowers, not just how to nurture and grow them but how to use them to nurture forgotten memories in people. This is the gift Lucy Barnes has, she can sense what flower a person needs to breathe in the scent of to unlock a memory. Sadly, Lucy doesn't use her gift anymore after sharing her gift with a boyfriend. His anger and hurt towards her, left Lucy closed off to her gift. Now, she designs beautiful gardens for clients and travels for each job so she doesn't ever get close to people again. After her mother dies, she heads home to look after her father. Taking a temporary job at Oceanview Home to restore their gardens, Lucy awakens not only her gift but also the residents who live at Oceanview as well. Will Lucy's gift help the residents or will tragedy strike again?

I adored this book. Smells can evoke forgotten memories, think of smelling your grandmother's cookies, the smell of the Christmas tree when you were a child, the smell of your mother's perfume or your father's cologne. Scent is a powerful marketing tool. This story utilizes those scents and memories for a beautifully written novel. Where love, friendship and forgiveness are all part of the plot. This story makes me want to walk through the different types of gardens describe and linger in each one. Definitely worth a read, it's enjoyable, and brings a smile to your face. Thanks Net Galley and Gallery Books

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book holds such a sweet, poignant, and subtly magical story. This is not necessarily the kind of book I am usually picking up due to its slow nature, but reading the synopsis intrigued me and I am so glad I gave this a chance.

I read this book slowly over the course of about a month. It was the kind of story that I could stop and start and always feel completely at peace with. Because of it's slower, tame pace, I didn't feel a sense of urgency to read it most days, but always loved when I did pick it back up. It's a hallmark movie with slightly less romantic focus, but love is still at the core of the message.

Lucy is a gardener with a particular gift for knowing exactly which flower will pull from the minds of those around her exactly which memory they most need to remember. And so finding herself at the Oceanview Home for the retired and elderly, she also finds herself surrounded by people who need reminded of all the good things from their lives.
Lucy will find her own love, friendship, and sense of belonging while she walks with the older folks through their own discoveries and memories.

The writing here is beautiful - it's evocative and atmospheric, and it builds the most wonderful whimsical view of nature and gardening. The characters are so easily lovable and the sense of home at Oceanview is just such a warm feeling.

HUGE thank you to Gallery Books for sending me an advance copy of this book.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy has avoided her hometown (and settling anywhere actually) because of something that happened in her past, but 6 months after her mother dies, she feels she needs to spend some time getting her father back on his feet.  Lucy has a special gift - not only can she create and cultivate a garden so that it blooms and comes to life faster, she also intuitively knows which scents will bring a person back to a life altering memory.  She begins to work on a special series of gardens in Oceanview, a retirement home.  As she works on the gardens, she also becomes close with the residents and sees that Oceanview is a unique place that needs to live on.

I am quite the sucker for a magical realism book, and even though I don't care so much for gardens and plants (probably because I kill everything), I did enjoy the plant talk in this one.  This was a really lovely book that wove in magical realism, flowers, family, grief, romance and older characters to the story.  I loved the secondary plotlines as well Lucy's and the pacing worked well in the novel (I never felt bored and that the book got slow).  This was a really fun and sweet read and I inhaled the entire thing on Saturday.  I hadn't heard of this author before but now I have a whole new backlist to focus on!

4.25 stars

[Meg Donohue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited to release The Memory Gardener, my sixth novel, into the world! This cozy, feel-good story was born out of the contentment that I feel while caring for my own small garden in San Francisco, and the way that the scents of the flowers that I grow trigger my own memories. I have always found the connection between scent and memory fascinating … What if, I began to wonder as I worked in my garden, scents were not only evocative, but truly transportive, allowing you to literally relive a forgotten moment from your past? With this concept in mind, I created the character of Lucy Barnes, a gardener with a gift for growing flowers whose scents awaken lost memories. When Lucy takes a position at a somber, colorless assisted-living home, the decadently scented flowers that she grows awaken not only the home’s gardens, but the entire community, stirring new passions and unearthing long-buried secrets. The Memory Gardener is a heartwarming read, full of mystery, lush settings, the power of memory, and a dash of magic. I adored the process of writing this story (ask me anything!) and I do hope you enjoy reading it! Thank you!

[Anna J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy Barnes is gifted gardner who has been moving around never staying in one place long. Now, she feels the call to go home as her mother has passed away and her father has turned into a recluse. She gets offered a job to restore the gardens at an assisted living home. This allows her to stay with her father.

Lucy has a special talent that awakens memories of a person by getting them to smell a certain scent. She starts restoring the gardens and it transforms all the residents at the same time. They start to walk the gardens and change because of Lucy and her dog Gully. She meets Adam and his daughter Sophie and finally lets her guard down to let people in. Sophie brightens up by being around the dog and smiles and laughs.

The owner of the home wants to sell it and is using the gardens as a draw to try and increase the price. Lucy can't stand the thought of all the residents having to move and rallies the tenants to plan a party. You learn about all the residents and how they ended up at the home and you love all the residents.

This is a beautiful story of grief, healing, love, forgiveness and friendship.

Thank you Gallery Books for the gifted copy.

[Sharon M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Gallery Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this charming book by Meg Donohue. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Lucy has always had an ability to know exactly what scent from the flowers that she grows will return a memory from the past to a person. She's hid that ability and lived a very nomadic life, going from one gardening job to another. When her dad needs help after her mother's death, she returns to her home town and gets a job at an assisted-living community, unearthing gardens and transforming the community.

This was just a sweet story, full of magical realism and thoughts about memory - those memories that make us happy or sad, those that keep us trapped, those that move us forward. I loved the characters - and Gully the dog - and could just imagine the secret gardens and flowers that transformed a place that was inherently sad. Each chapter began with a description of a different flower and its meaning, making the book even more of a special experience. I did not see the end coming adding a nice twist to the story. This was just the quiet book I needed right now!

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charmer about Lucy, a woman who has lived a nomadic life creating gardens for others who goes home to keep an eye on her father after her mom dies and discovers so much more. She's got a unique touch with the scent of flowers, able to find one that unlocks memories long repressed or forgotten for the person who smells them. A job restoring neglected gardens at the local retirement home brings her into contact with, among others, Fitz, who offers his own perspective. It's the residents who are the stars (as is Gully the dog). Adam and his little daughter might be a bit of a trope but Donohue has a light hand with that element of the story (you knew there would be a love interest, didn't you?). And there are secrets, not just what happened to Lucy's high school boyfriend, but others as well including one heck of a twist I did not see coming. It's a gentle read with a positive spirit, good characters and fine storytelling. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. Perfect for a relaxing read.

[Amelia Maness-Gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memory Gardener is easily one of my favorite books of 2025. Meg Donohue has crafted a beautifully layered, emotionally rich story that stayed with me long after I turned the last page. I absolutely loved Lucy, her character is so vividly drawn, and her gift with scent is both brilliant and deeply moving at times. The way she helps others reconnect with forgotten parts of themselves through fragrance felt magical, yet entirely grounded in emotional truth.

The setting of Oceanview Home is lush and evocative, and watching the community awaken through Lucy’s presence and her garden was incredibly satisfying. Donohue writes with such tenderness and insight about memory, grief, healing, and second chances. The mystery woven throughout adds just the right amount of intrigue without overpowering the emotional core of the novel.

This book is a sensory experience in the best way: rich with imagery, alive with scent, and full of heart. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of magical realism and a deep emotional resonance.

[Karen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy, uplifting story that is a beautiful reflection of memories and connections. Lucy returns to her hometown after the loss of her beloved mother. There she begins to heal from the grief and finds purpose in restoring the gardens of an estate turned assisted living center. She meets their residents and families, each providing a price to the healing process and a glimpse of her future. The prose was engaging and eloquent, the plot heartwarming, and full of healing. The addition of the descriptions and characterizes of plants and flowers was whimsical and charming. This story was gentle and beautiful…I felt wrapped in a warm hug, my heart feeling a bit lighter and content.
I was able to do an immersive read with this as well. The dual narration by Erin Moon, Chris Henry Coffey was great, their voices calm, comforting and gentle as well. A wonderful experience to both read and listen.
4.25 stars
Thanks to Gallery for the gifted physical copy and ebook, and Simon & Schuster for the gifted audiobook.

[Danis Miller-Bucholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the interest of full transparency, a thank you to Edelweiss and to the publisher for making a DRC of this upcoming novel available to me to read!

This is a really lovely, feel good novel about a gardener with a special gift that helps others vividly recall important feelings and memories through the floral scents of various flowers. This novel probably falls under a combination of the magical realism genre and the cozy genre, both of which are not usual genres for me as a reader but this novel is tenderly written. Even though you can predict the some parts of the ending, it is still a really nice read. The author touches on a variety of thematic concepts, such as grief, loss, aging, isolation, and regret. The characters feel realistic, as do many of the challenges they face. This novel is a entertaining escape from the real world, which is something that I love about good fiction. This is a great summer or vacation beach read!

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book, and while it wasn’t quite the book that I thought it was going to be, I still quite enjoyed it. I was expecting a mystery/murder/suspense with magic, but it was not exactly that. (Yes, there is suspense but not quite what I was expecting.) Lucy can give people a past memory that can help someone in the present, and she does this with a flower’s scent. I loved this aspect of the universe. I know for myself that sometimes a smell can bring back a memory, but it isn’t nearly as clear as the memories that Lucy can bring back. She is hiding a past hurt, though, when she brought back memories that hurt someone. I can’t say much, and I hate to be vague, but I really don’t want to spoil it. This is a book about redemption, believing in yourself, opening yourself up to things, and don’t let the past get in the way of your future. I enjoyed this book and think others will, too. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Sarah (sarahs_shelves_sc) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cozy magical realism read that meandered along, introducing interesting characters and unlocking beautiful memories.

Lucy is a gardener, and she has a bit of a magic touch. Some of her flowers return a person to a memory from their past, and the chosen memories have the ability to change something within the person, often altering their future. When she signs on to clean up the gardens at an assisted living home, her magic changes everything.

Cozy and heartwarming are the perfect words for this one. The book touches on grief, on family, and on the difficulties of growing older in a beautiful way. It is all very hopeful and emotional at times. Donahue's descriptions of the gardens are a full sensory experience, with her talk of blossoming flowers and the incredible scents of each garden.

The book feels slower and quieter, a book about simple human connection and how important our memories are. An intriguing concept that was beautifully written!

[Karen F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Gallery Books for choosing me as one of your winners of advanced copy of The Memory Gardener by Meg Donohue!
I gave this book 5 Stars! First, at the beginning of each chapter, there is an identified flower and its relative emotional connection which is also a theme in that specific chapter. Second, I appreciated the characters from Lucy herself to Gully, Fitz,Adam, Sophie, Cynthia, Marjorie and more! Third, some of the novel’s content like Lucy creating a special garden in Adam & Sophie’s back yard for Sophie and the restoring of the garden gates symbolizes the restored living and relationships!
Thank you for reading my review!
I’m going to let book lovers in my life know about Meg Donohue and The Memory Gardener!