I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Love the cover. If you love Tudor period reads, then this is perfect for you!

This was an enjoyable work of historical fiction with a very authentic setting. Characters were well-developed on the whole, and the plot was interesting and well thought out.

I loved it! Such an amazing book!
The setting is awesome, the characters are good.
10/10! Will recommend to my friends, and literally everyone ever.

Catherine Clover has produced a fine first novel which sensitively describes the development of a powerful relationship set amid a late medieval world. Her descriptions throughout the book of this world are wonderful.
I felt like I was completely immersed in the world and teleported back in time. Great characters too!

I was so excited to see this title pop up on Netgalley. I am always on the lookout for historical fiction set in the medieval period. While I enjoyed this book, I was a touch underwhelmed. I was hoping the narrative would explore the tense political landscape of the Wars of the Roses. In saying that, I did enjoy the Da Vinci Code type mystery that unfolds.

The Templar’s Garden follows Lady Isabelle as her family flees their home in the Duchy of Gascony as the French overthrow England's rule. Her family, along with her chaplain, has always been loyal to the English Kings so they escape to England. During the journey, Isabelle develops feelings towards her chaplain, Père Charles. The closer the pair gets the more secrets she uncovers about Père Charles.

Lady Isabelle is an interesting character. She is a devout catholic and had received visions from God since she was fourteen. There are strong Joan of Arc vibes, which I enjoyed. I'm fascinated with how Catholicism plays a major role in her day-to-day life. Her family has encouraged her love of study and reading, along with fostering her independence. Lady Isabelle would rather spend her days with her head in a book than get caught up in the court gossip.

The narrative is told in a diary format. Sprinkled through are some illustrations, which is a nice touch. After Lady Isabelle vision start, her mother requests that she will document her life. I’m not the biggest fan of the diary format because I feel removed for the story; its as though you are being told a lot of information rather than seeing it unfold. Lady Isabelle is exceptionally detailed as she describes each portion of their travel. Because of the attention to detail, the story is slow to start and the mystery doesn't begin to unfold until the last third.

The mystery revolves around a religious artefact, which has been guarded by the Knights Templar. There has always been magic and conspiracy surrounding the Templars. I am excited to see what happens in the upcoming books.

The setting feels grounded in the period. Catherine Clover has included a lot of historical detail, which I love, but is careful to make sure the details don't overwhelm the narrative.

I will say there is a trigger warning for sexual assault. I understand that assault was a real reality for women in the 15th century. However, the assaults feel as though they have been added as a device to push the plot along.

I am interested in reading the next books in The Maid of Gascony series. I feel invested in Isabelle and Père Charles’s budding relationship. I hope it goes smoothly for them, mostly because I am a sucker for a happy ending.

Isabelle, a noblewoman, has religious visions. She goes on a pilgrimage with her tutor and chaplain, Père Charles, to the west country. History and architecture are described in vivid detail. This is the first book in a planned trilogy. I am looking forward to seeing how this story progresses.

I had thought this book was more historical fiction and romance, but it seemed to develop well as I read on. First in a trilogy, this is about a young woman living in 1450s France following the trail of the Knights Templar, trying to identify an artifact they have. I think I will look for the 2nd book, just to see how they progress...

I found myself impersed by this book. Wonderful, realistic characters with so much research gone into it to back everything up. Difficult to put down, Catherine created a world which makes you feel as though you are living in it. The growth between characters is fantastically written and i enjoyed the whole aspect of her take on historical fiction.

This isn't my usual fare. I have to say it started out more as a traditional Historical Romance, and I'm not entirely sure I cared for the conclusion. It's ending up as more of a Da Vinci Code esque thriller featuring the Knight Templar and an ancient relic.

I gave 3.5 stars mostly because I liked the historical details, and the characterization was interesting, especially the incorporation of Medieval Liturgical music. However I deduct a star for a few things

- Unnecessary rape scene (not graphically described)
- Buying into the unproven idea that Queen Margaret of Anjou's son was the product of an affair with the Duke of Somerset - spoiler alert, he probably wasn't.
- The general anti-Lancastrian bias, coupled with a bizarre anti-Protestant bias in which everyone who favours reform of the church/adheres to the doctrines of Wycliffe is literally a murderer, rapist, or adulterer. I would similarly disapprove if all Catholics were characterized as such too, in case anyone accuses me of being partizan.

I understand there are two more titles to come in this series, and I would be interested in reading them to finish Isabel and Richard's story, especially her adventures in Italy, but take it all with a pinch of salt.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for approving of my request for this title. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

The premise of this book, the first in the Maid of Gascony series, is that Isabella, a teenage noblewoman living in medieval France, falls in love while journeying through the world in the footsteps of the Knights Templar, tracking down lost Christian relics. It’s like an odd mashup of The Thorn Birds and The Da Vinci Code. Did I need this combo? Maybe. I’m not sure. I am sure, however, that the writing style is a little less exciting than the premise. This book reads like a master’s thesis in history, which will be incredibly exciting to (possibly) a minority of people. At least 75% of the novel is exposition on the events, characters and architecture of medieval Europe. An illustrative paragraph:

…our ship was fitted with two triangular lateen sails, positioned on masts at either end of the deck, designed to catch the wind and provide a fast sailing time between ports. In the middle stood a much heavier square-rigged mast. Glancing around, I noticed that none of the other ships in the port had two different types of sails. Once on board, I would discover another important distinction of our ship: enclosed cabins that provided shelter from the piercing winds that would suddenly whip up around us out of nowhere. It was clear that the Salamanca had been selected specifically for her speed and the level of comfort she afforded her passengers.

While I deeply, deeply appreciate a well-researched text and atmospheric historical detail, there are times when it becomes indiscriminate. Yes, that’s the main character describing a boat. She’s on this boat for all of five minutes. How much do we really need to know about this boat? It floated. Imagine if, as Frodo and Sam departed for Mount Doom, Tolkien interrupted their heartfelt declarations of devotion to tell us how many oars were on the rowboat? Actually, maybe he did.

Besides the boats, the rest of The Templar’s Garden moves very slowly (in places, practically becalmed) as the character’s feelings are rendered in sentences as categorical as this:

“Alone with a man of such remarkable character in the dark of the hallway, I felt timid: I sensed an intense passion for him developing in my heart.”

Has any woman ever said to herself, alone in a dark hallway with someone she feels intensely passionate about; that she “sensed an intense passion…developing in her heart”? I’d rather hear about her breath, her heart rate, her involuntary movements.

Clover clearly cares deeply for history, but like any historical novelist, she also alters it to suit her story. Consider the relic at the heart of book one. Clover refers to it as the Mandylion, and also as “the shroud that covered our Lord and Saviour after he was taken down from the cross.” I did find online references to a Mandylion, aka the Image of Edessa, but that relic doesn’t seem to match Clover’s. Other artifacts do, although their veracity is up for debate. Of course, The Templar’s Garden doesn’t care whether the Mandylion is real, just that Isabella believes it is.

Isabella is protected on her journey by descendants of the Knights Templar, whom Clover posits continued to exist in secret after they were famously dissolved by King Philip IV of France on a Friday the 13th back in the 1300s. Clover says the Knights were dissolved by the King (and later the Pope) because they presented him with a “counterfeit cloth” (ie, a fake Mandylion). Historically, I believe the explanation is that he owed them a lot of money he didn’t want to repay, which is simultaneously less surprising and more shitty. The real moral of that story is that it’s a bad idea to lend money to people who can change the law to suit their whims. The real moral of Clover’s story, however, is probably more pleasant and intangible.

It’s worth a warning that this book contains two extremely graphic rapes. It’s not possible to skip over them, really, because they affect the plot. Rape was a part of women’s lives in the 1400s as it is today, but these two episodes stand out for their extreme violence. Not for the first time, I wondered why we don’t put content warnings on books, because this story probably could have used one. So instead, I’ll offer it to you now.

I'm not going to give a synopsis of the plot, you can get that elsewhere. I'm actually confused about how I feel about it. It was kind of two books in one as the plot went. That said, I did enjoy the story and interested to see where the series goes. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest review on #TheTemplar'sGarden.

Thank you to NetGalley, author and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.
This novel is set in 1450's France and England amidst the tensions between the two countries. Its the story of a devotional Isabelle and Pere Charles. Its a historical fiction which revolves around the mystery of an artifact and the brotherhood of Knights Templar. Interspersed are the visions, scriptures and the architecture of the Churches of that historical period.
3 stars

I was attracted by the blurb and found the historical setting interesting. Unfortunately the story didn't keep my attention and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am glad to see so many others liking the book but it really missed the mark for me. I didn`t like the characters and story felt bland and sometimes too long at times, even though it jumped ahead very sudden and quickly. I didn`t feel it was charachter development og growth.

CW: violence and sexual assault.
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This book follows Isabelle as she matures into a young woman during a dangerous time in history. The War of the Roses is about to start, there is tension between England and France, and Isabelle's family safety and religion seem threatened. Her family moves from Gascony to England in fear of the French army, since her father has pledged loyalty to the English king rather than the French, which sends the family on a dangerous adventure.
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I loved Isabelle as a protagonist. She was very smart and encouraged to read and write, something that was not usually encouraged with women during this time period. She is also interesting because she appears to have visions and believes that she has a purpose to fulfil for Jesus. She is living during a time when the Catholic Church begins to be scrutinized for corruption, and she fears that there will be a split with the church. We learn a lot by reading Isabelle's journey, including the role that noblewomen were expected to play, the region of Gascony and it's the role in the tension between England and France, as well as the drama leading up to the War of the Roses. I love reading about this time period in history and I enjoyed some of the mystery elements to the book as well!

I love historical fiction and this book did not disappoint I really enjoyed it and recommend for ant lovers of Tudor historical fiction.

Historical fiction is not a a genre I read a lot of. While this title, does info dump like most of the genre, the story was still easy to follow. The characters were interesting enough to feel compelled to see where their story was going. The protagonist, Lady Isabella gives a pleasant narrative. There were elements I found uncomfortable and some plot devices that would have registered a simpler solution than what was presented. Overall, an interesting read and I'm looking forward to see where this trilogy goes.

*I received this title as a free advance digital copy and this does not influence my review or opinion.

Lady Isabelle, a devout Catholic, is forced, along with her family, to flee France to seek refuge in post-Hundred Years War England. Accompanied by her tutor, who is also the family priest, Lady Isabelle unwittingly becomes caught in a web of intrigue involving the English nobility, the Knights Templar, and a mysterious ancient relic. As she learns more about her tutor's tragic past and secret identity, will Lady Isabelle be able to outrun those who wish to cause both of them harm?

The author's extensive knowledge of history during this time period is evident in the many details about architecture, music, and life during the tension-filled days when France and England were perpetually at war. The excellent historical background adds interest to the plot as it unfolds. Be prepared to be left in suspense at the conclusion, because this is only the first installment of The Maid of Gascony Series. This work would be a worthwhile addition to any library's historical fiction section.

This was an extremely unique story set during a time that we do not see often in historical romance. The writing was absolutely beautiful. The main character was very likable and easy to route for. The history intricately sewn into this book was fascinating, I constantly found myself looking up various events or facts. I left this book knowing a lot more about English history than I thought I was going to. I will say that the plot and the dialogue throughout the book fell quite flat. I did find myself skimming pages trying to get to something exciting to finally happen. Of course, this is the first book in a seires so the book felt incomplete. I feel that the next books in the series will get better; I am excited to pick up the next books in the future.

- 3 stars -

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC for my honest opinion.

The Templar’s Garden is the first part of a historical fiction trilogy about England during the War of the Roses.
I enjoy reading historical novels, especially about the English history. This book is engrossing and beautifully written. Lady Isabelle’s character was really interesting.
In general it was a delightful read about the old times. Looking forward to the next book.