It is a fantastic emotional story set in some beautiful places Cornwall and Costa Rica, once I started reading I didn't want to stop. I would love to read more by sophie

A wonderful story of friendships, secrets and families.
Author Maggie usually writes detective novels. She has written a new story in a totally different style, a very moving story. Due to her failing eyesight she advertises for some ‘eyes’ to help her type it up. As the book moves on we realise the book is connected to Maggie in some way. I was desperate to know what had happened to Maggie’s son Lucas, through the pages of the story Erin was typing up for Maggie. I loved the relationship between Maggie and Erin, the care and closeness that built up as Maggie’s illness progressed and her eyesight worsened.
That house on the edge of the cliff sounded magnificent, though in need of a good clean. But the views, wow! I felt like I was there.
Erin had a strained relationship with her parents after splitting with her lover, and when things were revealed from the past it was even more awkward.
From Cornwall to Costa Rica, this powerful story drew me in.
Those tropical beaches, rainforest and jungle creatures added to the perfection.
The sea, waves and beach cafes were idyllic.
Some difficult subjects which are dealt with perfectly by the author.
A fabulous debut novel, I look forward to reading her next one.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the review copy of this book in which I give my honest opinion.

I found this book an emotional and moving read. Maggie is dying from a brain tumour, but she has a book to write, a story to tell. Erin returns home after her relationship with a married man comes to an end. Their paths become linked. Maggie’s secrets are revealed and Erin tries her best to untangle the secrets, willing forgiveness from both parties. Meanwhile Erin’s family have their own secrets. Spanning from the coast of Cornwall to the beautiful shores of Costa Rica the story focuses on love, loss and new beginnings. This story will stay with me long after I have turned the last page.

Erin Turner makes a horrible mistake by having an affair with a married man and running off to London. Maggie Muir, a novelist of detective novels, is still coming to grips with the death of her daughter. Both are lost, both will need the other to help overcome their past and learn to let go. Erin is young, slightly rebellious but with a big heart. Maggie presents herself as aloof, odd and cranky but she is actually wounded and hiding from her past. Maggie is writing a book and needs help in completing this task. Erin applies for the job of Eyes Wanted. Thus begins an odd friendship in which each women starts to slowly heal from their mistakes, regrets and secrets. Beautifully written, the story does a wonderful job of unfolding through Maggie’s flashbacks and the present day interactions of the two characters. Secondary characters add to the story, bring depth to the mistakes and secrets, are well developed and enhance the plotline. I really enjoyed reading this story by Sophie Anderson. It’s a captivating story you won’t want to miss.

Maggie, a reclusive author, is dying and losing her sight due to a brain tumour. Erin, has returned to Cornwall following a distrastrous love affair. Erin takes on a job writing Maggie's last book, a true life story. As Maggie's story unfolds, well kept family secrets unravel from both sides.
What tragedy made Maggie become a recluse and can Erin help before it's too late
A delightful story that takes the reader from Cornwall to Costa Rica to discover truths.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own

Erin has returned to Cornwall under a dark cloud and becomes the eyes of a blind woman and helps her to write a novel which is help right a wrong towards her son. She hopes to write the book to say sorry.

It's quite a moving and heartfelt story with lots of family secrets. You will need your tissues ready. I enjoyed this powerful story.

Secrets never stay secret forever and secrets can tear families apart.

Set in Cornwall, Erin has become the talk of her hometown. After a stint living in London as the muse to a married artist, one whom she loved, she moved back home and into her family home feeling ashamed. She can’t go back to working in her local pub or working in the shop, so when she sees an advert for ‘eyes wanted’ by the local recluse Maggie, butterfly enthusiast and author who lives on the cliffs, Erin applies and finds herself helping Maggie write her latest novel. This is a different book for Maggie. It doesn’t fall under her usual genre of writing, but as she is coming to her end being terminally ill, her last book is to be an apology to her long-lost son.

After the death of his sister in 1987, Lucas ran away to Costa Rica in search of a new start and to eradicate his mother from his life, but his mother does not want to leave the world without making amends and finding peace. However, she is now too frail to track him down, so she sends Erin in the hope she can help have all the wrongs made right.

I loved how Maggie’s story was told as Erin was typing up her manuscript, the way it unfolded across the 1980’s time period leading up to her moving to Cornwall in 1987 was perfect. It is really well-paced and had me hooked from the start. I also enjoyed how Erin’s life entwined with Maggie with her family not being as perfect after all as she learnt of a huge hidden secret, and had it not been for Maggie she may have never found out. This is a wonderful story, which brought on an array of emotions and I am now looking forward to reading more books from Sophie Anderson.

I loved this book from beginning to end. It’s written with quite short chapters which I like because it’s easy to spare another 5 minutes for just one more chapter. Erin is the main protagonist and there were times when I didn’t like her that much. She sometimes came across as quite self absorbed and perhaps a little judgemental but she’s young as well as an only child. This makes it so reflective of real life because as 25 year olds who haven’t seen that much of the world, we do tend to be quite selfish in our outlook on life.

Erin has returned to her family home in Cornwall after leaving for London to be closer to her artist boyfriend who just happens to also be a married man. Her parents begged her not to go but being a headstrong young woman she thought it was love and that the man of her dreams would eventually leave his wife for Erin.

After answering an advert for help required for a recluse novelist living in a large crumbling house, Erin meets Maggie. At first she doesn’t know what to make of Maggie and her somewhat unkempt house. But she agrees to work for her and help her finish her memoir before she dies. Maggie has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and is gradually losing her sight, but is adamant that she must finish writing her story for her son to read. A son she hasn’t seen for over 30 years - Maggie needs to make amends and for him to know the truth before she dies.

After a serious fall out with her parents after she is given some shocking news, Erin moves out of her family home and goes to live with Maggie. From here and via the entries into Maggie’s memoir we learn of Maggie’s life. The deep sadness that she has lived with for so many years. We also learn of Maggie’s estranged son Lucas who left for Costa Rica aged 18 and who Maggie has neither seen nor heard from since. Eventually the story moves from Cornwall to Costa Rica when Erin travels there to find Lucas. So many beautiful descriptions here bring the place to life in the book, so much so that it made me want to go there.

It’s a wonderful sweeping story of grief, regrets and hidden secrets. It’s not just Maggie who’s been hiding the truth, Lucas and Erin’s parents have their own truths to tell too. It’s an intriguing book that will keep you hooked, with some very poignant and emotional parts that’ll have you reaching for the tissues. I loved it. A fabulous debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Butterfly Garden is a story of family drama, intertwining two families and their secrets from the past.

Erin returns home after breaking up with her lover, she is looking for a job and finds one of the most peculiar; she will work for Maggie an old writer who lives secluded in her house. Erin will help her write her latest book, and little by little a friendship will be born.

It's a story about feeling lost and finding your way, family love and forgiveness, secrets and being strong enough to face them.

Erin feels lost, she has dreams, but she is going through a moment where she is not sure what she wants and if what she always wanted will make her happy, maybe its time to find a new goal and try new things.
Discovering Maggie's story and helping her in rectifying the past will help Erin to aspire for a better future.

It feel very realistic, the characters are so human, they make mistakes, hide things and want to be better,

Very enjoyable, lovely descriptions, specially I like the part about Costa Rica, wish it had been more extensive, it's a beautiful place. Also, the descriptions of the butterflies were wonderful.

The Butterfly Garden by Sophie Anderson really packs an emotional punch. Two family dramas unfold on the pages, and both have some pretty shocking revelations. Erin is a young woman that is returning to her hometown “in disgrace” and the topic of gossip everywhere she goes. But she needs a job finds a place with an old woman, Maggie, that needs help writing her final book.

Erin and Maggie gradually become close in their own odd and special way. They seem like a rather unlikely pair, but their relationship is something very special. Maggie’s last book is different than what she usually writes, and Erin soon finds herself on a trip to Costa Rica to deliver the manuscript to Maggie’s estranged son, Lucas.

Costa Rica was incredibly beautiful, and I would love to see all the places Erin visited, but the storyline fell a little flat there. The characters all seemed so contradictory to themselves. While I understood Lucas’s on and off again personality, the rest seemed like pieces that didn’t fit the puzzle. Erin’s whole time here seemed as if it didn’t quite fit – which is odd because Lucas is a vital part of the story.

Erin’s family has their own issues they will need to confront as well, and her time with Maggie helps her realize that secrets aren’t always meant to hurt. This family secret takes the story in a somewhat different direction but still maintains the theme of parents and their children.

I enjoyed the story a lot, and I wish I could have seen how everyone turned out beyond the ending. I feel like there is still so much to say about their lives and their impact on the people around them.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Butterfly Garden
by Sophie Anderson

Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Families, secrets and the pain the secrets inflict on both the secret keeper, and the ones that the secrets are about. I did really enjoy this book, it’s all about families, tragedy and misguided blame. If you like a story about redemption, emotional growth and forgiveness, this is the book for you.

Erin finds herself at a crossroads after she returns to her small village in Cornwall, after following her married lover to London, and finding out he will never leave his wife and daughter, she returns to her home and searches for work. Finding an advertisement for “Eyes Wanted”, she finds employment with a reclusive novelist who lives in a huge house named Hooks End. Surly and unwelcoming at first, Maggie Muir doesn’t want any intrusions in her life, but with a brain tumor stealing her sight, she needs Erin to help her finish her final novel. The two women forge an unlikely friendship and Erin will do anything to help her new friend with her final dying wish.

This book is all about family secrets and the consequences of keeping them, and not allowing forgiveness. It’s beautifully written, and the characters are well developed and I found myself caring about them how they grow and deal with the consequences of these secrets. I found the pacing of the book to be good, a bit slow in the middle, but not enough to deter me.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in family drama, secrets and personal growth.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I was drawn in right from the start. A gentle and eloquently written story of unlikely friendship, woven with past secrets which unravel as the two women consider the things most important in life. Sensitive topics confronted by discerning characters. Incorporating the butterflies adds a beautiful imagery as well as interesting facts. Thoroughly enjoyable. I’ll definitely look out for more books by Sophie Anderson!

Sophie Anderson’s The Butterfly Garden is a story about Maggie Muir, a recluse whose brain tumor is taking her eyesight, and Erin Turner, who the town calls “homewrecker,” and how each of them and the people in their lives deal with secrets. Maggie has placed an ad that states, “Eyes Wanted.” Erin, who has just returned to her hometown of Porthteal after she moved to London to be with her married artist, is in search of a job. Through the book's format told in alternating manuscript form, with bits and pieces of the past, and what is going on in the present, we learn much about Maggie’s past and why she desperately wants to finish her book with Erin's help. The two characters form an unlikely pair and a deep and loyal friendship develops. I highly recommend and I look forward to Sophie Anderson's next book!

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN by Sophie Anderson in exchange for an honest review. Erin returned home to Cornwall in shame after she ran off for London with her married lover; Erin eventually realized his promises to leave his wife were just lies. The need for employment leads Erin to take a job as an amanuensis with the reclusive writer living in a huge house on the Cornish cliffs. The writer, Maggie, is dying, her eyesight is failing, and she has one last book she needs to write - the story of her daughter’s death and the tale of the fallout afterward. Maggie’s estrangement from her son Lucas is the writer’s real regret. Even as Erin finds herself becoming emotionally invested in Maggie and her woes, she finds herself facing her own estrangement from her parents. Can lies be overcome and peace be achieved? Can Erin learn from Maggie’s life lessons?

This is a poignant tale. It’s sad, but there’s hope to be found. I recommend this book to fans of sad stories where the characters are forced to grow in order to reach a brighter future.

#TheButterflyGarden #NetGalley

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book, loved the storyline and the characters. Great read

As the end of her life approaches, and her sight worsens, Maggie employs local girl Erin to help her write her life story. It is a tale of misunderstood mental health issues and family dysfunction that Maggie is anxious to leave for her son to read. In the process, Erin discovers that her own family has its secrets. The story is a told through present day narrative and dated extracts from the autobiography in progress, which creates a very real character in Maggie.

An absolutely delightful novel where the friendship between Maggie and Erin blossoms. Erin's a young girl, betrayed by a married lover and comes home to rebuild her life. Maggie is housebound, dying and needs support drafting a manuscript for one last story. Their lives intertwine more after Maggie instigates a Christmas Day family secret that has a massive impact for Erin.
Maggie's manuscript is packed within the story that has even more secrets unravel,
Maggie and Erin's relationship is pure joy, and when the likes of Fred and Jose join them it makes for even more pleasure off the page.
From Cornwall to Costa Rica, this book delights over and over. With the added bonus of learning about butterflies on the way.
A difficult storyline as a subplot handled delicately and sensitively, as well as heartache along the way, this book has it all.

Whilst it had all the makings of a thrilling, gripping, heartbreaking novel, it was slow and I was not swept away by the story. It was too long and dragged in the middle and could have been shorter and to the point. A family divided by death, mental health and a young girl stepping into an old lady's life which is nearing its conclusion, trying to heal the wounds of a separated family. This young stranger does a good attempt to bring the son of the old lady to see her before her demise, but he has not seen his mother for 30 odd years and has no desire to relive the past.

Maggie has hidden herself away in her Cornish home for years, mourning the son who left for Costa Rica. The aging novelist needs to tell her son something important before she dies. She employs the help of Erin, a young woman who has taken a job at Maggie’s home, Hooke’s End. She needs Maggie to travel to Costa Rica to find Lucas, to bring him home before it’s too late. This is a beautiful story about family bonds set in the equally beautiful locations of Cornwall and Costa Rica

A great story within a story. Erin returns home and goes to help Maggie finish writing her book before she dies of a brain tumor. A lot of pain and tragedy of the past, overflowing into the present makes for a bittersweet story. Highly recommend this book and author. A wonderful read.