Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story. Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu doesn’t want to return home, and as she grows closer with the unwittingly charming gardener, Yarrow, she learns that the magic that sustains the greenhouses is failing—causing the death of everything within them. Terlu knows she must help, even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by Yarrow and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

In The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst, she has created a story that is delightful and caring. From the very beginning, I was charmed by Terlu and Yarrow, as they try to figure out a way to save the greenhouses. The incredible descriptions infuse the world with wonder, especially the plants that are alive like Lottie. As a cat-lover, I fell in love with the flying feline. And I absolutely love that the story is full of hope and all about second chances, all about family. 

If you like sweet and caring stories, with plants that are fantastical, I highly recommend The Enchanted Greenhouse. The story is so heartwarming, the relationship between Terlu and Yarrow is sweet and it is a genuinely happy story, the kind we need more of these days. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 statues.

MacMillan Publishing

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