Red Lily

I always hate when trilogies end, and the "In the Garden" trilogy (BLUE DAHLIA, BLACK ROSE, and now RED LILY) is no exception. You get to know the characters so completely, and feel such a connection with them, that they become almost real--and you just want to keep on reading about their lives!

RED LILY is the story of Harper Ashby, oldest son of Rosalind (BLACK ROSE), and Hayley Phillips. Hayley had come to Harper House the previous year, pregnant and alone, to beseech Roz, a distant cousin through marriage, for a job. Unwed, with her baby's father out of the picture, Hayley wasn't looking for a handout, but for a chance to start over. What Roz offered her was so much more--a job, a place to stay at the renowned Harper House, and a show more family.

Now she has her daughter Lily, a great job, and a roof over her head, but lately she's been thinking of Harper, the man whose been her friend through it all, in a brand-new light--that of a love interest. Afraid to ruin their friendship by telling him how she feels, she keeps quiet. Harper, on the other hand, has wanted Hayley in a more than friendly fashion ever since he laid eyes upon her--pregnant and all--more than a year ago. But he's sure that she doesn't think of him in the same way, and he's leary of messing up the friendship that means to much to him.

As these two friends--both wanting to be so much more--fight their attraction to each other, the resident ghost of the house, the Harper Bride, kicks into high gear. She's always been loving and kind to the children in the house, singing them lullabies in the night, but she seems to hate men, and she's become especially violent now that Hayley is entertaining thoughts of romance.

As the whole crew--Roz and her new husband Mitch, a geneologist trying his hardest to discover who the Harper Bride really is; Stella and Logan, both employees of Roz's In the Garden shop; and Hayley and Harper, who live on Harper/Ashby land--try to figure out the Bride's agenda, their lives are in danger, and their hearts and passions intertwine with that of the ghost's.

I loved this entire trilogy, and read RED LILY in one day. It was a perfect conclusion to this powerful family saga, and I was especially happy to finally learn the answers to who the Harper Bride was, and what happened to her.

I will admit that there was one surprise twist to the storyline that I didn't see coming, and wasn't really thrilled with, but since Ms. Roberts wrote it and I didn't, I can't complain! Overall, the story was still great, and in time I learned to live with what I thought was an unnecessary plot device.

Pick up this trilogy today--you won't be disappointed! show less

The final novel in the In the Garden trilogy stars Hayley Phillips and Harper Ashby. Hayley had come to her distant cousin Roz when she found herself pregnant and shortly after the death of her father. She was looking for a new start and found it with family and by getting involved in the nursery business.

She fell in love with Roz's son Harper, but she was either pregnant or a new mother. Besides Harper doesn't seem interested in her. However, Harper had fallen in love with her too and was taking things slow until he felt Hayley had caught up with his feelings.

But, behind the scenes, the Harper Bride ghost is becoming more visible and more dangerous. She has graduated from singing to the Harper babies to threatening family members. show more And lately she has taken to taking over Hayley's body and wants to take over her life.

For a happy ending for Hayley and Harper, the people of Harper House - Roz and her new husband Mitch and Stella and her new husband Logan - need to discover what it is the ghost wants and how they can finally lay her to rest.

This was another great story. Roberts is an expert at relationships and especially friendships between women. She is also excellent at romances that are very realistic. This one certainly qualified. show less

Red Lily
3 Stars

At Harper House, Hayley Phillips has found a home and a family for herself and her small daughter, Lily. But Hayley feels restless and unsettled, primarily due to her growing attraction to Harper Ashby - the oldest son of her friend and employer. Unfortunately, the house's resident ghost isn't at all pleased with the development of Hayley and Harper's relationship. Will the truth about her past finally be revealed and enable Hayley and Harper to find happiness together?

Of the three romances in the series, Harper and Hayley's is the best. They have great chemistry and their feelings for one another are believable. The connection between Harper and baby Lily is particularly engaging.

While there is still some focus on the show more horticultural themes, they definitely take a back seat to the revelations regarding the identity and fate of the Harper Bride. To be honest, I was expecting a more exciting conclusion to this arc, but it sort of fizzles at the end.

Moreover, as the details about Amelia's life and her actions emerged, I found what little sympathy I had for her dissipate. The fact that she was willing to kill her own child reinforced her selfish and self-absorbed nature. Despite his father's despicable actions, young Reginald was much better off with him than he ever would have been with his mother.

All in all, this is not one of Nora's better series and I cannot recommend it for readers new to her work. show less

Romances are not my favorite or even second favorite genre but my mother had the book and she said I should try it. You know you should do what your mother says...right? It wasn't a terrible book or even a bad book...it just wasn't my type of book. I did find parts of it that caught and held my interest. The last part of the book seemed to ramble a bit...or in all fairness it could have just been me. Overall it was an entertaining read but if I hadn't needed a book that fit a category for a challenge I probably wouldn't have pick this up..but isn't that the whole point of a challenge?

This is the third in a trilogy. Hayley is a single mom and has been staying and working with Roz since just before having baby Lily. She is head over heels in love with Roz’s son, Harper. There is also a ghost living in the house, Amelia. Amelia seems to love children and will sing to them, including Lily. But she can be nasty otherwise. Not only that, it’s not long before she appears to periodically be possessing Hayley!

This was ok. I see that I was more interested in the ghost story (than the romances) in the first two books, but even Amelia’s story didn’t appeal to me all that much this time around. It was ok, but nothing more for me.

This 3rd book of the "In the Garden" trilogy was definitely my favourite of the three. I really liked the characters of Hayley, Harper, and Lily (Hayley's daughter). Reading about the development of their relationship was fun. The mystery of the "Amelia", Harper Bride, was resolved too. I don't mind a little paranormal in a story, and this one definitely had it, but it worked perfectly with the plot. It was a fast, enjoyable read - another winner from Nora Roberts.

The final In the Garden book did not disappoint in the least bit. I loved Harper and Hayley getting together it was a fantastic story. And baby Lily is just so sweet. I was avidly interested in every bit of the gardening that was described as well. Nora Roberts sure made it sound really amazing and kind of made me want to work in a nursery (lol). The final wrap up to Amelia as well with an amazing conclusion. I only wish there were more In the Garden books!