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The Last Camellia

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

A romantic and suspenseful tale about two women whose destiny is bound across the years.

On the eve of World War II, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.

More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?

Goodreads link:

Review:

This book is AMAZING! I could not put it down and I ended up staying up until 2 A.M. trying to finish it. 

Flora is first introduced, and she must find an extremely rare camellia at the Livingston manor under the guise of a maid to save her family. Her parents are poor bakers, and her father takes pity on those with no food by giving them free bread. 

Addison or Amanda is a young woman who is married to her husband, Rex. However, she has a dark past that is slowly revealed and is being stalked/tormented by a man named Sean. She moves to Europe, and lives in the Livingston manor to hide from Sean. 

Both characters are incredibly well-crafted, and we get a new taste of their personalities each chapter. 

As Addison explores the mansion and finds items that only add to the intrigue, she also attempts to befriend Ms.Dilloway, the creepy old house keeper. She stumbles on pictures of camellias with mysterious inscriptions that belonged to the late Anna Livingston, the dead wife of Lord Livingston.

Flora meets the children of Livingston manor and is slowly wrapped into the mystery of Anna Livingston's death. She befriends Ms.Dilloway, who is a now a young woman in her twenties, and explores the gardens with caution. 

Of course, this novel has the classic adultery theme, and is mixed in with a bit of murder and plot twists. 

Does Flora ever got the camellia? What is Addison's past, and what happened to the inhabitants of Livingston manor?
All these questions are slowly explored and answered in this beautifully written novel sprinkled with a bit of romance. 

Wonderful world-building, a nice side of historical fiction, nicely crafted characters, and a crazy plot with an unexpected ending all join together in The Last Camellia.


5 chocolates!

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