The Midnight Garden: A Novel
Women’s Fiction
by Elaine Roth
From debut author Elaine Roth comes a hopeful and heartfelt story about a young widow who uncovers the magic of everyday life—and the power of second chances.
After the sudden death of her husband, Hope finds herself reeling from the loss in more ways than one. First a young wife and now a grieving widow, she feels like fodder for never-ending town gossip.
But when Hope meets Will, a screenwriter back in town to run his family’s inn, she sees in him another resident oddball. And like her, Will has been navigating a loss of his own.
As Hope falls for Will, she seeks out another enigma in town: Maeve, an eccentric woman who makes healing teas and communes with the dead. Some of the townspeople think she’s a grifter, a fake. Will, too, is skeptical.
Hope yearns for closure and forgiveness, seeing in Maeve the chance to trust herself again—and in Will, a chance to rediscover the enchantment in the world around her…
And the courage to build a bigger life than she ever thought possible.
REVIEW
5 out of 5
This was a beautiful story about love after loss, with some magic woven in. Roth did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life, and I loved getting to know Hope, Will, and Maeve. We get to see both Hope and Will’s POVs, but Maeve is an important guide. It isn’t all clear sailing, but you can’t help but root for Will and Hope. There were moments I just wanted to set them down and clear up misunderstandings, but overall this is a feel-good second chance romance. The perfect read for sweet romance lovers!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elaine Roth is a New Jersey–based writer, parent, young widow, and comprehensively certified Pilates instructor. Her written work has appeared on Refinery29, Well+Good, Insider, HuffPost, and Scary Mommy, among others.
At the tender age of fourteen, Elaine had the chance to model in YM magazine. She was paired with a seventeen-year-old male model for a photo shoot about kissing. The article was titled “Kissing A–Z,” and she was the photo underneath “O, orthodontics.” In true fourteen-year-old-girl fashion, Elaine told all her friends about her modeling debut. Months later, the issue was published. The caption accompanying the photo was “Brace yourself, metal mouth. Don’t lose your kissing cool.”
Life has been throwing her curveballs ever since. She’s grateful for the chance to share her writing with others and for the chance to make a little light out of things that are often too dark.