The Snow Garden by Bethany Campbell is an enchanting Christmas romance set on Holly Street, where the holiday spirit is strong. This sweet Harlequin Romance promises to warm the iciest of hearts.
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The Snow Garden by Bethany CampbellRating:
Published: 1989
Illustrator: Norm Eastman
Imprint or Line: Harlequin Romance #3019
Published by: Harlequin, Mills & Boon
Genres: Category Romance, Contemporary Romance
Pages: 187
Format: Paperback
Buy on: Amazon, AbeBooks, Open Library (BORROW FOR FREE)
Reviewed by: Introvert Reader
TOTAL SPOILER ALERT ⚠
The Book
The Snow Garden by Bethany Campbell is a 1989 Christmas romance from the Harlequin Romance category line. Although it is not currently being published, secondhand copies can be found on various websites.
The Characters
Hedy Hansen knows hardship all too well. Raised on a struggling Christmas tree farm in Fox Creek, Michigan, her formative years were marked by her parents’ ceaseless efforts to make ends meet. By the age of 20, Hedy had suffered the wrenching loss of both her father and mother.
Inspired by her cousin Jolene’s success as a real estate agent in Chicago, she vowed to make it out of Fox Creek. Hedy sells the farm and sets her sights on flipping a fixer-upper. She places all her hopes on the new home, seeking a life free from the despair that once defined it.
Ty Marek, Hedy’s neighbor, is a laid-back guy who quit a promising law career to write books. Despite his chill demeanor, the handsome hunk develops a heated dislike for Hedy. Why? He happens to be Jolene’s ex-lover and thinks Hedy is part of Jolene’s plan to get him back. Jolene’s husband soon comes around, threatening Ty to stay away from his wife.
What had her cousin gotten her? Why did she sell Hedy this specific house?
The Plot
Holly Street
Besides dealing with a handsome yet antagonistic neighbor, Hedy has the misfortune of living on Holly Street.
The name should have been warned her, for the residents of Holly Street took its name seriously. Each holiday season, every house on the block was illuminated with flashy decorations that kept electric meters spinning like mini pulsars. Thousands would come from far and wide to drive past the homes and delight in their sparkling gaudiness.
There was no way Hedy could join in the festivities. Like Phoebe Cates’s character in Gremlins, Christmas is a bitter reminder of misery for Hedy. Confronting the past would be too emotionally burdensome. Her cousin had been cruel in convincing Hedy to buy the house without seeing it.
The house’s state was also in much worse shape than Hedy had imagined. Fixer upper? More like, tear the place down and rebuild it!
The Love Story
And there was Ty again, who was always around despite his initial aversion to her. Didn’t he have any work to do? The man acted as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Indeed, to Hedy’s cynical eyes, it appeared his sole purpose was to aggravate or infuriate her.
“Why bother with me? Why don’t you just leave me alone?”
“An excellent question,” he returned. “Maybe because there’s something about you. You’ve still got a kind of innocence. And sweetness and fire, too. But they’re threatened. As if you’re an enchanted princess, a girl imprisoned in a tower—a girl who ought to be saved.”
But there is more to Ty than meets the eye. Both his heart and his body have been broken in the past. Even so, rather than dwell on the pain, Ty seeks to be healed.
Try as he could, Ty couldn’t stay away from his enticing neighbor. Did Hedy want him to? Under his nonchalance, Hedy could see the care in his eyes.
Later, Hedy gets a beautiful Persian cat she intends to breed. She hopes to sell the expensive kittens for a tidy profit. To her dismay, her purebred cat likes to slum with lower-class males, as an ugly tom cat keeps coming to visit. In that respect, the feline was just like his owner, Ty, who constantly sought out Hedy.
Ty’s presence stirred her emotions, causing a whirlwind within her. Sooon Hedy discovered she was just as attracted to him as he was to her.
But then there was Jolene. Hedy had always looked up to her elegant cousin, aspiring to be like her. Was that why Ty wanted her? Because they were so similar?
Not so, for in the end, Hedy discovers that she and Jolene are nothing alike.
Christmas Miracles
As Christmas draws closer, so does her relationship with Ty. His positive outlook on life melts Hedy’s Jack Frost cold heart. Could the holidays bring Hedy the most impossible gift: love?
It appears so as Hedy opens up to other people. Her neighbors, once a source of irritation, become dear friends.
Her perspective on the house on Holly Street also changes. Hedy no longer views it as a calculated investment or temporary dwelling. Instead, she sees it as a permanent and cherished home where she can create lifelong memories with Ty.
Until yet another tragedy strikes, turning her dreams into ashes.
But on Holly Street, the magic of Christmas makes the impossible possible.
“[Y]ou were looking for strength in the wrong place. That’s because you’re looking only to yourself. It’s time to look to others. They’re stretching out their hands to you. It’s not from pity, not from charity, it’s from generosity and humanity. It’s the greatest of gifts. It shouldn’t be refused lightly.”
My Opinion
The Snow Garden is a beautiful tale of love and resilience. Despite facing past traumas, with the powerful spirit of the holiday season, Ty and Hedy discover hope and community on Holly Street.
Their shared experiences allow them to form a deep and meaningful connection. After their initial antipathy, Hedy and Ty find comfort and solace in each other’s company. Together, they navigate the challenges of healing and learn to find joy in the present moment.
The Snow Garden is a touching story that reminds us of the power of love. It’s a great romance, one worthy of the Christmas season.
Heat Level: Sweet
This Harlequin Romance is as sweet as candy, so there’s no need to worry about Santa putting you on the naughty list.
Final Analysis of The Snow Garden
Bethany Campbell’s The Snow Garden is an uplifting romance that depicts a community that keeps the magic of Christmas in their hearts all year long and opens their arms to a wary newcomer.
Hedy and Ty come together amidst the picturesque backdrop of twinkling lights, candy canes, and plastic Santas that adorn the homes on Holly Street.
During the enchanting holiday season, anything is possible. No matter how cold or snowy, the flowers of love and miracles will always bloom at Christmas.
“[S]eeing you open up again is like seeing a garden in the snow.” He kissed her ear again. “When I moved here, I asked [my sister] to design me something. She’s the artistic one. She said, ‘I love Chicago, but I hate the winter. I miss the flowers. That’s what I’d love to see — flowers in the snow— like a miracle.’ So that’s what we did. And every year, she’d tell me, ‘Listen, Ty, you’re cynical, but miracles do happen.’ She’s right. They do. And you’re my miracle.”
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| Overall: | 4.3 |
Synopsis
She was filled with Christmas dread—
Why did Hedy’s new home have to be on Holly Street—where everyone “Made a big deal of Christmas”—and right next door to irresponsible maniac extraordinaire, Ty Marek?
“If there’s anything wrong with this house—I know what it is,” Hedy told Ty after fe’d introduced himself by shattering her prettiest window and best mirror with a baseball gone wild, “it’s next door to you!”
Yet without him the house seemed unnaturally quiet. Infuriating as he was, Ty radiated vitality—and something elusive that reminded her of happier times when Christmas had filled her with cheer.
The Snow Garden by Bethany Campbell