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Book Review: The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

Published on 4th August 2026 | Updated on 1st September 2026

The Someday Garden Book Review

The Someday Garden was the first book I ever read by Ashley Poston, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I didn’t know much about the story before going into it, but I had read lots of positive reviews of the book on bookstagram. I remember reading a couple of reviews describing the book as a “modern, adult and magical version of The Secret Garden” which made me instantly want to pick it up!

Plot

In The Someday Garden, readers follow horticulturist Sophie Drear. After losing her best friend Harriet, Sophie decides to return to Lilymoor House and Gardens, the place where they both previously visited together and promised they would return to ten years in the future.

Once Sophie arrives on the estate, she sets about restoring the Lilymoor gardens to their former glory, just in time for the bicentennial celebration. While sharing and using her expertise on plants to transform her surroundings, Sophie navigates her intense and painful grief while discovering a hidden garden with a mysterious man trapped inside.

Characters

There are number of key characters in The Someday Garden, these include:

Sophie, the book’s protagonist, who I found very likeable. She is a thoughtful and emotional character who manages to overcome her personal insecurities by the end of the book.

Harriet, Sophie’s best friend, who features heavily in the book through Sophie’s memories. Harriet was my favourite character in the entire novel. I was deeply drawn to her openness, sense of adventure and whimsy, and her ability to the see magic in everyday moments.

Eula is the owner of the Lilymoor estate, and is an integral part of the story. Like Sophie, Eula is navigating grief after the death of her late husband. I found her to be a very interesting character, portrayed as mysterious, full of wisdom and a little eccentric.

Cyrus/Rus is Sophie’s main love interest, and the man stuck in a liminal time loop within the garden. I found Cyrus’s character to be gentle and wise. He teaches Sophie the meaning of loss and belonging by sharing with her the history of Lilymoor, despite these revelations causing him significant emotional pain.

Oliver is one of Eula Beck’s great-nephews. He is less guarded and brooding then his cousin Cyrus. I found his character to be warm, cheerful and outgoing. He is first introduced as a potential love interest for Sophie.

Writing Style

I found The Someday Garden to be pretty medium paced. The author spends a good chunk of time at the beginning of the book introducing the characters and building a complete picture of Lilymoor. I would describe the book as more atmospheric and character driven than plot driven, without being slow or boring. The descriptions of the house and gardens are so vivid that they almost take on a life of their own, becoming characters in their own right.

Themes

I really enjoyed the book’s main themes of time, loss, friendship, belonging and the power of memory. I particularly loved how these heavier themes sat alongside a strong focus on nature and the beautiful surroundings of Lilymoor. This created a good balance and prevented the story from feeling too sad or hopeless. I also found it refreshing that the author made Sophie and Harriet’s friendship the main plot line, even if I personally would’ve loved to see more romance.

Strengths and weaknesses

The book’s biggest strength, in my opinion, is definitely the way in which the author has created such a special and strong tie between Sophie and Harriet. And though Harriet is not physically present for most of the story, the author writes in such a way that you feel her presence in the garden throughout every chapter. Harriet’s underlying presence creates a sense of peace, warmth and comfort for both Sophie and the reader. Additionally, the author succeed’s in making you feel truly immersed in the book’s setting.

In terms of weaknesses, I wish we got more time with Sophie and Cyrus to see their romance truly blossom. I also did not care much for the love triangle aspect of the story, as I felt it took away from the bond between the two main characters.

Overall opinion

I really enjoyed The Someday Garden and think it’s an extremely warm and comforting book to pick up all year round, but particularly in the spring and summer months! I love the magic, whimsy and dream-like quality sprinkled throughout, and some of the sentences were so incredibly lush, rich and beautiful that I wanted to highlight so many quotes while reading!

I think a lot of readers will go into the book expecting purely a romance novel, so it’s important to highlight that the story is ultimately about grief and the power of friendship. It is a tender and emotional read that I highly recommend to those dealing with personal loss.

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