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Fallen Stars #3
The Garden of Changing Blooms
He doesn’t want to be her enemy. She doesn’t want to be his friend. But when their paths keep crossing, can a change of heart lead to a chance at love?
In the Kingdom of Kalopsia, Miss Dahlia Johnson has grown tired of the cloying perfumes and swirling silks of ballrooms. Her reality is to do the bidding of her social-climbing father, biting her tongue and being a perfect lady of society. But in her heart, she dreams of change—to escape to the beautiful land of Orphia. A land where she’d find freedom, and perhaps find herself as well.
For Xanth Odeson, the fisherman’s son, his dream is much more literal. Ever since a chance encounter at a ball, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking of the nameless beauty most nights. But with his father wanting him to take on more of the family business, he has no time to waste on the mystery lady. Equipped with a jest and a smile, he hides his insecurity at the prospect pretty well. But considering most of his endeavors end in disaster, he’s convinced he’ll just disappoint everyone he loves.
When their worlds collide, the line between dream and nightmare is blurred. Dahlia is a welcome distraction, but Xanth can’t understand why she warmly welcomes the friendship of others but spurns him at every opportunity. To Dahlia, Xanth’s carefree attitude seems like every other egotistical man that hurt her. But as they’re continually thrown into one another’s company, their perception of the other begins to change. When the unexpected upends their lives, Dahlia and Xanth must confront the most astonishing, terrifying change of all—that of falling in love.
Return to Orphia in this third, stand-alone installment of the “Fallen Stars” series. Blending historical romance and a touch of fairytale with a fantasy land absent of magic, this clean and wholesome story of nature’s beauty, found family, humorous mishaps, and enemies-turned-friends romance is sure to delight the hearts of readers young and old.
In the Kingdom of Kalopsia, Miss Dahlia Johnson has grown tired of the cloying perfumes and swirling silks of ballrooms. Her reality is to do the bidding of her social-climbing father, biting her tongue and being a perfect lady of society. But in her heart, she dreams of change—to escape to the beautiful land of Orphia. A land where she’d find freedom, and perhaps find herself as well.
For Xanth Odeson, the fisherman’s son, his dream is much more literal. Ever since a chance encounter at a ball, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking of the nameless beauty most nights. But with his father wanting him to take on more of the family business, he has no time to waste on the mystery lady. Equipped with a jest and a smile, he hides his insecurity at the prospect pretty well. But considering most of his endeavors end in disaster, he’s convinced he’ll just disappoint everyone he loves.
When their worlds collide, the line between dream and nightmare is blurred. Dahlia is a welcome distraction, but Xanth can’t understand why she warmly welcomes the friendship of others but spurns him at every opportunity. To Dahlia, Xanth’s carefree attitude seems like every other egotistical man that hurt her. But as they’re continually thrown into one another’s company, their perception of the other begins to change. When the unexpected upends their lives, Dahlia and Xanth must confront the most astonishing, terrifying change of all—that of falling in love.
Return to Orphia in this third, stand-alone installment of the “Fallen Stars” series. Blending historical romance and a touch of fairytale with a fantasy land absent of magic, this clean and wholesome story of nature’s beauty, found family, humorous mishaps, and enemies-turned-friends romance is sure to delight the hearts of readers young and old.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2024
2 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Madison McAuley
5 books30 followersMadison grew up in a small town in Florida, surrounded by her loving family. She has always enjoyed getting lost in the fictional worlds of movies, literature, and her own imagination. Her favorite stories are clean and sweet with happily ever afters. She enjoys traveling, drawing, going to the beach, spending time with her friends and family, and playing with her dog, Sprinkles.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 27, 2025
This book was just so wholesome. It makes you feel the same way that a Jane Austen story does. If I could associate any music with this book, it would be the Emma or Little Women soundtrack. There’s also something special about a fairytale world that’s devoid of magic, simply because it’s rarely ever done. People seem to think that fairytales = magic and that’s not always true! As long as there are princesses, princes, castles, kingdoms, and a happily ever after, the magic of fairytales will still be there. In fact, it almost makes it feel more real, like it makes living in a fairytale world feel more attainable for people who yearn for that (by people I mean me).
This is advertised as a fantasy world devoid of magic, but as someone who is biased towards fairytales and doesn’t generally care for fantasy, this very much feels like a fairytale world over a fantasy. No sword and knight action, violence or any intense stakes like you so often seen in fantasy novels, but instead, soft romance, autumn balls, high society, and happily ever afters. Very much a fairytale in my opinion! Since the regency feel is especially high in this installment, regency lovers would also like this one.
Like in the previous book, the writing is very good. It’s very professional for a self published author, and I rarely even see writing this good even with authors who have released books with big name publishers. The majority of what I read are self published books, and the writing in this is far better than most self published books I’ve read. It’s honestly pretty impressive.
I did enjoy the previous installment more, because I personally prefer books centered around a princess, taking place in a castle. In the previous book, it didn’t bother me that there wasn’t much of an eventful plot, because I got to vicariously live the day to day life of a princess in a castle. But since this book didn’t have that princess escapism, I was missing that! Also, I just tend to hyper fixate on princesses and royalty in fairytales haha. But, this book was just so sweet and heartwarming. Regency romance readers will love this one. With minimal conflict and stakes, it’s just a peaceful, wholesome read. Even though I did enjoy the previous installment more, this was just as well written. Very sweet book that low stakes romance readers will like!
This is advertised as a fantasy world devoid of magic, but as someone who is biased towards fairytales and doesn’t generally care for fantasy, this very much feels like a fairytale world over a fantasy. No sword and knight action, violence or any intense stakes like you so often seen in fantasy novels, but instead, soft romance, autumn balls, high society, and happily ever afters. Very much a fairytale in my opinion! Since the regency feel is especially high in this installment, regency lovers would also like this one.
Like in the previous book, the writing is very good. It’s very professional for a self published author, and I rarely even see writing this good even with authors who have released books with big name publishers. The majority of what I read are self published books, and the writing in this is far better than most self published books I’ve read. It’s honestly pretty impressive.
I did enjoy the previous installment more, because I personally prefer books centered around a princess, taking place in a castle. In the previous book, it didn’t bother me that there wasn’t much of an eventful plot, because I got to vicariously live the day to day life of a princess in a castle. But since this book didn’t have that princess escapism, I was missing that! Also, I just tend to hyper fixate on princesses and royalty in fairytales haha. But, this book was just so sweet and heartwarming. Regency romance readers will love this one. With minimal conflict and stakes, it’s just a peaceful, wholesome read. Even though I did enjoy the previous installment more, this was just as well written. Very sweet book that low stakes romance readers will like!
February 10, 2024
This was a delightful book–one of those lovely, escapist reads that make one feel as though one has entered a world of fairy tales. The writing style was quite good, although there were a few errors in the ARC I read–but they were easy to ignore.
The settings of Kalopsia and Orphia were pleasant and atmospheric. Kalopsia was similar to a fictionalized version of Regency England in many ways, while Orphia was more idealized and fantasy-ish, but I enjoyed them both. The plot was excellent as well–not oversaturated with action and intrigue, but calm and restful.
The characters were my favorite part of The Garden of Changing Blooms. Dahlia was a good main character, but I preferred Xanth, a well-written hero who was both admirable and realistic. Their romance was believable, sweet, and very far from insta-love, which I appreciated. The side characters were a good addition to the story as well.
This book is particularly clean and I would recommend it to readers of any age. Even though this is a fantasy novel, it doesn’t contain any magic, instead taking a historical-inspired but still imaginative approach. If you want a sweet, romantic fantasy novel with a cottagecore aesthetic, I couldn’t recommend The Garden of Changing Blooms more.
I would like to thank the author for giving me a free ARC to honestly review.
The settings of Kalopsia and Orphia were pleasant and atmospheric. Kalopsia was similar to a fictionalized version of Regency England in many ways, while Orphia was more idealized and fantasy-ish, but I enjoyed them both. The plot was excellent as well–not oversaturated with action and intrigue, but calm and restful.
The characters were my favorite part of The Garden of Changing Blooms. Dahlia was a good main character, but I preferred Xanth, a well-written hero who was both admirable and realistic. Their romance was believable, sweet, and very far from insta-love, which I appreciated. The side characters were a good addition to the story as well.
This book is particularly clean and I would recommend it to readers of any age. Even though this is a fantasy novel, it doesn’t contain any magic, instead taking a historical-inspired but still imaginative approach. If you want a sweet, romantic fantasy novel with a cottagecore aesthetic, I couldn’t recommend The Garden of Changing Blooms more.
I would like to thank the author for giving me a free ARC to honestly review.
February 1, 2024
I am so glad I had the privilege to read this beautiful story! This was my favorite one to read from the series because of the story with Xanth and Dahlia. I also loved how Madison had previous characters in this story which added to the beautiful story. I liked how Dahlia and Xanth became friends and eventually more. I will definitely be reading this again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2024
I loved reading this book! My favorite so far in the series. The Garden of Changing Blooms was an ARC book I had received from the author. Set in a non-magic fantasy/fairytale world, this book is the 3rd in The Fallen Stars series. You follow Dahlia and Xanth on their journey of self-discovery and love. Dahlia runs away from an arranged marriage to the mysterious kingdom of Orphia and is set on making it on her own. She finds herself questioning who she is and who she wants to be. Xanth has aways been seen as someone who acts before he thinks and often finds himself in ridiculous situations. Behind his carefree facade, Xanth wishes to be seen as a responsible and trustworthy adult. Can Dahlia find someone who sees her for who she is and not for her status, money, or looks? Can Xanth prove to himself and others that he can be counted on?
This is a series that is great for all ages. Characters from the first 2 books are brought back in this book so I would suggest reading those first. I would recommend this for those who like fairytales and historical fiction as it draws from both genres. I’m hoping there are more books to this series as there are many characters I would like to see more of.
This is a series that is great for all ages. Characters from the first 2 books are brought back in this book so I would suggest reading those first. I would recommend this for those who like fairytales and historical fiction as it draws from both genres. I’m hoping there are more books to this series as there are many characters I would like to see more of.
Read
December 22, 2025My book contains:
Enemies to friends romance. 😠😍
Forced proximity 👩❤️👨
Accident prone MC🙊
Autumn scenery🍂
Humorous mishaps 😂
Found family 🧑🧑🧒🧒
And it’s clean! No sex, graphic violence, or profanity.
Enemies to friends romance. 😠😍
Forced proximity 👩❤️👨
Accident prone MC🙊
Autumn scenery🍂
Humorous mishaps 😂
Found family 🧑🧑🧒🧒
And it’s clean! No sex, graphic violence, or profanity.
April 17, 2024
I did not realize that this was the third book in the series. I read the first book but not the second. However, it is not necessary to read these books in order, you just might miss out on some of the minor character's relationship and how they came to be in this installment.
That aside, this was a fun read. It is a clean fairytale romance set in a kingdom similar to one you would see in England or another European country. Dahlia is being forced to marry someone she doesn't love. She is gun-shy already, but her father is forcing this marriage. So she does what any wise woman would do: run away! It is in the town of Orphia that she finds herself and love. While Dahlia may be 19, she is still young and immature. Being on her own, forced to make a living, she discovers more about herself and what she can do. I enjoyed watching her character mature and become a more confident woman.
Xanth is a young man without a path. He has done what he thinks his family expects, even at a cost to him. He reminds me of many young people who are floundering, trying to determine their future. There are some great conversations with him regarding this situation. I don't want to spoil anything but know that all of the characters in this book care about one another and each person's happiness. I like that he is awkward, especially around Dahlia. I think this helps to ease possible tensions, even when situations are misunderstood.
There are some interesting twists near the end of the book regarding Dahlia and her brother, Daniel.
I enjoyed most of the minor characters. Some are from previous books, and others are new. Xanth's siblings are precious!
There is one analogy that I really liked. Dahlia asks Xanth how he can forgive so easily. He likens it to holding a handful of glass shards. He can hold onto the resentment and hurt himself, or release the anger and forgive the person and lift the weight off of his shoulders and the glass from his hands. It really makes you think about how you handle forgiveness.
We give this book 5 paws up!
That aside, this was a fun read. It is a clean fairytale romance set in a kingdom similar to one you would see in England or another European country. Dahlia is being forced to marry someone she doesn't love. She is gun-shy already, but her father is forcing this marriage. So she does what any wise woman would do: run away! It is in the town of Orphia that she finds herself and love. While Dahlia may be 19, she is still young and immature. Being on her own, forced to make a living, she discovers more about herself and what she can do. I enjoyed watching her character mature and become a more confident woman.
Xanth is a young man without a path. He has done what he thinks his family expects, even at a cost to him. He reminds me of many young people who are floundering, trying to determine their future. There are some great conversations with him regarding this situation. I don't want to spoil anything but know that all of the characters in this book care about one another and each person's happiness. I like that he is awkward, especially around Dahlia. I think this helps to ease possible tensions, even when situations are misunderstood.
There are some interesting twists near the end of the book regarding Dahlia and her brother, Daniel.
I enjoyed most of the minor characters. Some are from previous books, and others are new. Xanth's siblings are precious!
There is one analogy that I really liked. Dahlia asks Xanth how he can forgive so easily. He likens it to holding a handful of glass shards. He can hold onto the resentment and hurt himself, or release the anger and forgive the person and lift the weight off of his shoulders and the glass from his hands. It really makes you think about how you handle forgiveness.
We give this book 5 paws up!
February 17, 2024
This was such a charming read! It was my first from Ms. McAuley and I am excited to read more! It is the third in the Fallen Star series, in the land of Orphia but can be read as a standalone.
I enjoyed the dual point of view! Both Dahlia and Xanth were engaging narrators who I quickly empathized with. Dahlia was looking for her place, feeling trapped by her father’s plans. She was determined to find her own path, even if it meant some sacrifices. Her past had also left her a bit jaded in some ways. She was wary of Xanth and I did feel like from her perspective it felt realistic. I really enjoyed seeing her growth. She had to let go of some of her expectations and assumptions. I loved how she found her people in the book and the way they brought her into their family! Found family is one of my favorite tropes and I adored how it played out here.
Xanth was such a sweetheart! Oh my goodness! I adored his tender heart and desire to make people smile. He had many insecurities that he hid behind smiles and jests. His struggles were very relatable and his narration was so genuine. I loved his relationship with his family! They truly cared for one another, even though there were miscommunications and fears. I loved watching him find his voice.
Dahlia and Xanth’s growing relationship was a lot of fun to see! It took a bit, but as they saw more of each other, who they truly were, their feelings began to change. It did not feel rushed or over dramatic, which I really appreciated. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, though it did take a bit for me to really get into it. Although, it can be read as standalone, I found myself wishing I had read the other books first. I think readers of the previous book will find it even more enjoyable. This is a clean non-magical fantasy romance!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
I enjoyed the dual point of view! Both Dahlia and Xanth were engaging narrators who I quickly empathized with. Dahlia was looking for her place, feeling trapped by her father’s plans. She was determined to find her own path, even if it meant some sacrifices. Her past had also left her a bit jaded in some ways. She was wary of Xanth and I did feel like from her perspective it felt realistic. I really enjoyed seeing her growth. She had to let go of some of her expectations and assumptions. I loved how she found her people in the book and the way they brought her into their family! Found family is one of my favorite tropes and I adored how it played out here.
Xanth was such a sweetheart! Oh my goodness! I adored his tender heart and desire to make people smile. He had many insecurities that he hid behind smiles and jests. His struggles were very relatable and his narration was so genuine. I loved his relationship with his family! They truly cared for one another, even though there were miscommunications and fears. I loved watching him find his voice.
Dahlia and Xanth’s growing relationship was a lot of fun to see! It took a bit, but as they saw more of each other, who they truly were, their feelings began to change. It did not feel rushed or over dramatic, which I really appreciated. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, though it did take a bit for me to really get into it. Although, it can be read as standalone, I found myself wishing I had read the other books first. I think readers of the previous book will find it even more enjoyable. This is a clean non-magical fantasy romance!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews