A garden waiting to bloom. A love story growing in the quiet places of faith.

When Maggie Bell arrives in Willow Bend, she's seeking more than just a fresh start-she's searching for purpose, peace, and a chance to finally lay down her burdens. Tasked with restoring the town's forgotten church garden, Maggie throws herself into the work, hoping the gentle rhythm of nature will soothe the scars left by her past.

She doesn't expect to find an unlikely partner in Ben Jacobs, a reserved widower and talented landscaper whose own wounds run deep. Side by side among tangled roses and overgrown paths, Maggie and Ben cultivate more than new life in the soil-they begin to nurture trust, friendship, and the hope of something beautiful blooming between them.

But as old secrets and new fears threaten to hold them back, Maggie and Ben must confront the hurts that keep them apart and lean into the quiet faith that guides them forward. In the gentle embrace of a small-town community-and under the watchful care of a loving God-they discover that love, like a garden, takes patience, courage, and a willingness to bloom again.

Perfect for fans of clean, Christian romance and slow-burn love stories, The Garden at Willow Bend is a tender, uplifting novel about second chances, the healing power of faith, and finding hope where you least expect it.

Ava Hadley Press