Book Review: Secrets Ever Green

Book #62 for 2025: Secrets Ever Green by Sara Knightley, 3/5 ★
286 pages / published February 2024 / available here

Goodreads blurb: Ivy Rune’s only goal is to pass her final exam and become an Arborist like her late father, even though she fears she’ll never be able to uphold his legacy. Just before her big test, Ivy discovers her father’s secrets . . . and they had nothing to do with the quiet life he led. Suddenly, clues unspool from wood carvings and old journals, leading Ivy to the outskirts of town and straight to the Count’s forbidden castle. When Ivy uncovers a hidden world of magic, she and her best friend are unexpectedly altered. As they explore their new powers, Ivy realizes she is capable of much more than the simple life her father left for her. Now Ivy must decide between inheriting her father’s Arborist trade or continuing to uncover the mystery he kept hidden. But uprooting the past might erase her father’s legacy and change the course of Ivy’s life forever.

My review: This book was a roller coaster, but not necessarily in a fun way. The first third was promising and there was some really interesting worldbuilding – I wish the author had fleshed certain elements out more. Unfortunately, the most interesting parts of the story were seemingly abandoned around the halfway mark in favor of spending a lot of time listening to the protagonist endlessly mull on her own life and devoting a lot of pages to a competition that just didn’t capture my interest. The final chunk of the book rapidly gains traction, but in my least favorite authorial move ever, the book ends with absolutely no resolution whatsoever on ANY count. I understand it’s a series, but I cannot tell authors enough how annoying it is to feel like an entire work is simple a prologue. Additionally, there are some technical/plot holes and several characters who are introduced only to disappear or stay but seemingly serve no purpose. All in all, there was some intriguing potential, but I’m just not invested enough for book two.