I stumbled upon this author accidentally on the web. She was having a contest and was blogging about it on someone else's blog (don't remember whose). I've entered the contest and won this lovely tote bag full of small gardening tools. I was intrigued by the story of her new book called Love in Bloom and decided to order it. And I wasn't disappointed.
Here goes the blurb:
Hope Walker survived early breast cancer at just thirty-years-old, but a mastectomy left her with a lot of scarring—and some serious fears about dating. Hope owns Changing Seasons, Heart Lake’s most popular flower shop. When it comes to love and relationships, she’s able to work magic through her expert flower arranging…for everyone but herself. Then one day a handsome contractor starts coming into her shop, but Hope knows he’d rather have a whole woman than someone like her.
When Hope stakes a plot of ground at Heart Lake’s community garden, she finds that a woman can grow all sorts of things there: flowers, herbs, vegetables and even friendship. As she gets to know the two women who share neighbouring plots, they discover that they can learn a lot from each other—not just about gardening, but about life. And Hope realizes that in order to live life to the fullest, sometimes you have to take a chance on love.
Here goes the blurb:
Hope Walker survived early breast cancer at just thirty-years-old, but a mastectomy left her with a lot of scarring—and some serious fears about dating. Hope owns Changing Seasons, Heart Lake’s most popular flower shop. When it comes to love and relationships, she’s able to work magic through her expert flower arranging…for everyone but herself. Then one day a handsome contractor starts coming into her shop, but Hope knows he’d rather have a whole woman than someone like her.When Hope stakes a plot of ground at Heart Lake’s community garden, she finds that a woman can grow all sorts of things there: flowers, herbs, vegetables and even friendship. As she gets to know the two women who share neighbouring plots, they discover that they can learn a lot from each other—not just about gardening, but about life. And Hope realizes that in order to live life to the fullest, sometimes you have to take a chance on love.
Sure, this is a romance story, no doubt about it, but also this is a story about value of friendship. Even when you have family, health, self-confidence, money or any other problems, friends are the ones who will cheer you up and help you. I loved the main character Hope. She had a breast cancer and feels incomplete. Her best friend is her gorgeous sister Bobbi who helped her through chemotherapy. That is a reason why Hope helps Bobbi to win over handsome and so good contractor Jason in spite of being in love with him herself.
There are other characters whose stories take a great part of the book. They are also love stories; one about seventy-seven year old Millie and the other about young wife and mother Amber whose chef husband lost their restaurant business.
All three of them met at the community garden where they reserved their own parcels for totally different reasons. But although they have different background, ages and motivations for gardening, they become very good friends. Sheila describes all kinds of different loves: sister love, marriage love, love between mother and daughter, romance love and love at the old age; very interesting and profound.
The book is divided by different helpful gardening tips.
I liked this book and enjoyed different stories but the end feels too rushed, like there wasn't enough pages to finish the story in a way its first 2/3 were written.
That's the reason I'll give it 4 feathers but I recommend it as a very good emotional read (I did drop a tear or two at the end)- heart-warming.
There are other characters whose stories take a great part of the book. They are also love stories; one about seventy-seven year old Millie and the other about young wife and mother Amber whose chef husband lost their restaurant business.
All three of them met at the community garden where they reserved their own parcels for totally different reasons. But although they have different background, ages and motivations for gardening, they become very good friends. Sheila describes all kinds of different loves: sister love, marriage love, love between mother and daughter, romance love and love at the old age; very interesting and profound.
The book is divided by different helpful gardening tips.
I liked this book and enjoyed different stories but the end feels too rushed, like there wasn't enough pages to finish the story in a way its first 2/3 were written.
That's the reason I'll give it 4 feathers but I recommend it as a very good emotional read (I did drop a tear or two at the end)- heart-warming.
Book details
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (March 31, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312384815
ISBN-13: 978-0312384814
For more information about the author and her other books please visit http://www.sheilasplace.com/
Okay, for some reason I missed the pictures of the children... and OMGosh are they adorable!!! And imagine going into your room while you were not feeling well and reading with you in silence!!! You are a treasured aunt that is for sure!
ReplyDeleteThe review... Okay, putting this on my list right now!! Great job!
Hope you are feeling better as well!
Hi, host!! This book actually sounds like one I would like. I enjoy emotional reads and triumph over tragedy. Did you ever read Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson? That's a real tear jerker. It's not really a romance but it does have romantic elements. I loved that story, although, I don't think I ever cried so much before. Very emotional read.
ReplyDeleteCecile ~ thanks for the compliments :)(I was wondering where you've been ;))
ReplyDeleteBarbara ~ Thanks for stopping by. I think you'll love this book. I haven't read Suzanne's Diary and it's definitely going on my TBR list.