Love in Bloom is an emotional story about uncovering family secrets and learning it’s okay to ask for help. These are hard lessons to learn, but if you’re anything like Emma, you’ll want to buckle in. Keep reading this book review of Love in Bloom for my full thoughts.
Summary
It took exactly twenty-four hours for Atlanta publicist Emma Walters’s life to go from near-perfect to a monumental disaster. One day to break up with her boyfriend, get fired and inherit a farm. All that’s left is for her to take the still-smoking remains of her dignity and flee to her new farm in Green Acres, Georgia.
However, Emma’s new country life is anything but peaceful. The quirky locals seem to inexplicably dislike her, and farming proves way messier than she expected. Adding to her frustration is Dan Pednekar, the farm’s infuriatingly handsome manager, who doubts her ability to handle even the simplest tasks.
Emma soon discovers that the farm isn’t exactly what it seems. It doesn’t sell anything, making her wonder if it’s just a glorified petting zoo or if Dan is hiding something much bigger. With suspiciously named shops like Four and Twenty Blackbirds lining Main Street, it’s clear that the whole town might be in on a secret.
But when the farm—and the livelihood of the townsfolk—is threatened, Emma must come up with a plan to save it. Because when you farm around, it’s just a matter of time before everyone finds out.
Review
With an awful meet cute, Love in Bloom is a precious book about unearthing family secrets, the importance of being content, and asking for help. For Emma, when she inherits her grandparent’s farm, a whole barrel of unanswered questions about her past and her sister are unearthed. After being fired and breaking up with her boyfriend, Emma decides to spend time on the farm and figure out if she wants to sell. There she discovers the value of a life of contentment. Of not always being focused on the next thing and success defined by our past expectations.
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In this romance, Love in Bloom allows Emma to do the hard work of healing and facing the past. Of forcing her family to turn over a new leaf. At the same time, it’s very much a romance where Emma’s previous aspirations and expectations come to a head with this newfound lifestyle she’s discovered. Can she be happier in a different piece of the world? Is there not value in being happy without needing society’s definition of ‘it all’? Additionally, Love in Bloom explores the difficulty of asking for help. There are some times when you’re like “EMMA!”, but as someone guilty of doing this it’s a reminder that it’s okay to ask for help.
While the ending was wrapped up pretty quickly, I enjoyed Love in Bloom and would recommend for those looking for a contemporary romance with family dynamics and self-discovery. Wesleigh Siobhan does a phenomenal job in the narration of making you feel like you’re really connected to Emma. I wanted to shake her sometimes and also give here a hug! Find Love in Bloom on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.