by: Jo McNally
Series: Rendezvous Falls
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 27, 2021
Publisher: HQN Books
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It’s never too late for a second chance…
Tonight should be the best night of Lucy Higgins’s life. Tomorrow she’s finally marrying Owen Cooper. She’s been waiting to start a life of wedded bliss, like the happy marriage her parents have. Except…she just learned her parents are divorcing and she’s freaking out. Owen has been so distant lately, shutting her out. Suddenly this big wedding seems like a really bad idea. Packing up her car, Lucy bolts for Rendezvous Falls and finds work at a flower shop while she gets her life together. The last thing she expects is for Owen to show up, wanting her back.
Owen Cooper’s carefully planned out life is ready to begin. He’s home from the military to join the family business and marry the sweet girl who captured his heart…until Lucy runs out on him. That was not part of the plan. Armed with an article that promises to help him win her back, Owen heads to Rendezvous Falls. But from the moment he sees her again, she seems…different. Happier, more confident and at ease. Can he convince this new version of Lucy that he’s become the man she deserves? He might need a little help from the local book club to accomplish this mission…
Love Blooms reminds me of Julia Robert’s Runaway Bride. Not that heroine Lucy leaves a trail of broken-hearted men at the altar like Julia’s Maggie did. But each woman lost sight of who they were by pleasing others and agreeing to everything whether they wanted it, liked it, or not. Lucy Higgins should be having the time of her life. It’s the night before her wedding to the love of her life, Owen Cooper, but everything is falling apart. Lucy’s wedding has been hijacked by her future mother-in-law and her simple dream wedding has turned into a large wedding of the year event. Owen isn’t really speaking to her and he’s been distant since returning from Afghanistan and leaving the Army. It’s like he’s a different person. The cherry on top is her parents’ marriage, the one Lucy has always looked to and relied upon as being perfect isn’t. By accident, she finds out her parents have been unhappy for years and are planning on divorcing after her wedding.
Since he was around ten, Owen has known what his parents expected his future to be. The plan has always been that Owen would take over the family business, Cooper Landscaping, after graduating from college and marry a suitable girl, preferably from the country club scene. Instead of following the plan to the tee, Owen decided to drop out of college and join the military. Owen has spent the last eight years of his life serving his country. Five of those years included meeting and falling madly in love with Lucy, who is definitely not part of the country club scene. Lucy has thrown Owen’s world upside down in the best possible way. They are polar opposites. Lucy’s a free spirit and a spur-of-the-moment kind of person. Owen is a rules follower and a planner through and through.
When Lucy blots from Greensboro, North Carolina to Rendevous Falls, New York, Owen realizes where she is and follows her. Armed with his Dr. FindLove app, Owen plans to win Lucy back and return to Greensboro to continue their life together. Owen isn’t prepared for Lucy to keep him at arm’s length and not fall for all the app advice that he believes will help him. It’s a good thing the Rendezvous Falls book club, made up of septuagenarians is around to truly help and guide him.
Love Blooms is a good if not great story. I loved the characters of Lucy and Owen. Every step of the story shows just how much they truly love each other. I loved watching them look within themselves and see what they did to contribute to where they currently find themselves in life. Lucy is a special character, and it’s her attitude and perseverance that allowed her to get through to grumpy Rendezvous Blooms Flower Shop owner, Connie Phelps. I enjoyed getting to know Connie better. Owen is a lovable doofus who means well. He’s even referred to as a cinnamon roll, a little crusty on the outside, but all sweet and soft on the inside. That truly sums him up. The title truly encompasses their relationship. Rendezvous Falls is filled with people who believe in love and want to help out when they can. You know Owen and Lucy are going to have a happy ending to their story. Some things are a little predictable. Some things not so much. People often say the journey is what’s important. For this couple, that statement is beyond true. Their journey to the altar is filled with bumps and sinkholes, but it shows that their love can withstand anything.
~ Favorite Quotes ~
“Close your eyes and let your heart feel what’s right or wrong.”
“Try to see things clearly before you do something you’ll regret.”
“Sometimes the people who seem to have it the most together are the ones falling apart inside. Be careful about envying or resenting those people, some are just really good actors.”
“The more you try to shape the future, the more elusive it becomes.”
“What’s the saying? Man plans and God laughs.”
**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it.**
Rating: 4
Purchase Love Blooms from:
The Rendezvous Falls Series:
Stealing Kisses in the Snow ~ Review
You can read my Stealing Kisses in the Snow interview with Jo, where we discuss the Rendezvous Falls series here.
Snow Falls releases July 26, 2022
Places to find Jo McNally:
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