He prefers plants to people. She’s a black thumb. Can love bloom? Kim is stagnating in her hometown, like a dying flower. When her mother asks her to create a flower garden to enter into a local competition, Kim decides it’ll be her last big hurrah before skipping town for a new start. But with her wilted gardening skills, she can’t pull it off alone, especially since her mom wants tulips. The … wants tulips. The only person who might be able to help is her brother’s best friend. Trouble is, she’s liked him for years despite his prickly personality, and he never noticed.
Jake has met with a lot of loss in life. The only thing he can keep alive is a plant. Besides his friend Dusty, Jake has no use for anyone, including God. So when Dusty’s sister asks him for help, he turns her down flat—until he realizes he needs her help, too. Trading tulips and time for business advice, Jake finds there’s more to Kim than he’s ever noticed before. Too bad the only way to keep her safe is to keep her out of his heart.
When things get weedy, Kim must decide whether to dig in her roots or move on. Can Jake trust that God is enough to bridge the distance between the pain in the past and the promise of the future?
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This is the first book I’ve read by Emily Dana Botrous, and I really enjoyed this story. The characters are well developed, dynamic and relatable. They experience raw pain, and they are challenged and show growth through the progression of the story. The author seamless tucked in important nuggets of faith and encouragement, without coming across as preaching. It really gives the reader something to walk away with and digest further. The story continued to move forward at a good pace without any drawn out scenes, each one was carefully and methodically crafted. The descriptions were vivid and brought me into the story so that I felt like I was right there with the characters.
The writing was fantastic and I was pulled right into the story and kept there the entire time! I would happily read more stories from this author, and I encourage anyone who enjoys reading Christian Contemporary Fiction to pick up this book and give this author a try!
(I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
I enjoyed this story. It was well-written and well-edited. It was sad at parts, and uplifting at other parts.
The hero of the story was annoying at times with his self-blame and self-pity, but his character growth was strong enough to get past it. Same with the heroine constantly thinking she is not good enough for the hero. The spiritual thread was good and helped her see her value doesn’t come from a man liking her.
Overall, this was a good read.
This is the second book I have read by this author. The storyline is realistic, the characters are flawed and I was completely drawn in. I had a hard time putting this book down! Not only is the story a good one, I was touched by the underlying messages brought out in the story of faith, trust and how our hopes should be placed in God not in others or ourselves.
Kim has crushed on Jake for years. Will Jake finally see Kim as more than his best friend’s little sister? I loved how he was so confused about why he never saw her – before now. Sweet romance that had some funny parts. Can’t wait for book 2. Loved Dusty’s response.
This book describes a teen crush that evolves to a major love story with lots of forwards and backwards. The main characters have their problems – low self steem, guilt for things they could not control, difficult to express feelings, detachment from people in general. Their story only gets straingtened when they are able to recognize their faith and their shortcomings so as they deal with them they can go on with their lives. It´s an easy to ready story, with a lot of feeling involved (prepare your tissues…) but with very relatable day to day problems. The descriptions of the flowers and gardens are just so well done that you can picture the places in your mind and I just loved it!
I received a free copy of this directly from the author in exchange from an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more by this author. The characters were relatable, the plot interesting, the storytelling well-done.
I like how Kim refuses to give up on Jake, even when he exudes a gruff demeanor, she knows he still has a huge heart beneath the facade.
I loved seeing Kim’s character mature and develop. In the beginning she was more timid and unsure of herself but by the end she is brave and confident in her identity as a child of God.
Sweet, clean, inspiring, romantic.
I’ve never read this author before but I really enjoyed this book. It was a very sweet romance. Not steamy but satisfying all the same. Lots of family time and set in a small town. A brother’s best friend romance with a lot of doubting going on between both parties not believing they are good enough. Finally realize that they are basing their lives on other people and not on God. Really good story without being preachy. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.