WARNING: Author believes in soul mates and insta-love. Proceed with caution if you’re not a romantic at heart.“Romance and poetry, ivy, lichens, and wallflowers, need ruin to make them grow.” ~ Nathaniel HawthorneThey say money is the root of all evil, but sometimes, evil lurks in the most unlikely places.Calla Lily Armstrong spent her whole life shielding her heart. Now she’s ready to break down … her heart. Now she’s ready to break down her walls and see what’s hiding on the other side. With the help of her new friends, Poppy Gentry and Sienna Miller, the three band together to find their happily ever after. One Wallflower at a time.
Former Atlanta Homicide Detective, Devin Hawthorne, moved to Savannah for a change of pace and a fresh start as a Private Investigator. He finds it right under his nose in the form of a Southern beauty who drives him to distraction, and deadly secrets that threaten her very life.
Rated mature for language and sexual content. (less)
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Calla Lily Armstrong has decided she needs to branch out, she usually has her nose in a book or spending time with her two colorful Aunts. Befriending Poppy Gentry and Sienna Miller is the first step but when her new neighbor, Former Atlanta Homicide Detective Devin Hawthorne she finds herself wishing she was more outgoing but she knows there is no way that Devin could possibly find her attractive. When Calla finds herself in trouble though Devin is the man who is at her side and has no plan on leaving it.
This was delightful, I had it on my TBR for awhile and definitely should have picked up sooner. The chemistry is off the charts and Calla is a hoot. I loved the friends and the whole story was pure entertainment.
Y’all these flowers are the cutest thing I have read about in a long time. Boy, do these girls get in trouble. The men, the men are ridiculous. Sexy and Alpha to the max. I read this book after reading Until Joe, so kinda backwards. After witnessing them in that book I had to know the how and why of the Wallflowers.
This book will keep you entertained and since they are in the HEA World, I’m sure we will see more of them. 3 separate books for you to get immersed in their Wallflower lives. Poppy, Calla Lilly and Sienna will have you begging for more.
C.P. Smith is a favorite author of mine. Wallflowers: Three of a Kind is the perfect example of why I adore her and her writing.
Summary:
Twenty-seven year old Calla Lily Armstrong has been living a half-life since losing her family at age six. Caught up in her grief and guilt, she’s hidden away from life experiences and getting close to others. Despite having the love and support of her amazing aunts, she’s let life slide by, preferring to look for her heroes between the pages of a book. Understanding that she’s let fear guide her for far too long, Calla determines to break down the walls she’s built, and explore what’s waiting for her. But she can’t go it alone, and enlists the help of fast-friends, Sienna and Poppy. The three vow to help each other find their happily ever after, one wallflower at a time. Former homicide detective Devin Hawthorne moved to Savannah to escape the red-tape tangled up with his former job, and for a slower pace. With his life and career changes, he’s not looking for a woman, and definitely nothing serious. But one look at Calla has him swiftly changing his mind. The Southern beauty distracts him at every turn. When he realizes her connection to a case he’s working, his primal instincts take over. He’ll protect her in whatever way necessary, and win her heart. But Calla’s terrified of losing another person she cares for. Can she stop running long enough for Devin to catch her? Or will the danger stalking her catch up to her first?
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When picking up a book by C.P. Smith, I know I can relax into a beautiful story with lovely characters. She’s a rockstar at incorporating a bit of herself into her books, and it shows in her characters. This, in my opinion, is one of the best aspects of her writing. WTOAK was an amazing read, and I adored Calla. She has a sweet, Southern disposition, but with an underlying, subtle spark of sassy and sarcastic. You’ll also never catch her forgetting her polite manners, even if it’s a dressing down you’re getting. This always gave me a smile or chuckle. Calla’s emotional wounds were extensive, and furthered by the actions of those she should have been able to trust. It broke my heart that she had lost so much. I also appreciated that her air of innocence was sweet instead of annoying. Although she did display some naiveté, it wasn’t in a bad way. Devin was everything I love about CP’s heroes. Alpha, possessive, protective, and growly. His immediate focus on Calla, made his interest clear and serious. His sense of justice and lack of hesitation in doing whatever needed to be done to protect those he cared for, showed the type of man he was. The only thing more I could have wanted was detailed information about his family and life in Atlanta. He was exactly what Calla needed, and I loved them together. They had a sizzling chemistry that kept building until it exploded in a frenzy of passion. Their back and forth also helped to amp up the tension between them. Calla gave Devin someone to love and protect, while he made her feel safe and alive. Overall, I adored every word. The storyline, despite realizing who could be the culprit pretty early on, kept me entertained and guessing as to how all the pieces fit together. CP still managed to surprise me in the end, though. This is definitely a steamy romance, but it also had a bit of heart-racing action to hook me deep. The supporting cast is probably one of the best casts I’ve read in a long time. The aunts, Bernice and Eunice were hilarious, loving, and crazy. Their unconditional love and wise words had me loving that Calla had them, and wishing I could have them, too. I want their stories, and just learning that Bernice will get hers in the Until world by ARR, I’m in heaven. The Wallflowers, Sienna and Poppy, each have their own issues, and I’m more than ready to dive in and figure them out, riding along for their journeys to a HEA. Being a lot like Devin, Nate and Bo obviously have my attention, and I’m ready to see them in action. This story was a wonderful depiction of true friendship, family, and love. This is the beginning of something special, and I couldn’t be happier knowing we’ll have more time with the Wallflowers and the men brave and strong enough to win their hearts.
This was an entertaining and low angst read. Three woman recognize that they are wallflowers and make a pact to help each other to stop letting life pass them by. Starting with helping Calla catch the new-to-town and hunky detective.
What Calla doesn’t know is that she doesn’t need to catch Devin because he has already set his sights on her. He just needs to break down those protective walls she has built for her to see he is already standing right in front of her.
This was a fun story. These three wallflowers get into all kinds of shenanigans. Add in three hunky men trying to solve the missing woman case only to be constantly sidetracked by trying to keep the three women safe. Then we have the evil villain in the story that changes from one person to another, not really knowing who it is until the very end.
Overall a good start to a series that has me intrigued to get to know the next couple in the series.
Oh. My. After reading Until Joe, I one clicked the Wallflowers series. I know I am kinda reading it the wrong way round after meeting everybody in Until Joe but I needed to read their complete stories and wow!!
Calla, in a short time, bonds with Poppy and Sienna, whom she works with.
She has kept herself distant, afraid to let the walls down, outside of her little family of her two beloved Aunts. She doesn’t believe she deserves happiness losing her parents in a car accident when she was a young girl. Then she spots Devin and he makes her feel so much.
Devin is knocked sideways by Calla but he knows what he wants and won’t stop until Calla is his. Protective alpha mode, engaged! Throw in the shenanigans of the Wallflowers, stalkers and murder and this book had me on the edge of my seat………and Devin?…..hot damn!
This is one of the first books I’ve read from this author that isn’t something within another author’s universe. After reading one of her other author world stories (Until Susan I believe) I figured if I loved that book I would probably like her stories. I wasn’t wrong.
This book is filled with romantic love, familial love, and a friendship between the three wallflowers that will have you laughing and hoping they all come out unscathed.
For Calla Armstrong she’s spend so many years of her life isolating herself from everyone after losing her parents and brother at a young age. She’s found solace in romance novels and is finally ready to open herself up to friendship, especially with other woman who seem to have the same love and passion for romance novels as she does.
Devin Hawthorne moved from Atlanta to Savannah for a fresh start away from his previous occupation as a detective operated and restricted by red tape to operating on his own as a private investigator. However, he never thought his fresh start would come in the form of feisty southern woman who makes him wonder who would be crazy enough to want these women who have a knack for finding danger.
Excellent book!
Will definitely be reading the next in the series.
Loved this book from the start. All The characters had me laughing, wanting to comfort them and some wanting to smack some sense into them. Just enough HOTNESS to make you want moore. Great writing by C.P Smith. Cannot wait to read the other books in this series.
Still a shit ton of stars. This series has gotten so many stars from me….pretty sure I would’ve broken Amazon if I was able to keep pushing those damn stars. I. Cannot. Get. Enough. Of. This. Book. Crack. Series….I just can’t, it’s just that great. I love this world that CP Smith has created. As much fun as I have had reading it, I can’t imagine how much fun she probably had writing it. Loved everything about it, the quirky and loyal Wallflowers, the OTT alpha Neanderthal’s, the Neanderthal’s on YouTube (really love that one, Bodacious Bar Owner, Hot Cop and Dashing Detective), Cali’s aunts, Bernice is a bit of a badass and such a wonderful women, Gertrude and her sparkly “attire” and the Wallflowers non-cursing ways. This is a world everyone should want to be in and it makes me so happy to read and be apart of. I absolutely love it….All. Of. It.
This is the story of Poppy aka Kitten and Nate aka Bodacious Bar Owner and the third Neanderthal. These two, were just so amazing. Dibs, mine….Nate is mine, all that big brooding OTT alpha hotness, he doesn’t cook…but, I’m willing to accept that flaw. Poppy is endearing in her unsure quirky way, and I flat out adore her. All the things they survived to get to this point and find each other, is nothing short of a miracle. They needed each other in a way that most people could not possibly understand. These two really had my heart, heck all of them really do. This story was another case of the Wallflowers being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They could find trouble anywhere, and they do, all the time.
This was a great storyline and a safe read. No om drama, little ow drama, but my Nate shoots that down immediately, because Poppy was his and that was that…don’t forget I already called dibs, aannnddd I don’t share. Hot af and funny af too. Great supporting/secondary characters, including Gertrude and all her bling. This series is one of my all time favorites, I know, I know, that is saying something. Absolutely cannot wait for the next book *grabby hands*. You can never, ever read too much book crack, true story, free advice and you’re welcome.
Great start to an awesome series
I have loved previous books by this author, but her Wallflowers series kicks up the suspense factor and adds more humor. The Wallflowers are over the top: funny, innocent, clumsy, broken by their pasts, passionate, and looking for love. They are destined to find trouble, or have it find them. This story is fast-paced with great characters and an intricate plot. Damn if I didn’t figure out whodunit but not know who that person was in the story. I love that about this author’s stories, it’s never obvious who the culprit is.
Once I started this book, I could not put it down. Calla, Poppy, and Sienna remind me so much of my friends and me. However, we rarely get into so much trouble and our lives have never been endangered. Not only is this a story of great insta-friendship between the Wallflowers but insta-love between Devin and Calla. I love that the girls all read and reference the books they read and work in publishing. It makes for a great backdrop to the story.
Insta-love and alphas go hand-in-hand in this series. Their protective nature makes them great heroes and even hotter love interests. There are old money secrets, danger, humor, and passion in this book. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.