Wow! I love single parent romances and this might be one of my favorites. Nova hasn't had it easy and finds it hard to trust. She's a single mom trying to make a good life for her son. Tanner is the perfect book boyfriend and absolutely amazing with Teo. I love how sweet he is with Nova's son and I also really loved the steam between Nova and Tanner. Great book and perfect for fans of single parent romance!

Love Blooms is a well written sequel to Hope Blooms. Jamie Pope does an excellent job in presenting Nova and Tanner’s story. They each have some past issues that must be resolved before their love can fully bloom. While Nova’s backstory was revealed plainly, Tanner’s problems with his family were hinted at throughout the story. The secret his family kept from him was epic. Great storyline, secondary characters and HEA. I highly recommend it. Do yourself a favor and read Hope Blooms first. The two books really compliment each other.

Love Blooms is an emotional story of making it on your own. Nova is a young, single mother who's trying to make a better life for her son and herself. She owns her own hair styling and makeup business on Martha's Vineyard, where she's lived ever since she came there to be with her Native grandmother after fleeing an abusive ex and a deadbeat, alcoholic mother. She has an older half-brother, Wylie, who's a great father figure to her son, Teo, and a great brother to her. If only his friend and business partner, Tanner, didn't irritate her and get under her skin so much.

But of course, he only gets under her skin because she's so attracted to him, that's a given :) Still, she fights it like crazy because she has this thing about not depending on anyone, even though in reality, she does depend upon her brother, her grandmother, any number of people. She doesn't have a good history with men, though, and she doesn't want to set herself up for more pain by allowing Tanner into her life anymore than he already is as an honorary uncle to Teo.

Tanner's persistent, though, and patient, and soon they're indulging in a steamy little fling. But, can they actually make a real relationship work? How can they when Nova is planning on leaving Martha's Vineyard as soon as she gets a good job offer? How can she possibly give up her dream of being financially stable enough to give Teo a good life, doing what she loves, all for a man?

I like Love Blooms. Tanner is an absolute dream of a man. He's sexy, patient, sweet, a swoonworthy dad to Teo, and he puts up with Nova's wishy washiness. Nova was harder for me to connect to. Not that I didn't respect her for striving to become independent and to make a better life for her son, but she was so prickly and indecisive with Tanner, that I honestly felt she didn't deserve him. Any other less patient man would have dumped her on her butt long ago. Aside from that, I thought Love Blooms was a well written, steamy and sweet. I like that Nova is biracial and part Native. It's not exactly the typical ethnic makeup for heroines these days, and it's a breath of fresh air to see it in a contemporary romance.

3.5 Stars

There are two reasons that I liked this story -- the hero, Tanner and the heroine's young son Teo -- who is an absolute sweetheart. I didn't like single-mother Nova, she made life way more complicated for the people closest to her. She was simply too difficult to love and she exhausted me. I understood her wanting to stand on her own two feet. I didn't totally understand her standoffish behavior toward her son.

Nova harbored unfounded resentment toward her half brother Wylie because his father rescued him from their alcoholic mother. In her mind, he had it better than her and she resented him for it. Even as a mature woman, she still refused to see that her resentment was misplaced. The fact of the matter is Nova had options because Nova had her grandmother who she eventually turned to when she had nowhere else to go.

The hero. Whew, Tanner took so much grief from the heroine. A lesser man would have walked away from her and her baggage. Tanner was no pushover. I liked that he was very clear about his feelings and what he wanted. He was strong, loving, supportive and kind and treated Teo like a son.

The heroine. She's bi-racial (Native American & White), the word beautiful is used to describe her over and over again. There is too much emphasis placed on her beauty. The word gorgeous is used 18 times -- mostly to describe her or her son. Nova tells her son that he's gorgeous, but she never tells him that he's smart, capable or kind or that he can change the world. Imagine how powerful those words would be.

Catching up with Wylie, Cassandra and Teo from Hope Blooms makes this book a worthwhile read.

Click the link if you'd like to read my review of Hope Blooms (Book 1): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Her brother's father should have done the same for her.

And why shouldn't she attend her own son's game, Wylie?

That's a really sad reason to ask her kid for permission to hug him. But isn't she projecting her own issues onto him?

Talk about running hot-and-cold. She shouldn't kiss him back if she doesn't want to get involved with him.

Five bucks says Tanner's dad ain't his dad.

The guy gave her a stolen ring, spends money on video games instead of her, and she's afraid to make him angry, but she still married him?

This is a very passive-aggressive relationship they have.

If she's biased, so am I because I so love this kid. I want to give him kisses.

Sheesh, how long is Teo going to be in school?

Finally, one thing has gone well for her, although not without a lot of hard work. It's nice that she got recognition from someone in a city she doesn't live in.

She's right. There is a double standard.

Oh, I didn't know that about Native American adoptions.

The mother is as bad as the son. She knew what he was doing to her and baby Teo, but she did nothing.

Why is Nova hiding that she's going to night classes so she can graduate high school? That is something to be proud of!

That ice cream sounds so good.

Truth will out.

She makes themed sandwiches? If that doesn't say Mother of the Century, I don't know what does.

Big name for a little cat.

Can you have shared custody if it's your ex's kid?

I can't believe that absolutely no one noticed two white people having a half-black child.

Finally she wised up.

Haha, good to know marriage hasn't killed the romance!