Delightful historical fiction set in Germany, Don't worry if you didn't read the first book. This tale of Flora is a good standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC,

This is my second book by Petra Durst-Benning, and it will not be my last. The characters are well-drawn, and the flower knowledge blew me away. A breath of fresh air...waiting for the next installment in The Seedtrader Saga.

Through your imagination the author allows you to visit Germany and learn about flowers in this delightful historical novel.
Pub Date 24 Apr 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from AmazonCrossing through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am a big fan of the authors's writing and I loved this book. This is book 2 in the The Seed Traders Saga and it was worth the wait. I love the accurate historical detail of the author's writing and how very detailed her books are.
In this next in series our heroine has given up the family seed trade to venture out on her own. Flora has decided to study floristry . She has a unique talent for floristry and hopes to grow a business for herself in this spa town of Baden-Baden Germany. She has a mentor and works in his shop where soon the royals and the rich clients notice her abilities. She helps his business to thrive and is enjoying her new life away from the family business.
This was a delightful read and I look forward to the third in the series. The detail is exquisite of the town, the flowers and the period of time. The author writes a well crafted interesting story that captures my attention to the last detail. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

I received a ARC for my honest opinion

The flower shop, set in Baden-Baden post Franco-Prussian war tells the story of Flora, a seed seller with aspirations to be a florist. What I enjoyed most about this novel was not the story but the historical information, beautifully written. The characters and story largely are in the nature of a romance novel, entertaining and even interesting in many ways, but not terribly believable in the choices they make. Don't let that stop you from reading this book! Learning about a famous spa town with healing waters, the trade of traveling seed sellers, the life of late 19th century seed sellers, life in this post war period is fascinating. The novel also provides a nice sketch of the striations of class from the wealthy Russian aristocrats who summer in Baden-Baden, throwing lavish parties and gambling in the casino, to small shop keepers, to employees of the tourist attractions, to servant classes. It is a visually pleasing book. Bonus: If you are into fantastical romance and plots that don't ring true but are fun anyway, this book will work for you as well.

Well, to begin with, I have had a decent time reading "The Flower Shop." The plot was ok- lovable characters with a decent plot. The issues I have for it are that the story was extremely predictable and with no depth. In another words, flat and mediocre. The book isn't marketed as romance but it is a historical romance novel to me somewhat. For a quick weekend reading, this is doable. So many times I felt like ditching the reading and moving onto something else. In a way I was glad I didn't give it up because it was a decent read only I knew the time I spent on "The Flower Shop" could be well spent on other books that I might enjoy slightly more.

On the positive side, though, I did learn a few things about the post war Germany especially the quaint, picturesque spa town called Baden-Baden. I even googled the town because I wanted to know more about it.

Overall enjoyment is an OK read. I am sure many would find "The Flower Shop" charming but I don't think it suits me well.

Another delightfully written book by author Petra Durst-Benning. I loved her Glassblower series and this one did not disappoint. She writes memorably characters is such a way as she feel you truly know them. I felt I had stepped off the pages of the book into the world of flowers and into the summer capital of Europe. I would recommend this book to friends and looking forward to more books from the author. .