“Must Love Flowers” by Debbie Macomber
Recovery takes time and effort
Loved this story that is for certain, for sure. Devastating losses, varying ways of coping or hiding, and the liberation of recovery and joining the living once again. Yes, emotion filled journeys for Joan and Maggie and… well…. You really do want to read this story and discover the details for yourself. I shed a bucket load of tears, and had a few laughs and chuckles along the way. I am pretty sure you will be glad you read this story, too!. Happy Reading ! !
Note: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley

After losing her husband four years prior, Joan, like the flowers she loves, has wilted. When a nasty HOA letter prompts her to straighten her garden, she realizes it's time to put more than her flower bed in order..

While a haircut and new clothes might seem like small steps, Joan has reawakened from her grief coma. Taking in a boarder, puppy and seeking therapy, Joan realizes she has a lot of living to do When a gardener responds to her 'must love flowers' request, she starts digging herself into a hole realizing she's attracted to him. Will love bloom and take root or floundering without proper watering?

Anything from Debbie Macomber I know I will enjoy. Must Love Flowers was full of heartbreak, hope and joy. I couldn’t put it down. Maggie and Joan had such a magical relationship that helped both of them out of there turmoil and grief. Absolutely enjoyed!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and Debbie Macomber for the ARC for my review.

loved this book! Filled with heartbreak and so much hope, I finished it in 2 days. I could see parts of myself in both of the main characters which is something I love. Even though you may not be going through the same things they are, you can find pieces of yourself weaved into who they are. I highly recommend this one!

Within a few pages I knew that I was going to fall in love with this book! I loved each character,but Maggie held my heart & I was cheering for her to have the best life that she deserved. Debbie Macomber is my go to when I need a feel good,happy ever after storyline & she didn’t disappoint. I received an early release from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am so glad that you, Debbie Macomber, changed your mind on retiring from writing. I originally chose this book because I love the cover and I’m glad I did! This is such a sweet book that really covers so many topics from loss and grief to relationships with grown children to addiction. The characters are well developed and the story flows so nicely. I enjoyed reading it, thoroughly, and I didn’t want to put it down. I hope you’ll continue to do what you do best, write more books!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

'Must Love Flowers' by Debbie Macomber was tender and touching to me. As a young widow myself I learned a great deal by Joan's grief process. By letting Maggie in her life Joan highlights for this reader how kindness and second chances can change lives. I'm glad Debbie Macomber didn't retire before writing this book. It is a blessing to me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Must Love Flowers is a sweet, uplifting story. Another winner by Debbie Macomber. I am so glad she decided to write this story.
Joan has been a widowed for four years. She becomes sort of a recluse. After receiving a letter from here HOA, she realizes she must do something. She eventually learns to move forward in life. She takes in a border Maggie, who has had a rough life and is going to nursing school. She joins a grief support group and learns how to live again. This story has it all grief, second chances and love. Thank You to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

Must Love Flowers is a sweet, uplifting story. Another winner by Debbie Macomber. I am so glad she decided to write this story.
Joan has been a widowed for four years. She becomes sort of a recluse. After receiving a letter from here HOA, she realizes she must do something. She eventually learns to move forward in life. She takes in a border Maggie, who has had a rough life and is going to nursing school. She joins a grief support group and learns how to live again. This story has it all grief, second chances and love. Thank You to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine for the E-ARC. This is my own Opinion.

Debbie Macomber has written another lovely story about relationship. Widow, Joan, struggles to cope with daily life. College student, Maggie, needs to part ways with her alcoholic father. Through family and a mysterious landscaper, both women discover what life has to offer in this charming story. I enjoyed seeing Joan and Maggie rediscover themselves as they allow new people into their lives. The only thing I don't like about the book are the frequent references to casually drinking alcohol, while one character struggled as an alcoholic. Otherwise, it's a good story. I received a free copy and opinions are my own.

Readers can always depend on Debbie Macomber to give them a great story with well-written characters along with a happily ever after ending. This one delivered on all fronts but I found it was rather difficult to read about the main character who was dealing with grief. I am going through that now and even though parts of her journey were very sad, her grief was understandable and well written.

Joan has been a widow for four years and she continues to hide from life and live in her memories. She has two sons who are grown up and live on their own and know that she needs help re-joining the world but aren't sure how to help. Her sister continues to encourage her and she finally listens when her sister advises her to rent out a room in her large home because she thinks it will help lessen her loneliness. In fact, she suddenly decides to listen to her sister on several issues - she goes to the salon to get her first haircut in a long time, she joins a grief support group and (because of a nasty letter from her HOA), she decides to hire someone to take care of her yard. With all of these changes going on her life, she begins to feel less lonely and more like the woman she used to be.

Maggie is a nursing student who works as a barista in her free time. Her mother has died and her father is an alcoholic who needs to be taken care of. Every penny she makes goes towards paying household bills. She knows that she needs to get out on her own and is thrilled to be accepted to live in Maggie's house. As the two women get to know each other, they both began to feel less lonely and alone. As they begin to feel better about life, romances for both of them cause even more changes.

Maggie and Joan both find themselves making life choices and leaning on each other for support. What they finally realize is that family is not just blood relatives but can be made up of the people we love and want to help take care of.
Debbie Macomber has given her readers much more than a romance novel - she's given us a book about making changes and challenging life. No matter what age you are or whatever circumstances you're in, you can learn to create a happier life.

BOOK REVIEW: Must Love Flowers by @debbiemacomber FIRST i want to give a big THANK YOU to @randomhousebooks Debbie and @netgalley for the chance to read and review this book this story comes out July 11th 2023.

BLURB:

Joan Sample is not living the life she expected. Now a widow and an empty-nester, she has become by her own admission something of a recluse. But after another birthday spent alone, she is finally inclined to listen to her sister, who has been begging Joan to reengage with the world. With Emmie’s support, Joan gathers the courage to take some long-awaited steps: hiring someone to tame her overgrown garden, joining a grief support group, and even renting out a room to a local college student. Before long Joan is starting to feel a little like herself again.

Across town, Maggie Herbert works mornings as a barista, tending to impatient customers before rushing to afternoon nursing classes. She lives with her alcoholic father, ducking his temperamental outbursts and struggling to pay the household bills. But her circumstances brighten when she finds a room for rent in Joan’s home. In the unexpected warmth of her new situation, Maggie finds a glimmer of hope for a better life. But will Maggie’s budding attraction to one of her favorite customers ruin the harmony she’s only recently found with Joan? Meanwhile, what is Joan to make of the mysterious landscaper who’s been revitalizing her garden—a man who seems to harbor a past loss of his own?

As Maggie and Joan confront difficult life choices, they draw strength from this new friendship in surprising ways—discovering in the process that “found family” is often the very best kind.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really loved this story of Maggie and Joan it was really beautiful as someone who has dealt with a major loss like this its nice to be able to read a book that you can relate too! Its nice to see the different journeys of grief and how you can cope.

Debbie Macomber books always leave me with a smile as I read. This one was no different. A widow is tasked with tending to her yard because of criticism from her HOA. IN addition she decides to rent a room. With these scenarios we see some developing relationships. A good read and recommend this for a good feeling book. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Joan Sample - widow at age 50 - now four years later and still stuck back at that time of her loss. She slowly coming out of her shell realizing that she has become a hermit. She does not see anyone, orders everything to be delivered. Having went through the pandemic, that became the way of life and she just continued it. Her grown sons seem to not to know what to do with her. They are trying to progress their careers and life and dealing with their mom leaves them at a loss.

Maggie Herbert is a twentyish year old young lady who is having a hard time at life. Losing her mom several years ago placed her father into a drunken tailspin. He relies on Maggie to cover the bills and take care of him, but he spends the money she leaves for the bills on booze. She is at her wits end and decides it is time to move out.

As Joan emerges from her cocooned world, she agrees to take on a boarder - Maggie - to combat the loneliness of the house. As the two women navigate this new world, they start to rely on each other to be the champion they are missing. As they move through this new world, can new relationships and positive changes help them become the women they are meant to be?

I loved this book!!! A book written about current issues with compassion while keeping the book realistic and not over the top or too "hallmarky." Thank you for this beautiful book on loss, grief, life afterwards, and love.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story. Having recently lost a loved one, I connected with the characters who were struggling with their grief. Joan is a widow of four years. Since her husband's death, she has become detached. Her sister reaches out to her to encourage her to take some risks and get out of her comfort zone. She wants her to "live" again. Her suggestions include having a boarder in her home (which she believes can help with her loneliness), talking to a therapist, using the gift certificate she gave her to update her look. She is forced to get out of her comfort zone when she receives a letter from her HOA telling her to clean her yard or pay a fine. She hires a landscaper who is friendly and caring and recognizes that she is suffering from her grief.

Through a friend, Joan finds the perfect boarder, Maggie, and they connect immediately. Joan has two sons who are concerned about her reclusiveness and her youngest also objects to her decision to have a boarder. Her son, Nick, meets Maggie, and after a contentious first meeting, they realize there is an attraction that they may want to explore.

Joan meets with a therapist who encourages her to join a weekly grief support group and she is resistant at first as her assumption is that she believes she will shoulder the grief of the group in addition to her own. It turns out that her landscaper, Phil, is part of the group and in time, the two learn things about each other and of themselves. This evolution is sweet as you can feel the pain of their loss on the pages, but you're also cheering for them and hoping that they will find happiness.

This is a great story with great characters. It meant more to me knowing that this author had hit all of the notes when suffering a loss. .

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A highly entertaining book that makes you laugh at times even though it addresses heavy-hitting topics!

Joan Sample is a widow who has just turned 54. Her husband,Jared, a dentist, unexpectedly died 4 years earlier. She is still very much grieving his death. Joan’s sister is bugging her to start rebuilding her life, especially after the Covid Pandemic where she was isolated. Both her adult sons agree.

Maggie is a nursing student who works as a tutor and at Starbucks in between going to school. When Maggie’s mother died, her father used alcohol to cope, which made him hard to live with. Maggie even had to use her own money to support him. Maggie decides it is time to move out, so eventually moves in with Joan, who is willing to take her in as a boarder.

Both broken hearted, Can Joan and Maggie support each other in order to rebuild their lives that they envision after loss? Or will their lives continue to spiral out of control?

A story of love, loss and reclaiming your life after grieving a loss of a parent or being widowed. I love how Debbie Macomber includes difficult topics in her books, but weaves them into a heartfelt and uplifting story that has a happy ending! It shows that even after hardships and loss, there can be happiness and hope.

Be sure to include this book on your Summer Reading TBR list! A great book club pick as well as this book would lead to many meaningful discussions.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine (Ballantine Books), I was provided an ARC of Must Love Flowers by Debbie Macomber via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, cozy, read, but not much substance or meaning, in my humble opinion. I found myself bored after a few chapters and wasn’t able to finish.

I really enjoyed this story! I liked the older characters who were struggling with loss. This book reminded me that "family is who you choose to love & surround yourself with". I love how everything that happened to these characters, happened in perfect timing!! And I truly loved how everything worked out for them all.

This is an author that I have loved reading from the first book I picked up by her. I have been reading her books for years and enjoy her writing skills. This is a well written story that is written with alot of heart and soul. The characters are full of heart and will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride for sure. They pull you into their world for sure. What will happen as they confront life choices and find themselves leaning on each other more and more. You don't want to miss this must read story for sure. It is fast paced and engaging. The characters pull you in from the start. The author used details to make it realistic and I had no problems putting myself in their story. I really enjoyed the growth of this story. I highly recommend this must read story.

Grief: deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement

There is no way around it. We all at one time or another will experience grief. How we handle grief is the difference.

Joan lost her husband unexpectedly 4 years ago. This loss was more than she could handle. Covid hit and she was even more isolated.

What happened to Joan to make a change in her life after 4 years? Joan made one step towards healing (or at least movement in a different direction) that started to change her life in a more positive way.

Debbie Macomber touches on a very sensitive subject. I know of friends and family who wallowed in their grief. I also know of others who used their grief, their experiences, to help others.

Joan found she wasn't alone. And with this knowledge she made the changes to continue on.

I enjoyed the book. The characters could be any one of us.