Joan Sample is a widow living in the PNW. She is having difficulty dealing with her grief. She decides to get counseling, join a grief support group, and take in a young boarder who has problems of her own. This was a cozy quick read but not a lot happens. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Joan has been wallowing in grief since the death of her husband four years ago. Then a gift card leads her to the hair salon and a chance conversation there leads her to Maggie, a nursing student. Maggie has been grieving the loss of her mother and her father’s descent into alcoholism. Joan is looking for a boarder and Maggie needs to escape her home. These two women will help each other with their journeys through grief and will discover that, as the clouds lift, there are second chances.

Must Love Flowers is a fast, totally enjoyable read. The characters are so real that they could be your neighbors and you know that all will end well. It’s Debbie Macomber at her best!Debbie, you can’t retire! Your closets can wait. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Debbie Macomber for this ARC.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Joans life hasn't been the same since she list her husband several years ago. She hasn't gone out much due to covid. She decided to make a change after her birthday. She had a college student living at the house and several other changes. This book was both well written and a joy to read. Cant wait to see what you write next.

I am grateful that Debbie came out of her brief retirement to continue her life’s work. Debbie Macomber is known for writing warm and inspiring stories that pull you into the vivid lives of her characters. In “Must Love Flowers,” two struggling women in different life stages begin a serendipitous journey to find healing and rebirth after life-altering losses. It’s about working through unbearable grief and coming out the other side a new person. It’s about human interaction, love, family, friendship, and kindness.

Four years ago, Joan Sample’s husband, Jared, died suddenly of an aneurism. The moment her husband’s heart stopped, so did her life. It had been 4 years since Jared’s death and Joan was still living in isolation. Her sister Emmie and her two adult sons were very concerned about her. Emmie repeatedly suggested that Joan begin counseling, join a grief support group, or even rent a room to a border. Joan was terrified to take the next step, so she remained stuck in the quicksand of her home.

However, after spending yet another birthday home alone, Joan decided to take her sister’s advice. In a whirlwind of just a few weeks, Joan hired a landscaper to breathe new life into her once prized yard, began replanting flowers, signed up for one-on-one counseling, began making friends through a grief support group, and even rented a room to young nursing student.

Enter Maggie, a young struggling nursing student who lost her mother during childhood. She was working two jobs, going to college, and taking care of her abusive alcoholic father. She was sad and desperate when Joan came into her life.

Joan and Maggie quickly fell into a mother-daughter type relationship. Day by day, they helped each other rebuild their lives.

Supporting characters were also well developed and added diversity, depth, and new perspectives on life after loss.

I loved this book and was invested from page one. As I have also lost loved ones before their time, including a child and a parent, I immediately connected with the devastation, pain, and daily challenges that each of the characters faced.

I am grateful to Author Debbie Macomber, NetGalley, and Random House Ballantine Books for allowing me the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

What a lovely story.
Engaging & interesting.
I was captivated by the book
from the start. A beautiful
& emotional story of family,
love & loss.
Beautifully told with characters that charm and steal your heart.
Written in a heartwarming way, with honesty, humor, love, acceptance.
This is a must-read that leaves you feeling good.

I read the blurb in the beginning about Debbie thinking about retirement. I am so glad she decided to continue writing.

I loved this book. It is a classic Debbie Macomber book. The characters are very likable and although they had separate stories, they were all interwoven. The story worked and it was a quick, enjoyable read. I didn't want to put it down.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

A story about grief. So well described that you recognize it and feel it
Family connections both good and bad also all feel familiar to me. I'm a long time fan of the author and this book reminds me why. The beauty of connections of all sorts.
The highs and lows of life
Opening with Joan who hasn't gone outside since her husband died. The COVID days reinforcing her life inside. Well told tale. Thank you.

Welcome back Debbie, you were missed. Thank you for this book.

A book about love, lose, COVID, friendship, healing, relationships of all kinds and of course flowers, so much packed into these pages, I enjoyed every moment of this book.

Must Love Flowers
by Debbie Macomber (Goodreads Author)
16207675
Leslie Beebe's review Apr 20, 2023 · edit
it was amazing

I enjoyed the story line & characters. It was done very well & held my interest from the first page. I enjoyed it more because the main characters were in their 50’s & their family. It was a great story about loss & love & how you move through the loss of a loved one without being morbid & depressing.

Awwww... Debbie Macomber can be counted on to provide a delightful novel that has you happily turning pages and a bit saddened when you reach the end. Must Love Flowers is no exception. The characters are interesting and the storyline is engaging. I didn't want it to end. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Must Love Flowers is a wonderful story about love, grief, healing, and redemption. Joan's world fell apart when her husband passed away four years ago. When the pandemic hit immediately thereafter, she shuttered herself inside her home and forgot how to live.

Now, the sun is out, the world is back in business, and the HOA is unhappy with Joan's lack of pride in her lawn. That one letter ends up being a catalyst for Joan to find her way back to life again.

Debbie Macomber is the queen of women's fiction, let there be no doubt. Women's fiction is my least favorite genre (think nails on a chalkboard), but not when it's Debbie's pen on the page. She draws you into the character's life on page one and holds you there with witty banter, emotional revelations, and a smattering of romance. With the addition of Maggie, Joan's wonderful boarder who is facing life changes of her own, Joan's new puppy, and her sons who just want their mom to be happy again, you have a well-rounded cast of characters to keep you invested in the story. Even the characters from Joan's therapy group have intricate backstories that Debbie so wisely sprinkles into the mix.

Must Love Flowers is another winner for Debbie Macomber. It's a fast, snappy read with wonderfully witty banter, sweet and tender romance, and a satisfying ending to make your heart smile. You'll want your own copy to reread whenever your bucket needs refilling and your spirit needs an inspirational lift.

This is such a poignant tale. My heart went out to Joan. I can’t imagine losing my husband. Maggie has had a difficult time with her dad. Maggie and Joan have been great for each other. This book is beautifully written. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I’ve been a long time fan of Debbie Macomber books. Her newest novel is warm and uplifting with likeable characters facing real dilemmas. I was so happy that the author has decided to continue writing more books after trying out retirement.

Must Love Flowers is the story of two women going through very different struggles in their lives. Joan is a widow struggling with her loss and loneliness and has become a bit of a recluse. She is slowly starting to pull herself back into the real world by the encouragement from her sister by joining a support group, cleaning up her property, and taking on a boarder.

Maggie is a young woman juggling school, two jobs, and caring for her alcoholic father. Her life takes a turn for the better when Joan offers her a room in her home and Maggie begins to bloom.

This is a heartwarming story about life, grief, second chances, and acts of kindness. Must Love Flowers is Debbie Macomber at her best.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and the author for the privilege of reading and reviewing this book.

My review will be posted 4/19/23 to Goodreads, BookBub, and Pinterest. I will post my review to Amazon on publication day.

Once again, Debbie Macomber does not disappoint. Her novels are like sitting down and catching up with old friends. They are so relatable in the sense that you know someone like the characters and have a connection to them. She makes you feel as if you know these characters from page one. A heartwarming story of love, healing, friendship and so much more. A definite summer read.

Great story by Debbie Macomber! Very uplifting, showing kindness between strangers and the possibility to overcome grief, hopelessness and giving hope to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for Must Love flowers. I love all of Debbie Macomber books and this one I think was her best. The story was uplifting even though the main topics were alcoholism and losing a loved one. The characters were each lost in their own way, but each one helped pick up the other. There wasn’t anyone I didn’t like in this book. I highly recommend it to everyone! Well written story!

I loved this book so much! I was hooked from the very beginning and didn't want to put it down for anything.
I loved each of these characters. The romance built naturally, but the friendships kept centerstage. It was a beautifully written story.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own *

Such a journey Joan took and I felt every emotion and it was as though I was with her. She was very real and raw about how she was feeling and I could really relate.

This is the story of two women going through very different struggles in their lives. Joan became a widow shortly before the pandemic and is struggling with her loss and loneliness. She has slowly started to pull herself back into the outside world by cleaning up her property, joining a support group, and taking on a boarder. Maggie is a young woman juggling school, two jobs, and caring for her alcoholic father. Her life takes a turn for the better when Joan offers a room in her home, and Maggie is able to blossom on her own. The story continues as various relationships are explore more - family connections, new friends, and potential romantic interests.

The eternal optimist and romantic too, Debbie Macomber luckily decided not to retire her typewriter just yet and created still another soul searching and enriching tale, MUST LOVE FLOWERS. MUST LOVE FLOWERS takes place in the post pandemic times. Of course her characters are going to reflect just how their lives, neighborhood and world changed during that time. Just like recovering from any natural disaster, it takes time and work to regroup. In the case of Joan Sample it also means learning to face her new life as a widow. Actually it has been four years, but Joan hasn’t been able to get past fears and loneliness. Her marriage had been great, filled with love and closeness with her husband. Two grown sons round out her family. And now it seems as if life is telling her, it is time to get back to the world of the living.
A starting point is her beloved garden which has been left in utter disarray. Her HOA let her know it is a real problem. Time to pull herself up by her bootstraps. New beginnings are on the horizon for Joan.
Losing someone important in a family has far reaching effects. How each member reacts, responds, and recovers is such an individual step. Unique to each party. But as a whole, a family, in MUST LOVE FLOWERS we see the widow and her two sons making strides toward becoming whole again. A new normal to be sure. Baby steps. But with hope, grace and love a happy ending is indeed possible. For the Sample family, Joan, Steve, and Nick this is the story of their journey to become whole again. With the introduction of some new friends both two and four legged the Sample world is growing again. And like Joan’s garden flourishing.
MUST LOVE FLOWERS is another glorious piece of family literature by Debbie Macomber. If you are new to her works MUST LOVE FLOWERS is an excellent introduction to this very prolific author.