Heat Factor: They get it on, but we don’t get super detailed about it

Character Chemistry: For the first time, someone is taking care of Emma

Plot: Hallmark Christmas Movie, except the Twee Farm the Big City Heroine inherits is an illegal marajuana operation

Overall: There was the perfect amount of story for a category-length book

When we meet Emma, she’s frazzled. She’s arriving in a small town to attend the will-reading for her estranged grandparents who recently disappeared and were declared dead. She’s in the middle of changing her dress in the middle of what she thinks is the ladies’ room when a very handsome man enters. Imagine her surprise to learn, before even overcoming her embarrassment, that he was her grandparents’ farm manager—and that she is now the owner of their farm.

Sidenote: I was truly expecting, for at least half of the book, for the grandparents to not actually be dead, but to have staged their death in order to bring Emma back home and set her up with Dan, the handsome farm manager. This does not happen. The grandparents really are dead. My expectation, though, is perhaps a sign that I’ve read too many bonkers romance novels. (HAHAHAH, just kidding, it’s impossible to have read too many bonkers romance novels.)

Emma has no plans to move away from her job and her boyfriend and her condo in Atlanta…but then she gets fired and breaks up with her boyfriend, so why not move to the country for a bit to find herself?

What follows is a sweet and funny romance, as Emma and Dan hang out on the farm. There’s some great situational humor as Emma figures out country life, and the dialogue includes some zingers but isn’t overly bantery. The burgeoning relationship is heavy on the caretaking—which is fitting, as Emma has been putting everyone else’s well-being first since she was a child (her older sister died when she was four, so that includes tip-toeing around her parents’ grief)—and that’s always a nice dynamic to read.

Of course, since we have the big illegal operation hanging over the town, we’ve got to have a threat. So that happens, with a big helping of male entitlement. (Sidenote, yes, recreational weed is still illegal in Georgia, and it seems like medical marajuana is heavily regulated. It did seem weird that a small town in rural Georgia had become an international hub for people looking for alternative medicine, but I guess since the farm was established in the 90s I can let that go.) And then, since we’re in a Hallmark Christmas Movie, our heroine has to do the hard thing, ask for help, and bring the town together to save the community.

My main quibble with the story is that it dragged in parts; given the amount of plot, it could have easily been a shorter book. Tighter storytelling would have bumped it from solidly enjoyable to a book that really sings.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

3.5 stars.

Such a cute story and idyllic setting with a fun twist. Definitely gives Hallmark vibes with the "girl leaves the big city for her family's small town farm" story, but it's not too cheesy for a non-Hallmark fan (looking at myself here). Emmaline "Emma" is working through some murky family drama of days past, and Dan is running away from personal scandal. The two help lift each other up and overcome their issues together. All of this makes for the good kind of insta-love.

For me, the pacing was slightly off. It would slow way down in parts and then pick up with a fair amount of action. This ultimately affected my overall enjoyment.

*3.5*
Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this ARC!

I really liked the premise of this story, and it had a really strong start! I don’t normally reach for small town romances, but this one sounded cute (and is also set in Georgia!). The beginning really hooked me- I loved Emma’s personality, the quick banter between her & Dan, and the family drama/secrets. However, I felt the pacing was off in some parts and made the timeline a bit confusing. The story really sped through the conflict, too. I would have liked to see more of the conflict unfolding as well as the characters working to solve it. It’s a quick read, though, so if you like small town romances and the insta love trope definitely try this one!

Thanks, again, NetGalley and Forever for this ARC!

*Love in Bloom* by Lucy Eden is a charming, sweet romance that blends humor with heartfelt moments. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable, and the small-town setting adds a cozy, feel-good vibe. While the plot may feel familar to some, it’s a perfect read for fans of light, uplifting romantic comedies.


Thank you for this ARC!

I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I put it on the DNF list at 32%. I have a hard time when the MFC is lauded as well-accomplished and competent, but then can’t do simple tasks like make her own coffee. Is that petty? It may be, but I find it hard to like the character when the author is showing me one thing but trying to tell me something totally different.
This book may be great for someone else, but it wasn’t for me.

2.5 stars for a decent premise.

Unfortunately I wound up DNF'ing this about halfway through because there were some repeated continuity type issues in it that made it very difficult to read. I also wasn't overall very engaged in the story and so I do hope to revisit it one day, but it will be as the finished copy rather than this advanced e-copy.

Overall, this was a sweet story and a super simple, easy read. It gives all the small town vibes and the MCs are very sweet and have a lot of character growth. The story is absolutely character driven and not plot driven at all - that’s not an issue for me. BUT i felt overall it lacked a bit of spark and entertainment in the story.

The biggest plot point is her grandparents ran a marijuana farm. I didn’t mind that, but it felt like due to the lack of plot it was mentioned literally every other sentence once it was found out by the FMC.

I think that the basis of the book is good, it just fell a bit short for me.

Tropes:
-Small Town Vibes
-Spice
-GrumpyISH / sunshineISH
-Opposites Attract

I really enjoyed the narrators! They absolutely added to the story - I think i would have DNFed the digital or physical, so i’m glad i used audio!

I would recommend to my peers as a palate cleanser or a simple, easy read. I would consider read more by this author.

This was a really cute story with an interesting twist.

Emma is so used to taking care of everyone. And when her life starts falling apart she makes a static decision.

This is a small town, interracial romance with a black fmc and non-white mmc.

Small town charm, where everyone knows your name.

I loved it! It’s such a cute and funny book. As someone who was born in Georgia, it’s nice to read about a little small town since I lived in one. Emma and Dan are so cute.

With the topic of marijuana for medical use and adding romance it was very interesting. Can’t wait for her next book!

DNF at 42%. I really liked the opening of this one - it was different and fun.

But ultimately, I just wasn't getting drawn into a book where a big secret is that the farm grows weed for the town and it needs to stay a secret. Probably because I live in a state when it's legal, so it's hard to me to get on the side of the characters.

YMMV

This was so cute and hopeful and swoony!!! I felt like I was in a hallmark movie but the characters were way hotter.

It took me a little bit to settle into this author’s writing style, but when I did I found it to be enjoyable. The book overall was a cute take on the finding yourself in a small town trope, with all the obligatory quirky side characters, including the adorable little girl, the old man who speaks his mind, and the town doctor who is also the town vet. Emma’s journey to understanding that it is okay to ask for help when you need it was compelling, but I did find the third act breakup frustrating, because it seemed like she and Dan went from having really good communication to zero communication strictly for plot reasons. Nevertheless, the ending was cathartic, and I would happily read more from this author.

I almost feel like I read two books while reading Love in Bloom. There was A LOT going on in this one. I enjoyed the fact that it touched on a taboo subject while incorporating that into the budding romance. I was surprised when there was not one, but two conflicts that developed and needed resolution. I feel like the second half went a lot more quickly than the first, and I think I enjoyed the author's writing style during the conflict better than when conflict wasn't present.

I really like the premise of Emma‘s life, falling apart and herself, finding herself at a farm in a small town in Georgia that she inherited. All of the town folks in this small town seem to know something that Emma doesn’t as well as the manager of the farm, Dan. I really love how Emma is so not interested in the beginning, but yet finds herself wanting to say both the bar and the town and dealing with these feelings for Dan. The relationship between Dan and Emma is really a trajectory that you can believe as they start to fall for one another although they don’t really understand when another when they first meet. This book is charming and sweet and just what you need to read.

I enjoyed this small town romance at first, but the story started going downhill for me as I didn’t believe the chemistry between the characters. Sadly this wasn’t a favorite, but I enjoyed aspects of the story.

A fellow romance reader said it right when they said this is a Hallmark style read, with HBO level spice…lol. This was a unique small town read that I really enjoyed. Leslie Siobhan killed it as the narrator of this book! I have listened to other books she has done and she embodied Emma so so well! She also did a great job with Dan’s male voice and British accent! Emma is definitely a bit of disaster with everything falling about in her life all at once, while she also takes on the farm she inherited…and all of its secrets. I loved that Dan always showed up for her no matter what! He clearly adored her and his patience and grace with her was heart melting.

Another wonderful book that I received from Net Galley. I purchased the audiobook so that I could listen to it.

Emma and Dan had the craziest meet-cute. She was changing her dress in what she thought was the ladies room but was actually the men’s room. Turns out Dan is the caretaker of the farm she just inherited from her grandparents.

After her life fell apart, she came back to the farm to stay. She wanted to learn about her grandparents and to escape her problems. She ended up discovering the town secret while simultaneously falling for Dan.

Emma fumbles through things, thinking she can fix every problem that arises. It takes her a while to realize she needs to ask for help.

This was such a delightful story. The pacing of the love story was perfect. Emma and Dan were fabulous characters. I loved the way the story ended.

Definitely a five star read.

There were some elements of this that were really fun. and I feel like the premise was interesting, but I wasn't exactly convinced that these two had chemistry.

Love in Bloom follows Emmaline as she inherits a farm from her estranged grandparents. After getting fired &breaking up with her boyfriend of 10 years (in the same day!) she decides she needs a break and luckily has a farm to run to.

Coincidentally, this farm is managed by Dan, a sexy British horticulturist whose dreams to genetically engineer a hardier rose. What he doesn’t say at first, is that the farm that he manages is actually an illegal weed farm supplying patients from across the country with medical marijuana.

Emma grapples with this secret, while she navigates her abrupt change of life circumstances and falls in love with a sexy farm, and she must decide: will she sell the farm or keep it and save the town?

This book was pretty good, I loved Dan’s character. I thought this was a light and cute read, but some plot points weren’t strongly developed. And a tiny point, as a NY girly I LOVED the Cellino and Barnes reference

If you like small town romances, sexy British farmers, and the idea of running away from the hustle and bustle to an idyllic farm you may like this!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was small town romance book with a shocking twist. I loved how the characters were multicultural and the representation was much needed. The FMC had amazing character development as she went through self-discovery. The MMC Dan was just so swoon worthy. He was the perfect gentleman and he was so attentive to Emma’s need throughout the book. The story was wonderfully written and I absolutely adored this book.