I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve read some of Lucy Eden’s indie titles before and really enjoyed them, especially the Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend novella series, so I was excited for her trad debut with Love in Bloom. I didn’t entirely know what to expect, as it’s been a while since I read her work, beyond it being higher heat, but I mostly enjoyed it overall.
Emma is exactly the ball of chaos the blurb promised, and that absolutely resonated for me. And considering she’s already a walking disaster in a “regular” life in the city, throw in her inheriting a farm, and it presents a whole set of challenges for her. But I love that she really does find her niche in this new small town and on the farm, and has an unexpected head for business to run the covert medical marijuana business that keeps the town running. And this all plays a role in her personal arc of navigating family issues and a crossroads with her career.
But while she is the sole POV character, that’s not to say Dan is neglected. I didn’t know how to feel about him at first, as he’s broody with his walls up. But as I got to know him through Emma’s eyes, I really liked him, and he truly is a great fit for her, as both have gone through their own traumas in life. And he was very sweet under the rough exterior, providing a lot of support for Emma through all that she was going through. And while there are some slightly flowery/cringey bits to the sex scenes, I otherwise felt those aspects were well-done, and complemented their pre-existing romantic chemistry.
This was a fun read, and based on the interview in the back, there’s likely more to come! I recommend this book to readers interested in diverse, steamy small-town romance.

Love in Bloom is a super cute romance from Lucy Eden!! I have only read one other of Lucy Eden's works before this, and I had a great time reading that one, so I knew I would enjoy Love in Bloom. While this book does follow the expected formula of city girl receives a mysterious inheritance and moves into a small town where she's a fish out of water, there was still several unexpected elements to the novel, which I won't spoil. I enjoyed watching Emma bond with Dan and the other town folk over their protectiveness of her grandparents' greenhouse. The ending of the novel really brought out so much pride in me for everything the town does for each other.

Of course, the romance of the book was very enjoyable to read. I loved how easily the Black and South Asian representation was included in this interracial romance. The themes of chronic illness and disability were very thoughtfully handled in this book and I can't wait to read Lucy Eden's future works!

I think this is such a unique story concept! Definitely unlike any other I’ve read. I always love when a woman finds herself and leaves a life behind that wasn’t right for her. Dan and Emma are such a great couple! I love the way Dan takes care of her with the simple things like making her tea or coffee.

If you can, go into this one blind—or at least a little bit. The synopsis gives away too much, in my opinion, and uncovering the secrets of the inherited farm alongside Emma would have added a bit more fun and shock factor.

I did find it hard to believe that an entire town would accept these secrets—the logistics felt too unrealistic for me—but I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet and low-stakes this romance was.

There’s some drama, yes, but it’s mostly outside of Emma and Danesh’s relationship. Danesh, the British farmhand with a speciality in horticulture, was such a charming character. I loved his teasing, their ongoing chess game, their quiet moments together, and… the roses! Swoon.

I loved this book! I found myself completely absorbed in the story right from the start! This story is a good mix of fun banter, spicy lovin, and thought provoking emotional moments! Danesh was the sweetest, most attentive MMC! He was so good to Emmaline, even at moments when she was being less than honest. I enjoyed their chess playing dates and thought the epilogue was so cute. Read the book and you’ll understand the connection!

Overall, a sweet small town romance that I definitely recommend reading! Looking forward to reading more from Lucy Eden in the future!

3.5/5 stars—This was cute! This story is a cozy, small-town romance with a dash of spice! The town's moral dilemma also gave the story a unique spin. Emma and Dan are well-rounded and likable characters. Their romance felt a bit insta-lovey, but it was still an enjoyable read. Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-ARC!

The story starts with Emma, finding out her grandparents have passed and she’s headed to the reading of the will. It’s clear things are going her way as she accidentally goes into the men’s room, has some car trouble, and doesn’t know anyone in town. The real kicker is that her grandparents gave her the farm.

Since she’s from Atlanta, Emma has no idea how to run a farm and it’s even worse since she’s paired up with Dan, the farm’s manager. Emma immediately wants to sell and goes back to Atlanta only for things to get worse, resulting in her coming back to live on the farm. From there, it’s a true fish out of water story.

Aside from figuring out how to live on the farm and care for it, she’s learning more about living in a small town and the impact her grandparents had on the town. Eventually, we do find out the impact and it might not be what you think. Regardless once Emma gets on board, there’s an extra layer of story you won’t be expecting.

Love in Bloom focuses a lot on Emma’s character growth, but watching her fall for Dan is amazing. The two form a tentative friendship and then their attraction starts to grow. In a way, it feels like these two were meant to be together. From their very first meeting, it was written in the stars, not to be corny about it. Lucy Eden didn’t skimp on the steamy scenes either if you’re in the market for that.

If you’re sensitive to strained family relationships, you might want to steer clear of this as Emma has a strained relationship with her mother. Things do get better but it can be hard to read at times. Dan also has some past trauma related to his career path which is part of the conflict between these two. Regardless, Love in Bloom is fresh as a daisy and has me even more excited for what’s to come from Lucy Eden.

Cute story, I enjoyed reading it and the audiobook was done really well too. I enjoyed the drama between Teddy and Emmaline but definitely loved the budding romance between her and Dan much better!

3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, Hachette Audio & Lucy Eden for the chance to read and listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am a sucker for any story where life goes absolutely crazy and the character gets a whole new perspective and simplifies life. Add in a steamy, intense romance and saving the town- this book checks many boxes!

While it wasn't a focal point- this story is a great reminder of how the political system is controlled and manipulated on more levels than we know. Teddy is just ew.

The town/farm's conflict really was a compelling debacle. It really made you think about big picture. And while most stories about small knit towns lend themselves to their camaraderie- the conflict really brought everyone together in a very believable way. Truly, everyone's livelihood and health was at risk and dependent on the decisions made.

Regarding narration: This was incredibly well done. The personalities and flare of each character shined through in the intonation that the narrator used.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. I thought the premise/setting was unique, especially the setting but overall, was bored by the instalove between the two main characters.

This book is the “should be adapted into a movie” trope, and if that’s not a thing it should be. Emmaline has several bad things happen to her within a short amount of time, and she runs to the farm left to her by her grandparents. There she find Danesh, a trusted friend of her grandparents. Dan is immediately protective and caring toward Emma, and that will always earn points in my book! As the time passes, Emma and Dan share laughs, hot moments, secrets, and chess games. Emma and Dan are both runners who have to find reasons to stay.
Set between small town Georgia and Atlanta, with southern phrases throughout, I felt right at home reading Love In Bloom!
If you love a small town romance, with secrets shared by the community, this is a perfect book!

I LOVED this book. While the cover makes it seem like this is a cute and fluffy romance, it is, but it is also so much more than that! Our FMC Emma loses her grandparents which results in her inheriting a farm in rural Georgia. This also coincides with her life and livelihood blowing up right in front of her eyes. This books will pull at your heart strings as it explores love, parental relationships, discovering your roots, and rebuilding the life that you actually want. Every chapter of this book is filled with a new element or twist to the story and moves at a good pace. Highly recommend for the people that love a romance read.

4.5 / 5 stars!
This book was very cute and I am so glad I kept reading. I struggled to get started because I am a mood reader and early on I felt like I needed something else…. BUT that something else was apparently Dan. He Was funny, loving, and playful from the start. I loved the way he adored and supported her. I was also appreciative of the way Emma stood her ground with her ex when she finally realized she wasn’t happy or being treated right. It was a great story about finding yourself, your passion, and the people who you want to be your family.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was a very cute small town romance! I thought the pacing of the book was really good and nothing moved too fast. I liked both Emma and Dan. They were both interesting characters, Emma being a former PR girl turn "farmer" and Dan who lived on the farm and helped her grandparents with their business. Their relationship developed well as a friends to lovers situations. They didn't get off on the right foot initially but they never really had a true disdain from my reading experience. Their romance was cute. I also thought the plot of the farm that was inherited being a medical marijuana farm was definitely interesting. I think it made sense to the town and how the herb can be helpful with healing, but of course people have their reservations towards it. I think the issue they faced felt realistic from the farm to their own bump in the road. I was happy with the conclusion of the book too. Their roadblock with the farm didn't feel rushed or forced which I appreciated it. It was wrapped up nicely. Overall, this is a cute and cozy romance.

I met Lucy Eden during SLC and she was so nice and I had to give her book a try. This was a fun small town romance that has hallmark feel.

Emma inherits her grandparent's farm who she lost touch with and meets the farm manager at one of the funniest meet cute. The town and Dan are both stand-off to Emma the city girl.

I really enjoy the small town/found family and how everyone took care of each other. Dan and Emma's love story was a bit too quick for me, especially with Emma's situation.

Overall, a fun read and I look forward to reading Eden's backlist.

Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of the book.

Small town romcom with secrets and drama, loved it. City girl who inherits a farm and has absolutely no idea about farms or coffee. Had a bit of “The Simple Life” vibe with a heart of gold. Emma’s growth throughout the book was great to read.

I was so intrigued by this premise (city girl inherits her grandparents’ farm only to discover it’s an illegal medical marijuana business) and I love a “city person inherits a (building/business/etc) and has to live in a small town to decide what to do with it” kind of plot.

It was a cute romcom, though the romance was a little flat for me. They’re into each other right away and pretty much are cute and together most of the book. The plot was a bit meandering for me, there was a lot of her adapting to country life and planning a local festival that didn’t really move forward the romance or the weed business plots and just felt like filler.

Overall it was cute if you’re looking for a low-angst romcom!

This was a cute small town romance. The book starts with Emma begrudgingly visiting a farm her estranged grandparents left her. When she goes to the will reading, so many things go wrong and she can’t wait to get back to the big city. However, upon arriving back to the city she finds herself jobless and boyfriendless in no time. At a loss for the first time in her life she runs back to the small town farm to try to lick her wounds and make sense of her life. While at the farm reevaluating her life choices, she meets some of the most interesting people and realizes not all is as it seems, and that maybe what she’s been working for her whole life is not what she really wants. I appreciated the moral dilemma in this story, and how that added an interesting element to this small town romance. A fun quick read with interesting characters, and an interesting twist. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

BIPOC Steamy Romance featuring a PR rep who's out of her element after inheriting her grandparents' farm and it's secrets and then meeting and falling for her horticulturist farm manager.

3/5 stars: This is Eden's stand-alone which is a BIPOC Steamy Romance that follows an Atlanta PR rep who's world turns upside down after inheriting her grandparents' farm. When she loses a job she realizes she hates and breaks up with her long-time boyfriend she hasn't been in love with for a long time, she decides to move to the family farm and finds herself living with the farm's British manager who's also a talented horticulturist and creator of hybrid roses. But more changes are in store, when she learns the farm's actually a thriving medical marijuana business that's essential to the whole town. So when it's threatened by outside powers, she'll need a plan, plenty of help from friends and family and she'll need to embrace the love growing between her and handsome Brit she's fallen in love with if their going to have a chance to save the farm. Heartfelt and humorous, Eden's writing and character work are great; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Emma great and I really like her; she takes all the changes in her life with aplomb and when challenges arise confronts them and tackles them with gusto. Dan's also a dream and I really like seeing him and Emma fall in love and get their HEA. Both are dealing with complicated histories and I appreciated how Eden handled them. The romance is top notch with plenty of swoony banter and the OPS sex scenes are incredibly steamy and very hot. While there are plenty of funny and lighthearted moments, Eden does takes on some very sensitive subjects; so take care and check the CWs.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I thought this was super cute! Nice book to read for autumn! If you love small town romance, with a bit of spice with diverse characters, this is the book for you! For sure