I usually enjoy books with a somewhat "magical" element to real life, for instance, Ruby can sense the perfect floral arrangement for any customer. The premise sounds sweet and uplifting but I couldn't get into it.

The Art of Arranging Flowers, by Lynne Branard, is a beautiful contemporary romance centered around Ruby Jewell. She owns a local flower shop and is well known in being reliable and an expert in her craft. Her dog Clementine accompanies her at the shop. Ruby is still grieving the loss of her sister Daisy, which has made her closed off to other people and new experiences. Enter Dan Miller, the local town hero and the new town veterinarian. The town that Ruby has so faithfully served comes around and supports Ruby and allows her to blossom and open up - finding love along the way.

Unfortunately, this is another book that just didn't quite work for me. I love flowers and the whole language and healing powers of them. I also love books involving dogs and small towns. However, this book kind of read like I was getting just a stream of consciousness of Ruby Jewell and her thoughts were not nearly as profound as she thought they were. I did like the last 1/3 of book but until that point the book really didn't seem to have any plot or motivation. I probably would have rated this at 2 stars if it wasn't for a side character who had cancer. The character ends up going to a natural healer and beating the cancer by "standing up to it" and essentially making it go away. As someone who has a child who is currently fighting cancer this sent me into rant-mode every time it was mentioned and dropped the book to a 1 star for me.

Light and gratifying.
Many thanks to Penguin Group and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a lovely book. On the surface it's about Ruby Jewell, who's owned a flower shop for 20 years and has an uncanny knack for putting together just the right flowers for her clients - not just because they're beautiful, but because she know so much about flowers and herbs and colors. She takes great care to create combinations not just for their beauty, but also for their physical and psychological effects. She lives a solitary life with her beloved dog. But as the book unfolds new people are introduced into her life that bring about a healing change for her. And along the way, we learn not just about Ruby and her life, but about the lives of many of the other residents of her small community. It's a wonderful journey.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Interests have changed - no longer going to review this book as its bo my cup of tea any longer - sorry

The Art of Arranging Flowers is a feel-good novel centered on Ruby Jewell, the florist of a close-knit community. Ruby has lost the closest person to her: her sister Daisy. They did not have an ideal upbringing, and this loss was devastating to her. So although Ruby uses her flower arrangements to bring love into people's lives, she is guarded with her own heart.

This changes when three people enter into her life: 10-year-old Will who moves into town to live with his grandparents after the death of his mother, Dan the former astronaut who befriends Ruby and teaches her about taking life risks, and John the new vet whose blue eyes make her heart beat faster. These, along with a crew of interesting characters, form the world in which Ruby blossoms in this character-driven story.

I enjoyed the way the author made flowers almost like characters of their own in this novel. Each flower played a part in its arrangement and symbolized something, such as love, strength, virility, peace, friendship, etc. I learned so much about flowers! And it gave me a new appreciation for these beautiful creations that bring joy into our lives. There is a flower for every occasion.

I also enjoyed Ruby's relationship with her beloved dog Clementine. He was an important character and I loved their interactions. The only character that I thought was under-developed was John, the vet. I thought there could have been more scenes with him.

If you love heart-warming stories with a good cast of characters, and the art of arranging flowers, this one is a very satisfying read. It's about grieving and acceptance, finding family, and appreciating the language and the beauty of flowers.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Art of Arranging Flowers. Unfortunately, I did not download the book before it was archived in June 2014. I do not plan to finish the book.

I found this book extremely helpful and recommend it to anyone who enjoys flowers..

Our apologies, this book was never reviewed by the requesting reviewer. If a review is written in the future, we will forward a link.

Thank you for this book. The copy that I got showed grey line numbers making it difficult to read and follow. I checked out the audio book, and did not like it. I will not post a negative review.

This was a lazy Sunday afternoon feel good read. I absolutely loved everything about this book. It's a heartwarming story full of heartbreak and then of course renewal. The characters were completely lovable. I don't want to write any spoilers but this is absolutely the perfect read.

Although I was awarded an advance reader's copy of this book, I actually never read it and therefore cannot provide feedback. Thank you.