The Secrets of Flowers had a premise that initially captivated my interest. The idea of unraveling the mystery of who managed the flowers on the Titanic promised a fascinating historical connection, filled with intrigue. Unfortunately, the execution failed to live up to the potential, leaving me with mixed feelings about the book as a whole.

The central focus of the story seems to be discovering who arranged and oversaw the flowers on the Titanic, yet much of the narrative revolves around Emma, and her personal journey. While her story is meant to serve as a vehicle for exploring the mystery, it quickly becomes the dominant plot-line, overshadowing the original mystery. Emma’s struggles, relationships, and internal conflicts, though perhaps well-intentioned, end up distracting from what could have been a more focused exploration of uncovering the truth behind the flowers on the Titanic. By the time the mystery of who was in charge of the flowers was fully revealed, I was left feeling like the story had veered too far from its intriguing starting point.

The pacing also suffers from overdone, repetitive scenes that detract from the narrative momentum. A significant portion of the book is spent with Emma and other characters talking over beverages, discussing information that was already revealed in the plot. These conversations, which often revisit previously uncovered details, add little new insight and slow down the progression of the story. I found myself easily distracted through these repetitive moments, frustrated that the plot wasn’t advancing or deepening.

In conclusion, The Secrets of Flowers had an intriguing concept but faltered in its execution. The book is overly concerned with Emma’s story at the expense of uncovering the mystery, and the repetitive dialogue scenes do little to advance the plot. For readers seeking a deep dive into the history of the who was in charge of the flowers abroad the Titanic this novel may fall short of expectations.

🌷 Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC! 🌷

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Sally Page. The intersecting stories of Emma and Violet were so beautiful and interconnected by their love of flowers. This book offered an interesting perspective of a little element that most people probably would never think of: the flowers and who arranged them on the Titanic. What could notably be a small aspect of the tragic oceanliner, was such a beautiful story of Emma finding a new purpose and drive to keep going as she grieves the losses of her father and husband, and coping/processing of other secrets.

Highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read more by Sally Page!

Emma is a widow at a very young age - the aftermath of her husband’s death she realizes she needs a change and is struggling with moving through life. She leaves her University job and starts a job at a green house.

At Emmas new job, a coworker does a talk about the Titanic and Emma can not get past her anxiety and does not attend the lecture. Guilt takes over and to make up for not attending she starts to research the Titanic and becomes hyperfocused on “was there a florist on the titanic” and “what happened to them”.

Violet is introduced into the story and her life is woven into Emma’s story. Violet is a young woman stewardess who survived three shipwrecks including the Titanic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advance copy of the audio book.

The Secrets of Flowers - Sally Page
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you have read any of @bysallypage books, you would know that her writing is so vivid and captivating, and this one was no different.

This is an ARC that was given to me by @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing.

When Emma, our FMC, embarks on a pilgrimage for answers, not just about herself but about life, she stumbles onto an unexpected story. After losing her husband, she feels like there is something else missing in her life, and so her journey begins. We slip between Emma's point of view, who starts working at a garden centre, and then Violet's point of view, who was a steward on a number of crew ships in the early 1900s.
Flowers are the middle ground that links everything together in more ways than one. We walk with Emma as she learns about life, accepting things you can't change, and standing for what you believe in. The book is full of history, and some characters are based loosely on real-life people. @bysallypage gave an explanation at the end of the audiobook about this. I loved the narrators voice, and her articulation was spot on to cover both the timelines.

#fortheloveofreading📚
#fortheloveofbooks #justonemorepage #bookscapemember #booksarebetterthanpeople #NetGalley #thesecretsofflowers

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars (Outstanding)
Setting: Garden Center (modern day); Titanic (past)
Genre: Historical Fiction

Sally Page has done it again—The Secrets of Flowers is a beautifully written, deeply moving novel that weaves history, mystery, and healing into an unforgettable story. With lyrical prose and tender insight, Page explores the power of flowers, the resilience of the human spirit, and the way stories—both lost and found—can shape our lives.

At the heart of the novel is Emma, a woman still reeling from the loss of her husband. She has retreated into the quiet solace of her work at a florist shop, surrounding herself with beauty yet unable to fully bloom again. But when a colleague invites her to a talk about the Titanic, she stumbles upon an overlooked piece of history—the story of the girl who arranged flowers aboard the doomed ship. This discovery sets Emma on a journey that is as much about uncovering the past as it is about rediscovering herself.

Page’s ability to intertwine historical intrigue with personal transformation is masterful. The descriptions of flowers—how they speak, comfort, and preserve memories—are breathtaking, and the novel’s dual timelines are seamlessly woven together. The mystery of the Titanic florist is compelling, and as Emma delves deeper, she begins to see echoes of her own struggles, her own need for closure and renewal.

This novel is for anyone who loves historical fiction, gentle mysteries, and stories of women finding strength in unexpected places. It’s a poignant reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is beauty to be found—and that sometimes, the smallest treasures hold the biggest secrets. The Secrets of Flowers is a book to be savored, shared, and cherished. Highly recommended! #netgalley #thesecretsofflowers #booked_this_weekend

I absolutely loved this book! I listened to it in two days! It was such a pleasure to read about Emma’s found family and see her personal growth throughout the book. I also loved the storyline about Violet. I wish that there had been more chapters devoted to her perspective, but I can appreciate that the author was trying to be historically accurate. I can’t wait to read more Sally Page books!

The Secret of Flowers is a story set in the present but also on the cusp of the 20th century. Two stories are told simultaneously in separate chapters, with hints of a connection from the start. Gradually the connections grow tantalisingly closer, or at least we hope they might. Both stories are told with a haunted beauty. Both characters have suffered and both have known both love and sorrow. They are united by flowers, but are they really connected? There are certainly parallels, particularly in their relationships with family, friends and those they love. Their stories unfold slowly, tantalisingly and take the reader through both stories in a way that makes us care for all of the characters, good and bad. Modern-day Emma's is perhaps the 'main' story - she is the one searching and dealing with huge grief and pain. Only as the book unfolds do we get to the heart of Emma and understand the deeper emotional losses she is struggling to heal. As the story unfolds, so does she and we understand the journey her friends have helped her to navigate - reluctant and unable as she has so often been to even take the first step. The story and her journey are captivating and I both couldn't wait to find out what happened to Emma and 20th Century Violet, but also didn't want the book to end. It moved me to tears at times. It's moving and poignant, but the journeys - both physical and emotional - are instructive and ultimately uplifting. Overall the book is about survival and the power of words, beautifully constructed and delicately handled. I loved it.

Not the right book for me at this time. The narrator was pretty good in this book but I just felt the story meandered and didn't really engage me to feel compelled to read the story. Good writing but just didn't pull me in as I felt it could.

This was a really interesting dual timeline story about the mysterious, undocumented woman who arranged flowers on board the Titanic and one widow's determination in the present to discover her identity. If you like good historical fiction, characters with depth and learning more about true facts about the Titanic, this one is definitely one to read. It was also good on audio narrated by Karen Cass. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was such a lovely book on so many levels. Emma suddenly feels the pull of flowers, and throughout the book, the reader learns about different types of flowers and their meanings. It’s obvious what care and love the author has for flowers; it reminded me of so many conversations with my mother, who also had a love of flowers and could converse about them for hours.

Emma decides to apply for a job as a florist after turning in her notice at her other job. Fluent in several languages, she frequently thinks in different languages in order to come up with conversations in English. She’s invited to a lecture about the Titanic but doesn’t show; however, that sparks a deep interest into finding out who was responsible for the flowers on the doomed ship. Soon, it becomes almost an obsession with Emma.

Emma visits many people in her quest to find the answer of the Titanic’s flowers, and at one visit, she gets a glimpse of a photograph that looks very familiar to her. That’s when the flashbacks are introduced to the story. That story that is followed is of a young girl named Violet and the sacrifices she makes after her father dies. She’s got her mother, her two brothers, and a much younger sister. All do their part to keep the family together. Violet takes a job on the White Star Line of ships as a stewardess.

Now, if you don’t know the story of Violet and the White Star line, you’ll be in for a surprise. If you do know of Violet and her story, this fictional telling of what her life might have been like is really interesting.

This is a slow-paced book, which I enjoyed after reading a few thrillers. It’s more of a character-driven story that I highly recommend if you love flowers and the history of the Titanic.

Narrated by Karen Cass, who is also the voice of the Verity Bright Eleanor Swift Mysteries, I really enjoyed listening to her doing something different.

Grieving the loss of her husband, scientist Emma takes a job at a garden center. A lecture about the Titanic sparks her interest in the ship’s florist, leading her on a journey of discovery.

This is a heartfelt and beautifully written women’s fiction. The dual timeline is engaging and easy to follow. I like the way historical events were woven into the story, and the sense of mystery they added. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Such an interesting premise but the story dragged on and never quite delivered. I love stories about the Titanic so I thought this would be a new one to enjoy but that was not the case at all. This was more about dealing with grief than it was about the Titanic in the beginning, then as the story progresses, Emma decides she’s writing a book about the florist on the Titanic, jumps to a lot of assumptions about said florist, and, all the while, not quite doing anything. I found her difficult to connect with. This, unfortunately, didn’t hold my interest.

A year after her husband‘s death, Emma has become a virtual recluse, she can find little in life to enjoy or to believe in. That all changes when she’s invited to give a talk about some of the lesser known passengers and crew aboard the Titanic. In learning about the life of the woman who did the floral arrangements aboard the Titanic, Emma begins to find a way forward, seeing a future for herself, maybe not the one she’d planned, but a future nonetheless.