| Title | : | Love in Bloom (The Heart of Main Street, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0373878230 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780373878239 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2013 |
Lily Farnsworth can thank a mysterious benefactor for the chance to open her own flower shop in Bygones, Kansas. But Tate Bronson is the biggest challenge the relocated Boston attorney has ever faced. Forget about tossing out the welcome mat—the handsome widowed rancher seems determined to keep Lily at arm's length. As everyone buzzes over the identity of the anonymous donor, Lily's doing her part to revitalize the struggling town. With the help of Tate's little girl-turned-matchmaker, can she create a garden of community and love deep in the heart of Kansas…and one special man?
Love in Bloom (The Heart of Main Street, #1) Reviews
-
This book tell the story of Lily, leaving her family and career behind, embarked on her journey to a new town, Bygones Kansas to open her flower shop. Tate was assigned to be her host to get her settling down and is part of the revitalising the town committee. He is determined to be just that; a host, but his reaction to her nearness tell another which he refused to acknowledged. Lily, is equally determined to succeed in her choice of career (finally!) but when the whole town is conspired to matchmake her with Tate, she knew it is useless to deny herself of the feeling that she have for him. But Tate have sworn off another marriage with children.
I like Bygones’ town. Just by reading it, i can feel the cosiness the town is, the friendliness among the townspeople who willing to give to help one another and their commitment in making the town succeed. Lily is inferior in a family of high achiever and she knows that she wont be as successful as her sister is as a lawyer. The final straw is when her crush becomes her brother in law. She make a decision to relocate herself to an unknown town to start again. I really admired her for that. I also like the fact that she knows and acknowledged her feeling for Tate despite his non committal action. It is a sweet read romance book layered with some friendly characters in the shape of the townspeople which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. -
I really liked how the author wrote the relationship between the two main characters, Lily and Tate. It takes time for them to come together and that makes this story entertaining. It also helps you get to know and like them so that by the end you are cheering for them to get together. I gave this book 5/5 stars. I liked the plot, setting and characters! Another great Love Inspired book and I can’t wait to read more in this particular series, The Heart of Main Street!
I would like to thank the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read. -
I made it a little over halfway through and I just couldn't make myself read anymore. It was very slow moving, too sickeningly sweet, and no one ever seemed to be doing any actual work. Money and the the perfect job opportunities just materialized for the town when they all pitched in and they all seemed to be able to pitch in, despite the fact that they all had real jobs. Gag me. I love these books but not this. Arlene James is not my favorite author, I cannot stand her Chatam House series but I did like a few of her books, but as I liked the other Heart of Main Street books I thought I'd give this one a chance but I just didn't like it.
-
I have an ENORMOUS stack (try thirteen stacks, actually) of Love, Inspired books. Got 'em $3/bag, four bags packed full. So I pull one out, take it to Goodreads to find out if it's part of a series, and then see if I have the books in the series. That's exactly what happened, here - I pulled out 'Bachelor Baker', found out it was #2 in a series of six and that I have the first FIVE of the books. So I got them all out and started in on the series!
First, I have to tell you the premise of these books: a factory pulled out of a small town, taking with it the jobs of the people living there. The town is on the brink of disappearing - half the downtown businesses have folded, the grocery store is downsizing, the school is in talks to close, the health clinic is down to two days, the police station may fold... it's BAD. Then a mysterious benefactor offers money to bring in business, on the condition they stay open for two years and hire locals.
The books are about the new Florist shop, Bakery, Pet shoppe, Cafe, hardware, and bookstore - with different authors taking each shop owner to write about. The PROBLEM here is that in a downturned economy? With the people struggling so bad that the gas station is giving away fuel, people can't afford groceries, and they rely on a community garden for food? NOBODY is going to be buying flower arrangements, gerbils, gourmet coffee, novels, or cupcakes. You have to *REALLY* suspend reality for any of this to work. These are not viable businesses that bring back jobs... it's the pipe dream of cream puff christianity. As someone who lived in a town dependent on Frigidaire (and Frigidaire moving to Mexico)...? I *KNOW* this.
The other thing that I've come to understand about 'inspirational' novels is that if you're a christian? EVERYONE YOU LOVE WILL DIE. Not kidding. Because christians don't believe in divorce and can't WRITE about divorce, so Tate's wife dies in childbirth, her parents die in a trucking accident, her grandmother died of a fever, etc. Part of this is because they want seasoned people to fall in love, but can't have it without death, and part of this is to conveniently get rid of half of the characters. This isn't just this novel, by the way, it's ALL of them... and I've read 86 since January. I speak from experience, here.
Having said? This is a *LOVELY*, beautiful book. Lily is the shy girl in a family of hard-nosed lawyers, judges, and mediators. She wanted to be a florist, worked in a flower shop, but her family pressured her into law school. Having given that a go and knowing it wasn't for her - she was too sympathetic - she needed a change. She'd like her own flower shop. So when the grant comes available, she applies, and wins one.
The committee in town each took one of the six newcomers under their wing, and Tate - a widowed father and descendant of the town's founder - is assigned to Lily. Problem is, he's attracted, and feels it's wrong to 'cheat' on his dead wife, so he's frustrated by his feelings and manifesting it with animosity and distance between him and Lily.
They find their way to each other, of course - and because Arlene James is writing it, it's done beautifully, with grace and well-written description and much thoughtfulness. Many of the reviewers call this 'boring', but honestly it's indicative of their too-hurried mindsets that is plaguing the world. Ms. James' writing is lovely and descriptive, not fast and sloppy.
Which is why I give this five stars. The spirituality reads true, the characterizations are solid and well done, and the story is sweet - from the hamster named 'Spunky' to relentless reporter Whitney covering the Grand Opening and looking into the mysterious grant donor.
Definitely a book worth reading. -
this was a really good read. I've never read anything by this author before but I'm glad I did. I saw quite a bit of myself in the main character Lily so I could easily relate to her struggles. it was a nice hometown, end of the day with a cup of tea and a book type of story. unlike other books where they rush the main character into a relationship within the last few chapters this one let the relationship flow throughout which I found a very nice change of pace.
-
This is the 3rd book I read Arlene James. I'm sorry I stopped reading this story at chapter 2 because this story was too slow moving for me.
-
A sweet romance with interesting characters.
-
It was adorable, I loved it :)
-
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
-
This book was ok.
-
2.5 stars
-
In the past few years I've slowly moved away from my habit of reading HQN books monthly, yet every so often I see one on Netgalley that appeals to me. This one, I can't explain the draw. Maybe it was the flower shop or the rancher. I'm not sure. It certainly wasn't the cover (I know it's "Love Inspired" but this cover is a little too goody-two-shoes even for that!)
No matter what the draw, Love In Bloom was well fleshed out for the small page count. It had all the factors I love (and hate) about HQN quick reads, a great hero and heroine - both of which you feel a strong connection to by the end of the book. But it also had a slightly (ok, very) cheesy plot! (Which again, it's what I love about HQN, but what I hate too!) I mean, really? To revitalize a town you get a gourmet bakery, coffee shop, pet shop and florist? I'm sorry, I have enough connections in small towns to know it doesn't work THAT way. (And I know enough about Kansas to know the same...)
But none the less, Tate is a great romantic hero. He's conflicted, with a back story that makes your heart break for him. You understand why he's avoiding love. Yet you want him to win in the end. And his adorable daughter, Isabella? Come on, who could resist?
Lily, our romantic female lead? She scrapes at my nerves a bit. Her whole "Whoa is me" act gets a bit old. Fleeing because her sister married the guy she had a crush on? Really?? I don't know - that bit rubbed me wrong. But none the less, I liked her. I liked her quirkiness. I liked her sense of style, her creativity and her ability to not give up on Tate!
In the end, if you're a fan of the sweeter side of Harlequin? Love In Bloom is a great read for you! -
Author Arlene James brings readers the first book in a multi-author series about the town of Bygones, Kansas. As everyone comes together to try to save the dying town, Love in Bloom presents a sweet story of hope, friendship, and faith in the impossible.
This book was an enjoyable read in the midst of a long week. The characters definitely have their flaws, but I enjoyed every minute spent reading about their efforts to save the town and—as an added bonus—discover a few things about themselves! Lily is struggling to come into her own. Tate's struggling to free himself from past hurts. And his precocious daughter is a sneaky little matchmaker who just wants a mommy. It's a combination that I'm a sucker for. :)
The book is a fairly typical Love Inspired book … not quite long enough to go as deep or give me all the details I crave, but I appreciated the book just the same. I'm looking forward to reading more in this mini-series! (4 stars)
I received a temporary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. -
A nice start to a new series by Love Inspired writers. A town in financial distress has a mysterious benefactor. Grants are being provided to help several new businesses start up on Main street to help provide employment for local citizens. The new business owners can come in from around the country as long as they contribute matching funds for their start-up. Lily Farnsworth comes to Bygones, Kansas to start a florist shop. Widower and father, Tate Bronson is a member of a town committee who has volunteered to provide information and help to a new business owner to help them get a sound start.
Tate has vowed to never marry again. Lily knows she is not the type of woman that men are interested in. Things become quite interesting for this unlikely couple and their observers when love does start to bloom.
A sweet, clean, romantic story. -
Having lost his wife a few minutes after she gave birth to his daughter, Tate has made up his mind about all sorts of things he'll never do again, including fall in love. Or have another child. But it doesn't take long for Lily to worm her way into his heart and before he knows, it he's constantly thinking about her. Maybe he can fall in love and just not have to worry about her by not having children? But Lily isn't willing to give up her dream of having children of her own one day. Together they work their way through the dilemma, at the same time, working on helping his hometown overcome the economic hardship of a large business shutting down and hurting the entire town. Very enjoyable story. Great author. You'll enjoy this one.
-
A nice sweet inspie romance set in a small town. If you like warm characters and simple story-lines you might enjoy this book.
The one thing that annoyed me a little bit was the 'chatty kid'. But I am not fond of children in romances anyway. All in all it was a good read that did center around the romance. -
This is the first in a series by different authors..I loved this story and look forward to reading the others..Likable characters in a small town dealing with the shut down of a factory and trying to get the town flourishing again and getting people back to work..Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good Christian Romance!!
-
love in Bloom
This is first in the series The Heart of Main Street . The town of Bygones, Kansas is going broke. A mysterious benefactor donates money to open shops on Main Street. In the first book a flower shop is opened by Lily Fransworth. Attorney Tate Bronson helps her out, he is a widow that has a young girl that tries to play Matchmaker. A very good book to start the series with. -
"The charms of small-town life and the community's spirit blossoms in this Heart of Main Street series opener." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars
Miniseries: The Heart of Main Street
Category: Inspirational Romance -
I would give it a 5 if it had more of the story I want more...
-
Miniseries: The Heart of Main Street
Category: Inspirational Romance
Rated 4 Stars by Rt Book Reviews -
Great start to good mini series
-
Start to a cute series
