Synopses & Reviews
Hope Walker survived early breast cancer at just thirty-years-old, but a mastectomy left her with a lot of scarringand some serious fears about dating. Hope owns Changing Seasons, Heart Lakes most popular flower shop. When it comes to love and relationships, shes able to work magic through her expert flower arranging
for everyone but herself. Then one day a handsome contractor starts coming into her shop, but Hope knows hed rather have a whole woman than someone like her.
When Hope stakes a plot of ground at Heart Lakes community garden, she finds that a woman can grow all sorts of things there: flowers, herbs, vegetables and even friendship. As she gets to know the two women who share neighboring plots, they discover that they can learn a lot from each othernot just about gardening, but about life. And Hope realizes that in order to live life to the fullest, sometimes you have to take a chance on love.
Acclaim for the novels of Sheila Roberts:
(Top Pick) Roberts witty and effervescently funny novel will warm hearts. Realistic characters populate the pages of this captivating story, which is a great escape from the hustle and bustle.” --Romantic Times
Hilarious
a fun and festive debut; for all womens fiction collections” --Library Journal
A fast, fresh, fun and funny story by a major new talent." --Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of Just Breathe
The funny novel is all about love
and friendships. But, most of all, it's about learning to love yourself before you can love anyone else.” The Columbus Dispatch
Roberts manages to avoid genre clichés and crafts a heartfelt novel with nuggets of life truths.” Binhamton Press & Sun Bulletin
Roberts sweetly vengeful dig at do-nothing husbands follows a small-town knitting club of wives who are sick and tired of tiling over elaborate Christmas preparations
By the end of this gently feminist sendup, each side learns to be grateful for the others efforts” --Publishers Weekly
Sheila Roberts makes me laugh. I read her work and come away inspired, hopeful and happy.” --Debbie Macomber, New York Times bestselling author of Christmas Letters
Hands-down, this has to be the best Christmas book I have read. The characters are so meticulously developed, I had to double checke to see if it really was a work of fiction.” J. Kayes Book Blog
Review
"A sweet tale of unexpected friendships blossoming in a community garden, this well-written story will have readers sympathizing with the characters' plights -- and itching to get their fingers digging in the dirt!"--RT Book Reviews "Gardening, girl talk, and a gorgeous guy underpin this tale of what constitutes beauty and ones true self."--Library Journal "A congenial cast of subsidiary characters ... meet Hope at a community garden plot and share their stories there. Roberts effectively knits these troubled but kindly characters together in a story line that throws the reader a few unexpected twists."--The Seattle Times "Love in Bloom is a wonderful story with characters so real and defined I feel like I am personally acquainted with them. ... There is humor and emotion in large quantities in this fantastic book that is next to impossible to put down. Kudos and a large bouquet of flowers to Sheila Roberts for giving us one of the best books of the year."--Fresh Fiction "A great read."--BookLoons
Synopsis
An author who writes straight to the heart of every woman . . . [Roberts] writes with all the sweetness of Debbie Macomber, the uproarious humor of Jennifer Crusie, and a touching honesty all her own--Susan Wiggs, bestselling author of "Dockside."
Synopsis
Hope Walker survived early breast cancer at just thirty-years-old, but a mastectomy left her with a lot of scarring--and some serious fears about dating. Hope owns Changing Seasons, Heart Lake's most popular flower shop. When it comes to love and relationships, she's able to work magic through her expert flower arranging...for everyone but herself. Then one day a handsome contractor starts coming into her shop, but Hope knows he'd rather have a whole woman than someone like her.
When Hope stakes a plot of ground at Heart Lake's community garden, she finds that a woman can grow all sorts of things there: flowers, herbs, vegetables and even friendship. As she gets to know the two women who share neighboring plots, they discover that they can learn a lot from each other--not just about gardening, but about life. And Hope realizes that in order to live life to the fullest, sometimes you have to take a chance on love.
Synopsis
Hope Walker survived early breast cancer at just thirty-years-old, but a mastectomy left her with a lot of scarring—and some serious fears about dating. Hope owns Changing Seasons, Heart Lakes most popular flower shop. When it comes to love and relationships, shes able to work magic through her expert flower arranging…for everyone but herself. Then one day a handsome contractor starts coming into her shop, but Hope knows hed rather have a whole woman than someone like her.
When Hope stakes a plot of ground at Heart Lakes community garden, she finds that a woman can grow all sorts of things there: flowers, herbs, vegetables and even friendship. As she gets to know the two women who share neighboring plots, they discover that they can learn a lot from each other—not just about gardening, but about life. And Hope realizes that in order to live life to the fullest, sometimes you have to take a chance on love.
Synopsis
“At last! An author who writes straight to the heart of every woman...She writes with all the sweetness of Debbie Macomber, the uproarious humor of Jennifer Crusie, and a touching honesty all her own.”—
Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author Hope Walker owns Changing Seasons Floral, Heart Lakes most popular flower shop. When it comes to love and relationships, shes able to work magic through her expert flower arranging…for everyone but herself. A painful surgery left Hope scarred and struggling with her confidence. So when a handsome contractor starts coming into her shop, she assumes hed never be interested in someone like her. Unless maybe theres more to him—and Hope—than meets the eye?
When Hope stakes a plot of ground at Heart Lakes community garden, she finds that a woman can grow all sorts of things there: flowers, herbs, vegetables, and even friendship. As she gets to know the two women who share neighboring plots, they discover that they can learn a lot from each other—not just about gardening, but about life. And Hope realizes that in order to live life to the fullest, sometimes you have to take a chance on love…in Love in Bloom by Sheila Roberts.
“Gardening, girl talk, and a gorgeous guy underpin this tale of what constitutes beauty and ones true self.”—Library Journal
About the Author
Sheila Roberts is married and has three children. She lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. Her novels have appeared in Readers Digest Condensed Books and have been published in several languages. Her holiday perennial, On Strike for Christmas, was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network and her novel The Nine Lives of Christmas is being made into a movie for The Hallmark Channel. When shes not writing songs, hanging out with her girlfriends or hitting the dance floor with her husband, she can be found writing about those things dear to womens hearts: family, friends and chocolate..
Reading Group Guide
1. The women in LOVE IN BLOOM meet at a community garden. Where have you met your best friends?
2. With which of the womens journeys did you most identify? Why?
3. Do you think Hopes body image issues made her shallow?
4. Have you gone through breast cancer yourself or with a friend or relative? What were some of your fears and frustrations?
5. When it comes to your gardening skills, do you think of yourself as a Millie or an Amber?
6. Gardening is the number one hobby in America. Are you surprised to hear that?
7. In your opinion, should Millie have lived or died? Why do you think the author made the choice she made regarding Millies fate?
8. Jason Wells fell hard for Hopes pretty sister Bobbi before realizing the woman he really wanted was Hope. Do you think his behavior was typical of most men?
9. What do you think is the underlying message of this book? Visit Sheila Roberts at www.sheilasplace.com for recipes, contests, fun and inspiration