.png)
Books in bloom
- Lilac Mills
- Jul 12
- 8 min read
Or should I say "Flower Power", because books and flowers just go together, don’t they?
I love walking into a flower shop (even if it is only between the pages of a book!). Buckets of fresh blooms, the scent of greenery, all those jewel colours, and someone who can grab seemingly random flowers and put them together in a gorgeous bouquet. I must admit, my flower-arranging skills leave a lot to be desired, so I’ve got nothing but admiration for those clever florists who can make a bunch of flowers look even more stunning.
Back to the books… and why we can't resist a romance with a flowery setting.
A flower shop is naturally full of life, marking everything from birthdays and weddings, to apologies and fresh starts. That makes it the perfect backdrop for romance, where every bouquet has a story and every day brings the chance for an unexpected encounter. It's no wonder books like my vry own The Tanglewood Flower Shop have found such a special place in readers’ hearts. (Soz, I simply had to plug my own book here).
Flower-themed romances also remind us that love, like gardening, takes a little patience. Relationships don't bloom overnight, and neither do the best flowers. Readers enjoy watching characters grow in confidence, overcome setbacks and discover that happiness sometimes arrives when they least expect it. Add in a close-knit community, plenty of humour, a few misunderstandings and, of course, a satisfying happy ending, and you have all the ingredients for a wonderfully uplifting read. Sometimes, the loveliest stories are the ones that leave us feeling as though we've just been handed a beautiful bunch of flowers to take home, so here’s a selection for you to pick from.
The Flower Shop on Serendipity Lane - Sarah Hope
Take a stroll down Serendipity Lane, breathe in the beautiful fragrances of the flowers and see if you can spot the love in the air…
After years of juggling long hours at work, studying for her dream vocation and struggling for money, Sadie realises it’s finally time for change.
Following her dream to become a florist, Sadie Locke moves her two daughters, Lily and Poppy, into The Flower Shop on Serendipity Lane.
But on discovering that her ex-husband’s friend and divorce solicitor, Alex Marshal, works next door, Sadie feels her hopes of a fresh start quickly slipping away.
And when they’re pushed together at a mutual friend’s wedding, will Sadie and Alex be able to rekindle a lost friendship or realise too much has come between them?
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Little Flower Shop by the Sea - Ali McNamara
The blossom is out in the little Cornish harbour town of St Felix
But Poppy Carmichael's spirits aren't lifted by the pretty West Country spring. Inheriting her grandmother's flower shop has forced her to return to Cornwall, a place that holds too many memories.
Poppy is determined to do her best for the sake of her adored grandmother, but she struggles with the responsibility of the more-shabby-than-chic shop. And with the added complication of Jake, the gruff but gorgeous local flower grower, Poppy is very tempted to run away...
The pretty little town has a few surprises in store for Poppy. With new friends to help her and romance blooming, it's time for Poppy to open her heart to St Felix and to the special magic of a little flower shop by the sea!
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Flower Farm - Rachael Lucas
Beth Fraser is a divorced mom of twins with a blooming flower farm. The last thing she needs is Jack MacDonald landing with a crash in the middle of her precious baby plants (even if there’s one minor detail: he's tall, dark and handsome, with a Scottish accent to die for…)
Beth has spent the last few years turning the overgrown walled garden of Applemore House into a beautiful and productive field of flowers. Strong willed and hard working, the last thing she has time for is a man getting in the way of her business...
Jack arrives in Applemore with a past he wants to forget. The handsome stranger has tongues wagging in the little coffee shop in town with his plans for an outdoor adventure centre for troubled teenagers. Can he find a way to show Applemore that the work he’s doing is vital - and admit to himself that what Beth thinks matters more than he’d care to admit?
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Little Island Flower Stall - Tilly Tennant
When Bella’s heart is broken by her cheating husband, she packs a bag and escapes to the little island of Jersey, to help her beloved great-aunt Celestine run her seaside flower stall.
With the sun on her cheeks, watching white-haired Celestine in her elegant patterned trouser suit beam at customers and arrange flowers in vases, Bella realises that life is too short to feel sad. And when handsome, brooding Rory arrives at the rose-covered flower stall, and their eyes meet, she feels a sudden spark…
Inspired by Celestine’s lust for life, Bella agrees to get to know Rory better. As the two of them walk together under vast blue skies, Rory tells her of the family secret that has brought him to the island.
Bella wonders if Celestine might be able to help Rory with his quest, but Celestine warns her to be careful. Bella knows she should listen to her wise aunt, but she can’t fight her feelings. Yet when she tries to track Rory down days later, she is shocked to discover the secrets he has been keeping.
Is her hope of an island romance with a mysterious, handsome man simply too good to be true? Or can this beautiful place still bring her the bright new beginning that she so desperately needs?
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Daisy Chain Flower Shop - Laurie Gilmore
The greatest love is the one you never expected to find
Daisy is fed up with being unlucky in love. And since Mayor Kelly declared her beloved flower shop cursed in one of his infamous visions, business has been slow.
Dream Harbor newcomer Elliot has been adjusting to small-town life following his own relationship turmoil. And until now he’s avoided the flower shop at all costs. If the mayor is correct, he doesn’t need any more bad luck in his life.
When he finds himself walking through the door of the Daisy Chain Flower Shop, he doesn’t expect it to be a life-changing moment. But as the petals blossom in the sunlight, might the unluckiest woman in Dream Harbor finally find that love comes when you’re least expecting it?
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Pretty Beach Posies - Polly Babbington
Chloe Butterworth has quite a nice life, thank you very much. A little cottage, a little girl, & a more than okay little existence.
But after the funeral of her mother, she is confronted by what to do with what was once her family holiday home and a rather large amount of debt. A chance read of an article in a two-year-old magazine at a motorway services station catapults Chloe onto a journey to a different chapter. A new adventure in a tiny little coastal town called Pretty Beach.
As she and her daughter Ivy move into the old holiday house with its huge garden, tumbledown greenhouses and embark on her ludicrous idea, everything goes swimmingly and she only wished she’d taken the plunge sooner.
With her head in the flower beds, her new adventure turning out rather well and her heart most definitely not looking for love, along comes Lando Jones and Chloe for once in her life is taken by surprise.
Determined to stick by her principles that she doesn’t need or want anyone to make her feel successful and especially not a partner, Chloe tries to convince herself that Lando can stay in a nice little compart
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop - Tracy Corbett
Evie is busy running the Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop and praying for an uplift in sales as soon as possible. She might be in the market of selling romance, but for Evie a new man is the last thing she needs!
That is until plumber Scott Castillo turns up to fix her boiler. She’s definitely not interested. But then, why does she keep ogling his rather attractive forearms? She’s been fooled before – she isn’t about to fall head-over-heels for some smooth-talker, right?
When he isn’t trying to balance paying the bills with caring for his sick mother, Scott has stepped in to help parent his 18-year-old nephew, Ben. Between that and working full time Scott doesn’t have time for romance. Until he meets Evie…
Love doesn’t always bloom the way you expect but for the customers of the Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop it might just be the perfect time for romance…
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Cherry Crush Flower Shop - Harper Graham
Zoe Hart is right where she belongs: in the small town of Maple Falls, running her snug flower shop filled with the scent of rain-soaked earth, dried herbs, and spiced tea. But her oldest friend (and secret crush) Jackson is back too. And most of all, she longs to be in his strong arms. So when her hopelessly romantic mom bets on them being Maple Falls' Couple of the Year, Zoe finds herself fake-dating the friend-zoned guy she’s always wanted…
When Jackson returns from military service, even working on his llama sanctuary can’t heal him. But Zoe is the only person who can truly make him smile. He’d do anything for her… even pretend to be dating. There’s nothing fake about his feelings as he crushes his lips to hers. But there’s no way she’d really want a broken man like him, would she?
All eyes are on them as the town prepares to vote for Couple of the Year. But when they discover a grove carpeted with long-lost flowers that shimmer like moonlight, real sparks fly. Will their make-believe romance bloom into true love forever?
Available from Amazon #Ad
The Floating Amsterdam Flower Shop - Annabel French
One fresh start. One unexpected encounter. Can love bridge the gap?
When Rosie leaves behind her ordinary life in England to open a flower shop on Amsterdam’s water, she expects nothing less than a fairytale.
Max, her handsome but brooding new neighbour, prefers to keep the world at arm’s length – and living on the houseboat next door, he’s not too thrilled about the new company.
As Rosie’s business blossoms, so do her feelings for Max. But Rosie isn't sure she's ready for a relationship, and Max is still nursing a broken heart.
Then a rival in the flower market threatens her dreams, Rosie discovers that the most beautiful things can bloom when you learn to go with the flow – and allow someone to stand by your side.
Will Rosie and Max allow themselves to be swept away by love, or is their relationship doomed to sink before it can swim?
Available from Amazon #Ad
Would you like to be notified whenever I write a new blog post?
About the Author
Lilac Mills writes heartwarming romance inspired by life in the Welsh countryside, her love of simple pleasures, and the beauty of everyday moments.
She’s the author of over twenty feel-good novels, and also writes as Liz Davies and Etti Summers.
Please note: I use Affiliate links on my site. This means that if you order a book from Amazon via my link, I will earn a small commission. However, the cost to you will be no different than if you bought without using my link.
Comments