Accidentally in Bloom

Love in Fairwick Falls #1

by Elise Kennedy

Rose Parker is back in her quirky hometown after 10 years, and she's pissed. Her father's will states she must close his estate with his protege and her accidental enemy: a hot, cheerful, tattooed, motorcycle-riding flower farmer. The catch? Rose and her sisters now owe $300,000 in estate back taxes, so they come together to reopen the family's 100-year-old flower shop to keep the debt collectors at bay.

After dragging himself out of the bottom of life’s barrel five years ago, reformed bad boy Gray Roberts has stayed out of trouble by expanding his booming floral farm in his beloved town of Fairwick Falls. Gray proposes a deal with the local flower shop and finds an unexpected perk: riling up the gorgeous, grumpy ice princess running the flower shop.

Can Rose guard her heart to avoid falling for her sexy enemy with his stupid sexy face? Gray’s created a life to be proud of but can he resist the allure of the stunning Rose Parker, knowing she's leaving town as soon as she can?

Featuring :
Enemies to Lovers
Reverse Grumpy Sunshine
Flower Shop Vibes
He Falls First
Tattoos + Rolled Up Sleeves + Henleys
Found Family
Quirky Small Town
Coffee, coffee, coffee
"Good girl"
Spicy Scenes
Dual POV

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance, Chick Lit, Ebooks

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 9, 2023

About the author

I write cozy, steamy, contemporary romances.
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Reviews

[Heather❀Kiss The Pages❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Steam level : Moderate

The perfect pairing of a city girl who would never move back to her small town home and the sexy tattooed farmer who can't imagine living anywhere else

Heartwarming sibling relationships with three sisters renovating the family flower shop after their father dies

Fantastic enemies to lovers banter teeming with sexual tension

A bit of a slow burn. We get heat at ~60% and wow was it worth it. Tell me something better than finding out the cinnamon rolls hero is also a dirty talker

Great balance of laugh out loud scenes and emotional moments that made my heart so full

This is small town rom com at its finest! Highly recommended!

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reverse grumpy sunshine AND enemies to lovers? My two favorite tropes!! I’m not usually a small town romance reader but this was so cute!

[Mia Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Wallflower in Bloom as an ARC and loved it! Now that Conveniently in Bloom is about to come out I wanted to read the whole series. I was so happy that this one was just as cute!

Accidentally in Bloom combines an adorable small town, with a flower shop renovation, some family drama, and a tattooed biker hero who is actually a cinnamon roll with a steamy romance. It is honestly perfect! I was hooked as soon as Gray got off his bike and his dog has his own motorcycle goggles (I googled it and it's reel and adorable).

I related to Rose's need to always appear perfect. I liked that she eventually learned like all the lucky perfectionists that sometimes asking for help can lead to deeper connections than always doing everything for yourself. If you do everything yourself how can your boyfriend do swoon-worthy grand gestures to help you?

If you like small-town romance and you haven't read this one you need to drop everything and start this series! It's sweet, steamy, funny, and emotional! I can't wait to read Conveniently in Bloom!

🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Accidentally in Bloom has a handful of open door steamy scenes. They are detailed and well written.

[Eden]

DNF @16%

I can usually do the “instant dislike banter” but I didn’t buy it here. He was too rude to her for me to want them together. Also-her dad leaving them with $340,000 in debt?! Irresponsible. Reading about that would infuriate me.

[Chelsea Dorge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - honestly pretty cute and some parts made my heart melt 😭 i love when guys are obsessed w their gfs that’s how they should be!!! but it was lowkey too spicy like i actually found myself thinking “AGAIN!?!?!” multiple times lol it wasn’t bad i just love reading a wholesome romance so much more

[Maria Fatima · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it and enjoyed the story. The steamy scenes were moderate, and there were some touching moments that really got me. However, there were also times when it felt a bit dragging, and I found myself wanting the pace to pick up.

It’s a sweet and emotional read with heartfelt parts, but for me, it’s not the kind of book that fully hooked me from start to finish. Still, I’m glad I gave it a try.

[Katie Balla · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ cute but also like when will they get to know each other without their tongues down each others throats?

[Karli | BooksWithKarli · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

What a cute story! Elise found a way to connect the reader to the characters right from the start.

We’ve got some great tropes happening in this story.
🌹Reverse Grumpy Sunshine
🌸Forced proximity
🌷He falls first
🌻Enemies to lovers
🌺Small town
💐Duel POV

I’m a sucker for a good meet cute and Rose and Gray’s had me laughing. She quite literally ends up falling into his arms and it only goes downhill from there.

Rose has come back to her hometown of Fairwick Falls to settle the reading of her dad’s will. Little does she know, she will be finding a new business partner in the one guy she can’t stand, reformed bad boy and flower farmer, Gray Roberts. He’s charming, friendly and gets along with everyone, except Rose.

With the help of Gray and Rose’s two sisters, they get her family’s flower shop back in business. And while they face some difficulties along the way, it was so fun to watch Gray crumble all of Rose’s carefully constructed walls (and to do lists) as he works his way into her heart and life.

I was honestly rooting for them from the start and I loved watching the change that Rose went through and where she ended up by the end of the story.

If you’re a sucker for a romance, with a sweet guy in a small town, this is the book for you!

Thank you Elise for letting me be one of your ARC readers! I truly enjoyed this book!

[Allie B • Literally Booked Solid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really been feeling books set in flower shops lately, and Accidentally in Bloom fits the bill perfectly. Rose's life has crumbled when she's forced back to her small Pennsylvania hometown to settle her father's estate. Trying desperately to get back to her life in LA, she keeps everyone at arm's length, including resident hottie, Gray, who seems to be everywhere.

This steamy enemies to lovers romance had me smiling the entire time. It's complete with hilarious one-liners and great inner monologue from both main characters. I absolutely loved Rose and Gray's meet cute on the side of a rural PA road, and watching them fight their attraction from day one was a treat. I adored Gray so much. He keeps surprising you as the story unfolds and was full of sweet gestures that made me cry. I also loved the bond between Rose and her two sisters.

Read this one if you like...
💐Dual POV
💐It's just a fling
💐He falls first
💐Small town vibes
💐Excellent dirty talk
💐"Good girl" (IYKYK)

⚠️CW: addiction, death of a parent

[deeena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf 15% ish

Honestly just wasn’t that interesting to me. Also not a fan of single dad tropes and this one was randomly dropped in.

[Blake Marrero · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should have done myself a favor and DNFed this.

[Lylia Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like a version not yet ready for publication. “Accidentally in Bloom” has a horrible problem with telling and not showing.

I really liked the dynamics between Rose, Lily and Violet. They felt like sisters that could pick on each other but deeply care for each other’s well being and happiness too. I do wish that they had more emotional moments in which they discussed their late father and mother and how they had all been shaped by them. I think it would’ve been interesting for the siblings to explore how their trauma had shaped each of them and leant on each other as they mourned the loss of their father together.

Occasionally a sentence would be structured in a confusing way or would be slightly annoying to read. For example: there’d be too many words or the words used could’ve been condensed. I had skipped over the occasional over description of buildings as I enjoy when descriptive language is placed within thought processes instead of in paragraphs of entirely descriptive language about buildings.

Early in the book it was mentioned that Frank died because of a stroke, in his sleep. A little under halfway through the book his death was mentioned again but the reason is stated as being a heart attack. The continuity error didn’t change anything in the story but did pull me out of it.

Another continuity error that took me out of the book was Rose calling Gray by his full name “Graham.” It’s revealed a little earlier in the book that “Gray” is a nickname when his mother calls him by his full name, but Rose wasn’t there for the conversation and it was never mentioned during prior conversations between them. As far as I was aware, Rose had no idea his name was Graham so this interaction made no sense to me.

The end of chapter fifteen made me cry. It wasn’t much but I did shed a singular tear from each eye. I had conflicted feelings towards Frank at the time but it was clear to me that, while he wasn’t a good father, he was undoubtedly a great friend.

Gray and Rose had no chemistry. I don’t know what was missing but something wasn’t right between them. They’re both enjoyable characters but they didn’t feel like they worked together in a relationship or physically. And I don’t feel that Rose and Gray were in love. I know they say it towards the end of the book but there weren’t enough indications of genuine affection throughout the book for it to feel warranted for me. I know they enjoy having sex but I didn’t see anything more than forced physical attraction between them.

I don’t like Frank. I know the book was trying to make me like him because he was so great to Gray and the town loves him but he was an atrociously terrible father and that isn’t excusable. I know his wife died but he left his children. He left Rose to raise her siblings for years and he left his children with a massive debt because he couldn’t be bothered to pay his damn taxes. Frank was a pathetic excuse for a man and this book couldn’t have done nothing to make me like him.

I didn’t feel at any point like anyone was mourning Frank. Understandably Rose wasn’t very upset by his passing but as far as we’re led to believe Lily and Violet had no issues with their father. They would shed tears very occasionally when speaking about him but I didn’t feel as if anyone in the town or the sisters or Gray really cared at all that Frank was gone.

There were many times during spicy scenes in this book when the hand or leg or general body placement described wouldn’t sound right. Something always felt off, with one thing being described and then directing another that would contradict the first with no proper transition between the two.

I think the ending of this book would’ve felt more engaging if Rose had left. I believe Rose should’ve gone back to LA and realised there that her life isn’t what she’d hoped for herself, that she wasn’t happy. I would’ve liked to have seen her come back to Fairwick Falls and apologise to Gray, profess her love in an embarrassing and cheesy way. I think she should’ve had a conversation with her sisters about how their absent father changed her and why she acted the way she did. I think Rose should’ve had to find a way to stop the sale of their flower shop before it was too late and choose to stay after having left and returned. This actual ending fizzled, with no suspense of sense of payoff.

Overall I think “Accidentally in Bloom” had the potential to be a great book but it just fell short in too many areas.

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accidentally In Bloom - Elise Kennedy

3.5 STARS, 3 CHILIS

A cute small town romance, enemies to lovers.

Note
I personally don’t read any trigger warnings before starting a book. For me, it spoils the story if I know to expect specific triggering content. I also don’t make note of possible triggers in my review. If you have triggers, check them.

My rating system
1 star - DNF/bad writing and poor plot, not interesting
2 stars - below average, bad writing/plot, sometimes interesting, wouldn’t recommend
3 stars - Good book, worth reading, wouldn’t read again, might recommend
4 stars - Mostly great book, would read again and would recommend
5 stars - Excellent book.
Soul book - Rare, books that touch my soul, they stay with me long after I read them, often I re-read these books multiple times.
Spice
1 chilli - PG, no spice/fade to black romance
2 chilis - a couple of spicy scenes
3 chilis - spicy romance scenes that are appropriate in the plot of the book. spice and plot equally good
4 chilis - plentiful spicy scenes, descriptive and possibly kinky, spicy scenes every chance the characters get
5 chilis - mostly smut, not much plot

***Spoilers Ahead***

Opening Line(s)

Rose Parker balanced precariously on the hood of her rental car, her stilettos sinking into the dented metal. She raised her phone above her head and hoped like hell for a signal.

Review

With a killer dedication,

For the Weird Girls, For the You’re Too Loud Girls, For the You Might Intimidate Him Girls, For the Don’t Be a Showoff Girls. For all the girls who thought they were somehow too much and also not enough. You deserve swoon-worthy love.

Accidentally In Bloom is an adorable small town romance. It was a great read, however the inconsistencies in the storyline and the odd plot devices (IRS bandit, co-executorship) really took me out of the story. Otherwise the characters were really well thought out and unique from each other, the backstory for the main characters was exactly enough and well spread through the book.
Plenty of spicy scenes too ;)
This was my first Elise Kennedy book, and while I enjoyed it, I am not itching to read the next books in the series. I might get to them in the future, but they’re not making my TBR right now.

Best

Rose’s self talk is so relatable and was quite authentic throughout the book. An example of excellent writing.

I’m not dying. It’s not a heart attack. It’s just my sympathetic nervous system trying to tell me what I already know: I am stressed the fuck out.

Worst

The writing is great however there are a few plot points that are a little off. The whole IRS storyline felt unnecessary and unrealistic. The co-executorship was cheesy and an obvious plot point to force proximity.

“In the case of the co-executorship, Frank was very particular that you have to sign off on all decisions together. The decisions of what to do with his property, finances, everything.”

There were also a few moments where the text didn’t exactly make sense - the characters moved twice, or doubled back. Just a few moments that could have been edited better. These moments took away from the storyline and really detracted rather than added in my opinion. This book could have been 4 stars if it were edited a little better.
Also there were several times during spicy scenes where Rose “sobbed with pleasure” which I found hard to get past. For me, sobbing is crying, and I didn’t get the sense that she was crying, maybe ‘gasped with pleasure’ was the intent. This is obviously not a big deal but it really irritated me every time.

Favourite Quotes

A deep sigh hit Gray. How was it comforting to know he wouldn’t be comforted? To know in his bones that he’d be disappointed?

[Karma Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about Rose and Gray. She returns to her small home town to deal with her late father's estate and intends to get out of there ASAP once she checks off all the items on her list. She has sisters (Violet and Lily) to help her but what she did not count on was Gray Roberts. He's a recovering addict who formed a bond with her late father. He's handsome, hot, and has everyone in the town charmed. Rose's father requires her to work with Gray as co-executors of his estate. Control freak Rose is not happy about this and has to figure out how she can get everything done while fighting her attraction to the hot, tattooed flower farmer. Eventually things work out.

[Claire Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was def a cutie. I loved the dynamic between Rose and Grey! Rose was very hard headed & was very independent so it was wonderful to see her adapt and be able to let someone help her! ugh it was so cute! 100% loved it! perfect spring read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a cute story. Quite predictable.

[Rue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sladké, milé... taková klasická romantická oddychovka nic převratného. Oceňuji pěkné enemies to lovers, fajn chemie, ne až tak otravná hlavní hrdinka, obstojný smut

[Amber Van Laeken · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Corporate giRLbOsS with a podcast who is just SO bossy and strong and tough 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 okay diva pack it up you are insufferable and learning empathy at age 35 is not a monumental flex like you think it is.

[Ana Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Gray. I loved his confidence... and that filthy mouth. His and Rose's banter was perfection and they happily realized their feelings without a bunch of back and forth drama. While I loved this book, it was written in third person, which I'm not fond of. Overall, a great read.

[Alli Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review ✨

Accidentally in Bloom by Elise Kennedy
Out now!

Such a cute story. You will instantly become connected to the character. This books has so many good troops & I loved it!

💐 Reversed Grumpy/Sunshine
💐 Forced Proximity
💐 He falls first
💐 Enemies to lovers
💐 Small town
💐 Dual POV

Rose comes back to her hometown to settle the reading of her dad’s will. She thinks it will be a piece of cake & then she will be able to rush back to her life in L.A.

Little does she know that a reformed bad boy & flower farmer Gray is about to wreck all her plans. He may just be the one to break down a few of her walls & change her life. 🥰

[Rhiannon Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're looking for a fun romance with some spice, this is likely a skip. If you're looking for soft porn, this may be one to add to your TBR. It wasn't for me. It was evident pretty early on that the plot was secondary to the spice. The plot was all over the place and not well developed and the spice was, at times, cringe. I'm honestly shocked I finished it.

[Amanda (aka romcombookreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am honored to have been given the ARC for Elise Kennedy's "Accidentally in Bloom!" Although Elise has written several novellas, this is her first full-length novel!

"Accidentally in Bloom" includes the following tropes: small town romance, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, reverse grumpy/sunshine, found family, a flower farmer alpha hero, & a flower-shop-owning independent badass heroine.

The MCs are Gray & Rose. The side characters are Gray's parents & his son Alex, as well as Rose's sisters Violet & Lily, friend Nash, & Angela the co-host on her podcast. Other side characters include various townspeople & Lenny the debt collector.

Gray is absolutely adored & loved in Fairwick Falls, & can't walk far without finding someone to chat with. He is a flower farmer & a single dad to his son Alex who lives with both of his moms in Montreal. Gray has been sober for 4 years from drugs, & had moved back to Fairwick Falls from Los Angeles to go to rehab & start his life over again. Back in LA, he was a fashion photographer & party boy. Recently, his best friend & mentor Frank passed away. Frank had taught him everything to know about flower farming & was the dad he never had growing up. He had been invited to Frank's will reading alongside Frank's daughters. There, he met Frank's estranged daughter Rose that he had rescued on the side of the road. He was NOT ready to continue dealing with this sassy woman.

Rose is an independent, perfectionistic, badass heroine. However, she was just fired from her high-profile consulting firm job in CA & is not feeling very badass at the moment. On the side, she hosts a podcast with her friend Angela, so at least she still had that going for her. Unfortunately, her father, whom she had not talked to in 10 years, has passed away, & she has to deal with his estate in her hometown of Fairwick Falls. When she finds out, not only will her sisters be at the will reading, but a man named gray will also be there, she is confused & pissed off. But when Gray shows up to the will reading, she recognizes him - he had rescued her on the side of the road. And now, she & Gray have been given the job of making decisions regarding the estate... together.

When Rose & Gray are tasked with handling Frank's estate decisions together, Rose goes rogue, or tries to, when trying to get things done. Every time, Gray somehow finds out & foils the plans, reminding her that they are partners. But when Rose's sister starts getting harassing letters in the mail about owing her dad's taxes he never paid, things get more interesting. Frank had a flower shop that he let deteriorate, & Rose had an idea... instead of selling it off like the greenhouse & his home, she & her sisters could revamp & reopen her father's flower shop. Of course, Gray gets in on this as well as the free-labor handyman. However, Gray & Rose are still very much enemies while working together despite the pesky feelings they both have brewing just below the surface.

THE INTIMACY & SPICE IN THIS BOOK, YALL. Do NOT let this cutesy book cover fool you... this book was HOT. All of that mutual hate really gave us some good material to read through. Aside from the multiple spicy scenes, the tension was HIGH throughout the book. Both Gray & Rose are very strong-willed & need to have things done their way, so the banter back & forth was pretty funny but also infuriating. But Imma just say... DADDY GRAY HAS A MOUTH ON HIM. *fans self*

This book had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I cried, giggled, got annoyed, squealed, & felt a bit flushed at times, if ya know what I mean. I just really, really enjoyed this book & highly recommend this to readers!

[Rafaaalikestoread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidentally in Bloom by Elise Kennedy tells us the story of Rose Parker who finds herself at odds with a ruggedly handsome, tattooed, and oh-so-charming flower farmer, Gray Roberts and When her father's will forces her to work alongside him in order to settle her father's estate and pay off a hefty tax debt, Rose is determined to keep things strictly professional despite the sizzling tension between them

-

4/5 ⭐️

-

Tropes - Enemies to lovers
Reverse Grumpy Sunshine
He falls first
Forced proximity
Dual pov

-

Trigger warning ⚠️ - don’t forget to check it!

-

My thoughts - I really enjoyed the way this book started with Rose & Gray’s meet cute! While Rose is travelling to her town her rental car breaks down and she is forced to ask for help from a certain Tattooed Farmer, I loved Gray’s introduction.

This book is about your typical city girl who would never imagine her life in a small town and a farmer who would never imagine living anywhere else, Rose kinda reminded me of Nora from Book Lovers, from her being a girl-boss to the love she has for her sisters. I also liked the part about her having a podcast helping other people with business advice.

Review- This book is perfect for all the small town romance lovers who also love flowers! I just loved the way this book portrayed reviving a dead business and it really made me wanna open my own floral shop someday, I loved Rose’s creative ideas regarding the renovation of the store and I also liked Gray’s ability to connect with people through his business and support his local community.

The characters were wholesome and memorable, I liked the way the sisters supported each other and I also liked the people of the town!

Coming to the romance part of the book, let’s just say that my man Gray, raised the bar! I loved everything he did for Rose, the respect he had for her father and the way he honoured him was just so sweet I also loved the way he recreated Prom for her

Gray & Rose reminded a lot of some hallmark movie characters in a good way and I would definitely like to watch a movie about them

The only thing which I didn’t like were the 🌶 scenes, it’s just my personal preference

Thank You Elise for giving me this opportunity to be an ARC, I enjoyed the book!

*Arc received in exchange for an honest review

[Erin Blajszczak · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She was like a riddle he couldn't stop trying to solve. There was something he couldn’t shake about the combination of her brains and her sharp edges that hid a secret gooey middle she rarely showed."

Summary
Rose's dad passed away a few months ago and she was recently fired from her job. So she's not exactly in the mood to make friends when she blows back into her sleepy hometown to help her sisters settle their father's estate, stumbling into Gray on the way. Gray looked to Rose's father for guidance in a time he really needed it, also appreciating his support in growing his flower farm and business from nothing. When these two learn they were both named executors of his will, it's a recipe for disaster because they CANNOT stand each other, despite the heat burning between them.

Why did I pick up this book?
I have been following Elise's journey on Instagram since she released her first in a series of seasonal novellas back in October. I love her writing so much and was ecstatic when she announced she would be releasing a full-length novel. I demanded to be on the Advanced Reader Copy list because I didn't want to wait for Pub day!

What did I enjoy about it?
I COULD NOT put this book down. I read it in just over 24 hours and was instantly sad when it was over. I laughed out loud more times than I can count, and also saw a lot of myself in Rose, though all of her characters had something relatable about them. This is the kind of book that you have to set down to get back to real life, but then find yourself thinking about the characters and wanting to just steal 10 minutes to read another chapter. There were great lessons to be learned, SO many flowers, and the spice didn't hurt!

What did I not enjoy about it?
There may have been one-too-many tropes for me, and the ending felt a bit too much like a Hallmark grand finale. I'm also confused about Gray's financial situation – he tosses a lot of capital around in this book but it's mentioned he has multiple outstanding loans...? Also I don’t feel like Rose apologized enough for some of the hurtful things she said to Gray.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well named story, as accidental things help the storyline along. I love the dual POV, Rosabertha is an invincible, know-it-all, in her mind anyways, and Gray is the knight in shining armour, that she doesn't need but, he challenges her. I enjoyed this, it made me laugh, and almost cry as hard knocks, life lessons and ultimately love and acceptance bloom. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[all.the.smut.things · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 
 
💕Summary:  
Rose is a big-city consultant forced to return to her small hometown of Fairfax Falls in order to settle the estate of her estranged late father. Rose has no love for her old hometown, and wants to take care of her sisters and the family flower shop business as quickly as she can and return to her life. Then she meets Gray, a local flower farmer, who she finds instantly attractive but also highly irritating and sparks fly. Imagine her dismay when she and Gray are forced to work together in order to settle the family business. They dislike each other, so why can't they keep their hands to themselves?  

I like the characters of both Rose and Gray and I love a good reverse grumpy/sunshine trope. Both characters delivered and there was a great chemistry between them that lept off the pages. Rose is such a quintessential oldest child, but she really shined when she was interacting with her sisters. Gray was just a delight, and when they get together, his dirty talk is on point. I also loved that Gray didn’t try to soften Rose or change her, her just wanted her, sharp edges and quirks and all!

I loved the quirky small town feel, the side characters and the word building. I read this book in a day and there were heartfelt parts where I felt myself tearing up.  

The main plot conflict was a little bit more dramatic than it needed to be, but ti can forgive that since it’s a book, and it drove the storyline forward. Ultimately this was still an entertaining and heartwarming read, and. my love of Rose, Gray and the other characters outweighed my minor issues with the plot. Overall I would definitely recommend, especially to anyone who loves flower shop vibes, enemies to lovers and a swoony, sexy hero that’s determined to get the girl!

"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦."

[Kims.reading.nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 years after she left her hometown of Fairwick Falls behind, Rose Parker is back. Her father has passed away and they didn't reconcile after the trauma of losing her mother to addiction. Now, she and her younger sisters Violet and Lily need to work together to save the flower store that's been in their family over 100 years.

On her way into town, her rental car breaks down and she is helped by a gorgeous but infuriating stranger; Gray Roberts. He's a successful flower farmer and protoge of her father, whilst also a recovering addict. The connection between he and Rose is sizzling, if only they could stop arguing!

So when the Will is read, Rose is shocked to learn that she is co-executor with none other than Gray. To make matters worse, her father was over $300k in debt and the IRS is not willing to negotiate. Now, Rose and Gray must work together to sell off what they can and bring Blooms flower shop back to life before the loan shark acts on the threats he's been making...

Thank you to Author @smalltown.romance and @booksirens for providing this ARC. I've written this review willingly and all opinions are my own.

Can I start with how much I LOVED this book! I was intrigued by the blurb but had no idea that I would be utterly captivated within the first few pages. Rose and Gray's chemistry was incredible; I love a dual POV, enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy to sunshine romance where he falls first and she's his 'good girl' 🥵🔥 The book was the perfect mix between solid storyline and spicy scenes, and it was impossible not to root for them and their community to suceed.

Look out for publication on May 9th 2023 🥳 My hope is that this is the first book in a series and that next we will get to follow either Lily or Violet as they find love too!

[Savannah Cherniwchan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✅Enemies to lovers
✅reverse grumpy sunshine
✅he falls first
✅man in tattoos
✅small town

“For all the girls who thought they were somehow too much and also not enough.”

Rose goes back to her hometown to tie up some loose ends due to her father’s passing away. She was planning on going to town and getting the hell away as fast as she could. However, she was informed at the Will reading that her, and Gray both have to sign off on decisions in regards to her father‘s estate. She also found out that her father owed a shit ton of money in taxes, so it looks like she will be there longer than she thought.

I loved how they are both salivating at mouth for each other and i’m just gonna tell you this cute cartoon cover is mask because in between the pages are filthy😅

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hooked me from the beginning with an adorable meet-cute. Unfortunately, our MCs got off on the wrong foot but must work together due to legal obligations. What unfolds is an adorable small-town read with humor, heat and heart.

Grey (MMC): reformed bad boy, rides a Harley, has a soft spot for dogs (wears doggles!) and flowers

Rose (FMC): just like her name, this rose has thorns, bossy planner, stubborn, doesn’t know when to stop, has a soft spot for her sisters

Rating: 🌹🌹🌹🌹(3.75⭐️rounded to 4)
Tropes: enemies to lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, he falls first, small town, found family
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (dirty talk, praise)
T/W: death of a parent (main plot point, referenced), parent abandonment (referenced in past), drug use (referenced in past), financial problems (on page), job loss (on page)


Truthfully, I struggled with the FMC. She was rude and insulted Grey and the town from the start and never fully redeemed herself. I loved Grey, the flowers and the story.

This is Elise Kennedy’s first full length book and if this is a glimpse to what is to come, I cannot wait to meet the rest of the flower sisters.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.