Lily in Bloom

by Margaret P. Cunningham

Stunning older woman. Mysterious younger man. A garden of infinite possibilities . The terms of fifty-year-old Lily McVay's divorce settlement are quirky at best: live in her ex-husband's ancestral mausoleum of a house, restore her dead ex-mother-in-law's renowned garden, and host the small Gulf Coast town's overblown annual soiree. Lily needs help in the worst way. Aided and abetted by her "I'll help bury the body, no questions asked" friends, an octogenarian neighbor with a sixth sense, and a gardening genius named Will, Lily sets out to lay old ghosts to rest and grow a new life. Not only is handsome thirty-something Will determined to save Lily from horticultural disaster, but the bond between them may prove that more is starting to bloom than just the garden. "Eloquently written, Lily in Bloom is a proud moment for Cunningham!" Manic Readers "This is a wonderfully quirky story, with friendship, love, a little paranormal and lots of weirdness tossed in for good measure. Even if you don't have a love of flowers you won't be able to help but fall in love with this charming book." Simply Romance Reviews

Genres: Contemporary

220 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

About the author

"If literature were a meal, your books would be dessert." So one fan told Margaret P. Cunningham, author of four light-hearted romance/humor/mystery novels: LILY IN BLOOM (winner of the Golden Rose Award for Best Contemporary Fiction); ONE TRUE PLACE, ALWAYS CHARLIE and the just-released DESIGNING STELLA. All are set along Alabama's amazing gulf coast where middle-aged but still-got-it protagonists reinvent their lives after category 5 domestic disasters.
Margaret grew up on her father's nursery with a mother who was also into gardens - and books, and antiques and beautiful, old houses. So these, along with quirky, southern characters, romance and a bit of mystery are what fill her stories.
She is especially excited about DESIGNING STELLA because it's a murder mystery - a first for her. Thanks to all the good readers and writers out there. Life would be awfully dull without you.

Reviews

[Anna Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this was a quick read for me, I enjoyed it as it has a good plot and keep me rooting for Lily (no pun intended).

[Lynda Warnock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lily in Bloom is a prize flower to be added to your garden, or bookshelf! This is a wonderfully quirky story, with friendship, love, a little paranormal and lots of weirdness tossed in for good measure. I found myself smiling as I read about the antics of these characters, and teared up a time or two as well.

Lily McVay is a 50 year old divorcee, dumped by her husband for his young executive assistant. It first gets strange with the divorce settlement. Lily gets the family ancestral home with the stipulation that she bring his deceased mother’s garden back to life. And she has to have it ready for the annual soiree of the Garden Club.

Lily goes for it with the help of her friends, her flaky neighbor and Will – the gardener to die for. Of course Lily finds herself falling for him but can’t rationalize the age difference. Will it seems is also falling for her – though it practically takes a knock on the head for her to start to believe it. And try as Will might there always seems to be something or someone coming between them.

In a Lily in Bloom, Margaret Cunningham shows us that it is okay to go through the bad times but not let them hold you back. To allow yourself to look forward – no matter how hard it may seem at the time, and most importantly to allow others to love you. These characters are wonderfully real (well most of them anyway *wink*) and pull you right into their lives. Lily’s friends are funny and supportive; friends we would love to call our own. The setting in suburban Alabama is just right for this entertaining romp through Lily’s life and garden and it wouldn’t seem right without Spanish moss draped from the trees and azaleas in bloom. Even if you don’t have a love of flowers you won’t be able to help but fall in love with this charming book.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant enough way to pass an evening but I found it to be very saccharine in places and I could have lived without all the 'low-cal' food descriptions.

[Lauren Denton]

Charming older woman meets equally charming younger gardener in what I believe to be Mobile, although Mrs. Cunningham never actually says that (I don't think.) It was fun imagining it was Mobile, or at least the general area, since that's my hometown. Romance, friendship, gardening, and a little paranormal activity--but what's a good deep south story without a dead relative coming back to stick her nose into everyone's business?!

[Margaret Cunningham. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Lauren. Lily in Bloom is indeed set in the Mobile area. As writers we are blessed to have grown up in the Deep South where characters "stranger than fiction" abound. Toss in the wild, lush gulf coast with its antebellum haunts, and you almost cannot write!

I loved immersing myself in the settings of New Orleans and Mobile Bay in your debut novel, The Hideaway. Loveable characters, old bay houses and family secrets make The Hideaway a sweet, fun read perfect for summer afternoons.

Congratulations on your first novel! The first of many, I'm sure.