Love In Bloom by Sheila Roberts

I enjoyed this sweet tale, it was rather perfect to read over Easter weekend since that is when the story begins.
Hope Walker, 30, is a breast cancer survivor, which left her with lots of scarring and some serious fears about dating. When it comes to love and relationships she works magic through flower arranging, as owner of Heart Lake’s flower shop, but is unable to help herself.

This had engaging characters, and a surprise at the end, which had me in tears.

Realistic and romantic all at the same time.

I also enjoyed the flower/gardening tips at the beginning of each section.

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

I loved the Big Stone Gap Trilogy (and really I consider it a trilogy and have decided to ignore she even wrote a fourth book because I thought it was awful and not the way I imagined Ave Maria ending up.) Anyway, I was so excited to learn Ms. Trigiani was writing another trilogy and the first entry, Very Valentine, was quite enjoyable.

Valentine is an apprentice in her family’s custom made shoe shop. They’ve been making wedding shoes since 1903. However, in these modern times the business isn’t profitable. Will Valentine save the business? Will she find love with a hot Italian chef?

I liked the characters and the authors description of places in New York City. The chapters are all named after places.

My big criticism of the book was the ending. I know it’s part of a trilogy but I really didn’t feel any sense of closure and I was confused about some details towards the end. Also, I had a hard time figuring out the time line. The events of the novel take place over a year and half, but I sometimes missed those fast forwards of time. The only other thing bothering me was Valentine and Roman’s relationship – and I’ll be curious what happens in book 2.

So despite these criticism,  I will be reading the next one.

The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken

I really enjoyed this. I loved Peggy Cort, the main character and librarian. She had some wonderful observations about libraries and books and I found myself laughing out loud. This is a tender story and there’s a surprise twist at the end. However, the ending left me sad.

Just a Taste by Deirdre Martin

The latest from this author (see my post on Chasing Stanley for why I like these books). And the last of the vacation books.

This features Anthony Dante and new the the neighborhood French chef Vivi. When Vivi begins plans to open a cozy French bistro across the street from Dante’s she tries to be friendly and introduce herself to the Dante family. But sparks fly between her and Anthony as they bicker about who’s the better chef and what ingredients are actually in a dish. What will happen when they get spicy outside the kitchen?

Chasing Stanley by Deidre Martin

I discovered this author on another vacation and was drawn to the romances because the first one featured a hockey player and a public relations exec. Two of my favorite careers. In a romance. What a fun read. Anyway, the author has produced a few more of these and the stories center around either a New York Blades hockey player or a member of the Dante family. So the other thing I like about these is that the characters from other stories usually make appearances so you can kinda keep up on how they’re doing. Love that.

This story didn’t disappoint – a quick, easy to read, fun, love story.

Dog trainer Delilah Gould spots a rambunctious Newfoundland disobeying his master and steps in to help. There she meets pro hockey player Jason Mitchell, who’s just moved to New York. As Delilah begins to train his dog, she also finds a way into his heart.