Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Love Blooms by Jennifer Faye

Posted July 2, 2021 by meezcarrie in contemporary, giveaway, Jennifer Faye, romance / 15 Comments

Love Blooms, On Tour with Prism Book Tours

LOVE BLOOMS
SERIES: Bluestar Island #1
GENRE: Contemporary Romance (Clean & Wholesome)
RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2021
PAGES: 284

“With the bloom of springtime flowers…
comes the opportunity for new beginnings.”
He’s an injured firefighter. She bakes the most delightful treats. When their worlds collide will the baker help heal the firefighter with a mix of blueberry muffins and her caring way?
The elegant baker, Hannah Bell, has always lived on Bluestar Island with her family. While still grieving for her father, who died in a fire, she focuses all of her energy on making her dream come true–opening her very own bakery. But when a broken water pipe washes away her carefully laid plans, she’s on the verge of losing everything.
New York firefighter Ethan Walker’s life is in a tailspin after he’s injured on-the-job. When an urgent call detours him to Bluestar Island, he agrees to help his lovable but meddlesome great-aunt. But organizing the island’s Spring Fling proves a lot harder than he originally imagined. He needs help…and fast.
Under the magic of Bluestar Island’s sea breeze and warm sunshine, Hannah and Ethan must not only face their immediate obstacles but also their own turning points in life. Will they have to do that alone? With a leap of faith and a dash of romance, they might just find the perfect mix to make their dreams come true.
Includes a delicious recipe for The Elegant Baker’s Blueberry Crumble Muffin!

Other Books In This Series

First things first – that cover! Can we talk about perfect it is? The colors, the setting, the bike. I want to sit right there on that bench and watch all the goings-on around the small town on Bluestar Island.

Speaking of the town & the island, the setting for Love Blooms adds so much to the overall story. Small town life on an island is not really different than small town life anywhere else, and the author does a great job of conveying the quirks and blessings through the characters and places. Sure, everybody in a small town knows your business, but that also means that you have a built-in cheering section from the people who care about you, and who couldn’t use one of those these days?

While Hannah and Ethan are the main focus of this particular novel, it was Ethan’s Great-Aunt Birdie who gets the ‘favorite character’ distinction. She reminded me a little of my own beloved grandmother, and I found myself smiling whenever we spent time in her point of view. I liked Hannah and Ethan, too, but Aunt Birdie stole the show for me. I also really liked the fire chief.

Ethan is the quintessential swoony firefighter who also must fight his own demons in the form of PTSD from a work-related accident. Hannah has hang-ups about firemen which makes their slow burn romance really slow, even though their mutual attraction is obvious (at least on Ethan’s part) right from their first encounter. I enjoyed the way they helped each other out with their respective ‘looks impossible’ tasks – planning the annual Spring Fling which Ethan’s aunt thrust upon him while she’s in recovery and finishing the restoration on Hannah’s bakery after the flood ruined her previous plans (and took all her money).

Bottom Line: Love Blooms is a sweet, small town romance, set on an East Coast island which gives it an even more quaint tone. Great characters and several cute moments add to the story’s appeal, and readers will definitely want a return visit with all the different people & businesses on Bluestar Island. Hannah and Ethan’s respective struggles are neither glossed over nor allowed to overpower the story, and I appreciated the way the author handled both. Perfect for Hallmark movie fans & readers of sweet romance!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / enjoyed it

KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion

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Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.