I’m rating this a 3.5 star which I rounded to 4 star.

This book grabbed my attention right away. I immediately liked and connected with Joan Johnston, a massage therapist who hates her job and feels like she’s going to snap at any moment. She’s about to be fired from the job she hates but needs, and in order to save her job she’s forced to take on the monstrous celebrity client, Carmen Bronze. They enter into an agreement which sets Joan on a grueling schedule yet in the darkest of times, there is a spark…a light bulb moment and Joan decides to…pivot.

This is a story about love, loss, finding yourself, getting on the right path and finding friends & love in the most unexpected places.

I’m not a big fan of “books within books” though, and while I understand that was a key plot point…I just wasn’t super interested in that excerpts of “Snow Globe.” There were things I would’ve preferred to have explored more, like Samuel and his mother, and maybe some more funny stories about clients from the spa.

The author did a nice job adding humor into this story, which I liked because the love lost and working in a job you hate are pretty depressing topics. I think the author did a nice job of hitting several comedic moments…I wish she would’ve capitalized on that more. I mean, if ya got it flaunt it.

I really liked how things played out at the end. Everything wraps up nicely.

This would be a good book for a girls trip, to read or the beach on a plane or at the spa.

3.5 stars. Really wanted to love this book more, especially because the opening was so sharp and witty. But the story within a story (protagonist writing a romance novel) wasn't pulling me in. I found myself skimming lots of pages. But it comes together nicely and who doesn't enjoy a book where love wins?

As a grief specialist, I was in for the way that Meg shared the journey of the heart. The backdrop and behind the scenes peek at the spa from all angles -- clients to cohorts was a treat. I loved the layers of friendship and growth that we encounter through Joan's story and the who-done-it mystery and malady of her side gig. A fun ride alongside this sweet writer's meanderings in and out of the pages. Brava Meg.

This is a story of grief, but with a twist of compassion and humor. The spa setting (and the behind-the-scenes details, which I always enjoy) and the kinship of those who work there is delightful. Romance novelist Carmen hires LMT Joan to help her with research for her upcoming book and reminds me a bit of Miranda Priestley from the Devil Wears Prada -- and provides yet another reminder that one just never knows what's going on in someone's life. I really enjoyed this story of friendship, empowerment, and love. The title, Super Blooms, and its meaning provides a lovely metaphor for the magic of timing. Thanks to Zibby Owens, Zibby Books, author Megan Tady, and Netgalley for providing this ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts.

Don't be distracted by the seemingly silly sounding premise (romance novelist asks Joan, a bodyworker at a spa, to go undercover to provide source material for her next novel), because Tady is an assured storyteller. Tady ropes the reader right from the beginning and does not let you go till our heroine Joan has grappled with the tragic death of her boyfriend, her apparently lackluster career, and her long-buried desire to be a writer. I thoroughly enjoyed coming along for the ride and particularly enjoyed the "novel within a novel" that bubbles up when Joan starts to recognize her own potential for happiness and career success despite heartbreak and setbacks. Thank you Zibby Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to get an early copy of this gem.

A captivating story. There’s a touch of rom-com, mystery and women’s fiction.
Super Bloom is a perfect title as the story itself blooms throughout. So many characters to love and maybe one to give second thoughts too.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and for Zibby Books for allowing this to go to print!

Pub date: 5/2/23
Genre: contemporary fiction with romantic elements
Quick summary: Massage therapist Joan is struggling emotionally and financially after the death of her boyfriend, so she agrees to help a romance author get an inside look into the spa for her next book.

This book has a really fun premise - there's lots of behind the scenes drama at the spa! I enjoyed getting to know Joan as she tried to work through her depression and move forward. She found that writing her own spa-set book was therapeutic, and it was fun to see snippets of the book in the text. It felt a little slow in the middle, but the ending came together nicely, and I would definitely read Tady's next book. I think spa/massage fans might enjoy this one more than I did!

Thank you to Zibby Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Super Bloom by Megan Tady hooked me from the beginning with the premise of a massage therapist struggling in her life and her work and getting essentially blackmailed into providing research notes for a famous novelist. Despite heavy themes (Joan is experiencing depression and desperately missing her boyfriend after his unexpected death) there is a lot of hope and heart in the book, as well as snark. This is a welcome pairing as often books are one of those things without bringing the other. One of my favorite elements was the depiction of friendships and Joan's gradual blossoming into writing her own story.

I struggled with the pacing at times - it felt uneven - and sometimes the snark felt like just a little bit over the line of too much. That reflects my personal taste though and isn't a criticism of the story, which was well written. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend for Amy Poeppel fans.

What a fun book. This is the story of Joan, dealing with the grief of her boyfriend, trying to hang on to her sanity and her job as a massage therapist. Then a client, Carmen, offers to pay her to feed her dirt from the spa that employs her, so she can put it into her romance novel. When Joan begins to write her own novel, Carmen finds out and feels threatened.

This book is just a feel-good, funny escape that includes a few lessons along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book was seriously delightful. It was beautifully written and a great story about new beginnings.

When I read that this book took place in Vermont, I was sold as Vermont holds a special place in my heart. This book captured my attention and heart from the very beginning, and I compulsively read it until the end. Joan, a massage therapist at a tony Vermont resort, is still grieving the unexpected and tragic loss of her boyfriend two years earlier. This book follows her as she comes out of the fog and slowly begins to move on with her life - making new friends, exploring career options, and coming into her own. A lovely read about grief and new beginnings. Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Megan Tady's debut novel, Super Bloom. The opinions are my own!

Sweet and original story whose quirky heroine you can’t help but root for even while she makes some cringey choices along the way. Spoiler alert - love wins! So does friendship and taking the long way home.

Super Bloom, wow, let me tell you about this gem of a book! Joan is a very unenthusiastic massage therapist who is grieving over the death of her boyfriend Samuel. He passed 2 years ago but for Joan it could have been yesterday. Her grief isn't getting any more manageable and it's starting to affect every aspect of her life. On the verge of getting fired, her boss gives her the hardest client they have. A very blunt and just plain rude famous romance writer, Carmen Bronze. She needs inspiration for her newest book and after peeking into Joan's notebook she offers her a side job as a research assistant. While taking notes on her clients and jotting them down for Carmen, the passion Joan once had for writing is reborn. She starts to write a love story of her own, what would happen if Samuel didn't die? This breathes life into Joan and the possibility of being happy again. This book touches on so many topics: romance, grief, starting over, believing in yourself and creating your own community. I'm so impressed this is a debut book. It was tender but also so funny. I couldn't put it down and read it in just a few days. I highly recommend this one and wish Megan all the success. It's sure to be a big hit. Thank you Zibby Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a laugh out loud book but also heartbreakingly sad at times for me to read. It was a very creative story idea and I was invested in the MC from the first few pages. I enjoyed the Vermont spa setting and all the characters we were introduced to there. It was an interesting glimpse into the lives of massage therapists!

I highly suggest giving this five star book a chance! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

From the first line to the last, this book had my heart. Super Bloom by Megan Tady is a book about healing, about finding yourself and about the transformative power of reading and writing. In it, we meet Joan. Joan is massage therapist struggling to recover from the unexpected death of her boyfriend while stuck in a job that she doesn’t appreciate or enjoy. An unexpected encounter with a new client sets her on a new path, a path that reminds her of her love of writing and opens her eyes to new possibilities, even if she does get in a bit of hot water, too. This book is beautifully written, laugh-out-loud funny and completely written for readers’ hearts to savor. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.

This was such a special read! It was a lovely and cozy romance but also touched on a lot of deep topics and grief. It was handled beautifully and I really adored the characters. I have never read anything by this author before and I can't wait for more titles!

Humor bumps up against grief in this entertaining rom-com about second chances. Thank you, Zibby Books and NetGalley, for a complimentary advance copy.

Super Bloom is the story of Joan, a massage therapist in Vermont who experienced a tragedy in her personal life 2 years ago. When we first meet Joan she is existing in a state of grief, that she feels few in her life can fully understand. On the verge of losing her job, she is given the task of dealing with a notoriously difficult client. After an interesting proposition from this client helps to ignite a fire in Joan, the book really takes off. I enjoyed watching Joan navigate her way through many emotions in this book. I was especially fond of the relationship she has with her Dad. This book is a great reminder that even when we are in our own dark days, there is life on the other side and plenty of people waiting to make new memories with us, we just need to open ourselves back up. Megan Tady does a great job balancing humor with grief and I enjoyed this book very much. Thank you to Zibby Books and Net Galley for this advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

This book was a sheer delight to read. Joan Johnston is a massage therapist at a posh Vermont Spa. She hates her job and has built a wall around herself to keep people away after the death of her boyfriend Samuel. She is hanging on to her job by a thread and is extremely frustrated.

Then she gets the worst client ever and she needs her to say she loved her massage or she will loose her job. . Reading about this massage was hilarious! Carmen Bronze is less that thrilled with the massage but comes up with a plan to save her job. She will pay Joan as a research assistant to help her with her next book and pay her for her work. Joan believes this will be the end of her financial struggles.

Carmen is portrayed as one controlling, heartless bitch. By the end of the book her heart has softened and she becomes friends with Joan. This is beautiful as both of them had suffered such huge losses yet together helped each other through to the other side.

This is a book of second chances, finding your true self, letting your guard down and moving forward that is beautifully written. It has a cast of endearing and quirky characters that warm your heart.