This is a heartwarming story that shows the struggles of a family after the death of a loved one.
Becca passes away and leaves Jack to raise their two daughters . Izzy tried her best to take care of her father and sister and feel needed . When Jack goes to a florist to find flowers for his daughter’s birthday he meets Flora and has an instant attraction to her . Izzy instantly feels resentment towards Flora as her little sister adores her and she starts to feel unneeded .
A trip that the family makes every year ends up being the first without their mother but ends up being just what they all needed .
Sarah Morgan has a way of emotionally connecting you to her stories and this is no exception. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for and ARC for my honest opinion .

Family for Beginners was another recent unexpected read that I ended up loving. It's an emotional story about a family putting their life back together after BEcca dies suddenly while trying to make room for someone new. I almost DNF'd this one. I was not enjoying the characters. Izzy and Jack in particular. Jack was so clueless and Izzy just needed her father to tell her to have some respect. But something compelled me to keep reading and I was swept along into this family's story. The story is told through three perspectives, Flora, Izzy and Clare. I ended up loving how all of the characters grew over the story. The ending was very sweet. I highly recommend this one/

Family for Beginners is another home-run for author, Sarah Morgan. Morgan has mastered the art of world building, family dynamics and the love that binds it all together. In this story, we meet Flora who lost her mother at a young age and dreams of having a family of her own someday. Working in a floral shop she meets Jack a widower with a teenage daughter, Izzy and younger daughter, Molly. From the outside it looks like Jack, Izzy and Molly are recovering well from their wife and mother's sudden death. But looks can be deceiving. As Flora and Jacks' relationship grows and Flora gets closer to the family, secrets are uncovered, anger rises to the surface and Flora isn't sure she will ever have the family she dreams of.

Fans of family dramas, second chances and cozy plots, will adore this book!

Sarah Morgan’s newest release “Family for Beginners” offers a comfy cozy read in the same style as her previous best-selling titles. Sweet and warm like a cup of tea and freshly baked scone, Morgan’s books always offer a soothing respite and this one delivers with a life-affirming exploration of love, loss, and the recognition that families come in all shapes and sizes.

“Family For Beginners” is a wonderful read perfect for staying in or curling up on a blanket outside while getting some fresh air. Grab this one right now. You won’t be disappointed.

This was a thoroughly delightful and heartwarming read with characters that I absolutely loved, especially adorable seven-year-old Molly.

My heart totally went out to Flora who, with no sense of family and belonging, tries so hard to fit in. She is involved with Jack who recently lost his wife Becca and is now raising teenage Izzy and seven-year-old Molly on his own. The characters are wonderfully and believably developed showing both their flaws and their strengths.

Flora wants to love and be loved but will she be able to let go of her past and her reluctance to open up in order to reach true intimacy with Jack and his family? Can Izzy get past her anger and pain and begin to accept Flora into their family? And Jack has his own secrets that will threaten their relationship when revealed. This story isn’t just about the romantic relationship between Flora and Jack. It is about, more importantly, family dynamics and the importance of each member in that family. I rejoiced as Flora took those first small steps in trusting and exposing her vulnerabilities.

The story doesn’t really find its footing until Flora joins Jack and his daughters on their annual summer vacation in England with Becca’s friend Clare at a place known as the Lake District. Away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, the story finds its strength in the genuineness of the evolving relationships. Warning: You may need tissues.

This is the first book that I have read by Sarah Morgan. I loved her writing style so now need to get some of her older books.

Thank you to Harlequin Books and HarperCollins for the advance ebook to review. All opinions are my own.

With a touching and sometimes searing look at families and how one’s expectations may not always be accurate, this book drew me in and held me the entire plot. I thought the pacing was excellent. The characters were realistic; there were no stereotypes, but lots of honest actions and reactions. And the witty banter (especially between Clare and her husband and Clare and her mom) made me smile in recognition. The author has a gift with creating familiar scenarios. I highly recommend this one. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a digital ARC of this book.

Sarah Morgan weaves a fascinating story of life, loss and love in Family for Beginners! Readers get a taste of the city life and a beautiful trip to the Lake district in England while following the lives of three very different women coming to terms with the loss of loved ones and the realization that family, just like love, comes in many different forms.

When New York florist Flora meets Jack, a recently widowed father of two daughters, the connection is instantaneous. Having lost her own mother at the age of eight and never knowing her father, Flora feels a strong kinship to his daughters before ever meeting them and wants to do everything she can to help Jack and his daughters get through this tough time. It's not long before her connection with Jack turns from friendship to blossoming love and Flora finds herself navigating the tricky waters of family life for the first time.

The last thing Jack's eldest daughter Izzy wants is change and that's exactly what Flora represents. Instead of giving Flora the chance to offer her own experiences and help Izzy come to terms with the feelings she's been bottling up since her mother's death a year ago, Izzy sets out to do everything she can to keep Flora on the outside of her family. But Flora's been on the outside her whole life and with the opportunity to join Jack's family within reach, she's determined to stand up for herself and finally get the family she's always wanted.

Love and loss are such difficult topics to discuss and I'm incredibly impressed with how Sarah Morgan tackled each topic with grace and real world wisdom. She also did a wonderful job of drawing each character out for readers. I couldn't help but feel my heart aching for all the characters at different points in the book.

I especially loved the exploration of friendship through Claire and Becca's relationship. Claire's mother offers incredible advice when it comes to outgrowing friends, something I've experienced on a few occasions, and I will forever reference that advice whenever people question my past decisions to end certain friendships. The exploration of people changing and growing (or regressing in the case of Becca) was exceptionally done in this novel.

I highly recommend Family for Beginners! It's the perfect summer read!

Thank you NetGalley, HQN Books and Sarah Morgan for the digital ARC.

A beautifully woven story! We meet Flora, who lost her mother at a young age and spent her childhood feeling quite unloved, and Jack, who has recently lost his wife Becca and is struggling to keep his family of two daughters together. They start a relationship and end up on vacation in England with the girls and Jack's wife's best friend. There is obviously a lot of conflict in the situation as all of the characters come to terms with what Becca's loss means to them and how they all fit into the new family dynamic that is being established. The book is narrated by Clare (Becca's best friend), Flora, and Izzy (Jack's older daughter) and it is very interesting to see their different views on the subjects and how they come together. Secrets are revealed, pain is faced, and we have to see what will survive in the end. Morgan tells a fabulous story with a firm grasp on humanity, grief, family dynamics, and what makes us human. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Meh. I don’t know what I was expecting when I read this book. I really like Morgan’s backlist, but her newer novels don’t have very satisfying romantic elements. If you don’t care about that, you’ll probably like this book.

Oh, I just loved this one! I've read almost everything that Morgan has written and this was one of my favorites. I loved the romance and the family back stories and the friendship storylines and the settings. ALL OF IT. I inhaled the book in one afternoon/evening :-)

What a gem! Sarah Morgan always writes such beautiful stories that warm my heart. This is such a lovely story about grief, new beginnings, and family dynamics. Flora as always been a little lonely, felt a little like an outsider. Her mother died when she was eight years old and she was sent to live with her Aunt who was more interested in her career than raising Flora. Izzy is 17 and still grieving the death of her mother. When Flora shows up to dinner with her father Jack, Izzy is none too pleased. Hurt and confused, and annoyed that little sister Molly has taken to Flora. Izzy is determined not to allow this interloper into her family. So, what happens when Jack invites Flora onto the family’s summer vacation?

Loved the story! Told from the alternating perspectives of Flora and Izzy, I really got both sides of the story. I really connected to both of these characters and found their grief and desires palpable. Flora really just wanted to belong and Izzy just really wanted to be understood. The first half of the book takes place in New York City and the second-half takes place in the Lake District in the UK. The Lake District was so beautifully described, I really hope I can make it there one day. The second half of the book also brought a third perspective, Claire, Izzy’s mother’s best friend. I really loved Claire’s personality she was so down to earth and kind. There is romance in this book between Jack and Flora. It was a sweet slow burn romance, and I thought that worked perfectly in the story where the focus really was on family. A delightful story that just made me feel good!

This book in emojis 👨‍👧‍👧 🐶 💐 🐎 🛶

*** Big thank you to HQN for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This was an engaging book about blended families, the longing for family, and the realization that no families are perfect.

Flora is a florist (ha!) who meets a handsome guy one day as he comes into the shop where she works to buy flowers for his daughters. He's a widower, and they start spending time together. Before long, she's his girlfriend and meeting his two daughters.

Flora doesn't think she knows anything about families, as she was orphaned as a child. She certainly doesn't know anything about being a stepmother. Jack's former wife seemed to be perfect, and that's intimidating too. Jack's teenage daughter Izzy is still angry about the loss of her mother.

All of them will learn a lot about family and love.

Really enjoyed this one and will look for more books by this author.

Building a Blended Family

Flora, a talented florist, finally has what she always wanted, an apartment of her own, but now it somehow feels empty. She’s an orphan who was raised by an aunt who was a difficult person. Secretly she longs to be a part of a family. Then she meets Jack.

Jack is a widower with a two daughters: Izzy, a teenager, and Molly who is seven. Izzy has been taking care of the family ever since her mother’s death and she’s jealous of her place in the family. When Flora is introduced to the family and even more when Jack wants her to be part of their annual vacation with Becca’s long term friend, Clare, in the Lake District in England, Izzy is angry and resentful.

This is a well developed character driven novel. The major characters have lessons to learn in how to be a family. Flora grew up as a people pleaser. She finds that she has to be less accommodating to come across as a real person. Izzy has to deal with her anger, which as a teen, is right on the surface. Molly is delightful. She brings pure love into the story. Jack is an excellent character. He loves his family, but he loves Flora too and wants to make the new family succeed.

The story starts in New York, but the most delightful descriptions of the setting take place in the Lake District. Clare’s family has a lovey estate with a renovated boat house that is used for guests. I would love to visit there. This is a heartwarming story about making blended families work. I recommend it if you enjoy well developed characters.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Nice story about how families are messy, but they are also fun. Flora is a florist and she meets a widow guy one day at the flower shop. Then she starts to have a romantic interest on him, and discovers that he comes with a full complicated broken family - with two broken kids that recently lost their mothers. She goes on to navigate the love interest and the family, and in the mean time discover her own flaws. It's a nice story about families and starting over new after the loss of someone.

Thanks goes to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Marriage for Beginners by Sarah Morgan for purposes of reading and reviewing prior to publication. My opinions are my own and no one has influenced me.

Marriage for Beginners is a well written emotional reading experience that deals with grief, loss, betrayal, and family. The pacing pulled me in and kept me enmeshed with the enthralling plot from start to finish.

Flora Donovan’s character is quirky and bouncy. She presents an optimistic attitude to the world because she wants to fit in and has never that she did, not with her aunt, or school friends and even her co-workers. She works as a florist and loves building beautiful arrangements and dreams of who will enjoy them. I loved her character from the beginning. She has so many insecurities, and identified with her feelings of not fitting in.

Jack Parker is a lovely hero who’s dealing with raising his two daughters after his wife’s death. His teenager has taken over the household, ensuring her little sister’s needs are met. When he brings Flora home for dinner, it does not sit well with Izzy. Poor Jack is a little clueless, not looking below the surface, believing his kids are moving on. He’s holding his secrets close to protect his daughters, not wanting them to know anything that could tarnish their memories of their mother.

The romance between Flora and Jack grows cautiously. There’s no doubt they care for each other, but since there are children, they must take it slow. I loved how Flora tries so hard to fit in and not disturb Izzy, even though the seventeen-year-old is clearly not happy over his father’s new love interest.

Marriage for Beginners is so much more than a romance. It’s a novel of a family trying to heal, and secrets being held to protect each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely novel and so glad I accepted the invitation from HQN. Happy reading!

Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the story and characters. Flora and Izzy were my favourite characters. I loved how they were.
Flora works in a florist and meets Jack. Flora is lonely and she was orphaned as a child. Jack has lost his wife Becca. He has 2 girls Izzy and Molly. Can they be a happy family? Some parts did bring tears to my eyes. The ending was perfect. 4*.
I would like to thank netgalley and harlequin romance for my copy.

What a wonderful story! Flora is a single woman living in NYC and working at a flower shop, which is her passion. She inherited this passion from her mother, who passed away when she was young. She meets Jack, a single dad of 8yo & 17yo daughters, whose wife passed away last year. Jack & Flora have a pretty instant connection, but Flora becoming part of this family has some complications. I loved all the characters, and all the beautiful and complicated ways they dealt with love, grief and healing. Highly recommend this book!

Such a lovely story about love and loss and family and honesty. I thought the author wrote Izzy beautifully. She could have come across as a brat but my heart ached for her. Such well written , multidimensional characters.

An orphaned florist who has always longed for a family of her own falls in love with a widow.after she helps him choose a a flower arrangement for one his daughters. But when he brings her home for the first time, she learns that the road to winning his children over will be anything but smooth.

Sarah Morgan's characters have so much depth and so she makes it so easy to admire and fall in love with them--though Flora trying to get everyone in Jack's life to love her is not easy at all. Characters are genuine; From Flora's naivete regarding how to be a part of a family to Izzy's extremely stubborn and prickly attitude towards her father's new girlfriend. Readers will be hard-pressed to find a dishonest character in this one. Morgan's exploration of grief is special--how do you stay mad or disappointed at someone who died, especially knowing their history? But what if they did something hurtful, unforgivable? An engaging love story in which romance actually takes a backseat to familial themes.

Sarah Morgan is a best selling British author of women's fiction. Her last novel was 'One Summer In Paris'. This new release revolves around 30 year old Flora whose mother died young. She was raised by a cold and distant aunt and has always wanted a family. She meets Jack who is a widow with two daughters. She thinks this relationship has a future, but in order to make it work she must win over Jack's troubled teenage daughter Izzy. This book is a romance with an underlying theme about family dynamics, secrets and assumptions. It is a wonderful recommendation for someone looking for a lighter read and I admit I stayed up way too late to finish it as I really enjoyed it.