Cover Image: A Life Without Flowers

A Life Without Flowers

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Member Reviews

“You can’t fix this. You have to learn to live with it.”-Judith

This book is the continuation of A Life Without Water. You really should read the first book first so you’ll know why this story is being told. This story starts off strong when Carol decides to make a trip to Florida see her mom. They’ve never seen eye to eye so she already knows that this will be a trying trip. Carol grew up in a home with cold parents that were always criticizing everything that they didn’t like. She was never close to them.

After she arrives at her mom’s house, she must tread water. Her aunt Ellen is the mediator that keeps things going smoothly. They plan a trip in Carol’s RV to visit places that Katie, who passed away 24 years ago, would’ve liked to visit. I think this is a good bonding opportunity despite what Carol and her mother, Judith, have been through. Will this trip reach a breaking point that will promote healing?

I really enjoyed how the author told this story about forgiveness, grief, loss, and healing. She explained it in a real and relatable way. I enjoyed seeing how the daily struggles played out but were shown with grace. Carol showed a lot of growth by the end of the book.

I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the next one. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review. All opinions stated here are my own.

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This is the second book and follow up to A Life Without Water and an amazing and extremely emotional continuation of Carol's journey to forgiveness, self discovery and moving on. I do feel that it is extremely important that you not read this one as a stand alone as you will lose so much of the story and the emotions. If you want a story that will bring out all the feels and make you cry, this is a good place to look. I found tears running down my cheecks several times but I didn't want to quit reading. Marci continues to tell an amazing story about how Carol is finding herself and learning to forgive the people who hurt her the most and she's also starting to understand that things aren't always what they seem on the surface. When you look inside you find a whole new reason for pretty much everything. Marci is such an amazing writer that she has truly made Carol's story come alive for me and has firmly imprinted these characters on my heart and I'm so excited to find out where Carol's journey will ultimately end in the next book.

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A Life Without Flowers was another emotionally charged book by Marci Bolden. The tragedies Carol has lived through make her story one that tears you apart from the inside out. I cried lots of tears. Bolden's writing makes you believe you are truly living right beside her characters, feeling their pain and trying to come to terms with their grief.

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Many thanks to Netgalley, Pink Sand Press and Marci Bolden for my copy. I loved A Life without Water so was excited to read the sequel and it didn't disappoint. It picks up where the story left off with Carol doing her RV trip. I love the characters and the moving storyline. It is beautifully written too.

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A Life Without Flowers by Marci Bolden is the second novel telling the story of Carol Denman, who had lost her young daughter in an accident. She's always felt unloved by her parents and it became worse after the death of her daughter, when she took off without a word because she couldn't handle it. Years later, after the death of her second husband, in an effort to make up with her mother and get to know her, she takes off on a road trip with her mother and her aunt in order to scatter her daughter's and first husband's ashes in places they would have loved to go together. This trip allows them to get know each other better and begin to make amends for all years gone by.

This novel is a very emotional telling of the rift between a child and her parents and the lengths that some will go to in order to mend them. As with the first novel, I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you to the author, Pink Sand Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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I am so in love with the beautiful series.

A box of kleenex will be needed to read this book, a book about letting go and moving on from the past and rebuilding relationships, there are just no words that will do this book justice, it is heartbreaking beautiful.

This is the second book in the series and book one is a must read before this one.

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A Life Without Flowers is another great book of learning to forgive past mistakes and make the best of what life has to offer now. Carol is wanting to mend the broken relationship she has with her mother Judith. Together they take a road trip hoping to shed the bitterness and resentments from the past. This is the second book in the A Life Without Water series. Once again Marci Bolden has given us a very emotional read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Pink Sand Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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In Life Without Water we saw glimpses of Caroline’s troubled relationship with her parents. Now in A Life Without Flowers we are shown the full picture of how deep the misunderstandings and hurt truly were. Caroline/Carol has passed away and now she wants to mend the relationship with her mother Judith. Together Carol, Judith and Aunt Ellen embark on a journey that helps them break down all the walls that have kept them apart.

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A Life Without Flowers by Marci Bolden picks up the story of Carol Denman where A Life Without Water ends. Having not read the first book, the onus was on me to piece together the gaps in my knowledge, but Ms Bolden does an admirable job of revisiting the plot up to this point without ever becoming redundant, and I very quickly felt that I was in the frame.

Carol is a woman who has suffered unimaginable loss, and must now learn not only to forgive herself for the past, but to rebuild a life that will sustain her moving forward. The relationship between Carol and her mother Judith is at the centre of the journey this time around, and I am curious to see what is in store for Carol as the series continues.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pink Sand Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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This Writer can rip your heart out and before you reach for that next tissue, she makes you laugh ! I guess thats a good thing, but my sinuses would disagree !
Book 2," A Life Without Flowers " Carol Denman continues on her Journey she Started in " A life Without Water"! can it get anymore emotional then the 1st book? Oh yes it sure does! This time she connects with her mother Judith and her Aunt Ellen in her quest for answers and really for a connection/relationship shes never really had with her mother & father! Ellen is a "Hoot" that is the guiding force in helping mother and daughter become just that! the 3 take to the road in Carols RV to continue what she started in book 1! Her mother in-law Mary and family continue to be there for her! and are her family in every way that counts! this is a powerful series that will hit true to many that struggle with these same issues! I so look forward to book 3 the conclusion (i think ) of this series! you must read book 1 first! and while waiting till December for book 3 A Life Without Regrets, may I suggest the " Stonehill Series " also by Marci Bolden!

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Marci Bolden series A Life Without is heart wrenching. The first is A Life Without Water then A Life Without Flowers and a third, A Life Without Regrets, is in the works. I would recommend that you read them in order. They could be read as stand alone but they are a much richer read in order. I am impressed how Bolden enhanced scenes from the first novel within the second, never just repeating dialog and events but enriching them. This series is a journey of life and deaths. It is how a young woman learns to tread through a life with joys, hardships, and debilitating loses. How she comes to terms with what life has thrown at her and her reactions and responses to those events. How she learns about acceptance and forgiveness. It is a hard therapeutic journey that is not the easy route but it is enlightening and restorative in end. I can't wait for the next one in the series to see where else her life journey will take her and how she grows emotionally from the journey. The novels make one introspective as to your own life journey and how to make peace with your past Heart wrenching as well as heartwarming.

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Carole has put all her goods into a camper van and decides to reach out to her retired mother one last time. Past relations, previous mistakes and a choice are all waiting for her here.
This family story is sad and very moving. Holding on to the memory of her flower garden keeps Carole her centred and grounded and finding out the background to the whole story is needed so everyone can finally understand what has happened. The relationship with her mother is not as broken as they both think. Talking and discussing your feelings is always the way forward and I really enjoyed the way Carole and her mother finally reach an understanding. This is a well told story and makes me want to read more from this author

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This is the second book in the series and carries on from “A Life Without Water”

Carol has recently lost her husband Tobias, she travels to Florida to try and make amends with her mother Judith in her camper van. They have never been close but the first anniversary of her husbands death is approaching and she wants to reconcile with her before it is too late.

This is such a beautifully written book that had me on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. I just adored this and didn’t want it to end!! Top tip is to have some tissues close to you!!

A must read series that will keep you engrossed from the first page and will stay with you long after finishing the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

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This is the follow up the the book A life without water. Twenty-four years after losing her daughter in a tragic accident, Carol Denman has finally made peace with Katie’s father. But releasing her ex-husband from blame and facing how deeply she held herself responsible were only the first steps in Carol’s journey toward peace.

With the pain of her failed first marriage behind her, Carol is determined to mend her broken relationship with her mother. But she soon discovers she isn’t the only one who has been hanging on to bitterness. A road trip to face the past leads Carol’s mother, Judith, to unearth the seeds of past mistakes and deep resentments in ways neither of them would expect.

The characters and story line are well developed. I was left wanting more. This book is about loss and family. I definitely recommend.

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A Life Without Flowers is a bittersweet, hopeful read that explores forgiveness, understanding, and the process of grief. While the book is full of tragedies and pain, the overall message is one of redemption and love.

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I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Having read the previous book in the series I was keen to see if the author could sustain the style, intensity and emotion in this latest book. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed as for me there was no real intensity in the book.
The story concentrates on Carol’s relationship with her parents and is written very well and heartfelt and emotional. A little bit repetitive and slightly too slow paced for me.
I do recommend before reading this book you read the first in the series, A life without Water. It puts this continuation story in context., although there are some flashbacks.
3.5 stars

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This is the second book in a series. It's a heart wrenching story that continues where the first book, A Life Without Water, ended. A woman, Carol, who has lost so much. She's endured more tragedy than any one person should have too. The pain of losing a child is enough to send a person over the edge. Add to that the loss of two husbands and a childhood filled with lack of caring and understanding from her parents and you have a woman who could be at her breaking point. Carol went on a road trip in the first book with her ex-husband to try and put the past to rest and to make peace with him over the loss of their daughter. She had also lost her second husband who was the true love of her life to an accident that she partly blames herself for.

Carol now is trying to make peace with her mother and learn how to forgive her father. Her dad was a man who pushed her to always do better. No matter how good she did things it was not enough for him. He wanted nothing less than perfection. My opinion is she was way to forgiving of both of her parents. She was a child when they pushed her most of the time. She wasn't allowed to have a childhood like other children. Through interactions with others is how she would learn to grow. To be a wife, mother and daughter. But they didn't allow it. She was made to practice everything that her dad wanted her to do until she had it to perfection. I would not forgive him even in death. I would not have been so eager to forgive the mother either. It's ok to make peace but her mom allowed the things to happen. She never took up for Carol and never treated her like a normal child. I loved her in-laws. Her mother in law from her second marriage is more than just a friend. She's a mom that Carol never had. She gives her great advice. I really liked her so much.

This story is very sad in places and will make you weep. It goes back to the first book a lot and talks about the things that happened in the past that got Carol to where she is now. The many losses. The fears. The loves. All the things that she needs to find a place for and to be able to move on. I recommend you do read the first book or in my opinion you will be a tad lost in this one. Or at least you will truly appreciate this one way more if you read the first one. I strongly recommend that you do.

This book had great characters. You will feel their loves and losses. The scenes are exceptional and draw you right in. The story is sad in so many places. When it goes back to the past you feel the pain that Carol feels. The tears will flow not doubt. It's a great story though. It will keep you wanting to read. You will want to know how she deals with everything. If she forgives her dad and mom. If she can make peace with the loss of her child.

There is another book coming in this series. It will be the final I believe. Will Carol find closure for all and be able to move on with her life? Will she find happiness in a world of pain and hurt? She sure should. She deserves it completely. Time for her to take "one step at a time."

Thank you #NetGalley, #PinkSandsPublishers, #MarciBolden for this ARC. This is my own review.

A 4/5 stars and a high recommendation.

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I read a lot of reviews of this this book on Face book and most of them were 5⭐️ so I had high expectations of this book . Apparently some needed a big box of tissues (sorry I must be unemotional, I had some but didn’t need any ) . It’s well written and the author kept my interest going but I was expecting some twist or turn at the end, which although the ending was sad I felt fell a bit flat. Thought that maybe some further descriptions of the places visited may have improved this slightly. I am slowly plodding through the second book as was lucky enough to get both and will leave separate feedback for that.

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I loved this emotional and therapeutic read as Carol continues her journey - this time to mend the broken relationship with her mother, Judith. I loved being with Carol, and sharing all of her emotions. I laughed, cried and sighed as she sought healing and redemption from a lifetime of emotional neglect. Ms. Bolden once again kept me completed captivated and totally immersed in all that was happening and I wasn't ready for the book to end when I got to the last page. I can hardly wait to read book three in this must-read series. I received an advance reader copy of "A Life Without Flowers" from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

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Carol’s childhood is one I cannot relate to but I know there are many who will feel her pain as their own. I was worried that this was going to be a book filled with mother and daughter arguments that left the reader very uncomfortable because it starts out that way but it’s interesting how they gradually start to listen to each other and put the anger aside to heal. So many great lessons here, especially how parents shape their kids future, and seeing how one emotionally abused child grows up and the effects that a non-loving mom & dad have on a little life. It’s heart wrenching, but I only cried once - at their first stop to drop some of Katie’s ashes. I had to do that same thing myself after losing my 20 year old son Aaron. The description of not just Carol, but Judith’s pain shook me to my core. Really a great book about tough family relationships and loss. I like how the author stuck to the theme instead of making this a mushy romance.

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