I love the idea of stories that revolve around Mother's Day. Nothing a mother doesn't like more than having all their children find happiness.

I will admit that I was drawn to the book because Lori Foster had a story in it. I don't read Fern Michaels but I do enjoy Carolyn Brown's books. If you follow me then you know I love a good anthology.

Amazing Grace by Michals is more women's fiction than romance which is why I don't often read Michaels. Not that there is anything wrong with women's fiction but it's just not my cup of tea. The story isn't bad it just didn't call to me.

The Mother's Day Crown. I just love that title. This is a fun story to read with characters that sometimes upstage the hero and heroine. I enjoyed it and it's worth reading.

Meant to Be by Foster is why I wanted to read this book. I love her Visitation series so I couldn't wait for this one. It's well worth the read. I enjoyed visiting past characters and seeing how everyone grew up. This is a fun, sweet romance that you'll enjoy.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley
Let me first just say that I love all three of these authors so much and their work but together they are unstoppable! The richness of the stories the settings and these women's beautiful minds come together in a colorful collage of wonder.

In Bloom is a spring romance collection of stories from three authors; Fern Michaels, Lori Foster, and Carolyn Brown. The fictional tales are:-
Amazing Gracie written by Fern Michaels;
The Mother’s Day Crown by Carolyn Brown;
Lori Foster's Meant to Be.

I have previously read novels by Fern Michaels and Carolyn Brown however, Lori Foster was a new author for me. All three of the stories were great and perfect for Spring. Amazing Gracie is all about three related women and two of them have kept a secret from the other one for many years. In The Mother’s Day Crown, Monica Allen and Tyler Magee were teenage sweethearts but can they move on or is a second chance on the cards? Lori Foster's Meant to Be features Cory and Austin. Cory believes she knows her destiny but it's not happening so will she make the changes she is contemplating?

In Bloom was a terrific seasonal/ special occasion anthology of motherhood and love that was a joy to read. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books, Zebra via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

In Bloom Anthology consists of three stories celebrating mothers. Each stands on its own. The three stories are a fiction short story Amazing Gracie by Fern Michaels, and two romance short stories, Meant To Be by Lori Foster and The Mother's Day Crown by Carolyn Brown

Amazing Gracie
Short Story in In Bloom Anthology
By Fern Michaels

Zebra Books - May 2022

Contemporary Fiction

Gracie Walden was looking forward to Mother's Day to be with her mother and sister. She may travel the world with her job as a flight attendant, but returning to where she grew up was always the best. They had two weeks to cram as much as they could do together.

Gracie had expected easy camaraderie, but it seemed that there were unsettling undercurrents between her mother and sister. They may insist all was well, Gracie was equally insistent something was wrong.

Amazing Gracie is a story of a woman's relationship with the two most important women in her life. I enjoyed watching the three women reconnect and celebrate on the town.

Meant To Be
Visitation, North Carolina Series - Book 6
Short Story in In Bloom Anthology
By Lori Foster

Zebra Books - May 2022

Contemporary Romance

Cory Creed had always known she would marry Austin Winston. It had been when they were still children that she had shared her knowledge, much to her everlasting chagrin. For since that day, Austin had meticulously tried to prove her wrong. The trouble with having the ability to see the future that someone else fought so hard against was the knowledge of the happiness she was being denied.

It was time to move on.

The town put on a great Mother’s Day party, and Austin should have been enjoying himself. Instead, something was wrong. For once, it appeared that Cory was actively avoiding him, and Austin didn't like that one bit. Cory had always been there, always been a part of their family, and he was beginning to realize that she was a big part of who he was. Learning that she was blocking her abilities and planning to start anew somewhere else, Austin knows what he has to do. Cory may have had years understanding what the future held for them, and he may be new to desiring that, but Austin would use all his skills to heal the rift his reticence had caused, and help Cory embrace the abilities that helped make her one of the most amazing women he knew.

Meant To Be is a sweet romance of healing, friendship and romance. I loved all the characters and their interactions, and meddling, with one another. I found Cory's ability fascinating and enjoyed watching Austin help her embrace her abilities. I hadn't read the romances of either of the parents, but definitely plan to do so. This was a lovely romance perfect for a Mother's Day anthology

The Mother's Day Crown
Short Story in In Bloom Anthology
By Carolyn Brown

Zebra Books - May 2022

Contemporary Romance

Dotty and Winnie had plans. They each wanted to win the Mother's Day Crown at the Pecan Valley Retirement Center. And they wanted their grandchildren to marry. They had their work cut out for them on that one since Monica and Tyler had broken up ten years earlier.

Monica had visited her grandmother so much that her home had been another home to her. Now, with her grandmother living in a retirement center, she was making it official and moving into the home. The only problem was her neighbor, the grandson of the other former owner, Tyler. The sneaky, back-stabbing former boyfriend she had never gotten over - scratch that. She had gotten over, and had no intention of interacting with in any capacity.

Tyler regretted the loss of his best friend, his girlfriend, the woman he probably would have been married to. Learning that she would be his new neighbor, Tyler is determined to try one more time. First as friendly neighbor. Then a friend. Always with the focus on a happily ever after.

The Mother's Day Crown was a fun romance with sass, spitfire, and romance. The sass and spitfire being the two grandmothers always in competition and conspiring, but full of heart. Monica and Tyler's story was a lovely reunion romance, although I feel it shouldn't have taken them so long. The Mother's Day Crown was an entertaining addition for a Mother's Day Anthology.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

Moms are the best. So are grandmas and also moms that aren’t necessarily biologically related to their children. This anthology by three great authors is replete with great family moments and will make you grab a box of tissues.
Fern Michael’s is a sweet story about a mother and her two daughters. One has a deep secret, however, that could change the course of the family history.
Lori Foster’s novella is about a young woman who can see into the future, she knows what man she wants, but is he too put off by her insight. Maybe their moms can help….
Carolyn Brown delivers two spicy seniors who scheme to get their grandkids back together because they want a great grandchild. I snickered As I read every page Of this short story.
The one problem with the book is that the stories were too short!

In Bloom is a beautiful spring romance compilation of three stories from three amazing authors; Fern Michaels, Lori Foster, and Carolyn Brown. While I have read Fern Michaels and Lori Foster previously, Carolyn Brown was a new to me author. All three of the books were beautifully written and perfect for Spring and even Mother's Day. These books are definitely geared for the female reader. I'm looking forward to reading more from these authors!

Fern Michaels = Amazing Grace
Carolyn Brown = The Mother’s Day Crown
Lori Foster = Meant to Be

In Bloom: Three Delightful Love Stories Perfect for Spring Reading

Mother’s Day trio of sweet heartfelt romances written by well known authors in the romance genre. This book gave me an opportunity to read two authors I have not read before and also read a short story by an author I love to read.

Fern Michaels starts the book out with a story of three women related by birth and two of them have kept a secret from the other for years. This was an easy read and the secret was not a surprise to me…though it no doubt was a surprise to Gracie.

Lori Foster’s story came second and was about a woman that feels her life is standing still and needs to change. Monica knows what she wants but it is not happening so she contemplates making some changes. Whether or not she will make those changes depends a great deal on Austin and what he decides to do.

The final story, by Carolyn Brown, was about the second chance that Monica and Tyler are given to find their happily ever after. There are grandmothers plotting and planning for a big Mother’s Day event, an event from the past for Monica and Tyler deal with, and a Houdini cat in the mix, too.

This collection would make a nice gift to someone who is a mother and likes to read sweet romances with happy endings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

All three of these stories were good, quick little reads. I enjoyed reading them. thank you to the publisher, netgalley and the authors for the ARC.

In Bloom is a collection of three novellas centered on motherhood that would make a perfect Mother's Day gift for a mom who loves to read romance and women's fiction.

Amazing Gracie by Fern Michaels follows flight attendant Gracie Walden to her family home in Texas to spend some time with her mother and older sister. While she's there, some unexpected truths about her past come to light and change her views of her family forever. While I predicted fairly early on what the big reveal in this story would be, it was still really fun to see how the author hinted at the truth and also the plot points she used to get us there. I really liked the family dynamic among the three women, and the dialogue felt really realistic.

Meant to Be by Lori Foster is about Cory, who, thanks to a clairvoyant gift, knew from an early age that she was destined to marry Austin, and made the mistake of telling him this information before he was ready to hear it. Cory is ready to walk away from the possiblity of their relationship, but her mother and Austin's mother are determined to prove they belong together. The hint of paranormal abilities in this book was a little too subtle for me. I'm not big on fantasy or magic, but this device would have worked better if it had been emphasized a bit more heavily. I do always enjoy a second chance romance, and the added involvement of the moms in this love connection was a fun spin.

The Mother's Day Crown by Carolyn Brown stars two grandmothers who are neighbors in an assisted living facility. Their grandchildren, Monica and Tyler, dated as teenagers but broke up over Tyler's indiscretion with another girl. With both grandkids in the same town for two weeks, the grandmothers hope they'll be able to work out their differences and decide to be together once and for all. The grandmas in this story were so feisty and funny to read about. Their banter was almost better than the banter between the hero and heroine. I think this final novella was my favorite of the three.

Christmas-themed novella collections are ubiquitous, but there are far fewer connected to other seasons and occasions. I'd love to see more like this one!

Themed anthologies are great from a perspective of getting to sample different authors, but sometimes they aren't long enough for as much plot and character development. This book has three different stories that follow a Mother's Day theme.

Amazing Gracie definitely falls into a Women's Fiction/family type genere. It is all about Gracie coming home to spend Mother's Day with her mom and sister. This story seemed to move very slow until the very end which left me with a what is the point type feeling for awhile. I enjoyed it a lot more when the twist happened at the end.

Meant to Be really surrounded a romance with Cory and Winston with a little pushing from their mothers. Cory's "special abilities" added some relationship complications. This one had a nice romance portion that happened quickly, but it seemed a bit too rushed. I also would have liked more of a tie to the Mother's Day theme since that seemed like a side thought.

The Mother's Day Crown was my favorite of the three. The long lost relationship kindling of Monica and Tyler was nice, but the real stars of this story were their grandmothers. The grandmothers added a bunch of comedic relief with their constant competing with eachother.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

In Bloom
Fern Michaels
Lori Foster
Carolyn Brown
April 26, 2022

Three spring novelas are presented in one novel each by a well known romance artist. Amazing Grace greets readers with a welcome home story of Ella, whose daughters Hope and Gracie return to Amarillo, Texas for their Mother’s Day celebration. Each year they make plans to honor their mom by having special plans every day for two weeks. With each of the girls working their professional jobs during the year this enables all three to catch up and relax. A lovely, heartwarming tale that Michaels spins for readers.
The second is Meant To Be by Lori Foster. She writes a story of father, Jamie Creed and daughter, Cory who share a gift. It’s something they both have learned to adjust to. They can each see visions of the future. This ability for prognostication makes life difficult yet very interesting. Most friends do not know of the power they possess. Some who do know choose not to accept the alliance. It is a very unique tale!
The third novella is The Mother’s Day Crown by Carolyn Brown. We meet friends Dottie and Winnie who have recently moved into a retirement village in Luella, Texas. They are celebrating their freedom from home ownership. No yards to mow, no sidewalks to shovel. We are introduced to Monica Allen and Tyler Magee. The duo has yet to forgive each other for the teenage heartbreak of years ago. They are each visiting the grandmothers who just happen to live next door to each other.
In Bloom will be published on April 26, 2022 by Zebra Books of Kensington Publishing Corporation. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review this latest publication via NetGalley. It is a fun romcom by three excellent authors who are adept at their craft. It would be a delightful Mother’s Day gift this season. Do enjoy!

It would be appropriate if NetGalley allowed shorter reviews because sometimes there isn't anything positive to say. This book is one of those times. Disappointing read for me from three great authors. Hard pass on this one.

I loved this collection of authors. Each story was different, but held my attention. My favorite was Carolyn Brown's because almost all her stories I relate to. This is a wonderful set to have.

three stories by three different authors. all the stories are good. really enjoyed reading this book.

The best thing about anthologies is getting a sampling of new authors. Fern Michaels is a new to me author and I've been curious about her books. Based off this anthology, she is the first story in the book and it is more of a women's fiction than romance. While her writing was good, I do prefer romance over women's fiction. I just like the extra excitement over a romance story.

Lori Foster's story was 2nd in the book and I was thrilled to learn it is about some characters I know and love. If you have read 'Say No to Joe' you will recognize the whole family in this. It's specifically catered around Austin as an adult. The heroine is the daughter of Jamie and Faith. I'm so happy I got to see their love story bloom.

The last and final story is from Carloyn Brown. I have read one book by her in the past so I knew I would like her writing. Tyler and Monica's story is fun but a bit tame for a romance. Their grandmothers practically stole the show from these two. I think those two ladies are having more fun in their 80's than I am in my 40's!

I would have liked this collection better if the stories hadn't been pushed toward romance so quickly. There were a lot of funny parts in these novellas that made it so easy to read and it is just the perfect kind of book where the reader doesn't have to invest a lot of brain space to be thoroughly entertained.

Fern Michaels' novella is a sweet story about moms and daughters coming to terms with family secrets and with family love winning out over all.

The Lori Foster novella is my least favorite of the three stories in this book. The path of love between Cory and Austin was a bit of a stretch for how quickly it developed.

Carolyn Brown wrote what was to me the funniest story in the collection. The meddling grandmas really took the cake on this one.

All in all, In Bloom is an enjoyable read for those lazy afternoons when what the reader needs is an escape with a story, a blanket, and a cup of tea. Four stars.

Kensington Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This is a Spring anthology by three fabulous authors highlighting the importance of motherhood and family.
Amazing Gracie by Fern Michaels is the story of a young woman who must come to terms with her true identity and the truth about her family. This one will keep you guessing.
Meant To Be by Lori Foster - Cory Creed KNOWS things before they happen. She is going to marry Austin Winston and told him so when she was just a child. Totally freaked out by this revelation Austin avoids Cory at all costs until she gives up, decides to move away and start over somewhere else without him. The thought of Cory never being around isn't something Austin ever thought would happen. He just assumed she would always be close. He can't imagine a life without her in it. He has to fix this and FAST.
The Mother's Day Crown by Carolyn Brown is a fun story. Two meddling grandmothers are determined to get their grandchildren back together. At one time those kids were inseparable until a meddling busy body tore them apart. It's been ten years and that's enough time wasted so the grandmothers plot a way to bring them together. Monica and Tyler still love each other but the lengths the grandmothers will go to get them together is a hoot. Very entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley and Zebra Books for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I received an electronic ARC from Kensington Books, through NetGalley.
Three sweet romance stories wrapped around Mother's Day.
AMAZING GRACIE by Fern Michaels captures the special bond between a mother and her adult daughters who gather each year for Mother's Day. This year is different and tensions are high between two of them. A surprise reveal that is a rather obvious one comes near the end. Michaels writes with a tender touch and fully develops her characters so readers feel they know them.

MEANT TO BE by Lori Foster returns readers to the Winston clan. This short story revolves around Cory, Jaime and Faith's daughter, and Austin, Joe and Luna's adopted son. As Cory inherited her father's gifts, she has seen their life together for years. Austin has ignored her and avoided a relationship. A sudden change in attitude moves them both into new connections and changed boundaries. Foster captures the needs that drive humans and emphasizes how family wraps together.

THE MOTHER'S DAY CROWN by Carolyn Brown is a humorous multi-generational story that unites two old friends and grandmothers in their commitment to get their grandchildren back together. A traumatic event happened at the end of Tyler and Monica's senior year and they haven't really spoken in ten years. Both are now living in their grandmothers' next door to each other homes. Readers see the way each learns to trust and forgive and figure out if they want to be together again. A sweetly humorous story with the focus on two elderly women who take center stage.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of In Bloom. This is my personal review.
When I want to escape for a little while there is nothing better than a book like In Bloom. It is a book with three stories in one by three wonderful authors. Amazing Gracie by Fern Michaels, Meant to Be by Lori Foster and Mother's Day Crown by Carolyn Brown are the stories in this book.
Each one has a theme of second chances and Mother’s Day. The time spent within the pages of these stories is time well spent. The stories are all different but each is a good read.

In Bloom is a set of short stories by Fern Michaels, Carolyn Brown and Lori Foster.
Mother's day themed, sweet and heartwarming coming to us
Amazing Gracie by F. Michaels
Meant to Be by Lori Foster
Mother's Day Crown by C. Brown.
All three shorts are precious liitle gems, with a stiúnning cover. 4,5 stars.