𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.

This story stuck with me like many of Melissa Brayden's stories do. She's a good writer, one of my favourites, in fact, and even though my heart was ripped out and fixed back several times in the course of reading this book, I pretty much just went with it and loved it.

Aster is the main reason for my enjoyment. She's the main character, the youngest Lavender sister and she's a total surprise. I thought she was going to be a wallflower but she wasn't. Even within the first quarter of the book, her personality showed. I like that she's direct and is a good communicator and by the end of the book, she came into her own and really blossomed both in terms of her personality and career. The problem is with her love interest, the interim town vet, Brynn, who's in her own head and so wishy-washy. Brynn frustrates me but the good thing is, I really like the idea of them together and the chemistry is there.

I'm not sure if there's going to be a part two but I do think there's potential for a follow up story and would really love it if it does get written.

This book had me on an emotional rollercoaster, from smiling one minute to a tearing up mess the next, then back to smiling and I loved every minute of it.

I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just say that this book had so many layers and complex topics that I was constantly wanting to read what would happen next. And I’ve never wanted to untie a knot faster. Here’s to hoping we get Marigold’s story in the future.

Side note, Maple bacon donuts are my weakness and now I wish I could try the infamous Piggly Wigglies.

The Lavender Sister is a sweet story with Aster Lavender a small town donut maker and Brynn Garrett, a veterinarian in town to fill in for a friend for a few months.
These two keep crossing paths with more sugar and holes than Aster's donuts.
The story is very laid back and there really aren't any surprises along the way.
Melissa Brayden writes interesting stories but this one seemed less interesting than her others.

Thank you @NetGalley @BoldStrokesBooks for this ARC

I love many of Brayden's novels, but the most recent ones didn't quite work for me. This one broke the spell and I want to read it again for the first time. What a fantastic read.

The Last Lavender Sister is an angsty novel with engaging and relatable characters. Brynn and Aster lead normal lives, nothing fancy or matters of life-or-death, and I've come to realize that it's something I find endearing with many Brayden novels. They're just normal citizens whose lives are being told by a talented author. (Ok, Aster is brilliant at everything she does but still, it's a story that could happen to anyone.) And I loved the supporting characters.

However, I could see how some would probably find this more frustrating than endearing. There were many instances that I wanted to shake Brynn and Aster - 99% of the time Brynn - to get it together. Their push and pull can put some people off but can also be very "delicious" for the lack of a better word. There were times where the pacing slowed down for me but it all played out well in the end. Now can we have Marigold's story too?

Thank you Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for an honest review. You have made my day.

Oh my goodness. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started this book but I could not have been prepared to love it this much. Melissa Brayden did such a beautiful job of bringing this story to life. I fell in love with the characters, with the town, and with the dogs of course. The small details in this story made me love it even more. The character development was great, I slowly became more and more attached to them. While all of the characters were spectacular with their own personalities, Aster spoke to me in so many ways. She’s a wallflower who in considered unmemorable, but what an amazing lovable person she is to the people who take the time to invest in her. I will definitely be rereading this one, and that says something when I have stacks of books I haven’t read yet!

The Last Lavender Sister is a Melissa Brayden staple. It has a well developed story, likeable characters, angst galore and plenty of romance. This is a slow burn and second chance wrapped into one book. There’s some back and forth and the book is spread throughout several years but it’s a classic romance with cute dogs and yummy food and have I mentioned the food and the cute dogs? I enjoyed reading this book.
Free ARC via NetGalley.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I enjoy this read.
Aster is the baby of her family she rather be invisible then be seen although her family do see her. She made a successful business with her creative donuts but she longs to see the world. Brynn needed a new start after her breakup with her ex and when her friend Tyler ask her to fill in at her vet clinic why she goes back to school Brynn jumps at the chance. Aster and Brynn meets and hit it off but they both are moving in different direction and despite feeling more decides to keep a friendship while Aster goes to Boston to learn more about food although her specialty is Pastry. I like both characters and secondary characters who supports each other’s.

I mean, I loved it. Brayden books always deliver the quintessential romance book good feels. I really enjoyed both the main characters too. Brayden really writes a character in a way that you could either relate to them or you know someone they remind you of. This book was well written and I liked the plot. I do enjoy a book that covers a bigger span of time versus insta love kind of books and this book killed it, in my opinion, when it came to pacing. If you’ve read a Brayden book before you won’t wanna miss this one and if you haven’t, this is an excellent to start with.. I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Aster and Brynn. Their love of books and animals, and their friends/family involvement in their lives. I also enjoyed the secondary storylines throughout… they weren’t a major part of the story, just discussion of other people finding love (and experiencing hardships) as Aster and Brynn built their relationship.

I went back and forth on whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. As I was reading, I realized I’m not a fan of books that span several years with the characters not communicating (or barely). That’s what made me lean towards 3 stars. However, the writing was exceptional, and I did like the overall storyline, so I had to go to with 4 stars.

It has happened to me again with this author, everything is so perfect in her stories, they bore me. It may be the predictability, you almost always see the blow coming long before it happens. And you're always wondering, is there one page left, two, of the chapter? I'm skipping the stuff that Nora is going to tell Brynn and what will cause her doubts that she's almost certainly going to have? And I skipped those pages. Here, everything has been too perfect but the characters were only outlined, without depth, they didn't reach me. I will not deny that there is a lot of feeling as always, a lot of sweetened romance, very pleasant to read, but in its excess it was cloying. It is not a reading to which I will return, but I cannot say that it will not be liked by many. And perhaps the one who is wrong is me.

Dill….Pickles….donuts…..lavender….books….angst. Brynn and Aster found one another when Brynn temporarily moved to town. What started as a tentative friendship quickly blossomed into best friend status. Even though there were lusty romantic feelings on both their parts, the timing just wasn’t right. What do you do when you find your person but aren’t ready for what it means? The journey for these two lovely ladies was a long and complex one, with a lot more angst than we usually have from Melissa Brayden. But it all worked so well. The supporting cast of characters really helped to enhance the overall story. Marigold….please tell me more! The witty dialogue and lovable characters that readers come to except from a Brayden novel were present and accounted for. Enjoy!