After inheriting her estranged grandparents’ farm, city girl Emmaline Walters is thrust into the unpredictable world of country life and a sizzling attraction to the farm’s manager, Danesh Pednekar. As she navigates mistakes, secrets, and a town’s well-kept conspiracy, Emma must decide if love and a rural life are worth the risk to her heart.

Love in Bloom is the first book I’ve read from Lucy Eden. While the plot intrigued me, I ended up having mixed feelings. The story is told entirely from Emma’s perspective which I liked and it was great seeing her character growth. Dan’s backstory was also compelling, but I felt their insta-love developed too quickly even though their chemistry was sweet by the end. The story’s pacing was inconsistent. There were some parts flew by with little description while others dragged. Additionally, some of the side characters felt underdeveloped and I wish their roles had been more clearly defined. A few issues were resolved too easily and some characters had abrupt personality shifts which didn’t flow well for the story. Lastly, the “secret” behind the farm felt underwhelming and somewhat odd. Overall, this was a decent read.

This book was just super odd. It ended up being super preachy about medical marijuana, of all things? I wasn’t convinced by the romance between the MCs either because the FMC breaks up with her boyfriend of 10 years and is making out with the MMC like 2 days later. Also, the ex-boyfriend turns out to be a total villain. I just really don’t know what to think about this other than “not for me.” Cute cover though.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!

+Small town romance
+Fish out of water
+Black and South Asian representation

Our main character, Emma Walters, is having the worst day ever. In just twenty-four hours, she manages to break up with her boyfriend, get fired, and inherit a farm in the middle of nowhere — Green Acres, Georgia. Since her life is in shambles she escapes from Atlanta to the farm.

The locals are friendly but they’re hiding something, and they’re not too sure about our city girl, Emma, trying to run a farm. No one is as unsure as Dan Pednekar, the attractive farm manager who she butt heads with from one day 1 (technically, before that). Lucy Eden writes a delicious tension between our main characters: a mix of annoyance, sparks, spice and banter that I really enjoyed.

As Emma digs deeper, she realizes there’s more going on in Green Acres than meets the eye. The farm doesn’t actually seem to sell anything, and there are shops like Four and Twenty *cough* cough* Blackbirds down the road. When the farm—and by extension, the town’s livelihoods—are threatened, Emma has to step up, figure out what’s going on, and maybe even save the day.

Lucy Eden brings Green Acres to life with quirky characters, witty dialogue, and enough charm to make you wish you could pack your bags and move there yourself. Love in Bloom is the perfect cozy read that will make you laugh out loud but also touches on more serious themes like parental relationships and discovering your roots. I really enjoyed spending time with these characters and can’t wait for what’s next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC! Love in Bloom is available now for pre-order and will be published on November 12, 2024.

This book was cute. I found the main character slightly irritating, but the story got a bit better. Some parts of it were not believable.

Emma has the perfect life, until she doesn’t. A series of unfortunate events leads to Emma having to face the truths long buried, including the things she’s hidden from herself. Dan is a MMC who can cook and who works with plants! He’s also a MMC who has been burned before and is terrified he’ll be burned again.

Emma is forced to figure out who she wants to be if she isn’t also trying to be the one everyone else needs. This book is full of life lessons everyone needs to - how to ask for help, how to speak up for yourself, how to give grace for the broken parts of others. I think this book would do well with a 5 years in the future epilogue, because it felt like Emma has some unfinished business.

This book had all the city girl, small town feels. I will say at some points the plot is a little wild, but if you don’t mind a little drama and slightly unbelievable conflict, you’ll like this one.

Thank you to the author, Forever, and NetGalley for this book to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I adored Love in Bloom. I really, truly did. As a Gilmore Girls fan, it felt like I was journeying through a fresh, cultural version of Stars Hollow. It was familiar yet very unexpected at times. Like most small-town stories, the characters had bonds like a close-knit family. They had a secret, though, and it was one that, after thinking back, was hinted at from the start, yet still made me say, “OH, this is what we’re doing. Okay,” once it was revealed. Very unique!

Emma and Dan’s relationship was very sweet. I love that they had their own, special-to-them method of connection in the form of chess. While the characters paired well together, they were also strong on their own. Emma wanted to prove herself to the town while also finding herself and deciding what she truly wanted in life. Dan had her back at every turn while being a caring and hardworking pillar for the town. The supporting cast was interesting and felt dynamic. It was delightful.

If you like Gilmore Girls or Hallmark (but on a spicier level) this is the novel for you. A perfect fall read!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the advanced copy!

This was a ride in a very fun way. I loved how protective this small town is. So much. I loved all of the dynamics in this book and the drama. Emma and Dan are my new faves, they chemistry was great and I was here for their antagonism at the beginning.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I have loved this author's writing in the past, this book was a good read, but not a great one for me.

What is tricky with rom-coms is there will be a group of readers who love implausible antics and conflicts and other readers (like me) who always want believable storylines. Some parts of this story crossed over into "why wouldn't she just..." and "that's funny but would never actually happen" territory.

Readers who like a steamy, small town rom-com with exaggerated plot points for entertainment will love this book! But I just moderately liked this book.

I got about 60% into this book but I just had a really hard time connecting with the heroine. She would say something as fact and then have a few paragraphs later on that contradicted what she already spent a few paragraphs telling us. In the end this one wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

Such a cute small town romance story. Loved how we were able to see the growth of Emma and Dan, as individuals, a couple and business people. The secret about the farm really took me by surprise and warmed my heart!! It was hard for me to get into at first but once I got used to the writing style and got a handle on the plot/characters, I enjoyed myself.

Love in Bloom is a fun, steamy, rom-com that features a city girl who inherits her grandparent's farm in a small tourist town. With the farm, comes a charming yet awkward horticulturalist that sets the tone for a heartwarming journey. Emma fully immerses herself into the farm life and has some hiccups along the way. There is a big of intrigue as Emma learns more about her estranged grandparents and their farm. The slow burn in this book had me pulling my hair out!! This is perfect for fans of slow burn with a small town charm. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Instagram review will go live 08-Nov-2024.

I was so excited for Lucy Eden's debut trad romance, and I went in completely blind because I have loved all of her indie books. I think that was where I went wrong here. Because the entire premise of a town hiding a secret medical marijuana grow op is so wild and almost out of touch in 2024, especially for a Canadian reader. Given the fact that marijuana has been legal in Canada for over 5 years, and is legal in basically 80% of the USA for medicial use, I simply could not get past all the references to the grow op being like Breaking Bad... it was so insane that I struggled pretty hard with the entire concept.

I loved Dan and Emma and their relationship. I loved the way that Emma found herself and grew into the person that she was meant to be. The found family of the town was excellent and I loved the community aspect. The premise was simply too bonkers.

This was a funny and cute small town romance in which a city girl in transplanted to a farm (see what I did there?). I loved the humor of this book--the bloopers a city girl makes in trying to become familiar with the farm she now owns. Emma also discovers that she not only inherited a farm, but a really cute horticulturist seems to come with the farm.

This was pretty steamy, pretty funny and pretty romantic! There is every feeling imaginable felt by Emma in the story that will have you headed for the hills in hopes of finding your own Dan.

Thanks to Forever Publishing for the copy. All thoughts are my own.

Review posted to Goodreads 10/31/24

In a turn of events, Emmaline inherits her grandparent's farm... along with its secrets. Coming from the city, she's faced with some tricky decisions, all while in close proximity to the hot farm manager.

Let's start with the good:
- the cover is so so pretty
- the secret the whole town is in on adds an unique layer to the story
- some parts were pretty humorous
- i liked the conflict and resolution

And now the not so good:
- the fmc calls the mmc "sexy" at least 15x in the first chapter.. which might be 15x too many
- the characters are fine, but leaves you wanting more for their development
- overall a little boring and uninspiring

I don't think I'm the target audience for this, but I think Lucy Eden has the potential!

Thanks Forever Pub for the ARC!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve read some of Lucy Eden’s indie titles before and really enjoyed them, especially the Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend novella series, so I was excited for her trad debut with Love in Bloom. I didn’t entirely know what to expect, as it’s been a while since I read her work, beyond it being higher heat, but I mostly enjoyed it overall.
Emma is exactly the ball of chaos the blurb promised, and that absolutely resonated for me. And considering she’s already a walking disaster in a “regular” life in the city, throw in her inheriting a farm, and it presents a whole set of challenges for her. But I love that she really does find her niche in this new small town and on the farm, and has an unexpected head for business to run the covert medical marijuana business that keeps the town running. And this all plays a role in her personal arc of navigating family issues and a crossroads with her career.
But while she is the sole POV character, that’s not to say Dan is neglected. I didn’t know how to feel about him at first, as he’s broody with his walls up. But as I got to know him through Emma’s eyes, I really liked him, and he truly is a great fit for her, as both have gone through their own traumas in life. And he was very sweet under the rough exterior, providing a lot of support for Emma through all that she was going through. And while there are some slightly flowery/cringey bits to the sex scenes, I otherwise felt those aspects were well-done, and complemented their pre-existing romantic chemistry.
This was a fun read, and based on the interview in the back, there’s likely more to come! I recommend this book to readers interested in diverse, steamy small-town romance.

Love in Bloom is a super cute romance from Lucy Eden!! I have only read one other of Lucy Eden's works before this, and I had a great time reading that one, so I knew I would enjoy Love in Bloom. While this book does follow the expected formula of city girl receives a mysterious inheritance and moves into a small town where she's a fish out of water, there was still several unexpected elements to the novel, which I won't spoil. I enjoyed watching Emma bond with Dan and the other town folk over their protectiveness of her grandparents' greenhouse. The ending of the novel really brought out so much pride in me for everything the town does for each other.

Of course, the romance of the book was very enjoyable to read. I loved how easily the Black and South Asian representation was included in this interracial romance. The themes of chronic illness and disability were very thoughtfully handled in this book and I can't wait to read Lucy Eden's future works!

I think this is such a unique story concept! Definitely unlike any other I’ve read. I always love when a woman finds herself and leaves a life behind that wasn’t right for her. Dan and Emma are such a great couple! I love the way Dan takes care of her with the simple things like making her tea or coffee.

If you can, go into this one blind—or at least a little bit. The synopsis gives away too much, in my opinion, and uncovering the secrets of the inherited farm alongside Emma would have added a bit more fun and shock factor.

I did find it hard to believe that an entire town would accept these secrets—the logistics felt too unrealistic for me—but I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet and low-stakes this romance was.

There’s some drama, yes, but it’s mostly outside of Emma and Danesh’s relationship. Danesh, the British farmhand with a speciality in horticulture, was such a charming character. I loved his teasing, their ongoing chess game, their quiet moments together, and… the roses! Swoon.

I loved this book! I found myself completely absorbed in the story right from the start! This story is a good mix of fun banter, spicy lovin, and thought provoking emotional moments! Danesh was the sweetest, most attentive MMC! He was so good to Emmaline, even at moments when she was being less than honest. I enjoyed their chess playing dates and thought the epilogue was so cute. Read the book and you’ll understand the connection!

Overall, a sweet small town romance that I definitely recommend reading! Looking forward to reading more from Lucy Eden in the future!

3.5/5 stars—This was cute! This story is a cozy, small-town romance with a dash of spice! The town's moral dilemma also gave the story a unique spin. Emma and Dan are well-rounded and likable characters. Their romance felt a bit insta-lovey, but it was still an enjoyable read. Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-ARC!