Title: Like a Flower in Bloom
Author: Siri Mitchell
Pages: 368
Year: 2014
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in
exchange for my honest opinion.
About the book:
He stole the work
she loved. Will she let him steal her heart as well?
It’s all her
uncle’s fault. For years Charlotte Withersby has been free to pursue her love
of plants and flowers by assisting her botanist father. But now that she’s
reached the old age of twenty-two, an intrusive uncle has convinced her father
that Charlotte’s future – the only proper future for a woman – is to be a wife
and mother, not a scholar.
Her father is so dependent on her assistance
that Charlotte believes he’ll soon change his mind…and then Edward Trimble
shows up. A long-time botany correspondent in the South Pacific, Trimble
arrives ready to step in as assistant so that Charlotte can step out into
proper society – a world that baffles her with its unwritten rules,
inexplicable expectations, and confounding fashion.
Things aren’t
perfectly smooth between Trimble and her father, so Charlotte hatches a last
gasp plan. She’ll pretend such an interest in marriage that the thought of
losing her will make her father welcome her back. Only thing go quickly awry,
and she realizes that the one man who recognizes her intelligence is also the
person she’s most angry with: Edward Trimble, her supposed rival. Suddenly
juggling more suitors than she knows what to do with, Charlotte is caught in a
trap of her own making. Will she have no choice but to leave her beloved
flowers behind?
My review:
A delightful
“fish out of water” novel!
I absolutely love the characters that Siri has
created for this novel. When she introduces Charlotte it is very easy to
understand who she is and what her focus for her life is. Then we are
introduced to her uncle and her whole existence is turned upside down. The
journey she embarks on to try and learn all that she feels is now expected of
her is a joy to go on with her. There are multiple times throughout the book
that I found myself laughing outright.
The other
characters are equally well developed and a lot of fun to get to know and try
to understand. After meeting most of the characters it is a wonderful surprise
to realize who is able to give her the best advice as she tries to transition
to her new role.
I personally
don’t know what most flowers are, or the different parts of them, so I really
can’t speak to the accuracy of the botanical terms used. I am sure that the
research Siri did to write clearly about this very detailed subject was
intense. I must applaud her attention to research and presenting the topic so
thoroughly.
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