As Love Blooms Review

As Love Blooms by Lorna Seilstad is a 320 page novel in the Christian historical romance genre.  It is the third installment in The Gregory Sisters series but can be read as a stand alone.  As Love Blooms is published by Revell Publishers and was released on May 19.  To purchase your copy from Amazon, click here or from Barnes & Noble, click here.

Overview

Tessa Gregory is nothing if not tenacious. Denied a position as a horticulturalist at prestigious Como Park in Saint Paul, she is not above a little benevolent deception in order to get the park superintendent to change his mind and hire her. She plans to infiltrate the world of wealthy and influential people in hopes of drumming up financial support for a world-class conservatory. But before she can put those plans into action, she meets Reese King, a handsome gardener at Como Park–and a major distraction. Still, Reese might be the key to achieving her dream. But is his goal to help her . . . or to capture her heart?

Against a lush backdrop of early twentieth century Saint Paul, Minnesota, Lorna Seilstad weaves a sweet and sassy story that is sure to please. Tessa’s young romance opens like a rose, stealing readers’ hearts and filling their senses with the intoxicating fragrance of dreams come true.

My Two Cents

As Love Blooms is a sweet story about a girl who finds love while struggling to fulfill her dreams and struggling to find who she is during a time in history that was redefining women. The relationship between the sisters is wonderfully constructed and the reader can see their strengths, weaknesses, struggles and support of each other throughout the story.  The girls relationship with their Aunt Sam is different than most relationships but you can see how much love they have for each other.

The book also focuses on Reece and his struggle to step out of his father’s spotlight.  I enjoyed his relationship with is friend, Erik and his wife as well as his landlady.  This relationship gave insight into his character making it a pleasure to read a book that toggles between two main characters.

In the background of As Love Blooms is the focus on horticulture.  The story reflects the knowledge and research completed by the author regarding this subject.  There was a lot of interesting information given and the nuances about what was popular at the time or going on in horticulture during that time in history added to the story. Added to this is the question of women being involved professionally in the horticulture industry or just in private homes makes the story line interesting.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of As Love Blooms in exchange for my honest review.  No monetary compensation has be received and all opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

A history buff, antique collector, and former high school English teacher, fan favorite Lorna Seilstad is the author of When Love Calls, While Love Stirs, and the Lake Manawa Summers series. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Lorna lives in Iowa with her husband. Learn more at www.lornaseilstad.com.

Giveaway

To win a copy of As Love Blooms by Lorna Seilstad, click on “Entry-Form” below:

Entry-Form

This giveaway ends on Tuesday, May 26 at 11:59pm PDT.

Small print: This giveaway is sponsored by Simple Harvest Reads. The winner will be contacted via e-mail and will have 30 days to claim their prize.  Simple Harvest Reads is not responsible for prizes lost or damaged by the post office.