Christmas in Full Bloom

by Denise N. Wheatley

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This Christmas, can they slow down long enough to smell the roses and fall in love? When savvy, up-and-coming floral designer Lauren Beal returns home to Maple Valley, Michigan, for her sister’s holiday wedding, she’s determined to be the perfect maid of honor. She didn’t expect the best man to be the college crush she’d reluctantly left behind to pursue her Chicago-based dreams. Family practice doctor Mel Jennings always knew he’d remain rooted in Maple Valley to work for his father’s clinic. He happily juggles his demanding practice with philanthropic endeavors that connect him to his tight-knit community. Sparks fly when he reunites with Lauren, the one who ran away. As they enjoy Maple Valley’s Christmas festivities, Mel remembers how close they once were. But can they ever have a future? Lauren finds herself falling for Mel and suspects the feelings are mutual. Yet they’re both pulled in different directions by work and family. Will the pair find a moment alone during the hectic holiday season to figure things out, or will they miss their chance at love once again?

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Book Details

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Subgenre

Holiday (Christmas, Valentine’s, etc.), Small Town, Firefieghters romance

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

1 None

Publication Date

October 21, 2021

Language Versions

English

Fiction Form

Novel

About the Author

Denise N. Wheatley is a lover of happily-ever-afters and the art of storytelling. She has written (and ghostwritten) numerous novels and novellas that run the romance gamut, from contemporary to paranormal, sweet to steamy. Denise strives to pen entertaining stories that embody matters of the heart, while creating characters who are strong, colorful and relatable.She is an RWA member and received a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the city where she was born and raised. When Denise is not sitting behind a computer, you can find her in a movie theater, on a tennis court, watching true crime television or chatting on social media.

Story had no soul.

This story had no soul. The dialogue was very stilted. Book seems like it was written with AI or by a robot. Poor use of my time to read.

Finding love again

This story was kind of dry ,no excitement and it move very slow. And Lauren didn't even seem happy even when she got the nan.

A charming romance of second chances

First off – that cover is gorgeous! And I want her dress! If I’m just glancing at covers looking for something Christmas-y in the romance genre… my eyes are gonna be glued to this one! Anyway, on to my thoughts on Christmas in Full Bloom.

Lauren left her small hometown of Maple Valley to live her dream in Chicago. She’s the co-owner of “Full Bloom” with her partner, Sasha, where they design the most lovely floral arrangements and are very successful, not to mention career satisfied, with what they’ve brought to life in their business. Now Lauren has scheduled some time off to return home to help her sister, Tina, with her wedding plans as well as stand as her Maid of Honor. Who would have thought that little sis would turn into a mild Bridezilla needing Lauren’s constant attention – or that she’d run into a man she’d definitely crushed on in their younger days.

Mel left for college but returned to go into his father’s medical practice never intending or needing to go beyond his hometown. Heading out for a house call for a friend, the last person Mel expected to be treated for a flu bug was Lauren, back home briefly as Maid of Honor to his Best Man in the upcoming wedding. She’s still as lovely, if not more so than when he knew her but career obligations and interruptions are going to make that “catching up evening” difficult to manage.

I loved every moment spent in this stand-alone title of Christmas in Full Bloom. It’s full of small-town charm, interesting characters, a slow-burn romance, and adults dealing with location and their careers in a way that didn’t involve huge amounts of angst, or misunderstandings simply adults, well, adulting in love but with an eye to realistic expectations as well. This is why I enjoy this author’s stories so much, I can believe in what’s going on within the story, it has just enough “real life” to balance the unique love story of each couple. If you love a good romance, especially at Christmas-time with a believable couple that had choices to be made for their love to go any further then you’ll want to add this one to your “needs to be read” list – or give yourself an early Christmas present.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Maple Valley Love

Love coming in full Bloom Mel and Lauren, I was so excited to read this book cozing up with this book I couldn't put it down for some reason. I absolutely love romance stories its so beautiful. Its my first time reading from this author I truly enjoyed this book.

Loved the sweet town of Maple Valley

I loved the down home feel of Maple Valley and the warmth and joy of the holidays. Lauren is home by way of big city Chicago to help with her sister, Tina’s upcoming wedding when she crosses paths with the handsome town doctor, Mel. There’s instant chemistry and sparks and hopes of a budding romance. I really enjoyed this holiday story.