Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr

When Ruth Livingston's father is accused of murdering a prostitute, she is forced to leave her home and to assume a false identity as Widow Ruth Malloy. Ruth anxiously waits to hear the news of her father's trial and to be restored to him. However, the sudden disappearance of Ruth Livingston gives the newspapers reason to accuse her father of yet another murder. When reporters begin canvasing the small town she is in, Ruth must carefully weigh every move. In tending her small garden, she finds peace – at least until the cranky Jake Spencer moves in. Jake Spencer frustrates her and yet she finds a certain affection for him in her heart. What she does not know is that Jake is a newspaper reporter seeking to restore his professional reputation. As love's first bloom appears, will it be able to survive the secrets that both of them are hiding?

Love's First Bloom is a sweet story of a woman who is faced with seemingly impossible challenges and finds solace in her true friends and her flower garden. I enjoyed the characters in this book, but I thought the plot moved a little slow. It is definitely still worth reading. The budding romance and the unanswered questions will keep readers coming back to finish the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Hearts Awakening

Spinster Elvira Kilmer's life has been dictated by others for as long as she can remember. Now, at the age of 31, she finds herself as a housekeeper and nanny to two motherless children. When the handsome widower she works for proposes a marriage of convenience, she sees it as a way out of the life her family intends to inflict upon her. But will this marriage truly bring the freedom she seeks or will it tie her tighter to her unhappiness? She always dreamed of a loving husband and children of her own. This marriage will offer her two young boys, but it is quite clear widower has no interest in ever loving her.

Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr is a good read. Although it is somewhat predictable, the plot is enhanced by little twists and unique scenes that keep the story moving and appealing. The one complaint I have about this book is the lack of romance. Although it is certainly a love story, the romance department is severely lacking. This is particularly strange to me because the story has a basis that seems like it would make some romance easy to incorporate.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."