Friday, May 22, 2015

Review - "As Love Blooms" by Lorna Seilstad

 
 
As Love Blooms
by Lorna Seilstad
 
The Gregory Sisters series, Book #3
Published by Revell
320 Pages
Target Audience: Adults
Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance
 
About this book:
 
"Young romance opens like a rose . . . but even a rose has its thorns.

Tessa Gregory is nothing if not tenacious. Denied a position as a horticulturist at prestigious Como Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, 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 the lush backdrop of manicured gardens and greenhouses full of the exotic, Lorna Seilstad weaves a sweet and sassy story that is sure to delight."
 
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I really liked As Love Blooms! It was a cute and funny book. As Love Blooms is the third book in the "The Gregory Sisters" series and while I haven't yet read the first two books in the series, I didn't really have any problems following the story in this third book. It read well as a stand alone.

I loved Tessa's personality in the book! She's a spunky, ambitious, and fun character. She is a bit of a thrillseeker as well and isn't afraid to try new things. She also shows determination, working hard to make her dreams come true even when others, including members of her own family, don't believe in her and her dreams. I'm afraid I can relate to her quite well in that aspect.

The historical setting was interesting. Taking place in 1913, the story shows how major cities in the United States were building up their parks and were working to build new conservatories for park visitors to enjoy. Women's suffrage is also a main historical subject in the book.

I also liked the theme that the book had: that we should put our hope and trust in God to help us do things, not rely only in ourselves. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that Tessa has to learn the hard way as she keeps secrets and sometimes uses deception to try to get the things she wants done.

Overall, I really enjoyed As Love Blooms and I definitely want to read the first two books in the series now to find out more about Tessa's sisters.

*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review.