Moonberry Lake florist Delphinium Hayes has a gift, a strength, and a problem. Her gift is her empathy and care when it comes to dealing with difficult people–specifically, the seniors who have invaded her store. Her strength is her knowledge of flowers and their meanings, and her problem is that the bank is about to foreclose on her store and home.
Oh, and Delphinium has synesthesia.
This is a plot device I can only recall reading once before–Kaleidoscope Eyes by Karen Ball, which I loved because of the unique plot device. In Delphinium’s case, she can smell a person’s essential essence or personality. (I don’t know if this is a real variant of synesthesia, but it’s a fascinating plot device).
There were a lot of things to like about The Blooming of Delphinium.
There is some lovely symbolism in the title, given the story is literally about small-town florist Delphinium thriving—blooming—as she encourages the town’s senior population in her shop.
I liked the fact the story was written entirely from Delphinium’s point of view, which gave the story more of a women’s fiction vibe. Introducing a second point pf view (or more) would have given the novel more of a romance vibe and would have given away important aspects of the story.
I loved the way the story wove in the seniors from The Gardens, showing both their foibles and strengths, and reminding us of the challenges of growing older:
I especially loved the humour woven throughout the plot. For example:
There were a few things I didn’t like so much. Delphinium has a tendency to let her emotions get in the way of logic which made her seem immature at times. The writing was occasionally less than polished.
But the thing that bugged me most was the lightweight faith content. Lightweight isn’t necessarily bad, but it can annoy me where there is a romantic element and one of the romantic partners (in this case, Delphinium) clearly isn’t a Christian. I was looking forward to a conversion scene (I can’t remember when I last read a good conversion scene) but was disappointed.
Despite that, The Blooming of Delphinium is an enjoyable story with a unique premise and some solid views on how society deals with the elderly.
The Blooming of Delphinium is the second book in Holly Varni’s Moonberry Lake series, following On Moonberry Lake. I haven’t read On Moonberry Lake and didn’t feel I’d missed anything. There was one scene that introduced Cora, the main character from the previous book, but this is definitely a standalone story.
Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Holly Varni
Holly Varni is the author of On Moonberry Lake. A native Minnesotan of strong Norwegian descent, she was raised in the Lutheran Church that Garrison Keillor made a career depicting. Though she, her husband, and their three sons live along the Central Coast of California, her beloved Midwest roots continue to haunt everything she writes. She hosts the Moments from Moonberry Lake podcast, where she shares more stories of her beloved characters.
Find Holly Varni online at:
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About The Blooming of Delphinium
As far as hidden talents go, Delphinium Hayes is blessed with one of the more unique ones. With the slightest passing whiff, she knows someone’s most admirable or weediest characteristic. This peculiar perception never fails to give her an advantage in life–until she meets two men who turn her world upside down.
Mason McCormack has agreed to help her with a group of seniors who have taken over her flower shop as their hangout. But his assistance is not without its price, and Delphinium agrees to compensate him with beautiful bouquets that seem to possess a bit of dating magic.
Elliot Sturgis, director of The Gardens Assisted Living Facility, is determined to discover why a group of his residents keeps sneaking over to Delphinium’s shop to play poker in the walk-in refrigerator. He soon finds himself as enchanted by Delphinium as everyone else. But his devotion to following the rules and maintaining order does not endear him to the shop’s owner.
Sparks fly as opposites attract and love finds a match in Delphinium’s Flora Emporium–even for those who resist it the most.
