Book Review of Like a Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell

Like a Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell tells the story of Charlotte Withersby who has a love of plants and flowers.  Her world changes dramatically when her uncle convinces her father that her future is to be a wife and mother, and that she needs to be out socializing in society to find a suitor.  

The back cover says: 
"He Stole the Work She Loved. Will She Let Him Steal Her Heart as Well?

It's all her uncle's fault. For years Charlotte Withersby has been free to pursue her love of plants and flowers by assisting her botanist father. But now that she's reached the old age of twenty-two, an intrusive uncle has convinced her father that Charlotte's future--the only proper future for a woman--is to be a wife and mother, not a scholar. 

Her father is so dependent on her assistance that Charlotte believes he'll soon change his mind...and then Edward Trimble shows up. A long-time botany correspondent in the South Pacific, Trimble arrives ready to step in as assistant so that Charlotte can step out into proper society--a world that baffles her with its unwritten rules, inexplicable expectations, and confounding fashion. 
Things aren't perfectly smooth between Trimble and her father, so Charlotte hatches a last gasp plan. She'll pretend such an interest in marriage that the thought of losing her will make her father welcome her back. Only things go quickly awry, and she realizes that the one man who recognizes her intelligence is also the person she's most angry with: Edward Trimble, her supposed rival. Suddenly juggling more suitors than she knows what to do with, Charlotte is caught in a trap of her own making. Will she have no choice but to leave her beloved flowers behind?"

Like a Flower in Bloom is the first book I have read by Siri Mitchell, and I LOVED it!  I didn't want to put it down and finished it within a week.  I absolutely loved the interactions between Edward and Charlotte.  Charlotte's character is so naive when it comes to society, and I found myself laughing at several times.  She is such a well-developed character as are the other characters throughout the book. I highly recommend picking this one up to read!

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*   

Book Review of To Everything a Season by Lauraine Snelling

To Everything a Season is Lauraine Snelling's first book in the Song of Blessing series.  The back cover says: 

"Trygve Knutson is devoted to his family and his community. With his job on the construction crew, he is helping to build a future for the North Dakota town of Blessing. Though he loves his home, he sometimes dreams of other horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings.

Miriam is in Blessing to get practical training to become an accredited nurse. She's been promised a position in the Chicago women's hospital that will enable her to support her siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return to her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she enjoys the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to Trygve soon has her questioning a future she always considered set in stone.
When a family emergency calls Miriam home sooner than planned, will she find a way to return? If not, will it mean losing Trygve--and her chance at love--for good?"

I found the description on the back cover misleading once I started to read the book because Miriam is not one of the characters that appears until later in the book .  There are a lot of characters in the book, and there seemed to be several different story lines happening at once.  I had to reread some parts because I felt like I had missed something, but I hadn't.  Apparently, this series is a continuation of a previous series.  I think I would have benefited from reading the books in that series first to eliminate the confusion I had while reading this book.  With that said, I can't recommend this book unless you have read the previous series and enjoy books by Lauraine Snelling.

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*