Book Review: A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson

She didn’t expect to fall in love—but roses aren’t the only thing blooming on Galveston Island.

 

 

In Janice Thompson’s fourth novel in the Weddings by Design series, A Bouquet of Love, we meet Cassia Pappas. Poor Cassia has a problem. She calls him Babbas, and he’s her father.

Niko Pappas uproots the family from Santa Cruz, California, and drops them onto the hot and humid island of Galveston, Texas. There, they are expected to work like fiends to make his sandwich shop, Super-Gyros, into the most popular eating spot on the island. Unfortunately, the Italian restaurant across the street interferes with his plans, so he goes to war with the Rossi clan, prominant in the previous books.

All Cassia wants is to return to California, open a flower shop, and get out from under her father’s thumb. Then, along comes a gorgeous, half-Greek “cowboy,” nurseryman (as in flowers) who may succeed in changing her mind about moving. There’s no changing her mind about becoming free of her father’s dominance—if she finds the courage to stand up to him. Ah, will Nikos suffer a family coup?

Written in first person, Ms. Thompson’s novel is a delightful tale of what can happen when pride and competition rule someone’s life. They generate tyrants who are unpleasant to live with—like Cassia’s father. It also addresses the consequences that arise when people fail to stand up for themselves. God did not create us to be doormats. As Cassia says, “But the idea of doing what he tells me instead of what I want is eating me alive.”

I found the romance in this book to be a little stronger than in the previous one, The Dream Dress. Like before, the chapters are headed with appealing quotes. These generally begin with “You might be Greek if …,” such as, You might be Greek if you think the intercom in Walmart is a family walkie-talkie.

This story is less about romance than family matters. Cassia’s “voice” is engaging and her predicament something we can all relate to at one time or another. 

Don’t let the idea of Niko’s bullying turn you off. I mean, how can you dislike a guy who advertises his business in a homemade superhero costume?

If you like romantic stories told in a lighthearted fashion with refreshing, sometimes off-the-wall, characters (like Niko), I believe you’ll enjoy A Bouquet of Love.

Something to tweet about:

Will Nikos suffer a family coup? A Bouquet of Love #BookReview #Romance by @booksbyjanice http://wp.me/pKh3D-27H – Click to tweet: http://ctt.ec/eJcVr

God did not create us to be doormats. A Bouquet of Love #BookReview #Romance by @booksbyjanice http://wp.me/pKh3D-27H – Click to tweet: http://ctt.ec/APRoB

Do you like your books dramatic or lighthearted?

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: This book came to me free from the publisher, Revell, with the hope that I would mention it on this blog. There was no requirement for me to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.