Making the perfect match is like arranging the perfect
bouquet--and no one is better at it than Delphinium Hayes. Except when it comes
to making a match for herself.
As far as hidden talents go, she 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 understanding people--except for one man, whose scent doesn't seem
to match his demeanor.
Prim and proper Elliot Sturgis, director of Moonberry Lake's Gardens Assisted
Living and Senior Care Facility, carries the scent of violets--meaning love and
loyalty--yet is strict and unwavering in his determination to stop a group of
his wily residents from sneaking over to Delphinium's shop to play cards in the
flower cooler. But the more glimpses Delphinium gets of the soft side beyond
Elliot's harsh exterior, the more she understands his scent--and her intrigue
deepens as sparks fly.
The crowd in her cooler isn't Delphinium's only problem. Behind on the mortgage
payments and on the verge of losing her shop to foreclosure, Delphinium isn't
sure where to turn for help. But God has a funny way of putting the right
people in the place at the right time . . .
My Thoughts:
This was such an engaging read full of quirky characters and a unique gift that the heroine, Delphinium possesses. Feeling the loss of her grandmother and trying to keep her flower shop afloat, Delphinium has a lot on her plate. Along with an interesting first name, she also has a gift of determining other characters by what flower they smell like. I know, it sounds odd, it is, but it worked for the story.
However, in the midst of a somewhat crises, a bunch of residents from an assisted living home, start showing up in her shop's freezer playing poker. They are endearing and wild, and Delphinium doesn't know how to kick them out. She only knows that they must keep their clothes on, yes, she is having that problem. What is a girl to do when they have some of the wildest claims, requests, and demands she has ever heard of?
Enter two men in her life that totally confuse her. One, she cannot detect a scent and the other's scent does not match his demeanor. With the help of her new friends, romance might just be what Delphinium needs. But which one? Again, this was a fun and engaging read if a bit different.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.
About the Author:
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. Learn more at HollyVarni.com.
