Skip to main content

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 Cassia Pappas has found herself in a nearly impossible situation. She wants to spend her time immersed in her new job at a Galveston Island floral shop, arranging blooms and brightening occasions with her lovely creations. But her boisterous Greek family--especially her father--has other ideas. They've all relocated to Galveston to open up a new family restaurant located on the Strand--directly across the street from iconic pizza place Parma John's--and they want Cassia's full participation.

To make matters worse, as Cassia is trying to develop a strong professional relationship with Galveston's premier wedding coordinator, Bella Neeley, her own father is intent on stealing all of the Rossi family's faithful customers. Not exactly the best way to get into this former Rossi's good graces!

Still, at least Alex, that hot delivery guy from the nursery, is always hanging around the flower shop . . .


Here's my review of this lovely novel:

First, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Janice Thompson and her publisher for sending me a copy of "A Bouquet of Love" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me.
Some people believe that Glen Campbell put Galveston on the map.  I believe that Janice Thompson has that honor.  “A Bouquet of Love” is Janice Thompson’s fourth offering in the Weddings by Design series, adding a new family – and cultural dynamic – to the landscape.  The Rossi family has been imbedded in every aspect of Galveston Island.  Now, a new family has come to town.  A Greek family.  With a patriarch that is hostile toward the Rossis.  Who has opened a Gyro shop across the street from Parma John’s Pizzeria!  But now that Cassia Pappas has taken a job at the flower shop on the Strand and is making friends with the Rossis, she is struggling with being completely honest with both her family and her new friends.

Having grown up in a community that was Italian, Jewish and Greek, this book took me back to the similarities of the cultures I loved as a child.  For the most part, the situations the characters found themselves in were comedic.  But having lived much like this as a child, and grown up and out of it as an adult, I found myself getting frustrated with Cassia.  I was giving her advice as I was reading.  Telling her to be honest with her father and her friends before she weaved such a web around herself that she was completely trapped.  Yet, Janice Thompson is a gifted craftswoman who made me laugh and really pulled me in to this work of fiction!  Her books always land on my “keeper” shelf.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Homiletics Training: Content

Homiletics .   By definition, “homiletic” is the art of preaching or writing sermons.   I think we would all agree that our pastors study the Bible thoroughly to deliver sermons every Sunday to their congregations.   The beautiful news is that every child of God can use this discipline to study the Bible for themselves. As a member of Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) Leadership, part of my required preparation each week is to prepare homiletics for the passage we are studying.   BSF offers an engaging seminar on how to use this method to study the Scriptures.   I’ve taken the seminar several times under two different leaders and I’ve learned something new every time I’ve attended.   I’ve also been doing the process of homiletics for over ten years and I can say that there is no better teacher than the Holy Spirit in this process!   So keep practicing.   Keep sharing and discussing.   I’ve been posting my homiletics on this blog for quite a while, now.   And I would like to share wit

Homiletics: John 7

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture ):   Where?                                                                 Who? 1 1-2 After, J went Gal, not Judea bec Jew ldrs look to kill; Jew fest of tabernacles near 2 3-5 J bros: go Judea so disc see works, show self to world; bros not believe 3 6-8 J: my time not here; world h8 me bec I testify works evil; you go festival, my time not cm 4 9-10 He stay Gal; bros left for fest, He went in secret 5 11-12 @ fest, Jew ldrs watch 4 J: where He?   Widespr whisp: He good man/He deceives ppl 6 13-14 No one say publicly for fear of ldrs; not till ½ way thru fest did J beg to teach 7 15-16 Jews amazed: how man get learning w/o been taught; J: my teaching cm frm who sent 8 17-18 Who choose do will of G find

Homiletics: John 10

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture ): 1 1-2 VT ITY Phar, any1 enter shp pn by gate=thief/robbr; 1 enters by gate=shepherd 2 3-4 Gatekpr opns gate 4 hm/shp listn/he calls shp by name/leads out/shp follo bec kno voce 3 5-6 They nvr follo stranger, run away bec recog voce; J used fig o spch, Phar understd 4 7-8 Thrfr J: VT ITY I gate 4 shp; all who cm b4 me=thievs/robbrs, shp listn them 5 9-10a I gate, whoevr entr thru me savd/they cm/go/find pasture; thief cm only steal/kill/destry 6 10b-12 I gd shepd, lay dn life 4 shp; Hird hd shepd/own shp, see wolf/abandn shp/wlf attck/scattr 7 13-15a Man run bec care nthg 4 sheep; I gd shep; kno sheep/sheep kno me as Fr kno me/I kno Fr 8 15b-16 I lay dn life 4 sheep; have othr sheep of this pen