In Bloom by Fern Michaels, Carolyn Brown and Lori Foster

Posted April 28, 2022 by Marsha in Connection or Spin-Off of Another Series, Contemporary Romance, Owned or Purchased, Series Connection, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments

AMAZING GRACIE * Fern Michaels

After years spent traveling the world as a flight attendant, Gracie Walden is ready to stay a little closer to her roots, starting with two weeks at home in Amarillo, Texas. But there’s unexpected turbulence between her mother, Ella, and her older sister, Hope—and it will lead to a revelation that changes Gracie’s life in amazing ways . . .

THE MOTHER’S DAY CROWN * Carolyn Brown

Monica Allen still hasn’t forgiven Tyler Magee for breaking her heart when they were teenagers. Ten years on, they’re back in Luella, Texas, visiting their respective grandmothers. and there’s just a white picket fence and a whole lot of awkwardness between them. Will two weeks be long enough for Monica to learn to stop holding a grudge—and hold on to love?

MEANT TO BE * Lori Foster

When Cory Creed was just a little girl, she knew she’d grow up to marry Austin Winston—and she made the mistake of telling him so. Tired of watching him avoid her ever since, Cory has decided it’s time to leave Visitation, North Carolina, and Austin, behind. But Austin has finally realized what Cory was once so sure of, and now it’s his turn to prove they belong together . . . with a little help from their mothers.

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  In Bloom
Series:  Anthology
Author:  Fern Michaels, Carolyn Brown, Lori Foster
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  April 26, 2022
Publisher:  Zebra
My Rating:  4.5 stars

In Bloom is an anthology that celebrates mothers and their connections to their children whether biological or adopted.  You do not have to have given birth to a child to be a mom to them, and that is clearly shown in the story that drew me to this anthology, Meant To Be by Lori Foster.

While I enjoyed Amazing Gracie by Fern Michaels very much, chuckled at the antics of matchmaking grandmothers in The Mother’s Day Crown by Carolyn Brown – it was Meant To Be that holds my whole heart in this anthology.

You see, I’ve been waiting years for Cory and Austin to grow up, come into their own as adults, and fulfill that prediction of Cory’s from when they were younger – that one day Austin and she would be married.  Austin has spent years seemingly avoiding Cory, even if he’s always kept her within sight.  And now Cory is giving up and blocking not only Austin but most others in her life as well.  Cory, like her father, Jamie, is unique in her ability to see bits of the future and she’s always known with a sure heart that she and Austin were meant to be together.  Yet after being avoided for years, and not seeing any progress of that future she once saw and mistakenly told Austin about, well, Cory is ready to leave Visitation and head out into the world since the situation with Austin seems so hopeless at this point.  And, maybe that is exactly what he needs to be shaken up a bit, to realize that the girl that once was so certain about their future grew into a woman who will not wait around any longer for him to wake up and really see her as part of his future.

I loved seeing Austin so rattled, hurt for Cory as she gave up on the love of her life, and was so glad to see one man open his eyes to what has always been right in front of him… the love of his life.  Now it’s up to Austin to prove to Cory that he’s stopped hiding his feelings, that he can envision their future, and specifically that he loves her just as much as she loves him… abilities and all.

We’ll only run into Jamie and Faith – Joe and Luna – from the Visitation, North Carolina series but as they are the respective parents of this couple, it’s fitting.  Neither Faith nor Luna is the biological mother of either Cory or Austin, both women have taken in a child for various reasons, loved them with their whole being, and couldn’t be more of a mother to them if they had in fact given birth.  I loved seeing Cory and Austin, as well as Clay and Willow once again as adults ready to set out on their own adventures but never leaving family far behind.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.

Available in print, audio, or your favorite e-reader

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