The Blooming of Delphinium

Varni takes readers back to the small-town Minnesota setting of On Moonberry Lake in this chipper tale of unexpected love. Like her grandmother Annie, florist Delphinium Hayes has the ability to literally sniff out a person’s “true character” and match them to the right bouquet—a skill that hasn’t failed until flirty, and unreadable, Mason McCormack walks into her shop. She has bigger problems than the handsome attorney, though, having fallen so far behind on her mortgage payments that her bank is threatening foreclosure. What’s more, the meddlesome residents of the nursing home across the street, bored by the monotony of life at the facility, keep wandering into her shop. When the residents hatch a plan to sue the nursing home over their dismal living conditions, Mason volunteers to be their lawyer, though his true motivations are murky. Then, facility director Elliot Sturgis shows up to meet with Delphinium looking “neat as a pin” and smelling of violets—which reveals his “loyalty and devotion” and makes Delphinium sure he’s a man of faith who’s meant to be in her life. Will Elliot and Delphinium be able to keep the residents happy and prevent her shop’s foreclosure, all while giving their attraction a chance to blossom? Though the profusion of subplots threatens to overwhelm the romantic story line, plucky Delphinium’s an irresistible heroine, and the sweet ending will leave readers satisfied. Varni’s fans will be thoroughly charmed. (Sept.)