Review: Like a Flower in Bloom

Like a Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell is a fantastically done story set in 1850s England. I was drawn into this story of a female botanist struggling to receive recognition for her work. Her life was bound up in cataloging and researching flowers and plants and because of that she was one of the most honest, true, funny characters I've ever read. You can't help but love her. :-)

Charlotte Withersby has been helping her botanist father ever since her mother died eight years ago. She's been writing his books, drawing the illustrations, taking care of all the correspondence, and paying all the bills. When her uncle convinces her father that she needs to stop being his assistant and have a social life, Charlotte is flabbergasted. Forced from what she loves doing so she can enter society to snag a husband, Charlotte feels unwanted and unloved especially from her father.

Edward Trimble has been one of Mr. Withersby correspondents from New Zealand for the last three years. He came back to England and immediately went to their home to speak to Mr Withersby. Once there he is offered the job as his assistant. Charlotte is hurt and furious that he is going to take over her job, and she is determined to out him as soon as possible. What Edward doesn't know is that Charlotte is the one he had been writing to for the last three years. Charlotte is terrified he will found out and hopes she can keep it hidden.

The main character was wonderfully done, and I really felt for her. When she was trying not to cry, I was trying not to cry with her. When she accepted who she was, I breathed a sigh of contentment. When love found her, I was thrilled for her. When she stood up for herself, I cheered along with her. I loved how smart she was with botany but how clueless she was with the rules of etiquette. It made for some funny moments in the story.

I loved how the author transformed Charlotte from a flower bud into a flower in bloom, and it is a great story of a woman accepting who she is and not looking back.

I was given this book free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Love Comes Calling

Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell is set in the 1920s. I haven't read too many novels written from this time period so I found it interesting, and I loved the facts in the back of the book about the Roaring Twenties. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I liked how I felt transported back to that time, but on the other hand, I didn't really like the main character, Ellis Eton. I know the author was trying to depict Ellis with ADHD, but the choppiness from her lack of concentration made it a hard read. I wouldn't recommend this book if you are a first time reader of Siri Mitchell, but if you are a fan, you might still enjoy it.

Ellis Eton is failing college. Her parents expect her to graduate especially since her older sister didn't, but she is tired of feeling like a failure and disappointing her parents at every turn. Her dream is to go to Hollywood and become an actress, but without the resources to get there she can't. Then the cook's daughter, Janie, comes to her with an unusual request - can Ellis cover her job as a phone operator for two weeks while she tries to get in contact with her father. Since they look remarkably alike, it seems like the perfect idea, and it would give Ellis the money she needs to get to California. But what sounded like an easy way to make some money turned into much more than she bargained for when she accidentally overheard a conversation about Griffin Phillips, the man she loves. Determined to find the rogues before they can harm him, Ellis starts her investigation in the unlikeliest of ways.

The twist with the love story is how inadequate Ellis feels. She is positive she would ruin Griff's bright career in politics with her scatterbrained ways and determines not to marry him for his own good. I like stories when the two couples already know they love each other because it's not the norm in fiction.

Ellis is a very innocent, immature girl who seems to always be in her own little world. Her immaturity was irritating, and though she did learn and grow in the story, she still seemed so clueless even at the end. I get the inattention, difficulty concentrating, and the impulsiveness is from the ADHD, but the other parts of her character were the more frustrating aspects to me. Most of what she did was just plain confusing! All of that aside, I did like the story especially Griffin. He was written very well, and one of the best parts of the book was their interactions. Ellis made me giggle at her thought processes during those moments. The history woven throughout was done well and got you thinking about how enforcing laws to govern behaviour/sins tends to make things much worse. I liked the premise of accepting who God made you to be which is something we all need to learn how to accept at some point in our lives. If you are a fan of Siri Mitchell, you'll probably like this story well enough. :-)

I was given this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If you would like more info about Siri Mitchell check out the sites below.

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Love Comes Calling (Against All Expectations Collection Book #7)