Lorna Seilstad’s “As Love Blooms” follows the story of the third Gregory sister, Tessa, and her journey in learning about faith.
It is May 1913 and Tessa, a horticulture student, is seeking employment at Como Park in St. Paul, Minnesota. She really needs this job because, well, she has a secret. And if she can get a job designing gardens at the park, she can keep her secret to herself.
Reese King, whose father just happens to be the Chicago park commissioner, has a lot to prove in his position at Como Park. He feels he lacks creativity, but still knows how to put together a lovely garden.
So Tessa and Reese secretly join forces in designing a stunning garden at Como Park so each can achieve their goal — she to obtain a gardening job at the park and he to get the coveted head gardener position for the park’s proposed new conservatory.
What follows is a lovely tale of blooming love, interspersed with lessons on faith and allowing God to move mountains for us; secrets and the repercussions that can come from them; fitting in with others versus just being one’s self; and being rooted in something solid, particularly in God.
“As Love Blooms” is a great, gentle romance — but it much more than that. It contains some mysterious happenings, including a crazy, good ending. Fun historical facts also find their way into the book — including Oreos and Cokes as favorite treats of the characters; the start of vacant garden lots in communities; the creation of Como Park’s Conservatory, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in November; and women’s suffrage, soundly led by Tessa’s bloomer-wearing Aunt Sam.
“As Love Blooms” is a fun, sweet, exciting and educational read with a lot of great characters.
Five stars out of five.
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.
“As Love Blooms” (The Gregory Sisters series, #3) by Lorna Seilstad