Flowers on Main is the second book in the Chesapeake Shores trilogy. I haven’t read the first, but the book pretty much stand on its own. I was in the mood for something insanely romantic, something that would sweep my heart off to fantasyland. While this book didn’t quite accomplish that, it wasn’t bad.
The story revolves around Bree O’Brien, a local girl who ran off after college to pursue her dreams of becoming a playwrite, leaving her devoted boyfriend Jake behind. Six years later, Bree is ready to come home to Chesapeake Shores again. She was beginning to feel lost and alone in Chicago. She wasn’t sure what her next steps would be, but she knew her future was back home.
The problem with this decision is her ex-boyfriend Jake. His heart had been broken so severely when Bree left, that he has never been able to forgive her. It wasn’t just that they had broken up, but that she had done so immediately after miscarrying their baby—a baby he was thrilled about and Bree was terrified of—and the fact that she moved on to another man so quickly. Unfortunately, the town of Chesapeake Shores is too small for the two of them and Bree’s presence begins to drive Jake insane. The situation is compounded when Bree spontaneously decides to open a flower shop and discovers that Jake’s landscaping company is the only flower wholesaler in the area.
I liked both Bree and Jake. They had good chemistry and it was easy to root for them to get together. Unfortunately, Jake’s temper tantrums got a little old after awhile. I mean how many times does he really need to storm out of a place just because Bree is there? I get that he was hurt and had good reason for wanting to stay away from her, but it started to feel immaturish, not a good quality for a romantic hero.
Another romantic sub-plot in the book had to do with Bree’s divorced parents, Mick and Megan. Mick was a world famous architect whose work kept him away from home a lot. When Bree was a teen, megan finally got sick of waiting around for her husband that she dumped her five kids off on their grandmother and moved to New York. Now, fifteen years later, Mick suddenly decides he wants his wife back and begins courting her all over again. To me, this relationship seemed improbable and forced. I don’t care what unresolved feelings you might have for an ex, fifteen years of estrangement is too long to just decide one day that you want to get back with them again. For as much as Megan claimed to want to take things slowly, it seemed like a given that she was going to move back and re-marry Mick. I thought this sub-plot was rushed.
The book was predictable, but most romances are, so I can’t complain. If that doesn’t bother you, it’s worth giving it a shot.
Overall, I give Flowers on Main…
Plot – 2 bookmarks
Character Development – 2 ½ bookmarks
Love Story – 2 ½ bookmarks
Likelihood I Will Read the Other Two Books in the Series – ½ bookmark (Very doubtful)
Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Rachael McAdams (Bree), Paul Walker (Jake), Blythe Danner (Megan), Jeff Bridges (Mick)
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