Bloom and Doom (A Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery) Mass Market Paperback – April 1, 2014

I don't know a lot about flowers and have never really been too interested in them but I'm really glad this was picked for a June book club discussion. I had been wanting to read it because I knew that even though I wasn't a big flower fan, it still had to be a good background for a mystery series and boy is it!Audrey Bloom and her cousin Liv co-owned a florist shop in Ramble, Virginia that they had been running for five years. They were starting to get some interesting customers like the mayor's daughter who had a huge wedding planned. But one of the recent customers, a former childhood friend of Audrey's named Jenny, wasn't going through with her wedding. When her fiance' turned up stabbed to death in his car outside her apartment, of course Jenny was the prime suspect. Audrey felt an obligation to look into the case and with the help of handsome baker and business neighbor, Nick Maxwell, one night of sleuthing actually turned out fairly hilarious.There was a little side mystery as well with the girls' longtime friend and flower grower, Larry. He was acting a little suspicious and not letting anyone into his newest greenhouse. At the same time, the police chief had been investigating some marijuana growing in the area.Everything worked out great in the end with a pretty exciting showdown with the killer and a couple of people had some exciting news towards the end as well. The killer was a total surprise to me!I love this author's writing style, with humor sprinkled throughout the book but not overdone. If it wasn't in actions, it was in the description of things told from Audrey's point of view and I found myself giggling more than once. The author is also known as Barbara Early so this makes me even more anxious to read her Vintage Toy Shop series!

This book was a real winner -- interesting story, interesting characters, good mystery, and, some very funny scenes. Audrey Bloom and her cousin, Liv, own a flower shop in a small Virginia town. Every couple that they've done flowers for are still married. Audrey likes to make flower arrangement with flowers that have the right meaning. Audrey's childhood friend, Jenny, comes to the shop with her mother to pick out flowers for the upcoming marriage. They pick out all the wrong flowers, and before the wedding can even take place, Jenny's fiance, Derek, is murdered. Audrey feels like she needs to find evidence that Jenny isn't guilty. Unlike too many of the main characters in other Cozy Mysteries, Audrey doesn't run around butting into everyone's business and telling the police what to do. She finds out that Derek and his wealthy family had their share of secrets.Audrey is a smart and very likeable character. Yes, she has a recent breakup in her history, but doesn't dwell on it. Plus, the handsome new cupcake shop owner, Nick, has caught her eye. Liv and Audrey are very close. They spent summers together at their grandmother's house and now are business partners. The people who work at the shop from Amber Lee, the students who help out, and, Larry, the flower supplier, all add by making the daily workings at the flower shop interesting and believable. It took me awhile to find my main suspect and the murderer isn't revealed until the very end. But, it all fits together nicely.One of the bonuses in the book was the description of Audrey's dance with Little Joe at a wedding. It had me laughing out loud. I'm really looking forward to "For Whom the Bluebell Tolls," the next Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery.

BLOOM AND DOOM is the first book in A Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery series by author Beverly Allen. I was privileged enough to read this story before the April 1, 2014 publication date. This book had me at the first page!In meeting Audrey Bloom and Olivia “Liv” Rose, her cousin and co-owner of the Rose In Bloom florist shop in Ramble, Virginia, I immediately felt I was in the presence of dear friends. In getting to meet the other characters, several of which worked or helped out at the shop, I found myself wanting to work there as well and get to spend my days among the flowers and good company.The entire story was fast paced and never lacking action. Some situations had me honestly laughing out loud due to the author’s witty humor and fun writing flare. I also found it informative as Ms. Allen had Audrey telling the meaning of the flowers she would use in her different arrangements.As for the mystery aspect of this cozy, it was handled superbly. I was guessing until the very end as to who the murderer was. There was a bit of a “sub mystery” in the storyline as well. Something I feel the author intentionally made us forget about after it was mentioned, just so she could catch us off guard when it finally came to light. Well played Ms. Allen!If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for new series that will become one of your go to favorites. Beverly Allen’s Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery series is that series for me and I have no doubt it will be for you too. This one is sure to be a long running series indeed!Lisa Ks Book Reviews

I was really shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. As much as I love cozies, there are some themes that I have read that just didn't work for me. I usually stick to biblio, animal, or food themed cozies. The protagonists own a flower shop and while the premise of the story surrounds the shop, the story is not solely based there.I loved the characters in the book, very relatable. The mystery was a tad darker than the normal cozy in my opinion. That is a good thing for me. The murder was obviously the focal point of the investigation but I liked that there were other crimes and mysterious things going on in the background. I had no idea who the murderer was until towards then. I remember when that light bulb went off in my head and I was like "AGH!!! I should have figured this out already!!!" I also figured out the other little secret revealed at the end as well, that is an exciting one!!I will definitely be moving on to For Whom the Bluebell Tolls (book 2) once I finish my Christmas in July theme.

Very interesting story. Loved the meanings for the flowers. Next book please.

I had saved this cosy mystery because I wasn't sure that it would be my type. I was wrong. This story was told well and was actually quite intelligent, no ridiculous reactions from the characters, and what I liked best is Audrey (the main character) was busy with her job as she solved the mystery. She didn't spend a lot of time away from her shop running down clues (unless it had something to do with delivering flowere ect.).I really liked the town and the people who lived there, and I am looking forwards to reading the next book in this series!