With The Flower Arrangement, Ella Griffin (The Heart Whisperer, Postcards from the Heart) perfectly captures the subtle influences in life that tether people to one another. In this case, the connections are formed with flowers from Blossom & Grow, the tiny Dublin shop that Lara owns. Grieving the death of her infant son, Lara opened the flower shop in order to bring joy to others, even though she continues to exist in limbo. As events unfold around her, Lara experiences even deeper grief, followed by shocking and surprising joy.
Her flower arrangements have an effect on many people--including Becca, a single mom struggling to raise her curious son; Mia, an uptight accountant who falls for a free-spirited artist; Emily, an indecisive bride; and Lara's brother Phil, a bicycle courier who's never been in a relationship that lasted longer than a few months. As time passes, these characters' stories intersect in unforeseeable ways, mingling heartache and happiness, and resulting in some surprising new relationships.
Writing beautifully, Griffin demonstrates how something as simple as a bouquet of flowers can make all the difference in a relationship. With themes of sorrow, contentment and new love, The Flower Arrangement is addicting fiction. Its Dublin backdrop is lovely, and its character nuances resist a too-tidy ending; it is sure to appeal to readers of Marian Keyes and Jenny Colgan. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm