FLOWERS IN DECEMBER TRILOGY: Flowers in December, Coming Home, Second Chance by Jane Suen – Review by Liz Vrchota

FLOWERS IN DECEMBER TRILOGY by Jane Suen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jane Suen’s Flowers in December trilogy is a fabulous set of books that I have really loved reading multiple times since the first one came about. I was so excited when I saw these books would be offered in a full set. I love books that do that as a series because they become instantly easier to gift and spread the love. Below you will find my reviews for each book.

Flowers in December: Book #1

“You’re my pride and joy, always remember this.”

“Connor lay crumpled next to her coffin, not willing to get up just yet, not ready to leave. He let his mind wander, thinking abut his mother, himself as a little boy. This was the one time; the one trip Connor had never wanted to take.”

This was such a compelling short read by Jane Suen. We first meet Connor grappled with grief at the casket of his mother. It has been a long time since Connor has come home and now it’s too late to really even call it home. He was the only one left of his small family, besides his mom’s cat Tom. This book is a brief but profound journey of grief. We follow Connor in the year after his mother’s death, and see what grief really does to him. I loved meeting all the characters of the small town where he grew up and how they all played a role in the grieving process.

This book was really wonderful and had a great way of being brief yet covering all the processes of grief that overcomes anyone who has experienced a loss, especially one of a parent. I have not read any other works by Jane Suen but I am really anticipating finding out what other works she has and devouring them. I loved her writing style and that she was able to express so much in such a short book. This was a five-star read for me hands down. There are a few quotes that I just loved and wrote down as I was reading this book that I will close my review with. I think that they really express what it meant for Connor to process the death of his mother and all that it entailed.

“This was the moment when he realized the beauty of it all. At that moment, he put aside the sorrow. For her was here, among all these people, in this sacred place, surrounded by beauty, music, and love… there would be no sorrow. No sorrow would be sent to her along the way where she must go now. They would send music, happiness, and love. For where she was going, there would never be any pain or sadness; there would be only eternal joy. And there, he firmly believed, she would forever rest in peace. The thought of his mother in eternal peace calmed and comforted him…”

“As life was inevitable, so surely was death. He would be her child forever. She would be his mother forever. Nothing would ever change that. Ever.”

“Connor was alone in this world. He let that thought sink in. He had not wanted to face this before. He always had a home to come to. He had never wanted to think about the inevitable, that some day they wouldn’t be here and there would be no one to come home to. Or, that there would be no home at all. An empty house was not a home. It was not even close. Grappling with his thoughts, he focused on what to do now. Grief was pushed aside momentarily as he threw himself back into work.”

“He had to feel the grief, to feel the pain of loss, and the void that could never be filled. There were no words to describe it. It was the way it was, the way it had to be. Nothing he could ever do, no matter how hard he tired, could bring her back. He relived his past, his last moments with her.”

“Nothing in this world could fix the pain. It was too much to bear. Now in the silence of his room, he faced the pain. All of it. Alone.”

Coming Home: Book #2

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this pop up on my feed. I had absolutely adored Flowers in December and was left wanting more, not with loose ends, but still wanting some more of Connor and what would come next for him. This was that and so much more. We just happen to get a lot more than we may have even bargained for. I would highly recommend that you read the first book, Flowers in December before devouring this one, everything will flow and make sense so much more. This one is obviously a holiday/Christmas story but I really feel as if I will be pulling this gem out any time of year, whenever I need an emotional and yet encouraging read. I almost feel as if these two books together would create a great Hallmark Christmas movie. I can’t wait to find out what will come next from Jane Suen! I am sure it will be fantastic whatever it will be, and on my to be read list! Happy reading!

Second Chance: Book #3

Jane Suen’s The Flowers in December Trilogy has been some of my favorite contemporary romance novels that I have read as of late. I enjoy how she manages to hook be deep into the story before I even finish the first few pages of a book she has penned. I loved Second Chance, the third and final book in the series, the most out of all of them. This book really closed the trilogy in a perfect and beautiful way that I just could not get enough of.

I would recommend that you read the first two novels prior to this one if you haven’t. I feel this series has evolved in both writing strength and the characters themselves. I suppose if you really wanted you could read them as stand alones though. This one brings us the conclusion of Connor’s story. He is our main character and really has changed so much from the very first book we read him in. I have probably just fallen in love with his character more and I never thought that was possible after book two. I look forward to finding out what will come next from the ever talented Jane Suen.

Review by @lizaileen
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