Where Flowers Bloom by Nikki Vale – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Where Flowers Bloom by Nikki Vale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s not often that you pick up a book which you then literally can not put down but this is definitely one of those. I was hooked from page one and I just kept happily turning the pages. ‘Where Flowers Bloom’ is a mix of history, romance, mystery, paranormal and race issues all mixed up in a wonderful written story. When romance writer Kendyll agrees to move to a small town in North Carolina with her fiancé Vance in the hope of saving their relationship she does not realise how her life is about to change. As soon as Kendyll views a rundown estate she discovers that it is actually whispering to her of its past secrets. Having employed contractor, Wes to do up the old mansion, Kendall finds herself drawn to him and he makes her smile again. Although Wes attempts to keep his distance not wanting to come between Kendyll and Vance he finds the attraction between them too strong to ignore. Kendyll also starts having dreams about events that happened in the past on the estate and learns that it was involved with slavery. As a fiction writer Kendyll likes to write fairytale endings but really she just wants one for herself and finds she has a choice to make to reach her own happy ever after.

The descriptive narrative really brings both the past and the present settings to life which made me feel immersed and engaged in the story. The characters are likeable and relatable and again the author made them come alive and I found myself thinking about them long after I had finished the book. The storyline flows well, and is written in away that tells two stories at once without the reader getting confused. One a love triangle between Kendyll, Vance and Wes in the present and then through Kendyll’s dreams the story of the estate in the past and the effects of slavery. The story has so many different layers to it, from a steamy romance with a touch of the paranormal to a story about slavery, race and interracial dating, that it really is an original and unique read. Nikki Vale is a new author to me but I now look forward to reading other books by her.

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