Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts
Pub. Date: October 2009
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Paperback, 358pp
Series: Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet Series, #2
ISBN-13: 9780425230077
ISBN: 0425230074







synopsis
Since she was a little girl, Emma Grant has always loved romance. So it's really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist. She gets to play with flowers everyday and work with her three best friends in the progress. She couldn't ask for a better job.

And on the surface, Emma's love life seems to be thriving. Slim and sultry, she brings color into every room she enters, just like the arrangements she creates. Men swarm around her, yet she still hasn't found Mr Right. And the last place she's looking is right under her nose.

But that's just where Jack Cooke is. He's been best friends with Parker's brother for years, which makes him practically family. The architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more then friendship. And when Emma returns his passion - kiss for blistering kiss - things start to get complicated at Vows Jack has never been big on commitment. Emma yearns for a lifelong love after. If the two are to find common ground, they must trust in their history - and in their heart.
End Synopsis

Let me first start by saying that this was one of the review I have been delay posting. I read the book on the first week of Jan 2010, draft it on Jan 10 and then re-edited in March. I'm just now posting it today (yes it took me 3 months). I admit when I got a copy of Bed of Roses, I didn't know what to expected. Because while I did enjoy Vision In White, it wasn't a favorite. And so I read Bed Of Roses with high hope that it'll be better. I love Nora Roberts' books but there will be some books by her that are more a favorite than the other, right?

I have to say I like Bed Of Roses so much better than Vision In White. Probably because I love theme where hero and heroine known each other all of their life and are practically family. And then they became lover later. And plus Emma is such a romantic dreamer at heart, and that reminded me of myself at a young age always dreaming about romance. There were more intimacy, more dialogues with great quoting and built up relationship between Emma and Jack. The intimacy between them were sensual and sizzling hot. I love how after their passionate kisses, they try to make sense of their feeling for one another and things got complicated. For Jack because he never been a commitment guy and Emma always long for lifetime "Happy Ever After", love. The kind that last forever. And Emma is a friend of his best friend's sister, so Jack felt that Emma is "hand off" whether he honorary or not. Plus they're practically "family". And Emma felt beside their being "family" she thought Jack had feeling for someone close to them and it was one of their "No Dating" rules thing that Emma thought is no no. I like that Emma didn't given in so easily after she and Jack had this one argument. And she waited when she ready to forgive. It was good scenes to see Jack grovel but I felt so sorry for him afterward. I thought Emma and Jack make a good couple. I think Nora made them stay true to their characters, and I like that.

It was interesting to see how Emma love to do what she does best - her job. We get to see how she arrange flowers, prepare them and then display them in the wedding and the reception set room for their clients. We get an idea how many hours it take to have job doing flowers for wedding, and I gotta say that it seem pretty exhausting but fun. I love it that we see more interact and connection with the previous characters. We get to see how stronger the women friendship are and also see how the previous couple, Mac and Carter, have been doing after their story are told. And we get glimpse/hint of who will be next couple in the next books. I especially want to learn more about the guy who own a car shop. He seem to be the type of guy I like to read about - YUM! *grin*.

Bed of Roses was a romantic sweet story. It was more relationship built up and fun. Face pace reading and enjoyable. Friendships, loves and happiness was well blend in together in the book. I'm looking forward to read the third book Savor the Moment to come out soon.

This is my joint-reading with Alice from Hello, My Name Is Alice. If you would like to see her review on Bed of Roses, you can see it here.

Also if you would like to read my review on Vision In White, you can see it here

Thanks so much Alice, for not just only joint-reading this book with me but also sending this to me as a Christmas gift from you for Christmas. It was funny how we both got the idea to sent each other Bed of Roses as gift, teehee. And I'm looking forward to read Savor the Moment with you too! :) Happy Reading!

Grade: 4 stars

Drafted: 1-18-10
re-edited:3-5-10