Sophia's Reviews > The Lilac Bouquet

A young woman living in a small Texas town is determined on three things: she will marry her high school sweetheart in a big wedding that the town will witness that she is breaking the Masey women curse and marrying before having a child. She will work for reclusive Seth Thomas and earn the money for that big wedding in the face of everyone's opposition. And, oh yes, she will get to the bottom of the decades' old feud between her great-granny, Seth Thomas, and Jesse Grady.

Along the way, sweet and bright Emmy Jo Masey burrows into an old, lonely man's heart and finds a way to help him make peace with the past and come alive, helps her crusty great-gran accept what will be, and finds just how strong she can be to stand for herself and her chance at happiness.

I adored Emmy Jo and Logan together. He was such a great guy to buck the town gossip and his own family to be with Emmy Jo and support her even when he wasn't sure about Seth or her determination to learn about the past.

But, Seth was my favorite. That old guy's story and his mother's broke my heart. Talk about strong people who somehow made it through with an intact, warm heart waiting to be able to share it.

Oh man, was I flaming mad at the people of Hickory, TX for how they turned on one of their own and chose to believe a lie and ignore a desperate woman and her young family's need. Small Town stories are my jam, but I appreciated how this story showed there can be a darker side to the closeness, too. Fortunately, this is fiction and there was a happy ending for most.

Britany Pressley was a terrific narrator for the story both old guys and young as well as Texas drawl were well done with her good female cast voices. She had a good pace and tone for the reflective nature of this story that dug into past and present.

All in all, a sometimes bittersweet, but ultimately triumphant story. Friendship, romance, family, love and forgiveness fill this well-developed Women's Fiction.