Tessa Gregory is nothing if not tenacious. Denied a position as a horticulturist at prestigious Como Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she is not above a little benevolent
deception in order to get the park superintendent to change his mind and hire her. She plans to infiltrate the world of wealthy and influential people in hopes of drumming up
financial support for a world-class conservatory. But before she can put those plans into action, she meets Reese King, a handsome gardener at Como Park–and a major
distraction. Still, Reese might be the key to achieving her dream. But is his goal to help her . . . or to capture her heart?
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Classicaly Seilstad, As Love Blooms finally tells the story of the youngest Gregory sister, Tessa. Like her two older sisters, Tessa was raised to believe that her gender did not automatically disqualify her from pursuing her dreams. Though she takes a longer time figuring out exactly what it is she’d like to do – she’s dabbled in investigating, journalism, acting, and more – she finally realizes botany is “it.” Instead of demanding equally treatment and Title Nine-ing the situation, Tessa works hard to prove herself to earn people’s trust and acceptance.
The one thing I didn’t like about this story was the Aunt Sam thread. I’m not really sure what it had to do with the rest of the story. (SPOILER-ISH) Quite frankly, I was disappointed with the outcome, as it seems that the only lesson Aunt Sam taught Tessa was that you can’t live with or love others who don’t agree with you 100%, which isn’t something I agree with.
Other than that, this book contains all of the classic Seilstad hallmarks: genuine but flawed characters, a heroine who’s a bit too perfect but still likable, and a sweet love story. A fun read.
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