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Bloom
Keats McCulloch opened his florist shop in Sydney two years ago and he’s living his dream. Even though running his own business leaves little room for a personal life, he is very single, sometimes lonely, but otherwise happy.
Linden Acres has sworn off men for all eternity. Armed with his cheating boyfriend’s credit card and a floriography list, he decides to buy him the perfect farewell gift. The biggest, prettiest bouquet of ‘murder flowers� his money can buy.
Keats convinces Linden to avoid possible jail time and go with a more subdued, somewhat passive aggressive bouquet of black roses and basil leaves. After all, nothing else says you’re dead to me and I hate you with such elegance.
Keats finds Linden hilarious and charming, and Linden thinks Keats is kind of wonderful . . . It’s too bad he’s sworn off men forever. Yet their paths cross again and again, as if fate was planting seeds in the hope that one will bloom.
“I’m more of a green carnations kind of guy.�
Linden Acres has sworn off men for all eternity. Armed with his cheating boyfriend’s credit card and a floriography list, he decides to buy him the perfect farewell gift. The biggest, prettiest bouquet of ‘murder flowers� his money can buy.
Keats convinces Linden to avoid possible jail time and go with a more subdued, somewhat passive aggressive bouquet of black roses and basil leaves. After all, nothing else says you’re dead to me and I hate you with such elegance.
Keats finds Linden hilarious and charming, and Linden thinks Keats is kind of wonderful . . . It’s too bad he’s sworn off men forever. Yet their paths cross again and again, as if fate was planting seeds in the hope that one will bloom.
“I’m more of a green carnations kind of guy.�
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2024
451 people are currently reading
844 people want to read
About the author
N.R. Walker
123books5,071followersAuthor also writes as A. Voyeur
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 372 reviews
March 6, 2024
2.5 stars
I needed something light and fluffy after my last read, and this kind of worked. The characters are nice, some moments are cute and fun, and I liked everything related to flowers. The dialogue at the beginning was the best part.
As a romance, this didn't really work for me. The relationship between Keats and Linden is very rushed and feels lukewarm, all sweetness and no depth. The writing is repetitive at times. The drama near the end is a bit OTT. I mean, I get it. It's important. But it felt so clinical and preachy. It killed the mood, to be honest.
I needed something light and fluffy after my last read, and this kind of worked. The characters are nice, some moments are cute and fun, and I liked everything related to flowers. The dialogue at the beginning was the best part.
As a romance, this didn't really work for me. The relationship between Keats and Linden is very rushed and feels lukewarm, all sweetness and no depth. The writing is repetitive at times. The drama near the end is a bit OTT. I mean, I get it. It's important. But it felt so clinical and preachy. It killed the mood, to be honest.
February 23, 2024
Insta lust/love with flat characters that didn't stand out in any way. We get:
~ Obligatory overprotective best friends
~ A series of dates
~ Lots of flower talk (repetitive and boring)
~ Drama with a broken condom that was unnecessary, manufactured, and OTT (why was Keats freaking out so badly when they'd both recently tested negative and always used protection in the past?)
~ Uninspired filler dialogue (puns about Keats' "perfect" name and Linden's "weird" one got old fast)
I considered DNF. I think Nic Walker is in a slump.
How is this the same author who wrote Red Dirt Heart, Imago, Evolved, and Galaxies & Oceans?
~ Obligatory overprotective best friends
~ A series of dates
~ Lots of flower talk (repetitive and boring)
~ Drama with a broken condom that was unnecessary, manufactured, and OTT (why was Keats freaking out so badly when they'd both recently tested negative and always used protection in the past?)
~ Uninspired filler dialogue (puns about Keats' "perfect" name and Linden's "weird" one got old fast)
I considered DNF. I think Nic Walker is in a slump.
How is this the same author who wrote Red Dirt Heart, Imago, Evolved, and Galaxies & Oceans?
September 2, 2024
Okay... I've sat overnight, I've stewed, I've contemplated, I've stared at the wall, I've squinted whilst thinking until I've gotten a headache..
and I have come to the conclusion... that contemporary romance is becoming a genre, that is very underwhelming for me.
How do I even rate or review this, it's just meant to be fluffy, it's low stakes, NO angst..
The scene of the book:
A cute lil man who owns a florist, and a personal assistant, they have their meet cute moment at the florist shop over one of the men joking about getting flowers to murder his cheating-ex-boyfriend.
It's actually VERY cute sometimes and they are now inlove.
That's the whole book in a nutshell if you don't want to read this hahah.
Linden and Keats actually were so flipping, feet swinging cute sometimes, but it was overshadowed with... lovey dovey bullshit that I don't enjoy hahaha. 😂
The flower element of this book was really cool and fluffy, learning what different flowers mean was really sweet and the effort Keat put in for Linden, makes it make sense that they fell quick.
(I DID NOT GOOGLE IF IT WAS EVEN CORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FLOWERS MEANINGS NOW THAT I SAY THIS, BUT I DONT CARE IT WAS CUTE AND DON'T JUDGE MY LACK OF EDUCATING MYSELF ON THE MATTER haha)
It's relatively insta-love, but felt okay because there was definite vibes from their first meeting, and I don't know about ya'll but if I think you're funny, I am literally obsessed with you and inlove with you right away...?
Tell me a joke... I AM LITERALLY YOURS. USE ME HOWEVER YOU WANT.
Linden and Keats were often very sweet.............
Sometimes, the dialogue was SO CRINGE, i wanted to rip my eye balls out.
Sometimes, the language in the book itself, was SO SIMPLE, i wanted to rip my eyeballs out.
Sometimes, the jokes became repetitive, and I still liked them but one time too many, and I'm instantly eye rolling.
Sometimes, the one drama that happens in this book is about
SOMETIMES, THE MC USES THE WORDS "SEXY FEET" UNIRONICALLY AND RUINS MY WHOLE DAY. 👣
Maybe read it if you need something pure fluff.
and I have come to the conclusion... that contemporary romance is becoming a genre, that is very underwhelming for me.
How do I even rate or review this, it's just meant to be fluffy, it's low stakes, NO angst..
The scene of the book:
A cute lil man who owns a florist, and a personal assistant, they have their meet cute moment at the florist shop over one of the men joking about getting flowers to murder his cheating-ex-boyfriend.
It's actually VERY cute sometimes and they are now inlove.
That's the whole book in a nutshell if you don't want to read this hahah.
Linden and Keats actually were so flipping, feet swinging cute sometimes, but it was overshadowed with... lovey dovey bullshit that I don't enjoy hahaha. 😂
The flower element of this book was really cool and fluffy, learning what different flowers mean was really sweet and the effort Keat put in for Linden, makes it make sense that they fell quick.
(I DID NOT GOOGLE IF IT WAS EVEN CORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FLOWERS MEANINGS NOW THAT I SAY THIS, BUT I DONT CARE IT WAS CUTE AND DON'T JUDGE MY LACK OF EDUCATING MYSELF ON THE MATTER haha)
It's relatively insta-love, but felt okay because there was definite vibes from their first meeting, and I don't know about ya'll but if I think you're funny, I am literally obsessed with you and inlove with you right away...?
Tell me a joke... I AM LITERALLY YOURS. USE ME HOWEVER YOU WANT.
Linden and Keats were often very sweet.............
Sometimes, the dialogue was SO CRINGE, i wanted to rip my eye balls out.
Sometimes, the language in the book itself, was SO SIMPLE, i wanted to rip my eyeballs out.
Sometimes, the jokes became repetitive, and I still liked them but one time too many, and I'm instantly eye rolling.
Sometimes, the one drama that happens in this book is about
SOMETIMES, THE MC USES THE WORDS "SEXY FEET" UNIRONICALLY AND RUINS MY WHOLE DAY. 👣
Maybe read it if you need something pure fluff.
![Profile Image for Carol [ŷ Addict].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1626057011i%2F10717098._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 21, 2025
Bloom is a stand alone MM romance by N.R. Walker. If you enjoy books that will make you smile from cover to cover, sigh, swoon, and just fill you up with warm, happy feelings, this is the book for you. It was absolutely wonderful. I loved the two men so much, along with the secondary characters. I admit the cover first drew me in but after I read the blurb, I was hooked. And it was everything I hoped it would be and more!
Keats McCulloch is thirty years old and owns his own florist shop in Sydney. His business has been open for two years and is doing very well. He has two full time employees that have been with him from the start and he considers both of them his friends as well. Because with the long hours he keeps, there isn’t much time left over in his busy schedule for any kind of social life.
Linden Acres is twenty six years old and is a successful personal shopper. He has just discovered his boyfriend of three months was cheating on him. So he decides he needs to order some flowers that very specifically let him know just what he thinks of his cheating ways. Which brings our two guys together!
I would call Keats and Linden’s first meeting a bit of a meet cute. Or maybe it’s just that they are so darn adorable that everything they do is cute! Even though Linden has just sworn off men, it’s easy to see that they are both immediately a little bit smittened with each other. There was blushing involved, lots of smiling, and maybe a little bit of hope!
“Well, this conversation went in a direction I was trying to avoid. Do you have any flowers that can wipe the last few minutes from someone’s memory? That you could inhale deeply perhaps? Then we can act like this whole conversation didn’t happen.�
I think I’m becoming a little bit N.R. Walker obsessed. Every book I read of hers has been amazing. In this book, we learn that there are so many meanings to the beautiful blooms we take for granted. I loved the way that Keats spoke to Linden with his flowers. He was the swooniest! Again, this is just a wonderful, swoony book with all the warm and fuzzies. I adored every single word of it. I also loved Linden’s best friend, Cory. I wonder if we might see him at some point in the future?! I can only hope!
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
February 21, 2024
Thank you goddess for books like this. It's not outstanding and certainly beyond perfect, but I don't give a shit. Today is only Wednesday and yet I'm completely fucked up from crappy work. This book was the only bright spot and it saved me the last two days.
It's light and very amusing, I laughed a lot and was generally just in a happy mood while reading it.
Yes the "third act drama" isn't really drama, which suits me and still it's actually rather annoying.
Again, I don't care. I rushed over it a bit and focused on the end of the book to get a happy wrap up.
I looooove the flowers, the meanings and the romance this book created with them. It wasn't unique either but it made me swoon.
“It is... it’s so pretty. And... I don’t know what a white pansy means. Does it have a meaning?�
His eyes went to the flower and his cheeks flushed with more colour. “Of course. It means think of me.�
“Think of you?� His gaze shot up and he nodded.
“As often as I think of you.� 😍🫠🥰
The book also lives from the dialog, so there's not much plot in here and not much else either, but the dialogs are so witty and simply amusing that you get through this book very quickly. So it's a nice light read for in between, or for when you need a little pick-me-up.
“I don’t do late nights anymore either. I’m in my middle-aged-lesbian era, remember? If you want to order Korean takeaway and watch reruns of ‚Home and Garden� or ‚Love It Or List It�, I’m your guy. It’s my life now.�
“Is it bad if I said that actually sounds like my kind of night?�
He snorted out a laugh. “Awesome. And if we want to live dangerously, we could watch ‚Home Renovations Gone Wrong�. Or ‚Million Dollar Designs� and start a new trend for the gays everywhere. ‚Drag Race� is out. Home-reno shows with men wearing cute tool belts and work boots is in.� 😂
It's light and very amusing, I laughed a lot and was generally just in a happy mood while reading it.
Yes the "third act drama" isn't really drama, which suits me and still it's actually rather annoying.
Again, I don't care. I rushed over it a bit and focused on the end of the book to get a happy wrap up.
I looooove the flowers, the meanings and the romance this book created with them. It wasn't unique either but it made me swoon.
“It is... it’s so pretty. And... I don’t know what a white pansy means. Does it have a meaning?�
His eyes went to the flower and his cheeks flushed with more colour. “Of course. It means think of me.�
“Think of you?� His gaze shot up and he nodded.
“As often as I think of you.� 😍🫠🥰
The book also lives from the dialog, so there's not much plot in here and not much else either, but the dialogs are so witty and simply amusing that you get through this book very quickly. So it's a nice light read for in between, or for when you need a little pick-me-up.
“I don’t do late nights anymore either. I’m in my middle-aged-lesbian era, remember? If you want to order Korean takeaway and watch reruns of ‚Home and Garden� or ‚Love It Or List It�, I’m your guy. It’s my life now.�
“Is it bad if I said that actually sounds like my kind of night?�
He snorted out a laugh. “Awesome. And if we want to live dangerously, we could watch ‚Home Renovations Gone Wrong�. Or ‚Million Dollar Designs� and start a new trend for the gays everywhere. ‚Drag Race� is out. Home-reno shows with men wearing cute tool belts and work boots is in.� 😂
February 17, 2024
Really entertaining! According to these guys I'm in my middle-aged era at 36 because I do love a good Ikea trip, garden centres and home improvement tv shows as my evening entertainment 😂
I loved all of the flowers and their meanings. I definitely can think of a few people who should get a 'you're dead to me' bouquet... 😁
I also liked how they took the broken condom seriously. It's usually something that gets shrugged off in books, so I like that the potential outcomes were actually discussed and emotional responses were had. The test results also had a timeline that felt more realistic - usually books imply they're immediate but that's never been my experience so it was refreshing.
Finally I love the cat names!!!
I loved all of the flowers and their meanings. I definitely can think of a few people who should get a 'you're dead to me' bouquet... 😁
I also liked how they took the broken condom seriously. It's usually something that gets shrugged off in books, so I like that the potential outcomes were actually discussed and emotional responses were had. The test results also had a timeline that felt more realistic - usually books imply they're immediate but that's never been my experience so it was refreshing.
Finally I love the cat names!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2025
This book is just 200+ pages of good vibes and flowers
February 18, 2024
Meh
Not Walker at her best. This is a very sweet story with basically zero angst and no hurdles... Which is what makes some of Walker's books so phenomenally dull. There is nothing in this story to keep the reader invested and rooting for the MCs. Just a lot of fluff and over thinking about what constitutes "too fast" for each step in a romantic relationship. It's tedious and gets very boring, very quickly.
I was hopeful at the beginning of the book because Linden's introduction to Keats was quite funny and showcased how well Walker can plot dialogue when she's on her game. Sadly, that was where the true wit ended and the snooze fest began.
Also... This is nitpicking, but I truly can't stand it when an author displays ignorance about something that would have taken ten second to Google. When Linden and Keats adopted two cats at the and of the book, Walker described them as "brothers, both tortoiseshell". I feel compelled to point out that male calico and tortoisehell cats are very uncommon. Only about 1 in 3,000 calico/tortoiseshell cats are male. The odds of there being two born in a single litter? AND being available for adoption at a year old? It's one thing to not know this, it's another to not fact check yourself when writing a book.
Not Walker at her best. This is a very sweet story with basically zero angst and no hurdles... Which is what makes some of Walker's books so phenomenally dull. There is nothing in this story to keep the reader invested and rooting for the MCs. Just a lot of fluff and over thinking about what constitutes "too fast" for each step in a romantic relationship. It's tedious and gets very boring, very quickly.
I was hopeful at the beginning of the book because Linden's introduction to Keats was quite funny and showcased how well Walker can plot dialogue when she's on her game. Sadly, that was where the true wit ended and the snooze fest began.
Also... This is nitpicking, but I truly can't stand it when an author displays ignorance about something that would have taken ten second to Google. When Linden and Keats adopted two cats at the and of the book, Walker described them as "brothers, both tortoiseshell". I feel compelled to point out that male calico and tortoisehell cats are very uncommon. Only about 1 in 3,000 calico/tortoiseshell cats are male. The odds of there being two born in a single litter? AND being available for adoption at a year old? It's one thing to not know this, it's another to not fact check yourself when writing a book.
February 19, 2024
Super fluffy. I appreciated the seriousness given to the one slightly angsty situation here but even then I would have preferred a different outcome to make things a bit more realistic or interesting. One could say it’s rather dire straits when a reader is begging for a chlamydia diagnosis to spice things up. Overall I was pretty bored by how superficial this was and continue to mourn the old magical experiences I used to get when reading this author.
March 22, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
And never once did the butterflies stop. Never once did the thrill of each kiss subside, the anticipation, the nerves, the full swoop of my whole heart when he laughed. Every touch, every caress, every breath.
Well, that was heckin� cute as hell. I had to consciously try to *not* smile while listening in the grocery store earlier. I’m sure I looked like a crazy person. This was just a lovely, low angst story about to strangers making a connection and then going on cute dates and just generally being adorable together. It’s fairly short, but didn’t really need to be longer. It was spicy, but not overwhelmingly so.
All of the flowers and the meaning behind them was equal parts interesting, sweet and romantic.
It’s not a very complex or emotional book, but it is exactly what it was supposed to be. A feel-good love story. Glen Lloyd did a great job with the audio, as per usual.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Australian setting
Florist
Strangers to lovers
Dating
Romantic
Hands free orgasm
Falling fast
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Cheating ex boyfriend
Explicit sexual content
Brief mention of child abandonment
Broken condom
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters� age: 26 and 30
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 206
“Green carnations mean homosexuality and black roses mean you’re dead to me. So black roses surrounded by green carnations would mean you’re dead to me, you big old homosexual, and I think that’s beautiful.� He sighed. “Poetry with flowers.�
“And now I’m ready,� he said quietly. Then his eyes met mine. “Because now there’s you.�
“So your villain era is going well.� I snorted. “Well, it was short-lived. I’m in my middle-aged-lesbian, home-renovation era now.�
I twirled the paper flower between my thumb and forefinger, smiling at it. “Cory, I think I’ve met the man I’m going to marry.�
I’m the overthinking type, Linden. So when you say stuff like that, I have seven tabs open in my brain working at the same time, running possible outcomes and scenarios.� His smile was slow to spread. “Just seven tabs?� “Two are someone working an FBI whiteboard of scenarios, one’s a Venn diagram, two are spreadsheets, one’s running a video reel of Love Actually, and the last one is breathing into a paper bag.�
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well:
And never once did the butterflies stop. Never once did the thrill of each kiss subside, the anticipation, the nerves, the full swoop of my whole heart when he laughed. Every touch, every caress, every breath.
Well, that was heckin� cute as hell. I had to consciously try to *not* smile while listening in the grocery store earlier. I’m sure I looked like a crazy person. This was just a lovely, low angst story about to strangers making a connection and then going on cute dates and just generally being adorable together. It’s fairly short, but didn’t really need to be longer. It was spicy, but not overwhelmingly so.
All of the flowers and the meaning behind them was equal parts interesting, sweet and romantic.
It’s not a very complex or emotional book, but it is exactly what it was supposed to be. A feel-good love story. Glen Lloyd did a great job with the audio, as per usual.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Australian setting
Florist
Strangers to lovers
Dating
Romantic
Hands free orgasm
Falling fast
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Cheating ex boyfriend
Explicit sexual content
Brief mention of child abandonment
Broken condom
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters� age: 26 and 30
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 206
“Green carnations mean homosexuality and black roses mean you’re dead to me. So black roses surrounded by green carnations would mean you’re dead to me, you big old homosexual, and I think that’s beautiful.� He sighed. “Poetry with flowers.�
“And now I’m ready,� he said quietly. Then his eyes met mine. “Because now there’s you.�
“So your villain era is going well.� I snorted. “Well, it was short-lived. I’m in my middle-aged-lesbian, home-renovation era now.�
I twirled the paper flower between my thumb and forefinger, smiling at it. “Cory, I think I’ve met the man I’m going to marry.�
I’m the overthinking type, Linden. So when you say stuff like that, I have seven tabs open in my brain working at the same time, running possible outcomes and scenarios.� His smile was slow to spread. “Just seven tabs?� “Two are someone working an FBI whiteboard of scenarios, one’s a Venn diagram, two are spreadsheets, one’s running a video reel of Love Actually, and the last one is breathing into a paper bag.�
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well:
March 10, 2024
Sadly Bloom didn't work for me. It was going for a cute and fluffy vibe, but for me it just ended up being a bit boring. And the dialogue felt stilted so I couldn't enjoy the romance between Keats and Linden.
March 5, 2024
the beginning was really promising, and even though the dialogue had a rhythm of repetition to it, i can’t blame these two for being hyper-excited in their honeymoon phase. but i have to agree with the sentiments re: the third act conflict - it’s a real concern and i’m glad immediate steps were taken to rectify the situation, but the reactions and the act itself both felt out of place, like being forcibly pulled out of the super comfy & fluffy seat for the sake of some kind of strife.
March 2, 2024
Audio: 4.5 stars Glen Lloyd and NR Walker are a great duo
Book: 2.5ish stars DNF @69% (lol)/skimmed to the end
It started with promise, but it felt like the same conversations 100 times and I was getting bored. Everything was too perfect� and idk I was hoping for more since I saw some reviews saying it was like the old NR Walker, but it isn’t anything like “Red Dirt Heart series� or “Pieces of Us series� or “Tom Elkin series� haha
I am bummed but you can’t win them all with your favorite authors!
Book: 2.5ish stars DNF @69% (lol)/skimmed to the end
It started with promise, but it felt like the same conversations 100 times and I was getting bored. Everything was too perfect� and idk I was hoping for more since I saw some reviews saying it was like the old NR Walker, but it isn’t anything like “Red Dirt Heart series� or “Pieces of Us series� or “Tom Elkin series� haha
I am bummed but you can’t win them all with your favorite authors!
March 17, 2024
3 stars!! ❤️ Liked it.. did not love it. it was a meet-cute story that started out strong but became a little too sweet and predictable. Normally I do love a sweet low angst story.. but somehow here it seemed bland.. maybe it’s me and not the book. I’ve been listening to a bunch of mystery/suspense books lately and wanted to take a rom-com break.. unfortunately it didn’t work 🤷♀� Nevertheless I would still recommend it to romance loving fans.. 👍🏻👍🏻
February 21, 2024
2.5 Stars
Another entry from what I can only assume is a ghost writer under N.R. Walker’s name.
Absolutely fantastic beginning that fizzled out fast into something waaaaay too sweet, repetitive, and a bit boring, with awkward drama added near the end that seemed way overblown.
Instalove is definitely not for me. If anyone could get me to like it though, it’s N.R. Walker. Too bad it doesn’t feel like she wrote this!
Another entry from what I can only assume is a ghost writer under N.R. Walker’s name.
Absolutely fantastic beginning that fizzled out fast into something waaaaay too sweet, repetitive, and a bit boring, with awkward drama added near the end that seemed way overblown.
Instalove is definitely not for me. If anyone could get me to like it though, it’s N.R. Walker. Too bad it doesn’t feel like she wrote this!
February 17, 2024
The Meaning of Flowers- Who Knew
Thirty year old Keats McCulloch is living his dream in Sydney, Oz. He has his own apartment, his dream job as a Florist in his own business. Having built it up over the past few years he is now beginning to feel a bit lonely. His last partner gave up on him after a couple of years because he spent too much time on his business. Now he has two assistants, Lina and Robbie who take a lot of the weight off his shoulders.
So when an adorable young man comes into his shop literally looking for a killer flower arrangement he starts having a very interesting conversation with the guy, Linden Acres. Yes, they have a conversation about names and a lot of other stuff which was hilarious.
Linden’s boyfriend has been cheating on him and Linden has selected specific poisonous blooms, whose meaning he has looked up on the Floristry website. He knows his ex will check out the meaning of the poisonous flowers and get the message that they are done. Luckily Keats talks him out of this idea as some of his choices are actually life threatening.
Reading this initial meeting was very funny and both Keats and Linden created sparks between them which lead them to arranging a coffee date and things just took off at quite a pace from there on.
Keats is besotted and even created beautiful paper flowers for Linden. He’d do anything for Linden. They are living in a Love Bubble after several dates until the bubble bursts, or actually when the condom bursts. Keats panics. Serious conversations need to be had.
I’d pre-ordered this book by N R Walker because I just love her books. When it arrived and I first saw the cover picture, I fell in love. What a gorgeous smile on the model, who I guess represents Keats.
No tears from me reading this one, it was fun and laughs with these two besotted guys and eventually their two crazy cats.
Thirty year old Keats McCulloch is living his dream in Sydney, Oz. He has his own apartment, his dream job as a Florist in his own business. Having built it up over the past few years he is now beginning to feel a bit lonely. His last partner gave up on him after a couple of years because he spent too much time on his business. Now he has two assistants, Lina and Robbie who take a lot of the weight off his shoulders.
So when an adorable young man comes into his shop literally looking for a killer flower arrangement he starts having a very interesting conversation with the guy, Linden Acres. Yes, they have a conversation about names and a lot of other stuff which was hilarious.
Linden’s boyfriend has been cheating on him and Linden has selected specific poisonous blooms, whose meaning he has looked up on the Floristry website. He knows his ex will check out the meaning of the poisonous flowers and get the message that they are done. Luckily Keats talks him out of this idea as some of his choices are actually life threatening.
Reading this initial meeting was very funny and both Keats and Linden created sparks between them which lead them to arranging a coffee date and things just took off at quite a pace from there on.
Keats is besotted and even created beautiful paper flowers for Linden. He’d do anything for Linden. They are living in a Love Bubble after several dates until the bubble bursts, or actually when the condom bursts. Keats panics. Serious conversations need to be had.
I’d pre-ordered this book by N R Walker because I just love her books. When it arrived and I first saw the cover picture, I fell in love. What a gorgeous smile on the model, who I guess represents Keats.
No tears from me reading this one, it was fun and laughs with these two besotted guys and eventually their two crazy cats.
September 2, 2024
🌺🌸🌼🎍💐
'Bloom' is a quick, fun read, a sweet no angst romance with a funny meet-cute, plenty of heat, a sweet epilogue and a HEA. Packed with romance it's sure to make even the prickliest of hearts swoon at least once, but if you're a mush like me maybe even multiple times.
ETA: Audio is terrific - 5 stars, highly recommended.
'Bloom' is a quick, fun read, a sweet no angst romance with a funny meet-cute, plenty of heat, a sweet epilogue and a HEA. Packed with romance it's sure to make even the prickliest of hearts swoon at least once, but if you're a mush like me maybe even multiple times.
ETA: Audio is terrific - 5 stars, highly recommended.
February 17, 2024
Tropes: nothing notable
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 1.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: cheating ex, safe sex scares
3.5 stars
Keats is 30 and owns his own floral shop. He hasn't dated in a while, he's been really focused on his business. He lives a predictable life. Linden is 26 and works as a personal shopper. He's just been cheated on by his boyfriend of 3 months, and he walks into the floral shop to buy a revenge bouquet to break up with his boyfriend. They are attracted to each other and like each other. They soon start dating.
This was a pleasant enough read. It was a healthy relationship. They communicated well, they fit well together as a couple. They had deep feelings for each other. Their friends both gave them s*** and added some funny moments to the mix. There were a bunch of sweet and funny moments, it was nice.
In general though I think this book was maybe a little bit too much on the serious side for my personal taste. They both live kind of middle-aged lives, going to bed early and watching home renovation shows. They were making fun of themselves for being boring, which is fair they kind of were lol. And there was a lot of technical flower talk which got a little old though it was sweet and romantic. They were just so mature about things and talked about things. There was a ton of talking about their exes and history. And there was a very dramatic condom breaking incident that scared them and that led to some serious talks. The smut was also present but not on the sensual side of things. Not really an escapism read. If you told me these characters were 45+ years old I'd believe it. Enjoyed the reference to the author's "Bossy" book btw, that's a 5 star book to me, one I've fondly reread.
Some notable moments:
This scene was hilarious. "I buried my face in my hands. “This is so bad.� Robbie laughed. “It’s perfect. It means he has a sense of humour.� Then, because it couldn’t possibly get any worse, Robbie took a photo of me and hit Send."
Sweet and funny! "“I’m sorry, what? Marry. You want to get married? Since when?� “Since him. He’s perfect. He couldn’t be more perfect.� “What did he do to you during dinner? Did he blow you at the table?�"
"And his dick? Perfection. And I wasn’t letting him leave until I’d had it inside me. I needed it. I mean, I wasn’t holding him hostage, exactly. I was simply encouraging him to stay."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 1.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: cheating ex, safe sex scares
3.5 stars
Keats is 30 and owns his own floral shop. He hasn't dated in a while, he's been really focused on his business. He lives a predictable life. Linden is 26 and works as a personal shopper. He's just been cheated on by his boyfriend of 3 months, and he walks into the floral shop to buy a revenge bouquet to break up with his boyfriend. They are attracted to each other and like each other. They soon start dating.
This was a pleasant enough read. It was a healthy relationship. They communicated well, they fit well together as a couple. They had deep feelings for each other. Their friends both gave them s*** and added some funny moments to the mix. There were a bunch of sweet and funny moments, it was nice.
In general though I think this book was maybe a little bit too much on the serious side for my personal taste. They both live kind of middle-aged lives, going to bed early and watching home renovation shows. They were making fun of themselves for being boring, which is fair they kind of were lol. And there was a lot of technical flower talk which got a little old though it was sweet and romantic. They were just so mature about things and talked about things. There was a ton of talking about their exes and history. And there was a very dramatic condom breaking incident that scared them and that led to some serious talks. The smut was also present but not on the sensual side of things. Not really an escapism read. If you told me these characters were 45+ years old I'd believe it. Enjoyed the reference to the author's "Bossy" book btw, that's a 5 star book to me, one I've fondly reread.
Some notable moments:
This scene was hilarious. "I buried my face in my hands. “This is so bad.� Robbie laughed. “It’s perfect. It means he has a sense of humour.� Then, because it couldn’t possibly get any worse, Robbie took a photo of me and hit Send."
Sweet and funny! "“I’m sorry, what? Marry. You want to get married? Since when?� “Since him. He’s perfect. He couldn’t be more perfect.� “What did he do to you during dinner? Did he blow you at the table?�"
"And his dick? Perfection. And I wasn’t letting him leave until I’d had it inside me. I needed it. I mean, I wasn’t holding him hostage, exactly. I was simply encouraging him to stay."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2024
Huh. What a disappointing experience.
Combine insta love, weird as fuck names, bad dialogues, broken condoms, big and unnecessary freak outs to create drama, bad characters and cheesy love stories and you get Bloom.
I’ve seen enough. I won’t come back for more.
Combine insta love, weird as fuck names, bad dialogues, broken condoms, big and unnecessary freak outs to create drama, bad characters and cheesy love stories and you get Bloom.
I’ve seen enough. I won’t come back for more.
March 19, 2024
I loved this book so much.
December 27, 2024
Aww, this was really cute. I loved it! All the flowers & their meaning was such a wonderful touch and I kind of wish Robbie and Cory had their own books. Keats and Linden are adorable together, and I loved their story.
February 26, 2024
Okay. Hm. Well. There was one (1) thing in this book I thought was something a smidge different, but there was a lot that made me side-eye. I think sometimes when authors (maybe particularly Walker) shift over to low-angst/romcom mode, their sense of what is a good idea goes out the window? Or, like, they just include things that could be fine, but they are uninterrogated or unacknowledged and I'm just left wondering why it was mentioned. And as I sit down to write this review, my thoughts are making the rating I thought I’d give it slip lower and lower.
Let’s meet our two MCs: Keats McCullough, a tall, broad, dedicated florist with a ‘perfect name� and Linden Acres, a petite and sparky personal shopper with a name like a retirement home.
The book starts off well; the first chapter of this book is quite good, nice banter, the flower language used as revenge stuff works, and a little later on, Keats gifting Linden a paper flower for the first time is also lovely. (That continues and is one of the better parts of the book.)
Linden has an equally if not more petite male best friend (Cory) who is enjoying a . . . liberated lifestyle, shall we say, and Linden notes that his friend prefers 'Arab' men. The exact quote is: "Cory was now firmly latched on to some huge Arab guy--his very favourite kind . . ." Which . . . let me clarify that I’m a white lady, but I wasn't aware that that was widely regarded as an adjective that conveys more than the dictionary definition confers. I truly don’t know what that means. I’m assuming it has something to do with the general appearance of these men, but it feels like an inadequate and unnecessary descriptor. (I re-borrowed the book from KU for the above quote and saw that later Linden jokes that Cory gets a 'servicing from the Arabian stallion' - gross.)
Keats has friend/co-worker, Robbie, who is in a relationship with someone named Tan and the two of them take Keats shopping for clothes, and I think that Queer Eye is mentioned, BUT having the same name as the fashion guy on the show ISN’T mentioned? Which seems odd/lazy that it wouldn't be acknowledged, if this takes place in a fictional world where the Queer Eye show, and therefore fashion expert Tan France, also exists?
And then, there is this weird thing around the thing I mentioned at the beginning of this review? Later in the book, instead of having any sort of third act break (which these two wouldn't, it's very instalove and low angst otherwise), the conflict is that they have a condom break during sex. The top (Keats) becomes really agitated and upset and Linden is curious about why he's SO upset and berating himself. He calls his friend from before to have him meet them at the clinic where they go to get tested (because Keats has had one other encounter since his last test, a few months before he met Linden, where he also wore a condom - which did not break).
While Keats is not in the waiting area, his friend's new paramour Amon makes a speech about how he understands how upset Keats is, because tops need to take special care of their partners, bottoms are ‘giving them a gift� or something? (We are led to believe Amon is his friend’s ‘type� (aka Arab, he is described as very large in stature, an almost comical size difference between him and the friend. ALSO, Linden is a lot shorter than Keats, too.)
Later, when Linden and Keats talk alone after the clinic, Keats says basically the same thing, like there’s a Big Guy Tops Club charter where they all talk about their L’il Boyfriends Who Bottom? It was so bizarre, the more I think about it. It just seems more and more strange and almost . . . heteronormative? Or, like, reinforcing weird BL stereotypes about seme and uke?
I think having the MCs deal with a condom break could have been a good conflict and gotten them to talk about stuff, but the way it happened here nosedived into nonsense.
I have truly loved some books by this author, and have also quite enjoyed some of her low angst books. I just re-read Finders Keepers, for example, which is just a straight up cute love story with no angst other than the neighbor having a health scare (and the dog eating a pot brownie by accident), but it didn't give me any ick at all.
This book, as well as the last few new releases, let me down. I've found myself rounding up out of goodwill for past books that I enjoyed. This was Not It and the cute parts couldn't save it. I’m going to rate this 1.5 stars, rounded down, because it left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m going to take a break from reading her books on or near release day. There are a few backlist titles I might take a look at (some I own), but it might be that she’s heading in a direction I’m not interested in.
Let’s meet our two MCs: Keats McCullough, a tall, broad, dedicated florist with a ‘perfect name� and Linden Acres, a petite and sparky personal shopper with a name like a retirement home.
The book starts off well; the first chapter of this book is quite good, nice banter, the flower language used as revenge stuff works, and a little later on, Keats gifting Linden a paper flower for the first time is also lovely. (That continues and is one of the better parts of the book.)
Linden has an equally if not more petite male best friend (Cory) who is enjoying a . . . liberated lifestyle, shall we say, and Linden notes that his friend prefers 'Arab' men. The exact quote is: "Cory was now firmly latched on to some huge Arab guy--his very favourite kind . . ." Which . . . let me clarify that I’m a white lady, but I wasn't aware that that was widely regarded as an adjective that conveys more than the dictionary definition confers. I truly don’t know what that means. I’m assuming it has something to do with the general appearance of these men, but it feels like an inadequate and unnecessary descriptor. (I re-borrowed the book from KU for the above quote and saw that later Linden jokes that Cory gets a 'servicing from the Arabian stallion' - gross.)
Keats has friend/co-worker, Robbie, who is in a relationship with someone named Tan and the two of them take Keats shopping for clothes, and I think that Queer Eye is mentioned, BUT having the same name as the fashion guy on the show ISN’T mentioned? Which seems odd/lazy that it wouldn't be acknowledged, if this takes place in a fictional world where the Queer Eye show, and therefore fashion expert Tan France, also exists?
And then, there is this weird thing around the thing I mentioned at the beginning of this review? Later in the book, instead of having any sort of third act break (which these two wouldn't, it's very instalove and low angst otherwise), the conflict is that they have a condom break during sex. The top (Keats) becomes really agitated and upset and Linden is curious about why he's SO upset and berating himself. He calls his friend from before to have him meet them at the clinic where they go to get tested (because Keats has had one other encounter since his last test, a few months before he met Linden, where he also wore a condom - which did not break).
While Keats is not in the waiting area, his friend's new paramour Amon makes a speech about how he understands how upset Keats is, because tops need to take special care of their partners, bottoms are ‘giving them a gift� or something? (We are led to believe Amon is his friend’s ‘type� (aka Arab, he is described as very large in stature, an almost comical size difference between him and the friend. ALSO, Linden is a lot shorter than Keats, too.)
Later, when Linden and Keats talk alone after the clinic, Keats says basically the same thing, like there’s a Big Guy Tops Club charter where they all talk about their L’il Boyfriends Who Bottom? It was so bizarre, the more I think about it. It just seems more and more strange and almost . . . heteronormative? Or, like, reinforcing weird BL stereotypes about seme and uke?
I think having the MCs deal with a condom break could have been a good conflict and gotten them to talk about stuff, but the way it happened here nosedived into nonsense.
I have truly loved some books by this author, and have also quite enjoyed some of her low angst books. I just re-read Finders Keepers, for example, which is just a straight up cute love story with no angst other than the neighbor having a health scare (and the dog eating a pot brownie by accident), but it didn't give me any ick at all.
This book, as well as the last few new releases, let me down. I've found myself rounding up out of goodwill for past books that I enjoyed. This was Not It and the cute parts couldn't save it. I’m going to rate this 1.5 stars, rounded down, because it left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m going to take a break from reading her books on or near release day. There are a few backlist titles I might take a look at (some I own), but it might be that she’s heading in a direction I’m not interested in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2024
Another cute and entertaining read from NR walker. She is one of the few authors I know that anything I read from will be great. Anytime I want something with low angst, great characters, and amazing storytelling. I get an NR Walker book.
April 10, 2024
This author can be hit or miss for me - and this was more hit TG. That said - the romance was one long arc of progressive sweetness and light - and coupled with several M-M luv-scenes in the second half resulted in some judicious ff'ing activity on my part. At least I learnt quite a bit about floriographical lore, and how outrageously ridiculous for the MCs to find not one but two male tortoise shell pets to adopt by book's end!
March 18, 2024
This was basically instalove but I adored it. I don't know, somehow I bought it. It really made sense for them. Even though the word era was used 1,082 times.
Glen Lloyd did a really good job with the narration.
Glen Lloyd did a really good job with the narration.
![Profile Image for ❀ Alex ❀ [Hiatus] .](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1724819109i%2F127505214._UX200_CR0%2C35%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 23, 2024
Rating:
⭐⭐�
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book. It is a cute story about two adorable people falling in love and it is incredibly lovely and sweet.
Almost.... too sweet....like the cloying kind. And we all know too much sweet and sugar is not good for your health, so you gotta balance things out with a sprinkle of salt and agnst....right?? 😅 😂
Yeah, I just wish this had a little bit of conflict. Would have made the story a lot more interesting.
Though I will recommend this one as a palate cleanser, if you have read something really heavy and just need something quick and uplifting.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book. It is a cute story about two adorable people falling in love and it is incredibly lovely and sweet.
Almost.... too sweet....like the cloying kind. And we all know too much sweet and sugar is not good for your health, so you gotta balance things out with a sprinkle of salt and agnst....right?? 😅 😂
Yeah, I just wish this had a little bit of conflict. Would have made the story a lot more interesting.
Though I will recommend this one as a palate cleanser, if you have read something really heavy and just need something quick and uplifting.
Read
March 30, 2024I am incredibly sad to be DNFing it, but reading through reviews from people I trust, I think I'm doing the right thing. Normally NR Walker is a one-click buy for me, but I might need to switch back to Kindle Unlimited instead. The dialogue is really struggling, and I'm hoping that's just a natural result of the characters being very flat. Still going to look forward to whatever NR Walker puts out next, just majorly disappointed with this one.
DNF @ 15%
DNF @ 15%
Read
May 31, 2024This was okay, but� nothing happened? And “the drama� had me rolling my eyes.
🥱
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