Lily in Bloom (Paperback)

by Margaret P. Cunningham (Author)
Key Phrases: garden club soiree, car wash king, water maiden, Mary Largely, Dwayne Bond, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Stunning older woman. Mysterious younger man. A garden of infinite possibilities . The terms of fifty-year-old Lily McVay's divorce settlement are quirky at best: live in her ex-husband's ancestral mausoleum of a house, restore her dead ex-mother-in-law's renowned garden, and host the small Gulf Coast town's overblown annual soiree. Lily needs help in the worst way. Aided and abetted by her "I'll help bury the body, no questions asked" friends, an octogenarian neighbor with a sixth sense, and a gardening genius named Will, Lily sets out to lay old ghosts to rest and grow a new life. Not only is handsome thirty-something Will determined to save Lily from horticultural disaster, but the bond between them may prove that more is starting to bloom than just the garden. "Eloquently written, Lily in Bloom is a proud moment for Cunningham!" Manic Readers "This is a wonderfully quirky story, with friendship, love, a little paranormal and lots of weirdness tossed in for good measure. Even if you don't have a love of flowers you won't be able to help but fall in love with this charming book." Simply Romance Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Black Lyon Publishing (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934912026
• ISBN-13: 978-1934912027
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,893,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great romantic comedy, May 2, 2008

By	Thomas Thurston "Palmetto08" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

Ok, I heard about this book from a friend and wasn't sure about it, but I started reading it and couldn't put it down. It's funny, entertaining and everything you would expect from a southern writer. I would recommend this book to gardeners and non-gardeners alike!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lily in Bloom = good reviews, July 28, 2008

By	M. P. Cunningham (Gulf Coast) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I hope everyone will read Lily in Bloom. It has gotten great reviews and everyone is having a good time with it, passing it along and buying it for gifts, etc. It's a fun, quirky southern novel set in a famous - though fictional garden. I hope you'll join Lily as she tries to reinvent herself after suffering a category 5 domestic disaster - her husband has left her for his young executive assistant. With the help of steadfast friends, an octogenarian neighbor with a sixth sense and a handsome young gardening genius, Lily finds that there is life after divorce and that love can bloom in the most unexpected places.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Little Bit of Everything, February 7, 2009

By	Jean Pike (New York) - See all my reviews

Things are not looking up for fifty-year-old Lily McVay. Still reeling from her recent divorce, she finds herself faced with the daunting task of restoring her deceased mother-in-law's once thriving gardens for the town's annual soiree. To make matters worse, Lily has reason to believe her house is haunted by her mother-in-law's disapproving spirit. When her elderly and eccentric neighbor, "Crazy Maisy" advises Lily that she must uncover the family secrets, which are hidden in the garden, if she is to be free of the ghosts that haunt her, Lily sorts through the McVay family albums in search of the truth behind the unhappiness that seems to plague the McVay family. As she turns her attention to the garden restoration, Lily finds a helping hand in Will, an attractive, thirty-something landscaper with a few secrets of his own.

This delightful book has a little bit of everything -- romance, mystery, suspense. The story is populated with interesting and well rounded characters and lovely descriptions that will delight the heart of any avid gardener. The romance between Lily and Will blooms naturally and beautifully and the author's warm, inviting writing style and masterful use of humor all add up to a truly pleasurable reading experience. I didn't want it to end!