The stories in this book intertwine and weave back and forth effortlessly. It was not my favorite book but I enjoyed the read and the setting of the mansion. All of the side characters added greatly to the development of the plot.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.The side characters were such an integral part of this story as well. This is the love story i needed to read at this time. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you

Come hell or high water, Emmy Jo Massey will have a wedding. After three generations of Massey women with children out of wedlock, she wants the whole town of Hickory, Texas, to witness the legitimacy of her union with Logan Grady. But dream weddings aren’t cheap. So she accepts a highly lucrative stint as a home health assistant to retired realtor, and town recluse, Seth Thomas—a decision her great-grandmother Tandy is dead-set against.
Seth isn’t happy about it, either. The eighty-two-year-old doesn’t want a “babysitter”—much less a Massey—something he makes clear when Emmy arrives at his house, an empty mansion built for the woman who broke his heart. But as Emmy stays and the two eventually open up to each other, she learns the reason behind a feud between Seth, Tandy, and Logan’s grandfather Jesse Grady that goes back six decades. She also uncovers a secret that forever changes how she sees her past and her future…
This was a heartwarming bittersweet story of past and present and life in a small town. Like all of Carolyn Brown’s stories, it was filled with heart and feelings. It was a full story that I enjoyed.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This was a quick and sweet romance. I can see readers of Nora Roberts and the like enjoying this read.

I always enjoy one of Brown's amazing cowboy romances but this was the first contemporary romance of her's that I've read. She was as fabulous in this as in every other book of hers I've read. The humor and romance that you have come to expect from her stories are here along with a pretty good mystery. While I did miss the handsome cowboys, Logan was pretty darn outstanding. Wow, just goes to show that CB might be getting even better with age.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the twists and turns and the way it ended. There is more than one romace in the book., and I hope there is a sequal because I want to visit the characters again.

Emmy Jo comes from a long line of unwed mothers. She is going to be sure the town knows she marries Logan.

Their grandparents are in a Long feud and no one knows why. Emmy Joe is determined to find out..

This was an excellent book that is for everyone.

The best drama always involves secrets and there are lots of them here. Emmy Jo is a lovely character who didn't set out to make things right but well, you'll just have to read this to see what happens. It's a smoothly written and charming novel that has more than just a romance going to for it. THanks to netgalley for the ARC- this is a very entertaining and relaxing read.

When she becomes the assistant to town curmudgeon and reclusive Seth Thomas, Emmy Jo Massey, who has taken the job to help pay for the elaborate wedding she has planned, discovers an age-old feud among some of the town’s oldest and best known residents. What caused this rift between Tandy Massey, her great-grandmother, Seth Thomas, her employer, and Jesse Grady, great-grandfather of Emmy Jo’s beloved? Emmy Jo is determined to figure things out. This story shows the way perseverance and love can change things as old as this rift. As the story evolves around Emmy Jo’s job as assistant to Seth Thomas evolves, the pieces of this complex and often confusing puzzle begin to emerge. Along the way, the reader is treated to a rare feast of well-developed, not cookie-cutter characters, all part of the scenario, who come across as realistic and small-town. The story of their lives and how they all figured in the rift becomes clearer and clearer. In addition, it is obvious that Emmy Jo’s and Logan Grady, Emmy Jo’s fiancé, will go any lengths to figure out what is going on and whether or how it will impact their upcoming marriage.

This is a fantastic book. It is not like the other romances we find today, but has an unusual aspect that I found refreshing. The author’s ability to craft a well-written book with such an up-lifting story left me quite happy to have read it, and I know I will remember it long after having read it. I doubt I will forget the strong-willed but sensitive Emmy Jo, or her untiring efforts to find out what caused the rift and to make things good again. All the characters are well developed and very realistic. Finally, the plot is well developed and moves along at a comfortable, steady pace. As the reader watches strong-willed, but sensitive and caring Emmy Jo delve into the puzzling rift, it was enjoyable to watch Emmy Jo find all the pieces and deftly put them together I think anyone who enjoys a good, heartfelt story or other books by the author will enjoy this one. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Normally I fly through one of this authors novels, but I found myself not being able to concentrate on this one and wishing I was reading something else. ( bad of me I know). It is Ms Browns norm in that her books usually feature a sassy,spunky young lady, a lot of Christian talk and this book was no exception. We also have the added bonus of a 60 year old mystery. This mystery is unraveled chapter by painfully long chapter.

However what it also had is run on sentences, a cast of characters what you need a score card to keep straight, unlikable characters and an overly drawn out mystery. Emmy Jo's fiancee, Logan, made my skin crawl with his endearments and her Great Grandmother Tandy made me want to spit nails.

Normally this author has some humor in her books; not in this one.

This book ( I did read it as an ARC and maybe these issues have been cleared up) features some horrible editing/consistency of plot problems.

If you have Prime then I would give it a try, if you don't have Prime then yo may want to think of reading another book by this author instead.

I will admit that I finally got so frustrated with this book that I stopped reading it at nearly 75% and this is pretty rare for me.

This book has a little bit of everything, there was mystery, romance, family, betrayal and forgiveness.. I loved Seth and Emmy Jo!. To see how Emmy Jo was able to slowly cracked the shield around Seth Thomas's heart, slowly and finally letting someone in and letting go of the past was great. shows you to live life to the fullest.

Love Carolyn Brown and her stories. This was a great read and I enjoyed it very much.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I was so elated to get a book. As Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite authors, I couldn’t believe my luck at getting the opportunity of reviewing an advanced copy of The Lilac Bouquet. Confession time- the first time I read through it, I forgot I was supposed to review it. I was so engrossed in the story, I just didn’t look at from an “I need to do a write-up for this” aspect. So I waited a bit and reread it, and it was still so good, I got even more out of the subplots and the same problem arose. Then, I noticed that I still hadn’t done my review with only days until the release. Again, I found the content so enjoyable, I made sure I had a purchased copy ready for release day so I could share a book I loved so much. TL;DR- I LOVE THIS BOOK!
My normal critiques usually include grammar, foul language, and who’d get my recommendations. Let’s start with the easy stuff. Grammar gets an A; there’s a few typos and some iffy spots, but it’s not glaring, nor are there many. Foul language could potentially be a problem- mostly Biblical terms like hell and damn, no f-bombs or anything major. Recommendations are the easiest part. Anyone who loves a small-town family drama where actions of past generations affect today. There’s love, mystery, history, and enough drama to go around. I’ll be handing this to my mom on release day, and other friends and family can expect to see this book shortly thereafter. I’ll probably even add it to my “read to grandma at the nursing home” pile. It’s a great read. And this would make an excellent movie- think Sam Elliot would be interested?
Emmy Jo Massey is planning her wedding to Logan Grady. Not only is her dream wedding a huge affair, it will be the first one in years for her family. Her great-grandmother, Tandy, doesn’t mind that Emmy Jo wants the big wedding; she just doesn’t like the groom. Well, Tandy doesn’t like the groom’s grandfather. When Emmy Jo gets the opportunity to work a two-month stint as town recluse Seth Thomas for the equivalent of six month’s pay, she jumps at the chance to make hers the most memorable wedding in town. Each for their own reasons, Tandy, Logan and even Seth don’t approve of Emmy Jo’s new job. And every time Emmy Jo thinks she’s found the answer to one question, a million more pop up. The truth and the past eventually peel like an onion, but will Emmy Jo like the result? Better yet, how will the rest of the small town react when everything gets revealed?

Book Info
Paperback, 302 pages
Expected publication: March 28th 2017 by Montlake Romance
ISBN 1503943550 (ISBN13: 9781503943551)
Other Editions (3)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


Come hell or high water, Emmy Jo Massey will have a wedding. After three generations of Massey women with children out of wedlock, she wants the whole town of Hickory, Texas, to witness the legitimacy of her union with Logan Grady. But dream weddings aren’t cheap. So she accepts a highly lucrative stint as a home health assistant to retired realtor, and town recluse, Seth Thomas—a decision her great-grandmother Tandy is dead-set against.

Seth isn’t happy about it, either. The eighty-two-year-old doesn’t want a “babysitter”—much less a Massey—something he makes clear when Emmy arrives at his house, an empty mansion built for the woman who broke his heart. But as Emmy stays and the two eventually open up to each other, she learns the reason behind a feud between Seth, Tandy, and Logan’s grandfather Jesse Grady that goes back six decades. She also uncovers a secret that forever changes how she sees her past and her future…

My Thoughts


Old habits are hard to break and at 82 years of age Seth Thomas feels that his sister Nora has gone too far with her meddling. Hiring an assistant for him without his consent in the first place was bad enough, hiring a Massey however was just adding insult to injury.

Emmy Jo Massey has huge dreams for her wedding day, dreams that can only come true with the paychecks she would earn in her two month stint working for Seth. Taking the job against the wishes of the great-grandmother who raised her was a monumentally tough decision for Emmy Jo but the only way she could find that would enable her and fiance Logan Grady to marry in the manner she had planned.

Over the course of the story it becomes apparent to Emmy Jo that her elderly client is not just the crusty curmudgeon he presents to the world, but rather a kind and lonely old man whose long ago broken heart caused him to withdraw from everyone in the town of Hickory.

Over the two months of her contract Emmy Jo and Seth become friends, share confidences and even find themselves making plans for the future once Seth is well enough to carry them out.

A star-crossed lovers romance, a 60-year-old feud and possibly the most impressive rendition of realistic small town prejudices overcome by determination and a heaping amount of long overdue honesty that I have read penned by one of my all time favorite romance authors Carolyn Brown.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]

Quirky characters and a long-standing, mysterious feud make The Lilac Bouquet an interesting, enjoyable read. I kept picturing the characters and situations in my head and think this would make a great movie.

The Lilac Bouquet takes all the best parts of author Carolyn Brown and spins them into a historic romance. Past and present collide when one woman sets out to change her future. A feud that began with a broken heart has left it's mark on six generations of Massey's and Grady's. Can one determined woman break the spell of tragic heartache that began so long ago and still achieve her own happy ending? A sweetly penned story of forgiveness and redemption that brought tears to my eyes.

The age-old question of ‘where do I come from?’ is what drives this tale of a young woman determined to live down her family heritage even as she seeks to discover it.

It was interesting to discover that this story has the distinction of being both an early work and later work by the author because she began it long ago and recently pulled it out and finished it, so there is a feel of her early writing and also the maturity of her latest writing efforts.

I would also like to point out that regular fans of Carolyn Brown might go in expecting her usual light, fun storytelling, but this is something of a different stripe.

This was small town showing both its best and its worst sides because it can be good community or community turning on one of its own. This was also an interesting look at how much we as individuals find our identity through our family history. It’s easy to take for granted when it’s there and readily available. For the heroine, half her past was blank for her, and she was compelled to go looking.

I enjoyed delving into these themes through the story that was split between the past and present bringing a mystery feel to it as the truth came out through Emmy Jo’s efforts.

THE LILAC BOUQUET is many things including a budding romance in the present and a tragic unrequited romance in the past, but it’s also a story of healing and forgiveness and choices for the whole cast of characters. I liked the way the author balanced the emotional touches to give me a good feel-good ending.

I adored Emmy Jo and Logan as characters, but the older generation is what offered complexity and gripped my interest. Emmy Jo and Logan’s grandparents weren’t nice people in their pasts, and it causes them to be cantankerous in the present. So, I didn’t like them, but I understood them. I have to say that Old Seth and his painful past was the one that touched my heart. He truly had a tough row to hoe and really needed to catch a break. For all that he went through, he’s the one that never learned to hate or let it kill his soul. He was ready when Emmy Jo came along to bring him back to life.

THE LILAC BOUQUET will be for those who want a small town comfy situation, a family saga type mystery, and a tender young love romance.

2.5 stars Overall, this was just ok for me. I didn't really connect with the characters. They were so full of spite and hateful to each other and their respective grandkids. And one was a preacher! Then, wham! - all is forgiven! This also has some holes in it with timeline and so on that I hope gets fixed before it is actually published.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

Come hell or high water, Emmy Jo Massey will have a wedding. After three generations of Massey women with children out of wedlock, she wants the whole town of Hickory, Texas, to witness the legitimacy of her union with Logan Grady. But dream weddings aren’t cheap. So she accepts a highly lucrative stint as a home health assistant to retired realtor, and town recluse, Seth Thomas—a decision her great-grandmother Tandy is dead-set against.

Seth isn’t happy about it, either. The eighty-two-year-old doesn’t want a “babysitter”—much less a Massey—something he makes clear when Emmy arrives at his house, an empty mansion built for the woman who broke his heart. But as Emmy stays and the two eventually open up to each other, she learns the reason behind a feud between Seth, Tandy, and Logan’s grandfather Jesse Grady that goes back six decades. She also uncovers a secret that forever changes how she sees her past and her future…

I could read anything and everything by Carolyn Brown and be a happy person. I consume every book she comes out with so it’s no surprise that I have 4 books sitting on my ARC shelves right now and I’m putting off everyone else’s to get to hers. I absolutely want to be her best friend, I want to vacation with her and go shopping with her and ask her pointer tips for writing and before you think that’s stalkerish….I’m just writing and a little bit is me being over-the-top! The part about me reading everything she writes, however, is NOT!!
Okay, to get down to business about this book – OH MY GOODNESS!! It was awesome and yes I’m partial because I think she’s an exceptional writer anyway so I wasn’t coming to her work with brand-new eyes. I’ll just say that I fell in love with Seth in this book from the first page he was in it. You wrote his name Carolyn and I loved him. He wasn’t hard to love. Emmy Jo is a little different. She’s a young woman who wants a BIG wedding. Not for the reason that you’d think, though. It’s to show the whole town that she’s really married and not just saying she’s married. You see, people say she’s from the wrong side of the track and her sweetheart Logan is the preacher’s son. The story is about how Emmy Jo is taking care of another man at his mansion after he has surgery…enter Seth. Seth’s a recluse, who’s grumpy and Emmy Jo compares him to Sam Elliott – the actor. Now, I don’t know about all of you but I love Sam Elliott and that just hit all my buttons for swoon-worthiness. I know you’re thinking…Ewww, young girl and old guy who’s like 82 years old. NO, NO, NO!! Emmy Jo’s great grandmother knew him and unbeknownst to Emmy, she hates him so much that she threatens to kick Emmy out of the trailer she lives in if she even goes near the man. However, it’s a lot of money for 2 months of work and she could pay for her dream wedding and she’ll be leaving the trailer anyway. So Emmy packs her bags and heads for Seth’s.

Seth’s sister had arranged for his nurses and Seth not knowing it’s Tandy’s (Emmy GGM) granddaughter has a fit she’s in his house. He’s a little OCD, just as stubborn as mule and endearing. Logan, you’ll also fall in love with. His great granddad, Jesse, went to school with Tandy and Seth. He’s also a preacher like Logan and doesn’t like Tandy or Emmy Jo because he doesn’t approve of the marriage. He is so mad about the impending marriage that he takes it to the board of the church to have Logan kicked out of the upstairs apartment of the garage if he doesn’t break up with Emmy Jo. Logan leaves not only his home but the church that he’s always been in. He resigns his Sunday school class and says he’ll go to Tandy’s church. Only Tandy hates Logan as much as Jesse hates Emmy Jo. ANGST, ANGST, ANGST. Usually, I hate angst….everyone knows that but I am partial to the way that Carolyn writes it so I can’t be impartial in my review of the angst part. Oh, I so loved this book!!

It wasn’t just all drama and angst in this book because anyone that’s ever read Carolyn Brown, knows that she’s a hoot and so are her characters. Emmy Jo is a hilarious and she just made me love her the way she treated Seth. You find out all the reasons behind everything because Emmy Jo goes searching for answers…and BOY DOES SHE FIND ANSWERS Y’ALL!! My heart broke over the way Seth’s mom was treated and how he spoke about her. I found myself crying and snotting all over the place. My family kept looking at me like I had 4 heads. I know my nose was the size of a kiwi by the time I got done rubbing it. I also found myself laughing out loud more times than I could count and wish I could smack Jesse in the same chapter…that is the test of a really good book! I’d love to meet a man like Seth…or Sam Elliott! I really think they should turn this book into a movie because it would be a hit. It kind of reminds me of the old-time movies that I used to watch when I was little. Seriously – Carolyn Brown if you ever read this review…Make this into a movie!! But really nothing is ever better than reading the book and taking the time to sit down and consume what the writer is trying to convey to her readers.

Sit down, get a cup of hot tea, some Kleenex and escape away from your family for a little while. Escape to the world that Carolyn Brown has created especially for you and enjoy it. It’s an awesome place to be.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

<b>I downloaded a copy of this book from NetGalley to review. </b>

First, I hate the cover. Yes, it is nice but I expected more from Montlake Romance. To this reader, it looks like someone went and purchased a stock photo, threw on some text and that was it. The cover is generic and does not show any promise to a good story.

I should have taken my opinion of the cover and not wasted my time reading this book. I found problems with the story very early.

First problem. In location 729 it states the following at Location 729 <i>."The doctor really wanted him to go to a physical therapy place for six weeks now that the staples were out."</i>. Okay great. The staples were out.
Then at Location 789 readers see the following <i>."She couldn't possibly support his weight, and if he fell and the staples broke loose, he could wind up back in the hospital."</i>. Then at location 2321 readers see the following <i>.'The doctor nodded. "Why don't you lie on the sofa here and let me take a look at the staples."</i>. So my question is when were the staples removed?

My second problem starts at Chapter 4. Really the first sentence in chapter 4. The first sentence is a total of 46 words. Really?!? 46 words to convey what the authors wanted readers to know. It makes me wonder why this extra, extremely long sentence could not have been written in two or three sentences. Don't take my word for it. Here is the sentence: <i>.‘Emmy Jo paced to the top of the staircase at the top of the wide upstairs hallway, back to her room and to the balcony, only to start all over again several times before she finally plopped down in the wing-back chair out in the hall.’</i>. Little wordiness there?

This was a halfway clean story. No sex scenes and some cussing. At first, I honestly thought the author had intentionally left out all cussing. However, as readers get later into the story the author has characters throwing out lots of cuss words. If I had to give this book a rating it would be PG13.

I halfway liked this story but felt some of the characters got off very easy for the stuff they did. Yes, what happened was in the past but still, each and every one should have realized they screwed up and apologized, atoned and made amends for their sins.

Then I realize how fast everything happened in this story. How easy Seth was able to forgive everyone. After carrying 60+ years of hatred, bitterness, and anger for those who wronged him he just allowed everyone to walk away without anything but knowing his great-granddaughter.

I admit really disliked Jesse. To be someone who calls himself a man of God but cannot forgive others show he is not anything but a piece of scum. He acts like others show follow the ten commandments but he is allowed to pick and choose which ones he wants to follow. He is nothing but a hypocrite.

Then I have a problem with the age of some characters. Seth, Tandy, and Jesse are in their 80's. If Seth and Tandy slept together while in high school and had a child that would make them 17-19 years old. Okay then if that child also had a child early in life (which is implied in the book) these two characters would be in their early 40's. Then if that child (their grandchild) had a child early in life (which is implied also) that would make these two people in their early 60's. NOT in their early 80's unless we skipped a generation and again that is not implied in the book. It is stated often that Emmy Jo is Tandy's great-grandchild. No, it does not state her age but it is stated she is 21. So this reader would like to know why the author made Seth, Tandy, and Jesse so old. To this reader, something is wrong with the age of these characters.

I really wanted to like this story. The description fit the story but the writing did not live up to what I wanted. It just fell flat. Sorry but this book just did not do it for me.