A 5 star read for me! I have really enjoyed Sally Page’s novels and this one did not disappoint.

One year on from her husband’s death Emma decides to give up her job to work in a garden centre with Les and Betty. Les is fascinated by the Titanic and this leads Emma on a search for a record of the florist on board.

Alongside we hear about Violet - a stewardess on the Titanic - her backstory and her survival.

Throughout it all are flower facts - little snippets of information.

I became immersed in Emma’s story and enjoyed how her research opened her up to those around her and gave her he opportunity to come to a sense of closure about her past and hope for her future.

A book I will be recommending.

The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page

One year on from the death of her husband, Emma feels no closer to moving forward with her life. Seeking distraction, she quits her job and begins working at the local garden centre.
Here, Emma begins to open up and finds herself attending boss Les’ talk on the Titanic. Intrigued, Emma sets out to research who would have arranged the flowers on-board.
Alongside her story unfolds the tale of a stewardess on the Titanic, who Emma can’t help but feel connected to.
I enjoyed reading this book and the idea of it was interesting but I didn't completely relate to Emma so only three stars from me.

A floral twist to the Titanic story. Emma is grieving for her husband, but discovers something about him that spoils her memories of him. She loves flowers, works in the local garden centre and begins to make friends there. To take her mind off her grief, she decides to find out if there was a florist on the Titanic.
In the early 20th century, Violet is sailing on Olympia, sister ship of Titanic. Both young women love flowers but they are from quite different backgrounds. Love the floral headings on each chapter. Another great read from The Keeper of Stories.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

I've really enjoyed other books by Sally Page, and I enjoyed this one but not as much as others I've read. It's a nice easy read with plenty going on to keep you entertained.

I feel incredibly lucky to have received a review copy of Sally Page's new book, The Secrets of Flowers, ahead of publication in August. This is her third novel and I absolutely loved the other two, The Keeper of Stories and The Book of Beginnings, so I have been really looking forward to this one.

Sally has a way of presenting characters that really brings them to life and I'm not afraid to admit this book actually made me cry. Flowers are at the heart of it, with every chapter named after a flower, and the writing evokes the scents of them all.

It is a beautiful story about people, people who treasure you and others who let you down. It is also a story about connections, whether by blood or friendship.

I couldn't put it down and that doesn't surprise me. I love the way Sally writes, it really draws you into the story. My only note I would give is that I would have preferred it if the Violet chapters were not in italics. I don't find italics easy to read at length and although Violet's chapters are short, it still jars.

I think as the story shifts from Emma in Oxford in the present day to Violet on the Olympic and the Titanic, and back, it is obvious which chapter is which and the italics are unnecessary. Perhaps it is designed to evoke the dreamlike state Violet comes to hold in Emma's life.

A gorgeous tale.
Emma has had trouble dealing with the loss of her husband who died a year ago. She leaves her job as a scientist and joins Betty and Les, owners of the local garden centre. They take her under their wing. Betty with her wacky jumpers and Les so fond of his begonias and the history of the Titanic. In turn, Emma becomes interested in the Titanic and is soon obsessed with finding out if there was a florist on board. Along the way she is helped with her research by some fascinating characters, flowers playing such an important role and Emma eventually begins to heal..
There is also running alongside, another story - that of Violet who was a stewardess on board the Titanic and survived, Emma believes she has a connection to Violet,
Wonderful, warm, engaging storytelling. Brilliant writing. Highly recommend.
Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the much appreciated ARC.

What a gorgeous story, a lovely storyline with some wonderful characters, loved every page, loved all the titanic references

This engaging novel is about coming to terms with life after a dramatic change and finding friendships and support even when it is difficult to open up and admit you need help. Emma latches on to something to research which takes her from the time of the Titanic to the modern day and introduces some intriguing characters along the way.

The book tells of Emma, a bit of a lost soul, following a difficult relationship with her mother and the loss of her husband. Rather than pursue her scientific career, she chooses to work in a Garden Centre where she meets the other character’s, that Sally Page brings alive so well.
She finds herself becoming interested in the history of the Titanic and who arranged the flowers and this takes her on a quest to find out more, with the help of her new friends.
Alongside this, is the story of Violet, a stewardess on the ship.
It takes a while for the two lives to connect, but it’s worth waiting for.
I have read all of Sally’s books and this is a great story although I found the wait for the conclusion a tad too long. The last 20% of the book was unputdownable and I found the ending very satisfying. She has a wonderful way of making the characters quirky yet very likeable.
I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others

“𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺, ‘𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥’.”

After massively enjoying Page’s two previous novels, I was so happy to receive the email asking me to read the ARC of her third novel in exchange for a review, so a thank you goes to Sally Page and Harper Collins UK!

Unfortunately, I must start by saying that I didn’t enjoy this one as much as The Keeper of Stories or The Book of Beginnings, but I still have a lot of positives!

Firstly, I adored the fact that each chapter is named after a flower - what a gorgeous touch. Admittedly, I’m not much of a gardener or flower enthusiast myself, hence why I probably didn’t enjoy this as much as some, but I could still appreciate the beauty in the flower descriptions.

Page’s novels all have the common theme of unity in the most unexpected of places which I absolutely love. She has a way of bringing people together, regardless of their background, which I have not seen demonstrated better by any other author. My only complaint with this one was there was perhaps 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 side characters introduced and I struggled to keep up.

I have always been really interested in the Titanic and so I loved the parallel story of Violet’s account of being a stewardess on the ship.

I really enjoyed the ending and the idea of pillow post is one I will take forth. 💌

Another masterpiece by Sally Page! I read this in one sitting. It moved me, made me smile and stayed with me like all of Sally’s books have. They are just brilliant and a must read for anyone looking for a feel good heartwarming read.
I cannot recommend Sally Page enough, this is her third book and every one so far has been exceptional. She is a truly incredible writer.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

I really enjoyed this book about Emma and Violet. A story of two women from different eras with flowers telling their story. Emma is recently widowed and finds a job in a garden centre as a florist. She then is obsessed with finding out about flowers on the Titanic. Her journey finding out about this helps her come to terms with her grief, a moving story but not heavy. A very good read.

This was such a beautiful book and my first by this author I am definitely going to investigate their back catalogue now.

This was such a moving story of love, grief and making new friends and a fresh start and as a keen gardener I loved the fact that the main character worked in a garden centre and that there was lots of references to flowers in the story. I also liked the way that the history of the titanic was interwoven with the story as found that really interesting.

The characters were engaging and heartwarming and this is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

A calming, thought provoking read with a strong emphasis on flowers. It reminded me of mindfulness and connecting with nature. I especially enjoyed the author's note at the end which gives insight into how the book was researched.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Emma is still recovering from a loss she suffered. She is having a hard time. She decides to make some changes in her life. Her job opens up a whole new world to her. A nice read.

A story of two parts entwined as a whole. Emma is a scientist and a widow who leaves her lab for a garden centre. The book follows Emma as she navigates her new situation and uses her research skills to learn about the flowers on the Titanic and the florist who put them there.
I loved reading about Emma and how she grows to regain her confidence. It was delightful to see how she put her scientific research skills to use in a completely different type of research and her belief in the value of others. The story of the stewardess on the Titanic which unfolds alongside Emma's story, is told well, with neither story overwhelming or interfering with the other. But coming together as a beautiful whole.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it seems Sally Page is becoming a favourite author of mine.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley, however this review is entirely my own thoughts and words.

What an interesting author Sally Page is. She must have put hours of research into the backgrounds of this book. The story is two fold, one part Emma and one Violet. Both the women are beautifully described. I found that I had to keep reading, once or twice having to look back to check who was who, but in general it was a lovely flowing story. So many poignant emotions are dealt with, particularly that of grief, Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy which I very much enjoyed reading. Any book dealing so beautifully with the subject of flowers is always going to be a favourite.

Such an interesting story. I just loved the whole thing and the way that everything connected in surprising and unique ways. The whole read was fun and endearing and heartbreaking and lovely. I just loved it.

I devoured this in a day. I knew this book was going to be a big warm hug and it didn’t disappoint. There are some really tough themes threaded throughout, especially relating to grief, and yet overall it was just overwhelmingly heartwarming.

Emma, a scientist, has quit her job and started working part time as a florist at a garden centre. She hopes this will help her connect with people as she struggles to deal with her grief.

Sally Page truly knows how to write a character, and that’s no different in this book. Betty and Les have my whole heart and I loved seeing the character development of our main character, Emma.

It’s clear that a ton of research has gone into this book and it makes a huge difference. Writing about something like The Titanic is hard because so many people know so much about it already, but this was done brilliantly and I doubt even the keenest enthusiast would be able to pick apart the facts strewn throughout the pages.

Beautifully written and wonderfully touching. Just like The Book of Beginnings, I will be recommending this to all of my friends once it is released.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to review this advance copy. A review will be posted on my Instagram page (@_thats_what_she_read) in the week preceding the release.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and netgalley for an arc of this delightful book. 'The Secrets of Flowers' is an enjoyable and easy read. Sally page has woven a well researched piece of history with the story of Emma and her grief. The characters are well rounded and believable and all add their own 'something' to the book. An excellent choice for a summer read....or anytime really!