The Secret of Flowers by Sally Page is the story of Emma and also Violet and the people who are a part of their lives. One year on from the death of Emma’s husband Will, from an undiagnosed heart condition, Emma feels as if she hasn’t moved on. So she decides to quit her job as a scientific researcher and work in the local garden centre. She becomes friends with Betty and Len and in the year ahead she makes more friends in her search for the florist of the Titanic, which is a piece of research study that she has undertaken.
Violet, is a young woman who works on the big liners and she was possibly one of the florists, as well as a stewardess. Her story is also told and how Violet and Emma could possibly be connected.
This is another fascinating story by the author about a love and knowledge of flowers and also the relationships that we form as we go through life.
Highly recommended

4+

Emma is desperate for a change, a distraction from her overwhelming grief. She resigns her university research job and takes a position as a florist at a local garden centre. A world away from science- maybe! Emma is a closed book but perhaps this change of direction will enable her to open up. When the garden centre owners, Les and Betty, invite her to attend a local history talk on ‘The Secrets of the Titanic’ she surprises herself by agreeing but, will she? Emma’s story works alongside that of Violet, a stewardess on board The Titanic and is interwoven with the secrets of flowers.

What a lovely book which I thoroughly enjoy. It’s beautifully written as Sally Page has a gorgeous way with words and a gift of creating characters you can really like, that is, with the exception of Emma’s mother. Just wait til you meet her! I get immersed in Emma’s life and it’s a joy watching her go on this journey and I love how researching Violet's story helps her get back on her feet and fully engage with life. Betty and Les are adorable with hearts of pure gold.

The flower element is really lovely and as a novice gardener at my ripe old age I find it fascinating. I do have to look up plumbago which is not to be confused with lumbago!

It’s moving, poignant and emotional with grief depicted really well. It’s a read that feels like a warm embrace and makes such a welcome change of reading genre for me. The Titanic element and Violet's story is woven in well with maybe a few coincidences but then, life is full of them. A pleasure to read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, Harper Fiction for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.

I only requested this book because I had totally loved Sally Paige’s other books – The Keeper of Stories and The Book of Beginnings. They were both outside my usual choice of books (I’m a crime thriller person) but I really enjoyed them and gave 5 star reviews. Anyway I loved this one too, but not as much as the others and I’m not sure why. I really like the author’s writing style, and the plot was good but it did seem to drag on a bit in places. Descriptions were fantastic and the research needed was very evident. I loved all the characters so I can’t quite put my finger on what didn’t hit the mark for me. The number of errors didn’t help – my hackles rose every time I spotted one – and I will never fail to understand why authors and publishers don’t use a proofreader before they put their product on NetGalley. I offered to send a list to the author and to the publishers last time but my offer went unanswered. I hope they are all sorted before publication day. This author’s books have always made me think about life and relationships. Also, fountain pens – and in this instance flowers. A good read, and I’m looking forward to the next one. Thanks so much for the electronic copy.

The Secret of Flowers by S. Page, published by Harper Collins is a wonderful story. Heartwarming, hearwrenchingly beautiful tells the story of loss, grief, second chances. The story of Emma, Les, Betty and Tamas, a slow burn, complex and literally unputdownable.
Reading the book was like coming home, snuggling up on the couch under a cozy blanket with a mug of cocoa.
Blurb: 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 center.
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..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Hmm, I didn't really enjoy this much. It is a most undemanding read and an OK story although a bit twee and self indulgent and I could have spent the time better reading something else.

There is a lot about the Titanic so anyone who is interested in the Titanic will, I am sure, enjoy this book. I am not interested in it although I did look Violet Jessop up on the internet and read about her and about Millvina Dean which was quite interesting. i like flowers and there is a lot about flowers and smells in the book but I prefer flowers growing rather than cut and slowly dying.

Emma is an OK character, a bit of a drip maybe, The other characters all have some "quirk" or defining feature which is referred to everytime they appear - Betty wears clothing with depictions of plants and cute animals; Les has a beard, speaks in cliches and used to be a punk; and the Tamas character is veering towards being a cultural stereotype of the large, jolly, European man who stomps about comically and speaks broken English. I suppose Emma has some depth but I felt the others were one dimensional, for example, when Clementine was mentioned later in the book, I couldnt remember who she was..

There is a lot of detailed descriptions of even the most minor things and the pace is slow.

Although I wasn't keen, I think this is an accomplished example of its type so let's go for a 3.

Impossible to categorise, this is a truly lovely book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The main characters are wonderfully crafted and interesting. I loved the elements of reality and research relating to the ‘florist on the Titanic’ and how it tied in to the main story. It is a gentle story and a lovely summer read.

"The Secrets of Flowers" by Sally Page
*Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Review:

"The Secrets of Flowers" by Sally Page is a beautifully woven tale that tenderly explores themes of grief, hope, and the unexpected connections that help us heal. One year after the death of her husband, Emma is struggling to move forward with her life. Seeking solace and distraction, she leaves her job and starts working at a local garden center. It is here that Emma begins to slowly open up, finding comfort and companionship in her new environment.

One of the highlights of her new job is attending her boss Les’ fascinating talk on the Titanic. Captivated, Emma embarks on a research journey to uncover who would have arranged the flowers aboard the ill-fated ship. This quest adds an intriguing historical element to the story, weaving in the tale of a stewardess on the Titanic to whom Emma feels an inexplicable connection.

Sally Page excels at creating a cast of inspiring and heartwarming characters. Each character Emma encounters contributes to her healing journey, offering friendship and support in their unique ways. The novel beautifully captures the essence of finding hope and rebuilding one's life after a significant loss.

The dual timelines—Emma's present-day experiences and the historical narrative of the Titanic stewardess—are handled with grace and skill, keeping the reader engaged and emotionally invested in both stories. The garden center setting, with its vibrant flowers and nurturing atmosphere, serves as a perfect backdrop for Emma's personal growth and renewal.

"The Secrets of Flowers" is a novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate stories of resilience and the enduring power of human connection. Sally Page's eloquent prose and the gentle unfolding of Emma's journey make this book a poignant and uplifting read.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this touching and inspiring novel.

I loved this book. It was so unusual in its story and fascinating how Sally has weaved a novel around such a unique piece of historical perspective. The characters are fantastically crafted with depth and interest. I'm glad that Sally chose to not take some of the obvious plot developments although I think the expectation that these were coming did dull the story for me slightly.
This would make a great holiday or rainy weekend read.

The Secrets of Flowers is a beautifully told story about a florist who is researching who the Florist on the Titanic was. Emma is working as a florist following the death of her husband, and is coming to terms with her new life. In the process she is meeting a whole new group of people who help her learn to love life again. Every alternate chapter is about a girl from the past who loves flowers. This is a beautifully written book, and obviously well researched to tie in some facts from history with a beautiful story about research, flowers, friendship and the Titanic.

What a delightful book. Sally Page has done it again. Finished in one hit because I really wanted to know what happened. Lovely characters; honest, caring, and very, very kind. A book to make you feel glad to be human. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I almost put this on the ‘not going to finish this’ pile but so glad I persevered. It’s a slow burner but I would recommend

such a beautiful novel by Sally Page.
a lovely slow paced book that I just wanted to keep on reading. the characters are so lovely. definitely recommended.

Having loved The Keeper of Stories and being a little disappointed with The Book of Beginnings, I was interested to see if Sally Page could grab me again with her new novel and…I loved it! This wasn’t a fast-paced, cannot put down type of read but a gentle, intriguing, slow burn. I liked the characters and the dual timeline and interesting Titanic facts. My only criticism would be that I would’ve liked Violet’s fate to be kept secret a little longer to keep up the suspense!

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins and Sally Page for this ARC.

An absolutely fantastic story. You move between times and people but it works . Very well written . You learn about the history of the Titanic in away you have never thought of. This book is hard to review but you have to read it if you like modern woman’s fiction . The garden centre and the owners are amazing. It deals with grief and anger. Loved it. The pillow part is lovely and how it appears in wonderful ways. Great ending. Read it

After reading the description for this book I was extremely excited to dive straight in! I was definitely not disappointed! I loved the whole story of the book. I couldn't put this down it was that good! Will definitely be recommending this one!

I’ve enjoyed previous Sally Page books so was excited to start this one. It’s quite a gentle book with a pace to match that. My overall feeling is that it was “nice”. The main character is easy to like and her new found family of Les, Betty, Tamas are all great. The Titanic flowers mystery was a good backdrop, although I did struggle a bit to be too interested in it. The exploration of grief was a more gripping part of the story. Although the story itself wasn’t one that I fully fell in love with the writing of it was as excellent as in Sally Pages other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having loved Sally Page’s previous books I was really looking forward to The Secrets of Flowers, and I was not disappointed. I found the modern day character, Emma, held my interest more than Violet, the other main character on the dual timeline, and I really enjoyed seeing her forge new relationships and surround herself with a found family following the losses she had suffered.
The Secrets of Flowers combines fascinating historical detail with an emotional and relatable storyline that I found very enjoyable.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I’ve read both of Sally Page’s previous books and enjoyed them but I was unsure on this as the blurb didn’t really grab me however I’m pleased to say this was an unexpectedly wonderful character read which showcases just how kind and lovely most people can be. Emma is still processing her grief from the death of her husband a year ago, she has a very difficult relationship with her mum and not much of a support network. She decides to have a complete change of job and starts working as a florist at a struggling garden centre, the owners there are a lovely older couple who try their best to engage with her but it takes an invite to a talk about the Titanic, which in turn sets Emma off investigating who the onboard florist was, to open up communication between them. Emma’s story and investigation is alternated with that of Violet’s, starting with her life in Argentina in the late 19th century which offers an interesting balance to the whole book. Although this is primarily about Emma’s investigation into the Titanic florist it’s actually a book about grief, friendship and the impact one person can have on generations to come. It’s a beautiful read which has much positivity despite the difficulties Emma is facing and is overall a very heartwarming read. 9/10

This was an interesting story of living with grief and i could genuinely empathise with the main character. The links with the Titanic were captivating too. I would recommend this book.

A really enjoyable book which I will certainly recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.