Having read and thoroughly enjoyed several books by Sally Page, I was eager to read The Secrets of Flowers, and I wasn’t disappointed.

It is a dual era story and while I didn’t really connect with the fictional current day character of Emma, a widow who gives up her research job to work in a garden centre following the death of her cheating husband, I did enjoy learning about Violet Jessop, who in real life was a stewardess who survived the sinking of the Titanic. I would have liked to have read more about her.

The subject of learning to deal with grief and betrayal and then move on with life is beautifully written, as are all of Sally Page’s books, and it was interesting reading about the flowers on the Titanic, something I’d never thought about before.

I look forward to Sally’s next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review

Sally Page's writing is so beautifully written, it truly transports you to the story's setting.
While I did enjoy the book, it didn't quite live up to my expectations, I found myself more interested in Violet’s story than in Emma’s so I was left disappointed because Violets are few & far between but it was still an enjoyable read that I’d recommend to those looking for a feel good read.

★★★½ ROUNDED UP ⬆️⭐️

Having greatly enjoyed Sally Page’s previous writing, I was delighted to be granted an ARC of ‘The Secret of Flowers’. In an age when mindfulness, forest bathing and human immersion in nature are often in the press, Sally Page’s novel could not be more topical, and it is an engaging read. The heroine, Emma, is overwhelmed by grief after the sudden death of her husband that throws everything into question. She relinquishes her post as a research scientist in favour of a job at the local garden centre that allows her to reconnect with her childhood as she and her father had shared a love of botanical life. Through her new employer, Emma develops an interest in the people who travelled on the Titanic, and slowly a special bond to one of the young women who travelled on the doomed vessel is forming …. A beautifully and sensitively set of character studies, even though the link between the two of them is perhaps a little tenuous. Warmly recommended to affirm the belief in human goodness! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this honest, unbiased book review.

I found it hard to get into this book. At 26% I gave up and left it for a while. On picking it up again I felt it got better,in fact It ended up a good story.
Emma is devastated after the death of her husband and after being an academic for years she takes a job in a garden centre run by a husband and wife. She becomes fixated on finding out who's job it was to display the flowers on the Titanic as she has read it described as a ship full of flowers.
As the book progresses more and more people help Emma on her quest and part of the book is following a young girl as she boards the Titanic as a steward.
As I said I did end up enjoying this book . I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them too.

Emma discovers a new purpose when she attends a lecture on the Titanic- she's engaged with looking for more information about the flowers, more engaged than she's been for a long time. This moves back and forth between her story and that of Violet, who was on the maiden doomed voyage of that ship. Violet's story is more interesting but Emma's emotional struggles are relatable. And the flowers. Thanks to netgalley for the Arc. A good read.

Emma a research scientist is grieving her husband Will who died one year ago. She decides to have a change of career and is to work for Betty and Les in their garden centre.
A chance talk that Les delivers one evening will change things for Emma, sets her on a different research path.

A very interesting story that was enjoyable to read. Lovely mentions throughout the book of beautiful vibrant colourful flowers and plants. They were described so well I could almost smell them.
The book moves backwards and forwards in time with Emma and Violet being the main characters, though they are joined by a mix of others, all likeable apart from Emma’s mother.
Caring about others, helping each other where possible and friendship.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

This story begins with Emma, a young widow who is trying to come to terms with her loss and move on with her life. She decides a change of career is needed and starts work at a nursery as she’s always loved flowers.
Back in the late 1800’s, we also follow the journey of Violet, a girl who has a lot of upheaval in her life and also loves flowers!
The dual timeline is easy to follow and both girls have a lot in common. I loved all the characters and how they impacted on the girls’ lives. The Titanic history involved with Emma’s research was fascinating, and I love all the references at the back of the book! I shall be reading those when I next go to the library!
Although the two lives seem unconnected, the story ties up beautifully at the end!
A wonderful, warm story about the power of friendship and that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it!

I've enjoyed the author's previous books and this one did not disappoint. The story switched between Emma (now) and Violet (then) and is woven together and feels natural the change from one to the other. Although it is fiction, it is based on some facts and has made me curious to find out more about the people who worked on the Titanic. Much is made of the passengers but less of the huge numbers of staff who were there on the liner.

Great book and can't wait for her next one.

This book was a bit of a slow burn for me and I didn't fully engage with the story or characters until about half way through. After that I did start to enjoy it and especially the chapters about Violet and her time on cruise ships especially the Titanic. I wish her chapters had been longer. Emma's story set in the present day was enjoyable and her love of flowers and the author's vivid description of them was enthralling. I could almost smell the fragrances on the page! The research into the Titanic was excellent and Sally Page has done an incredible job here. I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the book. Once again, the author has excelled herself with a heartfelt and emotional story that portrays sadness, healing and joy. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having enjoyed Sally’s previous books, I was keen to read this one too. This one is now my new favourite!

It did take sometime to get going as we were slowly introduced to Violet and Emma, both of whom had interesting lives. It is a sad read in places with the loss of loved ones but also an uplifting look at the power of friendship.

I lost my own dad last year. He was an avid gardener as was his dad before him. This book was a reminder of how memories can be influenced by the sight and smell of plants.

Love how this book features the disaster of the Titanic too - had never thought about there being fresh flowers in the state rooms etc.

Happy to recommend and I’ll be buying a copy as a present.

The RMS Titanic is one subject that I will read anything and everything about no matter the subject so naturally I jumped at the chance to read this one. In hindsight I should have set a different course and avoided this one.

In all the things i've read and seen about the Titanic I have never seen anything about the florists and I had never really wondered who was responsible for the flowers. A lack of curiosity on my part, perhaps. That research and the authors curiosity about the Titanic crew was the best part of this book, for me. I could have happily left the rest to float by.

I found the story and Emma to be boring and dragged. The rest of the story felt like a very rambling and overly fictional with no real out come or end planned. While the characters were ok, for me they felt bogged down in the story I wasn't enjoying.

Perhaps it wasn't more me. I maybe went into it expecting more Titanic and less flower which possibly tinted my view of it. But this wasn't one for me.

Grab this book if you like flowers, mid life angst. Not one for the Titanic enthusiast unless you skip to the Titanic info and authors notes

I adore all of Sally books and could not put this book down I was gripped from the first page and read it in a day and I have now reread it 3 times in total as It is so good, Sally has such a way as author of transporting you into the story so you feel you are standing there with the characters living there lives with them , I have always been intersted in the Titanic and loved all the details this book goes into especially about the flowers on board it and I love all the charcters in this book with Emma Bosses being my favourite , I wish Sally all the best with this book and hope its a best selling hit as it deserves to be

This is a lovely story about coming to understand oneself with the help of others but also finding strength in times of need somewhere were someone might expect the least. All the characters are interesting and with their own story. I loved Violet's story and I feel like I wanted more but in the same it was the right amount, somehow. Great story and I am curious about the other books that Sally Page wrote.

A story written over two timelines. I liked the character of Violet, Titanic stewardess and survivor and would have liked the whole novel devoted to her tale. Well written and researched.

Sally Page can do no wrong in my opinion. She has delivered another book that had me alternating between crying, laughing and sighing. This book was heartwarming and thought-provoking and an inspirational mix between a modern day woman reclaiming her life and coming to terms with her demons and a lady that lived long ago finding out just how important she could be.

I love to learn about all things Titanic and the questions and answers that were asked and answered in this book fascinated me. Who was the florist on the Titanic? I googled it out of curiosity and couldn't find any information myself. I did however look at the articles that the author had and referenced at the back and by doing that, I saw the photo of Violet Jessop. I love the way the author was able to weave a story between fact and her fiction, taking a historical person and writing their backstory and staying as close as possible to the information at hand.

The modern story was written from the perspective of a woman who had severe anxiety and I think quite a few people would have found Emma relatable. The cast of characters around the modern story were full of character and heart. Sally Page wrote quite a community around Emma and she had friends that could relate to her passions all around the world.

I liked the fact that each chapter was titled with a flower, many of which I had never heard of. The entire mystery of flowers and their meanings was something I found intriguing.
Readers who appreciate stories of self-discovery, healing, and the beauty of nature should definitely read this!

Thanks to Netgalley, Sally Page and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I like Sally Page's writing and enjoyed each of the dual storylines in The Secrets of Flowers but I'm not convinced that they worked together; to me they felt a bit contrived. The characters were excellent though, especially Betty and Les who I wish had been given more time.

Told over a dual timeline, we meet Emma and Violet whose lives are interwoven by flowers and pillow post.
Recently widowed Emma decides to leave her job and start afresh in a garden centre.
Violet, after overcoming illness as a child, starts working as a stewardess for The White Star Line and is on the Titanic's maiden voyage.
We follow their lives and meet a wonderful array of characters along the way.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Good feeling book. If you are into history, flowers, gardening, Titanic then this is the book for you.

A good cast of characters who all play a part in Emma's life. Surprises come out when you think you know someone but they are not whom they seem to be. Too posh for gardening really?

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page caught my attention not just because I'd previously read and enjoyed other books by the author, but because of the premise. Despite the enduring fascination with all things Titanic I had never once stopped to think about who was responsible for the floristry on board such a huge and opulent ship. The question caught my attention and while it is not definitively answered there is enough evidence to leave me satisfied. (I would definitely recommend reading the author's note at the end of the book for further historical detail about the real history behind the story she weaves). Through a dual timeline the author tells the story of Violet, a young stewardess aboard the ship and in the current day widowed scientist Emma who is still struggling with her husband' s death a year later.
In the current timeline we see Emma drastically change her life by abandoning her academic career for one as a florist in a local garden centre. Though not formally trained she has always loved gardens and flowers , perhaps because of her close relationship with her father who was a devoted gardener. In her new life she struggles to make friends because of social awkwardness and feelings of inadequacy but when she begins her quest to discover who arranged the flowers on the Titanic she gradually opens up to her work colleagues, finds herself making new friends and finally starts to come to terms with her grief and anger at the death of her husband. Meanwhile in the past we learn Violet's story, from almost dying as a small child in Argentina to emigrating to the U.K. and eventually becoming a stewardess aboard the ill fated ship .
I wish the balance between the two timelines had been just a little more even, I was more interested in Violet's story and so found myself frustrated by the slight chapters from her perspective. While Emma is not a particularly likeable character I have to admit that I was impressed with her development over the course of the book, and I appreciated the believable growth of the character. I also appreciated that the author did not go with the obvious when it came to linking the timelines, it would have been a little too easy.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own .

I had the pleasure of meeting the author and thought I just had to get my hands on this book and what an enjoyable book it is! I never knew so many flowed existed!! I love the way that the author has linked flowers and the Titanic and the way she described being on board made me feel like I was there. The dual point of views were wonderful and they intertwined nicely. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main character at times but I feel like Sally really showed what grief can do to people and gave a really good insight into the thought processes and why the main character acted the way she did sometimes, in the end I loved her too!! All the characters were fantastic and I connected with all of them. It was such an uplifting and lovely book to read.