I really enjoyed this book. The MC’s were wonderful and well developed. Noodle was a real treat. I thank NetGalley for the ARC. I’m sorry to read in the author’s dedication that she lost her Elon, in 2019. I look forward to reading more from this author.

When a young woman shows up on her doorstep in the middle of a rainstorm, Felicienne de Montagne feels compelled to help her despite her better judgment. Comfortably living alone and working in her greenhouses, Felicienne soon realizes that adventurer and blogger Puck Aston is made from a different cloth. Traveling the US and Canada in her campervan with her dog, Puck is a rolling stone to Felicienne’s boulder.

Puck’s campervan has broken down and needs major repairs. When she learns that Felicienne needs a photographer to document her hybrid flowers for a book, she offers her services for room and board. As Felicienne and Puck slowly get to know each other, their mutual attraction grows even as both accept that the day Puck goes back on the road, their bond will be broken.

I loved this cozy romance. I read a lot of angsty love stories, and this was a nice, lighter, change of pace for me. I really enjoyed getting to know Puck and Felicienne (and the dog was cute too!), and their chemistry warmed my heart. Great read! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

This is my first full-length novel, having read a novella in the past by Gun Brooke. I found a new author to enjoy in the future.
I enjoyed the chemistry between the MCs. Both live life alone by choice but excel together.
There were minimal secondary characters except for the dog. The parts they did play were well done.
I wish th first real kiss was described instead of just mentioning it happened. The intamacy was well done.
I look forward to more books by this author and will continue to follow her.

Gun Brooke’s *Scarlet Love* is a beautifully crafted romance that brings together two women from vastly different worlds in an emotional and captivating love story. Felicienne de Montagne, a solitary horticulturist, is content with her quiet life tending to her greenhouses—until free-spirited traveler Puck Aston quite literally lands on her doorstep. Their initial dynamic is one of contrast: Felicienne is rooted and reserved, while Puck, with her adventurous spirit and restless nature, is constantly on the move. Yet, as they begin working together—Felicienne on her book and Puck as her photographer—their chemistry slowly blossoms, much like the hybrid flowers Felicienne so carefully cultivates.

Brooke masterfully builds the tension between longing and inevitability. The romance unfolds with a slow-burn tenderness, as Felicienne and Puck navigate their growing attraction while knowing their time together is fleeting. Their journey is filled with heartfelt moments, rich descriptions of nature, and a deep emotional pull that keeps the reader invested. With its compelling characters, atmospheric setting, and an undercurrent of bittersweet yearning, *Scarlet Love* is a poignant, beautifully written story that lingers long after the final page.

Puck Aston is traveling through Vermont when her caravan breaks down in a heavy storm. Taking her dog, Noodle, she ventures up the road for help.
Felicienne lives alone, happily, on her remote property growing specialty roses. She did not expect a bedraggled Puck to turn up on her doorstep. Puck explains she's a blogger/photographer, and Felicienne is impressed by her photography.
A publisher has wanted Felicienne to do a book on her work, but se had been unable to find a photographer shecould tolerate. Puck, on the other hand, seems perfect.
Good solid read. I liked the heroines and Felicienne friend group. There is a annoying third act breakup...

Good book. This is a very character driven story. The main characters are complete opposites, and both have baggage that their dealing with. This is a romance, with plenty of angst and drama thrown in. The romance is very well developed and this story kept me engaged from beginning to the end. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

Gun Brooke does not disappoint as usual. An easy and enjoyable read. I was fully invested. I look forward to your next book. I recommend

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books and the author Gun Brooke.

Puck is a writer and photographer who travels the continental U.S. and Canada in a campervan with her trusty dog, Noodle.

Felicienne is a horticulturist who guards her emotions, used to keeping them hidden in her reclusive lifestyle.

When Puck's campervan breaks down during a storm, Felicienne allows Puck and Noodle to shelter in her house.

As Puck and Felicienne get to know each other, Puck offers to be the photographer Felicienne needs for the book she's creating. A book showcasing Felicienne's work as a horticulturist, capturing the beauty of the hybrid flowers she creates.

As Felicienne and Puck work on the book, they experience the progress of the Scarlet Flower as it is cultivated, cared for, and coaxed into bloom.

One is without roots, travelling on the wind. The other is nothing but roots, grounded deep in the warmth of the earth. Can they find the middle ground where the earth and the wind can live harmoniously together?


This is a romantic and cathartic read of two people living very independent lives shaped by their pasts. And yet, for their seemingly diverse lifestyles, they find they are more alike than they could ever have guessed.

The main characters are well-written and very relatable, plus Noodle is an adorable hero who you can't help but love.

Then, there's the Scarlet Flower's healing journey and beautiful representation of Puck and Felicienne's love to complete their story.

This lovely romantic read will bloom in your heart and lay roots in your soul.


*I received an advance reader copy for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review*

Puck Aston is a writer and photographer living and traveling in her van. One night during a storm, she and her dog Noodle, end up knocking on the door of Felicienne de Montagne. It turns out that Felicienne is a reclusive and gifted horticulturist who creates hybrids. With Puck’s van damaged in the storm an opportunity arises for her to stay and photograph and write about Feliienne’s flowers and work.

This is a gentle and easy story. Puck is the nomad who has moved all her life never building lasting connections. Felicienne loves the stability of her home but because of her upbringing doesn’t connect with others easily. Their walls have to come down for friendship to bloom into more. Noodle gets a lot of attention in the story as well. I like the author's writing style. I occasionally caught word choices that felt old fashioned. I didn’t know if it was intentional or if it was because the author lives abroad and is used to more formal English.

Overall a low angst story showing you don’t have to let your past define your future and how you live your life.

Felicienne lost her parents at a young age and was sent to live with a distant aunt who wasn’t very emotional towards her but they seems to bond over flowers and plants which Felicienne makes a career out of it she doesn’t let anyone one in but has a few friends. Puck is photographer who travels the world in her carvan with her bestfriend dog Noodle she never really settle anywhere because of her childhood of moving all the time so she ok with not having roots. When her carvan stop working she goes to the last house she pass and meets Felicienne who at first is hesitant to let her in when Felicienne learns she a photographer they make a deal as they work together they get to know each other little by little and romantic feelings forms. I enjoy this read because it’s was low on angst and the only problem they had is how they can be together when they both have their life figure out.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Gun Brooke is typically on my insta-buy list, but her latest novel Scarlet Love was a big miss for me. The story just felt very rushed and there was so little chemistry between the two leads that when they had their first kiss it was very underwhelming and I felt no emotional investment to read further.

Still a fan of Gun Brooke, cus hey they can’t all be winners.

This was a beautifully written, character-driven romance that I couldn’t put down! Gun Brooke delivers another heartfelt story featuring strong, intelligent women who learn to trust and protect each other. Felicienne, a reclusive botanist, and Puck, a free-spirited photographer, seem like complete opposites, but their connection grows in a way that feels natural and deeply moving. Their journey is emotional, touching on past pain and healing, with moments both traumatic and hopeful. The side characters—especially Noodle and Tracey—added warmth and charm. If you love slow-burn romances with depth and beautifully crafted characters, this is a must-read! I’ll definitely be picking up more from this author.

This is one of those stories that this author whips up every so often: super romantic, with strong, smart women in the lead roles. They might be a little slow to trust new people at first, but once they break down that initial wall, they're totally fierce and protective of each other. It's also common for this author to have protagonists with a bit of an age gap, and here too there's apparently a difference in social status. Although it may seem more like it's due to the life choices they've both made.

The two main characters are Felicienne, a reclusive botanist who lives almost entirely for her experimental plants, and Puck, a nomadic photographer who travels in her campervan with her trusty dog by her side.

The initial encounter is a bit dramatic and doesn't bode well for an easy relationship between them. But as they interact little by little, they realize that maybe they can offer each other what each one needs. Which is like being in the right place at the right time.

The story is original and surprising enough, which makes it pretty interesting.

This was a story of two somewhat guarded people, both haunted and influenced by their pasts, learning to trust again and realizing that their pasts don’t need to define their futures. Without going into detail that would give anything away, there are several scenes that are both traumatic and yet hopeful at the same time, showing the depth of Brooke’s understanding of human emotions. This was a beautifully written story full of characters - both main and side - who fully captured my heart. Once I started reading this novel, I could barely put it down and finished in just a few days!

I really liked this book and the interactions between the secluded Felicienne and the nomadic Puck. A lot of baggage to deal with but so rewarding to read about how they slowly fall in love and open up find a way to adapt to each other and the totally different lives they have.

I would have loved to read even more about their backstories but I still loved the book enough to finish it in one day.

Two people who are so set in their lives, their ways and their habits, collide and everything that ever seemed right is suddenly called into question.
For each other and for everything that previously seemed impossible.
Puck is a full-time photographer who is always on the move. Together with her dog and best friend and companion, Noodle, and her van, she roams the country, always looking for interesting people and their stories.
She is like a leaf in the wind, without roots and always changing direction.
A bad storm brings her to the door of Felicienne.
A beautiful, somewhat brittle-looking woman at first glance. However, she opens the door to Puck when she needs it most and gives her shelter and more.
She seems cautious and distant, which is understandable. She is a stranger after all, but this meeting is more than coincidence and both quickly realize that it could perhaps be fate.
This was my first book by Gun Brooke and I will read more! The characters were given a beautiful depth.
Each with their own pain from the past, is now given the opportunity to heal!
I thought it was wonderfully written and Noodle and Tracey captured my little heart!
Thanks so much to the Author and Bold Strokes Books for the Arc! It was lovely to read! This is my honest review and opinion!

Puck Aston is a thirty year old adventure blogger and photographer who has been traveling the United Stares and Canada for several years. She is currently in Vermont with her dog Noodle when their camper van will not start. It’s also being pulled closer to a body of water. They must abandon the vehicle and walk a couple of hours in a rainstorm to the last house that Puck spotted.

When Puck and Noodle show up at Felicienne de Montagne’s home she reluctantly agrees to help them and provides them a place to stay and food. Felicienne is a forty- eight year old horticulturist who is set in her ways predominately due to her childhood trauma. She is hard pressed to let people into her home and her life. The book tells the story of how one person, set in their ways, and another person, a rolling stone, can mesh their lives together and love each other. 4.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.