Full of familial relationships, heartwarming plot, and a devastating beginning, this story was so lovely from start to finish.

I really love reading stories about families (found or otherwise) and the dynamics that make for natural drama.

This story made me feel all the things; sadness at the sisters' loss, joy at their reconnection, and a cozy contentedness at this beautiful book.

A very entertaining and pleasant story!

Warm, charming and oh, so feel-good!!
I have to admit that when I came into this book I thought it was going to be one thing and it ended up something else completely - not that I'm complaining as I thought loved this book. This has a real heart which takes it further than your stereotypical chick lit/romcom it's emotional and sweet, but with lots of laughs and great humour running throughout - another thing which I loved!
It's a gorgeous story full of hope and loss, you will laugh and cry in equal measure but more than that you will sink deep into your chair and feel all cosy and warm. Lovely!!

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

The Little Shop on Flora Street by Jane Lacey-Crane

Grace has had a successful career in London and is never expected to return home to Floral Street now she has and not through choice but duty.

A reasonably well written book all about relationships between family members, in particular sisters
.
The book is all about family working out their relationships together as sometimes things aren’t as you perceive them and it takes tragedy to see that.

It follows the journey of the family from each different view point and there are some very sad moments in the book. It's Not a sad book but sad moments. A learning curve for a family dealing with grief learning to come together as a unit to go forward in the future together stronger for it.

I didn’t really like some of the characters.

Slow in part but generally deals with difficult issues well and realistically . 3.5/5

I am ashamed that this book has been languishing on my TBR for so long, because I have loved Jane’s previous two books. This one was another great piece of women’s fiction, that spoke to me on a personal level, dealing as it does with the relationship between three sisters. As someone who is the eldest of four girls, and who counts her sisters as her closest friends as well as siblings, the dynamics of relationships between sisters is always something I am interested in seeing explored in a novel.

In this book, two of the sisters have remained close, despite the fact that the eldest left home at a young age after become largely estranged from their father. The youngest sister has been away travelling and her return to the family home marks a period of upheaval for them all, that culminates in a family tragedy that changes them all forever, and has the power to push them all apart or pull them back together.

In this novel, Jane has drawn a truly authentic and believable family dynamic that plays out honestly on the page. I felt that each of the characters, and their relationship to one another, were beautifully realised and explored and I could really relate to all of them. Despite my own closeness to my sisters, the tensions and rivalries between the three girls were very recognisable to me; with the best will in the world every family has difficulties and areas of friction, and the way each of the sisters interpreted events differently depending on their position and role within the family was all too familiar!

As the eldest, Grace was the one to whom I most related. I recognise that feeling of responsibility and having the weight of sorting out the family’s issues and taking on its burdens, whilst the younger sisters have a much more carefree existence. I am sure my sisters would argue that the younger girls have their own crosses to bear, and would recognise themselves more in Hope or Faith, which is the genius of Jane’s drawing of the characters!

The story centres around the family’s flower stall business, and its future in the wake of the tragedy and the shockwaves of its aftermath and, in this regard, it is a tight, small story that could be happening to any family up and down the country today and, in fact, in the wake of so many losses suffered by so many families in the last twelve months, many of the issues explored will be painful and relevant to a lot of people at the moment. In this regard, the book will speak to a lot of people and touch many of us with its message. This is a book that takes a step beyond a typical women’s fiction novel.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a novel with a big heart and a gentle exploration of issues that will have touched most of us in some way at some point in our lives. I would be surprised if there is anyone who can’t find some recognisable experience or emotion in its pages. Well worth reading.

Found the characters to be very unlikable and felt I was given no incentive, no soft spot, no weakness in them, for me to really bat for them from the get-go. The addition of the parents' bickering felt profoundly annoying. I know the author was trying to paint a picture, but these fights just got tedious, and then nothing seemed to be happening even as the pages crept along. As such, failed to capture my attention, and I just couldn't care for the two main sisters who get their POV in this tale

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite being in floods of tears for a lot of it. Wow, the author really knows how to really evoke emotional moment, from the devastation caused by the death of a much loved family member to reconnecting with old friends, her descriptions made me well up with tears until they came pouring out.
Although it is full of emotion it is not a sad book, yes there’s sadness in it, but it doesn’t dominate the story or overwhelm the reader. This book is about family, friendship, reconnecting with those we thought were in the past and coming home.
This book keeps the reader involved throughout, wonderful descriptions and an ability to build up interesting and fully formed characters in the reader’s imagination.
Would have been 5 stars but the author frequently uses ‘gotten’ which I detest and found really annoying & off-putting as it sounded incongruent to the rest of her writing (honestly, what’s wrong with got or had?), but that’s just personal preference and no reflection on the story.
A lovely book, heartwarming and reaffirming that life should not be taken for granted and we need to make the most of it.

A book about the draw of family, sibling rivalry and overcoming life's cruel twists. Grace comes back to her family and finds that her dad's flower business is struggling. Each member of the family is failing to deal with life but trying to find the path to bringing everything together again.
I loved the floral side to the book- can just imagine how pretty everything was. There is a real sense of community pulling together.

Grace never thought she'd have to return home to Floral Street. Having spent most of her life building a successful career in London, she's done everything she possibly can to avoid the flower stall that's been in her family for generations. But when tragedy hits, she's got no choice.

The Little Shop on Floral Street by Jane Lacey-Crane
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5 stars

Grace has spent the better part of her adult life avoiding her parents’ home. After a terrible experience as a teenager, Grace has distanced herself from her parents because she can’t trust herself not to out her father and devastate her mother.

Though Grace largely refuses to see her parents, she does still have a close relationship with one of her two sisters. The two confide most everything to one another and have become tremendous friends since their younger years at home. Grace considers her sister her best friend so when she is tragically killed, Grace finds herself at a total loss. She has to go home, she has to deal with her youngest sister, Faith, and she has to see her father. To make matters far worse, Grace’s long-time boyfriend has no understanding or sympathy for her situation and can’t fathom why she is grieving or living with her parents, if only temporarily.

Grace’s time at home is beyond stressful. Her father is gruff and grumpy as always, her mother is a total wreck, and her younger sister is home and back up to her old antics. To help keep things settled, Grace agrees to man the family flower stall at the local market. Her father has run the market all his life and while he expected Grace to take his place, she has made a name for herself with a much larger London flower company. When Grace makes her way back to the flower stall, she is stunned to see how far into disrepair the market has become. Most of her childhood friends have moved away or retired, the full press of shoppers is no more, and the few stalls that remain do a quiet business at best.

As the family rushes toward the funeral and burial of their beloved member, Grace has to face some harsh realities. Her father’s flower stall is failing, her mother is not going to recover from her loss anytime soon, and her younger sister may not be as big a brat as Grace has long suspected she is. In fact, as the days wear on, Grace learns a great deal about her baby sister, including the inner strength she has and her ability to maneuver around the family dynamics like a pro. As if the family drama weren’t enough, Grace is also faced with the very real prospect of her long-term relationship coming to an end. Navigating life is hard and Grace has some serious decisions to make if she is going to survive it all and eventually be happy again.

The Bottom Line: This is such a roller coaster of a read and sure enjoyed the ride. One of my favorite things to see in a book is the evolution of a good character. Grace is a good character and her evolution through tremendous grief is so wonderful to see. Grace goes from a harried young woman who used to love her job and used to love her boyfriend, to a young woman who changes everything about her life including her job, her relationship with her family, and her boyfriend. With each change, Grace comes a bit more out of her shell and begins to shine like her late sister always knew she could. In all, an emotional read with a proper and rather lovely happily ever after.

A beautiful story about family bonds and loss. Heartbreaking and uplifting, the relationships that the sisters in this story share is a joy to follow, although they struggle to comminutcate at times, they pull together through their loss.

I loved this story, it certainly pulled at the heartstrings, and really instilled the importance of family.

A cute little story about sisters and families and all set in the world of flowers and florists. Family dynamics abound in this story of 3 sisters, Grace, Hope and Faith who are each trying to figure out their lives and their relationships with each other when tragedy strikes.

There’s no tussle like a family tussle, and author Jane Lacey-Crane uses this to mine every bit of tension, drama, and misunderstanding possible. Grace and Faith could not be more different—so they assume—and the result is constant sniping that permeates the first part of the book. Yes, there are times when both of them seem frustratingly unreasonable. However, this speaks to the Lacey-Crane’s expert abilities: she’s crafted two flawed characters who aren’t always easy to understand. They’re real, complicated people, and their journeys are ultimately so much more rewarding because of their rocky start.

And what a tumultuous beginning it is. Lacey-Crane drags her characters together with a tragedy so devastating it should come with a box of tissues. It’s an incredibly effective moment heightened by her tight, focused writing. She doesn’t embellish disaster, but rather, lets Grace and Faith explore it in a natural way. The result is heartbreaking.

However, things are not always so bleak. There’s, fittingly, hope in these pages. Both Grace and Faith are at turning points in their lives, forging new paths when it comes to love, work, and family. Grace finds a bit of comfort from a handsome photographer, Matthew, while Faith searches for some structure while she’s not globetrotting. For all the tears and tugging on heartstrings, Lacey-Crane knows how to drop in plenty of fun and tender moments to lighten the action.

Beautifully written and powerful, The Little Shop on Floral Street is a perfect read.

An engaging story about family dynamics and as secrets. The book deals with some very difficult topics but does it sympathetically and overall I would recommend this book.

This book was good. I sort of liked the characters but they didn't draw me in.
There were a number of difficult topics handled very sensitively and well . The main character grew during the story, as did her sister. They both overcame their problems and were better people by the end.
One thing this book showed is that true friends never leave you, no matter what the circumstances or how much time has passed.

Grace, Hope and Faith all grew up with the family floral shop as the centerpoint of their lives, and while Grace and Hope did the obligatory ‘work for the firm’ jobs, Faith was left to her own devices which caused no end of strife for the sisters. But now things have taken a tragic turn, forcing Grace to return to the childhood home she left at sixteen never to look back. Adding to that, her youngest and most ‘spoiled’ sister Faith is back at home, and the two are constantly clashing.

While home and working in the family flower shop, Grace discovers that things are far worse than suspected, and while she has always wanted her own floral business, her work now with a high-end florist and the toast of London, while she puts out fires and makes things work for them isn’t doable with the crisis at home.

What emerges is a ton of family history and secrets, and plenty of time for the sisters to grow up and let go of their childhood resentments and struggles, as their family tries to move forward. With new opportunity and a supremely supportive former boss and friend, not to mention a new ‘love’ interest, the opportunity for Grace to start anew along a path that she’d dreamed of for years is wonderful. Emotionally raw and poignant, there’s never enough time to say what you want to – a point made clear in several of the relationships we encounter in this book.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aLN /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I really enjoyed this story which centres around the relationship between 2 sisters in the aftermath of devastating loss. Through such a sad event the characters actually end up learning valuable lessons about themselves and their pasts that lead to positive changes and happiness for them both, giving them courage to leave the past behind and embrace their futures. The complex relationships within the central character Grace’s family were fascinating to explore and I found the book very uplifting despite the sad subject matter. Ultimately it is a story about hope and about making the most of life. I highly recommend this book.

Completely adored the sister relationships in this story, so completely real and believable, the bickering and arguing, but the love and devotion, just amazing relationships. It’s funny, but also emotional Bring tissues you’ll need them) and full of the importance of family and relationships. Just a beautiful story with wonderful writing, thoroughly and highly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Faith, Hope, and Grace - three very different sisters. Now, Faith has come home and Grace has left her job with a florist to help run the family flower stall. These two bicker, a lot; actually, they bicker like real sisters dealing with a family tragedy and a family business. it's told from each of their viewpoints (perfect for this sort of tale) and each personality shines through. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's not always happy- it's got some really sad spots- but in the end satisfying and brings a smile to your face. A good read.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the complicated relationship between sisters. I liked that IT was a book about losing someone but still be able to celebrate the life they had lived. I loved that IT was about learning that everything is not black or white. I loved that IT was about looking back on old dreams and rekindle them. It was also about creating new dreams. And last but not least IT was about coming Home. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review