The Cherry Crush Flower Shop by Harper Graham

 

Zoe, owner of The Cherry Crush Flower Shop in Maple Falls, learns that her mother has placed a bet involving a large sum of money on her and her best friend, Jackson, winning the most romantic couple competition at the Spring Fling. The only problem is that they aren't a couple. When Zoe explains the predicament to Jackson, they agree to act as if they are in a relationship for the sake of the competition.

I fell in love with the town of Maple Falls in September last year when I read The Cinnamon Spice Inn, the first book in the series (you can read my review here). This was followed shortly after by The Spiced Cocoa Cafe (you can find my review here). Needless to say, when The Tandem Collective on Instagram offered me the chance to read The Cherry Crush Flower Shop by Harper Graham, I leapt at the chance. 

Zoe has recently taken over the running of the flower shop, offering her mother the opportunity to make the most of her retirement. When her mother spots Zoe and her best friend, Jackson, close together, she mistakenly assumes they are a couple and starts telling her friends. Zoe wants to put the record straight until she learns that her mother has placed a sizeable wager on them being crowned 'Couple Of The Year' at the upcoming Spring Fling. Worried that her mother will lose her retirement fund, Zoe persuades Jackson to 'fake date'.

In this fake-dating, friends-to-lovers story, the conclusion isn't surprising. What is enjoyable is the journey it takes. We quickly discover that unrequited love exists for both characters. Zoe would be happy to take their relationship to the next level, but refuses to do anything about it as she doesn't want to jeopardise their friendship. Things are more complicated for Jackson. He has strong feelings for Zoe, but the trauma he is living with from his time in the army means that he doesn't feel he deserves to find happiness.

Being thrown together in different situations, particularly when surrounded by other people, leads to them losing their inhibitions and some very steamy scenes. After each encounter, both characters had mixed emotions; I wanted to climb into the book and bang their heads together, the pair were so indecisive. I could understand Jackson not wanting to hurt Zoe, but I couldn't come to terms with why he thought that repeatedly playing with her emotions was acceptable.

Eventually, the couple ends up on the same page, turning their fake relationship into a real one, just as we would have predicted from the start. There are a couple of subplots meandering through the story, which keep forcing the pair together; however, I did feel that we didn't see enough of Maple Falls and its community as we have in the previous books. Saying that, I'm already looking forward to the next instalment in the series, The Hot Honey Hideaway, which was nicely lined up at the end of this book.

My thanks to The Tandem Collective and Bookouture for my spot on The Cherry Crush Flower Shop Book Club. 

Author Details

Harper Graham lives with her mischievous spaniel in a cozy small town in Connecticut. Her quirky neighbours may or may not have inspired the residents of her Maple Falls series. When she’s not hiking with her daughter, baking her grandmother’s recipes or reading in her favourite coffee shop, Harper can be found writing the sweet and spicy romance stories of her own dreams.