Book Review: Must Love Flowers By Debbie Macomber

Reading this book feels like watching a movie on the Hallmark Movie Channel. This is another heartwarming story about grief and recovery. The mention of the 2020 pandemic also gave a perspective to this story about the loneliness many of us could relate to all over the world, even though it may have been worse for those who lost loved ones and those who lived alone.

Maggie and Roy were dealing with the loss of Elaine. Joan, Nick, and Steve were dealing with the loss of Jared. Phil was dealing with the loss of his daughter. Each person handled the loss differently, and how they grieved for the loss of the same person speaks to our dynamics as humans. The same person died—father, husband, in-law, daughter, mother, and wife—but the kind of relationship shared with family and acquaintances is never the same.

Maggie was really trying her best after the loss of her mother. She was doing everything to hold her life together and pursue her dreams. Her father, Roy, on the other end, was totally broken. He was a mess and succumbed to heavy drinking, which he used his disability checks to sustain while the house, which was a gift passed down with zero mortgage, continued to deteriorate. In the first place, Maggie should not even be looking for a place to live because the money she was making was her holding on to the edges of her survival. She would have saved good money, but again, if Maggie had never met Joan, we wouldn't have a heartwarming miracle.

Book Cover

Rob's life was basically on hold, and he became another burden to Maggie rather than becoming a support for her. Maggie sacrificed so much because she loved her father regardless. I don't think Rob ever got over the loss because he remained angry even though people around him eventually understood how to deal with him.

Emmie holding out for Joan was a beautiful thing. Helping her get out of her cocoon after the loss of Jared was more than she needed to finally go outside. Taking the step to get a haircut, going on a dinner date, getting a landscaper, getting her house together, and many other things she was able to do helped her heal and also allowed her to see that even in her grief, she locked her sons out when they needed each other to cope through the pain.

On the side, the story also reflects on the importance of therapy. Recognizing that you don't have to go through anything alone and that reaching out can also help you meet people who are dealing with something similar to yours—it helps your journey in ways you would not even imagine. That therapy also allowed Joan to meet Mary Lou and Phil (again).

When we have pain in our lives, when we grieve, it is important for us to process what we feel and understand what it is we are dealing with rather than shutting it out.

Steve and Nick were two different people who dealt with the loss of their father in a way that reflected their personalities. Nick was the more bubbly, outgoing one, while Steve was more on the reserved and calm side. It took Steve awhile to open up to his mum. The grief also impacted Steve's relationship with Zoe, but I am glad they found each other again.

Nick and Maggie would have had a relationship either way because they already had that coffee shop—Einstein thing going on, and Maggie wanted to oblige him but was reluctant when she sensed he was Joan's son. However, Maggie moving into Nick's room spiced it up, and they were a good match for each other.

Phil and Joan's love story had me chuckling. He was doing everything for Joan to see him, but I understood why he was cautious because he did not want it to seem like he took advantage of her in a vulnerable state. This was the same fear Nick had when he saw Maggie at their house, and that led to their first fight, plus he was already pissed that she turned his date request down in front of his crew. It is also a good thing Phil took it slow with Joan so they could both heal together and grow in their friendship. Joan needed that time to begin detaching from Jared.

As older folks, love and relationships are different for them. They were both previously married, so this was never about impressing the other person; they both were looking for genuine companionship, and they needed the process to ascertain what they felt was beyond butterflies and hot flushes.

I enjoyed reading the book, and it was such a quick read for the weekend.