Southern women in the town of Serenity like to know
everyone's business and sometimes interfere in it too.
Lynn Morrow, the divorcing, depressed mother, has shaken
off the worst of her illness and is trying to support her
children until the divorce comes through, lack of support
payment notwithstanding.
Young Lexie and Jeremy, featured in the previous book about
bullying at school, are puzzled as to why there isn't food
in the house and their mother has to work two jobs. Doesn't
their absent father love them? His lawyer, a slightly
shady type, has gone missing, which provides their father
with an excuse. Lynn meanwhile is steadily more attracted
to the neighbouring builder, Mitch, who has given her a
part-time paperwork job. But she can't take it any further
until the divorce comes through, in case a new relationship
could be used against her in court. Mitch has fancied Lynn
since school, but is now widowed and facing the issue of
what to do when his college-age son announces he's bringing
home his fiancée, a chemistry major. As WHERE AZALEAS
BLOOM continues a theme, the local women drink their way
through many margaritas and plot romance, which I consider
to be the weakest part of the book. More positive is the
fact that out shopping two thoughtless gossips are
embarrassed to be heard by Lynn and promptly hug her and
buy lots of clothing to give her commission. Her son also
enjoys learning carpentry, with Mitch as a male role model.
A sub-plot of an elderly lady, Frances, needing to have
assisted living does raise some valid issues for her family
but is not related to the central characters so comes
across as padding.
Sherryl Woods wrote a fine take on school bullying in
Catching Fireflies but this is a slower tale of quiet
desperation, the combination of a failed marriage and
economic gloom wearing away a mother's confidence. She
tries not to bad-mouth her husband to the children, but
half the town is doing it for her. The romance potential
is flagged from the start but there is no urgency, everyone
being more concerned about what the other townsfolk might
think. Lexie was a great character in the previous book
and I would have liked to see more from her point of view
in WHERE AZALEAS BLOOM. If you enjoyed the first two books
you won't
want to miss this one.
Single mom Lynn Morrow is determined to put food on the
table for her son and daughter. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband
has failed to meet his obligations time and again-but it
turns out that Ed is struggling with his own demons.
Enter contractor Mitch Franklin, an unlikely knight in
shining armor. A widower with two grieving sons, Mitch once
admired Lynn from afar. Now he sees in her not only the
sweet girl who got away, but a woman desperately in need of
support. While rushing to the rescue of Lynn and her
children comes naturally, he's also wise enough to encourage
Lynn to find her own way...hopefully straight into his arms.
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