The fourth book in the Southern Charm series introduces Jude Sebastian who has been coping with type one diabetes since childhood. Jude owns the floral shop Flowers in the Breeze which accounts for the lovely title WHEN IN BLOOM. Jude also has epilepsy, generally under control but enough of a worry that he has to take precautions. His loyal Golden Labrador, Dawson, is a medical alert dog.

Dr. Elliott Sheffield has to overcome psychological issues, arising from his time as an army surgeon in Afghanistan. Now home and experiencing flashbacks, he understands that he's not safe to keep working in the ER. He doesn't have a partner to share feelings with, and isolation is harmful. He applies for work in a smaller clinic, and gets adopted by a stray cat. Animals are good antidepressants, he's told. Well it's a start.

When the two lads meet in the Florida clinic, Jude quickly recognises Elliot's distress from a thunderstorm and treats him with understanding. For his part, Elliot thinks Jude is attractive, and luckily Jude doesn't take offence when he mentions it. Maybe they'll meet again, but given their separate health issues, what would be the outcome?

These seem like two really decent ordinary guys, doing their best to manage careers and live quietly. Jude actually seems to have the worst of it, with highly demanding, stressed out brides waltzing into his shop. The newcomer Elliot is told that his apartment's area is rainbow proud and open, so no worries there. In fact, we learn a lot about the businesses in town, from a secondhand store to a restaurant and an art studio. While I have not read any earlier books by Nicole Dennis I can see that the characters in these establishments are already part of her series. I really enjoyed seeing the assistance dog at work as I admire these highly trained animals and this one, Dawson, is really well portrayed.

WHEN IN BLOOM is an adult romance and well worth reading for anyone interested in the issues mentioned, or if you are just looking for a well-written and unusual modern romance. Nicole Dennis has done a terrific job of interesting us in her characters and their problems, and I'll be looking out for more of her books.