MUST LOVE FLOWERS

A 54-year-old widow who has barely left the house in four years creates a new life for herself.

Joan Sample was destroyed when Jared, her husband and soul mate, died unexpectedly of an aneurism six months before the Covid-19 lockdowns began. Then it was suddenly four years later, and she found herself spending all her time on her own—scared to go out; ordering her groceries to be delivered; barely talking to her adult sons, Nick and Steve; spending hours and hours on puzzles. After an angry letter from the homeowners association about the state of her yard, Joan finally decides to start making changes. She gets a haircut, hires a landscaper, starts going to counseling and a grief therapy group, and opens up her home to boarder, nursing student Maggie Herbert, who's trying to create some boundaries with her alcoholic father. When Nick drops a puppy off at her door, the complete reversal of the cloistered existence she's been leading since Jared's death is complete. Readers looking for an uplifting story focusing on character growth and newfound happiness will find solace here. The characters and situations fulfill the expectations of a fairy tale: Men are gruff and don't know how to communicate; women are forgiving, understanding, and hard-working; people are paired off after finding true love; houses are repaired with hard work and yards made glorious with flowers.

A gentle story of rebirth that focuses on love and partnership as the antidotes to loneliness.