Joyfully Retired

by Nora Roberts

Berkley Books, 2009

My Rating: B+

This is Book Two in the Bride Quartet. My review of Book One is here. Book Three, Savor the Moment, is coming next week and I wanted to finish this one before number three arrived. It’s not absolutely necessary to read them in order, but it is much better that way. Book Two included characters and builds on events that happened in Book One, so I’d recommend reading them in order.

All four books center around four women who own and manage a wedding planning business called Vows. Each one controls a different aspect of the business. Bed of Roses is about Emma Grant and the flowers. Emma is very good at creating unique arrangements, bouquets, garden and patio areas, and so on for the weddings and other events at the estate where Vows conducts business.

I once read that the author, Nora Roberts, spends all of her spare time gardening and it showed in this book. I could tell she had fun describing the various flowers and how they were used.

Besides flowers, the book is also about the romance between Emma and a family friend, Jack Cooke. Emma and Jack have been friends for so many years that he’s like a member of the family. It surprises everyone, including Emma and Jack, when they start developing feelings for each other. Everybody warns them to be careful. Somebody is going to get hurt.

One of the things I love about Nora Roberts’ books are the men she creates. They’re just right: very masculine, a little sensitive, a flaws and a whole lot of self-confidence. I also like her dialogue between the men. Here’s a sample. In this scene Del, who’s like a brother to Emma, has just learned that his best friend, Jack, has been “with” Emma and he didn’t know anything about it. They’ve both just exchanged punches to the face.

“I didn’t move in on her. If anything we moved in on each other. For __ sake, Del, she’s a grown woman, she makes her own choices. It’s not like I twirled my moustache and stole her virginity.”

“Watch it,” Del warned, then the temper in his eyes went lethal. “You slept with her?”

“Let’s back it up.” Not a good start, Cooke, he thought. Not the best of springboards. “Let’s just back it up.”

“Yes or no, goddamn it.”

“Yes, goddamn it. I slept with her, she slept with me. We slept with each other.”

Something murderous flashed in Del’s eyes. “I ought to beat you senseless.”

“You can try. We’ll both end up in the ER. And when I get out, I’m still going to sleep with her.” Something equally deadly flared in Jack’s eyes. “It’s none of your __ business.”

Don’t worry, they get back their friendship. This is a romance novel you know. Everything always turns out fine. My only complaint about the book is a minor one. It has to do with the ending. It seemed as if the author was rushing to wrap things up. But I can still recommend this one to all my romance-loving friends. Okay, I’m ready for Book Three.

Check your local library for this book. Bed Of Roses is also available at Amazon. (I am an Amazon Associate.)