The Finders Keepers Library (Love in Bloom 1) by Annie Rains-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 16, 2024

For a gardener blessed with a green thumb, Savannah Collins’s life sure seems like it’s all thorns, zero roses. She has no job, no relationship, and no place to live. With nothing but a car full of plants and her new rescue kitten, Savannah heads to Bloom, North Carolina, to spend the summer with her beloved Aunt Eleanor, a retired librarian.

Her aunt shares her love of literature with the Finders Keepers Library, located in her beautiful garden, where anyone can stop by to pick a book or leave a book. When a sudden summer storm destroys the library and many of the roses, it will take a village to get everything ready for the garden wedding that is planned there in just three weeks.

As the entire town joins in to make the necessary repairs, Savannah bonds with their neighbor Evan Sanders over the books that Eleanor has handpicked for each of them, helping them both find healing and self-discovery. Savannah only intends to stay through the summer, but when an unexpected job offer, a sudden health crisis, and a wayward pre-teen push her future in new directions, she has to wonder whether this is the place that she is meant to be—and the family she’s meant to be with.

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REVIEW:THE FINDERS KEEPERS LIBRARY is the first instalment in Annie Rains contemporary, adult LOVE IN BLOOM romance series focusing on the people of Bloom, North Carolina. This is teacher / single father Evan Sanders, and botanist Savannah Collins’ story line.

Told from three omniscient third person perspectives (Evan, Savannah, Eleanor) THE FINDERS KEEPERS LIBRARY follows Savannah Collins return to Bloom, North Carolina where she spent summers with her Aunt Eleanor but Savannah is struggling in the wake of a broken engagement, a life-threatening illness, and the discovery that her aunt is battling with her own recovery following a fall. Reconnecting with Evan Sanders whose own life is nothing like Savannah remembers gives Savannah thoughts of something more but damage from a summer storm, and the impending wedding of a childhood friend pushes Savannah, Evan and the small town of Bloom, North Carolina together to make repairs before the big day, including repairs to Aunt Eleanor’s Finders Keepers Library. What ensues is the slow building romance and relationship between Savannah and Evan, and the potential fall-out when Savannah pushes Evan out of her life.

The world building follows several paths, focusing on numerous scenarios: Savannah’s heart break and broken engagement: her ongoing illness, and her search for a job; Aunt Eleanor’s struggle to move forward; and Evan’s battle with, not only his twelve year old daughter but, the grandmother who is threatening our story line hero.

The relationship between Evan and Savannah is a frenemies to friends to boyfriend and girlfriend but Savannah continues to battle a life-threatening illness, and refuses to be a burden to anyone else. Pushing Evan out of her life means another heart break for everyone, including Aunt Eleanor and Evan’s twelve year old daughter. There are no $ex scenes.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including a numbers of small town locals. We are introduced to Aunt Eleanor, Evan’s daughter June; sisters Mallory and Madison, and their grandfather Charlie Blue, and Evan’s friend Hollis.

THE FINDERS KEEPERS LIBRARY is a story of secrets, illness, family and friendships, The premise is sweet and entertaining; the romance is mostly implied; the characters are charming but mostly two-dimensional.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.