Book 52, 2023

A Root Awakening by Kate Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



At work today I finished reading A Root Awakening by Kate Collins. This is the 16th part of the "Flower Shop" mystery series, although it's the first one I've read. Story is in first person pov of the main character, florist Abigail "Abby" Knight Salvare.

Newlyweds Abby and Marco are in the midst of house-hunting. While visiting a Victorian that's currently undergoing renovations, they witness one of the painters take a tumble from his ladder. The painter's wife hires Marco, a PI, to investigate, but Abby can't help but focus on the family that were living in the house as tenants. Something about their daughter, especially, seems off. While Abby focuses on them, she keeps her end of the investigation from Marco in an effort to prove that her hunches were right. In the meantime, Abby still has a flower shop to run, she needs to hire more help, her mother keeps bringing her hideous artwork to the shop to sell, and there's still the matter of finding a house.

I found this to be a likable story for the most part, but Abby took some foolish risks just so she could one-up her husband. It was stupid of her, and it made me want to smack some sense into her. Characters were done well, and I really liked Rosa, the flamboyant wife of the hapless painter. Abby's mother is a teacher, but she came across as a ditz. Then, there was the solution that dropped out of the sky. ( Major spoiler )

Moving on.

Favorite lines:
♦ All it needed was a squadron of flying monkeys and a pair of red shoes.
♦ "I don't think even a leprechaun could have taken all that green."

And, my favorite, the 'holding my breath' line:
♦ I saw no spiders and let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

I'm really waffling between a three and a four. I liked the story, but Abby's stupidity and that clue from heaven really turned me off. Let's put it to my

( Trope Test )

Six 'yes' answers bumps this score down to a three.