The Daisy Chain Flower Shop, sixth book in the Dream Harbor book series by Laurie Gilmore, was my 23rd read of the year. I’ve really been craving easy reads lately and this book series was the perfect fit for that vibe.
If you want my thoughts on earlier books in the series you can find book 1 – The Pumpkin Spice Cafe here
Book 2 – The Cinnamon Bun book store
Book 3 – The Christmas Tree Farm
Book 4 – The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
Book 5 – The Gingerbread Bakery
Plot summary attempt
Daisy’s flower shop is in trouble, the quirky town of Dream Harbor have decided that Daisy is cursed and now her shop hasn’t booked any weddings, which is her main earner, in months. Thing is… Daisy sort of agrees with them, with one failed marriage behind her and one failed engagement, she’s done with love. Until… her ex walks into her flower shop with his new fiance and Daisy panics, grabbing the hot new architect and pretending he’s her new boyfriend and that she’s moved on too.
Elliot is just coming back to himself after a devastating divorce, so when the stunning flower shop girl grabs him and calls him her boyfriend, it re-activates something in him that he thought had gone forever with his ex. When she is later having trouble in a town council meeting, he surprises himself by standing up and declaring himself her boyfriend, reassuring the town that Daisy and her flowers are not cursed. A fake relationship has the added benefit of reassuring his worried mum and brother that he’s fine and moving on from the divorce finally.
Only problem is… they find each other ridiculously attractive. That attraction has awoken something in both of them which went kind of dormant after their respective heartbreaks, also, they really enjoy each other’s company. But they are both so afraid of being hurt again that they might just let a good thing pass them by.
My thoughts
I liked this book, Daisy is funny and Elliot is a nerdy introvert who also has a great sense of humour. I didn’t feel like they drew out the whole ‘we cant be together’ thing too long. I also liked how the romantic aspect starts to develop very naturally and the conflict becomes more about their inner worlds and traumas, but at no point is that used as a pointless miscommunication that pulls them apart.
The town’s history and the town’s ridiculous superstitions add a fun backdrop, plus we get fun little snippets of the other couples from previous books.
All in all: a fun, cosy, book with just enough plot for me to feel less guilty about choosing another easy read!
Antonia Bernardin 