No Flowers Required by Cari Quinn (Love Required #2)
Contemporary Romance
Released: August 23, 2012
Entangled

Reviewed by Helyce

Alexa Conroy inherited the upscale flower shop, Divine Flowers, from the previous owner, Roz, when she lost her battle with cancer. She was determined to make Roz proud, but when Value Hardware started adding things like flowers and plants to their inventory at budget friendly prices, her business tanked. Forced to sell her dream home to help with expenses, she’s moved into the run down apartments above her store. But she’s not ready to give up. Creating a website and changing things up a bit in the store are first and foremost on her list of thing to do. That is, until she comes home and sees the hot and hunky handyman working on the apartment next door.

Dillon James is working on the apartment next to Alexa’s, but he’s not the handyman. He actually owns the building and is part owner of Value Hardware. When Alexa approaches him thinking he’s the building’s handyman and asks him to take a look at her sink, he doesn’t feel the need to correct her on her assumption of who he is. When Alexa makes a negative crack about Value Hardware, he decides it might be best to keep who he is to himself.

But it’s not long before these two are spending quality time together and as they get closer, Dillon knows he has to come clean or lose this woman who seems perfect for him.

For me, this story started off with a negative. When Alex and Dillon meet for the first time, it’s clear that there are sparks, but right off the bat Dillon lies about who he is when Alexa comments on her negative feelings about Value Hardware. This set the tone for the story and unfortunately, this theme is a bit over done in my opinion. You just kind of knew how it would turn out and what the big conflict would be at the end. I found it much too predictable.

Having said that, I really do have to add that what saved the story for me were the characters. Alexa has had it tough. The woman who owned the store that she inherited was like a second mom to her. She was determined to succeed in spite of the fact that her nemesis, Value Hardware, was slowly killing her business with their inexpensive flowers and plants. The last straw for her was having to sell her beautiful dream house and move into a studio apartment over her store. Dillon was super sexy with his bad boy persona complete with tattoos and an eyebrow piercing. Thing was, though, he wasn’t a bad ass at all. He may be the heir to the Value Hardware empire, but you’d never know it. He wasn’t a suit and tie guy, he was out there, actually working on the buildings that his family owned, and also volunteering to build or remodel homes for veterans and those who could not do for themselves. Super sexy and super likeable.

Which brings us to the secondary characters that totally pulled their weight in here. Alexa’s best friend Noelle and her husband Jake provide some humorous moments and some much needed support to Alexa as she works through her relationship with Dillon as well as her business woes. Then there is Cory who is Dillon’s brother. He’s the uptight suit wearing guy, running the business. But there was something about him that called to me. I cannot wait for his book. It’s going to be hot!

So, while the main theme of this story with the lie and the predictable conflict left little to the imagination, it is a quick read at only about 160 pages. Ms. Quinn’s colorful and fast paced writing really did bring out an interesting cast of characters who I would enjoy reading more about.

Rating: C+

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