Young Lexie and Jeremy, featured in the previous book about bullying at school, are puzzled as to why there isn't food in the house and their mother has to work two jobs. Doesn't their absent father love them? His lawyer, a slightly shady type, has gone missing, which provides their father with an excuse. Lynn meanwhile is steadily more attracted to the neighbouring builder, Mitch, who has given her a part-time paperwork job. But she can't take it any further until the divorce comes through, in case a new relationship could be used against her in court. Mitch has fancied Lynn since school, but is now widowed and facing the issue of what to do when his college-age son announces he's bringing home his fiancée, a chemistry major. As WHERE AZALEAS BLOOM continues a theme, the local women drink their way through many margaritas and plot romance, which I consider to be the weakest part of the book. More positive is the fact that out shopping two thoughtless gossips are embarrassed to be heard by Lynn and promptly hug her and buy lots of clothing to give her commission. Her son also enjoys learning carpentry, with Mitch as a male role model. A sub-plot of an elderly lady, Frances, needing to have assisted living does raise some valid issues for her family but is not related to the central characters so comes across as padding.

Sherryl Woods wrote a fine take on school bullying in Catching Fireflies but this is a slower tale of quiet desperation, the combination of a failed marriage and economic gloom wearing away a mother's confidence. She tries not to bad-mouth her husband to the children, but half the town is doing it for her. The romance potential is flagged from the start but there is no urgency, everyone being more concerned about what the other townsfolk might think. Lexie was a great character in the previous book and I would have liked to see more from her point of view in WHERE AZALEAS BLOOM. If you enjoyed the first two books you won't want to miss this one.

Book Summary