Wildflower: The World of True North

3.5 stars — I had a hard time connecting with this one right from the start…it just didn’t feel like a good match for me personally. Now, it did pick up in the last 1/3, hence the extra half star, but in the end I think it just wasn’t a Lenore book. The main reason it wasn’t working for me in the beginning is that Juliana and Riggs have a bit of an antagonistic relationship, especially at the beginning, and that’s not my bag. I know there’s a big component of romance readers who enjoy that push and pull, the fights and the making up, it’s just not my thing. And that was a pretty big component to the first half of the book. What can I say, I’m a sensitive freaking butterfly, and this kind of thing makes my tummy hurt in a not good way. Now, their relationship did totally pick up, mellow out, and settle in…I just had to hold on. But it took a bit. Both characters were a bit more difficult than I’m used to. Ambitious, determined, bold. I admired Juliana’s passion for brewmaking for sure, but didn’t always connect with her personality in other ways. Riggs had a bigger journey in some ways, trying to figure out what he wanted out of life. And I appreciated the journey, even if I didn’t always see all the steps. So yeah, the other major misstep for me is that I had a hard time connecting with the writing. Maybe it was just me, but I felt confused a lot. I don’t know how to describe it, it was like I couldn’t follow the thought processes and transitions all the time. *shrugs* I don’t know, I seem to be in the minority, so take that with a grain of salt my friends. This one had some pretty fun secondary characters, from the brewery ladies to the families to Juliana’s BFF Mercy. I also appreciated all I learned about both brewing beer and beekeeping in this one — that kind of stuff always adds to a story for me. Ah well, they can’t all be complete matches!

When one of my favorite authors writes in one of my favorite worlds, I know the story is going to be phenomenal. Phenomenal doesn’t even feel like it does justice to Wildflower. Juliana and Riggs made me want both beer (gross) and honey (yum!). These two people who had been through quite a bit, from bad bosses to bad significant others, but those experiences sucked me into them and their story. They felt so real that I wanted to both savor their book and hurry through so I knew how it would end. This trip to Vermont is perfection and I can’t wait to go back.

I have loved Mae's books from the beginning of her writing career and to say she keeps getting better and better is an understatement. With this newest novel, Ms. Wood has charmed me. You tell by the words she writes that the work she puts into each story is amazing. The background and behind-the-scenes knowledge she acquires is truly awe-inspiring. She is able to explain the complex careers of beekeeping and beer brewing and turn that knowledge into something that readers will appreciate. For me, it was a learning experience wrapped into an absolutely lovely romance. I loved Riggs and Juliana, I loved that they had life experience and wisdom, I like that they were of a more vintage age and they were both knowledgeable in their strengths and also willing to see that it's OK to be vulnerable. The smexy times were absolutely breathtaking! And hotter than a pepper sprout! Get your hands on this!