Flowers in July by Anna Maynard is a wonderful, heart-warming romance. It is a story of family relationships, self-discovery and change.
Mary Roberts is disciplined and very good at her job. She thought she had her life planned, as she had moved to Hobart with her long-term boyfriend Felix to finish her medical degree, leaving her sister and mother back in Sydney. Mary has been heavily involved and supportive with her sister, who is a single mum, as well as her mother, who has alcohol problems.
On discovering Felix has been cheating on her again, she finds the courage to move out.
There are not a lot of affordable rental options available, so Vivian’s “Granny Flat”, which is within walking distance of the hospital, seemed a good option. Mary books it sight unseen. But, it turned out that the wind chimes, prayer flags, dream catchers, in fact, just about everything with the “Granny Flat” was entirely not her thing.
Another problem for Mary is that she and Felix work at the same hospital. To avoid Felix and her disappointing rental accommodation, Mary signs up to help run a wilderness expedition medicine course.
The course is run by Mary’s boss, Abel Sutherland. Her previous working encounters with Abel, whom she thinks is weirder than she is, have been unsettling.
Felix, in an effort to reconnect with Mary, has gate-crashed the course.
Mary discloses to Abel the disasters of her relationship and the reasons for coming on the course. Flippantly, Mary asks Abel if he wants to help her make Felix’s trip hell. Abel’s response was “Yeah. I’ll help you with that, Mary.” Abel devises a fake relationship with Mary to annoy Felix.
In the beautiful Tasmanian wilderness, Mary has to step out of her comfort zone. The course covers rock climbing for high rope rescues, all sorts of outdoor rescue situations, difficult for someone who is not a fan of the outdoors.
Mary and Abel develop a strong friendship as they get to know each other. Abel is not at all what she had expected. What exactly does the future hold for Mary and Abel when they return to their lives in Hobart?
The story is so easy to read and told with so much humour. The characters are easy to relate to.
Mary’s journey of self discovery and allowing for change is emotional. There is so much to like in this story; the relationships keep you engaged and guessing at the outcomes for all the characters.
This book is an excellent read. Five stars.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Flowers in July by Anna Maynard. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
Flowers in July by Anna Maynard ( Echo Publishing) is a thoroughly enjoyable read with very relatable characters and an emotionally powerful yet entertaining plot.
Mary Roberts, in her final year of training as an emergency doctor, is dedicated and focussed, always putting other people’s needs before her own. This is probably why she has stayed in a relationship with fellow doctor, narcissistic Felix for so long. However when she finds another woman’s G-string ( yukkk!! ) in their bed, she has finally had enough.
Mary had moved with Felix from Sydney to Hobart to complete her training so when they break up she feels very isolated. Alone in a new town, with no friends or family close by, Mary is forced to come face to face with her own insecurities. And while at times you will find yourself shaking your head at Mary, you will also find her very relatable.
Then, into the chaos of Mary’s upturned life, comes Abel, the surly emergency retrieval doctor who at first seems quite intimidating but in reality is just what Dr Mary needs. With Abel, Mary is able to step outside her comfort zone and discover things about herself and the way she responds to situations, that she has never realised before.
This book is as much about Mary’s own personal growth and development, as it is a romcom (although the slow burn of Mary and Abel’s relationship is very … engaging). This book will definitely keep you engrossed from the first page to the last – a great read.