Book Review: Love's First Bloom

Love's First Bloom, by Delia Parr is a wonderful and engaging book about Ruth Livingston, the daughter of a preacher known for his penchant for helping prostitutes to start new lives. Ruth's life is changed when her father asks her to take the daughter of a now-dead prostitute and raise her as her own. The catch is that in order to be a part of her father's intricate relocation program, she has to pose as a former prostitute trying to start a new life. Her father matches her up with a wonderful family who calls her the Widow Malloy and pledges to keep her secret about her past as a prostitute. Little do they know she knows nothing of that life!

When Ruth's father is accused of a terrible crime, Ruth has to feign ignorance of her close familial relationship in order to maintain her guise. As she seeks comfort by tending a garden, she meets a man names Jake Spencer who fails to mention that he is a reporter on the hunt for Livingston's mysteriously-missing daughter. As Ruth begins to fall for Spencer and Spencer for Ruth, secrets abound.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Intrigue, romance, redemption, what more can you want? I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. In fact, I may go read it again!

Note for Full Disclosure: While I do not receive any monetary compensation for my book reviews, I am provided with free complimentary copies of each book. That being said, this review is completely my own, and free from the influence of Bethany House Book Publishers.