Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts~~~DIK Reading Challenge

Love blossoms in the second novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Bride Quartet series. Florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at their Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn’t found Mr. Right. And the last place she’s looking is right under her nose.

But that’s right where Jack Cooke is. He’s so close to the women of Vows that he’s practically family. But the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship.

My Thoughts:

Nora Roberts is my Mac-N-Cheese author, you know what I mean, she is the author that I know I can pick up and fall helplessly and hopelessly in love over and over again with each one of her books. I know I can count on Nora to pick me up and give me my HEA in the most superb fashion. Every book I read is a page turner that will keep me awake at night and have me burning dinner because I have to read just one more page...which turns into just one more chapter. So when I saw Bed of Roses as one of my choices I was ecstatic. The problem with reading Nora is that I am so addicted that I hate waiting for the next book to be released. So I have been putting off reading the Bride Quartet until I have all four books in my little grubbies. I was trying desperately to hold of on reading this one until later in the year, but nothing else on my list of books was really calling to me. So I broke down and read Vision in White, because you just can't read these books out of order!!

The Bride Quartet is about a group of women who have been friends their entire lives. As adults they open their own wedding business, each with their own specialties. Vows consists of four parts, Photography- Mackenzie's area, Flowers- Emma's area, Cakes (desserts)- Laurel, and Planning every minute detail- Parker. In Vision in White we meet all four ladies and get glimpses into their lives and personalities, but ultimately VIW is Mac's story. Bed of Roses is Emma's.

Emma's passion and arm of Vows is flowers. She has the ability to see all the beautiful colors that bloom and is able to create stunning arrangements and bouquets. Out of the four ladies Emma has the most dates and offers for dates. She has her standards and her Spark-o-meter is what guides her through dating. If the date doesn't reach high enough on the Spark-o-meter she finds a way to detour the guy to another lady, all in a way that they guy has no clue that he has been brushed off. Emma's problem lies in her secret infatuation with Jack.

Jack is Del's best friend. Del is Parker's brother, and because of the many years he has also spent with the other three ladies he considers them his sisters as well. Emma's secret is not the only one that has been running around for years, Jack is infatuated with Emma as well. But because of Del's feelings on the ladies, you know the whole brother thing... "You are my best friend and my sisters are completely off limits to you." Jack has been reluctant to act on his desires. The more time that is spent between Emma and Jack the more the sparks are igniting and flying around. One kiss leads to a game of back and forth emails enticing them to make a decision to put their friend's feelings aside and see what they can make of their feelings and desires.

 It was fun to watch these two people realize that they have been in love with each other for years. The banter between the two was sweet, funny, and romantic. I was head over heals with this book. Every emotion that was experienced between Emma and Jack, and yes their mutual friends too, was felt as I read each page. Bed of Roses is definitely a five star read, another out of the park novel by Nora Roberts, that has me craving more. I can't wait to finally sit down with Laurels story, but that I am going to make myself wait for until Parker's story is released in a few months.