Reading with a Side of Life

• Overall: ⭐⭐⭐
• Characters: 👍👍👍
• Spicy: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
• Writing: 🖊️🖊️🖊️
• Narration: N/A

A second-chance romance that smells like roses and burns like regret but then you get to see the roses rise from the ashes. It gives I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette Mccurdy meets Gilmore Girls.

If you do not want to read this breakdown in fear of spoilers, please feel free to go to the life page and see the short TikTok review.

Please click here to buy this book because your a LGBTQIA+ baddie goddess and wants to know which flower describes you for yourself.

WTF Just Happened: Book Breakdown

Former teen star Anderson “Andy” Ducharme has been living her best flower-filled, drama-free life in a sleepy New England town ever since she ghosted Hollywood six years ago. Yes. She decided to leave. It just was not feeding her soul anymore, her manager was a complete douche, and you know what? Who wants to be picked apart on TMZ? I seriously did not blame her.

But just when she’s finally mastered the art of hiding in plain sight (and arranging the perfect peony bouquet according to the meaning of the flower), her ex-best-friend-slash-ex-co-star-slash-ex-everything, Nicole “Nikki” Price, reappears.

Why? Oh, just to announce she’s writing a juicy tell-all memoir about their years on TV… and maybe to find out why Andy vanished without a word. Tensions bloom, sparks fly, and before long they’re knee-deep in unresolved feelings, old wounds, and… yeah, maybe deep into each other’s pants-you know, for old time sake.

Would I force my friends to read this book?

I’d say: “Listen. It’s messy, it’s got floral metaphors, and just enough angst to make your heart twinge.” I LOVED ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died.‘ It was so honest and brilliantly heartbreaking. This book, of course, is fictional where Jenette’s was based on her life. This book gave the background of what it looks and feels like working in Hollywood as a teen actor. You have adults that take advantage of you and some that are actual decent humans and help you achieve your dreams. Anderson…unfortunately was thrown out to the wolves and asked why she was crying. This book gives what happens when you have pressure from the outside world looking into a relationship that you weren’t quite ready to be public yet and you stop communicating with that one person that is supposed to shelter you from the PR storm that hits and rocks your world.

Tropes, Tea, and Twists

• Second-chance romance– They dated while filming the show but…shit went down and so did the fire they had for each other.
• Former childhood stars reconnecting
• Small-town hiding-out-from-life energy
• Forced proximity (hello florist shop drop-ins)-Stalker much? JK-We have all done that thing where we go to a specific place, at a specific time, in hopes to see the person that we are trying to impress. I just feel bad for Nikki’s wallet. Actually-nah, I don’t.
• Friends with benefits (that get messy real fast)
• Celebrity gossip meets emotional healing
• Queer love story with history, heat, and heart

Author Vibes: Was the writing GIVINGGGG?

Jennifer Dugan’s writing? I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book before it is comes out in March 2026. So this was my first book of hers that I read. So…think introspective but a little frustrating, with just enough snark and swoon to keep you turning the page. I am not going to lie-there was a few times that I laughed out loud. Jennifer does a very good job at making the trauma of a previous career seem light enough to where you feel for the characters but also if you do not know that world-then you still understand the industry. There’s a softness to her prose that works beautifully with the vulnerability of the characters, and she nails the inner monologue of someone who’s still learning how to let people in. I did find Andy annoying at times where she was so stubborn at just not saying what she feels but I mean, I think we all can have that issue at times. I found a great vulnerability in Nikki’s character where I felt her grief and her loss while being offered so many other compliments and successes without having that one person that she should share it with the most but lost all because the pressure gets to her.

Books Fictional Coordinates

Expectations, Stereotypes, & Other Fun Lies

• The Child Star Trainwreck: Andy’s character plays directly into this stereotype at first glance: she walked away from fame, went off the grid, and is painted by the public (and maybe even herself) as the troubled one.
• The Tell-All Villain: When Nikki announces on TikTok she’s writing a memoir, your brain might scream “publicity stunt!” or “revenge narrative!”. However, Nikki isn’t trying to destroy Andy but Andy think’s that she is, but really she’s trying to reclaim her own voice in an industry that used her up. Her motivations are layered: fame-hungry? Maybe. Hurt and seeking connection? Absolutely.
• Small Town = Simple Life: I immediately got Hallmark vibes from this book. But Anderson in Bloom keeps it more grounded. Andy’s life isn’t instantly “fixed” by flowers and a sea breeze. The trauma follows her. The town may be quiet, but her emotions are loud. But she did find two new besties that really help the healing process. We all need someone in our flower vase refilling the water.
• Queer Romance = Coming Out Story: While Andy’s and Nikki’s sexualities are central to the story, this isn’t a “coming out” arc. It’s about reconnecting, redefining identity, and learning to love again after heartbreak — not learning to accept who you love.
• Friends With Benefits Fix Everything: Ah, yes — the old “just physical” excuse. Just doing it “one more time for old time sake” scenario isn’t as good as you think it is going to be. Andy and Nikki try this route, pretending that rekindling a physical connection will be harmless. Spoiler: it’s not.

This might be ‘a lot’ for some…

• You don’t enjoy emotional slow burns due to character’s being messy AF
• You want clean character arcs (Andy and Nikki are both hot messes for a while)
• Celebrity drama and flashbacks to teen TV shows aren’t your jam
• You get annoyed by exes re-entering the chat uninvited instead of just blocking their ass

The Plot’s Favorite Children

• Andy (Anderson Ducharme)– Once America’s sweetheart, now a quiet florist trying to keep her head down and her feelings boxed up like yesterday’s blooms. She’s emotionally distant but deeply real — full of guilt, regret, and a need for forgiveness (from herself and others). She is burned by her manager and most of Hollywood with their flat out disrespectful tone. She is messy. Yes-for goodness sake she pretty much left in the middle of the night, middle finger in the air, and said Peace to the world. She get’s the love of flowers and their meaning from her parents (which seem super supportive btw). So, when she says enough is enough, of course she would like to stop and smell the roses.
• Nikki (Nicole Price)- The wild card. Part seductive, part sincere, all kinds of complicated. Nikki has built her brand on being bold, but deep down, she’s desperate to be understood — especially by the one person who once knew her best. She feels the pressure to be a great actress deep down in her bones and then feels the guilt along with it because she is doing better than Andy was. Then there is the pressure to look pretty, to go to the parties, to be a good girlfriend…it all got too much. But I can tell she really does love Andy.
• Gouda– This cranky old cat was found by a dumpster but knows that they are the mother fucker that rules the roost. Does not care who they wake up to be fed and will cause pure chaos if by some chance you try to pet them without their permission…you peasant. Oh yeah, Gouda absolutely hate Nikki…you know what they say about pet’s having certain vibes about people.

Backup Dancers of the Plot

• Regan — Regan isn’t just the owner of the flower shop — she’s the reason Andy’s life didn’t completely wither after leaving Hollywood. She was the one who found Andy in the emotional rubble Nikki left behind and helped her put down new roots. Before Andy was ready to step out of her literal cabin-in-the-woods hideaway, Regan already knew exactly who she was — former child star and all. But instead of outing her or prying, Regan offered what Andy needed most: a job in the shop, the apartment above it, and a safe place to just be. The two bonded instantly over the language and meaning of flowers, creating a friendship built on trust and loyalty. Regan is the ultimate ride-or-die — the kind of friend who will guard your secrets, keep you grounded, and still manage to hype you up when you need it. She’s also the type who sometimes puts herself on the back burner when she doesn’t have to — because she can shine, have her own love story, and still have your back. If there’s one thing Anderson in Bloom proves, it’s that everyone needs a Regan in their life.
• Johnny– Regan’s other ride-or-die bestie and the small coastal town’s go-to mechanic. Need your car fixed? He’s got you. Need a third for your Halloween group costume? He’s already picking out his outfit. Johnny brings the humor, the muscle, and the “cheap beer and pizza at midnight” energy every friend group needs. When Andy first rolled into town — heartbroken, guarded, and trying the classic “get over someone by getting under someone else” strategy — Johnny was that “someone else.” Spoiler: it didn’t work. But instead of making things awkward, he slid right into the friend zone… well, with Andy. With Regan? Let’s just say he’s been trying to escape that friend zone since forever. Johnny’s protective streak runs deep. He was with Regan the day they scooped up the emotional petals of Andy’s mental health and helped her rebuild her life. So when Nikki waltzes back into town? Johnny’s ready to go full bouncer mode — almost too much. But despite his occasional overprotectiveness, we love him. He’s the beating heart of the friend group, the unofficial bodyguard, and the star of a delightful side story with Regan that adds a dash of extra romance to the mix.