Blooming Rose
Blooming Rose - A romantic suspense novel, and Book 2 in the interconnected stand-alone series Constrained Bouquet.
A fresh start
That’s all I wanted. So I snuck out in the dead of night, trading the last name of my abuser for one of a nobody. It was all going as planned; I found a place to live and a simple job in a tiny, no-name town deep in the forest. Here, my past would never find me, and I finally have the chance to be truly free. Until a chance encounter with my sullen, reclusive neighbor sets me on a path I never expected.
Solitude, interrupted
After my encounter with the Dollmaker forced me into early retirement, I moved out to the middle of nowhere to escape. Escape the stares, the people, the whispers… my life. I was content to live the rest of my days in loneliness and self-loathing. Until she came along. The beautiful, mysterious stranger invaded my quiet town and refused to leave me to my isolation. Now I'm being forced to face my own insecurities for a chance at a new beginning.
Will Rose manage to thaw the ice encasing my heart, or will I be pricked instead by the thorns of her past?
Trigger Warnings / Content Warnings
Graphic Sexual Content
Abusive Ex
Running Away
Mentions of Torture
Fire
Graphic violence
Mentions of physical and verbal abuse/domestic violence (not by MMC)
Trauma and PTSD
Mentions of parental death
Alcohol use
What readers are saying about Blossoming Dahlia
Thank you, Bella, for allowing me to read Blossoming Dahlia.
Now, let me start by saying, Asher reminds me of my ex. I promise not to judge the book by the memories.
Asher is equal parts endearing and hot. Who doesn't love an incredibly smart man with the McDreamy hair and a badge. Excuse me, a doctorate? Sign me right up.
Dahlia is a resilient woman, who's quite literally gone to hell and back and came through to the other side, a little bit bent, a little bit broken, and entirely strong.
Blossoming Dahlia navigates the aftermath of a rescue, where a victim and a saviour connect, attract, and... MUST KEEP AWAY from each other.
Suspense, innocence, nasty nightmares (living and sleeping), the art of allowing someone to find their strength from the ashes of a previous live, everything and more is encompassed in the pages of this book.
Bella delivers her HEA in her typical sense, "we've gone through the worst life could bring us and ended up joining hands---and other more intimate body parts---nothing else life throws at us can make us part."
What was surprising for me (and a pleasant surprise at that) is the arrogant show of story telling from an author that leaves me with weak knees when it comes to smut. She went loud and bold and proved romance can fizzle and burn and sustain without any explicit scenes until at the end, where Asher does indeed prove the brilliant use of his P.H.D.
I'm so excited to see what comes next in the Constrained Bouquet. I really freaking hope it's Hunter, because... dayum. (Ps: He's nothing like my ex.)
Slow burn, but fast paced. Sweet, but suspenseful.
Did I mention the P.H.D.?
- Books&Coffee (Goodreads)
Another great book!
If you love a slow burn with a nerdy FBI (agent) doctor and the bad ass survivor he helps then I highly recommend this
I hurt so much for Dahlia and what she had been through but knowing she had her best friend and Asher to help along the way was awesome
- Tara (Goodreads)
Where do I even begin? Blossoming Dahlia is like an episode straight out of Criminal Minds. Dr Asher Cross is a behavioural analyst contracted to the FBI and Dahlia Porter is the latest kidnap victim of a deranged serial killer.
Asher refuses to let another woman be a victim. He pours his heart and soul into the investigation and doesn’t rest until he finds Dahlia and when he does, she’s not in a good way. But his restlessness doesn’t stop when he finds her. He spends every waking minute at the hospital to make sure she’s safe. Over time, the chemistry builds, but he refuses to give in because that’s crossing the line.
Even after everything she’s been through at the hands of a monster, she can’t bear Asher to leave her when it’s time for her to go home. He is someone safe, her rescuer.
From the first page to the last, I was hooked, needing to know what happened next and if the killer was brought to justice. This book gave me goosebumps, I was reading between my fingers, waiting for the next thing to happen.
Asher is sweet, kind and protective and Dahlia is strong and refuses to let what she’s been through control her. Together they are a match made up in a very twisted, messed-up situation. I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for the rest of the series if this is just the beginning.
Bella, I am in awe of your mind and the way you weave your words into a masterpiece every damn time.
- Jayme (Instagram)