Sometimes, uprooting the thorn-filled past is the only way we bloom...High achiever Tessa Lewis has finished graduate school and is set to embark on a "Big-Time Career" and marry Will Westlake, the adoring lawyer from Toronto's most powerful family. But her life wasn't always sunshine and roses, and when an unexpected encounter at a flower market sparks disjointed memories of the mother she lost too soon, Tessa puts her carefully mapped future on hold for one summer to work there, determined to come to terms with the [...] the Blue Iris Flower Market is blooming with chaos now that Sam, the beloved but troubled man holding the place together, has disappeared ahead of their busiest season, leaving the rag-tag crew reeling. As Tessa struggles to find footing among her clashing coworkers, including Sam's spirited not-so-ex lover, his powder keg brother, a boss afraid of his own shadow, and a broody aspiring landscaper determined never to trust any woman again, all are brought face to face with truths they've spent years desperately outrunning while their determination to save the market unearths deeply rooted secrets, meticulously cultivated lies--and just maybe, everything they never knew they wanted.A hope-filled, exquisitely rendered story of the family we choose, love being tried by fire, and the beauty that grows when we finally learn to let go, THE BLUE IRIS is a BookLife Editor's Pick, Kirkus "Get It" Pick, NYC Big Book Awards Distinguished Favorite, and 2025 International Book Award Winner. Perfect for fans of Clare Pooley's THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT, Tracey Lange's WE ARE THE BRENNANS, and hit television shows TED LASSO and THIS IS US.
Sometimes, uprooting the thorn-filled past is the only way we bloom...High achiever Tessa Lewis has finished graduate school and is set to embark on a "Big-Time Career" and marry Will Westlake, the adoring lawyer from Toronto's most powerful family. But her life wasn't always sunshine and roses, and when an unexpected encounter at a flower market sparks disjointed memories of the mother she lost too soon, Tessa puts her carefully mapped future on hold for one summer to work there, determined to come to terms with the [...] the Blue Iris Flower Market is blooming with chaos now that Sam, the beloved but troubled man holding the place together, has disappeared ahead of their busiest season, leaving the rag-tag crew reeling. As Tessa struggles to find footing among her clashing coworkers, including Sam's spirited not-so-ex lover, his powder keg brother, a boss afraid of his own shadow, and a broody aspiring landscaper determined never to trust any woman again, all are brought face to face with truths they've spent years desperately outrunning while their determination to save the market unearths deeply rooted secrets, meticulously cultivated lies--and just maybe, everything they never knew they wanted.A hope-filled, exquisitely rendered story of the family we choose, love being tried by fire, and the beauty that grows when we finally learn to let go, THE BLUE IRIS is a BookLife Editor's Pick, Kirkus "Get It" Pick, NYC Big Book Awards Distinguished Favorite, and 2025 International Book Award Winner. Perfect for fans of Clare Pooley's THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT, Tracey Lange's WE ARE THE BRENNANS, and hit television shows TED LASSO and THIS IS US.
Über den Autor
RACHEL STONE writes stories of hope and redemption set against vibrant Canadian backdrops. Her debut novel THE BLUE IRIS, about broken people coming to terms with the past while reclaiming their futures at a Toronto flower market, is a Booklife Editor's Pick, Kirkus "Get It" Pick, and has earned worldwide critical acclaim and multiple awards including the 2025 International Book Award. Her non-fiction essays have appeared in The New York Times (Modern Love), SheDoesTheCity, Please See Me, Women Writers Women's Books, and others, while her inspiring "story behind the story" has been featured in Publisher's Weekly, the 2Lives Podcast, and more. Rachel is a dynamic speaker, active member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association, and powerful example of what's possible when you make space for what lights you up. Born in Toronto, Canada, she lives near the city with her family and when weather allows you'll find her on Georgian Bay, belting nineties pop rock off-key from her paddleboard.
