Review - No Flowers Required by Cari Quinn

Title: No Flowers Required
Author: Cari Quinn
Publisher: Entangled
Publication Date: August 22, 2012
Length: 281 Pages
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62266-967-7
Category: Contemporary Romance
Heat Level: Hot/Spicy


Blurb:  

Flower shop owner Alexa Conroy had it all before the recession hit and her customers fled to cheaper shopping grounds. Desperate to make ends meet, she sells her dream home and moves into the rundown apartments above her shop. When she spots six feet of sexy distraction—complete with muscles, piercings, and tattoos—ripping up flooring, Alexa knows the karmic windfall she’s due just landed on her doorstep.

And the attraction’s definitely not one-sided.

Dillon James, reluctant heir to the corporation about to foreclose on Alexa’s shop, is not about to jeopardize their scorching chemistry by admitting he’s not the building’s handyman. But with only weeks until her business goes under and his identity is revealed, Dillon must find a way to convince Alexa cooperation isn’t a dirty word, help her save the shop from his brother’s greed, and persuade her that he’s not the enemy…or risk losing the only woman who’s seen the real him. 

My Review: 

No Flowers Required by Cari Quinn is easily the best contemporary romance books I've read to date this year.  With lovable characters, witty dialogue and good supporting characters, this tale of love among the flowers grabbed me from the first page.  I've read other books by Ms. Quinn but I really feel as if she upped her game while writing this book.  Now I want to own a flower shop and move in to one of the apartments above it so I can find my own Dillon James.

Alexa Conroy is a fun heroine; beautiful, smart and willing to work hard to save her shop, Divine Flowers.  Selling her dream house because she needs the money she'll make off the sale and moving into an apartment upstairs from her shop is a sacrifice she's willing to make, having plumbing issues the first day is something she's not going to tolerate.  Meeting the hunky "maintenance man" she needs to repair her pipes is just what she needs.  Falling in lust with him is just a perk, falling in love with him wasn't a part of her plans, neither was finding out he's the son, brother and heir of her business rival.

Dillon James can't run away from his business responsibilities or family anymore.  With his parents looming retirement set to take place soon, Dillon's forced to get to know the family business.  Being in charge of the family rental properties is something he enjoys, especially after he meets Alexa, one of his new tenants.  Finding out she hates his family business and refuses to even mention their name, puts a wrench in his plans and suddenly Dillon finds himself hiding who he really is.  Falling for Alexa is easy, telling her the truth....not so much.

The chemistry between Alexa and Dillon is evident from their first encounter and their witty banter turns up the heat.  Dillon's refusal to act on his attraction because of his lack of honesty, is commendable and of course turns up the heat.  I liked how Ms. Quinn had them wait to become intimate until they got to know each other a lot better (even if Alexa still didn't really know his family connection).  It made it that much sweeter.

The secondary characters were very likable, from Alexa's brother Jake and his wife Nellie (Noelle), who were the central characters in the first story of this series, No Dress Required, to Dillon's parents and his brother Cory, whose story I hope we get next.  Even Alexa's employees were entertaining and believable.

Will Alexa still be in love with Dillon when he's forced to come clean about who and what he is?  And will Divine Flowers be able to stay afloat?  You'll have to read No Flowers Required to find out.  I loved it and can't wait to see where Ms. Quinn goes next with this series.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars 

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