From Publishers Weekly
Roses, lilacs, irises, mimosa glamorous flora matches New York society fauna in this vampy romantic drama by bestseller Gould (Sins; Love-Makers; etc.). After years of hard work, Carolina Mountcastle has finally made her flower shop the first choice of New York's most demanding hostesses. Factor in her storybook marriage to successful businessman Lyon, her 16-year-old son Richie and her great friends, and Carolina would appear to have it all. But when her husband suffers a fatal heart attack while traveling abroad for business and a mysterious woman and her daughter appear at the reading of his will, Carolina's world begins to unravel. To make matters worse, socialite Payton Fitzsimmons is opening her own floral and decorating business and will do anything to sabotage Carolina's outfit. Seducing one of Carolina's employees, Payton manages to damage her stock, spread the word that Carolina is unreliable and foil an important delivery. Dealt blow after blow, Carolina turns to customer and friend Seth Foster for support. With Seth's encouragement and powerful connections, Carolina's business begins to thrive again. But Carolina still can't forget Lyon's betrayal. When Richie runs away to make sense of his father's secrets, Carolina is forced to reevaluate her marriage and to open her heart and mind to Seth, who has been by her side through thick and thin. Gould's page-turning plot and deliciously evil villains distract artfully from some tone-deaf dialogue ("Come on, Richie!... We're getting out of this... this... hell!"), and the flower descriptions are a delight. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
How could Caroline ever have trusted her husband? When he drops dead of a heart attack, she discovers that he had a mistress and a child in Amsterdam. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Carolina Mountcastle has the perfect life: a husband who loves her even though he travels frequently to Amsterdam, a great son, and a growing party-decorating business. Carolina's work is attracting the attention of New York's elite thanks to loyal customer Seth Foster, but along with success comes the envy of society member Payton Fitzsimmons, who wants to open her own decorator shop. Just when the spoiled heiress enacts a plan to sabotage her competitor's efforts, fate brings Carolina even more grief. After her husband suffers a fatal heart attack in Amsterdam, Carolina learns not only that he had an affair but also that he had a three-year-old daughter. The betrayal is a devastating blow, even though Carolina can now see the cracks that had developed in her marriage, and her perseverance is tested time and again as coworkers and friends desert her. Seth is the one constant. He's always been attracted to Carolina and she to him, but is she willing to trust again? A fun, glitzy summer read filled with titillating sex and tidbits about upper-crust Manhattan, the trademarks that delight Gould's many avid fans. Patty Engelmann
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