Must Love Flowers

A Novel

By: Debbie Macomber

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two women at different stages of life find themselves on a journey of renewal after undergoing hardships in this uplifting novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

“Wise, warm, witty, and charmingly full of hope, this story celebrates the surprising and unexpected ways that family, friendship, and love can lift us up.”—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Four Winds

Joan Sample is not living the life she expected. Now a widow and an empty-nester, she has become by her own admission something of a recluse. But after another birthday spent alone, she is finally inclined to listen to her sister, who has been begging Joan to reengage with the world. With Emmie’s support, Joan gathers the courage to take some long-awaited steps: hiring someone to tame her overgrown garden, joining a grief support group, and even renting out a room to a local college student. Before long Joan is starting to feel a little like herself again.

Across town, Maggie Herbert works mornings as a barista, tending to impatient customers before rushing to afternoon nursing classes. She lives with her alcoholic father, ducking his temperamental outbursts and struggling to pay the household bills. But her circumstances brighten when she finds a room for rent in Joan’s home. In the unexpected warmth of her new situation, Maggie finds a glimmer of hope for a better life. But will Maggie’s budding attraction to one of her favorite customers ruin the harmony she’s only recently found with Joan? Meanwhile, what is Joan to make of the mysterious landscaper who’s been revitalizing her garden—a man who seems to harbor a past loss of his own?

As Maggie and Joan confront difficult life choices, they draw strength from this new friendship in surprising ways—discovering in the process that “found family” is often the very best kind.

©2023 Debbie Macomber (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Nobody does heart-happy books better than Debbie Macomber. Readers will adore these characters and cheer for them.” (Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers)

“Uplifting, warm, and hopeful . . . With her signature charm and wit, Debbie Macomber proves that the best relationships, like the perfect blooms, are always worth the wait. This can’t-miss novel is Macomber at the height of her storytelling prowess. I absolutely adored it!” (Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds)

“Both of-the-moment and timeless, this is truly a story to embrace—and then to share.” (Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of Sugar and Salt)