Blossom: Book One of The Blossom Trilogy

by Christopher Lentz

Overview

1906, San Francisco: On the brink of one of Mother Nature's cruelest and most destructive tricks, lovers unite as the earth rips apart... Combine an epic disaster with a scandalous love triangle, and the romantic result is Blossom. Chinatown fortune-cookie maker Blossom Sun is far from having anything she wants. Atop Nob Hill, socialite Clarissa Donohue is close to having everything she ever desired-that is, until her simple request for fortune cookies triggers unexpected shockwaves. When Clarissa's unconventional fiancé, silver-fortune heir Brock St. Clair, catches a glimpse of Blossom, his life turns upside down. Discovering how every secret has a price, Blossom faces the ultimate crossroads as San Francisco is leveled.No one could have predicted how an earthquake, firestorm and the desires of three strong-willed families would test the strength of Blossom, Clarissa and Brock. When everything falls apart, who'll be together? Who's going to see tomorrow? With love at its epicenter, Blossom's story happens over just five days, offering a heart-wrenching portrait of those who experience both unimaginable endings and new beginnings. It's sure to change what you know about longing, love and loss...because in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary choices.A Cinderella story like no other, Blossom will leave you breathless.Be sure to visit www.christopherlentz.org and www.blossomtrilogy.com.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780996293600
Publisher:	Christopher Lentz
Publication date:	04/13/2015
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Christopher Lentz is a matchmaker, midwife and murderer, that is when he's writing novels. He lives in a creative world of what-ifs and why-nots as he writes stories about second chances and how love changes everything.

He loves living on the edge-of a continent that is. Having enjoyed far too much of Southern California's endless-summer sun and survived the onslaught of office life, he decided it was time for an extreme career makeover at age 50. He'd made his mark as a corporate marketing executive before he began writing novels. He burst onto the historical-romance scene in 2015 with his debut love story, Blossom.

He didn't always love words (in fact, he still has scars from those stand-up-in-front-of-class spelling bees that he was an epic failure at), but did learn to master words out of necessity. He was convinced there was a novel hiding somewhere inside him. With the help of some imaginary friends, he found it. Now his work is touted as Downton Abbey meets Titanic.

His first literary crush was Scarlett O'Hara. Then came Dorothy Gale, Jo March, Lizzie Bennet and Blanche DuBois. And truth be told, an infatuation with Mary Poppins transpired. Yes, Mary Poppins.

He loves-and devours-anything related to Disney like a ravenous kid inhales a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. It was a dream come true when he spent his college years immersed in Disneyland's turn-of-the-century Main Street USA selling everything from sticky lollipops to iconic Mickey Mouse ear hats. That experience resulted in a fascination with all things Victorian/Edwardian, not to mention a hoarder-status collection of antiques.

A teenage transplant from Detroit, he married his high-school sweetheart and raised three remarkable daughters and two adorable Yorkshire terriers.

As an active member of Romance Writers of America, this late bloomer looks forward to writing a bookshelf full of novels about misfits who find ways to fit in. He's currently working on his latest book, swimming for his life in research whirlpools and listening intently to the voices in his head.

He's convinced love changes everything. Always has. Always will.

To learn more, please visit www.christopherlentz.org or www.blossomtrilogy.com.

Editorial Reviews

2015-05-18
Silver-fortune heir Brock St. Clair and Chinese fortune-cookie maker Blossom Sun meet a few days before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in this debut title in a planned historical romance trilogy.Rugged, handsome Brock ventures into Chinatown to fulfill fiancee Clarissa's request to have fortune cookies at a dinner party she's having for fellow Nob Hill socialite girlfriends. The visit proves life-changing. While buying the cookies, Brock spots Blossom, the lavender-eyed baker. They're instantly attracted to each other. Blossom summoned the nerve to talk to Brock as part of a dare from two Chinatown pals, telephone operator Anna Mae and high-class prostitute Monique, to flirt with the first man she sees and not allow her father and grandmother to determine her life by marrying her off to a hulking Chinatown butcher. Brock and Blossom meet several times, and she visits at his ranch on the outskirts of town. The couple is there when the earthquake hits, causing them to rush back to the city to search for survivors, and Blossom receives earth-shattering news. First-time novelist Lentz weaves an effective underlying thread of suspense into what might otherwise be a rather tame from-different-worlds romance by heading up all chapters with a note explaining just how close the historic earthquake and its accompanying "firestorm" are to upending the characters and their plans. Adding spice are some surprisingly nuanced characterizations, with Clarissa not quite the snob cliché that one would expect and artistic aspirant Blossom more of a modern woman than wilting flower. Lentz also sets up some interesting tensions, most particularly intrafamilial competition. Overall, an admirable debut.A promising start to a California-set historical romance series.

Kirkus Reviews