In Bloom by Eva Verde BLOG TOUR #InBloom @Evakinder @simonschusterUK @TeamBATC #BookReview

 

Delph has kept herself small and quiet as a form of self-protection, ever since the love of her life Sol’s untimely death left her pregnant and alone at the age of twenty-four. Theirs was such a once-in-a-lifetime love, that the loss of her soulmate broke her heart ‒ and almost broke her, too.

Years on, Delph’s protective bubble bursts when her daughter Roche moves out of the flat Delph shares with her partner Itsy and in with her estranged nan, Moon. Now that it’s just the two of them, the cracks in Delph and Itsy’s relationship begin to grow. Feeling on the outside of the bond between her fierce-yet-flaky tarot-reading mother and volatile martial-arts-champion daughter, Delph begins questioning her own freedom.

Is her life with Itsy all it seems? And has keeping small and safe truly been her choice all these years…?

In Bloom by Eva Verde is published in paperback by Simon and Schuster on 1 August 2024. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour 

I was totally entranced by In Bloom by Eva Verde. It's a novel written with compassion and heart that features three completely different female characters who are bound together by family ties. 

Delph is woman who has struggled with life. Left pregnant at a young age when her partner died, she's spent most of her life dedicated to others. Delph's daughter Roche is feisty and ready to take on anything, for her, life is just beginning and she intends to grasp it with both hands. Moon is Delph's mother and Roche's grandmother; an unconventional woman in many ways. When Roche decides that she's going to move in with Moon, Delph is shocked and feels unwanted. 

The author cleverly moves back and forward through the years, we learn about Moon and Delph's earlier lives, and how their experiences have made them the women that they are today. When Roche delves deeper into her grandmother's past, issues are revealed that change perceptions. 

This is a beautifully written exploration of female family relationships. The characters are solidly created, all unique and all totally believable. The themes of guilt, regret and ultimately forgiveness are so well developed, there's a real beauty to this writing, it totally snares the reader and keeps them invested in the lives of these three women. 

The author does not shy away from some deeply emotional issues, but her ability to handle these with such care is outstanding. 

Different voices, different issues and different times, but all so intricately woven together. A really heartwarming read. Recommended by me 

Eva Verde is a writer from East London. 

Identity, class and female rage are recurring themes throughout her work and her debut novel Lives Like Mine, is published by Simon and Schuster. 

Eva's love song to libraries, I Am Not Your Tituba forms part of Kit De Waal's Common People: An Anthology of Working-Class Writers. 

Her words have featured in Marie Claire, Grazia, Elle and The Big Issue, also penning the new foreword for the international bestselling author Jackie Collins Goddess of Vengeance. 

Eva lives in Essex with her husband, children and dog.  

Twitter @Evakinder Instagram @evakinderwrites