A Book Review of When Forty Blooms
I received this advanced copy from NetGalley, Jacinta Howard, and Dreamscape Media for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley, Honey Blossom Press, and Dreamscape Media, for this advance copy of When Forty Blooms in exchange for my honest review.
Tropes: Second Chance
Representation:
Black male main character, Black female main character, and Black side characters.
Trigger Warning: death of family parent, self-harm in the past, self-harm in the present, sex scenes, fights in the past, mention of domestic violence.
Brief
introduction
Simone’s birthday is coming up. Her fortieth birthday, to be
exact, but her focus is on her work and her son. She is a single mother and is
divorced. Co-parenting with her ex, Jackson, is also a full-time job. She and Jackson get
along well, even though they are not together. Despite that, they have a deep
love for one another.
Readers will understand her love for him. His feelings are
also the same. Simone does not want to have a forty-birthday blowout. She
doesn’t want to cause a fuss. To do something cliche where everyone has to
focus on her. It’s because of her birthday. It is a complicated time. But
people convince her that she needs a break.
Her tiredness is the reason she does it. Her job is
stressful, especially with one client. To keep him, she must now aid his
career. His behavior is abusive, and Simone has a gut feeling to drop this
client. Simone then has a change of heart and thinks about giving him a second
chance. However, before that, Jackson persuaded her to take a girls’ trip. She
enjoys her trip to Jamaica because she focuses on herself. But her ex, Jackson,
showed up. This complicates matters because both still love each other.
Personal
insights
Despite their love for one another, they have deep issues. Simone’s
not opening up, and Jackson’s inability to trust her causes them to pull apart.
This is a crucial part of their story. They relate to each other based on their
expectations of marriage. This stems from their childhood. Simone’s parents had
a chaotic and borderline abusive relationship. This is why Simone can love
Jackson with such passion, and the next moment is cold towards him. Jackson’s
was the complete opposite; it came from a more loving home. These differences
in how they were raised push them together and then pull them apart.
I can tell that Simone loves Jackson, but sometimes she
doesn’t express it. At times, the character frustrated me. But reading her
background, I understand why she shuts down. She expects things to end terribly
when it comes to marriage. Marriage to her is trauma that she does not want to
pass on to her son Caleb. Jackson also feels like she is rejecting her. He also
feels like he needs to save her and to protect others.
Despite their trauma, both show affection for one another. That is the part I love most about this book. The
way they hug each other and smile at each other. I can also tell by how they
make love to each other. It is passionate, and they know how to please one
another. They support each other in good times and bad times. For example, when
their son Caleb’s friends need help, they support the young lady. Jackson and Simone
take time to get to know her and help her to open up. Jackson and Simone are each other’s foundation
and have loved each other since they met.
Conclusion
When Forty Blooms is a second-chance romance that is filled with dramatic moments. I love how each character was realistic and relatable. The main characters and side characters have serious personal battles. It may be too much for some. Especially those who deal with (content warning) self-harm. That is why I gave it four stars.
