Summer on Blossom Street

Have you ever really wanted to give up something but just not been able to manage it? Lydia Goetz does, so she starts a “Knit to Quit” class in Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.

Lydia, the owner of A Good Yarn, and her husband, Brad, have decided they are ready to adopt a baby. Lydia cannot have children herself, but the couple wants a little sibling for Brad’s 9-year-old son Cody. They are unsure when their social worker asks them to take in a problematic 12-year-old girl for emergency foster care. But it’s only for two nights.

Lydia has started a new cable sampler scarf knitting class for people who want to give up something or someone. She calls it “Knit to Quit”. The three people who signed up couldn’t be more different. But the group soon find that they are grateful for each other’s support and create a friendship group.

Alix, a friend of Lydia, joins the class in a bid to quit smoking (once again). Alix and her husband Jordan (a youth pastor) want to start a family. However, they don’t want to start trying until Alix kicks the habit.

Phoebe has just broken up with her fiancé Clark as she caught him cheating – for the second time. Clark doesn’t think he has been unfaithful, as both times were with a prostitute! But, even though Phoebe has decided to leave him, Phoebe still loves Clark.

Due to his father’s premature death, Hutch has taken over his family business. Hutch is overworked and stressed – and his health is starting to suffer. His doctor prescribes exercise, a healthy diet and… knitting. Knitting, his doctor says, will reduce his blood pressure and act as therapy for an injured thumb. Hutch is desperate and is willing to try anything. Anyway, he reasons that knitting can’t be too hard, right?

Lydia’s friend Anne Marie owns a bookshop on Blossom Street. She and her adopted daughter Ellen are just back from a trip to Paris (as part of their list of twenty wishes). Anne Marie and Ellen have finally settled into a happy home routine. However, things are about to change when a handsome stranger walks into the shop and asks to talk to Anne Marie.

Sometimes, all you need from a book is a comfortable setting and a friendship group you can get to know well. The Blossom Street novels fit that bill nicely. The stories are light-hearted and optimistic. The formula goes like this: a group of strangers come together and find friendship and comfort through knitting.

Much of the story takes place away from the yarn shop and the knitting class. In that respect, it has less to do with Lydia and the knitting shop than some of the previous books in the series. Nevertheless, friendships develop between the members of the group. This is not really a romance novel; the love in this story comes in other ways.

Officially, this is book 6 in the Blossom Street series. However, Christmas Letters is listed as book 3.5, so I think it is book 7. This novel will stand pretty well on its own if you haven’t read the rest of the series, though I think it is more interesting if you know the characters’ back story.

This isn’t the best book in the series, in my view. I found that the storylines were a bit contrived, and there was a lot of discussion with insufficient drama for me. However, I loved how things came together at the end of the book. Not everything was resolved (as that leaves it open for the next book in the series). Suffice it to say that there is a rewarding ending. I like that the book has a knitting pattern for the cable sampler scarf by Bev Galeskas. The Cable Sampler Scarf pattern is also available on Ravelry.

The main reason to read a Blossom Street book is because of the characters. I like the mix of people from previous books with the introduction of new ones. Their feelings, setbacks and successes are nicely portrayed. Lydia’s character, for example, developed from the first book when she opened the yarn store as a risky business gamble. Now, she has a family and a stable group of knitting (and other) friends that she can rely on.

This story is a tale to lift your spirits. It makes you feel good getting to know a group of knitters and see their friendships develop. Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber is a relaxing read for a summer’s afternoon. It is perfect if you like stories about relationships and family life.

I will review the next book in the series soon and can’t wait to discover which characters will return. I read this book on Kindle. You can find more about the Blossom Street series by Debbie Macomber at www.debbiemacomber.com.