The Audacity of Flower

by T.L. Combs

“You have such the audacity of a flower; you dare to grow wherever you are planted.”

Get swept away to another time and place, where Poppy "Flower" Carter's sheltered life at Murdrum Manor is turned upside down when her childhood friend Georgie's actions threaten to ruin everything.

Forced to leave behind all she knows, Poppy takes on a new role as a maid for Master Lewis Allen Yun, a man with a mysterious past and undeniable charm. As she tries to navigate her new life and her growing feelings for Master Yun, Poppy wonders if she can find true love without compromising her values.

TL Combs, author of the Fantasy Epic, The Bellham Realm Series, delivers a heartwarming and timeless tale set in a Regency-inspired world that will reignite your belief in the power of love.

Genres: Romance

223 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2023

About the author

I spent almost two decades as a classically trained chef, working in multiple restaurants and catering companies. Eventually, I started my own catering company and even worked as a Certified Dietary Manager in a healthcare facility. In 2015, I married the love of my life, M.

Following the birth of our youngest child, L, I made the decision to retire from my career in the culinary industry and become a stay-at-home mother to L and my bonus daughter,
K. We all reside on our little farm in North Carolina where we enjoy raising chickens, cultivating our gardens, and spending time with our beloved Maremma Sheep Dog, Ronan, and tuxedo tabby, Ziggy.

Writing has always been a passion of mine, dating back to my childhood in Pennsylvania, when I would write short stories for my family and friends. That all changed when I began daydreaming about a high fantasy story that morphed into the Bellham Series. With the encouragement of a best friend, H.E.G., I decided to pursue the series and turn my crazy daydream into a reality. I am grateful for the unwavering support of my family and friends. Without them, I could not have achieved this dream

Reviews

[M.J. Pankey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slow-burn regency romance that knows exactly what it's doing and delivers every beat precisely when you want it to.

This is a 4.5 star read for me. I really enjoyed this one. A lovely little short regency romance that I devoured in three days.

Did it follow a formula like most regency romances? Yes. Did I know what was going to happen? Yes. Was there major character growth or complex themes that rattled my core and made me question my place in the world? No. Were there high stakes that had me on the edge of my seat? Not at all.

Does this bother me? Nope. Not in the slightest.

Sometimes, as readers, we need a predictable, mushy, lighter hearted read that we can immerse ourselves in and RELAX while reading. I love high stakes, complex, suspenseful novels, don't get me wrong (I write them myself lol), but when I've had an emotionally exhausting week and need an escape, I NEED a novel like this to dive into and drown in. This scratched my itch. So. Well. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page.

This story follows Poppy, a maid in the house of Mr. Murdrum who is well respected and well loved by everyone in the household, including Georgie, aka Mr. Murdrum. It jumps pretty quick into the conflict that forces her to seek the employment of Mr. Lewis Yun, and right away there is sexual tension between them which results in several more tense encounters.

The writing style was lovely, readable, and direct, giving us enough to imagine the scene but not over complicating descriptions with analogies and metaphorical flowery language that many regency romance books include. I don't need clunky language and whimsical descriptions of settings, we can all imagine a regency setting well enough from watching British TV and reading dozens of other regency romance books. Just give me enough to ground me and then get me to the juicy sexual tension bits, and quickly. TL Combs knows this, and delivered.

Where it loses half a star for me is that there are a few things that we learn later about Mr. Yun's back story that I think could have been foreshadowed a bit more, but nevertheless, I wasn't bothered too much by this.

The length of this story was perfect, Poppy was a delightful character to follow, and there was a lot of mystery surrounding Lewis that I enjoyed quite a lot as well. I happen to know that book two, which follows Poppy's sister Dyna, is currently in the works and I will definitely be picking it up as soon as it drops! The short passages where Dyna appeared had so much spunk that I can't wait to see what an entire book can afford her.

I highly recommend this book to all regency romance lovers who want a satisfying and quick, immersive escape.

[Chelle Cypress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slow burn story set in a regency-esque world follows Poppy, a head strong maid, who falls in love when the son of the estate owner that she had known since childhood. However everything goes awry when her beloved George does not propose marriage but that she should become his mistress. Frustrated by her potential beaus lackluster proposal she opts to begin a life away from the manor she knows and takes up residence as a maid for Master Lewis Yun.

The tension between Lewis and Poppy sparks from the moment they meet and smolders throughout the story. Their attraction reaches a boiling point when secrets that Lewis harbors are unleashed.

Overall this is a very cozy story, with pining and some really fun scenes between Lewis and Poppy. If you like simmering passions and historical romance this novel is for you.
Sweet romance without spice
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kathi Arbogast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the backstory of Master Yun. Unexpected and romantic! In another situation, it’s eyeopening to know someone for much of your life but not really know them nor they you!

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this story. I see it as a regency fantasy; therefore, I wish the author would have done more world-building and fleshed out the beginning of the book. I would rate this 3.5 stars. I hope the author writes more books set in the Eraband world.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

With horror, there's camp. What do we call it when a historical romance novella leans into the tropes in all the best ways? Because that's how Audacity of Flower read to me.

One of the things I loved here was that Combs clearly loves the established genre, but brought more representation to the table. We've got a humble housemaid with integrity and pluck. We've got a hot employer whose vibes are 'touch her and expire, good sir' with a tragic backstory. We've got wild coincidences, denial of attraction, some soap opera-esque drama but with enough substance to keep it grounded... this book was a lot of fun. It's exactly what it promised to be, so if that's your jam, awesome. I had a good time. My first TL Combs book but not my last, given that I already own the first two books in her fantasy series.

Just a note: a few places where the prose changes tense for a paragraph or two, and there was something slightly odd in the ebook formatting. This didn't factor into my rating, but I'm pointing it out on my GR review only, in case it might influence yours.

[Aria N Daze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I blew through this book in two hours. That being said, it was a bit shorter than I preferred, however it was downright adorable. Poppy and Baum have instant chemistry, it mirrors that of her parents, and he's a much better fit for her than Georgie.

[Audrey Finchum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written. I loved the story. Poppy is strong willed, and speaks her mind. If you loved Pride & Prejudice or Downton Abbey, you need to read this book.

[MeLisa Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun, fast read. My husband had won a contest on TikTok for the 3 book series of the Carter sisters, and I am so glad because now I have a new author to read!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! It was a joy to read. I had been looking for a book that was an easy read with chacters that I enjoy reading . I cant wait to read the next book.