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The Lullaby of Pressed Petals
New Orleans, 1884 - Lillian earns her living among roses and violets, binding bouquets in the Quarter with the same care her mother once taught her. To her, every blossom daisies for hope, violets for faithfulness, roses for love.
When Julien Mercier, a steady young merchant, steps into her world, she dares to believe those meanings might shape her life as well. But dreams are fragile things. Whispers travel faster than truth, choices press like thorns, and Lillian soon learns how easily petals can bruise.
In the silence that follows, only faith holds her upright - and faith is the one bloom she fears she cannot keep alive. Still, the memory of Julien’s kindness lingers like the scent of violets, leaving her to can love, once lost, ever truly fade? Or can God’s hand restore what seemed beyond repair?
The Lullaby of Pressed Petals is a tender gothic romance of ruin and renewal, where regret meets grace and broken hearts are given the chance to bloom again.
When Julien Mercier, a steady young merchant, steps into her world, she dares to believe those meanings might shape her life as well. But dreams are fragile things. Whispers travel faster than truth, choices press like thorns, and Lillian soon learns how easily petals can bruise.
In the silence that follows, only faith holds her upright - and faith is the one bloom she fears she cannot keep alive. Still, the memory of Julien’s kindness lingers like the scent of violets, leaving her to can love, once lost, ever truly fade? Or can God’s hand restore what seemed beyond repair?
The Lullaby of Pressed Petals is a tender gothic romance of ruin and renewal, where regret meets grace and broken hearts are given the chance to bloom again.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 9, 2025
ARC Reader! 🩷 (even if it is a tad late)
“Hope,” I whispered. “It means hope.”
First, I would like to thank Ansley for giving me this opportunity to read her novel before it was published!
This story wove through grief, love, hope, forgiveness, reflection, and so much more, and the way Ansley writes is incredible.
The storytelling and level of detail was impeccable, and felt like I was on the sun-beaten cobblestone streets right alongside Lillian. This novel narrated her beautiful, complicated life, showing her growth through dark and troubled times, testing her faith, beliefs, and having her whole world turned upside down.
“Hope,” I whispered. “It means hope.”
First, I would like to thank Ansley for giving me this opportunity to read her novel before it was published!
This story wove through grief, love, hope, forgiveness, reflection, and so much more, and the way Ansley writes is incredible.
The storytelling and level of detail was impeccable, and felt like I was on the sun-beaten cobblestone streets right alongside Lillian. This novel narrated her beautiful, complicated life, showing her growth through dark and troubled times, testing her faith, beliefs, and having her whole world turned upside down.
October 14, 2025
✨ ARC READ ✨
“Days passed, and I kept catching myself scanning the crowd without meaning to, searching the bobbing parasols, the rolling wagons, the blur of faces for one that had already set itself apart.”
To begin, I am not a woman of faith, and quite frankly, have never read a book so saturated with it, but I found myself swept away in this story, unable to put it down.
Lillian’s story is full of naivety, heartbreak, grief and growth. All of it is so beautifully written and immersive, it had my heart clench with sympathy for her on more than one occasion.
The writing within this book sets the world entirely and really allowed me to sit behind the eyes of Lillian and experience a portion of her life through her stem stained finger tips.
Grief and heart break itself was portrayed in a way I found to be accurate to the soul, and the growth within the main character was not linear, in which healing never really is, but is often portrayed that way regardless.
I am so thankful that Ansley allowed me the chance to read this. It was beautiful and the ending gave me a sense of peace that truly let me know I read a good book.
“Days passed, and I kept catching myself scanning the crowd without meaning to, searching the bobbing parasols, the rolling wagons, the blur of faces for one that had already set itself apart.”
To begin, I am not a woman of faith, and quite frankly, have never read a book so saturated with it, but I found myself swept away in this story, unable to put it down.
Lillian’s story is full of naivety, heartbreak, grief and growth. All of it is so beautifully written and immersive, it had my heart clench with sympathy for her on more than one occasion.
The writing within this book sets the world entirely and really allowed me to sit behind the eyes of Lillian and experience a portion of her life through her stem stained finger tips.
Grief and heart break itself was portrayed in a way I found to be accurate to the soul, and the growth within the main character was not linear, in which healing never really is, but is often portrayed that way regardless.
I am so thankful that Ansley allowed me the chance to read this. It was beautiful and the ending gave me a sense of peace that truly let me know I read a good book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews