Lavender in Bloom
Lily Velez
Publication date: July 25th 2016
Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult
It’s the year 1802 in Avignon, France…Noah Capet has spent most of his young life living simple and unvaried days in the hushed countryside of southern France. Quiet, reserved, and diffident, his preference for existing is to do so in solitude, keeping to himself both in town and on his family’s farm—a predilection that’s altogether disrupted when a newcomer to town by the name of Jeremie Perreault begins an unremitting quest to befriend him.
Jeremie is everything Noah is not. Charismatic and gregarious, he leaves a trail of charmed admirers in his wake wherever he goes. Expressive and idealistic, he talks without end about his deep love for old books and his spirited dream to one day travel the world on a literary pilgrimage.
Over the course of a single summer, the two form an unlikely friendship, but just as quickly as it develops, it soon entirely dissolves as they’re forced to face the truth of what has unexpectedly emerged between them.
Lavender in Bloom is a tender and tragic coming-of-age story about first love and self-discovery, and a poignant reminder that time is fleeting and always takes with it the choices we’re too afraid to make.
EXCERPT
The music formally began and, with it, the dance. Noah’s body was stiff as he bowed along with the other men, the women curtsying.
Already, Noah was sweating. It was as if the entire room had caught fire, and he couldn’t understand how no one else felt the blaze of the flames. Focus on Margaux, he told himself. He reached for the satin fingers of her elbow-length glove when they closed the space between them.
“You’re doing just fine,” she whispered quickly before they parted, assuming his distress stemmed from self-consciousness.
If Margaux believed he could survive this unpleasant social ritual, then he would. Or so he told himself. Except that the part of the dance he’d most dreaded had now come upon him. Each couple was to presently join hands with their immediate neighbors, the four of them then walking in a circle counterclockwise.
The girls easily clasped hands as was expected of them. Then Jeremie extended a hand to Noah, and Noah had to stop himself from drawing back. He didn’t move.
“Noah!” Camilla hissed. He was embarrassing her. The other couples were already turning in their circles while his own quartet remained stationary because of his faltering.
Realizing his hesitancy would only draw attention, he surrendered his hand.
The contact lasted but a few breaths, for no more than a string of heartbeats easily counted. But for Noah, it was an eternity. It was a moment on his hill back at the farm, where time stretched impossibly, dropping a person into a pocket full of forevers. It was yesterday, today, and a multitude of tomorrows, and most of all, it was Jeremie. His skin ever so warm, so soft. It was his poetry and books, his curiosity and joy, the kindness in his eyes and the way Noah’s name sounded when it left his lips. It was all these things, and all these things kindled a spark in Noah.
Author BioLily Velez has been writing stories since she was six years old. Not much has changed since then. She still prefers the written word and her overactive imagination over the 'real world' (though to be fair, her stories no longer feature talking dinosaurs). A graduate of Rollins College and a Florida native, when she's not reading or writing, she spends most of her days wrangling up her pit bulls Noah and Luna, planning exciting travel adventures, and nursing her addiction to cheese. All this when she isn't participating in the extreme sport known as napping. You can learn more about Lily and her books at www.lilyvelezbooks.com.
Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeletewelcome! <3
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