Super Bloom

A Novel

By: Megan Tady

Narrated by: Marni Penning

Massage therapist Joan Johnston may work at an iconic Vermont spa, but her life feels anything but serene. She’s deep in debt, burnt out, and still grieving the death of her boyfriend. Enter spa guest Carmen Bronze, a hotheaded bestselling romance author, who offers Joan a chance to pay off her debt by dishing spa secrets for Carmen’s next novel. Sounds easy enough . . . until Joan realizes she wants to write the story herself. This heartfelt, hope-filled debut will have listeners rooting for Joan at every moment—and laughing out loud at her one-of-a-kind wit.

©2023 Megan Tady (P)2023 Zibby Books

Such a sweet story!

I inhaled it. It’s sweet and tender and funny and filled with stories of how to love. It plays with the genre of a romance novel in ways that are unique and incredibly smart. I literally laughed out loud so many times, and cried more than once.

Better Read Than Listened To

It was difficult for me to get past the constantly tearful and congested tone of the narrator. Admittedly, the main character (Joan) is a hot mess so some handwringing is appropriate but honestly I thought the narrator was going to start sobbing.

Since when did it become a trope that the main (always) female character indulges in endless and repetitive iterations of her pain? As a technique it’s risky because this reader lost sympathy for Joan as the whining wore on (narrator issue) and the writer picked at the scab of Joan’s grief yet again. Better to read and then skim some of it.

When life gets ya down...

I loved this audiobook and the emotion that Marni displays in her narration. It's a reminder that we have to keep our eyes open, that we are not as alone as we think we are, and that some friends appear at the right time for just the right time. Cheers to Megan for writing such a great book (and can we please get Chord and Evian's story!) and thank you Marni for a stellar performance - I was there with you the entire time.

Not bad, but not what I was expecting

I originally found this book paperback in the romance section of my local bookstore & wrote down the title to look up later. Based on the back cover & the fact it was in the romance shelf I assumed this was a sapphic romance novel, which is why I bought it. If the blurb had been more clear &/or the store had stocked it in like modern literature or fiction I probably wouldn’t have bought it tbh. It was fine. I felt pretty neutral about the protagonist. But definitely not what I thought I was getting.

More of a pity party instead of a story about rallying with loved ones

Joan throws a pity party in college after a misunderstanding that lasts for her whole adult life. She does not deserve the friends and coworkers in her life