Susana Cortéz-Guerrero loves her life. A sassy, ambitious executive, she is happily focused on her career and enjoys a passionate love life with her college sweetheart, Enrique. Childless by choice, the couple has walked side by side, their plans and dreams in harmony for years. Yet the marriage that is the envy of all their friends begins to show cracks as their desires diverge. Career changes magnify their differences as Susana is promoted to senior vice president at one of Florida's top marketing agency and Enrique considers retirement—and neither of them is sure how to stop or repair the damage. On an anniversary trip to visit their friends in Europe, pressures mount as Susana—compelled by a desire to transcend her family's humble roots—increasingly concedes to her agency's unreasonable demands, even in the face of ugly prejudice. Enrique, newly eager to embrace a life of travel and leisure, seems unable to appreciate or support the demands on her time. And when Susana faces a horrific ethical decision, she has to face a painful truth: The marriage forged over decades may no longer sustain her. With the backdrop of her friend Azalea's new marriage and life in Spain, Susana must wrestle with her competing desires. Can one woman truly have it all? Will this be the end of her marriage or a new chapter in their love story? A Thistle in the Cevennes is book three of the Blooming Series , a quartet of stories featuring friends Azalea, Sara, Susana, and Lauren. Each book explores their unique challenges—always believing in the profound value of friendship and the genuine happiness that comes when they embrace the risk of life and love.