The Daisy Chain Flower Shop Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
A few days after the beach date, Daisy and Elliot visit Logan’s grandparents, Henry and Estelle, to learn local history. Elliot studies Henry’s old photos while Daisy grows restless and hungry, though she avoids Estelle’s unappetizing stew. Logan leaves to pick up his wife Jeanie—an act Daisy finds sweet and notes as evidence her “curse” hasn’t harmed them.
As Henry pulls out a chest of family pictures, Daisy spots a black‑and‑white photo of her Great‑Aunt Daisy standing with a group. Her aunt beams at the man beside her, who looks exactly like Elliot. Terrified of two possibilities—that Elliot is a ghost, or that they are related—Daisy pokes him to confirm he’s solid. Elliot is equally stunned. Henry identifies his father and aunt but cannot name Elliot’s lookalike. Daisy asks to borrow the photo to show her mother.
They leave, and Daisy’s emotions boil over into a frantic outburst about possible secret babies and incest. Elliot calmly points out they don’t yet know if he’s related to that man. Trapped by his logic, Daisy blurts out that if they are related she must stop having sexual fantasies about him. Elliot blushes but later admits he has his own fantasies involving her.
On the ride back to the shop, a deafening silence lingers. Daisy breaks it, and they both apologise and confess their real attraction, acknowledging the “arrangement” but admitting their physical feelings are genuine. They decide they need to confirm they are not related before acting on anything. Elliot points out that Daisy’s grandmother said Great‑Aunt Daisy never had children, but Daisy insists on digging deeper. Studying the photo, they note how happy her aunt looks compared to earlier pictures, suggesting a doomed love affair. They agree to investigate family archives, with playful banter building sexual tension. Daisy nearly leans in for a kiss but stops them, reminding Elliot to talk to his mother. They part with a plan and a shared laugh.
Key Events
- Daisy and Elliot spend hours at Henry and Estelle’s farm listening to Dream Harbor history.
- Logan picks up Jeanie from work; Daisy notes the couple seems unaffected by her curse.
- Henry brings out an old chest of photographs.
- Daisy spots a photo of her Great‑Aunt Daisy with a man who is a near‑identical match to Elliot.
- Panic ensues: Daisy fears they might be related (or that Elliot is a ghost).
- Henry cannot identify the man but allows Daisy to borrow the photo.
- In the driveway, Daisy yells about possible incest, then accidentally confesses her sexual fantasies about Elliot.
- Elliot admits he has his own fantasies about her.
- Driving back to the shop, they acknowledge their real mutual attraction.
- They decide to research their family trees before taking any “real” steps.
- Playful flirting about archives and making out closes the chapter.
Character Development
Daisy – This chapter reveals Daisy’s deeper emotional vulnerability. Her initial outburst stems from fear that the curse she jokes about might actually block her from happiness with Elliot. Her confession of sexual fantasies shows she is actively moving on from David, though she remains cautious (“I didn’t want to finally start moving on from David, just to get my heart broken by someone new”). Her willingness to put herself out there, even clumsily, represents significant growth.
Elliot – Elliot remains the calm, rational counterpart to Daisy’s panic. He quickly assesses the photo situation and offers logical alternatives (distant cousin, no children). His admission of his own fantasies, followed by laughter, shows he is shedding some of his reserved, professor‑like demeanor. He becomes a “man on a mission” when he agrees to investigate ancestry, signaling genuine interest in a real relationship.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Historical Echoes & Doomed Love – The photograph of Great‑Aunt Daisy beaming at an Elliot‑lookalike suggests a repeating pattern of love across generations. Daisy’s “hunch” that her aunt had a doomed affair mirrors her own fear that her fake‑to‑real relationship with Elliot might also be cursed or impossible.
Risk vs. Desire – Both characters acknowledge strong physical attraction but hold back because of the incest possibility and their past relationship baggage. This tension between wanting to act and needing certainty drives the chapter’s emotional core.
The “Curse” as Self‑Fulfilling Prophecy – Daisy’s belief in a curse affecting her relationships is explicitly challenged when she notes Logan and Jeanie are fine. The chapter suggests the real obstacle is not supernatural but the characters’ own fears and unresolved histories.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 17 marks a turning point in the fake‑relationship arc. Daisy and Elliot stop pretending their feelings are purely performative and admit real attraction. The ancestry mystery introduces a concrete external conflict that must be resolved before they can move forward, raising the stakes for subsequent chapters. It also deepens the theme of family legacy, linking the present romance to a past that may hold clues for the future.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What immediate fright does Daisy experience when she sees the old photo?
Daisy fears two possibilities: either Elliot is a ghost (which she disproves by touching him), or the man in the photo is an ancestor of Elliot’s, meaning she and Elliot could be long‑lost cousins.
2. How do Daisy and Elliot respond after admitting their mutual attraction?
They agree to postpone any physical or romantic steps until they confirm they are not related. Elliot plans to research his ancestry, while Daisy will ask her mother and grandmother about Great‑Aunt Daisy’s past.
3. What evidence from the chapter suggests Daisy is moving on from her ex‑boyfriend David?
Daisy reflects that finding someone else attractive “felt like a huge breakthrough.” She also consciously decides she does not want to get her heart broken “by someone new” who is “still hung up on his ex,” acknowledging that both she and Elliot carry similar baggage.