Book Review: Elly in Bloom by Colleen Oakes

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from the author,via BoksSpark PR, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.




Synopsis:


What would you do if you had to help plan your ex-husband’s wedding? 


In Colleen Oakes' first women's fiction novel, Elly in Bloom, Elly Jordan is about to find out...

Surrounded by lush flowers and neurotic brides, chubby 32-year old Elly Jordan has carved out a sweet little life for herself as the owner of Posies, a boutique wedding florist in St. Louis. It’s not bad for a woman who drove away from her entire life just two years ago when she found her husband entwined with a red-headed artist. Sure, Elly has an embarrassingly beautiful best friend, a terribly behaved sheepdog and a sarcastic assistant who she simply calls “Snarky Teenager”, but overall her days are pleasantly uneventful. As a bonus, her new next door neighbor just happens to be an unnervingly handsome musician who has an eye for curvy Elly. 

Just when she feels that she is finally moving on from her past, she discovers that an extravagant wedding contract, one that could change her financial future, is more than she bargained for. With the help of her friends, staff and the occasional well-made sandwich, Elly bravely agrees to take on the event that threatens to merge her painful history with her bright new life, and finds herself blooming in a direction she never imagined. Elly’s voice, both charming and hilarious, will appeal to those readers who have been looking for a new voice in chick-lit, and will give women of all sizes the realistic heroine they’ve been waiting for.


Review:

Ever start a book and wonder where the author has been? Because the book is just THAT good and you want to read everything she's written? Yup, this is one of those books! I doubt any reader can willingly put this book down once they start reading it- I couldn't! I had to find out what was going to happen to Elly, if she was going to wise up about men, and if a perfect ending was going to happen. When you finish a book with a contented sigh, then you know that it did have that perfect ending! However, I am equally GLAD to hear that Elly will be back in 2014 in Elly in Love! I can't wait to see how things are evolving for Elly, and if she will be planning her own wedding! This is a book series you'll be sharing with your friends and family for many months, once you start reading it! Kudos Colleen!


About the Author:

Colleen Oakes is a die-hard Colorado native who really enjoys living in other places, she attended Concordia College in Bronxville, NY where she received her BA in Creative Writing.  When not writing, Colleen enjoys swimming, traveling, and immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She now lives with her husband and son in Denver. Colleen captures her thoughts about life (the good, bad, and awkward) pretty frequently over at her blog, The Ranunculus Adventures.  She is currently at work on her first foray into epic fantasy, the much anticipated Queen of Hearts.


Stay tuned- we'll have a review of the sequel, Elly in Love,  soon!
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