Review: Elly in Bloom by Colleen Oakes

Title: Elly In Bloom

Author: Colleen Oakes

Publication Date: September 5, 2012

Synopsis:

What would you do if you had to design your lover's wedding?

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. 

My Thoughts:

After walking in on her husband in bed with another woman, Elly has packed up and moved away only to find herself in a place called Clayton, Missouri . It's here that she stops for something to eat and meets Kim, the most beautiful woman Elly has ever seen, who talks her into staying and quickly becomes her best friend. Two years later, Elly has opened a successful flower shop with Kim by her side when she lands her biggest account yet. There's only one problem, she and the groom have a history. Can Elly keep her cool long enough to get through the wedding, or will her past come back to haunt her? 

Have you ever read a book and the main character is so much life yourself that you just knew that if they were to become a real person that they would totally be your new best friend? That is how I feel about Elly. Like myself, Elly is a bigger girl dealing with low self esteem. Her snarky, self-deprecating sense of humor is one that I couldn't get enough of. She has a big heart and tends to let people get away with more than they should. She is still dealing with the pain of her husband's affair and also the loss of her mother. I just wanted to jump into this story and give Elly a giant hug.

There is a running joke between my best friend and I that if something embarrassing is going to happen, it's going to happen to one of us. This also rings true for poor Elly. I knew this story was for me immediately after a very unfortunate situation with a fondue fountain that left me laughing for a very long time. Elly's story is one that is heartbreaking, but also so funny. Nothing can go smoothly for this girl and her life is a roller coaster. I have to admit that I felt bad laughing at her situations, but I just couldn't help it. I've been there and that made it all the more engaging. 

Overall, Elly in Bloom was a fantastic and hilarious story of love, friendship and do-overs. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in this series, Elly in Love. If you are a fan of Chick Lit, romantic comedy, or just enjoy a good story with fun characters, this book is for you. You can't help but fall in love with Elly!

For more about Colleen Oakes and Elly in Bloom, visit her website here, or her blog here.

*Be sure to stop by a visit the guest post by Colleen Oakes!* 

Purchase:

Amazon

B&N

The Book Depository

*I received this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100& my own.