Elly in Bloom Book Review



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.

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.
Purchase: Amazon

My Review
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  Elly has never felt like she fit in.  So when a handsome artist sweeps her off her feet, she falls deeply in love.  That is, until that fateful day when she catches him with another woman.  Suddenly her whole world is turned upside down and that's when Elly realizes she's much stronger than she had ever thought.

This was a fantastic first novel by author Colleen Oakes.  Elly is written to be a realistic main character with the desires and insecurities we all have.  She takes us her journey (with a few bumps in the road) to finding herself and overcoming heartbreak.  There will be times you'll laugh with her and others you'll want to cry with her.  I enjoyed this novel so much, Elly became a fast friend and I look forward to many more adventures.  If you like Chick Lit and a light read, then this is certainly the book for you!

About the Author
Colleen Oakes was born in Denver, Colorado to her parents, Ronald and Tricia. She was soon joined by a little sister Cynthia, who she quickly decided was her arch nemesis.

When she was in 4th grade at her public elementary school, Colleen told her teacher, Ms. Brown, that she wanted to be a writer. Ms. Brown agreed and began giving her special writing projects. Out of this came the brilliant four page novel, "Why I hate Casey The Most", complete with illustrations. It has yet to be published.

She attended Denver Lutheran High School for most of her high school career, where she had the good graces to befriend many wonderful teachers and students and the occasional homeless man. She graduated in 1998 (to Greenday's "Time of Your Life" the anthem of everyone who graduated that year) and continued on to college at Concordia College in Bronxville, NY.
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