Elly in Bloom: Review and a GIVEAWAY!

It's a good thing Elly arrived on a Thursday.  My children would have certainly been neglected had I not had all day Friday to sit in my pajamas and read.

In full disclosure, when Colleen asked me to review Elly in Bloom, I was really pulling for a story that would draw me in so that I wouldn't have to write an uncomfortable, um, yeah it wasn't that great, post. Elly did not disappoint!

You're gonna like this book!

Elly in Bloom takes place in Clayton, Missouri, a place I know well.  I loved being able to picture the down to earth characters in the middle of this swanky neighborhood that surrounds the seminary that was our lives when my husband attended school in St. Louis.  The mention of Forest Park, the Arch, and Wydown Street made me smile every time.

Elly herself is sarcastically honest. And the manner in which the author allows her readers inside Elly's head beautifully enhances the story.  If you share Elly's love of floristry, you will revel in the workings of a place where both breathtaking arrangements and alluring relationships are formed.  If you don't know a thing about flowers, don't worry, you'll still like Elly. The book is full of both charming characters and prickly ones. I have to say, aside from Elly, my favorite character is a sassy spit-fire appropriately named, "Snarky Teenager." I know her. Maybe you do too.

Now, I am not an avid reader, but I have to say that I enjoyed Elly in Bloom very much.  It was unpredictable, which made it unlike most "chick-lit" (not a fan of that term) books I have read. Just when I thought I was walking along the path of a familiar story, my jaw would drop. Elly meets serveral unexpected challenges that had me gasping and laughing right out loud, causing my son to ask me more than once what in the world I was reading.

I would absolutely recommend this book for an entertaining read that will cause you to giggle and won't have you in tears.

I also recommend visiting Colleen's blog.  Get to know her at The Ranunculus Adventures.  Knowing a little bit about Colleen definitely heightened the enjoyment of being emersed in Elly's life.

You can purchase Elly in Bloom through Colleen's website, but two lucky friends will 

WIN their very own SIGNED COPY!!! 

*All you have to do is leave a comment below naming your favorite flower and you will be entered in my 
old-fashioned draw a name out of a hat contest.  
*If you can honestly tell me that you knew what a ranunculus is (before you looked it up online or peeked at someone else's answer) I'll throw your name in again. 

*If you are a follower of Dandelions Picked, I might just put your name in the hat a third time.

Winners will be announced on Monday, January 21st, so enter now and then tell all your friends!