If you love watching programs like Bridezillas or any of the Real Housewives shows, I think you will enjoy Elly In Love, a little nugget of a chick lit novel by Colleen Oakes that is part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014.
This is book two in the Elly In Bloom series, and when it opens we find that Elly Jordan, owner of a flower shop in a swanky St. Louis suburb, is happily dating Keith, a solid guy who owns a deli, drives a Subaru, and reads the New York Times. He seems to be the perfect guy for Elly, whose ex-husband recently married the woman who broke up their marriage. Unbelievably, Elly did the flowers for the wedding! But that tells you something about her character.
Out of the blue, Elly gets a phone call from a reality television show called BlissBride, which covers B-list celebrity weddings and is interested in her for a St. Louis episode. It sounds like a dream come true, and the chance for so much exposure she will never have to advertise again, but this (infamous) celeb has seriously questionable taste, and if Elly cannot pull off some magic quickly this dream wedding could turn out to be her undoing. And why is Keith acting so mysterious, like he has a big secret? And who is the mysterious teenager who has appeared in Elly's shop and at her apartment?
This is a light, easy read, and Elly, with her blonde curls bouncing all over the place, is genuinely likable. I really enjoyed the peek into the world of florists and the over-the-top events they are sometimes called to do, like the toddler birthday parties with $2,000 cakes and teenagers dressed as jungle animals prowling huge backyards. There were two things, though, that just seemed a bit off to me, and one is that there were a lot of comments about weight (Elly's, Keith's, etc.) that seemed a little unnecessary. The other is that I could not figure out if this was a Christian Chick Lit novel or not, as there were a lot of references to God and praying and church, but then characters were drinking and cursing.
You do not need to read the first book in the Elly series, Elly In Bloom, to understand and enjoy everything in Elly In Love, so you can just jump right in. And I am glad that we have not seen the end of this sweet florist; Elly Inspired is coming soon!
For more on the Elly In Bloom series and Colleen Oakes (and to find out what U2, Kauai, and Stephen King have in common for her), visit http://www.colleenoakes.com/.
