Review: Really fun debut!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2014
My first thought after reading the synopsis for In Bloom was that this sounded like just my kind of book, where Hollywood and real life collide, and hopefully there would be lots of romance, drama, and a happily-ever-after. Ordinary girl meets famous musician and sparks fly? Yes please! This is just the kind of story I love. And, after seeing a few great reviews, I was really excited to start reading this one. Also, I'm kind of obsessed with that cover. Gorgeous.While working behind the scenes at a fashion show and trying to make herself invisible, Olivia Bloom runs into the lead singer of her favorite band, Berkeley Dalton. Of course she's a bit awestruck and proceeds to make an ass of herself. Not her finest moment. Enter Olivia's new friends/neighbors and "Operation Loverly," their attempt at transforming her. They're determined to give her the Hollywood makeover they think she needs and we get to see her try to navigate life in a new town. After stressing about her future, she lands a job at a high-end lingerie company and things start to look up.Yep. That's me. Olivia Bloom. Ending the world, one g-string at a time.Olivia is a great character. She's clumsy and a bit awkward at times, but she's authentic. She uses humor in awkward situations and is always putting her foot in her mouth, but I absolutely loved her. At times, though, she was achingly insecure. But I was rooting for her to come into her own and be the strong woman that I could see lurking beneath the surface. As the story progressed, she seemed to do just that.  As for the supporting characters, Liv's mother was my favorite! She's quirky and eccentric, and so funny. She brought a lot of humor to this story that was already full of laugh-out-loud moments. She quickly became one of my favorite characters in the book. Liv's friends are also all wonderful characters and each brought something special to the story.After a few chance (and some not-so-chance) encounters, things start to progress a bit with Berkeley and Liv. She's convinced that she's made a fool of herself during each of their meetings, and there's no way he could be attracted to her, but it turns out that she caught Berkeley's eye from that very first meeting. He's just as enamored with her as she is with him. Things actually progress pretty slowly in their relationship, which was great for me, but Liv finds herself trying to focus more on her work, which she soon excels at, so that she won't have to pine over Berkeley. And when Berkeley is back in the picture, we find Liv on the red carpet, dodging paparazzi, and soaking up affection from a hot rock star. Pretty great, right?! Of course, dating a celebrity comes with its share of complications, and Liv really needs to develop a thicker skin.It's official. My tongue is cursed. #funkitupBerkeley is super sweet! You can tell he finds the whole Hollywood lifestyle a bit old, at least the publicity/spinning stories aspect, but he's still able to enjoy himself and look at everything with a sense of humor. He's honest and romantic, and he stands up for Liv and their relationship when needed, which makes him extra dreamy in my book. They have a really cute relationship and it was fun to experience it with them. And the first "I love you" was just a bout the cutest thing ever. Could these two be more perfect?He nods his understanding and folds me into his arms. "Can I call you?" he asks into my hair.Can I stay here forever?Obviously music is incorporated into this story, which is another thing that drew me to it. This is always something I love in a book. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but also some super sweet ones as well. This author has a refreshing sense of humor that made for a truly enjoyable read. I definitely got pretty emotional there at the end, but it all evened out nicely. The ending left just a tiny bit to be desired and I'm really hoping that the next book continues Olivia and Berkeley's story (although I have a feeling that it might focus on different characters the next time around). Overall, it read quickly and the story flowed nicely. I had a hard time putting it down, I loved it. Also, between the real life inspiration for this book, and the tiwtter accounts (that I may have become a bit obsessed with), the whole "experience" of this book is a lot of fun!He looks at me and softens. "I'm not captivating-- far from it, actually. I'm just honest. And to be honest, I've never met anyone I liked more than you. And, for once in my life, I don't care who knows it."Sitting back, I peek at Berkeley's perfectly symmetrical profile, my thoughts turning to the near escapade in the Escalade. That was so almost rock' n' roll. He catches me looking. We share a conspiratorial smile, and he reaches out and squeezes my hand.Hook, line, and sinker, I'm in love.