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The Bloom Girls

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The Bloom Girls
by: Amy Pine
Forever - Grand Central Publishing
Amy Pines has written a multi-generational novel about a mother and daughter, both of whom are on the threshold of important, yet unexpected life situations. Gabi is passionate about her photography, as well as an American bartender that she met in Ireland. Her mother, Alissa is a pastry chef by profession, who is facing a surprise of her own.
Pine's writing will keep you engaged as Gabi and Alissa navigate through complicated and complex family relationships, romance, love, and career. This is a fun, yet poignant and tender novel, that's full of secrets, surprises, excitement, and hope. Readers will laugh, cry, and want to read more about this family and their dynamics.
Thank you to Net Galley and Forever - Grand Central Publishing for the advance reader's copy and the opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#TheBloomGirls #NetGalley

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If you’re a fan of the Gilmore Girls, this book is probably for you.

I liked the storyline of this one, but the writing was a bit too cheesy for me.

I’m actually mad because I was more than ready for it to be over by the time I got to the end and it was left on a freaking cliffhanger 🤣

This style of writing is not for me, but I think plenty of people would enjoy this book more than I did.

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I fell in love with this book right from reading the synopsis. There is something very special about a mother-daughter bond and stories of this relationship bring me joy.  The author does a great job of describing Gabi and Alissa’s relationship from the beginning.  It is one made up of traditions such as watching old movies together every Saturday night, and deep respect.  Alissa is proud of Gabi and her accomplishments and will do what she needs to to make Gabi’s wedding day special.  This includes keeping her secret from Gabi until it is the right moment to share it.

The relationship between Alissa and Matt has been complicated.  They truly are the love of each other’s life.  Alissa didn’t want to tie Matt down in their earlier years and set him free to explore the world as she was raising Gabi.  Matt is ready to settle down and stay in their hometown even before Alissa announces her pregnancy to him.  Alissa, however, has trust issues- Matt has returned home several times only to leave again.  I appreciated watching this couple’s journey to redefining their relationship.

The book’s theme is living life to its fullest but recognizing that a life without a partner may be too big a compromise.  It is one of second chances and personal growth.  I loved the Jewish elements in this story and the supporting characters in this wonderful book.

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This book is for every lover of Gilmore Girls. I saw so much of the show in this book from the big elements, from the funny holiday shenanigans (um, the crazy Thanksgiving with all the families). I could not keep from picturing the cast as these characters and I am not mad about it.

I really enjoyed seeing Alissa and Gabi as mother daughter and as individual women. I liked seeing them figure out life and also realize that no matter how old you may be you’ll still be figuring it out.

Other favorite things - the supporting characters of Becca and Miriam. The way they supported the main women through everything and helped them realize their dreams.

I also really liked the men - Ethan and Matthew. I mean they really proved themselves.

Another thing that was just lovely, the Jewish rep. Just some Jewish people living their lives and the battle of the rabbis (that scene had me giggling).

I am looking forward to Becca and Sadie’s book - how their lives will intertwine, and what their stories will bring.

Overall definitely recommend this one for anyone looking for a family drama/romance.

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Gilmore Girls meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It’s a light, funny, easy read full of family, friendship, and love. There was so many times I laughed out loud! The writing style really brought the characters to life. I loved the mother-daughter dynamic! There’s a little bit of everything in here and it was such a delight to read.

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I thought Bloom Girls was a cite read. Gabi, a fresh college graduate, falls in love and gets engaged. Mom Alissa has just launched her new bakery and her daughter , only to herself pregnant. Both so,en find themselves in somewhat messy predicaments. I thought Alissa and Matt’s story was more compelling. Gabi and Ethan, although sweet, hadn’t really explored each other that much. I was glad to read in the author’s interview that Becky and Sadie’s stories will be told as well since Pine left readers with a cliff hanger. Write fast!

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. History repeats itself when Alyssa finds herself pregnant. Again. By the same man she fell in love with when they were just kids themselves over 20 years ago. And this occurs just as her beloved amazing daughter Gabi with whom she has an fabulous open healthy relationship with has just graduated college. Yikes. Now her beloved daughter is coming home from a trip overseas and bringing home a fiancé. What is going on??? Relationships, love, family, mother daughter relationships, career desires, discovering who you are, growing up, being true to yourself and so many other things explored in this book. Its light, well written and narrated beautifully. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

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You had me at Gilmore GIrls meets Big Fat Greek Wedding! In short this is the story of mother and daughter, Alissa and Gabi as they prepare for Gabi's wedding.

My thoughts: I really loved this story. It had all the elements of the family stories I am enjoying right now, mixed with romance and humor. It exceeded my expectations and had me calling my mom often to discuss the book. The love and friendship between mother and daughter really hit home for me. I loved their friendship and banter.

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The Bloom Girls is advertised as Gilmore Girls meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and I think the comparison is pretty accurate! Single mom and pastry chef Alissa had her daughter Gabi at a young age, and the two have always been close. But big events in their lives threaten to drive them apart - for Alissa, it's an unplanned pregnancy, and for Gaby, it's a whirlwind romance and engagement. Can the Bloom girls pull off Gaby's wedding without a hitch?

If you like mother-daughter relationships, you may like this book! Gabi and Alissa had a sweet relationship, and I enjoyed seeing them dance around their secrets and try to keep up normal appearances. Alissa and Gabi's father also had a great dynamic - he really stepped up once he heard she was pregnant again. I also loved the Jewish representation in the book - the religious traditions added a special element. 3 rabbis compete for 1 wedding - who will be selected to marry the couple?! Cue the drama.

I wish this book had been 100 pages shorter - it just felt a little repetitive to me, especially in the middle. Although I'm rating it 3 stars, I'm interested to see what Amy Pine writes next!!

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Gilmore Girls meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding...3.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was fun and light, and had real depth! It was full of family, love & friendship. It definitely left me wanting more. I liked the writing style and I really felt the characters come alive!

This was a super quick and easy read!!

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What a fun book and great summer read.
I loved the story’s connection between a mother and daughter and the challenges each is facing in the days and months ahead for their future. The bloom girls are mother and daughter, one is navigating a first love and what she wants in life and the other looking back on a first love and what the future holds. I could not put this book down, there was humour, romance, tears, and love and best news there will be another book coming . Can’t wait to head back to see where life takes this family.

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This was a fun multi-generational book about family and love. It’s follows a mother and daughter dynamic and their love antics. (Think Gilmore Girls!)

Gabi is 22 and traveled to Europe only to find love with a main who lives in the same city as her. Her mom, Alissa is almost 40 and pregnant again.

This book started off really slow for me and the first couple chapters I was sure it wasn’t going to be believable. BUT, it quickly turned and I ended up enjoying the heck out of this book. Gabi and Alissa have the mother-daughter relationship that I hope to have with my girls one day. It’s sweet. Their antics are fun. And their big Jewish family is hilarious.

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A really sweet story about family, love and introspection. I loved the mother/daughter dynamics - it was very reminiscent of Gilmore Girls and the relationship between Lorelai and Rory and by extension, Christopher. If you're a fan of Gilmore Girls, I think you would enjoy the similarities. However, this book is really unique in its own right. I appreciated how the author fleshes out the complexities and diversity of family, the bond between mother/daughter and the importance of finding oneself while navigating relationships and responsibility.

I thought the characters were really well-developed and relatable. The writing was sophisticated and smart, while still managing to come across light hearted and engaging. It was a fun read and I will definitely read the next one. I could even imagine this as a mini-series.

Publishes August 3, 2021.

Thank you to @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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If I hadn’t already been a long-time fan of Amy Pine’s books, the promise of ‘Gilmore Girls meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ would have immediately piqued my interest since those are among my all-time favourite TV shows and movies. That’s a lot of hype to live up to, and while I tried not to go in with my expectations too high, I wanted to love this book...and I did. Oh, I did. I’ve been searching for 20 years for a book that captures that Gilmore Girls feeling; some have come close, but none have succeeded in the way Amy did with The Bloom Girls. Side note: can we get Amy to rewrite the last season of GG...and maybe the reboot too?

This book perfectly blended family dynamics, romance, and real life, and did it with a whole lot of heart and humour. I loved the mother-daughter relationship, the romances, the friendships, and the extended family dynamics. Alissa and Gabi were easy to connect to and relate to because they felt like real people with real thoughts, feelings, and struggles. I loved the generational differences between Alissa and Gabi and how they both realized no matter how old you are it still takes time to figure things out, it’s okay not to have your act together, you’ll make mistakes despite the best of intentions, and it’s never too late for a fresh start. Life can throw you a curveball at any time, but it’s how you deal with it that matters.

Mixing old love and new love, second chances and fresh starts, The Bloom Girls was a delight from beginning to end.

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The Bloom Girls was an excellent story about family, love, and what we really want out of life. I loved that the story was told from the perspectives of Amy, her ex-husband Matthew, and their daughter Gabi. It was funny, sweet, and at times emotional, everything you could want from a women's fiction book. The Jewish representation sprinkled throughout the book was perfect and the scenes with the Rabbis at Thanksgiving was hysterical. And that twist ending, I can't wait for the next book to find out what is going to happen!

Thank you to Forever for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you NetGalley for my E-book of The Bloom Girls by Amy Pine. I'm pretty conflicted about how I feel about this story because the other reviews are so good. I am all for a light, easy read with characters with personality, but this book was more on the silly side as were the antics of all the characters. I did finish it quickly and never once thought of not finishing it. I would not recommend it though.

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The Bloom Girls is a fun read of love - love of family, friends, husbands and fiancé’s. “ Gabi Bloom doesn't believe in signs. She believes in photographic evidence, the view through her camera lens, and the snap of the shutter. It's why she traveled to Europe—to satisfy her wanderlust and to kick off her photography career. But in Ireland, all of that changed when Gabi gazed into the impossibly blue eyes of an American bartender. She wasn’t prepared for their intense and immediate attraction, or the fact that she’d be bringing Ethan home with her . . . as her fiancé. Gabi’s upcoming marriage is the cherry on top of her mother's current predicament. Stumbling toward forty, Alissa is a pastry chef who raised her daughter single-handedly while Gabi’s father traveled the globe. Now her baby girl is getting married after a whirlwind romance and Alissa—well, Alissa is pregnant. Again. And not only is her ex the father, he wants her back. For good. Until she can figure out that part of the puzzle, Alissa is hiding her big little secret even as she helps Gabi plan a happily-ever-after wedding. But somewhere between disaster and hope, life might just bloom in a way that is breathtakingly unexpected”
Bloom Girls has all the ingredients of a great light read. This is the book you are looking for after a 400 page novel that rips your heart out. The characters are nicely developed and the dialogue is terrific. You want to keep reading to follow the multiple plots that are developed. This fun read has the mother and daughter feel-good with great attention to details - you can almost taste the goodies from the bakery. I loved the theme of love taking a lifetime to grow & bloom. Hoping there is a sequel. Thank you to Net Galley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Gilmore girls meats My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I was immediately interested upon hearing that. Gabi doesn't believe in signs but a cute American bartender overseas changes that. She ends up bringing him home as her fiance.

Alissa is helping Gabi, her only child, get ready for her wedding. Alissa is hiding a big secret though. She's pregnant at age 39 and her ex is the father. She's trying to figure out what this means for her and how to tell Gabi.

This book was a delight! Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: Aug 3

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I love Amy's cowboy romances and knew that this story with threads of Gilmore Girls had to be on my TBR. It didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the banter, the friendship between all of the women, the love between Gaby and Alissa. I liked how I could feel how cozy and connected everyone was through their dialogue and the warmth of Amy's writing. This is a fun and fast women's fiction read that is perfect for summer time porch reading.

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I absolutely adored this. It was the perfect blend of an authentic family dynamic, humour, and romance. Following a mother and daughter, it highlights the reality that age doesn't provide the answers in life, that sometimes the happily-ever-after doesn't come easily.

Alissa is 39, single, and unexpectedly pregnant again with the baby of her ex-husband. When their firstborn, Gabi, announces her engagement to a boy she met while travelling in Ireland, it's a continuous tiptoe around their secret as they attempt to keep the focus on the upcoming Jewish wedding. With a second chance romance and newfound love blooming alongside each other, I loved the parallel conflicts of fighting for happiness.

Filled with sweet gestures, hilarious mishaps, and heartfelt discussions, these characters stole my heart. This was such a feel-good story that showcased an imperfect family filled with love and support. And that ending! I cannot wait for more.

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