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February 17, 2014

In Bloom (The Brightside #1) by Katie Delahanty ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!


Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the In Bloom Blog Tour hosted by InkSlinger PR. Click here to follow along with the blog tour schedule.


Title: In Bloom
Series: The Brightside #1
Author: Katie Delahanty
Release Date: February 10th 2014
Publisher: Embrace (an imprint of Entangled Publishing)
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Source: Review copy

Add: Goodreads | BookLikes

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Currently on sale for .99 for a limited time

Synopsis

My name is Olivia Bloom and I. Am. Free.

I left for LA with everything I owned piled into my old Volkswagen and dreams of becoming a costume designer. Little did I know I'd wind up designing for a lingerie company - yeah, not sure how I landed this gig - and taken under the wing of two young Hollywood insiders. The fashion shows and parties were great, but life really got exciting when the seriously hottest lead singer of my favorite band started to fall for me. 

How does someone like me, an ordinary girl from Pittsburgh, wind up in the arms of the world's sexiest rock star - surrounded by celebrities, fashion, and music - and not be eaten alive? Berkeley is everything I've ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, but the paparazzi, the tabloids, the rumors, it's all getting a bit too crazy. My life has become every girl's dream come true, if only I don't blink and lose it all...

My Thoughts

Pure and utter bliss. How could you not feel that way if you started DATING your rock star crush? Well I guess you'd have a better chance of feeling that way if there were no such thing as the paparazzi and tabloids. Drawn in by the title of this book, IN BLOOM, which happens to also be the title of a song by MY favorite band Nirvana, I read what the book would be about - falling into a relationship with a rock god, how could I pass that up?? Obviously I couldn't. 

Olivia Bloom has packed up from Pittsburgh and moved to LA to pursue her dream of becoming a costume desinger. Happening to be in the right places at the right times, she soon not only meets Berkeley, the frontman for her favorite rock band Berkeley and the Brightside, but also begins dating him. She also happened to luck out in making friends at her apartment complex as well as getting a job and making a friend there, too. I loved her friends and how she wasn't shy about making sure they know she wants to be herself - not someone fake to fit into the scene. 

IN BLOOM is the perfect title for this book and not just because "Bloom" happens to be Olivia's last name. I adore that girl to pieces. She boldly left everything and everyone she knew behind to move to LA to go after her dream. Olivia is like a delicate peach rose, and once she's found her niche, she really begins to thrive and bloom. She's witty and instantly likable. I could read ten books in a row with her in them.    

Berkeley is completely swoon worthy. There's just something about him from the very start that made me fall for him. He seems unaffected by his rockstar status by being a genuine and down-to-earth guy. He's modest and romantic...all of this adds up to every girl's dream! For me, I love that he is so into music - I could just imagine him playing his guitar and singing right to me.  

One of my favorite parts of IN BLOOM is that every chapter begins with a tweet or two from the characters in the story. It was a really fun way to start each new chapter and showcased the different personalities of each character. Plus, the tweets were just funny and made me laugh. 

If you've been reluctant to give the New Adult genre a try, I highly recommend you start with IN BLOOM. This book will cause you to swoon and laugh and is the perfect way to spend an afternoon.     

My Rating: 5 / 5 

About the Author


Katie Delahanty is a fashion designer turned novelist. She holds a BA in Communication Studies from UCLA and a Professional Designation in Fashion Design from FIDM. It never occurred to her that she was a writer until an economic-crisis-induced career shift from lingerie designer to e-commerce webmistress led her to start the company blog. 

Not being an expert in lingerie, she decided to write the blog as a fictional serial starring a girl named Olivia Bloom who worked for the lingerie line. And that's when Katie fell in love with storytelling. She hasn't looked back since. 

Katie lives in Los Angeles with her husband. 

Author Links

 Giveaway

From Katie Delahanty, author of In Bloom

One gift basket with the following in it (US/CAN only)

$75 gift certificate to http://www.InBloomIntimates.com
$25 Amazon gift card
The Remainers Formal Fridays CD
Pink Champagne Cupcake Bath Bomb from http://www.soapybliss.com
Peach & Coconut Milk Push Up Lotion Pop from http://www.soapybliss.com
Berry Buttercream Soy Candle from http://www.JaquaBathandBody.com
Sees milk chocolate foil hearts
Autographed copies of STARSTRUCK and LOVE ME from author Rachel Shukert 

Plus, $25 international gift certificate to either Amazon or B&N    


Blog Tour organized by:

8 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the lovely review! :)

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  2. That was an easy one-click. The MC sounds refreshing and his love of music and her pursuit of her dreams will hit the spot perfectly. Great review!!

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    1. I'm so excited you bought a copy! Olivia is a character I don't think I've ever run across before - she's bright-eyed and a bit naive in the world of Hollywood but is also strong and finds her own way. Thank you, Robyn! :D

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  3. Oh my! This sounds amazing, Jennifer! And Nirvana is one of my favorite bands too! :) I love your enthusiasm about the book...I can really tell you loved this one! I might just have to one-click it! Excellent review, girl! :)

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    1. Thanks, Brandee! I'm happy to hear we share similar tastes in music! I think I'm pretty much stuck in the 90's, lol. I can't resist a book where one of the characters is in a band - and the title caught my eye right away. I really think you'll love this one, too! Thanks girl! :D

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  4. My heart pitter-pattered a bit whilst reading this review. Wouldn't it be something to just leave everything behind and pursue a dream? *gazes off into the distance*

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    1. If I didn't have a family, I'd like to think I would have the courage to pick up and pursue a dream. It would be amazing to not only do it, but to succeed, too. :)

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