Book Review: "I Heart Bloomberg" by Melody Carlson

Kendall's managed to wrangle her grandmother's house-free and clear-except for the rules. No male roommates. But that's ok, with the right ad she'll pull in some girls, their rent and if she's lucky, she won't have to go to work any time soon.

For their part, Anna, Lelani, and Megan all have their reasons for wanting to move in: Anna has got to get out from under her overprotective parents; Lelani can't take another day in her aunt's tiny crackerbox house overflowing with toddlers and Megan needs a place free of her current roommate from Hades. Though they come with assorted extra baggage filled with broken hearts and dreams, they will discover they also have a vast array of hidden strengths.

I started off this series intending to read just this book for the day, and then ended up reading the entire series in less than 24 hours. It's THAT good, trust me. What I've always enjoyed about Melody Carlson's books is unique and fresh and just keeps you wanting more. While her stories may have Christian characters and do have faith elements sprinkled throughout, they are not preachy nor fall into the stereotypical Christian fiction trap.

I think what I liked best about this book was that I could totally relate to the main characters (well 3 out of 4). They are all the same age as me and are in the same stage of life as I'm in. It wasn't that long ago that I was in the same situation concerning job and trying to find a place to live on my own. I enjoyed reading about their adventures and getting to know them. Megan, Anna and Lelani are three different girls with very distinct personalities yet they all blend very well together. They get along almost immediately from the start yet it's not fake friendships. They have a take charge attitude and since they are also businesswomen they are able to negotiate and make deals when needed. I also appreciated the diversity of the cast. It's refreshing to see this in Christian fiction and Melody is one of the key contributors to that. The romance in this book is light and not really a main factor but there's just enough to keep things interesting.

Kendall, on the other hand, completely turned me off from the start. I know I shouldn't be judgmental on someone because of their looks but right from the moment Kendall was described I didn't like her. Then her attitude, actions and personality just validated my I wanted to slap Kendall so bad while reading this book. She was one of the most stuck up, spoiled, lazy, clueless person I have read in a book. Honestly, I had to put down the book and scream during certain scenes. She is the type of character that would fit right at home on a show like The Hills or just be paparazzi fodder. She just annoyed me so much that I just wanted her to be gone. Since I have read the other books in the series that she does change but it's a long and slow process

Overall I really enjoyed this book. They are perfect for the twenty something group but even if you aren't that age, you'll enjoy the story. The relationship between each girl and her mother plays a key role throughout the entire series and in this book you begin to see glimpses of how each girl is shaped because of her mother. It's a fun, light quick read and once you start this book you're going to want to read the other so be sure to have the rest of the series on hand! This book is probably one of my favorite chick lit series of the year. HIGHLY recommended.

I Heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson is published by David C. Cook (2008)