The Bloom Girls was an absolute treat to read filled with romance, mother-daughter relationships and hysterical family drama. Amy Pine, aka A.J. Pine, is well known for her love and cowboy romances, but here she delves into a Jewish family’s dynamics with smart, relatable humor.

This book sucked me in after just a few pages, and I ended up reading it in a day. I completely related to all the female characters from all the generations. This book has heart, and you could feel the love the characters felt for one another oozing off the page, even when they were untruthful or hurtful to one another.

Pine, a Chicago resident, brings the suburbs of Chicago and city to life. She honors the city with shout outs to Lou Malnati’s, the Botanic Gardens and some other less iconic places in the city. It’s always fun to read about your own town in fiction. I just wish the bakery mentioned in the book was real! Wow, it sounded good.

I read this on my kindle, so I never saw the cover art. As I sat to write this review and pulled up the cover, I was disappointed. It had little relation to the story and nothing that screamed read me! How about Gabi’s camera, the bakery, a pretzel ring, a pregnancy test, Ireland…? Sorry, had to get that off my chest so that no one lets the cover judge the awesomeness inside. The story ends with a “mic-drop”, so the reader knows that book number two is on its way. I can’t wait for it.

Amy/AJ Pine is a new favorite author of mine. I love how she puts a story together! The Bloom Girls is written with humor and heart. Gabi and her mother, Alissa, are facing different life-changing events and are reluctant to share their worries and doubts. Growing up and becoming an adult is hard! The way everything plays out in this Jewish multi-generational, multi-family story is heartwarming, funny, and full of angst and drama.

Family dynamics aren’t simple. Family is complicated. Life is complicated. Traversing it alone or together is tough, emotionally draining and it takes all of you.

Totally enjoyed this story of Gabi and her mom Alissa and the life choices they are facing. This novel reads "light and enjoyable" and still has some depth to it as both characters decide what they "truly" want from their life and what they are willing to trade to get it. You'll definitely see some similarities to The Gilmore Girls and yet Gabi and Alissa are their own people with their own histories and futures to plot.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..

This was a really sweet book. I enjoyed Gabi, Alissa, and Matt and watching them struggle to figure out what would make them truly happy in life. This book does a great job of capturing how tricky family dynamics and relationships can be. Yet even while covering some heavy topics at times, it has enough humor thrown in to keep it light. This was a really enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more Amy Pine books in the future. I REALLY hope there is a follow up book to this one. I received an ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

An endearing story of family bonds, first loves and the realities that life is a work in progress.

Alissa, single mom and bakery owner unexpectedly finds herself pregnant at the age of 39. Her daughter, Gabi, is traveling Europe after college where she falls in love when it’s the last thing she is looking for.

What I liked: The storyline is super sweet. I love the bond between Gabi and Alissa. The current references in the book made it something you could relate to. Living on the Illinois/Wisconsin border I enjoyed seeing all the references of places I have been to, it was nice to be able to literally picture it in my mind. The story also refers to Alissa’s pregnancy as geriatric, which is hilarious to me, since I was 36 when my first child was born. Overall, the story was good. I enjoyed the family aspect and the accuracy of in-laws and that whole dynamic.

What could have been better: It was long. I felt it was too wordy with a lot of repetition. There were many conversations that didn’t really need to take place. While I liked the characters, the insecurity of the two lead characters threw me off. With that being said, it was a light hearted read with some funny spots.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I will be posting my full review on Instagram, Barnes and Noble and my blog upon publication of the book.

This was an enjoyable read - you come to care about the characters, what happens next and their journey. The language and dialogue is current and relatable. I truly enjoyed this and could not put it down - a must have in your beach bag this summer.

What more could you ask for? This book has it all - romance, mother/daughter dynamics, self-discovery angst, and cupcakes! I could not put this book down. The storytelling was excellent. The character development phenomenal. I can't wait to read the next installment. Kudos to the author for such a wonderful novel!

Overall Impression: The story line was super adorable, a different take on Gilmore Girls, one of my favorite shows.

The Bloom Girls is about mother daughter duo Alissa and Gabi during a life altering time in their lives. Bakery owner Alissa finds herself pregnant at the age of 39 while daughter Gabi finds herself in love while traveling around Europe post graduation . This book deals with mother daughter bonds, first love, divorce, daddy issues, career paths (dreams vs stability), and the one that got away.

The Good: loved the story line, the main characters were great, alternating perspectives, fresh take on Gilmore Girls. It also focuses on the daily lives of a Jewish family and some of the cultural influences on these girls lives (like arguing over rabbis). It’s nice to see a book focusing on the Jewish community that isn’t about WW2.

The not so good: I struggled with the writing a bit. Too many grandparents got confusing, especially while switching perspectives, I never could really keep them all straight. I wish the author had spent more time on developing the main characters a bit more instead of introducing so many grandparents. So many cultural references. Instead of saying ice cream it was halo top, etc. which is generally fine, but this felt a bit excessive.

In the end, it was so close to being what I wanted, but I just didn’t enjoy the writing. I think with a little more editing it’d be a really great read. I still think there’s a large audience that will love it, especially my fellow Gilmore lovers. ❤️.

Thank you too #netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for this free arc in exchange for an honest review

A fun, feel-good, romantic story that will surely inspire you about the true meaning of unconditional love. A compelling story with relatable characters. Narrated in third-person perspective, the story was well-written and a delight to read. I love how the author beautifully describes the Jewish traditions and the close-knit families of the main characters. The supporting characters are lovable. I would love to have a loving and supportive best friend like Miriam who will always be there for you.

The story follows Gabi, a twenty-year-old, a newly graduate, who went on a holiday trip in Europe to visit beautiful places and build a portfolio so she could get a stable job once she returns home. Her first stop was in Ireland where she met Ethan, an American who works in a pub, by accident. An only child with divorced parents, Gabi doesn't want to be in a serious relationship yet not until she fulfills her dreams of having an established job that she loves. After a whirlwind romance of two months in a foreign country, Gabi and Ethan got engaged in a car on their way back home to Chicago. Alissa, Gabi’s mom, unexpectedly finds out that she’s pregnant with her ex-husband, Matt.

Overall, this was a good read for me and I was satisfied with the ending. If you love stories about unconditional love, romance, comedy, family relationships, and friendship, I would recommend this book to you.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and express my opinion of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I screamed like a little girl on Christmas when I seen I was approved for The Bloom Girls by Amy Pine.
I've never read anything by Amy before but when I seen like Gilmore Girls I HAD TO TRY AND GET MY HANDS ON A COPY!
So Thank You NetGalley. Forever and Author for this amazing copy!

Honestly I didn't want to read this one off rip!
I'm weird. When I see a book and after reading the description if I believe its going to be amazing I try to wait to read because I knows its going to be so damn good I don't want it to end.... And bam I'm done with it!
But I couldn't help myself here!

And honestly I'm glad I didn't because this book was fantastic!

The Bloom Girls contemporary fiction/romance read with amazing characters I just absolutely adored!
This book is about relationships, family, love, life and secrets!
Gabi Bloom is a photographer and she travels to Europe to jump start her career!
While snapping pics in Ireland she looks into the blue eyes of a bartender who is an American.
Instantly there are sparks flying and honestly she was expecting to feel this much attraction to Ethan.
And she dang sure wasn't expecting to bring him back home as her fiancé
Alissa, Gabi's mother is a pastry chef and couldn't be more excited for her daughter.
But Alissa is hiding a secret of her own.... She is pregnant and her ex is the daddy!
During a few mixed emotions the Bloom girls plan a wedding and find out just what family is all about!

This was just amazing! All I can say. Its full of life, raw, real, humor, life.
I couldn't stop reading and I knew it was going to be great!
The story itself was simply engaging, exciting, wonderful.

You guys will not want to miss want this beautiful book!

Ill post to my Goodreads and bookstagram account closer to pub date!

The Bloom Girls was a book about family relationships and unselfish love. Exploring the complexities and dynamics a family often keeps hidden from the world, this story considers what happens when the balance is disturbed. Funny and sweet, this contemporary romance is all about what happens when life happens.
Gabi and her mom are close. After her parents’ divorce, Gavi never doubted her dad's love for her, but because of his traveling around the world, he was not involved in her daily life. Now that Gabi has graduated, it is time for her to build her photography portfolio on a trip alone to Europe. But when she has an unexpected meet-cute with a boy in Ireland, Gabi’s promise to not get involved with anyone falls apart.
Now returning home 2 months later, Gabi and Ethan are engaged. Most of the story takes place in Chicago, where both Gabi and Ethan’s parents live. Gabi’s engagement isn’t the only family surprise. Her mother, Alissa, a pastry chef is nearing her 40th birthday and is pregnant and keeping it a secret from Gabi, just for now. With Alyssa’s ex wanting her back and Gabi’s upcoming whirlwind wedding, this close family will have to embrace the unexpected.
Funny, with lots of well-meaning family input, Gabi and Alissa figure out what their new normal looks like. I especially like how Gabi didn’t put her career or herself on the backburner for her relationship. The author did a great job explaining Jewish traditions that both families practiced. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for the ARC to read and review.

The Bloom Girls. Gabi falls in love unexpectedly while in Europe on a solo trip after college. Alissa discovers she’s pregnant at 40 again from a one night stand with her ex. Complicated relationship dynamics and a lot going on at one time in this story.

Pace is slow, but great character development. Jewish elements laced within the story.

Overall a decent contemporary women’s fiction novel.

Gabi Bloom was raised by a single mom that had Gabi as a teenager but still went to school to become a pastry chef. When Alissa was raising Gabi, her father traveled the globe. She loved her father even though she didn't get to see him very often. He had come into town for her graduation and to see her off on a trip to Europe. Gabi wanted to travel around Europe to fulfill her desire to travel before coming home to settle down for a career in photography. Her plans changed as she met an American boy in Ireland on the first night of her trip. He was working in Ireland but traveled to spend time with her on his days off. After two months of traveling, she came home to her family with her new boyfriend. On the way home, He proposed to her so she was introducing him to her family while announcing that they were getting married. To further complicate things, Alissa still loved Gabi's father .and became intimate with him after Gabi's graduation resulting in an unexpected pregnancy. This is a good book that I recommend.

The Bloom Girls by Amy Pine is an excellent contemporary fictional novel that I truly enjoyed.

This is a great book about love, life, relationships, and the family dynamics that can become complex, complicated, but also beautiful at the same time.

I loved meeting this entire quirky, complicated, flawed yet lovable, and most certainly entertaining family. I loved seeing the interplay, relationship transitions, growths, changes between the couples as well as the complicated generational situations that arose. The author has a real talent of describing and depicting real, raw, and honest characters and relationships. Also, her ability to balance the serious components with love, humor, and banter was perfect.

I really enjoyed the pacing, plot, and effortless dialogue.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

This is a fun, multigenerational book about love, families, and friends. Set at first in Galway Ireland, and then back in Chicago, Il. It’s cute, funny and lots of good dialogue between the characters.

Gabi Bloom goes to Europe after graduating college to satisfy her wanderlust and kick off her photography career. On her very first stop in Galway, Ireland, she meets Ethan, an American working in a pub in Galway, and after traveling Europe together for a couple of months, they become engaged.

Alissa, Gabi’s mother, finds out she’s pregnant, at forty, just before her daughter comes home and announces her engagement to Ethan, a man she’s never met. To make matters worse, the father of Alissa’s baby is Matthew, her ex-husband and Gabi’s father. Alissa and Matthew decide to keep the pregnancy from Gabie until they can decide on their own decisions on custody of the baby, and if their love for each other can survive. Add to this three sets of grandparents, Gabie and Ethan’s marriage plans for a whirlwind wedding, and keeping the pregnancy secret to everyone, and disaster is sure to hit these families.

This is a fun quirky book about families, friends, secrets, and relationships. It’s a fast-paced book with lots of good characters and great dialogue. Gabie and Ethan fall in love fast while they travel through Europe, but their families and career goals bring them fast back to the real world as they struggle to hold on to their love in the face of reality. Although there are a lot of characters in this book, I was able to keep them all in check without confusion.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romantic comedy with lots of family relationships.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.