The Downfall of Catie Bloom (Bloom Sisters #3) by Brooke Stanton | ARC | A Book Review

This is the third book in the Bloom Sisters series. I have enjoyed so much the first two books and I was looking forward to reading this one. Thank you again, Brooke Stanton for the ARC.

I read back my reviews for the first two books and I was reminded of how much I enjoyed and was irritated by the lies of Catie and the naivety of Natalie. These two have gone far since they first started and now it seems that all that comes up must fall down. And so did Catie Bloom and with her Natalie and Catie's editor. She might also lose her man. What to do now Catie?

In some way, Catie knows that she will have to own up and admit that she's not the expert housewife or the master chef that she claims to be but she just doesn't know when or how. Well, someone did it for her. She was outed on live national television by a person she taught she trusted. That's show business Catie, the ruin of someone is everybody's business and happiness. How will Catie be able to redeem herself and her career? Is there hope for you Miss Bloom?

I think the greatest thing about Catie Bloom is her being resourceful and her talent in interior design. She really is good with making spaces look beautiful even if her own space is as disorganized as her life right now. It also helps that there are people who really know her talent and are willing to help her, though with a little bit of push and motivation. Real talent could not be put down and so it was with Catie. She has to use her talent for interior design to get herself back up and redeem herself. In the end, what really matters is talent and it was also the key for the world for opening up its doors again for Catie. Along with truth and honesty, Catie will rise again from the rubble and become the interior design guru that she really is. And her sister, also is getting the attention and the recognition that she deserves for her talent. Above all, the sisters both learned their lessons. I doubt they will do a repeat.

I give the book 4/5 LCD tv's. I hope this is not the end of the adventures and misadventures of the Bloom sisters. I would like to hear from them more. I think the sisters both redeemed themselves here. In my first two reviews, I was not sure if I liked Catie and in book two I wanted to give Natalie a kick. In this book, these two have slowly wormed their way into my heart. I actually felt sorry for what these two had to go through in this story, but in a way, they saw it coming. Still, no one deserved to be shamed and trolled. Whatever they did, in some way, there was a reason. It just got out of control that they didn't know anymore how to take back whatever lies they had spurted. The lesson in all these is--the truth will definitely bite you back in the ass, where it will absolutely hurt. 

I would absolutely love to see these books made into movies. It would be so amazing. Who do you think could play Catie Bloom? Ana Faris would appear to be a good candidate. I really enjoyed the movie "What's your number?". I can already imagine her face in the scene when Catie gets outed. 

People don't mind seeing others slip and fall. It makes them feel better about their own lives. Especially when that person gets back up.

- Brooke Stanton, The Downfall of Catie Bloom -  

Other Books by Brooke Stanton:
The Misadventures of Catie Bloom (Bloom Sisters #1)The Adventures of Natalie Bloom (Bloom Sisters #2)

The Adventures of Natalie Bloom (Bloom Sisters #2) by Brooke Stanton | A Book Review

Since it's December and about 18 days before Christmas, I want to get into the spirit of the season. I decided to take pictures of  books with Christmas ornaments in the background. So, please expect the rest of my posts to be all colorful and Christmasy. 

The Adventures of Natalie Bloom is the sequel to The Misadventures of Catie Bloom. Natalie is Catie's older sister. She is a chef who is trying to open her own restaurant in New York City.

In the first book, I preferred the character of Natalie over Catie. In this book, I wanted to give Natalie a kick in the butt. Just like I wanted to hit Catie over the head to make her see sense in the first book. Natalie, to my surprise and bewilderment, is a very naive, trusting and gullible woman. I wanted so much to shake her to wake her up from her delusions that a friend would never betray her. As they all say, don't mix friendship with money. I guess, Natalie never got that advice from her mom or anyone as she was never any wiser about trusting her business partner with full access to her bank account.

As infuriated as I am with Natalie's naivety, I am happy for her that she was able to travel outside of her comfort zone and in a way learned some things on her own. I think she had to be exposed to a lot of things, mostly to the harsher realities of life so her perspective and her ability to see through people will grow. She really needs to hone her ability to know that some people do smell fishy, not only the fishes she cooks in her kitchen.

As affected as I am with Natalie's adventures, I enjoyed it also. Natalie and Catie are both endearing and the most irritating sisters and characters I have met. They tested my patience, at the same time they made me roll on the floor with laughter and amusement from their crazy antics. I hope these two will finally sort themselves out in the next book.

I give the book 4/5 coconuts. This book took me to the exotic beaches of Panama and to the lush forests of Costa Rica. This was a fun adventure with Natalie, albeit without being robbed and kidnapped. I am still of the opinion that Natalie has to toughen up so she could say no to people who are trying to appear nice and disadvantaged, but in truth are trying to walk all over her.

What a mess my life has become. The man I thought I loved is about to rip my sister's life apart, and the man I trusted with my dreams ripped them to shreds. And when all the pieces land, I'll be left with nothing but a broken heart, an empty dream, and no one to blame but my own pitiful self.

I want to be an independent woman and not need a man. And I don't need a man, but I want one, I want someone to love and be loved by. 

- Brooke Stanton, The Adventures of Natalie Bloom - 

The Misadventures of Catie Bloom (Bloom Sisters #1) by Brooke Stanton | A Book Review

I got this book about two months ago and was not able to read it right away. I apologize Miss Brooke Stanton profusely. I really am sorry for not reading this book sooner. 

The Misadventures of Catie Bloom is a hilarious disaster story. It could easily become a hit rom-com in the big screen. 

Catie Bloom is a popular lifestyle guru. Her fame started with just a blog and was later featured in a magazine. From there, Catie's life and career took off to heights she never even dreamed. From broke to writing for a hit magazine column and a segment in Wake up America. These are what dreams are made off until she was asked to do an interview which could just be the fuse to her ruin.

I signed up for a copy of this book in Library Thing and never gotten to read it right away. Now, I am scolding myself why. I was reminded again that I had this book when I read about the coming release of The Adventures of Natalie Bloom, so I decided I should find time to read this book. And I am glad I finally did. This book was like a balm to any sore or ache. This will absolutely make you forget all your discomfort. It was so hilarious and insane. I don't know if I like Catie or I want to hit her in the head. But I am impressed by how she had made it big and popular with all the lies that she filed one after the other.

Natalie Bloom, I would say, is one martyr sister. I totally understand all the sacrifices and help she gave Catie but she has to put some boundaries. Good thing, she finally realized that. Though, it had to take a lot of mishaps before she screamed enough is enough.

I definitely agree with the title. This is absolutely the capital MISADVENTURES of Catie Bloom. It was amusing watching all the characters squirm and cope with all the stress and blunders Catie has caused. At the same time, I feel for all of them. It seemed like they were powerless to stop anything at all. I totally enjoyed this book and can't wait for The Adventures of Natalie Bloom. And guess what, I already have a copy so I will be off to join her in her adventures or could it be misadventures just like Catie? I really hope so. Sounds like fun!

I give the book 4/5 pans of burned cake. I think every girl who has lied to save a job or to get out of a bind can relate to Catie Bloom. Every girl has been a Catie or a Natalie at least once in her life. I also have an older sister and we are very close. Just like Natalie, I would do anything for her, a thousand times over. And this book just reminds of that deep sisterly love that you would do anything to save or help your sister, even if it is giving up or postponing something you really want to do. This book is about trying hard to fake it till you make it and even acing it. This is about fighting for your dreams.

...but those little lies, one on top of another, had fallen hard on my small shoulders, making the consequences far worse than they would have been had I first confessed.

- Brooke Stanton, The Misadventures of Catie Bloom - 

Thank you again, Librarything.com and Brooke Stanton for the copy.

The Adventures of Natalie Bloom (Bloom Sisters #2) by Brooke Stanton | Book Release and Giveaway

The Adventures of Natalie Bloom
Brooke Stanton
(Bloom Sisters, #2)

Publication date: December 2nd, 2016

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Natalie’s dreams are about to come true. She’s found the perfect spot for her new restaurant and a perfect business partner to make it happen – gorgeous Luke Hawker – until she discovers things are not as they seem. Luke has run off with her money, leaving her dreams crumbling around her.

With Max Euston – her friend and secret crush -alongside her, Natalie must race against the clock to find Luke and get the money back before it’s too late.

With twists and turns, Natalie won’t know who to trust (or love) until the very last page.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

Here are some bonuses if you buy the book between Dec 2and Dec 6:

1: 75% off the retail price

2: entrance into an exclusive giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card

3: A FREE, advanced copy of The Downfall of Catie Bloom

The bonuses will be available in the table of contents under Bonus when you buy the eBook.

—

Q&A with Brooke Stanton

Tell us a little about yourself. 

When did you decide to become a writer?

I used to keep notebooks filled with short stories starting in middle school. If I’m going to be completely honest they were filled with some pretty risqué stories. I was young and didn’t know much about romance or sex, but my aunt wrote romance novels and I used to sneak and read them, so I tried to emulate her. I didn’t really understand the subject matter. I don’t think I’d even kissed a boy, yet. Once I got to high school, I wrote more mainstream fiction in my spiral notebooks. They were never for anyone to see. Just my own enjoyment. I went to a performing arts high school and funneled my creativity on stage at the time. But I always knew one day I would publish a book.

Why do you write?

I write for the same reason I used to get on stage and sing and act. It’s cathartic. I love diving into different stories and characters. It makes me feel alive.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

To have the freedom to write what I want in many different genres. I hope my readers love my books as much as I love writing them.

What has been the hardest part of building your career?

Being patient!

Which writers inspire you?

Jojo Moyes, Emily Giffin, Meg Cabot. All their stories and characters are interesting and unique and I love how their stories unfold. The love stories feel authentic and there’s always a bit of fun and laughter.

What have you written? (Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest).

My debut novel was the award-winning RomCom, The Misadventures of Catie Bloom. My follow-up novel is The Adventures of Natalie Bloom, which is the second book in the Bloom Sisters series (but can be read as a stand-alone). I have a blog on my website that focuses on my writing career with day-to-day life anecdotes. When I was trying to get preggers, I had a humor blog called Vagina Vacancy. I also contributed to Natural Awakenings magazine and wrote a column for examiner.com.

What inspires your ideas?

Everything! No, really. I never know when an idea is going to hit; I could be on a plane, in a car, watching a movie, reading the newspaper, about to fall asleep. My phone is filled with notes of story ideas. I have at least a dozen. And they will all be written.

Are there any correlations between the books you write and your life experiences?

The Adventures of Natalie Bloom was largely inspired by my yearly trips to Red Frog Beach in Panama. My parents own a place there and it’s a beautiful, unique, inspiring location. The wheels in my head were turning every time I went down there and out of that came this book.

My novel, How to Survive New York on Three Dates a Week (co-written by Corinne Barlow), is the most biographical. Most of the stories are pulled right from our lives. It’s scheduled to be released in early 2018.

All my books have a few anecdotes I took either directly from my life or my friends. If you know me, read carefully…you may find a bit of your life staring back at you!

Do you work from an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you?

I used to write and see where the story took me. But I found writing for discovery without any kind of outline takes too long. Now I write a short outline before I write any book. It has done wonders for the speed in which I can write a book now. And there’s still a lot to discover, even with an outline.

Tell me about your most recent release.

It’s a romantic adventure about discovering what you and what you’ll do (and won’t do) to get. It’s a bit of romance, adventure, and mystery all tied together. Natalie Bloom discovers to get what she wants she has to fight for it and not be afraid to get hurt…a hard thing to do for all of us.

Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp? 

I don’t focus on a message as much as I focus on giving my readers something to indulge in, like sneaking a pint of rocky road ice cream and savoring every morsel as it slides down. But the most prominent theme in Natalie Bloom is not letting fear get in the way of living your life – stand up for what you want and go out and get it, no matter what the obstacles.

Any new projects we should look out for?

The third and final book in the series, The Downfall of Catie Bloom, is coming out in the summer of 2017.

Author Bio:

After her own misadventures in New York City, LA and London, Brooke Stanton now lives in sunny South Florida. She's an award-winning author who has contributed to Natural Awakenings Magazine, wrote a column for Examiner.com, and is the author of The Bloom Sisters series. Visit her website brookstantonbooks.com.

Get a FREE copy of the prequel, IGNITE, here.


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