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Bloom Saga #1
Love in Bloom's
The Blooms have run the family deli for generations, and nothing will change that. So when the president meets an untimely demise, Julia Bloom is appointed to the top seat - much to everyone's surprise, including hers! Will Julia be able to reconnect to a forgotten passion, the blessings of her crazy family....and good food?
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
6 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Judith Arnold
183 books173 followersBarbara Keiler
aka Ariel Berk, Thea Frederick, Judith Arnold
Barbara Keiler was born on April 7th. She started telling stories before shecould write. She was four when her sister, Carolyn, stuffed a crayon intoher hand and taught her the alphabet, and she's been writing ever since.
Barbara is a graduate of Smith College, where she learned to aim for thestars, and she received a master's degree in creative writing from BrownUniversity, where she took aim at a good-looking graduate student in thechemistry department and wound up marrying him. She says: "Before myhusband and I were married, I had a job in California and he was working onhis Ph.D. in Rhode Island. I became ill, and he hopped on a plane and flewacross the country to be with me. Neither of us had any money, but he saidhe simply couldn't concentrate on his research, knowing I was three thousandmiles away and facing a serious health problem all by myself. He stayed fortwo weeks, until I was pretty well recovered. That he would just drop whathe was doing, put his life on hold and race to my side told me how much heloved me. After that, I knew this was the man I wanted to marry."
Barbara has received writing fellowships from the Shubert Foundation and theNational Endowment for the Arts, and has taught at colleges and universitiesaround the country. She has also written several plays that have beenprofessionally staged at regional theaters in San Francisco, Washington, D.C.,Connecticut and off-off-Broadway.
Since her first romance novel's publication in 1983 as Ariel Berk. Shewrote one novel as Thea Frederick, and since 1985 she writes asJudith Arnold. Barbara has sold more than 70 novels, with eight millioncopies in print worldwide. She has recently signed a contract with MIRABooks. Her first MIRA novel will appear in 2001. She has received severalawards from Romantic Times Magazine, including awards for the Best HarlequinAmerican Romance of the Year, Best Harlequin Superromance of the Year, BestSeries Romantic Novel of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Certificate ofMerit for Innovative Series Romance. She has also been a finalist for theGolden Medallion Award and the RITA Award for Romance Writer of America. Hernovel Barefoot in the Grass has appeared on the recommended reading listsdistributed by cancer support services at several hospitals.
Barbara lives in a small town not far from Boston, Massachusetts, New England with her husband, two teenage sons, and a guinea pig named Wilbur. Her sister Carolyn died of breast cancer in 1998.
aka Ariel Berk, Thea Frederick, Judith Arnold
Barbara Keiler was born on April 7th. She started telling stories before shecould write. She was four when her sister, Carolyn, stuffed a crayon intoher hand and taught her the alphabet, and she's been writing ever since.
Barbara is a graduate of Smith College, where she learned to aim for thestars, and she received a master's degree in creative writing from BrownUniversity, where she took aim at a good-looking graduate student in thechemistry department and wound up marrying him. She says: "Before myhusband and I were married, I had a job in California and he was working onhis Ph.D. in Rhode Island. I became ill, and he hopped on a plane and flewacross the country to be with me. Neither of us had any money, but he saidhe simply couldn't concentrate on his research, knowing I was three thousandmiles away and facing a serious health problem all by myself. He stayed fortwo weeks, until I was pretty well recovered. That he would just drop whathe was doing, put his life on hold and race to my side told me how much heloved me. After that, I knew this was the man I wanted to marry."
Barbara has received writing fellowships from the Shubert Foundation and theNational Endowment for the Arts, and has taught at colleges and universitiesaround the country. She has also written several plays that have beenprofessionally staged at regional theaters in San Francisco, Washington, D.C.,Connecticut and off-off-Broadway.
Since her first romance novel's publication in 1983 as Ariel Berk. Shewrote one novel as Thea Frederick, and since 1985 she writes asJudith Arnold. Barbara has sold more than 70 novels, with eight millioncopies in print worldwide. She has recently signed a contract with MIRABooks. Her first MIRA novel will appear in 2001. She has received severalawards from Romantic Times Magazine, including awards for the Best HarlequinAmerican Romance of the Year, Best Harlequin Superromance of the Year, BestSeries Romantic Novel of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Certificate ofMerit for Innovative Series Romance. She has also been a finalist for theGolden Medallion Award and the RITA Award for Romance Writer of America. Hernovel Barefoot in the Grass has appeared on the recommended reading listsdistributed by cancer support services at several hospitals.
Barbara lives in a small town not far from Boston, Massachusetts, New England with her husband, two teenage sons, and a guinea pig named Wilbur. Her sister Carolyn died of breast cancer in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 14, 2011
Updating my "read" books. I reviewed this for All About Romance years ago. The review is archived HERE
April 12, 2022
Love in Bloom's by Judith Arnold
Story is about the family store and the grandmother and mother both live above it in their high-rise.
Julia is the lawyer but works at the law firm, NOT the store. Her sister and mother both work in the store and have for years and have put their whole life on hold to do their jobs.
When they learn Julia is to get the presidency they don't understand. Their uncle also thinks the job will be his. He's a playboy, plays golf and has fancy cars and likes his computer.
Products of the store appeal to the community and they have brilliant ideas in how to expand and what to select for new items.
We learn of the history of the store and family coming to the US from the mother country.
The mother and sisters collaborate and come up with a plan that will allow them all to do what they want to, Julia at her law job, giving brief appearances in the store, others will work their running the store as they've been doing.
Funny that the grandmother thinks because the granddaughter has a tattoo won't fit into being president and her daughter had her nose job and doesn't fit, LOL
I keep thinking somebody is going to get thrown under the bus...Lots of clues to gather to find out who the culprit is. Bit odd genre for me, lots of drama.
Adult situations. About the author and her works are listed at the end.
Received this review copy from The Story Plant and this is my honest opinion.
Story is about the family store and the grandmother and mother both live above it in their high-rise.
Julia is the lawyer but works at the law firm, NOT the store. Her sister and mother both work in the store and have for years and have put their whole life on hold to do their jobs.
When they learn Julia is to get the presidency they don't understand. Their uncle also thinks the job will be his. He's a playboy, plays golf and has fancy cars and likes his computer.
Products of the store appeal to the community and they have brilliant ideas in how to expand and what to select for new items.
We learn of the history of the store and family coming to the US from the mother country.
The mother and sisters collaborate and come up with a plan that will allow them all to do what they want to, Julia at her law job, giving brief appearances in the store, others will work their running the store as they've been doing.
Funny that the grandmother thinks because the granddaughter has a tattoo won't fit into being president and her daughter had her nose job and doesn't fit, LOL
I keep thinking somebody is going to get thrown under the bus...Lots of clues to gather to find out who the culprit is. Bit odd genre for me, lots of drama.
Adult situations. About the author and her works are listed at the end.
Received this review copy from The Story Plant and this is my honest opinion.
January 22, 2018
This book was better than I expected. Was looking for an enjoyable and quick read while on a road trip. Story was not typical love story but involved a whole family. The author made the book enjoyable with a little humor. The characters were all developed very well. Julia is practicing law when her grandmother tells her she is making her president of the family business Blloom's. Other characters are Julia's mother Sondra and Julia's sister and brother Susie and Adam. An Aunt Martha and Aunt Wendy and Uncle Jay. Assistant at Blooms- Deidree. Julia and Susie are very different but are very close and support each other. Julia decides she really wants to run Blooms and as she looks at the books some mysteries arise. Ron comes to write an article about the store for a popular magazine and he and Julia click. Susie has eyes on the young man that works in the bagel area. The Grandmother is a character but we learn there is another side to her. Cute story and all comes together.
December 5, 2017
Non che mi ispirasse granchè, ma ho tanti punti su book mooch quindi l’ho richiesto. E mi è pure arrivato piegato, macchiato e farcito di briciole. Meno male che era in "condizioni buone"...
Intanto comincia con un salto temporale ed è una cosa che mi infastidisce. Un capitolo e poi andiamo a un mese prima. Ma anche no. Che bisogno c’era? Poi, non ho nulla contro gli ebrei, ma ogni tre righe c’è una parola “kosher”: abbiamo capito che si parla di un negozio ebraico, c’è bisogno di ribadirlo ogni tre per due? L’autrice fa poi dei paragoni uomo-cioccolatino, ovvero per ogni pralina, ovetto, cremino e sue varianti esiste un corrispondente tipo di maschio. Che farà anche ridere, per carità, ma a me sembra un po’ di cattivo gusto. Insomma, ho sbadigliato per una quarantina di pagine e poi mi sono arresa.
Intanto comincia con un salto temporale ed è una cosa che mi infastidisce. Un capitolo e poi andiamo a un mese prima. Ma anche no. Che bisogno c’era? Poi, non ho nulla contro gli ebrei, ma ogni tre righe c’è una parola “kosher”: abbiamo capito che si parla di un negozio ebraico, c’è bisogno di ribadirlo ogni tre per due? L’autrice fa poi dei paragoni uomo-cioccolatino, ovvero per ogni pralina, ovetto, cremino e sue varianti esiste un corrispondente tipo di maschio. Che farà anche ridere, per carità, ma a me sembra un po’ di cattivo gusto. Insomma, ho sbadigliato per una quarantina di pagine e poi mi sono arresa.
November 27, 2019
Loved the colorful characters. What could be more New Yorkish than a family ran, Jewish deli! The matriarc grandmother appoints her favorite grandaughter to head the company instead of her remaining son. No one supports this idea but you don't say no to Grandmother...
A real challenge for Julia as she is faced with a nosy reporter trying to write the good, the bad and the ugly side of the famous deli. There's a bagel thief on the loose, along with underlying resentments, a bit of romance, and quirky personalities that make up this story. Fun and entertaining!
A real challenge for Julia as she is faced with a nosy reporter trying to write the good, the bad and the ugly side of the famous deli. There's a bagel thief on the loose, along with underlying resentments, a bit of romance, and quirky personalities that make up this story. Fun and entertaining!
May 19, 2025
I love everything about this book. Yes, it’s a complete fantasy but it has real color. It also does that thing that I value the most in light reading—the plot is real but there is no second-hand embarrassment. There’s nothing simple dramatic tension is sufficient to advance the story while being gentle enough to not cause indigestion it did, however make me hungry. I’ll have more of the, please!
January 3, 2018
Cute romance revolving around a Jewish Family deli in NYC. Fun and relaxing.
October 7, 2024
This is a cute romance.
February 16, 2010
This book appeared to be trying to portray an idiosyncratic but lovable family that unfortunately wasn't that loveable. Most characters didn't change much in the book, and the plot was... very unplotlike. Considering that the main event was the disappearance of 150 bagels a week (this was mentioned in every chapter) and then one of the characters told us who stole the bagels. Mystery solved. The writing was ok, but definitely not my favorite book.
July 28, 2014
A Jewish family delicatessen empire overseen by a domineering 88 year old grandmother who calls the shots and decides her lawyer granddaughter will run the company even though she is employed elsewhere. I enjoyed that it was set in New York. There are several fun characters to enjoy in this light read. Just enough steaminess for a summer beachy read.
December 8, 2008
Too silly for me. I skimmed through it.
August 1, 2013
The first third of the book was hard to get through due to repetitive whining by the main character. After that, it moved much faster.
October 12, 2014
Cute story of a family who runs a deli in NYC. President of Blooms dies. Grandmother appoints Julie. Love story and family story.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews