I Heart Bloomberg

86 Bloomberg Place #1

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.

As they struggle to become the women they want to be, they’ll find new hope and maybe even Kendall will learn a thing or two about life, love and the true meaning of friendship.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Chick Lit, Christian, Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary

312 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars



Okay, I didn’t love this as much as when I read it the first time, but still a good read.

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrator: Brooke Sanford Heldman
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: New Adult Christian Fiction
Length: 7h 53m

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book revolves around a house on Bloomberg. Kendall has inherited it from her grandmother and since Kendall isn't working or going to college she comes up with a plan on how to make money. She's going to rent out the other rooms in the house for $500.00.

Each potential renter will send in a resume and if they are chosen then they will do an interview.

Kendall overhyped the house and the 3 women chosen have talked Kendall into lowering the rent. They are going to do upgrades on the house in exchange.

Each of the new roommates has their own reasons for wanting to move in. Anna needs some freedom from her parents. Megan still living with her roommate from college and is ready for a change. And Lelani is here for a year from Hawaii and she is living with her aunt and family. She is ready to have her own space.

Two people in this book are awful. Both are rude and selfish and make the book hard to read in certain parts. Kendall and Megan's boss are unfavorable characters. I was hoping we'd see some major growth from Kendall but that didn't happen. Maybe that happens in the next book.

I HEART BLOOMBERG
● Kendall (22): inherited her grandmother’s house
● Megan: recent college graduate
● Anna (25): from a Hispanic family who doesn’t want her to move out
● Lelani: just moved to Portland from Hawaii. Med school dropout
● Portland, Oregon
● Christian fiction
● chic-lit
● published in 2008

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Brooke Sanford Heldman
Length: 7H 53M

[Red · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first 'christian' fiction. Possibly my last. I found the 4 girls to be caricatures, and Megan, as the only active Christian in the bunch, is written as a Mary Sue, the most virtuous and able of the 4 girls, the only one who doesn't have a skeleton in her emotional closet. Kendall is written as her polar opposite. She is a narcissistic train wreck that you can't turn away from. She is mean, clueless, alcoholic, shopoholic, bulimic, self-centered, entitled, as spoiled as she can be. We all know people with some of her qualities, but putting all of the 'bad' into this one character is over the top of piling on. The story is blessedly short, and obviously set up as the first part of a series. All in all this was a little too one dimensional for me. Reading the synopsis of the other 3 books in the series is sufficient resolution to the girls' stories for me.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 2 out of 5]

About this book:

“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.
As they struggle to become the women they want to be, they’ll find new hope and maybe even Kendall will learn a thing or two about life, love and the true meaning of friendship.”


Series: Book #1 in the “86 Bloomberg Place” series.


Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are mentioned; Prayers; Talks about God; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Megan is a Christian; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of churches; Mentions of Christians; A couple mentions of God; A couple mentions of those in the Bible; A couple mentions of devotionals & reading devotions;
*Note: Kendall mentions other religions & says she doesn’t care as long as they don’t try to convert her; A mention of a roommate from Hades.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a reference to the ‘b----’ word (“Queen B (as in B rhymes with witch”), a ‘cruddy’, a ‘crummy’, a ‘duh’, a ‘freaking’, a ‘pain in the butt’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘sucked’, a ‘witch’, two ‘dumb’s, five ‘idiot’s, and seventeen forms of ‘stupid’; Mentions of curses (said, not written); Wanting to slap someone; Drinking wine & Kemdall has a drinking (wine) problem; Many mentions of missing girls, abductions, bodies, & murders; Mentions of alcohol & wine; Mentions of parties, drinking, hangovers, drugs, cocaine, & smokers; Mentions of divorce; A few mentions of jail & rehab;
*Note: Many mentions of designers; Mentions of Starbucks & going to; A mention of a sci-fi movie with aliens.


Sexual Content- a not-detailed kiss; a ‘babe’ and a ‘tramp’; Kendall’s boyfriend wants to move-in with her, but she firmly says no; Kendall sticks to her guns on guys trying to push her; Kendall says she doesn’t want a sugar daddy because that would be disgusting; Lelani’s uncle trues for an improper embrace & gives her a creepy and violated vibe; *Spoiler* Lelani had a baby with a married man (she didn’t know he was married) *End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of boyfriends staying overnight with their girlfriend, & live-in boyfriends; Mentions of dating, boyfriends, & girlfriends; Mentions of being hit on; A couple mentions of news of a rape; A mention of a guy probably liking a girl in just her underwear; A mention of abortion;
*Note: Hints that Kendall is bulimic; Mentions of figures, boobs, & butts; Mentions of bikinis, bras, & underwear; A mention of hormones; A mention of menopause; A (teasing) mention of being lesbian or bi.

-Megan Abernathy -Lelani Porter
-Kendall Weis -Anna Mendez
P.O.V. switches between them
292 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- One Star (and a half)
Not the cleanest and definitely not the best by this author. Kendall really got on my nerves, but there’s room for her improvement for the rest of the series. She’s the Taylor (Carter House Girls) in this series. Not really one book I enjoyed due to some content and comments.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was cute in some aspects, annoying in others, and charming in certain ways.

One random “lesbian or bi” comment seemed unnecessary and pointless; it didn’t progress the plot at all and only seemed tossed in for “inclusion’s” sake.

I adored the idea of the roommates, and the ladies doing the renovation work was a neat twist on the home reno trope. The hostess of the house was quite rude and obnoxious. She really didn’t show much growth at all through this opening book of the series. I’m hoping she’ll find some in book two, or this series will become a quagmire to slog through. Lelani’s name is so beautiful, and I love that she’s got Hawaiian heritage that’s brought out in the story. She was my favorite of the characters. The lecherous uncle in the story was creepy—which means he was well written. I’m so glad he didn’t have much page time, though. Ugh! One character claimed to be great at reading people, but she had a sleazy boyfriend, so I’m not sure she’s very good at self-analyzing.

Most of the book was pretty shallow, but the Christian character’s POV was pretty deep, and that was refreshing to me, as I prefer deeper stories. This book, overall, is full of fluff and would be a great fit for readers who want a lighthearted, breezy read. I did find several charming moments splashed throughout, and they made me smile. I liked that each of the four leading ladies had their own troubles and dramas. This kept me entertained and interested in the storyline even through the not-so-deep scenes.

Content: drugs (mentioned), alcohol, sexual innuendo, crude talk, expletive, sexual term

[Jody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only give this book 2 stars because I DID finish reading. The characters were very shallow. I really wonder if the author received product kickback because many products were referenced throughout the book. For example: Clinque, Prada. I will not purchase the rest of this series.

[Jenny Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the title turned me off of the book a little, I love the author, Melody Carlson, so I decided to read it any way. And trust me the book was much better. "I Heart Bloomberg" is the first in a series about four diverse, young women living in one house together. In this book they all meet each other for the first time and move in together. Each one moving in with different motivations and very different expectations. Anna, Lelani, and Megan are all excited to move in to Kendall's house at first, but once they start to see what they signed up for, they all start to have second thoughts.

Although the book did start off a little slow as the author introduced the characters and beginning plot, it becomes very interesting and hard to put down. It has a twist in the middle that will drive you crazy until you finish it. I also liked how the author made four very different characters with very different backgrounds and ethnicities. She makes it very easy for anyone to relate to the book.

I recommend this book to any young adult or teenaged girl because this book is not only good entertainment, but also gives the reader four different perspectives of life. It shows the reader how each decision we make effects our lives and the people around us.

[W · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to start on this book? It started out as a light hearted chiclit book. I guess it ended that way too, but boy did I HATE this book. Megan was pretty much a mary sue. Everyone except Kendall and her boss thought she was the best thing since sliced bread. Kendall is my least favorite character ever. Actually, maybe she passed Twilight's Bella and is #1. There was nothing likable or redeemable about her. She was like Paris Hilton only worse. At least Paris sort of works. The plot was pointless and there was very little character development. The only characters I really liked were Gil and Marcus and they were secondary characters. I can see why this book was free on Kindle. Don't even bother, even for free.

[Celestial · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was actually relatively surprised when I liked this book. I wasn't completely sure I would enjoy a book about four girls living together but thought it was worth a try anyways.
This is one of those books that you didn't realize you read so fast. When you are at the end you think, "Wow, that went by fast". To me this is a good thing.
Each chapter of the book is from one of the four girls' perspective. The constant switching of perspectives is probably what made the book go by fast because at each chapter you learned a new things about every character.

Megan is a already independent girl who just graduated college and has a talent with interior designing. She is the fighter, stubborn, and most hardworking out of the girls. Megan is also the only Christian (so far).
Lelani is med student drop-out ,(not as bad as it sounds), from Hawaii with a backstory. She is the most compassionate, easygoing, thoughtful girl in the house.
Anna is a mama's girl that is looking for some independence from her large Latino family. She is the most outspoken, supportive, and concerned/motherly girl out of the four.
Kendall is a college drop-out that has a drinking problem and is a shopaholic. She is by far the most spoiled, self-centered, lazy roommate out of them all. Ahhh! She is a jerk. Not a lovable one at ALL. I just hope she will somehow get nicer throughout the books, which is very doubtful. Honestly the girls in this book are crazy nice to Kendall in the end. All I have to say to that is that they are likely much more nice to her than I'd be.

These girls together learn how to live with each other, fix up a dingy looking house, and try to stay safe from the kidnapper that his kidnapping young woman. This book was surprisingly good (as I stated earlier). I recommend this book to contemporary lovers. The only I was slightly confused about this book is that it is supposed to be Christian, but God was only mentioned a few times, and only one of the four main characters is a believer. I would like to see how this plays out and if other characters end up getting saved.

Warning: The content in this book may be to mature for kids under 13 years old.

[Stephany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, although I can't say it should be labeled a "Christian" book, as no real Christian values were discussed. One of the girls is a Christian, although that's just talked about a few times but never really acted on.

I think it was a good book, but I'm hoping her next three in the series are a lot better. The characters weren't too cliche, which I really liked. They all had their own struggles and internal battles and it'll be interesting to see how they work them out.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Heart Bloomberg is about one obnoxious woman named Kendall whose grandmother gave her a house. She decides to rent out the extra three bedrooms as a way to make some extra money so she doesn't have to work. The house is in pretty bad condition, and the amount of rent she wanted was too high. So the three girls she decides to rent the rooms to talk her down in price in exchange for fixing up the house a bit.

I feel like I just gave away the whole plot. In a way, I did. There's really not a whole lot to the story. It's just about getting to know the four women, with each chapter being about a different girl. Not very much happened in this story, and to be honest, I kept expecting something.

Now, it sounds like I didn't like the book, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought the characters were interesting, if a bit cardboard at times, and Kendall was one of those characters that you love to hate. Or just hate, but who keep the story interesting. I kind of liked that it was told from different viewpoints, even though there were times when I wanted to just keep reading about what happened with one character.

This was the start of a series, and I think I'll keep reading. I'm interested to see the characters interact more, and have more to the story than just introductory stuff. I would rate this book 4/5, and would recommend it to chick-lit lovers. It was very very light on the Christianity, so I hesitate to even qualify it as Christian fiction, although it was. So if you're looking for something really inspirational, look elsewhere. And if you just like chick-lit, but don't really like religious stuff in your books, this one is pretty safe.

[Keris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melody Carlson, author of more than 200 books, returns with a new book, I Heart Bloomberg which will be released in April. Set in Portland, Oregon, the book is the first in the 86 Bloomberg Place series. Carlson takes a look into the lives and friendships of four new roommates. As you’ve probably guessed, the girls live at 86 Bloomberg Place.

Kendall, who received the house as a gift from her grandmother, has decided to take in renters in lieu of getting a job. Who wants to work when you can pay for your shopping sprees by collecting rent? She sets out to find three roommates, going so far as to ask for resumes in her newspaper ad.

To read the rest of this review, please visit Trashionista

[Megan Mweemba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't one of Melody Carlson's best, but it was still good. I felt that I need to read the rest in the series (which I will) to get the whole plot. But she still weaves interesting characters together and makes an interesting story. I would have liked to know more details about, well, for example, Lelani's story. But I'm assuming that those details will show up in the sequels.

A few more notes: I forgot to mention Kendall's character. She is so obnoxious!! If that isn't resolved in the other novels, I'll be mad.

I found that it's weird reading a novel where one of the main characters has my name. But she's pretty cool, so it's okay.

All in all, the plot was good, but not developed.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's classic chick lit, but it was entertaining. I probably like it more because the characters are in the same phase of life as I am.However, it seems to me that the 4 main characters have a little more depth to them then your average chick lit book. And even though it is a "Christian" book, only 1 of the characters is a Christian (that we know of) and she's definitely not perfect, I like that Carlson makes her real. However, all the other "non-Christian characters have for some reason good morals, which make sit more obvious that this is in the Christian literature genre. But overall, I enjoyed the read, it even made me think a little!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book of the Bloomberg series sets things up for the following books. As such, not a great deal happened, but we did get to know the characters and the house on Bloomberg.

It is definitely chick lit, but a little more than that as well. Yes, it's light, easy reading, but it also opens the door to a number of issues that young women face. And the main characters all have issues (one more than the others).

It was these issues in the four main characters that actually kept I Heart Bloomberg interesting. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Nikita58467 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was one of the free ebook on Kindle so I got it and finished reading it in a short period of time.

It advertised as something like Sex and the city Christian chick lit. It was definitely interesting to read if you want a light book but it's not great writing or anything.

[Charly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read this boring book. It's a waste of time. The writing is slow and shallow. Too bad because the subject has to much potential. This was my first book from this writer and I don't think I will read other books from her.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent chick lit, start to a series about four young women who move into a house together.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun and light. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. Its a simple becoming friends story. It kind of echos 'sisterhood of the traveling pants' a bit.

[Halee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come!!!

[Jack Vasen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This first book in the series tells a complete story and could stand alone. However, it does end abruptly and also leaves some threads open for further stories. In fact, looking deeper into the story, it is apparent that there are larger stories that will unfold as the series progresses. Just noticed I already read the second book and this is definitely a series built around an extended story.

It is unusual for me to read a book where one of the focused characters (she gets regular chapters in her POV) to be not just unlikable but thoroughly so. Kendall is at best a spoiled brat. That is probably the point of the story and towards the end Kendall becomes even more prominent in the story.

Not only are some or all of the main characters caricaturized but relatives and friends, especially a couple of parents are very one dimensional. Anna's mom has no depth beyond being overly worried and protective. Lelani's parents come off in a very negative way, but that part of the story begs for expansion partially in hopes that her parents' behaviors will have more reasonable explanations. Throw in Lelani's uncle and aunt and the whole family starts to stink like the house's carpets. Megan is perhaps two dimensional as opposed to one dimensional, but there is still something rigid about her. The three men hanging around the house don't get that much development in this book, but somehow they seem more understandable than any of the women.

This is a "christian book". Megan is portrayed as a good little church girl who prays for Kendall and others. Even this lacks any real depth but has the feel of sermonettes for christianettes. Perhaps that is because her behavior and attitudes are stressed but there is almost nothing regarding faith.

Mature themes: there is no sex described but there is an attempt at an incestuous and coerced seduction. Alcohol and drugs are abused. There are issues raised about one person's potential mental instability.

[Grace Tolman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking at something to listen to through my OverDrive account and this one happened to be available. This was my first read from the author and my verdict, it was OK.
I thought the book would be more interesting being that there are 4 main characters, all single female in their 20s and with diverse backgrounds and personalities. Plus there was a crime mystery in the background as well. But as the book progressed, I felt a bit let down. I felt the beginning was slow. I tried to understand the fact that with 4 heroines, it takes sometime to present each perspective. However at the last 5 chapters, I was hoping that there futures would be kind of resolved. I didn't know if any of the love interests presented within this book ever came to fruition. I did notice that this is #1 in a series, but I was hoping that at least one character would have her "happily ever after" resolved by the end of the book. Now I'm just not invested in any of the characters to even care to read the rest of the story.
Plus Kendall's character was so annoying. I'm sure that part of that was to make her the villain in the book and if that is the case, then the author did a great job of it, because I really dislike her snobbish, entitled, childish persona. It grated me everytime she would try to rationalize her behavior.
So over all, it was a OK book. Definitely clean and has some relatability going on there but I just wished that the book pacing was better and the ending more satisfying.

[Danielle Turko · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Kendall places the ad in the paper to find 3 roommates, she may have exaggerated the details slightly. While the house her nana gave her was in a good neighbourhood, she was using the term 'luxurious' loosely. It;s the only way she can think of to support her shopping habit though, and so she sifts through all the applicants to find the right fits. When Anna, Leilani, and Megan are selected, she expects the money to start rolling in. What she doesn't expect is all of them banding together to lower their rent, and demanding she provide supplies for renovations. Megan is the daughter of a contractor who recently passed away and she's sure they can get it all done by themselves. Leilani is a med school dropout who moved to the mainland for at least a year to learn how to be an adult at her parents request. Anna just wants to cut the apron strings from her mother, and is sure moving out of the house is the first step. These four women are going to learn things from each other on life, love, and friendship.
This was a very quick read. It wasn't a high page count and the story was fast paced so you kept reading. The story switched between all 4 perspectives so it wasn't one sided and I always love anything by Melody Carlson

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed a light book to listen to while I had a long drive and this was the first one that popped up as available. I had no idea what it was about other than "chick lit". I was pleasantly surprised with how I was entertained enough. Though it was pretty predictable and the characters were pretty stereotypical. It was interesting that most of them had a secret and inner demon that they struggled with.

The Christian aspect was touched on several times as a main character had a solid moral compass and discussed her religion many times.

The whole book could be considered a chick lit version of the parable of the prodigal son from the Bible.

[Dr Ariel Rainey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm up to my eyeballs in doctoral classes right now, so I wanted an audiobook that would require very little engagement while I exercise, and a friend mentioned that this series was pretty low engagement.

Boy, was she right. This book was laaaaaaaame, but I did finish it. I certainly didn't need to worry about a complex plot or list of characters. Kendall is just a TERRIBLE character; name a vice and she has it--alcoholism, bulimia, shopaholic, narcissistic, and even sociopathic behavior at times. I get that she is a negative character but seriously, maybe save a little storyline for other characters.

[Heather Robinson (GFB) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it enough to read the next book, but I found Megan's character to be 1-dimensional, Kendall I think the author went overboard in with negative attributes I found Kendall's bf to be sleazy him having legitimate interest in Megan is unbelievable, and uncomfortable. Megan is portrayed as a mature Christian who's been in college, she's not ugly. While different Christians are of course different I find it very hard to believe she's never thought about dating from a Christian perspective. Even if I weren't to agree with her perspective she should at least have thought about it before.

[Soquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't age well but still cute

I think this could be a cute Hallmark show about 4 girls who are the anti-sex-in-the-city crowd. Christian roommates in a fixer-upper whose lives are intertwined. This book was all just set up for a series where we are introduced the four women, their jobs, families, backstories, and potential love interests. I liked that it was clean - no language, no violence, and no adult situations to make one cringe but I don't think this is a series that can hold my interest for now. I'm not going to write it completely off but I don't see me reading more this year.

[Jennifer Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming

I had high hopes for an easy chick-lit read that would be clean and heartwarming but instead kept waiting for the story to take flight. It never did. I was also highly disappointed by the casual, as well as a bit flippant, attitude toward Christian faith. I’m usually pretty easy to please as a reader, but I find myself very disappointed right now after finishing the book.

[TheModestMillennial · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent book. The technical writing was good, including grammar, story flow, and character development, but it's just not my kind of book. I don't like it when you have to read a whole series to get any sort of plot development, so it's kind of off-putting to have an entire book that feels like a set up for the real story. If you're looking for a clean fiction with no romance and teeny-bopper drama, this is the book for you.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Up front, this is a DNF for me. I listened to 56% of the audio so I gave it plenty of time to get better. It didn't. Unless you're into shallow, spoiled brat, whining and complaining, and playing the blame game this isn't a book you want to waste your time on.
I borrowed an audio from the Libby digital library and it actually must have been uploaded from discs because it had the narration to put in the next disc to continue. That was a real buster too.
I was not required to write a review.