for bridesmaids, wedding locations, and showers takes center stage

Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah by Melody Carlson

In the final installment of the 86 Bloomberg Place series, a crazed competition

In a wild combination of Desperate Housewives, Sex and the City, and Gilmore Girls-with all of the drama but none of the taboo-beloved author Melody Carlson offers readers her final installment in the 86 Bloomberg Place series, Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah (David C Cook, September 2009).  Written in her well-known conversational, colloquial style, Carlson's latest novel continues to follow four diverse young women, with varying levels of faith, differing interests, and unique personal issues, through the high dramas of their romantic lives. 

The four-book 86 Bloomberg Place series offers an emotionally engaging look at the individual dilemmas of four unlikely female friends-Kendall, Lelani, Anna, and Megan-who share a small bungalow while launching their careers and maturing through difficult family situations and romantic relationships.  Carlson's unique ability to capture young women's attitudes, voices, and heartfelt desires with meaningful storytelling keeps pace with the lives of her readers as she weaves varying perspectives and voices together with both humorous and poignant threads.     

In Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah, Lelani has returned from Maui to Bloomberg Place with her toddler Emma and is trying to book her wedding date.  Unfortunately, there are scheduling conflicts for that same weekend.  For starters, Megan and Marcus have a family wedding commitment.  Anna and Edmond have promised to attend his stepbrother's Bar Mitzvah and, to everyone's surprise, Kendall has just accepted her "Maui Man's" proposal of marriage and also wants to be wed on that same weekend in June.  Let the games begin!

To complicate matters, Lelani wants to keep her wedding simple, but Gil (the groom) has a Latina mama with other ideas.  Meanwhile Kendall (the pregnant bride) wants to pull out all the stops on her wedding-and suddenly her absentee parents are on the scene.  A crazed competition for bridesmaids, wedding locations, showers, attention, and a little peace and quiet takes over 86 Bloomberg Place.  Yet at the same time, friendships are being forged that will last a lifetime.

With only two months to pull off both weddings (on the same day), the pressure is on, and the stress just might kill all promise of happily ever after.  Are their friendships strong enough to weather the hassles and heartaches?

Author Bio

Melody Carlson has published more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with many on best-seller lists.  Several books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards, including the Gold Medallion and the RITA Award.  She and her husband live in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and have two grown sons.

Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah by Melody Carlson

David C Cook/September 2009

ISBN: 978-1-5891-9108-2/softcover/320 pages/$14.99

www.davidccook.com  www.melodycarlson.com