Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah

Title: THREE WEDDINGS & A BAR MITZVAH
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: David C. Cook
September 2009
ISBN: 978-1-58919-108-2
Genre: Inspirational/women’s fiction

Lelani and Gil are finally planning their wedding while balancing medical school for Lelani and childcare for her almost one year old baby Emma. Except they are having trouble deciding the when and where. Lelani’s dream wedding has always been the beach in Hawaii, and Gil seems prepared to give it to her, but Lelani worries about upsetting her soon to be mother-in-law, and her roommates may not be able to attend if she marries in Hawaii.

Kendall has also received a proposal from her Hawaiian boyfriend, and she is excitedly trying to plan her wedding for the same day as Lelani’s, less than two months away. But that weekend is shaping up to be pretty busy as there is another wedding planned that same weekend, plus a bar mitzvah.

Anna is worried because her boyfriend seems to have been wowed by a flirty co-worker, plus she needs to find a new place to live. And Megan is uncertain about the future of her relationship with Marcus as he plans a mission trip to Africa. The pressure is on. Is their friendship strong enough to weather the hassle and heartbreaks?

THREE WEDDINGS & A BAR MITZVAH is the final installment in the 86 Bloomberg Place series. I had the privilege of reading the first two books in the series, but not the third book and I really feel that I missed out on a lot by not reading Spring Broke. As a result I recommend reading all four books in order, so you don’t miss one part of the fascinating journey these roommates traveled.


Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah

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

for bridesmaids, wedding locations, and showers takes center stage



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?



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


I enjoyed getting to know these characters, and traveling with them as they worked out the tangle of their lives. I am going to miss them. Discussion questions and an interview with Melody Carlson are included at the end of the book. Don’t miss THREE WEDDINGS & A BAR MITZVAH. $14.99. 294 pages.