Claire Cook is well known for being a brilliant storyteller
with a gift for spinning stories that resonate with women
everywhere. And in her latest novel, WALLFLOWER IN BLOOM,
she really grabs the reader's attention with a story that
is funny, romantic and inspiring. Plus, there's lot of
dancing!
Deirdre Griffin is the typical middle child. Her older
brother, Tag, is a famous New-Age guru who has the world
charmed with his wit and wisdom. Deirdre's younger sister
Joanie is the princess of the family, always grabbing the
attention when she can. And that leaves Deirdre to take up
the slack for both of her siblings, thus making her feel
like an invisible wallflower in her family, a role her
family has just allowed her to assume. But that's all
about to change!
Deirdre is Tag's assistant, and is literally on call twenty-
four-hours-per-day. She lives in a converted sheep shed on
his large New England seaside compound where his ex-wives,
children, and the rest of their family live as well. And
all is well, until one day when Deirdre has decided that
she has just had enough!
She is sick and tired of living in Tag's shadow, being his
personal assistant and minion. So she decides to change
things in her own life around. In a fanciful moment, with
courage fueled by Tag's expensive liquors, Deirdre takes
the plunge and she hops on Tag's social media site and
encourages his thousands of followers to vote for her as
the wildcard replacement on 'Dancing With the Stars'.
Only one problem -- Deirdre can't really dance! But when
she is selected to participate, she has no choice but to
plug along with the plan to find her true self. And all too
soon she finds out that she just might not be really not
cut-out to be a dancer, and that she carries a bit too much
weight. However, her partner, the handsome but strict Ilya
is a marvelous, professional dancer who is able to help her
learn. He has the patience of a saint. Deirdre realizes
with five to six hours of practicing the same dance steps
over and over and over every single day that she must
somehow forget the "wallflower" part of her personality and
really "bloom!" To her surprise, she learns that she does
have it within herself to be the woman she wants to be.
WALLFLOWER IN BLOOM is absolutely, hands-down, Claire
Cook's best novel to date. And with the new season
of "Dancing With The Stars" resuming, this is a timely book
as well. Cook's characters are delightful and quirky, and
the storyline is fast paced and lively with just the right
touch of humor and romance. Slip on your dancing shoes and
enjoy a few spins around the floor with this charming novel!
Deirdre Griffin has a great life; it's just not her own.
She's the round-the-clock personal assistant to her
charismatic, high-maintenance, New Age guru brother, Tag. As
the family wallflower, her only worth seems to be as
gatekeeper to Tag at his New England seaside compound. Then
Deirdre's sometime-boyfriend informs her that he is marrying
another woman, who just happens to be having the baby he
told Deirdre he never wanted. While drowning her sorrows
with Tag's vodka, Deirdre comes up with an idea. She'll use
his massive online following to get herself voted on as a
last-minute replacement on "Dancing with the Stars." It'll
get her back in shape, mentally and physically. It might
even get her a life of her own. Deirdre Griffin's fifteen
minutes of fame has begun. Irresistible, offbeat, yet with a
thoroughly relatable and appealing heroine, this is an
original and deeply satisfying story of one woman who's
ready to take a leap into the spotlight, no matter where she
lands.