Review by Booklist Review
Mitchell, an actor on the television show Pretty Little Liars, and her best friend, Blaney, a publicist, co-wrote this entertaining, unabashedly escapist novel about three childhood friends' paths from Vancouver to Hollywood. After a terrible breakup, Demi goes into a drunken spiral and loses her job and her driver's license. She is rescued by her friend, Sophia, an aspiring actress who has finally landed a television pilot. The two move to L.A. together, and despite some initial rough patches, they find that titular bliss. Meanwhile, their friend Leandra graduates from a university in Toronto and sets off on a jaunt around the globe, picking up a new, wealthy boyfriend and lavish gifts in Thailand, London, and finally L.A. This lively tale is peppered with designer brand names, corny inspirational quotes found on Instagram, and sexual and alcohol-fueled escapades. Though lacking substance and polish, Bliss will be in demand and all over social media thanks to author star power and a big marketing push.--Walker, Aleksandra Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Demi, Sophia, and Leandra were best friends in high school and made a pact always to chase their dreams and stay true to one another. Fast-forward a few years, and the three young women are wading through the mistakes and missed opportunities that come with early adulthood. Sophia struggles as an aspiring actress, Demi seeks solace in a bottle of booze when she breaks up with the boyfriend on whom she had based her life, and Leandra heads abroad to find a suitable (read: rich) husband. Each woman must face her own share of heartache and each of the women makes questionable choices along the way, including plenty of steamy sessions with shady men. When they hit rock bottom, they face the choice of running away or back to one another. Verdict Since this is coauthored by Pretty Little Liars actress Mitchell, this title will be in demand, although it is run-of-the-mill chick lit lacking any sort of spark. The characters may not resonate easily with the readers because of the glitzy lifestyles they pursue.-Chelsie Harris, San Diego Cty. Lib. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Three friends make a pact to follow their bliss wherever it may lead themand mostly find troublein this debut by ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars star Mitchell and her best friend, Blaney. Jet-setting from Vancouver to Thailand, London, and Hollywood, the ladies have an enviable itinerary, but when you're young and aimless, bliss is hard to define. The only person with real ambition at the outset is Sophia, an aspiring actress whose dreams of stardom may come true when she's called to audition for a new TV series in Los Angeles. Demi has to redefine her goals when she catches her live-in boyfriend with another woman, sending her on a downward spiral that ultimately awakens her passion for cooking. (Recipes are included.) Only gold-digging Leandra sticks to her original plan: using her looks to get what she wants. Desperate for cash, Leandra latches on to a rich man in Bangkokthe first of many cringe-inducing moments in which she cons adoring men out of their money. Typical 20-something experiencesfirst jobs, broken hearts, and grabby men in barsturn into worst-case scenarios faster than the girls can reapply their lip gloss. If not for the pearls of self-help wisdom that precede each chapter"Sometimes the most important life lessons are the ones we have to learn the hard way"the theme of finding one's bliss might be lost in the fray. A steamy and scandalous read. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
