Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook–a recent She Reads Book Club Selection.

Deirdre Griffin has no life. Or rather she has one, but it belongs to her domineering family and her narcissistic celebrity New Age guru brother, Tag. When Deirdre’s on-again-off-again boyfriend tells her he’s getting married–to a woman who happens to be pregnant with the baby he always denied Deirdre–she comes unglued. While drunk on her brother’s pricey vodka, she uses her social media savvy to get herself voted onto Dancing with the Stars. Once sober, she’s horrified at what she’s done, but eventually she embraces the challenge, seeing it as the chance to get back in shape, build her confidence–and maybe even reclaim her life.

With Wallflower in Bloom, Claire Cook (whose Must Love Dogs was made into a movie starring Diane Lane and John Cusack) brings her fans another trademark sassy, lighthearted piece of women’s fiction. Though it’s fluffier than my usual fare, I enjoyed this read. You can’t help but root for this hapless heroine, a doormat who finally learned to shake herself off and stand upright. I held my breath with every backslide, exhaled with relief at every good step forward, and finally cheered from my comfy armchair as Deirdre conquered her pesky (and quite funny) demons.

In terms of plotting, I liked that Claire Cook resisted the urge to tack on an incredible ending. Instead the story ends short of complete transformation while leaving plenty of room for hope. All in all, Wallflower in Bloom is a whimsical, contemporary fable reminiscent of Tom Hank’s nostalgic movie That Thing You Do. The book didn’t take itself too seriously, and neither did I.

4/5 stars. Fizzy and fun.

Thanks to Touchstone for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All expressed opinions are mine.

Readers, what was the last book you read that had you laughing out loud? Recommendations? Share your thoughts in a comment (by October 11, 2012) to be entered in a drawing for Wallflower in Bloom (continental U.S. residents only, please).