A September Bride

This was another fun read in the Year of Weddings novella series.
Annie Price has recently moved to Red Leaf to take up a job she loves: manager of a second hand bookshop, whose elderly owner, Lorna Kent, she had met online. Unfortunately, barely days into her new job, the police officer who pulls her over for for a fault on her car turns out to be Lorna's son Jesse, who is very suspicious of Annie.

The scene is set for romance, and Kathryn Springer does not disappoint. Neat characterisation and descriptive settings make the reader smile as attraction between Annie and Jesse deepens. Then the local historical society, with which Annie is involved, decides to reenact the wedding of a couple who were instrumental in founding Red Leaf. A relative lends the original wedding dress for the event, and Annie is the only one who can fit into it. Meanwhile, Jesse is then inveigled into taking the part of the groom...

A light bit of escapism in a sweet series: probably one of the best so far. I really enjoyed Springer's writing style and will look for more by this author.

I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

An August Bride by Debra Clopton

Review no 2. I read An August Bride in August, some light relief in the middle of hectic preparations for our own lovely August Wedding.

Right in the opening of the book Kelsey Wilcox, who has escaped a jilting fiance and her ranching background, is rescued from drowning by Brent Corbin. The sparks of attraction fly between them, but the path of love is not at all smooth.

Kelsey has made a new life for herself, surviving the disappointment of losing her cowboy fiance when he jilted her at the altar AND her father's loss of the family ranch when lack of finances made it impossible to continue.

She has vowed never to have anything to do with cowboys again, having built up her own bakery and cafe business on the beach, but Brent farms a cattle ranch nearby and she finds herself going out there to visit.

As the love story unfolds, with the help of Kelsey's aunt and her two friends who are known as the Matchmakin' Posse of Mule Hollow, we walk with Kelsey as she is faced with her own bitterness. She realises that her dislike of weddings and prejudice against cowboys stem from her own sense of betrayal but that she CAN dare to trust again.  And haven't most women felt like this at some time or another? Walking Kelsey's journey with her, as she gets to know a man who loves and respects her, encourages women with the hope of finding love again.

This was an easy-read little romance, which I read through the Booklook Bloggers program, which provides review copies free of charge.

A July Bride: book review

When I signed up for The Year of Weddings novella series, I hadn't quite appreciated that the year would run away with me, despite Booklook Bloggers providing me with free copies at regular monthly intervals.  I'm enjoying the series and am grateful to them for this lovely, light reading. So, here I am, at the end of October, catching up on book reviews.

A July Bride by Beth Wiseman opens with a wedding and finishes with a wedding. Same bride, different bridegrooms. It is a sweet story of Alyssa, jilted AT THE ALTAR by her high school sweetheart, Brendan. Of course, he regrets it straight away but it is too late: Alyssa, understandably, doesn't want any more to do with him.
On to the scene steps the handsome, well-off Dalton, a nice guy who also happens to be a friend of Alyssa's brother Alex.
Everyone lives, happily and not so happily, in the same small town.

Beth Wiseman weaves an interesting story. Dalton has recently broken up with his girlfriend and, while he wants to date Alyssa, is under no illusions that she will get over Brendan quickly. He's ready to be patient. Brendan, meanwhile, is doing everything he can to get Alyssa back. But she just can't trust him any more...

As Brendan and Alyssa untangle their feelings, dodge their way clumsily through misunderstandings and try to get on with their lives, Alyssa and Dalton get engaged.

There are some charming insights woven into the story. Alyssa tells Brendan: "You don't hurt the people you love," Brendan replies: "Of course you do. When the love is real and deep, you have the capacity to hurt someone more than you ever thought. People who love that deeply hurt each other, even though they don't mean to."

"You can forgive," says Alyssa's friend Sherry, "or you can let the hurt wrap around you until it sucks the life out of you."

Not just a little light reading. Wise advice for marriage, for relationships, for life. A light read: we guess the ending, but it still comes as a slight surprise. And on the way, some personal reflection, too. What's not to love about A July Bride?

A June Bride: book review A Year of Weddings

Our June Bride, Wynne Hardy, suffering from rejection when Callum broke her heart, agreed to let her friend Picky send a video clip of her to reality TV show The Rejection Connection. Surprisingly, she is selected and on it, she meets Andy, who, catching her unawares, proposes to her on air. She accepts, and the wedding machine, accompanied by a huge amount of publicity, is set in motion.

Yet Callum suddenly reappears, and Wynne's life is thrown into confusion. Add in interfering Meredith, a 'star' from TV programme Marathon Mom, hectic plans for a very public beach wedding, lots of conflicting feelings and a 'June wedding' is thrown into doubt. Will it really happen, in spite of all the plans?

Wynne is surrounded by secrets and intrigue, particularly from Meredith, her new-found friend. Can she unravel and understand what is happening, not least, within herself as both Andy and Callum claim her affections?

I enjoyed MaryBeth's writing, though I worked out what would happen fairly early on. I found the clues rather too obvious and would have liked to have been kept guessing a little more. Still, what did I expect? This is a light-hearted, short, romantic novel, perfect for whiling away a couple of summer hours on the beach. Good fun.

About the author: Marybeth Whalen is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. She is the director of She Reads, an online book club focused on spotlighting the best in women's fiction. Marybeth is the author of The Mailbox, She Makes It Look Easy and The Guest Book. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She's always at work on her next novel. Marybeth and her family live in North Carolina. You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookblogger program. I was not required to write a positive review.

A March Bride

I love Rachel Hauck's writing, so, yet again, I leapt at the chance to review her novella A March Bride. It is a sequel to Once Upon A Prince, where American Susanna Truitt meets, falls in love with and is wooed by Prince Nathaniel of Brighton. This story tells of their wedding.

Prince Nathaniel had convinced Parliament to amend the Marriage Act of 1792 which forbade marriage  between foreigners and royals in line to the throne. We meet Susanna, now living in Brighton and trying to learn Brighton law, tradition, customs...and how to be the wife of a king. But Susanna is missing her family and the warmth of Georgia, while Nathaniel seems busy, preoccupied, apparently less in love with her: and she begins to have doubts.

Misunderstandings creep in. Parliament throws difficulties in their way. Susanna's homesickness begins to get the better of her. Her family need her...and so she goes home for a 'visit'.

Susanna has many doubts to overcome and we walk with her through different encounters as she comes to realise that yes, she does love Nathaniel enough to endure the rigours and responsibilities of royal life. And, in turn, he proves once again how romantic he can be...

This was a light and enjoyable read but I must confess I was a little disappointed. It was all just rather too predictable: we know -the girl ends up with her prince. It felt too much like a Disney fairytale: perfectly saccharine sweet with few surprises for the reader. But then, Once Upon A Prince was a hard act (too hard perhaps?) to follow...

This was a Booksneeze review copy I received for free: I have enjoyed all the other books by Rachel Hauck, but this is the first one I wouldn't have bought. (That doesn't mean I'll give up on her, though: she crafts beautifully written books!)

Book review: A February Bride

Lighthearted romance is an easy way - for me - to switch off, so when Booksneeze emailed me with the possibility of a  free review copy of another novella in the 'A Year of Weddings' series, I was pleased to accept. What's not to like about a free book, anyway? I had already read A January Bride and A December Bride, too, which I enjoyed.

So, this was a girl-leaves-boy-meets-boy-again story. Marcus and Allie had been a couple for years and it was a foregone conclusion that they would, in time, marry. We begin reading at their wedding - only to find Allie leaving just as she is about to walk down the aisle: literally. Wearing the dress which has been worn for many family weddings - not least, by her mother through several marriages - Allie notices a tear in the fabric. That is enough to trigger an all out panic attack and she leaves, convinced that the dress is cursed and that it would only be a matter of time before her marriage, too, would be doomed. Because 'Andrews women break hearts before theirs get broken' she believes that wearing the dress will make her ruin her own marriage, too. She loves Marcus too much to let that happen, so she walks out...

Four months of avoiding Marcus and his family later, and Allie's best friend Hannah, who also 'happens' to be Marcus' sister, gets engaged - and Allie has to be bridesmaid. Thrown together again, the romance rekindles, even though Allie is convinced that Marcus is better off without her. She is still full of fears and 'what ifs'. Dare she risk it?

If this all sounds a bit ridiculously full of convenient relationships, meetings and coincidences, well, yes it is. It was almost impossible to believe that Allie would walk out of her own wedding and not see her fiance to explain - or even send him a letter.  But Betsy St Amant weaves a convincing tale which drew me in and I eagerly read on to the predictably happy-ever-after ending.

Of course. And thoroughly enjoyable.

A January Bride (A 'Year of Weddings' Novella)

When Booksneeze offered me the chance to read and review A January Bride (for free!), I jumped at the chance. I had already read A December Bride, a gentle romance and this one did not disappoint.

Madeleine Hunter, novelist, has temporarily moved into her sister's house in the small town of Clayburn, Kansas, to housesit while the house is undergoing renovation and finish writing her latest book. The chaos makes writing difficult, so her elderly neighbour Ginny offers the use of a friend's house. This 'house' is, in fact, an inn, closed for the winter season. 'Annabeth's Inn' is a beautiful haven, which Maddie has to herself while the owner, a widower, is out at work during the day.

And so the romance begins. Arthur Taylor, whose young wife Annabeth died of cancer three years previously, leaves a welcome note for Maddie. She replies, and a sweet correspondence begins during which the two start to form a deep friendship. However, each assumes - erroneously - that the other is elderly since they both know that the other is a friend of Ginny's. Deborah Raney weaves a fabric of charming misunderstandings back and forth until, half way through the book, Arthur realises that Maddie is the same beautiful young woman he has already met and been attracted to at the local post office. He introduces himself to his visitor and the two begin their romance.

Yet Arthur is still grieving for Annabeth. We walk with Arthur and Maddie as they examine their feelings for each other, wondering if they can risk possible rejection and hurt. There is, of course, a happy ending for the two of them together.

I enjoyed this charming book - reminiscent of Jean Webster's classic 'Daddy-Long-Legs' - and found it almost too short. Yes, I know it is a novella, so what else could I expect, save that I did not want to leave Maddie's world so quickly. Now, it is onto 'A February Bride'...