A July Bride

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Author, Beth Wiseman
Published, June 24, 2014
Publisher, Zondervan
Kindle edition, 120 pages
Series, A Year of Weddings #8


DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.
Can she forgive the man who left her at the altar?
Alyssa Pennington dated Brendan Myers for three years before she accepted his proposal. For almost a year, Alyssa's friends and family helped her plan a lovely wedding to take place in the church she'd grown up in. It was the happiest day of her life when she walked down the aisle to be united with the man of her dreams. But when Brendan left her at the altar, Alyssa was consumed by humiliation, embarrassment, and a broken heart that wouldn't allow her to trust anyone. Especially Brendan.
Brendan Myers knows he will spend the rest of his life regretting what he did to Alyssa, the only woman he's ever loved. Without her, his life is empty. In one fateful moment, he'd panicked, destroyed their future, and ruined everything. Now he plans to win her back.
But winning back his bride might prove much more difficult than he can imagine. And even if he does get her to the altar again, will she think turnabout is fair play? 

MY THOUGHTS:
This was an interesting and easy read but it was not my favorite in the series so far. I felt that the characters made very bad choices over and over and also that they needed to grow up a bit.  But decisions made by the characters did keep me guessing at who was going to end up walking down the aisle with who.
Brendan knew that walking away from Alyssa was the wrong choice but she had moved on to Dalton.  So they find themselves in a love triangle.  Brendan worked hard to find ways to stay in her life but at times she wants him to go away and let her have a new life.
The overall theme of the novella was forgiveness.  The characters needed to learn to forgive each other for many things before they could expect to make a marriage work.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

An August Bride | Book Review

STATS:
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Author, Debra Clopton
Published, July 29, 2014
Publisher, Zondervan
Kindle edition, 120
Series, A Year of Weddings #9

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.
Kelsey vowed never to love a cowboy again. But then she meets Brent.
After a cowboy broke her heart, Kelsey Wilcox traded in her boots for flip-flops and a bistro on the beautiful sandy beach of Corpus Christi. Two years later, still not believing in happy endings, she is about to endure a weekend of torture at her cousin's beach wedding. Not only will she be forced to watch yet another wedding, but her great-aunt and her two best friends---aptly nicknamed 'the matchmaking posse of Mule Hollow'---are coming to the wedding, and Kelsey is sure to be on their radar.
Brent Corbin has had his share of bad luck with women and isn't looking for love or looking forward to the weekend of wedding festivities as a groomsman for his friend. When he sees a commotion on the beach and what appears to be a mermaid in distress, he doesn't hesitate to dive to the rescue. His attention is instantly captured by the woman he's saved and it turns out they're part of the same wedding party. But the instant Kelsey spots his soaking wet boots she wants no part of him.
Thrown together through the weekend and with the meddlesome encouragement from the matchmakers, Brent is determined to pursue Kelsey and change her mind about cowboys. Sparks fly at this August wedding as Kelsey and Brent dance a rocky Texas two-step toward a beach wedding of their own. 

MY THOUGHTS:
I really enjoyed this novella in the series.  I like Kelsey and Brent but the true stars were the secondary characters. It was sweet and funny.  Also a quick, easy read.
Kelsey has sworn off cowboys but that could be a problem since she lives in Texas.  Brent is, or course, handsome and determined to change her mind about cowboys.  Especially about him.  They have wonderful adventures that help build their relationship and story.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

A May Bride by Meg Moseley | Book Review

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Author, Meg Moseley
Published, April 22, 2014
Publisher, Zondervan
Kindle edition, 124 pages
Series, A Year of Weddings, #6

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
She’s prepared for her wedding all her life … but she forgot a few things.Ellie Martin, a country girl in Atlanta, often de-stresses from city life by tending the flower beds of a church near her apartment. She has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life, a wedding like the one her younger sister is planning back in their hometown. Their single mom will pay for Alexa’s wedding, but Ellie started her own wedding fund years ago. She only needs to find a groom.
She bumps into a man who’s a guest at a wedding on the church grounds. She’s noticed him around the neighborhood, but today he introduces himself as Gray Whitby. They embark on a whirlwind romance, but her mother doesn’t trust freewheeling men like him. Standing up to Mom leads Ellie to stick up for Alexa too. When Ellie risks her own plans for her sister’s sake, Gray feels betrayed. Will he always play second fiddle?
Will Ellie and Gray reconcile their differences so her dream wedding can come true, or will the romance they’ve begun come crashing down?

MY THOUGHTS:
So far - I have really enjoyed the A Year of Weddings series.  I am reading in order of the months.I had hopes of reading one each month but time has gotten away from me and I am working on catching up.
I had high hopes for this novella since I read a book by Meg Moseley earlier this year.  The Stillness of Chimes.  I was not disappointed.
Novellas have to move fast due to length, and this one really did.  Ellie is a real estate agent in Atlanta that likes to go weeding in the neighborhood church yard.  She does this early in the morning as a stress reliever.  One morning she happens upon a wedding.  Even though she tries to stay out of view, Gray sees her.  She knows him from the coffee shop but has never met in person.
Ellie also has a little sister that is trying to plan a wedding and a strict mother that is afraid her daughters will end up pregnant before marriage like she did.
I liked Ellie's character.  She seemed very real and her life was described in a realistic way.  Ellie's mother was very paranoid and mean at times.  I think that she put too much thought into her daughters making the same mistakes she did.  Ellie and Gray and Alexis and Eric were fun to get to know and had believable relationships.


I received this book free from Zondervan Publishing via NetGalley.    I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

An April Bride by Lenora Worth | Book Review

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Author, Lenora WorthPublished, March 25, 2014
Publisher, Zondervan
ebook, 140 pages
Series:  A Year of Weddings

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
War changes everything . . . even their love.

Bride-to-be Stella Carson can’t wait to marry her longtime sweetheart Marshall Henderson. But Marshall has been away serving his country and after suffering a head wound and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome, he has distanced himself from Stella by asking her not to visit him in a Washington, D.C. hospital.
Marshall returns to Louisiana just four weeks before the wedding, but as the big day draws near, Stella wonders if the man she’s loved for most of her life still wants to marry her.MY THOUGHTS:
This is the 5th novella in this series that I have read.   Out of those 5, this has been my least favorite.  The storyline is great.  A young fiance, Stella, is at home planning a wedding to her lifetime love, Marshall.  Marshall is in the US Army and is at war.  He is injured and coming back home. 
The twist is that he doesn't want to see Stella while in the hospital and she doesn't know that huge reason until she meets him at the airport.  Besides the big problem that Marshall has, he has also been diagnosed with PTSD. 
Stella is determined to help him and he is determined to marry her even if things aren't "fixed" by the wedding date.
I liked the story.  I thought that it was very honorable of Marshall to want to still marry Stella.  But I thought that the storyline became a tad bit cheesy and predictable. 

It is important to note that I received this novella from Zondervan via NetGalley in return for an honest review.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A March Bride | A Book Review

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Author, Rachel Hauck
Publisher, Zondervan
Published, February 25th, 2014
Series, A Year od Brides

DESCRIPTON FROM GOODREADS:
Susanna has found her true prince, and their happily ever after is just around the corner. But when Nate asks her to give up something precious to her, Susanna can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign that their love is not meant to be.
Susanna Truitt (Once Upon A Prince) is three weeks from royalty. She’ll soon marry King Nathaniel II of Brighton Kingdom. But when the government insists she renounce her American citizenship before the wedding, coupled with the lack of involvement by family and friends, her heart begins to doubt whether this marriage is God’s plan for her.
Nathaniel would do anything for his bride-to-be. But he knows his position requires that she give up a lot to be with him. Her life will never be her own — right down to her very identity. When she travels home to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, right before the wedding, Nathaniel fears she won’t return. Gathering his courage, he devises a plan to win his bride all over again, and together they seek out a kingdom to treasure above all.

MY THOUGHTS:

This was a wonderful novella.  I loved the idea of a nice little Southern girl falling in love with a real Prince that became a King.  Susanna is a great character that is working through things getting closer to her wedding.  Her issue and problems are very real and believable.  

The problems that King Nathaniel is dealing with are also very real and believable.  He wants to do right by his country but also right by his soon to be wife.  I loved seeing that they both found the answers to their questions through their faith in God.

This was the first Rachel Hauck that I have read, but I look forward to finding more. 

It is important to note that I received this book via NetGalley in return for a honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.  

A February Bride | Book Review

STATS:
ebook, 120 pages
Author, Betsy St. Amant
Published, January 28, 2014
Publisher, Zondervan
Series, A Year of Weddings

DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:
In A February Bride by Betsy St. Amant, history repeats itself when this bride runs out of the church on her wedding day---in the same dress that had been passed down for generations and worn by her mom, grandma and great-grandmother who also ran out of their weddings. The heroine struggles to break destructive cycles of the past. Can this bride shuck expectation and discover who SHE is as a bride and in the Bride of Christ? And if she finally walks down the aisle, what dress will she be wearing? Readers will enjoy this novel of redemption centered on a winter wedding.

MY THOUGHTS:

Thia was a very sweet novella.  It is the story of Allie and Marcus.  Allie knows that she loves Marcus but leaves him at the alter.  She is afraid that she will make the same mistakes her mother, grandmother, and aunt have made in love in marriage.  She has convinced herself that Marcus is better off without her.

To complicate things, Allie's best friend is Hannah.  Hannah is Marcus's sister.  And four months after Allie run out of the church on Marcus, Hannah is engaged to be married.  Allie and Marcus are thrown together in engagement parties, showers, and as Maid of Honor and Best Man.  

Allie has a lot of work through to see that she is not her family, she is her own person.  And seeing the dress can be restored may lead her to restore her relationship with Marcus.

It was a fast, easy read.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betsy St. Amant is one Good Girl who enjoys writing about Bad Boys in her YA fiction novels. She lives in Louisiana with her adorable kindergartener, is often found consuming massive amounts of chocolate, and is an avid reader who is constantly wondering where Mr. Darcy went. A freelance journalist and fiction author, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is multi-published in Contemporary Romance. Her ninth Love Inspired novel will release January 2014, while her first YA novel, ADDISON BLAKELY, CONFESSIONS OF A PK, released 2012 through Barbour Books. She recently contracted a 2-book deal with Zondervan. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to the Tangled soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing.Betsy is proud to be represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Visitwww.tamelahancockmurray.com & www.stevelaube.com

It is important to note that I recieved this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.

A January Bride | Book Review

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Author, Deborah Raney

Published, December 24th, 2013

Publisher, Zondervan

eBook, 120 pages

Genre, Fiction, Romance, Christian Lit

Series, A Year of Weddings, #2

Description from Goodreads:
Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper––but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner––a man who's likely many years her senior––and who she’s never even met.

My Thoughts:
I really loved this story. Maddie is a woman that has given up on the idea of love and marriage. She believes that her life can be full and enjoyable with her writing career, taking care of her mother, and loving her sister's daughters. All this changes when she moves from New York to Kansas to be near her mother in the nursing home. She is remodeling her house and is unable to write with all the noise and distraction. But her neighbor, eighty-four year old Ginny, has other plans for her.

Ginny arranges for her to write at a local Bed and Breakfast. The owner is widowed and there are very few guests since the death of his wife. Since Ginny tells Maddie that she is friends with the owner, and was also good friends with his deceased wife, Maddie assumes that he is elderly also.

Arthur is the owner of the inn. He is a collage professor and still grieving his wife. Maddie and he don't meet one another in the beginning, and she too believes that Art is elderly like Ginny.

Art and Maddie begin leaving notes for one another each day and both begin to feel they know the other person. Both see the letters as a highlight of their day. They also think that it is a "safe" relationship due to the age difference that they have mistakenly believed. Once these two meet, they have to overcome feelings of grief and past heartache.

This is the second book in the series that I have read and I plan on reading them all. Once again, I loved the story and the writing. It was a very fast read. Each book in the series is written by a different author but all share a common theme. It is a brilliant idea to not only get you to read a series, but also to give you new authors to discover.

It is important to note that I received this book via NetGalley in return for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

A December Bride | Book Review

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Author, Denise Hunter
Published, November 26th, 2013
Publisher, Zondervan
eBook Novella, 120 pages
Series, A Year Of Weddings

Description From Goodreads:
What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday season - for the sake of her career . . . and his heart?
Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy, the best friend of Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiance would be the last person she'd marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency, a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart.

My Thoughts:
The story of Seth and Layla was wonderful. Layla has more than a few things to get past in her life. Her ex-fiance is marrying her cousin, Jessica, and Layla blames Seth. She is from the wrong side of the tracks and has a painful childhood. And she worries too much about what other people think.
Seth is the young and handsome hardware store owner. He wanted to ask Layla out years ago but Jack asked her first. He is happy with the accidental engagement and loves spending time with Layla. And soon enough, Layla wonders if God has sent her the most unlikely of lifelines.
This was a wonderful way to start off a series of wedding novellas. I can only hope that the other A Year of Weddings are just as enjoyable. It is well written, fast paced, and I was unable to put it down once I got started.
I also plan on reading more of the novellas written by Denise Hunter.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. All comments and feelings are my own.