Helpful Score: 1
I was very surprised that this book didn't work out the way I expected. Oh, the ending is what you hope for, but I expected it all to come together in the end. The author surprised me with that one. Maybe a little too neat but it was a sweet romance. The lead male character is English, which made for an interesting romantic interest. The book was very well written, didn't drag at all. I particularly loved that these people had relationships with God, didn't just show up on Sunday morning and call themselves a Christian, like most CHristian fiction seems to portray. It was a little far fetched that almost every single person seemed to be a squeaky clean Christian. I come from a large family of Christians and even I know that's not the norm.
But all in all, a very good read, with great spiritual and romantic conflict.
But all in all, a very good read, with great spiritual and romantic conflict.
When you think of a wedding, you think, love, joy, and happiness forevermore. But what about all the planning that goes into a wedding? It is more like organized chaos! Life as a wedding planner is never predictable what with all the ups and downs of the bride-to-be and groom-to-be. Some times the wedding planner feels more like a marriage counselor. But what happens when the wedding planner falls in love with the groom-to-be?
How can she plan the wedding of the guy she loves to another woman? This book is about the love of God, the love of family, and the love we find that lasts a lifetime.
How can she plan the wedding of the guy she loves to another woman? This book is about the love of God, the love of family, and the love we find that lasts a lifetime.
Margaret C. (cherryblossommj) reviewed Stand-in Groom (Brides of Bonneterre, Bk 1) on + 157 more book reviews
This is quite the romance. Some could call it predictable, but I would not necessarily say that because one could not foresee all the twists and turns that are to occur before the outcome. I only think people will predict how they want it to end and just assume they will get it right. As I have said dozens of times before, I am not much a fan of contemporary romances, but I liked this one. That said, I did not necessarily love it. But I think that is because my heart is just stronger in the realm of historical fiction. (Definitely recommend Kaye Dacus' historical series The Ransome Trilogy!!)
Some elements of a large family and good food were parts of this story that I am not used to reading in a book that I quite enjoyed. As well as imagining the scenes and hearing the British or Southern accents play through in the characters vernacular. This is my first contemporary experience with reading this author and it will not be my last. I do recommend this book, and look forward to reading the sequel soon in a few days.
Things happen in life to get you where you need to be, and the hardest part is dealing with a painful event and believing that you will get past it. God knows what he is doing, and the part to remember is that things are best in his time and not in our own. I feel very uplifted from this book and the characters experiences. It makes me think over things from my own past and see more of God in them than I ever would have realized at the time.
Some elements of a large family and good food were parts of this story that I am not used to reading in a book that I quite enjoyed. As well as imagining the scenes and hearing the British or Southern accents play through in the characters vernacular. This is my first contemporary experience with reading this author and it will not be my last. I do recommend this book, and look forward to reading the sequel soon in a few days.
Things happen in life to get you where you need to be, and the hardest part is dealing with a painful event and believing that you will get past it. God knows what he is doing, and the part to remember is that things are best in his time and not in our own. I feel very uplifted from this book and the characters experiences. It makes me think over things from my own past and see more of God in them than I ever would have realized at the time.
Lori S. (sugarandgrits) -
An excellent debut novel from Kaye Dacus! Be sure to give her a try!
Christy J. (southernsassygirl) reviewed Stand-in Groom (Brides of Bonneterre, Bk 1) on + 180 more book reviews
Romance stories are not typically my cup of tea. When I first started reading fiction a lot, they were, but I no longer go out of my way any more to read a romance. Well.....I'm glad I decided to make an exception for Stand-in Groom! This is a romance done right!
Anne's career choice alone really makes this book stand out. I had a brief desire at one point in my life to be a wedding planner, but now that I actually know what's involved, plus reading how Anne practically runs herself ragged day after day.....let's just say that I'll leave that job to the professionals. I loved how she really cared for each one of the brides that she worked with, so much so that she would drop everything at a moment's notice to help one of them through a crisis.
And then, there's George.... My, my, my! He set my heart to flutterin' from the moment he first met Anne. Initially, his part in the story was a little confusing, especially trying to distinguish between the role he was trying to play and the person he really was, but things quickly became easy to follow. Oh, and did I mention that he's British? And such a perfect gentleman? Wow!
Parts of the story were slightly predictable, but I was genuinely surprised a couple times along the way. I also appreciated how the romance progressed slowly throughout the book and not just in one big lump; it just made the story that much more believable.
All that's left to say is that I will definitely be reading more from Kaye Dacus! This was an impressive debut novel, and I have no doubt that the rest of this series will be just as exceptional! Bravo!
Anne's career choice alone really makes this book stand out. I had a brief desire at one point in my life to be a wedding planner, but now that I actually know what's involved, plus reading how Anne practically runs herself ragged day after day.....let's just say that I'll leave that job to the professionals. I loved how she really cared for each one of the brides that she worked with, so much so that she would drop everything at a moment's notice to help one of them through a crisis.
And then, there's George.... My, my, my! He set my heart to flutterin' from the moment he first met Anne. Initially, his part in the story was a little confusing, especially trying to distinguish between the role he was trying to play and the person he really was, but things quickly became easy to follow. Oh, and did I mention that he's British? And such a perfect gentleman? Wow!
Parts of the story were slightly predictable, but I was genuinely surprised a couple times along the way. I also appreciated how the romance progressed slowly throughout the book and not just in one big lump; it just made the story that much more believable.
All that's left to say is that I will definitely be reading more from Kaye Dacus! This was an impressive debut novel, and I have no doubt that the rest of this series will be just as exceptional! Bravo!
Really cute book :)
This book is beautifully written the characters are easy to get to know and you end up rooting for them. That said the story is excellant, this is a good book.
This is the first book in a series about Bonneterre, LA. The book centers around wedding planner Anne Hawthorne. She is 35 and single, but praying for a husband of her own. When George Laurence enters her life, she thinks God may have introduced her to the One. George is a 41-year-old personal assistant to a star. He's been asked to keep his employers identity a secret while his wedding is planned to keep the reporters at bay. Meeting Anne has him feeling even more guilty about his deception of who the groom really is.
This is a nice little romance. Quite a bit of it is predictable, but I believe it is meant to be so. The middle dragged just a bit with a lot of back and forth--trust, don't trust, forgive, don't forgive. Anne is a little bit too emotional and her growth didn't really happen until the very end of the book. George didn't really have any growth--it would have been nice to see a little more depth in his character.
The message of this book focuses on forgiveness and God's plan for each of us. Anne needs to forgive not only current grievances, but those from her past before she can move on with her life. Both Anne and George are searching out God's plan in their lives and hoping it includes each other. I appreciated the simple way it was handled. Lots of prayer is included as well as time with God.
Overall, it was a nice, sweet romance. I liked it well enough to be looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Menu for Romance.
*I received this book from netgalley.com*
This is a nice little romance. Quite a bit of it is predictable, but I believe it is meant to be so. The middle dragged just a bit with a lot of back and forth--trust, don't trust, forgive, don't forgive. Anne is a little bit too emotional and her growth didn't really happen until the very end of the book. George didn't really have any growth--it would have been nice to see a little more depth in his character.
The message of this book focuses on forgiveness and God's plan for each of us. Anne needs to forgive not only current grievances, but those from her past before she can move on with her life. Both Anne and George are searching out God's plan in their lives and hoping it includes each other. I appreciated the simple way it was handled. Lots of prayer is included as well as time with God.
Overall, it was a nice, sweet romance. I liked it well enough to be looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Menu for Romance.
*I received this book from netgalley.com*
I have not read it but neither will I. The plot is a complete copy of the movie "The Wedding Planner" with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. The author needs to be more creative and come up with her own stories!
This book doesn't turn out like you think it will, and that was a nice surprise. I found the whole book a little on the dull side. I couldn't really get into it. I will be reading the other two in the series because I already have them, otherwise I wouldn't bother.
great book
This was a fun book but pretty predictable.
