Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can’t wait to start planning their life together. She’s confident she’ll make it down the aisle this time–but it still may be easier said than done. A high-society Houston bride has Katie and the Cosmopolitan Bridal team scrambling to get the perfect dress done in time for her spectacular wedding. Meanwhile, Katie finds herself bombarded with everyone’s competing visions regarding her own special day–and she’s beginning to worry that her own ideas will get lost in the crossfire. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for her perfect day? Or will bridal shop chaos and overzealous friends and family make a mess of everything?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’d just pressed the send button when Brady tapped on my open door.
“Busy?” He leaned against the doorjamb, his tall frame filling the space.
[…]
“I was busy, but I’m done now.” I turned off the computer and leaned back in my chair.
“Everything okay? You seem a little . . . down.” He shifted his weight, favouring his left leg.
I tried to add a bit of cheer to my voice as I responded, “I’m great. Everything’s great.”
“Faker.” He laughed. “So, what’s up . . . really?”
[…]
“I don’t know Brady. I’m just scared, I think. So much is happening so fast. And I feel like such a weakling. I can’t say no to people. That’s the main thing. I have ideas in my head for how I want the wedding to be. I’d love to talk those through with you. But everyone else is trying to confuse me. And I can’t say no. I can’t.”
“Sure you can.” With a wave of his hand, he appeared to dismiss any concerns.
“No, I can’t. Try me.”
He paused a moment and appeared to be thinking, then gave me a pointed look. “Would you like to go out to lunch?”
“Sure.” I nodded.
“How about Mexican food?”
“Yum. Sounds great.” I sighed. “See what I mean?”
“But you really do love Mexican food.”
“Yeah, but that’s the problem. Every time I hear a great idea, it sounds, well, great. And when I’m the bride – which I am – not every great-sounding idea is really all that great. I mean, they all sound great, but they’re not really great for you and me. I think the problem is there are way too many great ideas out there . . . only, none of them leave me feeling . . . great.”
“I’m biting my tongue to keep from using the word great.” Brady chuckled.
[…]
“What I need is a dose of courage. And some time to clear my head. Can we really go to lunch, Brady – just the two of us?”
“For Mexican food?”
“Sure. Whatever. But mostly to talk things through. We need to make a plan. Together. And then we have to stick with it. Otherwise we’re gonna be inundated and confused.”
“I’m already confused. But if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather have Chinese food.”
“Fine.” I rose and grabbed my purse.
Brady took several steps toward me and swept me into his arms. “I was just testing you, to see how you’d respond.”
I couldn’t help the little groan that escaped as I realized I’d been had. Again. “Guess I failed the test.”
“It’s okay.” He planted a kiss in my hair, then another. And another. “I grade on a curve.”
Thank goodness someone did. The way things were going around here, I’d be the first bride in the history of the world to get a big fat F in wedding planning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My review
I have thoroughly enjoyed following Katie Sue Fisher’s story through the “Brides with Style” series. There is a small-town wholesomeness to her character that I found really refreshing. Couple that with engaging writing, a sweet romance, and lively – sometimes quirky – characters, and you’ve got a fun read that really hit the spot. I especially loved that the romance wasn’t the source of the conflict. Brady and Katie were so considerate of each other and uncomplicated – even if planning their wedding wasn’t!
Katie has been dreaming about her wedding for as long as she can remember. She’s already won her dream dress, she’s just become engaged to her dream groom, and now she can finally plan her dream wedding… If only she could get a word in edgeways. Preferably, “No.”
Everyone is so eager to help. Brody’s mother, Nadia, has the perfect Dallas reception venue in mind, Twiggy has set up a Pinterest account full of Texan cowboy/horse wedding themes, and the Fairfield WOP-pers (Women of Prayer) have the whole thing organised from the church through to the cake – because they know how weddings are done in Fairfield. Even if Katie could get a word in edgeways, how can she politely say ‘no’ to all these ideas and still keep the peace? And it’s not only Katie who’s having this dilemma. Her sister-in-law-to-be, Crystal, and Cosmopolitan Bridal client, Bridget Pennington, are also at odds with their friends and family over their big day, struggling to hold on to the reins. But if they can do it, then so can Katie.
And in amongst all of this, life goes on. Lori-Lou has her fourth baby, amid a flurry of hormones; there are more proposals, an elopement, and a surprise wedding; and poor Aunt Alva still can’t work out that crazy radio show Katie calls ‘Bluetooth’! And then, the unthinkable happens, just two weeks before Katie’s wedding: The WOP-pers have a falling out that divides the town in half – literally! And you’ll never guess what started it off…
Life, love, and laughter. This book has it all – although I definitely recommend reading the other two books in the series first.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books in exchange for my honest review.
Buy from: Amazon.com Amazon.com.au
Release date: 17 May 2016
Pages: 352
Publisher: Revell Books
Author’s website: http://janiceathompson.com/
Previous books in series:
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