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Bride #1
An Unexpected Bride
Emma Wiggins is about to marry her heart-stopping, gorgeous boss, CEO Evan Fletcher, in seven days—too bad he doesn’t know it yet!
Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged--to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.
The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather's condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days. Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?
Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged--to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.
The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather's condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days. Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2011
97 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Shadonna Richards
61 books161 followersCheck out her website: https://shadonnarichards.blogspot.com
USA Today bestselling author Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. She has a B.A. Degree in Psychology. Winner of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a proud mommy and lives with her husband and son.
USA Today bestselling author Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. She has a B.A. Degree in Psychology. Winner of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a proud mommy and lives with her husband and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 30, 2020
The book was okay.
The thing that bothered me the most was the description overload at times. I started to skip whole chunks of the text, because it was descriptions of the building or clothing or some reminiscing of some irrelevant past memory. I didn't know if she wanted to fill up space or if she thought knowing what color Emma's pants were accented with was really important. And of these descriptions, things could have been cut back and made tighter. Here's an example:
"Evan flipped open his laptop and powered it on when it was safe to do so, right after the captain of the plane announced passengers may proceed with their equipment." pg 84 (on my eReader)
I never been on a plane, but I know that you're told when to turn on and turn off electronics. I don't need to be told this information. It's implied in the first part of the sentence. The whole second half of the sentence was useless and just added to the description overload.
So while we got blow-by-blows for decor, clothes and other things, some characters remained one-dimensional, like Genie, the best-friend. Spending less time describing things and more time on characterization would have been a good thing.
That being said, this was her first novel, so I'm willing to forgive and give her other books a try.
The thing that bothered me the most was the description overload at times. I started to skip whole chunks of the text, because it was descriptions of the building or clothing or some reminiscing of some irrelevant past memory. I didn't know if she wanted to fill up space or if she thought knowing what color Emma's pants were accented with was really important. And of these descriptions, things could have been cut back and made tighter. Here's an example:
"Evan flipped open his laptop and powered it on when it was safe to do so, right after the captain of the plane announced passengers may proceed with their equipment." pg 84 (on my eReader)
I never been on a plane, but I know that you're told when to turn on and turn off electronics. I don't need to be told this information. It's implied in the first part of the sentence. The whole second half of the sentence was useless and just added to the description overload.
So while we got blow-by-blows for decor, clothes and other things, some characters remained one-dimensional, like Genie, the best-friend. Spending less time describing things and more time on characterization would have been a good thing.
That being said, this was her first novel, so I'm willing to forgive and give her other books a try.
August 20, 2012
Read this series and really enjoyed the stories. It was easy to see where the story was leading but still a good read and story line through out the book.
My only suggestion would be to purchase the NOVEL of all the Brides Series in one book vs. purchasing each book sepeartly, I didnt realize this until I had already purchased 2 books seperatly. It would have saved a couple dollars.
Would recommend this series and will check out other books by this author also.
My only suggestion would be to purchase the NOVEL of all the Brides Series in one book vs. purchasing each book sepeartly, I didnt realize this until I had already purchased 2 books seperatly. It would have saved a couple dollars.
Would recommend this series and will check out other books by this author also.
October 22, 2011
Desperate to please her ill Grandfather Emma tells one little lie that grows into one big whopper of a tale. Can she tell her Grandfather the truth and break his heart or does she tell the man she's secretly in love with that she lied about their relationship? Can love blossom based on a lie?
This was a really cute quick read. Emma is smart, funny and very driven in her career. She also loves her Grandfather and only wants to make him happy. This is the beginning of the end in some ways for Emma. She unintentionally names her fiancee - the most unavailable man in her life (her boss). How does she tell him? Can she tell him?
Evan is a commitment phobic successful and extremely gorgeous. He makes Emma go weak in the knees! Can he trust her? Is he willing to risk his heart on Emma? Between landing new clients, meetings, travel and juggling life in general can these two fall for each other?
These characters are well written, the story was fast paced, easy to read and engaging. Emma goes from single to engaged in a blink of an eye. But is there a wedding in her upcoming week?? I'm not going to spoil all the fun! Make sure to check out this great read and see what happens to Emma and Evan!
This was a really cute quick read. Emma is smart, funny and very driven in her career. She also loves her Grandfather and only wants to make him happy. This is the beginning of the end in some ways for Emma. She unintentionally names her fiancee - the most unavailable man in her life (her boss). How does she tell him? Can she tell him?
Evan is a commitment phobic successful and extremely gorgeous. He makes Emma go weak in the knees! Can he trust her? Is he willing to risk his heart on Emma? Between landing new clients, meetings, travel and juggling life in general can these two fall for each other?
These characters are well written, the story was fast paced, easy to read and engaging. Emma goes from single to engaged in a blink of an eye. But is there a wedding in her upcoming week?? I'm not going to spoil all the fun! Make sure to check out this great read and see what happens to Emma and Evan!
November 20, 2011
Couldn't get lost enough in the story to overlook the need for better editting....sentences that didn't work well, parts that seemed to contradict each other.... On a personal note, I'm not as big a fan of books where they spend a lot of time describing things (the people, what they're wearing, what they eat, what the furniture looks like). I enjoy descriptions, but when it feels like there's more time spent on that than the plot, it's not as interesting for me. There was definite potential here for this new author, but I have a feeling her style isn't right for me. Oh yeah, and it resolved itself way too quickly at the end....felt like it came out of nowhere. Oh well...
November 12, 2013
An Unexpected Bride is quick tale about good intentions that escalate and spin wildly out of control. When Emma Wiggins is informed that her ill grandfather has very few days left to live her heart aches. It constricts even further when he professes that his dying wish is that he get to see Emma marry. To keep him from sinking further into sadness and to give him something pleasant to think about, Emma decides that a little white lie couldn't hurt. Emma tells her grandfather that she's engaged to nice man, who also happens to be her boss, Evan Fletcher.
Evan Fletcher is the President of Fletcher Advertising Corporation (FAC). Emma Wiggins is one his key players in winning a million dollar contract advertising for a New York socialite that runs her own wedding company. Evan, however, it not on-board the wedding train. He's from a long line of men in the Fletcher family that have been touched by the family "curse" and will, therefore, not allow himself the opportunity to love or be wed.
This makes Emma's plan spring wildly out of control since her grandfather has set her wedding to take place soon, and in the center in which he resides.
Both Emma and Evan harbor feelings toward the other but can't bring themselves to admit it; he being her boss and all. When the cat gets let out of the bag, how many hearts will be broken?
An Unexpected Bride was a pretty decent love story. Emma was only doing what she though would be good for her grandpa, not knowing that he was going to take charge and arrange a wedding within the walls of his residence. She shows how strong her love for her grandfather is by making sure she sees him every day, which is what makes her lie to him even harder to deal with. Evan, even though he's marriage-phobe goes along with the plan-although not at all fond of it at first. When the truth finally comes out to Evan that the "fake" marriage really isn't going to be "fake" he flips out - I don't blame him. Will there be a wedding even after Emma and Evan shared a night of unbridled passion where they laid their cards out on the table and professed their real love to one another?
The only real issues I had with the story is that the dialogue wasn't really smooth. Some of the exchanges were immature and awkward.
Review Copy Courtesy Of: The author, via the tour company, at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Evan Fletcher is the President of Fletcher Advertising Corporation (FAC). Emma Wiggins is one his key players in winning a million dollar contract advertising for a New York socialite that runs her own wedding company. Evan, however, it not on-board the wedding train. He's from a long line of men in the Fletcher family that have been touched by the family "curse" and will, therefore, not allow himself the opportunity to love or be wed.
This makes Emma's plan spring wildly out of control since her grandfather has set her wedding to take place soon, and in the center in which he resides.
Both Emma and Evan harbor feelings toward the other but can't bring themselves to admit it; he being her boss and all. When the cat gets let out of the bag, how many hearts will be broken?
An Unexpected Bride was a pretty decent love story. Emma was only doing what she though would be good for her grandpa, not knowing that he was going to take charge and arrange a wedding within the walls of his residence. She shows how strong her love for her grandfather is by making sure she sees him every day, which is what makes her lie to him even harder to deal with. Evan, even though he's marriage-phobe goes along with the plan-although not at all fond of it at first. When the truth finally comes out to Evan that the "fake" marriage really isn't going to be "fake" he flips out - I don't blame him. Will there be a wedding even after Emma and Evan shared a night of unbridled passion where they laid their cards out on the table and professed their real love to one another?
The only real issues I had with the story is that the dialogue wasn't really smooth. Some of the exchanges were immature and awkward.
Review Copy Courtesy Of: The author, via the tour company, at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2013
http://bookerlikeahooker.blogspot.com...
Ahh EVAN!! You're best!!! his love to her is incredible.
He's so in love to her,it's adorable.
An Unexpected Bride was an unexpected delight to read. It showed the extent to which one may go to ensure the dieing wish of a loved one.
Emma Wiggins is the last member of the Wiggins line. Her grand father; who raised her along with his now deceased wife, is in a long-term care facility facing his own mortality. He is dieing of cancer. He has but one unfulfilled wish. He wanted to see his grand daughter married before he left this earth. So what does a girl do in this instance? Why she fabricates an fiance of course.
Enter the marriage phobic Evan, Emma's secret crush. He is handsome, successful, and built like a god. Now she just has to convince him to marry her. Thankfully he agrees. After all, Emma's not to hard on the eyes herself and he finds himself attracted to her even though he never mixes work with pleasure.Evan Fletcher has grown his little company into a large competitor. With the help of his junior account exec, Emma, he's landed a huge account with Weddings R Us. So what if he doesn't believe in the institution of marriage or commitment for that matter. When Emma tells him that she told a small fib and said that they were getting married, in a week, he at first thought Emma was crazy. But he agrees to go along with the fact marriage. Evan would do just about anything for his junior account exec, because he can't stop thinking about her and thinks he may even be in love with her, although he has no plans to act on those feelings. He wasn't going to fall victim to the Fletcher curse.
But is there a wedding in her upcoming week?? I'm not going to spoil all the fun! Make sure to check out this great read and see what happens to Emma and Evan.
Ahh EVAN!! You're best!!! his love to her is incredible.
He's so in love to her,it's adorable.
An Unexpected Bride was an unexpected delight to read. It showed the extent to which one may go to ensure the dieing wish of a loved one.
Emma Wiggins is the last member of the Wiggins line. Her grand father; who raised her along with his now deceased wife, is in a long-term care facility facing his own mortality. He is dieing of cancer. He has but one unfulfilled wish. He wanted to see his grand daughter married before he left this earth. So what does a girl do in this instance? Why she fabricates an fiance of course.
Enter the marriage phobic Evan, Emma's secret crush. He is handsome, successful, and built like a god. Now she just has to convince him to marry her. Thankfully he agrees. After all, Emma's not to hard on the eyes herself and he finds himself attracted to her even though he never mixes work with pleasure.Evan Fletcher has grown his little company into a large competitor. With the help of his junior account exec, Emma, he's landed a huge account with Weddings R Us. So what if he doesn't believe in the institution of marriage or commitment for that matter. When Emma tells him that she told a small fib and said that they were getting married, in a week, he at first thought Emma was crazy. But he agrees to go along with the fact marriage. Evan would do just about anything for his junior account exec, because he can't stop thinking about her and thinks he may even be in love with her, although he has no plans to act on those feelings. He wasn't going to fall victim to the Fletcher curse.
But is there a wedding in her upcoming week?? I'm not going to spoil all the fun! Make sure to check out this great read and see what happens to Emma and Evan.
January 13, 2014
This is a Truly remarkable debut novel by author Shadonna Richards... It's a lovely well-written story that has you anticipating that intense..passionate attraction that both characters have for each other..With Shadona's simplicity in writing and the wonderful characters.. that you really believe in..it makes for one fantastic read...highly recommend!
October 4, 2014
Easy Read
Looking forward to the next one in the series. The author keeps you engaged. If someone is looking for a quick romantic read here is one for you.
Looking forward to the next one in the series. The author keeps you engaged. If someone is looking for a quick romantic read here is one for you.
March 19, 2019
This book was all predictability and no finesse. Could have used a good editor to fix the awkward language too.
September 7, 2011
This was a cute read. It had it's charming moments and I found it was very easy to read. I was able to read it in one sitting. While I never really connected with Emma, I found myself hoping for the best for her.
I had hoped for more in the beginning and ending of this book, but I really liked the journey. I thought that Emma and Evan got a chance to shine a bit more and we got the chance to get to know who they are. Watching Emma care for her grandpa in the his final days was a bit of a tear jerker, but I wasn't sold on how it lead to the fake engagement. But after, the struggle the characters had in dealing with it, made up for it.
The ending was abrupt. It didn't feel like that was how it should have ended, either. There were a few lingering questions at the end that I had hoped to resolve. There were bits that felt out of place. Like Emma's mom, it was such a short mention and it added drama that I would have liked to see played out instead of going nowhere. But, other than those, I liked the book. It's a leisurely read.
I had hoped for more in the beginning and ending of this book, but I really liked the journey. I thought that Emma and Evan got a chance to shine a bit more and we got the chance to get to know who they are. Watching Emma care for her grandpa in the his final days was a bit of a tear jerker, but I wasn't sold on how it lead to the fake engagement. But after, the struggle the characters had in dealing with it, made up for it.
The ending was abrupt. It didn't feel like that was how it should have ended, either. There were a few lingering questions at the end that I had hoped to resolve. There were bits that felt out of place. Like Emma's mom, it was such a short mention and it added drama that I would have liked to see played out instead of going nowhere. But, other than those, I liked the book. It's a leisurely read.
November 12, 2015
This was a cute, love filled romance with all the little quirks you expect to see in a romance, lust, care, pain, heartache, joy and excitement it was what I describe a cutesy romance story which made you feel good and made you smile.
Emma, well I loved her character it was like she was a pure naive angel believing a little white lie would remain just that when it escalated it was like watching a little girl struggling to tell the truth to the big wide world but really the lie wasn't made in greed or in anger or anything malicious it was merely about pleasing the man who had spent many years raising her as his own daughter, it was about a man who had shown her great love and respect and taught her a lot in his life and all she was trying to do was reassure him that she wouldn't be alone.
Overall it's a short cute story, nothing more nothing less :)
Emma, well I loved her character it was like she was a pure naive angel believing a little white lie would remain just that when it escalated it was like watching a little girl struggling to tell the truth to the big wide world but really the lie wasn't made in greed or in anger or anything malicious it was merely about pleasing the man who had spent many years raising her as his own daughter, it was about a man who had shown her great love and respect and taught her a lot in his life and all she was trying to do was reassure him that she wouldn't be alone.
Overall it's a short cute story, nothing more nothing less :)
February 22, 2012
You can find this complete review at Forever Book Lover.
I was excited to read the book after reading the summary. The author wove a believable relationship with Emma and her "Gramps". I think many of us, if given the same circumstance, would do whatever it took to grant the most important person in our life their final wish. Emma got herself in quite a mess once she told her "Gramps" she was engaged, and I was curious how she was going to get herself out of her predicament.
There was so much the author could have done with the plot, the storyline was cute, the characters were perfect for one another. I found the author was too descriptive, she tended to over describe unrelated facts. ..more....
I was excited to read the book after reading the summary. The author wove a believable relationship with Emma and her "Gramps". I think many of us, if given the same circumstance, would do whatever it took to grant the most important person in our life their final wish. Emma got herself in quite a mess once she told her "Gramps" she was engaged, and I was curious how she was going to get herself out of her predicament.
There was so much the author could have done with the plot, the storyline was cute, the characters were perfect for one another. I found the author was too descriptive, she tended to over describe unrelated facts. ..more....
December 28, 2011
Juvenile writing and predictable pilot. The attempts at providing depth to the characters was flat as most of the information was repetitive. She could have reveled in to Evans fear of marriage through more flash backs to childhood and more about his history with his father. Best friend Genie was also very one dimensional. Her relationship with her mother was a waste. So much could have been explored there but the author took the easy way out.
March 20, 2017
Ugggghhh!!! I hated this book so much that I started highlighting the very bad prose- I've made them public so others can see what I read. I just couldn't finish it!
November 25, 2023
An Unexpected Bride
Fornication is a sin but if you look with lust in your heart, you also sin. There is so much repetitive thoughts about what the persons will look like, feel like, etc. Too much reading of this repetition can plant seeds in the reader's mind. Choose not to continue reading.
Fornication is a sin but if you look with lust in your heart, you also sin. There is so much repetitive thoughts about what the persons will look like, feel like, etc. Too much reading of this repetition can plant seeds in the reader's mind. Choose not to continue reading.
December 23, 2017
Meh....
Just could not fall in love with this book. Too perfect characters, too detailed on things that added nothing. A story with unrealized potential. I did not finish it so perhaps the last quarter redeemed the overall work.
Just could not fall in love with this book. Too perfect characters, too detailed on things that added nothing. A story with unrealized potential. I did not finish it so perhaps the last quarter redeemed the overall work.
October 8, 2016
When I need a break from murder and mayhem books, I enjoy a nice romantic comedy novel. This was a novella but it qualified for me.
A girl loves her Grampa. It is that simple. I would say she is joyfully devoted to him. As the book progresses you, the reader, realizes that he, and his deceased wife, were the main structure to her family while growing up. In fact, one of my (5 star) moments was when the Mother comes to the wedding. I did not like her a bit.
So, when Grampa has only one wish before he dies (and yes, he is dying,) she has to honor it and slips up and says, 'I'm engaged.' Oh boy. Predictable, yes, but hooks you all the same.
Who has she chosen for a mate? Why, her handsome Boss, of course. He is pretty stellar alright, but does have a flaw...a curse. Women lead to the men in his family's downfall...just look at his Father who has some form of mental illness. Evan, his name is great even...Evan is terrified of marriage. Predictable, but, how is this going to reach the altar?
Well, I'm not going to tell you how Emma Wiggins and Evan Fletcher reach the altar....you will just have to read it yourself.
Now, in regards to the editing etc. I downloaded this book a long time ago. Then was unable to use my Kindle, for medical reasons, now I can. Yes, there were blank pages, and letters just out alone, but, I'm hoping by now that has been corrected. I can remember when Kindle was a brand new concept and authors were trying their best to learn how to use it. So, I ask your patience and you will find a great little read.
A girl loves her Grampa. It is that simple. I would say she is joyfully devoted to him. As the book progresses you, the reader, realizes that he, and his deceased wife, were the main structure to her family while growing up. In fact, one of my (5 star) moments was when the Mother comes to the wedding. I did not like her a bit.
So, when Grampa has only one wish before he dies (and yes, he is dying,) she has to honor it and slips up and says, 'I'm engaged.' Oh boy. Predictable, yes, but hooks you all the same.
Who has she chosen for a mate? Why, her handsome Boss, of course. He is pretty stellar alright, but does have a flaw...a curse. Women lead to the men in his family's downfall...just look at his Father who has some form of mental illness. Evan, his name is great even...Evan is terrified of marriage. Predictable, but, how is this going to reach the altar?
Well, I'm not going to tell you how Emma Wiggins and Evan Fletcher reach the altar....you will just have to read it yourself.
Now, in regards to the editing etc. I downloaded this book a long time ago. Then was unable to use my Kindle, for medical reasons, now I can. Yes, there were blank pages, and letters just out alone, but, I'm hoping by now that has been corrected. I can remember when Kindle was a brand new concept and authors were trying their best to learn how to use it. So, I ask your patience and you will find a great little read.
April 27, 2019
This was cute.
November 7, 2013
I love the premise for this story. It starts off with a woman making a promise to her dying grandfather that she would get married before he died (which wasn’t that far away from happening). Emma is one of those sweet and innocent characters that you can see doing something like this. The one problem being the first man she thinks of to be the lucky groom is totally against marriage. This is all rather ironic because their advertising agency is working hard to win a big account with a wedding company. Some of my favorite parts of the book were the hero and heroine working together as they developed their proposal and presentation. There was no doubt in my mind that they had great chemistry. I was definitely rooting for them the whole time!
The length of this book makes it a light and easy read for those not looking for anything too long or heavy. My one problem with this is there were several missed opportunities that really could have been great for character development. At one point Emma is talked into being the model for a photo shoot (for the aforementioned company). Since this was a wedding photo shoot I’d expected there would have been a male model posing as the groom. Not once was this mentioned and I would have thought it great to see how Evan would feel seeing Emma pose with another man. You could feel the strong attraction between the couple so I felt sure it might have stirred up a bit of jealousy.
There is also a gap in the days leading up to the “possible” wedding where the two characters hardly interacted. That was a period where Emma and Evan really could have used a bit more time to resolve their differences. It also would have been nice if during that time Emma could have met Evan’s father so the reader could have been “shown” more of a resolution with him. I’m pretty sure that would have been a very convincing way to win over the remaining reluctance Evan had to their relationship. There really were so many interesting nuances the author introduced in the story that would have been great to see more expansion. All the right ideas were there, but didn’t always get the full attention they deserved.
Despite all this, I loved the ending. It really was romantic and a bit unexpected after everything that happened leading up to it. Most of the loose ends got tied up and I’m glad there is another book after this so readers can see how things are going for Emma and Evan post-nuptials. If you’re a romantic at heart and enjoy light, easy romances, you should check this one out. I’m glad I did.
Note- a free copy of this novel was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The length of this book makes it a light and easy read for those not looking for anything too long or heavy. My one problem with this is there were several missed opportunities that really could have been great for character development. At one point Emma is talked into being the model for a photo shoot (for the aforementioned company). Since this was a wedding photo shoot I’d expected there would have been a male model posing as the groom. Not once was this mentioned and I would have thought it great to see how Evan would feel seeing Emma pose with another man. You could feel the strong attraction between the couple so I felt sure it might have stirred up a bit of jealousy.
There is also a gap in the days leading up to the “possible” wedding where the two characters hardly interacted. That was a period where Emma and Evan really could have used a bit more time to resolve their differences. It also would have been nice if during that time Emma could have met Evan’s father so the reader could have been “shown” more of a resolution with him. I’m pretty sure that would have been a very convincing way to win over the remaining reluctance Evan had to their relationship. There really were so many interesting nuances the author introduced in the story that would have been great to see more expansion. All the right ideas were there, but didn’t always get the full attention they deserved.
Despite all this, I loved the ending. It really was romantic and a bit unexpected after everything that happened leading up to it. Most of the loose ends got tied up and I’m glad there is another book after this so readers can see how things are going for Emma and Evan post-nuptials. If you’re a romantic at heart and enjoy light, easy romances, you should check this one out. I’m glad I did.
Note- a free copy of this novel was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 8, 2011
Emma Wiggins has been focused on two things: her grandfather's failing health and her job at Fletcher Advertising Corporation. But when the doctor's tell her her grandfather only has days to live, she breaks down and tells one little lie hoping to ease his mind into his next life. See, her grandfather doesn't want Emma to be alone and he fears that when he passes, she'll only live for her job. So, on his deathbed he tells her of his wish for her to be married, just like Mr. H's (his next door neighbor) daughter had done. So Emma told her little white lie and said she was engaged. When pressed for a name, she said the first name that popped into her head: Evan Fletcher, her boss and the man she has a huge crush on.
Evan Fletcher has grown his little company into a large competitor. With the help of his junior account exec, Emma, he's landed a huge account with Weddings R Us. So what if he doesn't believe in the institution of marriage or commitment for that matter. When Emma tells him that she told a small fib and said that they were getting married, in a week, he at first thought Emma was crazy. But he agrees to go along with the fact marriage. Evan would do just about anything for his junior account exec, because he can't stop thinking about her and thinks he may even be in love with her, although he has no plans to act on those feelings. He wasn't going to fall victim to the Fletcher curse.
The story was cute. You immediately like both Emma and Evan and hope they can get out of their own way to find the happiness they each want with the other. Emma was stuck on the lie that she told and how she was going to confess to everyone involved that it was all a hoax, especially to Evan who thought they were pretending to get married rather than actually marrying. Evan was stuck on the Fletcher curse and denying the feelings he had for Emma, because he didn't want to end up like the mend in his family.
The story did seemed rushed at times, but that didn't detract too much from the story.
Evan Fletcher has grown his little company into a large competitor. With the help of his junior account exec, Emma, he's landed a huge account with Weddings R Us. So what if he doesn't believe in the institution of marriage or commitment for that matter. When Emma tells him that she told a small fib and said that they were getting married, in a week, he at first thought Emma was crazy. But he agrees to go along with the fact marriage. Evan would do just about anything for his junior account exec, because he can't stop thinking about her and thinks he may even be in love with her, although he has no plans to act on those feelings. He wasn't going to fall victim to the Fletcher curse.
The story was cute. You immediately like both Emma and Evan and hope they can get out of their own way to find the happiness they each want with the other. Emma was stuck on the lie that she told and how she was going to confess to everyone involved that it was all a hoax, especially to Evan who thought they were pretending to get married rather than actually marrying. Evan was stuck on the Fletcher curse and denying the feelings he had for Emma, because he didn't want to end up like the mend in his family.
The story did seemed rushed at times, but that didn't detract too much from the story.
July 11, 2013
Have you ever told a little white lie just to make someone's wish come true - especially if you knew you would never have to follow through? Emma did just that. Her grandfather was on his deathbed with mere days, if not hours, to live and the only thing he wanted to see before he died was for Emma to get married. Then he could die a happy man because he knew she would have a family that would carry on his bloodline. Poor Emma felt she was letting him down. Shoot, she wasn't even dating, let alone the prospect of a wedding before he passed - so Emma told a little white lie. She told her grandfather she was getting married to her boss.
This lie created a turn of events that put Emma in a terrible predicament. She now had to convince her boss they need to get married because her quickly recovering grandfather has planned their wedding - A wedding he has no idea about nor would ever agree to!
This story was such a fun read. Emma dug herself into a seemingly impossible hole to get out of, and every time she turned around, it just seemed to get worse. I hadn't a clue how she would convince the man who was sworn to bachelorhood that not only should they date, but they should get married in just a few days.
For me, this was one of those books you cuddle up with on a stormy day, with your favorite beverage in your favorite chair, and just get lost in the story. It went quickly, and I found it a lighthearted and enjoyable read. I was snickering more than once and had to laugh at the grandfather's enthusiasm.
One of my favorite quotes from this book:
"Gossip was nothing more than a verbally transmitted dis-ease, according to Gramps, that attacks thoughts, ruins lives, and cripples reputations."
There are sexual references and a sex scene, but it is not terribly descriptive. I would recommend this book for more of the older teen/adult audience.
I received an e-copy of this book to read and honestly review.
This lie created a turn of events that put Emma in a terrible predicament. She now had to convince her boss they need to get married because her quickly recovering grandfather has planned their wedding - A wedding he has no idea about nor would ever agree to!
This story was such a fun read. Emma dug herself into a seemingly impossible hole to get out of, and every time she turned around, it just seemed to get worse. I hadn't a clue how she would convince the man who was sworn to bachelorhood that not only should they date, but they should get married in just a few days.
For me, this was one of those books you cuddle up with on a stormy day, with your favorite beverage in your favorite chair, and just get lost in the story. It went quickly, and I found it a lighthearted and enjoyable read. I was snickering more than once and had to laugh at the grandfather's enthusiasm.
One of my favorite quotes from this book:
"Gossip was nothing more than a verbally transmitted dis-ease, according to Gramps, that attacks thoughts, ruins lives, and cripples reputations."
There are sexual references and a sex scene, but it is not terribly descriptive. I would recommend this book for more of the older teen/adult audience.
I received an e-copy of this book to read and honestly review.
October 5, 2011
This is a sweetly written story from start to finish with a hero and heroine that are perfectly matched. Both are trying to take care of ill loved ones while dedicating themselves to work. Emma and Evan have always desired the other, but until Emma tells her little white lie they've never admitted the truth about their feelings. Once they do, Evan has to work past his family's history of fear of commitment to reach the altar.
As I said, this is a sweet story. The characters are sweet, their actions are sweet, and there's virtually no conflict to keep them from their sweet ending. The description of Emma, which is reiterated often, is of a beautiful and sweet woman who would make the perfect wife. She's loving, doesn't speak ill of others, and rises above adversity. Evan too appears perfect with his buff body, his niceties to his employees, and the care he gives his father. Because of the constant reminders of their perfection, I found it a bit difficult to relate to them and didn't see that spark when they finally came together. They felt blandly sweet to me and I never felt fully invested in their outcomes. They seemed to good to be true at times.
The descriptions of New York and other surroundings do draw you in. The author put in a lot of effort to make you feel like you were traveling with our sweet couple and I liked that feeling of being there without leaving home. This is a well-written story that flows along nicely, but had an ending that I felt was a bit rushed with a conflict that was too quickly and easily resolved. After making Evan's family curse when it comes to marriage such an important factor in his life, he certainly got over his fear quickly in the end. The storyline is nothing new, but the author handles it nicely and it led to an enjoyable afternoon of reading. For those wanting a sweetly inspiring story, An Unexpected Bride certainly fits the bill.
As I said, this is a sweet story. The characters are sweet, their actions are sweet, and there's virtually no conflict to keep them from their sweet ending. The description of Emma, which is reiterated often, is of a beautiful and sweet woman who would make the perfect wife. She's loving, doesn't speak ill of others, and rises above adversity. Evan too appears perfect with his buff body, his niceties to his employees, and the care he gives his father. Because of the constant reminders of their perfection, I found it a bit difficult to relate to them and didn't see that spark when they finally came together. They felt blandly sweet to me and I never felt fully invested in their outcomes. They seemed to good to be true at times.
The descriptions of New York and other surroundings do draw you in. The author put in a lot of effort to make you feel like you were traveling with our sweet couple and I liked that feeling of being there without leaving home. This is a well-written story that flows along nicely, but had an ending that I felt was a bit rushed with a conflict that was too quickly and easily resolved. After making Evan's family curse when it comes to marriage such an important factor in his life, he certainly got over his fear quickly in the end. The storyline is nothing new, but the author handles it nicely and it led to an enjoyable afternoon of reading. For those wanting a sweetly inspiring story, An Unexpected Bride certainly fits the bill.
August 24, 2011
Today's review is on An Unexpected Bride by Shadonna Richards.
An Unexpected Bride was an unexpected delight to read. It showed the extent to which one may go to ensure the dieing wish of a loved one.
Emma Wiggins is the last member of the Wiggins line. Her grand father; who raised her along with his now deceased wife, is in a long-term care facility facing his own mortality. He is dieing of cancer. He has but one unfulfilled wish. He wanted to see his grand daughter married before he left this earth. So what does a girl do in this instance? Why she fabricates an fiance of course.
Enter the marriage phobic Evan, Emma's secret crush. He is handsome, successful, and built like a god. Now she just has to convince him to marry her. Thankfully he agrees. After all, Emma's not to hard on the eyes herself and he finds himself attracted to her even though he never mixes work with pleasure.
The book flips from Emma's life and perspective to Evan's as they each tackle life and "find" each other. They each realize how much passion, desire and love they really have for the other.
I have but only two negative things to say about this book. First off, there are many spelling errors and grammatical errors through out. It is difficult to really enjoy a good story line when there are so many mistakes. Get a good editor or a second person to recheck your manuscript. Secondly, what's with the ending? I fell deflated! I would have liked another chapter or two. One to tell me how that last conversation between Evan and his dad went, and how he made the decision to go through with the wedding. The other to describe the actual ceremony. As it's written, you build everything up to the wedding and leave the reader hanging.
All in all I actually enjoyed this book even though it's not my usual "cup of tea."
3 of 5 stars
An Unexpected Bride was an unexpected delight to read. It showed the extent to which one may go to ensure the dieing wish of a loved one.
Emma Wiggins is the last member of the Wiggins line. Her grand father; who raised her along with his now deceased wife, is in a long-term care facility facing his own mortality. He is dieing of cancer. He has but one unfulfilled wish. He wanted to see his grand daughter married before he left this earth. So what does a girl do in this instance? Why she fabricates an fiance of course.
Enter the marriage phobic Evan, Emma's secret crush. He is handsome, successful, and built like a god. Now she just has to convince him to marry her. Thankfully he agrees. After all, Emma's not to hard on the eyes herself and he finds himself attracted to her even though he never mixes work with pleasure.
The book flips from Emma's life and perspective to Evan's as they each tackle life and "find" each other. They each realize how much passion, desire and love they really have for the other.
I have but only two negative things to say about this book. First off, there are many spelling errors and grammatical errors through out. It is difficult to really enjoy a good story line when there are so many mistakes. Get a good editor or a second person to recheck your manuscript. Secondly, what's with the ending? I fell deflated! I would have liked another chapter or two. One to tell me how that last conversation between Evan and his dad went, and how he made the decision to go through with the wedding. The other to describe the actual ceremony. As it's written, you build everything up to the wedding and leave the reader hanging.
All in all I actually enjoyed this book even though it's not my usual "cup of tea."
3 of 5 stars
March 14, 2012
The plot is interesting and the blurb really draws you in, it leaves you expecting a funny, thrilling, tongue in cheek ride! And as fun and cheerful as this book is it's lacking that little bit of extra to make it great. I think if it had been tad bit shorter it would have been more compact and would have had a more fast pace 7 day "courtship".
Emma was fun and reading her embarrassment and antics was entertaining, Evan was a truly commitment phobic corporate guy so much so that it was annoying in the beginning but things mellowed out for him as the story continued and he began to notice he'd fallen for Emma, and we got to see sweeter side of him. An Unexpected Bride is sweet and charming love story with fun and witty side and embarrassment as spice!
You'll like this if... you like your heroines bit goofy, and up to their ears in trouble and a hero who can't quite stay away even though her rationalizes he should.
Emma was fun and reading her embarrassment and antics was entertaining, Evan was a truly commitment phobic corporate guy so much so that it was annoying in the beginning but things mellowed out for him as the story continued and he began to notice he'd fallen for Emma, and we got to see sweeter side of him. An Unexpected Bride is sweet and charming love story with fun and witty side and embarrassment as spice!
You'll like this if... you like your heroines bit goofy, and up to their ears in trouble and a hero who can't quite stay away even though her rationalizes he should.
March 12, 2012
An Unexpected Bride is a cute romance. It's a quick read coming in at about 120 pages. Great for a rainy afternoon. I enjoyed the chemistry between Emma and Evan. Both are smitten over each other, but neither one wants to take the first step. Evan is afraid to get close because of a family curse he believes will turn him crazy because of love. Emma and Evan are perfect for each other and I was hoping for their HEA. The one thing I wish is that is was a bit longer. I would have liked to see more interaction between Evan and Emma. The fake wedding as a good way to get them together, but I wanted a bit more. Maybe an epilogue or a longer ending would have been nice. This is a well written and sweet romance. I have the next one in the series, The Jilted Bride, loaded on my Kindle. I can't wait to dive in!
December 23, 2012
I am not sure what the author of this novel hoped to achieve with such an underdeveloped story. The character's feelings were repetitious, there were pages of what the hero and heroine liked or disliked, especially about New York, but no real attempt to build character or any real rapport between them.
She is gorgeous/he is gorgeous, she is breathtakingly beautiful in a wedding dress, he's really ripped. That's about it. The story of why Evan is against marriage was unconvincing to say the least! A "curse" for goodness sake. There is no real explanation as to why Evan changes his mind about the wedding.
I found myself skimming the pages - many with formatting errors - trying to find substance to this plot. The abrupt ending felt as though the author was desperate to get out of the manuscript.
Even in the genre of light romance, this was a right twit of a tale.
She is gorgeous/he is gorgeous, she is breathtakingly beautiful in a wedding dress, he's really ripped. That's about it. The story of why Evan is against marriage was unconvincing to say the least! A "curse" for goodness sake. There is no real explanation as to why Evan changes his mind about the wedding.
I found myself skimming the pages - many with formatting errors - trying to find substance to this plot. The abrupt ending felt as though the author was desperate to get out of the manuscript.
Even in the genre of light romance, this was a right twit of a tale.
June 26, 2012
Short story, thankfully, or I might not have finished it. The premise is sweet, her grandfather on his death bed, wants her to get married, he cries, he has days to live, so she tells him that she's marrying her boss. Gramps plans the wedding for the next week and calls all the family. Then she has to tell her boss, who she has the hots for. Maybe because it was a novella there wasn't time/space to set up their romance properly. It was like they thought each other was hot and then they were in love in a day. I also couldn't tell if this was a Christian story or not, starts out with a Bible verse and there's mention of her praying (random!) but the use of "Lord" and "God" appear every other paragraph when exclaiming how hot they are, not in a religious reference.
October 22, 2013
Full Review at: What's Beyond Forks?
I took a quick liking to both Emma and Evan. They were pretty adorable and very much in denial which made them even cuter. I would have liked some more from the ending. What made Evan make his decision? What did his dad tell him? I need details! I'm way too nosy to not know these things. The time just flew while I read. I love stories like this that provide that temporary escape. That's what An Unexpected Bride was for me, a fun little escape. Overall, the story was very charming, and I look forward to more in this series.
March 11, 2012
Emma Wiggins’s grandfather is dying and his final wish is to see Emma married. For his peace of mind and to make him happy Emma tells him she engaged…engaged to her boss, Evan Fletcher. One lie leads to another. Emma ends up telling Evan what has happened, he agrees to a fake marriage.
I hate to write bad reviews but I do not see this book winning any writing awards. It was simple and pretty mindless.
I hate to write bad reviews but I do not see this book winning any writing awards. It was simple and pretty mindless.
October 26, 2013
Did not finish--- While the story was cute, it was too descriptive. What should have taken a sentence or two to describe would take paragraphs; by the time you got to the end of the description you forgot what the main point of the descriptions was. Again, the story line was cute the description was almost annoying. I think a good edit/clean up would do wonders to An Unexpected Bride.
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