Vestida De Novia

by Ally Blake

A wedding dress...but no bride!  Paige Danforth isn't interested in setting herself up for an unhappy-ever-after--thanks to her father's betrayal, the closest she'll ever get to walking down the aisle is as a bridesmaid. But one bridal sale later, Paige is left clutching her own champagne chiffon wedding dress! Clearly she needs to end her self-imposed dating drought.... 

Enter ruggedly sexy neighbor Gabe Hamilton. He wants Paige in his bed and nothing more--no promises made, no promises broken. But will this big, bad adventurer stick around when he discovers not only skeletons--but the wedding dress--in her closet?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Australia

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

Australian romance author Ally Blake loves reading and strong coffee, porch swings and dappled sunshine, sparkly notebooks and soft, dark pencils.

She also adores writing love stories. Having sold over four million copies of her Harlequin Mills and Boon novels worldwide, she is living her dream.

Alongside one husband, three gloriously rambunctious kids, and too many animal companions to count, Ally lives and writes in the leafy western suburbs of Brisbane.

Find out more about Ally’s books at www.allyblake.com.

Reviews

[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those times when being a grownup reduces your enjoyment of a book because you are saying to the h: "Honey, he is a weak man who will disappoint you when the chips are down. Throw him back."

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haha! I really liked this one, especially the epilogue, it made me laugh and giggle like a child. I loved the heroine and the fact she had been through so much emotional trauma to do with her parents, yet still found love with the hero. Paige and Gabe were definitely two of my favorite characters from the new harlequins. I think I will always remember this story. Now I'm curious about Clint and Mae...

[Bree Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No matter the mistakes he’d made in his life, he’d done something right for her to have come into his life at the right moment.”

It may have taken 36 years but I’ve come to accept that I love a hot elevator meet cute. Add in that the meet-cute involved the heroine holding a wedding a dress she purchased simply because they were on sale and she found a pretty one she couldn’t pass up! I mean of course just when you buy a for-the-hell-of-it wedding dress is exactly when the man of your dreams would need to share an elevator with you. So good.

[Nicola Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy fun, flirty, contemporary romances, you'll love The Secret Wedding Dress.

I love reading books set in my fabulous home city of Melbourne.

Paige is ballsy and quirky, Gabe is flawed and incredibly sexy.

Thoroughly enjoyed!

[Desere · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know the story, girl meets boy, they start dating, they fall in love, they get engaged and then only comes the part of finding the perfect wedding dress.

But if you are a Ally Blake fan you should by now know this author never writes just the plain good old fashioned story, no she takes the usual and turns it into the extraordinary !

In this read we meet Paige, she is as happy as can be, she has her job and her best friend, who needs a man!

But when her best friend hits the shops to find her wedding dress Paige comes face to face with the magic of the perfect dress and buys it on impulse.

Now every woman knows this is not a major problem if you want to keep the perfect dress in the closet until the time comes to walk down the isle what does it matter, it is not like your going to proclaim it out to the entire world, no it is just your little secret.

But with a few life changing words from her friend Paige decides that just maybe she needs to find herself a man not the 'marry me now' kind but rather help 'me get back into the dating game kind', and as if conjured up by a dream in walks I'll -tempt-you-into-sin-everyday-of-the-week Gabe.

Gabe is perfect for filling the position of hot and wild sex filled nights to help Paige get back into the game. But will the man go running when he finds the secret wedding dress or stick around and put on a suit to celebrate the happy ever after?

The main characters of Paige and Gabe were both extremely well written. I loved how Paige goes from ordinary woman to 'I take what I want, when I want" which of course totally blows Gabe's mind, loved seeing the man crumble at her feet.

Gabe was the perfect heart breaker hero that when you meet him you immediately know you need to stay away but you can't resist him so you go for it anyway. I loved that the author digs into his background to show why exactly he is so secretive towards Paige but does not come right out with it rather she slowly lets it build into a truth revealing moment when I least expected it.

The backdrop settings were hot, sexy and exciting coming into perfect alignment with this read! The entire
book scenes, characters, dialogue all simply scream HOT AND SEXY and that is exactly what I got!

From a truly unforgettable (and I do mean unforgettable for you will never forget this one) kiss scene that will leave you breathless and begging to be pinned to a wall by this hero, to the elevator rides these two share, you will never experience a dull moment in this read.

The author managed to show a message of taking a risk in life even if it destroys you perfectly and showed being ordinary is never as much fun as being wild and free.

I highly recommend this read for anyone looking for a read that is guaranteed hot, spicy, sexy and definitely not ordinary. This read will make even the hottest book you ever read look tame, and boring. Fast paced, sexy and blazing with passion!

5/5 star review
" Stripping away the defences of the past in the sexiest and wildest way ever"

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen several Harlequin Kiss books at my local Walmart and read the descriptions on most of them, but this was the first one to appeal to me enough for me to buy it. A heroine who bought a wedding dress despite not even having a boyfriend. A hero who was only interested in no-strings-attached sex. I wanted to see how things would go between them. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me.

The attraction between Gabe and Paige was clear. Their first meeting was in their apartment building's elevator, and they were so focused on each other that noticing other details was difficult for them. I was surprised that either one of them was capable of conversation. The “no-strings-attached sex” part began, I think, within 24 hours of them meeting. Their lust for each other didn't make them completely stupid, however – when they realized that neither one of them had any condoms with them, they postponed the sex they were moments away from having. None of that “we're so hot for each other that we can't stop ourselves, so we'll save the STD/pregnancy freak out for right after.”

Unfortunately, although they were clearly hot for each other, I needed more than that. The book offered me less than I would have liked, and took longer to give it to me than I think it should have. Paige and Gabe's first truly intimate conversation – as in, talking about their personal lives in any kind of detail – didn't happen until halfway through the book. Later in the book, Gabe and Paige blurred the boundaries of their no-strings-attached relationship by going on a date, and Gabe acted like a jerk. I was glad that Paige didn't put up with it and walked out on him before the food had even arrived, but that scene only emphasized how little they knew about each other outside of bed. Gabe did go after her, apologize, and explain himself, but it still bothered me that there was so much about their lives they hadn't talked about yet.

The book had a couple gimmicky elements: the wedding dress and the apartment elevator. Considering that the dress was mentioned in the title, I figured it would play a good-sized role in the book, but in reality the elevator played a bigger part. A more accurate title might have been Love in a Lift (or Love in an Elevator for non-Aussie folks like myself). Paige's purchase of the wedding dress increased her internal conflict about love and marriage, but the dress itself was mostly easy to forget about, and it didn't result in the Big Misunderstanding blowup I was expecting.

The elevator, on the other hand, was front and center in the story. Its tendency to malfunction was brought up a lot. It deposited Paige on Gabe's floor, even when she hadn't intended to go there. An emergency stop gave Paige and Gabe an opportunity to have elevator sex (which squicked me out at the time, because I'm not a fan of sex scenes in public or semi-public places – also, it was one of the few sex scenes in which condom use was not brought up). Paige and Gabe had their first intimate, non-sex-related conversation when the elevator got stuck between floors. Throughout most of the book, this was a matchmaking elevator. I could have done without the final chapter, though, which revealed Sam the Super's part in the whole thing – it only increased my dislike of the elevator sex scene.

This book was way too short for all the things it had crammed into it: the wedding dress; Paige's fear of love and marriage because her father cheated on her mother; other cheating-related issues; Gabe's fear of love and commitment because the last woman he truly cared for betrayed him, which almost led to his business tanking; the malfunctioning elevator; and Paige's fear that her friend Mae's impending marriage to Clint meant that she'd lose her friend to Clint. It didn't really feel like too much until near the end, when a lot of things came to a head at once. I didn't entirely agree with what some of the characters said about cheating (basically, “if you really love them, you'll find a way to get past it and trust that person again”). Also, I felt that Gabe's final proposal of marriage to Paige came too soon.

I didn't hate this book, but it wasn't the fun, quick read I'd hoped for. It took too long for Paige and Gabe to begin to connect in more than just a sexual way, and I felt they'd only just started to walk down the path of being an actual couple by the end of the book.

Goodreads rating note: If I could, I'd give this one 2.5 stars. My feelings as I wrote my review made me want to round that down to 2 stars. However, it seemed closer to a 3-star book while I was reading it, so I'm rounding up instead.

(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Trish Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED. It. Fast paced, funny, warm and deliciously hot, this is the kind of can't-put-down story Ms. Blake is famous for writing. What's more, she has a magical way of making it feel like the heroine is a best friend who is telling her story over cocktails instead of within the pages of a book. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE!

[Yohana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kegilaan demi kegilaan, begitulah yang dilakukan Paige Danforth. Setelah berebut gaun pengantin diskonan kemudian menjepit jari tetangga barunya di lift, dia memutuskan untuk melanjutkan kegilaannya dengan merespon rayuan rayuan si tetangga.
Novel paling tipis dengan durasi baca paling lama. Entah kenapa rasanya ada yang kurang greget. Padahal ketika baca sinopsis di belakang novel, tak sabar menanti kiriman paket si abang J*E. Tapi untuk reader yang mencari bacaan yang tak seberat bulu mata Syahrini, novel ini siap jadi teman cantik penghangat suasana ;)

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amo i romanzi d’amore, soprattutto se non è platonico, ma conclamato. Quindi – in genere – nel momento in cui la passione si concretizza mi piace leggere il giusto coronamento dei sentimenti e gustarmi la loro sublimazione messa in pratica. Ci può essere un modo di raccontarla pudico, plateale, frettoloso, distratto… ma di tanto in tanto mi capita persino di rileggere la scena, nel dubbio di aver saltato qualche riga. Eh? Questo è il caso. Per ben due volte. Così deduco che per Ally questa sia la consuetudine e mi dirigo verso altri scritti. Peccato perché la storia era carina e anche l’idea dell’ascensore non era male. Lo consiglio alle persone romantiche che non amano le scene di sesso.

[Elin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and light read. It has all the important ingredients for a sexy romance novel; interesting characters, a captivating story and steamy sex-scenes.

If you're looking for a good time and a light read, this is highly recommended.

I received this book through first reads giveaway.

[Aulia Rofiani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating asli 2.5
Hffft
Bisa sih nyelesain baca ini, tapi terus2an liat halamannya gtu, pengen cepet2 selesai baca rasanya
Merasa kurang banget sama eksekusi penulisannya, padahal sinopsisnya uda oke
Lagipula....itu nemu gaun nya ga di lemari woy, tapi pas kepake gtu 😭, merasa dibohongi deh...

[Jessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy and quick read. A very romantic and sexy story of Paige and Gabe.

[Titi Sanaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sulit klik-nya. Banyak bagian yang di-skip. Ternyata nggak semua romance bikin mager. 😅😅😅

[Andrea Lujano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Protagonistas: Paige & Gabe

Profesiones: Decoradora & Empresario

Pais: Australia

[Meliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awalnya Paige Danforth hanya berniat untuk menemani Mae, sahabatnya, ke sale besar-besaran gaun pengantin, tapi entah ada dorongan apa Paige akhirnya memutuskan untuk membeli sebuah gaun pengantin padahal Paige tahu bahwa dirinya tidak akan memakainya karena dirinya tidak percaya akan cinta apalagi komitmen pernikahan. Paige tidak mengerti kenapa Mae yang awalnya satu visi hidup dengannya mendadak berubah dan memutuskan untuk menikah, Paige yang kehilangan sahabatnya itu memutuskan untuk mencari seorang pria untuk bersenang-senang sesaat mengisi kekosongan hatinya, tidak lebih.
Gabe tidak ingin tinggal menetap, dia mau kembali ke kota yang penuh kenangan sedih ini hanya karena Nate, teman sekaligus rekan bisnisnya memintanya untuk datang dan mengurus perusahaan. Tapi Gabe sedikit bimbang akan rencananya untuk tinggal satu dua hari, setelah dia bertemu wanita berkaki indah di lift apartemennya.
Paige dan Gabe bertemu dan sama-sama tidak ingin terikat, mereka berfikir bahwa hubungan yang mereka jalani benar-benar cocok dengan kondisi mereka saat ini. Akan tetapi tanpa mereka sadari hati Paige dan Gabe mulai saling terbuka, bahkan Paige mulai berharap akan hubungan yang mereka jalani. Di saat Paige menyadari hal tersebut, Gabe mendadak memutuskan untuk pergi.

--

Pemilihan cerita Harlequin Temptation ini makin bagus, porsi cerita dan steamy scene-nya seimbang menurutku. Adegan yang paling aku suka saat Gabe mendapati Paige yang memakai gaun pengantin yang dibeli Paige secara tak sadar, walaupun kejadian melihat Paige dalam gaun pengantin membuat Gabe jadi mundur seribu langkah. Overall aku suka ceritanya dan nggak membosankan, tidak terlalu berat dan cocok dibaca santai. Oia, mau spoiler sedikit ya, di epilog ternyata ada cupid lho yang membuat Gabe dan Paige akhirnya saling bertemu. Baca deh, lumayan seru ceritanya.

[Pupottina · Rating 5 out of 5]

L’ascensore dei desideri di Ally Blake è un romanzo rosa, leggero, rilassante e romantico come guardare una commedia sentimentale a tema fiori d’arancio.
Quando il tema è il matrimonio, il lieto fine è garantito e non c’è niente di più piacevole che farsi accompagnare, fra le pagine, dal primo sguardo in poi.
Ally Blake ci racconta la storia, nata in ascensore, fra Paige Danforth e Gabe Hamilton.
Lei è una ragazza non molto romantica che ha già deciso di non credere nel lieto fine ma, nonostante tutto, ha appena acquistato un abito da sposa ad una svendita, quando, casualmente, in ascensore, incontra l’uomo del suo destino, l’affascinante manager dei Chicchi di Caffè, Gabe Hamilton, appena atterrato, dopo un lungo periodo di lavoro in Brasile, e ancora sotto l’effetto del jet lag.
Le scintille fra loro esplodono già al primo sguardo, ma nessuno dei due può permettersi di cedere all’attrazione. Non è da loro, troppo perfetti, troppo impegnati, troppo moralmente equilibrati. Ma l’amore ha altre dinamiche e non tutte sono affidate al Destino. Il fatto di vivere nello stesso palazzo, dove l’ascensore va su e giù come gli pare, non li aiuta a continuare dritti, ognuno per la sua strada.
Troppe coincidenze e concause li portano a incontrarsi spesso e a cedere all’attrazione reciproca. L’amore è la seconda tappa obbligatoria e il seguito è già scritto nello scontrino del primo capitolo. Ma le dinamiche della narrazione, fresca e brioso, l’intreccio, rocambolesco e con colpi di scena, e lo stile, spiritoso e giovanile, fanno di questa storia romantica la sceneggiatura perfetta per un film che mi aspetto di rivedere sul grande schermo (dopo averne pienamente visualizzato le fasi nella mia immaginazione, guidata da Ally Blake).

http://youtu.be/S0mWsinaQ_I

[Romancenesia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suka deh sama cover dengan background baju pengantin ini, tapi kenapa sepatunya gak putih juga ya? Mungkin supaya kontras dengan warna putihnya. Hahahahahah...

How they met...
Mungkin lagu Kunto Aji berjudul Terlalu Lama Sendiri cocok menjadi backsound lagu ini. Semua ini karena sahabatnya yang akan menikah dan mengajaknya belanja sale gaun pengantin. Di sanalah Paige menemukan gaun impiannya dan membelinya.

Lift tempat tinggal Paige tidak pernah bisa beroperasi dengan baik. Namun, khusus pada hari itu, lift berjalan dengan sempurna. Hari dimana ia membeli baju pengantin yang ia tak tahu kapan akan ia pakai. Hari dimana ia bertemu dengan seorang pria yang menarik, Gabe Hamilton, sambil menenteng tas belanjaan sale gaun pengantin.

and the problems begin...
Bagi Paige, Gabe adalah pria yang seharusnya ia hindari. Belum lagi masa lalu orang tuanya yang membuat Paige mempertanyakan cinta. Tapi pesona Gabe yang tak dapat dia hindari dan keberadaan pria itu di kota ini yang hanya sebentar, membuat Paige membulatkan tekadnya untuk menikmati hubungan mereka. Di lain pihak, Gabe merasa bahwa Paige adalah wanita yang menyenangkan. Banyak hal yang tak dapat ia duga dari wanita ini dan membuatnya semakin penasaran dengan Paige.

Namun, apakah Gabe adalah pria yang tepat menjadi alasan Paige mengenakan gaun pengantin yang ia dambakan?

Baca selengkapnya di : www.romancenesia.blogspot.com

[Angela Noviana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paige Danforth secara impulsif membeli sebuah gaun pengantin yang entah kapan ia pakai. Dan ketika ia pulang dan menaiki lift yang hanya Tuhan dan lift itu sendiri yang tahu kapan akan berhenti di lantai yang tepat, Paige bertemu dengan seorang pria.

Gabe Hamilton menempati penthouse dan ia tak menyangkan akan menemukan wanita yang menarik perhatiannya. Pertemuan mereka di lift meninggalkan kesan bagi Gabe. Pertemuan mereka yang berikutnya membuat pria ini semakin penasaran pada Paige.

Siapa yang sangka pria seperti Gabe tetap mendekati Paige padahal pria itu tahu tentengan tas sale gaun pengantin yang dibawanya waktu itu? Masa lalu kedua orang tua Paige membuat wanita itu semakin sinis terhadap pria yang ada dalam kehidupannya. Namun, Paige tak dapat menolak pesona pria Australia tersebut.

Seiring berjalannya waktu dan keduanya menjajaki pesona masing-masing, Gabe semakin bertekuk lutut pada wanita ini. Dari luar, Paige tampak pemalu, tapi sebenarnya wanita itu adalah seorang penggoda. Aksinya ketika mendatangi penthouse Gabe, membuatku ternganga. Hahahahaha...

Tentunya adegan 'kipas' ada di The Secret Wedding Dress ini, cukup membuatku berdebar-debar karena membuatku berharap menjadi Paige :)

Overall, seperti khas Harlequin lainnya, ceritanya sederhana, sweet, dan ringan. Yang aku sayangkan hanyalah keterbukaan antara kedua karakter utama ini tidak dari awal melainkan benar-benar menjelang akhir.

[Yazmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

The Secret Wedding Dress by Ally Blake is a fun and sexy romance that will keep you hooked till the end.
Paige Danforth is not interested in getting married or anything permanent. But after going with her best friend, who is getting married, to a wedding dress sale, she finds herself buying a dress herself. It’s a beautiful dress, but she has no intention of wearing it. She knows there is no happily ever after, especially after everything she saw parents go through.

Gabe Hamilton is back in Melbourne, but not for long if he can help it. Melbourne holds many bad memories for him and he rather be anywhere else. But after a long flight and long ride from the airport he is finally arriving to his penthouse. To his surprise there a woman on the elevator who wants to close the door on him.

The chemistry between them is so potent they feel it the moment they are both inside the elevator, but he is too tired and she is to stand-offish to start something. But he can’t walk away from a challenge, and she has given one the moment she starts ignoring him. The good thing is that they are both looking for an affair only, not anything permanent or so they think.

Paige and Gabe must let go of the past and their misconceptions if they are to have anything more than just a really hot affair.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her parents ugly marriage saddled Paige with a horrible concept of relationships, meantime, Gabe grew up without any example of romantic relationships whatsoever, so when they get together, it’s with the idea of something limited, something inconsequential, something just to see them through a rough patch in their lives, they’re emotionally ill-equipped to handle more, which is, of course, where things get good.

Save for a couple authentically intense scenes between Paige and her best friend Mae, this one didn’t build quite as deep towards the end as some of my favorite Ally Blake books, but it still had all the sparkly, rapid fire dialogue, and crazily inventive body language that I love from this author.

If you’re seeking something light yet whip smart, with pink plastic flamingos, a seemingly temperamental elevator, and the fear and loving of a wedding dress, then you can’t really go wrong diving into this one.

[Ana]

i'm read 50pages and i'm done! god i can't read it any more. hate whan there is that friend who constantly is pokes in paige's relationship with gabe and is some kinde of matchmaker. and than there is paige..she is independent, realistic and smart but when gabe enetrs the room her iq goes low, waaaay low and it's sooo patetic and annoying. i simply can't read it any more because only i can think when i readd this book is 'get real! get real! don't shoot mae! get real!' --'

uh oh lets not forget Hitchcock, if i gave myself 1euro every time gabe says or thinks of Hitchcock i would be a millionaire.

[Sabrina (Soter) Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Amore. E per quanto ne fosse spaventata, ora si rendeva conto che si trattava di un sentimento bello, straordinario, incredibile. Un miracolo."

Nel complesso è stata una lettura leggera e carina (anche se in questa collana ho letto di meglio XD). L'idea dell'ascensore dotato di vita propria che va su e giù facendo sbocciare l'amore tra i nostri due protagonisti l'ho trovata originale e divertente ma mi sembrava anche un po' inverosimile...almeno fino all'epilogo che svela l'arcano XD Per il resto ci ho messo un po' a leggerlo perché il tutto era abbastanza prevedibile (però almeno il matrimonio ce lo poteva far vedere l'autrice, è iniziato tutto con l'abito!) XD

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story with some funny moments. Heroine has no intention of ever getting married, but when she goes wedding dress shopping with her best friend, somehow one dress captures her and insists on being bought. The hero is a venture capitalist who's built his company from the ground up, after being betrayed by a woman he fell for, so he's very anti-getting-involved. And then they meet in the elevator of the building where they both live. And the romance begins, with much resistance. The hero doesn't even want to stay in town. (I don't remember which big Australian city it's set in, but it seems like a fun city...) I liked this one a lot.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 awesome stars for this one!

I love love love the plot, the characters, and all of it. Lol. With Gabe as a hero, who wouldn't drool? Yay. He's just so closed-off, dark and mysterious with a dangerous aura looming behind. It is one of the books that I've read whom I fell in like with the heroine. Seems like all of Ally Blake's heroine I love. Haha.

Good read! Recommended!

[Jessica Vargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusto la historia fue facil de leer. pero no se merece 5/5 por que es imposible que al primer momento ella deje que el entre asi a su vida. Pero me fascino el trama, al final el amor siempre gana y bueno ella pudo utilizar el vestido de boda que ella se enamoro ese dia cuando fue de compra con su amiga.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually judge a book by its cover (and no this isnt meant that I judge people by how they look), really I say if a book will be a big hit by the cover, this cover had me hooked so I had to get the book and it was well worth it

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little oldie movie comments. Hitchcock, Rock Hudson, Doris Day. And the concept of a comfortable relationship because they knew it wouldn't last long so no pressures to be the perfect person or have the perfect skills.

[Denissa Levou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me molesto desde un principio la relación de los personajes, ya que todo fue muy presuroso. Y todo porque él le sonrió y ya la protagonista quedó enganchada del cuate. Osea no, no, no no, es tan improbable que suceda de esa manera en la vida real que me costo creerme la historia

[Nur Asmida · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think i want to read this novel again..

[Sharlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a day. Couldn't put it down!