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A Year of Weddings 1 #6
A May Bride
She’s prepared for her wedding all her life … but she forgot a few things.
Ellie Martin, a country girl in Atlanta, often de-stresses from city life by tending the flower beds of a church near her apartment. She has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life, a wedding like the one her younger sister is planning back in their hometown. Their single mom will pay for Alexa’s wedding, but Ellie started her own wedding fund years ago. She only needs to find a groom.
She bumps into a man who’s a guest at a wedding on the church grounds. She’s noticed him around the neighborhood, but today he introduces himself as Gray Whitby. They embark on a whirlwind romance, but her mother doesn’t trust freewheeling men like him. Standing up to Mom leads Ellie to stick up for Alexa too. When Ellie risks her own plans for her sister’s sake, Gray feels betrayed. Will he always play second fiddle?
Will Ellie and Gray reconcile their differences so her dream wedding can come true, or will the romance they’ve begun come crashing down?
Ellie Martin, a country girl in Atlanta, often de-stresses from city life by tending the flower beds of a church near her apartment. She has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life, a wedding like the one her younger sister is planning back in their hometown. Their single mom will pay for Alexa’s wedding, but Ellie started her own wedding fund years ago. She only needs to find a groom.
She bumps into a man who’s a guest at a wedding on the church grounds. She’s noticed him around the neighborhood, but today he introduces himself as Gray Whitby. They embark on a whirlwind romance, but her mother doesn’t trust freewheeling men like him. Standing up to Mom leads Ellie to stick up for Alexa too. When Ellie risks her own plans for her sister’s sake, Gray feels betrayed. Will he always play second fiddle?
Will Ellie and Gray reconcile their differences so her dream wedding can come true, or will the romance they’ve begun come crashing down?
124 pages, ebook
First published April 22, 2014
7 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
August 20, 2017
I did not enjoy this book. In fact, it may be my least favorite of this series so far.
The characters were wholly unlikable. Gray drove me crazy with his temper tantrums and Ellie put up with way too much from him as well as from her mom. Ellie and Gray did not seem at all compatible to me and I just do not see their relationship surviving. So, instead of rooting for them as a couple, I was actually wishing they wouldn't get together because a marriage between them just seemed like a disaster in the making.
The characters were wholly unlikable. Gray drove me crazy with his temper tantrums and Ellie put up with way too much from him as well as from her mom. Ellie and Gray did not seem at all compatible to me and I just do not see their relationship surviving. So, instead of rooting for them as a couple, I was actually wishing they wouldn't get together because a marriage between them just seemed like a disaster in the making.
August 25, 2017
It figures that the one I liked the most in the spring brides bindup has the lowest review of all three. I liked this one the most because it was creative with her mother's fears and their strict country side values. A lot of people seem to dislike Gray. I liked him because he was real. Except for how they arranged their first date, kinda weird lol Gray was this cool guy super laid back with a bit of a thing for cowboy fashion. Everyone thinks him being upset about her mother was over reacting but I'd have to disagree. I thought it was realistic. People like Ellie's mom do get between couples all the time and he wasn't necessarily mad at Ellie for having such a mom, I felt like he was always mad because she didn't trust him and that's why I liked this one. It did so well with so little room to write a story.
August 6, 2020
This is the first book I've read by Meg Moseley.
Ellie & Gray meet and start dating. It's kind of a whirlwind romance. Not something I liked at all. It felt so rushed and forced. Both needed to do some serious growing up. When they got mad at each other, they would slam doors or rush off. They were almost 30 so this is not a couple of teenagers. As such, they should be able to handle this better.
Then, Ellie's sister is getting married. Alexa & Eric were engaged and planning for a June wedding. However, they were bit by the temptation bug. Alexa isn't pregnant but their mom won't pay for a "white" wedding any longer.
Ellie & Alexa's mom was a piece of work. I didn't like her one iota! In fact, she was hypocritical and cruel to her daughters and their respective men.
Sure, there's a HEA but at the price that was paid for it, it wasn't worth it to me.
I didn't like this at all.
Ellie & Gray meet and start dating. It's kind of a whirlwind romance. Not something I liked at all. It felt so rushed and forced. Both needed to do some serious growing up. When they got mad at each other, they would slam doors or rush off. They were almost 30 so this is not a couple of teenagers. As such, they should be able to handle this better.
Then, Ellie's sister is getting married. Alexa & Eric were engaged and planning for a June wedding. However, they were bit by the temptation bug. Alexa isn't pregnant but their mom won't pay for a "white" wedding any longer.
Ellie & Alexa's mom was a piece of work. I didn't like her one iota! In fact, she was hypocritical and cruel to her daughters and their respective men.
Sure, there's a HEA but at the price that was paid for it, it wasn't worth it to me.
I didn't like this at all.
May 13, 2018
I loved this story! It was short, but felt like a complete story. One of my favorites so far in this series.
Ellie worried too much about making her family happy and yet, at the same time, seemed determined to do things in a way she knew her mother wouldn't like. But for some reason, I liked her and could understand why she did it.
Gray was such a sweet guy and he had a supportive family. However, he had a tendency to get mad very quickly when Ellie would put her family's needs/wants first.
The romance was a bit of a whirlwind, but both Ellie and Gray didn't completely get lost in their emotions that they didn't think things through.
All in all, a great read and one I'd recommend.
Ellie worried too much about making her family happy and yet, at the same time, seemed determined to do things in a way she knew her mother wouldn't like. But for some reason, I liked her and could understand why she did it.
Gray was such a sweet guy and he had a supportive family. However, he had a tendency to get mad very quickly when Ellie would put her family's needs/wants first.
The romance was a bit of a whirlwind, but both Ellie and Gray didn't completely get lost in their emotions that they didn't think things through.
All in all, a great read and one I'd recommend.
December 30, 2021
This is probably the best I've listened to so far in the series. This was a classic "Love Boat" novella. A little over the top at times with their arguing but seems a bit more realistic with family and the outcome.
March 10, 2016
This novella started out great, with how the characters meet and start their relationship. However, once the relationship starts to progress, the feelings and chemistry between the characters is non-existent. Any emotion Ellie portrays is about her issues with her mother. I felt there was such potential since the characters were introduced well and likeable, but the connection I felt with them went flat when the author began to tell and not show how they fell in love... and it was brief at that. I don't think the heart of the story needed to be sacrificed because it was a short story, but instead Ellie's issues with her family were the focus and Gray played second-string not only to Ellie's family but also in the plot.
(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)
(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)
August 3, 2016
Ellie's mom was awful. She was the kind if Christian that I hate to see because while they are all about God, they end up acting in the opposite way of what Jesus said. I disliked Gray and I found him selfish and hard to understand. Ellie and Lexi are puppets to their mother and they could be described as brain washed. I thought two things about the book. One: I thought to stop the book more than once and second I thought that it was endless. It's the worst book in the series if you ask me.
June 30, 2022
This novella was a miss for me. I didn't connect with the characters or the story line.
May 9, 2021
Three things I didn’t like about this book: too many detailed physical moments, really annoying main characters, and not enough of Jesus.
So there were MANY make out moments in this book. Cringe worth many. Like a first date/you just met this dude kiss!?! That one was probably my least favourite. Another thing that disturbed me was that the main character’s sister has a physical relationship with her fiancé before marriage. Although this wasn’t characterized as something good, I believe that it was taken lightly. By building a wall to keep pure before marriage, this character wouldn’t have had to go through this. But instead, that character took some bricks off the wall. Being alone with her fiancé, for one. Why do so many Christian romance authors think it’s perfectly fine to put two characters alone in so many moments?
I really didn’t like Gray. I’m not really a fan of Ellie either. Gray just really can’t stand not getting his way. His actions were basically *if you don’t do what I want then I’ll get mad and stomp off unless you agree to kiss and make up with me. Then there’s Ellie who was upset she was wearing a sports bra that hid her “assets” when she first met Gray....
The only characters who really were anything like Christians were the Pastor and Ellie’s mom. The Pastor was in very few scenes unfortunately, and Ellie’s mom was basically portrayed as Cinderella’s stepmother. There were both seen as “very Conservative.” Mind you I’m a proud Conservative, thank you very much. Being conservative doesn’t mean that you shun the evil world out. The Bible mentions that we live in the world, but we are not of the world. Unfortunately, this book made conservatives appear to be very standoffish.
Not something I’ll be reading again..
So there were MANY make out moments in this book. Cringe worth many. Like a first date/you just met this dude kiss!?! That one was probably my least favourite. Another thing that disturbed me was that the main character’s sister has a physical relationship with her fiancé before marriage. Although this wasn’t characterized as something good, I believe that it was taken lightly. By building a wall to keep pure before marriage, this character wouldn’t have had to go through this. But instead, that character took some bricks off the wall. Being alone with her fiancé, for one. Why do so many Christian romance authors think it’s perfectly fine to put two characters alone in so many moments?
I really didn’t like Gray. I’m not really a fan of Ellie either. Gray just really can’t stand not getting his way. His actions were basically *if you don’t do what I want then I’ll get mad and stomp off unless you agree to kiss and make up with me. Then there’s Ellie who was upset she was wearing a sports bra that hid her “assets” when she first met Gray....
The only characters who really were anything like Christians were the Pastor and Ellie’s mom. The Pastor was in very few scenes unfortunately, and Ellie’s mom was basically portrayed as Cinderella’s stepmother. There were both seen as “very Conservative.” Mind you I’m a proud Conservative, thank you very much. Being conservative doesn’t mean that you shun the evil world out. The Bible mentions that we live in the world, but we are not of the world. Unfortunately, this book made conservatives appear to be very standoffish.
Not something I’ll be reading again..
June 16, 2014
Ellie Martin has been planning her wedding for years. She's even got a wedding fund. Only thing she's missing is the groom. When she meets Graham Whitby one morning while gardening at a church, she thinks he's handsome. He starts to pursue her. Before long, they are in love. But with an overbearing mother in her family, will they find happily ever after?
Of all of the novellas in the Year of Weddings Series I've read so far, this one is by far my least favorite. Maybe it's because it's told in first person narration and the others aren't. I normally don't have a problem with first person narratives. But for some reason, this one kinda grated on me.
I really didn't care for Ellie much at all. It seemed that she was determined to do everything that her mother didn't like and the scenes between them were filled with tension. I thought that Gray was smooth talking and moving way too fast.
Still, the wedding scenes were beautiful and the pastor was a surprise delight.
And while I didn't particularly care for the novella, others may find it delightful, especially if reading this series.
I received this novella for free from the Booklook Bloggers Program for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to like the book, only give my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Recommended to fans of weddings, Love Inspired, novellas
Rating - 2 stars - I didn't really care for it.
Of all of the novellas in the Year of Weddings Series I've read so far, this one is by far my least favorite. Maybe it's because it's told in first person narration and the others aren't. I normally don't have a problem with first person narratives. But for some reason, this one kinda grated on me.
I really didn't care for Ellie much at all. It seemed that she was determined to do everything that her mother didn't like and the scenes between them were filled with tension. I thought that Gray was smooth talking and moving way too fast.
Still, the wedding scenes were beautiful and the pastor was a surprise delight.
And while I didn't particularly care for the novella, others may find it delightful, especially if reading this series.
I received this novella for free from the Booklook Bloggers Program for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to like the book, only give my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Recommended to fans of weddings, Love Inspired, novellas
Rating - 2 stars - I didn't really care for it.
January 25, 2014
A May Bride is a contemporary romance in the A Year of Weddings series. If you like your contemporary fiction filled with realistic issues for the couple to overcome I think you might like A May Bride. Ellie and her mom have an unusual relationship which interferes with Ellie’s new romance with Gray. I didn’t like that Ellie spent more than she made and thought it would be ok when she married Gray and he was good with money. Her mother needs therapy and Ellie needs Dave Ramsey. The book started out well and I liked how they met. Ellie is not likeable and you definitely do not want to emulate her.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
May 13, 2020
A sweet read. I really liked the 'meet-cute'. I also appreciated that extending grace towards those who have sinned was a theme of the story. The romance moved a little quickly for my tastes, but overall, I enjoyed reading Ellie's journey.
December 30, 2024
The most painful book of the series. Yikes.
April 22, 2014
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!!
This is another in the "A Year of Weddings" series published by Zondervan - Fiction. Each of these novellas focus on a wedding and the trials and tribulations leading up to the event. These are nicely clean, but have some UST for our reading enjoyment. Kisses can be FUN! They are also inspirational, but they don't beat you over the head about it.
Another sweet romance that starts with a ***flash*** wedding. I hadn't heard of those before.
Ellie meets this great guy. While we know Gray is a real gentleman, Ellie's mom doesn't trust him...at all. She's not a very likable character and I kept wanting her to just want what was best for her daughters.
I also wanted Ellie to take scissors to the apron strings that her mom kept pulling. Yes, she was overbearing, but you have to grow up and take a stand for yourself, and your own happiness. Then, when she did stand up to herself, she cut Gray out of the decision making. These two really needed to get on the same page.
When they did, it was sweet and one can see them making it together for the long haul.
I think the minister where Ellie did her sneak gardening was one of the best parts of this book. I enjoyed him, a lot!
I found Ellie to be a bit annoying. But I loved Gray. He brought the rating up, for sure!
Something odd, these advance copies are loaded with errors. It's hard to get into them with the lack of capital letters throughout the first several chapters. I have checked, via the samples of the published books at Amazon, and the errors are all tidied up come publication day. But be aware that they are really messy to begin with.
This wasn't my favorite of the Year of Weddings books, but it was a nice way to spend a few hours. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year's weddings!
*Thank you, NetGalley and Zondervan, for the opportunity to read A May Wedding
This is another in the "A Year of Weddings" series published by Zondervan - Fiction. Each of these novellas focus on a wedding and the trials and tribulations leading up to the event. These are nicely clean, but have some UST for our reading enjoyment. Kisses can be FUN! They are also inspirational, but they don't beat you over the head about it.
Another sweet romance that starts with a ***flash*** wedding. I hadn't heard of those before.
Ellie meets this great guy. While we know Gray is a real gentleman, Ellie's mom doesn't trust him...at all. She's not a very likable character and I kept wanting her to just want what was best for her daughters.
I also wanted Ellie to take scissors to the apron strings that her mom kept pulling. Yes, she was overbearing, but you have to grow up and take a stand for yourself, and your own happiness. Then, when she did stand up to herself, she cut Gray out of the decision making. These two really needed to get on the same page.
When they did, it was sweet and one can see them making it together for the long haul.
I think the minister where Ellie did her sneak gardening was one of the best parts of this book. I enjoyed him, a lot!
I found Ellie to be a bit annoying. But I loved Gray. He brought the rating up, for sure!
Something odd, these advance copies are loaded with errors. It's hard to get into them with the lack of capital letters throughout the first several chapters. I have checked, via the samples of the published books at Amazon, and the errors are all tidied up come publication day. But be aware that they are really messy to begin with.
This wasn't my favorite of the Year of Weddings books, but it was a nice way to spend a few hours. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year's weddings!
*Thank you, NetGalley and Zondervan, for the opportunity to read A May Wedding
March 7, 2014
Ellie Martin meets Gray Whitby while she's hiding in a church garden weeding (without permission). He's there to attend a wedding (also without the church in question's permission). They begin a whirlwind courtship.
I enjoyed their relationship, and those aspects of the story, but Ellie's mother drove me crazy! She's the type of woman that Ellie had to "warn" that she had a boyfriend because she knew her mother would not take it well. After Ellie's dad left when Ellie was six, her mom has been cautioning her two daughters against the evils of the city and the sweet talking men that live there. They're only after one thing! Going against her mother's wishes, Ellie leaves home at 18 to move to Atlanta. Now she's afraid to even tell her mom about Gray because she knows her mom won't see how considerate and funny he is. She'll see his handsome face and decide that he's just like Ellie's "no-good sweet-talking father." And Ellie is right to be worried. Her mother is judgmental and rude when she meets Gray. Now Ellie is stuck trying to choose between a relationship her mother, and her growing love for Gray. How can she keep both of them happy? Should she?
I was really bothered when Ellie's mom
I felt like the focus of the story was Ellie's relationship with her family, when I wanted more focus on her and Gray. We even saw her relationship in terms of, "I love you, but my Mama's going to say....about our relationship". If I was Gray, I would feel a little irritated too. If you can get past Ellie's mom, the story was sweet and delightful.
Content: clean
Disclosure: I received A May Bride through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed their relationship, and those aspects of the story, but Ellie's mother drove me crazy! She's the type of woman that Ellie had to "warn" that she had a boyfriend because she knew her mother would not take it well. After Ellie's dad left when Ellie was six, her mom has been cautioning her two daughters against the evils of the city and the sweet talking men that live there. They're only after one thing! Going against her mother's wishes, Ellie leaves home at 18 to move to Atlanta. Now she's afraid to even tell her mom about Gray because she knows her mom won't see how considerate and funny he is. She'll see his handsome face and decide that he's just like Ellie's "no-good sweet-talking father." And Ellie is right to be worried. Her mother is judgmental and rude when she meets Gray. Now Ellie is stuck trying to choose between a relationship her mother, and her growing love for Gray. How can she keep both of them happy? Should she?
I was really bothered when Ellie's mom
I felt like the focus of the story was Ellie's relationship with her family, when I wanted more focus on her and Gray. We even saw her relationship in terms of, "I love you, but my Mama's going to say....about our relationship". If I was Gray, I would feel a little irritated too. If you can get past Ellie's mom, the story was sweet and delightful.
Content: clean
Disclosure: I received A May Bride through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2014
Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R17NEZMQ...
Review on my blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
A May Bride is the sixth installment in the Year of Weddings novella collection. While the writing style was good, I didn't like the story all that much. I mean, the book started off great, but there were just things about the characters/romance that didn't connect with me.
I didn't really care for any of the main characters and it's hard for me to explain why, exactly. At times Gray felt too pushy (non-romantically and, sometimes, romantically) and I half expected him to be a player or something; Ellie's mother was too overbearing and there were things she said/did that just made me cringe; and Ellie...it seemed like she made certain decisions just to go against her mother's advice. Also, the romance felt like it moved too quickly.
I did like the church garden aspect and that Ellie's sister was planning her wedding in the midst of this story. And, as I said above, the writing style was good and easy to read.
Overall, A May Bride was an okay read. I didn't really like the story itself, but the novella was written well. Some people seemed to have liked this book more than I did, so maybe it just wasn't a book for me.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
Review on my blog: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
A May Bride is the sixth installment in the Year of Weddings novella collection. While the writing style was good, I didn't like the story all that much. I mean, the book started off great, but there were just things about the characters/romance that didn't connect with me.
I didn't really care for any of the main characters and it's hard for me to explain why, exactly. At times Gray felt too pushy (non-romantically and, sometimes, romantically) and I half expected him to be a player or something; Ellie's mother was too overbearing and there were things she said/did that just made me cringe; and Ellie...it seemed like she made certain decisions just to go against her mother's advice. Also, the romance felt like it moved too quickly.
I did like the church garden aspect and that Ellie's sister was planning her wedding in the midst of this story. And, as I said above, the writing style was good and easy to read.
Overall, A May Bride was an okay read. I didn't really like the story itself, but the novella was written well. Some people seemed to have liked this book more than I did, so maybe it just wasn't a book for me.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
May 1, 2014
Ellie loves to garden, unfortunately she does not have one of her own. She resorts to sneaking in to a garden at a nearby church to de-stress from her life. While weeding, she finds herself watching a wedding of a couple who snuck onto the grounds, the handsome guy she had been watching at the coffee shop happened to be one of the guests.
I loved that this book was a clean romance. Ellie and Gray have common Christian beliefs and try to live by what they have been taught. They are both good, responsible people who stay true to their principles.
The romance is fast in this novella. But I believe that if it's right, and both know it, why wait? The couple started dating in February and married in May.
One of the things that I had a hard time with in this book is Ellie's mother. She is paranoid. She made mistakes and insists that her daughter's not follow the path she took. She bullies them, and when they don't comply, she applies heavy guilt. I kept wondering where the unconditional love was? I also didn't like that Ellie catered to her mother. There is a time to capitulate in dealing with family, but there is a time to hold fast to yourself and say NO.
Gray seemed a little moody. Yes, Ellie's mother is annoying and mean at times, but he didn't need to add to the guilt she was feeling. He also showed a temper that I didn't like.
No one is perfect, and maybe the things that bothered me are a mute point. The main thing about this book that is if you like a clean romance that moves quickly, this is a good one to pick up.
I loved that this book was a clean romance. Ellie and Gray have common Christian beliefs and try to live by what they have been taught. They are both good, responsible people who stay true to their principles.
The romance is fast in this novella. But I believe that if it's right, and both know it, why wait? The couple started dating in February and married in May.
One of the things that I had a hard time with in this book is Ellie's mother. She is paranoid. She made mistakes and insists that her daughter's not follow the path she took. She bullies them, and when they don't comply, she applies heavy guilt. I kept wondering where the unconditional love was? I also didn't like that Ellie catered to her mother. There is a time to capitulate in dealing with family, but there is a time to hold fast to yourself and say NO.
Gray seemed a little moody. Yes, Ellie's mother is annoying and mean at times, but he didn't need to add to the guilt she was feeling. He also showed a temper that I didn't like.
No one is perfect, and maybe the things that bothered me are a mute point. The main thing about this book that is if you like a clean romance that moves quickly, this is a good one to pick up.
August 23, 2016
I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying Zondervan’s A Year of Weddings novella collection. Each new story is delightful and sweet and provides a quick read for a lazy afternoon. And Meg Moseley’s “A May Bride” fits right in. After reading Gone South and A Stillness of Chimes, I have come to love the way Moseley tells her stories, creating relatable characters and relationships. Admittedly, this novella has much more “telling” than “showing” in comparison to Moseley’s novels. In many moments, only Ellie’s thoughts and recollections of events show the whirlwind-romantic relationship between Ellie and Gray. However, for me, this worked for the story, because while the romance is crucial, the focus lies more with the character development in Ellie to reconcile her family relationships with her budding romance. All in all, “A May Bride” is a fun story and I would recommend it along with the rest of A Year of Weddings novellas. Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a free digital copy of this novella and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)
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August 30, 2014
Slowly but surely I'm making my way through the Year of Weddings Novellas series. This series features a new novella by a different author every month for a year. What I love about this series is that first, they are all clean. Second, I love that they are light, fluffy and I can read them in one sitting. They are the perfect escape books.
In "A May Bride" we meet Ellie and Gray. I like Gray. He's a man who sees something he wants and goes for it. All in, straight up. He stands up for what he believes in and he doesn't mess around. He enjoys life and he loves Ellie.
Ellie has a few more glitches- namely her family. Her mother is crazed and honestly, not very kind. She rules the roost and Ellie lets her. But it's hard to break from something you've always known and dealt with. Ellie has a kind heart and while she also knows what she wants, she has a harder time getting there.
I enjoyed this book. It was fun and romantic. A sweet escape for sure.
In "A May Bride" we meet Ellie and Gray. I like Gray. He's a man who sees something he wants and goes for it. All in, straight up. He stands up for what he believes in and he doesn't mess around. He enjoys life and he loves Ellie.
Ellie has a few more glitches- namely her family. Her mother is crazed and honestly, not very kind. She rules the roost and Ellie lets her. But it's hard to break from something you've always known and dealt with. Ellie has a kind heart and while she also knows what she wants, she has a harder time getting there.
I enjoyed this book. It was fun and romantic. A sweet escape for sure.
February 1, 2014
A May Bride is #6 in "A Year of Weddings" series.
I have to say, I'm truly enjoying all of these short stories about true love and weddings. They are easy to read and slightly addicting.
This one has the meddling mother of the bride. The mother is bitter and scarred from her shot gun marriage and does not want her daughters to fall into the trap of good looking, fast talking men.
This short journey takes us through the work the daughters do to cut the cord and go for what they want.
Of course, each of these stories end in a wedding and they are always very sweet.
I have to say, I'm truly enjoying all of these short stories about true love and weddings. They are easy to read and slightly addicting.
This one has the meddling mother of the bride. The mother is bitter and scarred from her shot gun marriage and does not want her daughters to fall into the trap of good looking, fast talking men.
This short journey takes us through the work the daughters do to cut the cord and go for what they want.
Of course, each of these stories end in a wedding and they are always very sweet.
June 4, 2019
I stopped reading this one, the characters are very annoying. I’m usually fine with cheesy lines, I enjoy these wedding series but the writing in this book is just bad. I normally finish every book I start but just can’t with this one.
March 9, 2018
I'm going to be honest and say that this one is my least favorite in The Year Of Weddings series so far. It started out as a sweet tale of a couple who meet accidentally at a wedding, Ellie and Gray, falling in love, and beginning to plan a future together. Unfortunately, as their relationship becomes more serious, Ellie's family throws a massive wrench in their plans. See Ellie's mother made the mistake of getting pregnant out of wedlock, and her husband deserted her when Ellie and her sister were young children. Since then she's determined that neither of her daughter's will ever make the same mistakes she did, and so she refuses to accept Gray's presence in her daughter's life. Ellie's soon pulled in multiple directions as her younger sister's currently planning her extravagant wedding, and she's trying to be there for both her and her mother. However, Gray feel's she's giving her family too much control over her life, and demands that she takes a step back if she truly wants to give their developing relationship a chance.
Unfortunately, once this story really got going, certain parts of it really bothered me. To start with, Ellie's mother was the type of hypocritical Christian that really annoys me, and I had a hard time wanting to read about her character. It's these type of Christian's that give the rest of us a bad name, and it was so frustrating to see the way she behaved. Likewise, I really didn't care for Ellie's younger sister either, as she seemed to be a typical spoiled brat for most of the novel, and in the end, she gets exactly what she want's anyways, and I seriously didn't like how everything wrapped up. And lastly, Gray's character himself really started to grate on my nerves. I completely understood that he wasn't a fan of Ellie's mother controlling her life, but he really didn't do anything to help the situation, and instead seemed to expect Ellie just to cut all ties with her family, and that's definitely not the answer. I found the ending really didn't resolve any of these issues, and I was left feeling disappointed with how everything wrapped up.
There were definitely still moments I enjoyed; like the church's garden setting, and the incredible pastor that Ellie ends up meeting there, and the way that Ellie herself is determined not to behave in the judgmental manner in which she's been raised. However, this one was definitely not as good as the other novellas in the series so far, and I only gave it a three star rating instead of my usual four or
Unfortunately, once this story really got going, certain parts of it really bothered me. To start with, Ellie's mother was the type of hypocritical Christian that really annoys me, and I had a hard time wanting to read about her character. It's these type of Christian's that give the rest of us a bad name, and it was so frustrating to see the way she behaved. Likewise, I really didn't care for Ellie's younger sister either, as she seemed to be a typical spoiled brat for most of the novel, and in the end, she gets exactly what she want's anyways, and I seriously didn't like how everything wrapped up. And lastly, Gray's character himself really started to grate on my nerves. I completely understood that he wasn't a fan of Ellie's mother controlling her life, but he really didn't do anything to help the situation, and instead seemed to expect Ellie just to cut all ties with her family, and that's definitely not the answer. I found the ending really didn't resolve any of these issues, and I was left feeling disappointed with how everything wrapped up.
There were definitely still moments I enjoyed; like the church's garden setting, and the incredible pastor that Ellie ends up meeting there, and the way that Ellie herself is determined not to behave in the judgmental manner in which she's been raised. However, this one was definitely not as good as the other novellas in the series so far, and I only gave it a three star rating instead of my usual four or
July 14, 2022
First of all, let me start with saying this author is certainly talented and the cover is absolutely stunning! I love the light blue and the bouquet. I also really liked Ellie. Her selflessness and love for her sister was commendable and sweet.
With that being said, this book was just not for me. I really wanted to like this one because I did like the story itself, but I just found that the male protagonist, Gray, well...kind of insufferable. I mean, I got where he was coming from, but at one point in the book when Ellie couldn't go with him on a spontaneous date he planned because she already had plans with her mother, he acted like a two-year-old. He just wasn't very understanding at all. I did get what he was trying to say in certain spots that she was putting the needs of her family before him, but I also understood where Ellie was coming from.
There was also just a bit too much kissing in this book for me and I was also really bothered by the fact that Ellie used a substitute for the "f" word in this book. Especially for a Christian book, I found this unacceptable and disappointing.
With all of this said, I really did enjoy the story and I really liked Ellie, as I said above. I also really appreciated the ending. Authors of sweet books like this one tend to wrap everything up with a neat little bow, and while everything was wrapped up at the end of the book, this author showed that sometimes things don't work out perfectly. I respected that. I give this book 2/5 stars for a story with great potential, but certain elements got on my nerves. and some disappointing elements.
With that being said, this book was just not for me. I really wanted to like this one because I did like the story itself, but I just found that the male protagonist, Gray, well...kind of insufferable. I mean, I got where he was coming from, but at one point in the book when Ellie couldn't go with him on a spontaneous date he planned because she already had plans with her mother, he acted like a two-year-old. He just wasn't very understanding at all. I did get what he was trying to say in certain spots that she was putting the needs of her family before him, but I also understood where Ellie was coming from.
There was also just a bit too much kissing in this book for me and I was also really bothered by the fact that Ellie used a substitute for the "f" word in this book. Especially for a Christian book, I found this unacceptable and disappointing.
With all of this said, I really did enjoy the story and I really liked Ellie, as I said above. I also really appreciated the ending. Authors of sweet books like this one tend to wrap everything up with a neat little bow, and while everything was wrapped up at the end of the book, this author showed that sometimes things don't work out perfectly. I respected that. I give this book 2/5 stars for a story with great potential, but certain elements got on my nerves. and some disappointing elements.
read-in-collec
November 13, 20191.0 -- Was this novella written by a teenager? I didn't like it at all. I didn't like any of the main characters. Gray acted like a spoiled boy. The attitude throughout the story was that the mom had no right to say anything against sex before marriage because she had had premarital sex when she was young. So one message of this novella is that one must have lived a perfect life in order to have the right to advise one's own children to avoid sin. Another message is that nothing a mother has learned about men through her life experiences can be of any help to her daughters, so moms should just keep their mouths shut and let their daughters do what makes them happy at the moment and everything will turn out wonderful. The author wrote the mother as an annoying, overbearing character. I guess that was so we would dislike her and take the side of the girls and Gray. And where was the romance in this?
April 19, 2023
I read this as part of "A Year of Weddings" collection. This is the 5th one I've read and my least favorite by far.
Because they're novellas, they're obviously short. But instead of fitting a whole story into a short amount of space, this just seems like half a story that is extremely rushed. The timeline of the story is unbelievably short. At the risk of sounding like her mom (who is apparently the villain of this story), the main love story happened way to fast. Gray's behavior gave major red flags and I found myself hoping that Ellie would not be the one to get married in this story. He is controlling and easily angered when things don't go his way. Not that Ellie was a perfect character. Her obsession with getting married, and especially getting married before her younger sister, seems to make her desperate to the point of making a bad impulsive decision, although not her only bad impulsive decision in the story. Gray's positive attributes seem to be that he is handsome, he knows her coffee order, and has nice parents. And Ellie's like "yep, sounds like a happy marriage to me!"
I can not recommend this book to anyone.
Because they're novellas, they're obviously short. But instead of fitting a whole story into a short amount of space, this just seems like half a story that is extremely rushed. The timeline of the story is unbelievably short. At the risk of sounding like her mom (who is apparently the villain of this story), the main love story happened way to fast. Gray's behavior gave major red flags and I found myself hoping that Ellie would not be the one to get married in this story. He is controlling and easily angered when things don't go his way. Not that Ellie was a perfect character. Her obsession with getting married, and especially getting married before her younger sister, seems to make her desperate to the point of making a bad impulsive decision, although not her only bad impulsive decision in the story. Gray's positive attributes seem to be that he is handsome, he knows her coffee order, and has nice parents. And Ellie's like "yep, sounds like a happy marriage to me!"
I can not recommend this book to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2017
Some times people can read into something way too much! This is a light easy read with nothing complicated. If that's what you like to read then this is a perfect book. Some of the other reviews discuss the unlikable character of Ellie's Mom um yeah hello she isn't written to be Mom of the year but that doesn't make this an awful book. It is something normal not every relationship with parents and children are happy and normal. Same with Ellie and Gray's relationship. Many people gave the book a bad rating because the characters had tantrums and fought. Well again um hello relationships are hard especially if one of you have a difficult relationship with your parents. If you have enjoyed other books in this series and take it as it as (a light and short chick-flick type read) then you will enjoy this book. If you haven't read any of the other books and are wondering if you should read this then just do it. It's really short and can be read in a couple of hours so what's to lose. Enjoy!
May 11, 2023
3.5 stars.
I did like this book and I liked both Ellie and Gray. I also really liked them as a couple and their chemistry was pretty great. Gray was very charming!
But there were also a few things that I didn’t like. Since it’s a novella and the couple is a love at first sight trope I did feel like the book felt kind of rushed.
I also didn’t like how Ellie and Gray acted before thinking a lot of the times and then someone would get their feelings hurt.
Also Ellie’s mother is a piece of work, oh my goodness she was horrible and it was even worst that she thought she was being a good Christian woman! And the ending was kind of disappointing because I was hoping for the mother to fully repent of how she behaved and that just didn’t happen.
This was a new to me author and I will read another of her books in the future and hopefully I will like her other books more.
I did like this book and I liked both Ellie and Gray. I also really liked them as a couple and their chemistry was pretty great. Gray was very charming!
But there were also a few things that I didn’t like. Since it’s a novella and the couple is a love at first sight trope I did feel like the book felt kind of rushed.
I also didn’t like how Ellie and Gray acted before thinking a lot of the times and then someone would get their feelings hurt.
Also Ellie’s mother is a piece of work, oh my goodness she was horrible and it was even worst that she thought she was being a good Christian woman! And the ending was kind of disappointing because I was hoping for the mother to fully repent of how she behaved and that just didn’t happen.
This was a new to me author and I will read another of her books in the future and hopefully I will like her other books more.
January 26, 2022
A May Bride by Meg Moseley 124 ebook pages
A Year of Weddings 1 #6 according to series and publication date Incorrectly #5 on Goodreads
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance, Novella, Women's Fiction > Chick Lit; Christian Fiction, Clean Romance
Featuring: Atlanta, Georgia; Debt, Controlling Mother, Spoiled Sister, Instalove, Discussion Questions, Next Book Preview
Rating as a movie: PG for adult themes
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
My thoughts: 28% - I'm banging my head with this one but it has a beautiful cover page.
74% - 🙄🙄🙄
It was already just okay, it could have been a little better than okay but I didn't like any of these people, even discussion question #3 couldn't placate me to 3.5 stars.
Recommend to others?: Maybe. It's alright, but the storyline is irritating.
A Year of Weddings 1 #6 according to series and publication date Incorrectly #5 on Goodreads
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance, Novella, Women's Fiction > Chick Lit; Christian Fiction, Clean Romance
Featuring: Atlanta, Georgia; Debt, Controlling Mother, Spoiled Sister, Instalove, Discussion Questions, Next Book Preview
Rating as a movie: PG for adult themes
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
My thoughts: 28% - I'm banging my head with this one but it has a beautiful cover page.
74% - 🙄🙄🙄
It was already just okay, it could have been a little better than okay but I didn't like any of these people, even discussion question #3 couldn't placate me to 3.5 stars.
Recommend to others?: Maybe. It's alright, but the storyline is irritating.
August 17, 2020
This one had it's ups and downs. I loved Gray and Ellie. But they did have their problems to work through, namely her mother! Talk about an overbearing, unforgiving, manipulative character. Even in the end she didn't really change. It was Ellie who stood up to her.
I really liked how much Ellie changed throughout the book. She developed a back bone instead of just being walked over. She stood up for what was right and showed Gray how much she loved him.
Gray had his own issues to work through but ultimately he showed so much love and caring to Ellie.
It was a sweet story that had a Secret Garden in it.
I highly recommend this book
I really liked how much Ellie changed throughout the book. She developed a back bone instead of just being walked over. She stood up for what was right and showed Gray how much she loved him.
Gray had his own issues to work through but ultimately he showed so much love and caring to Ellie.
It was a sweet story that had a Secret Garden in it.
I highly recommend this book
October 25, 2017
Well, after an adorable start and a good start with characters, this I've quickly took a nose dive into scattered, hectic drama. The plot felt fractured, the characters flighty, and I hated the way Gray handled the situation with Ellie's mother (even though I disliked the mother character). Even though the mother lacked grace to the extreme, the way the relationship was handled in a childish manner that did not "honor thy father and mother". Gray felt far to moody, irrational, and flippant for a man. Sadly, I ended up feeling drained and frustrated when finished with the story.
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