Discover why millions love international best-selling author Ava Miles in this heartwarming bridal companion to her acclaimed Dare Valley series filled with four humorous and emotional short stories about the day we all dream our wedding day.
Your favorite Dare Valley characters have survived betrayal, secrets, and tragedy to find true love. Now, watch each of these daring brides walk down the aisle to their happily ever after with the man of their dreams.
From Nora Roberts Land, Meredith Hale and her own hero, Tanner McBride, embark upon the journey into their new life, Marriage Land. See what makes Meredith’s wedding day so daring, and meet Tanner’s best man, international news correspondent Asher Harrington. Then, there’s Grandpa Hale’s priceless advice about what makes a long-lasting marriage.
Jill Hale from French Roast has wanted to marry Brian McConnell since she wore pig tails in grade school. Brian has come around—finally. Sure, she got pregnant before they tied the knot, but it doesn’t matter because they’re going to live happily ever after. Find out what makes Jill a daring bride besides her wish to rent a pink circus tent for the wedding reception.
Peggy McBride from The Grand Opening never imagined getting married again, especially to hotel magnate and poker champion Mac Maven. See what Mac gives her to make their wedding day daring and watch as her cute-as-a-button son binds their new family together in the most adorable way ever.
Abbie Maven from The Holiday Serenade resisted her love for bad-boy Rhett Butler Blaylock, not only because he’s a poker player, but also because that Southerner knows how to start a ruckus wherever he goes. Now, it’s their wedding day, and Rhett’s friends from Dare River show up as well as his mama, Eugenia Lynn, and his cousin, Charleston. Of course, a ruckus breaks out, making Abbie feel more than a little daring, but it’s all in good fun and makes this couple’s wedding all the more memorable.
Millions of readers have discovered International Bestselling Author Ava Miles and her powerful fiction and non-fiction books about love, happiness, and transformation. Her novels have received praise and accolades from USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and People Magazine in addition to being chosen as Best Books of the Year and Top Editor’s picks. Translated into multiple languages, Ava’s strongest praise comes directly from her readers, who call her books and characters unforgettable.
Ava is a former chef, worked as a long-time conflict expert rebuilding warzones to foster peaceful and prosperous communities, and has helped people live their best life as a life coach, energy healer, and self-help expert. She is never happier than when she’s formulating skin care and wellness products, gardening, or creating a new work of art. Hanging with her friends and loved ones is pretty great too.
After years of residing in the States, she decided to follow her dream of living in Europe. She recently finished a magical stint in Ireland where she was inspired to write her acclaimed Unexpected Prince Charming series. Now, she’s splitting her time between Paris and Provence, learning to speak French, immersing herself in cooking à la provençal, and planning more page-turning novels for readers to binge.
Daring Brides is #8.5 in the Dare Valley series by Ava Miles. If you have fallen in love with the characters of this series as I have, you will love this novella which takes us along to the magical wedding days of four of our favorite couples.
Meredith and Tanner from Nora Roberts Land have planned the perfect day. Each of them, being journalists, wrote their own vows which are sure to melt your heart.
“If marriage is anything like running a newspaper, I plan on winning a Pulitzer.”
Jill and Brian from French Roast are finally tying the knot. Jill has waited all her life for Brian to love her the way she has always loved him. They had a little surprise, though, which may have caused them to rush the wedding date a bit. Jill also chose a very unique dress and veil which were perfectly suited to her.
Peggy and Mac from The Grand Opening’s special day is sure to make your eyes water with her little son as ring bearer. Poor Peggy who is so uncomfortable with all of this girly stuff but Mac finds a way to make her feel like the most important woman in the world.
And lastly, Abbie and Rhett from The Holiday Serenade. This one I think was my favorite. Abbie, Rhett and Abbie’s sixteen year old son are finally going to be a family. Rhett and all his countryisms are so cute and Abbie tries to be so proper. They are so in love and this one had my eyes full on running and me blowing my nose.
“I will always be here. You will always be mine. And I… Will always be yours.
I loved every single word of this book. These characters have all become so beloved to me over the span of this series. We meet a couple of new characters which I hope to meet again. And of course, we are visited by some old friends. Rye makes an appearance in a couple of them. Rye is one of my favorite characters of Ava’s other series, Dare River.
If you have enjoyed this series, don’t miss this book. Make sure you have a tissue handy, though. I hope you love it as much as I did.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first ever "meh" Ava Miles review. EVER! As you can tell from previous reviews I love her work and when it's good it's REALLY good. Unfortunately for Daring Brides, what most romance authors would put into a compilation book or include as an epilogue, Ava has placed into one body of work. If you haven't read the previous Dare Valley novels you will be lost, although Miles does attempt to recap each bride's unique story. For me, a Miles aficionado, this was unnecessary. I also felt like the stories were a little rushed, like multiple happy ever after a that may have been best served as their own epilogue in the original book.
Of course, I'm partial to the author's work, so this one disappointment won't set me off from her stories, but I do hope she sticks with full length stories from now on. Her gift is in her ability to build characters and relationships which must take place over more than a hundred pages.
"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."
This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting, however as always with her books I enjoyed it to an extent. I'm not really sure what I was expecting just...something a little different I guess? It's not that I'm upset or dislike it but I just can't rate it in at more than three hearts.
Loving the series and the author, but IMHO this was a waste of time. I read it all because I loved the characters and thought it might be a great addition to their stories, but...not so much. If your time is limited, stick to the real stories and not what could have been epilogues to the books.
Each wedding story got better and better, but hands down my favorite was Abbie and Rhett. Rhett is such a character, he is so funny yet sentimental at other times. I think Mac was also very sentimental. If you want to laugh and cry read this book.
This covers the wedding days of four Brides from Dare Valley from four previous books. I would have rather they ended each book with these as epilogues - but it was good to be "invited" to see how each wedding occurred.
This sweet novella is the perfect companion to the Dare Valley series! It's important to note that this isn't like the other books in the series--it is a compilation of the never before seen wedding scenes of characters from earlier novels. I am always eagerly awaiting Ava's next installment, so this was the perfect little read to tide me over until the next book!
I should probably start this review with a bit of a disclaimer: I am not really a wedding person. To me, it just seems like there is so much pomp and circumstance, and people tend to overlook the important part of the day--the marriage ceremony. That's obviously just my opinion, but I felt it was important to note before reviewing a book that focuses on 4 different weddings. I did find some parts a tiny bit corny, but I was able to overlook that and appreciate the characters and stories for what they were.
Each story started a little bit before the big day while the brides/grooms were getting ready with their families, and I loved that some of the minor characters were included in these scenes. The leading ladies are all very different, and their preparations and weddings reflected their unique personalities. In the first story, I loved when Meredith's grand father was giving her marriages tips and relating them to the newspaper business. In the second story, I thought it was so sweet how Brian incorporated their late friend's memory into the day. I particularly liked reading about both Peggy's and Abbie's weddings, since they each had children from other fathers. I loved seeing how Dustin and Ketih were incorporated into the respective marriage ceremonies. I also loved the little toast that Dustin gave to Abbie and Rhett.
I know that some people prefer it when a book ends with a wedding scene, but I actually preferred it this way. As a wedding cynic, I found it interesting to compare and contrast the different weddings all at once. It was also nice to catch up with the characters and revisit where they were when they got married, as opposed to where their lives may have taken them in subsequent stories.
I'll admit that I haven't actually read all 4 of the original novels for these characters, but I had read enough to know and appreciate all of the characters. I don't think this book would have meant quite as much to me if I hadn't read NORA ROBERTS LAND, but otherwise I do think it can standalone. I will probably come back and re-read it as I read the original novels.
I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
Daring Brides is by Ava Miles. It is book nine in the Dare Valley series. It is a collection of short stories about the weddings of three of the couples in the Dare Valley series. It is great to be able to read their stories again and to celebrate four very different weddings with them. It doesn’t take long to read this book but it is hard to find a stopping place. The wedding of Meredith and Tanner comes first. The two are both reporters in the Hale publishing family. Tanner has decided Dare Valley is the place for him to stay. Reporting from war zones is no longer an option for him and he is content with that. The wedding of Jill and Brian is next. Having known and loved each other for their entire lives, Jill and Brian finally get together again. The death of their friend Jemma had caused the foursome they had grown up with to split. Jemma is gone, Pete has broken their friendship because of his part in Jemma’s death, and Jill and Brian have put their guilt over her death at ease. After debating a long time, Jill had reluctantly sent an invitation to Pete. He actually shows up for their wedding but swiftly disappears. The wedding of Peggy and Mac follows. A poker hotel magnate and a deputy sheriff marrying is one of the most surprising weddings yet. Some way, Mac managed to get to Peggy and convince her marrying him was the way to go. It helps tremendously that her son Kevin simply adores Mac and wants them to be a family. Seeing Peggy doing “girly” things is so funny and sweet. The final wedding is that of Abbie and Rhett. Rhett has finally gotten through to Abbie that he isn’t going anywhere and pushes her to finally admit her love for him. Her son easily transfers his male bonding buddy from his Uncle Mac to Rhett who is now his Dad. Rhett’s “Southern” ways make the wedding reception and party a huge success. I loved being introduced to Rhett’s mama. I hope she turns up in later books. The weddings end the stories of these four couples but that does not mean they won’t appear in other books by Ava Miles. They had become such friends in the other books that attending their weddings was an extra surprise.
Daring Brides by Ava Miles falls in between books eight and nine in the Dare Valley series based on publication date. It actually falls in between the fourth and fifth books as far as the characters it deals with.
A wonderful visit back to Dare Valley. This set of novellas describing the weddings of Meredith & Tanner; Jill & Brian; Mac & Peggy; and Rhett & Abbie, felt like a wonderful visit with old friends. I laughed and I cried, but overall I enjoyed it all.
Other than the fact that I would've loved to have seen these stories as epilogues to the books involving these couples, there's not much I would've changed. There was enough detail to keep your attention without being too overwhelming for those who don't care to focus on all the details that go into wedding planning.
If you're picking this book up expecting there to be lots of controversy and conflict (since the title is "Daring Brides"), you'll be disappointed. While it isn't filled with those types of "Daring Brides", it is filled with brides who do things their own way, who are their own woman and who are unapologetic about it. These stories are sweet, brilliant, lovely descriptions of the weddings of the first four couples in the Dare Valley series and are a great way to revisit those old friends. If you haven't read the first four books in the Dare Valley series (Nora Roberts Land; French Roast; The Grand Opening; and The Holiday Serenade), go out and get them today so you can enjoy this book even more! :)
(I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.)
This is a collection of all of our favorite couples' weddings in Dare Valley. Meredith and Tanner from NORA ROBERTS LAND marry in a simple, but elegant wedding with only friends and family. Just what the bride and groom wanted. Meredith was marrying the love of her life. Tanner never thought he would marry, but coming to Dare Valley and finding Meredith made it all worth it. Women can find their real life heroes outside of a romance novel. Jill and Brian from FRENCH ROAST grew up together and Jill was finally marrying her best friend and the love of her life. Jill didn't think they were rushing to the altar since she has wanted to marry Brian since she was seven years old, but with a baby coming they felt sooner was better than later. Peggy and Mac from THE GRAND OPENING couldn't be more different, but their love for one another can never be questioned. Peggy wanted a simple wedding, but didn't want to take anything away from Mac so she was more than willing to let him take all of the responsibility of planning it. She and Keith surprised him by having Keith walking her down the aisle and giving her away. Abbie and Rhett from THE HOLIDAY SERENADE both wanted a big wedding and you wouldn't expect anything less from Rhett, but Abbie was keeping it at a reasonable level. She is classy where he is country and the pairing makes for an interesting time. He surprises her and Dustin right before the wedding with news that he wants to be Dustin's father. I really enjoyed this collection of short stories all about the weddings in Dare Valley.
I was given an ARC for an honest review. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.
Meredith and Tanner, Jill and Brian, Peggy and Mac and Abbie and Rhett. Four weddings, four very different brides and their men as different as the brides. Each bride has her own ide of their ideal wedding. Meredith wants a simple wedding with close friends and good food. Tanner is very happy with that also. Jill wanted a storybook wedding fit for a princess. The vision changed when time for the wedding came. She loved telling Brian that they had ordered the "fast food wedding special" because they were expecting a baby. Brian's only request was for good food. Peggy never liked weddings. Too much attention and fuss for her liking. Peggy was beer and Mac was bourbon and he was the love of her life and her son's. Mac convinced her to have an elegant wedding with a small group of friends and family. Everything about Abbie and Rhett's wedding was a compromise between his all out Southern BBQ and her more traditional American food. It worked for them. Her teenage son loved Rhett as much as she did. Rhett had a surprise for Dustin on the wedding day which put him over the moon.
As different as the brides and the grooms were each groom seemed to know what would make the day more special for their brides. Each surprised his bride and deepened their love.
I always wonder ath the end of a book what the wedding was like. This book answered that question. Grab a box of kleenex and enjoy the journey with the brides and grooms we all love!
I was given a copy for an honest review. I was not compensated and all opinions are my own
DARING BRIDES is another winner from Ava Miles. I have enjoyed all of her books. If you are looking for a fun series that just makes you feel good, The Dare Valley and Dare Rivers series are must reads.
Reading the Dare Valley series is like returning home. You get to know the characters and Ava Miles makes the reader feel like they are a part of the community. DARING BRIDES takes you to the most intimate part of their lives – their wedding day! You already love the characters and you know their story. This book provides the inside details to one of the happiest days in their lives.
This is an awesome book from start to finish. I loved getting to return to the Dare Valley family to attend weddings! What fun! Since June is wedding month, it was the perfect time to join the festivities. What an awesome page turner for romance readers. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. Ms. Miles kept the story moving and interesting from start to finish. The characters were well developed for such a short read, which demonstrates her Ninja author skills. Ava Miles pulls out all the stops in this highly enjoyable, insightful, and heart-warming book of “Fairy Tale” weddings. It is a sweet story and a fun trip back to the Dare Valley family. I really enjoyed it, and highly recommend!
I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
I love Ava Miles Dare Valley and Dare River series. They are amazing books about life and second chances in a place that is perfect for giving those chances, Daring Brides shows us those wedding of second chances. Daring Brides is a great little mini-book with short stories of some of the beloved characters weddings. It gives a good taste of Meredith and Tanner, Jill and Brain, Peggy and Mac, and the Abbie and Rhett- what their weddings were like with enough information to make you happy because it still seemed like you were a part of them. Most of the time I read a book by an author and I hate when you get to the end and you really wanted to see a glimpse of their wedding or what happens after- here Ava Miles has been wonderful enough to give us a glimpse of these wonderful characters that you fall in love with and show there happiest day. It’s a wonderful little book, I am not usually so in love with short stories but this is perfect.
I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
A wonderful collection of wedding stories of the first four Dare Valley couples!
The weddings of Meredith and Tanner, Jill and Brian, Peggy and Mac, and Abbie and Rhett are described in beautiful detail in this short story collection. We are introduced to some new characters: Asher Harrington (Tanner's best friend)...and Rhett's colorful mother, Eugenia Lynn Blaylock. While all four weddings are very different, they all include a lot of laughter, some tears, and a whole lot of love.
These stories beautifully bridge the gap between when the couples got together in their respective books to when they appear as married in later books. They quench our thirst for wanting to know just how each couple's special day went.
I look forward to reading about the weddings of the other couples that come after!
Please note: I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
This is a great concept to go along with the series, descriptions and highlights of the romantic weddings. It helped me a great deal to go to Pinterest and Miles' Facebook page and look at the wedding boards since I could not visualize some of the clothing she was describing. Seersucker tux?
My only bone of contention is that I don't think Peggy should have been forced to wear a dress no matter how simple. I looked up "women in tuxes" and found lovely ones, like the sapphire blue one on Gwyneth Paltrow. Or Peggy could have worn tailored satin cream-colored crepe pants with a silk blouse and lace or beaded vest. Or palazzo pants and a simple tunic. Mac's big red ruby would have shown up on all of those and she would have been more comfortable at her own wedding. Just sayin'. I think a woman should have her wedding clothing her way. I did.
Daring Brides gifts us with what we missed in four of the Dare Valley romances- the weddings. I had read two of the books previously and wondered how I would feel about reading the finales of books I had not read. Was I surprised! I enjoyed all four stories for their hopeful aspects. The deep feelings the grooms held for their brides impressed me. I was touched by the frailties of the brides. But most of all, I teared up at the two stories depicting the creation of new families. As I said, I had not read two of the books, but, as soon as I finished Daring Brides, I bought the books I did not have, and I now plan to read the entire series in order. I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
I love the Dare Valley books! I am the type of person who never wants a good book to end. I want the story to keep going after the two get together! I want the details of the rest of their life! To the rescue comes Ava Miles!! The Daring Brides book does just that!! It takes all of my favorite couples from her Dare Valley series and tells their wedding story! It's no just details of the wedding, but details from the perspective from the bride and the groom!!! I love that!! I'm sure all brides wish they could know what is going on in their grooms head!!! The writing is great. She makes me feel like I'm right there at the wedding. If you haven't read the series, the book stands alone with a lot of great wedding stories!!
"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."
Note: I received an advanced copy for an honest review I truly enjoyed this book it gives closure and new adventure to our brides and their Nora Roberts heroes. I found it difficult to write this review, because I did not want to give too much away. I personally would recommend that you read all the previous books, only because there are spoilers to the stories I loved the summaries of each story and how Ava incorporated their cousin's in these stories. Each story has very definite details of the brides dress, her bridesmaids, and the groom and his groomsmen. What can I says about the decorations, the cake, the flowers, their first wedding dance? I felt that I was there sharing their special moments, I had lots of wow's, aw's and tears. So, read the book's and you'll enjoy this one that much more.
I think that Daring Brides is a great idea by Ava Miles. Most of the time, we have books ending with the wedding in them, or if it is part of a series, the wedding takes place in the later books of the series. To have a book specially on the weddings of each couple is really novel. Of course, since it's just featuring the weddings, there are no sadness; just happiness and lots of poignant moments. Each wedding is really romantic and touching. I especially love Meredith and Tanner's wedding as well as Rhett and Abby's. Really great way of reliving each couple's journey.
** I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
It was fantastic to experience the weddings of each of the series' characters. It was lovely to read how each woman showed her love and how it was expressed in their wedding. It brought each character's story full circle. Ava Miles has a gift of writing so you feel as though you are a part of the story. My favorite bride is Peggy, Warrior Woman." Her story is how a strong woman doesn't have to change to find the love of her life and how her Love accepts and embraces her for all she is. Thank you Ava for continuing to share your stories in another fantastic read. I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
I had been waiting for Ava Miles to write this book since the first wedding of the Dare Valley book series was published. All the books have made me fall in love with each and every character more and more. Meredith and Tanner, Jill and Brian, Peggy and Mac and Abbie and Rhett. The story of each couple played out through the series, but we never really got any details of the weddings themselves. Well, this book has it all! I absolutely loved reading about each couples special day. Four very different brides, four unique grooms, and four weddings that fit each pair to a tea. This is a must read if you have read the other Dare Valley books. "I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."
I greatly enjoyed Ava Miles short stories about the four brides (Meredith, Jill, Peggy, and Abby) along with the grooms she shared with us in the Dare Valley series. The unique personalities of each of the brides were illustrated in elaborate detail from Peggy’s simple wedding mostly arranged by Mac to Jill’s yellow dress for her big day. Each of the couples’ big day full reflects how well Ava develops each of her characters and weaves new characters yet to be developed into the lives of the reader. I cannot wait for more insight into new and old characters in Ava’s coming books.
I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.
I cry at weddings. Brides cry at weddings. Guests cry at weddings. Who doesn’t cry at weddings? Even though I didn’t read all of the books of the Dare Valley Series, nevertheless I was familiar with some of them and cry I did.
The weddings were sensitive affairs, much like the people author Ava Miles has graced us with in her writing. She takes us back to characters we learned to love just to fall in love all over again watching them experience one of life’s greatest joys, getting married.
As is the case with all Ms. Miles writing, her characters are very real and terribly sweet. These short stories are icing on the cake (pun intended) for those fans hankering to enjoy Dare Valley and spend this special day with special people.
Just a wonderful revisit with all the couples you meet in the first four Dare Valley novels. Miles entertains you with enchanting, romantic and heart warming visits with the weddings of some of your favorite heros and heroines. My only complaint would be that I would have loved to have read each wedding story after each book. My recommendation for those just starting this series? Get this book right away so you can enjoy each wedding story as you go along.
"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."
This is a nice quick and easy book to read, you can read this as a follow on to the series that Ava has already written or as a stand alone book (although I am glad I had read the series first so that I knew the characters and their stories).
I would have liked the stories to have been a bit longer as to me they seemed to end before I was ready for them but understand that they are short stories so need to be kept to a minimum.
If your looking for something light to read then this is the book for you.
"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."
Once again Ava Miles has done it again in a book that shows us happily ever afters do happen. I loved seeing Meredith, Jill, Peggy and even Abbie find their true loves. Daring Brides is a wonderful ending to these beautiful women and how far they have come. Now the guys they all seemed great but have to say my favorite had to be Peggy and her little boy. Seeing this family become a real family really brought tears to my eyes. I loved that each little story showed us how scared, funny and romantic these brides are the sexy men that waited for them in the end. Loved it and Ava Miles is one author you don`t ever want to miss.