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Wedding Novellas
Keeping Time: The Planning
Time has never been an issue for Carter McKenna and Sadie Maron. It just took them both nearly fifteen years to realize it. Now Carter is tired of waiting, and the two have begun their newest chapter—planning a wedding.
Carter, a talented musician, has always traveled the beaten path. But when she discovers the wedding Sadie is hoping for may be a little out of their price range, she realizes she needs to recruit the help of her wealthy father. U
nfortunately, her father’s money comes with a price she may not be able to afford. But as Sadie continues to blissfully plan the wedding she’s always dreamed of, Carter proves to herself just how much she’s willing to give for the woman she loves.
Romance, Novella
Carter, a talented musician, has always traveled the beaten path. But when she discovers the wedding Sadie is hoping for may be a little out of their price range, she realizes she needs to recruit the help of her wealthy father. U
nfortunately, her father’s money comes with a price she may not be able to afford. But as Sadie continues to blissfully plan the wedding she’s always dreamed of, Carter proves to herself just how much she’s willing to give for the woman she loves.
Romance, Novella
Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2016
4 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Emily Smith
7 books38 followersEmily Smith was born and raised in a small town in New Hampshire, where she started writing at an early age. Her grandmother was a children’s author, and she comes from a family of English teachers. Searching For Forever is Emily’s first full-length novel and first venture into the publishing world. When she isn’t writing, which is rare, Emily works in the medical field. She has been an EMT for years and is currently in school to become a physician assistant. She lives in Boston with her partner, where they try to escape to Provincetown as much as possible.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 9, 2017
This story was a bit short so there was not much time taken in developing some of the character's growth,but at least there were little passion and some family drama added into the storyline plus the supporting friends even help to make the ending more beautiful because of their relationship..recommend to everyone
July 17, 2016
Keeping Time: The Planning is the second in the Wedding Novellas series. I did not like it. I could not warm up to the characters at all, their behavior was immature, irrational, and often quite stupid. The plot was weak, as well as the conflict.
The whole story about planning an expensive wedding with no money was way too superficial for my taste, and I honestly cannot recommend it.
2 stars
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
The whole story about planning an expensive wedding with no money was way too superficial for my taste, and I honestly cannot recommend it.
2 stars
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
July 6, 2016
Short, slight, no highs, no lows and not really that much to say about it.
No typos. Clichés ahoy!
If I had paid for this, I would've felt pretty poorly done by.
Copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.
No typos. Clichés ahoy!
If I had paid for this, I would've felt pretty poorly done by.
Copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.
June 27, 2016
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
This is the first story I’ve read by this author. Despite that indication I went into this story with two previously implanted impressions: (1) this story is the second in that Wedding Novella series – and I liked the first; (2) before I started I noticed negative comments about the story in reviews. So I went into the story with two competing preconceptions.
First impressions are important, right? 17% into the story I was annoyed. By how things were being conveyed. One of the two leads pulls the other up on stage, despite knowing that the other dislikes being in the spot light. The one pulled on stage is thinking about how much they love the other. This thinking continues. Into a scene at a bar. Weren’t we all just on stage? One asks the other if they are ready to leave. Then one signals for a taxi. We . . . did we leave the bar area yet? Is Carter assuming that a taxi will just drive into the bar area? Wait, Carter just randomly spit out an address to ‘the driver’ (no mention of a taxi or a car, maybe he will carry both of them on his back). Apparently a taxi did just drive into the bar.
Going back to what I wrote above and adding specifics. Sadie Maron is the one pulled on stage, by Carter McKenna. I dive into specifics for one specific reason. Sadie mentions that she is furious about what Carter did – pulling her onto the stage. Then . . . the fury leaves her. Because . . . she’s just so lucky to be with such a gorgeous woman (okay, that isn’t the actual thinking expressed, but it is the impression given throughout the story). I mention this quick to anger, quick to forgive because it is a reoccurring thing in this story. Carter does something to anger Sadie. Sadie becomes angry. And she’s over it so quickly, Carter doesn’t always even know she’s angered Sadie. This whole ‘I’m lucky to have her’ nonsense is annoying.
There’s a funny thing about mentioning things that annoy you. The morphing from scene to scene without transition was annoying. And more or less stopped instantly when I posted my status update noting this issue. I’m powerful! Hehe.
Right, so. Carter McKenna comes from a super rich family. Dick of a father (where’d I see that before? Maybe every book involving people coming from rich families? Man, must suck to be from a rich family). Has a business degree. Works in a music store because she doesn’t want to sell her soul and . . . um . . not work in a music store. Also plays in a band. Still waiting for her big break with her band. Oh, and she is 32 years of age.
Sadie Maron comes from . . . um . . not a rich family, though I do not recall how unrich the family might be. Both parents are described as being ‘good people’ but with a somewhat rigid set of religious beliefs. Which come in conflict with the fact that Sadie, their daughter, is a lesbian. Sadie is a teacher. And somewhere around 32.
So, the point of this series. The first story involved a proposal (different characters). This one involved planning a wedding. This leads directly to how Sadie really wanted a huge wedding. And has been planning one forever and a day. Carter wants to give Sadie what she wants, though she doesn’t have the resources to do so. Sooo . . . when pops offers to pay for everything on condition of Carter jr. (I forgot to mention that pops is also Carter) coming to work for the company firm.
Which leads directly to: the beginning annoyed me for its lack of transitions. The middle? Annoyed me for the relatively stupid plotline. For reasons that are beyond my ability to understand, Carter believes that the thing to do to/with/for her beloved is to lie to her. For her own good. Or some reason like that. Meaning? She not only doesn’t tell Sadie that she took a job with McKenna Inc, she also lies constantly about where she is located. Carter made a couple decision without including her beloved. But Carter has a history of doing shit like that – like pulling Sadie up on stage early in the book.
To complicate matters – the middle of the book also includes an ex-girlfriend of Carters. Wherein we learn even more about how much of a dick Carter is. Carter, apparently, is the kind to date a woman, fuck them for a while, get bored of them, then . . . . just plain never contact them again. Never actually gets around to dumping them or anything like that. Just . . doesn’t call them or return their calls. Well, she did that with Eliza Trobani. Eliza’s so pissed that she .. . keeps rubbing herself against Carter and wants to get back together. See, Eliza and Carter dated way back in college times. Eliza works for McKenna. They bump into each other on Carter’s first day at her new job. This certainly complicates matters, eh?
Man I hate this type of story-line. Wherein the woman ends up connecting up with someone who they don’t even like, but ‘don’t want to hurt their feelings’ or some shit like that, so does crap that she doesn’t want to do and doesn’t have time to do. Because . . . um . . . anyone? Bueller? No? No idea. None. I call this the ‘accidental cheating’ storyline. The kind wherein the person doesn’t want to cheat, but also doesn’t want to ‘hurt’ someone else’s feelings. I hate this story concept. And this is not the first time I’ve seen it in a story.
Right. So. Didn’t particularly like how the story started (though specific source of the ‘dislike’ disappeared almost immediately), didn’t particularly like the middle and . . . what’s this? At 87% I left a status update. Indicating that I was not sure if I could finish the book. Directly related to the wedding planner. And how she was going on and on about how just perfect the two women are. Um. Hil, the wedding planner, knows that one has been lying to the other. Knows they aren’t perfect, knows . . whatever. *shrugs* I’ll go ahead and finish . . .oh. Book is over at 94% of the kindle file. Ended abruptly, it did.
Right. Okay then.
June 27 2016
This is the first story I’ve read by this author. Despite that indication I went into this story with two previously implanted impressions: (1) this story is the second in that Wedding Novella series – and I liked the first; (2) before I started I noticed negative comments about the story in reviews. So I went into the story with two competing preconceptions.
First impressions are important, right? 17% into the story I was annoyed. By how things were being conveyed. One of the two leads pulls the other up on stage, despite knowing that the other dislikes being in the spot light. The one pulled on stage is thinking about how much they love the other. This thinking continues. Into a scene at a bar. Weren’t we all just on stage? One asks the other if they are ready to leave. Then one signals for a taxi. We . . . did we leave the bar area yet? Is Carter assuming that a taxi will just drive into the bar area? Wait, Carter just randomly spit out an address to ‘the driver’ (no mention of a taxi or a car, maybe he will carry both of them on his back). Apparently a taxi did just drive into the bar.
Going back to what I wrote above and adding specifics. Sadie Maron is the one pulled on stage, by Carter McKenna. I dive into specifics for one specific reason. Sadie mentions that she is furious about what Carter did – pulling her onto the stage. Then . . . the fury leaves her. Because . . . she’s just so lucky to be with such a gorgeous woman (okay, that isn’t the actual thinking expressed, but it is the impression given throughout the story). I mention this quick to anger, quick to forgive because it is a reoccurring thing in this story. Carter does something to anger Sadie. Sadie becomes angry. And she’s over it so quickly, Carter doesn’t always even know she’s angered Sadie. This whole ‘I’m lucky to have her’ nonsense is annoying.
There’s a funny thing about mentioning things that annoy you. The morphing from scene to scene without transition was annoying. And more or less stopped instantly when I posted my status update noting this issue. I’m powerful! Hehe.
Right, so. Carter McKenna comes from a super rich family. Dick of a father (where’d I see that before? Maybe every book involving people coming from rich families? Man, must suck to be from a rich family). Has a business degree. Works in a music store because she doesn’t want to sell her soul and . . . um . . not work in a music store. Also plays in a band. Still waiting for her big break with her band. Oh, and she is 32 years of age.
Sadie Maron comes from . . . um . . not a rich family, though I do not recall how unrich the family might be. Both parents are described as being ‘good people’ but with a somewhat rigid set of religious beliefs. Which come in conflict with the fact that Sadie, their daughter, is a lesbian. Sadie is a teacher. And somewhere around 32.
So, the point of this series. The first story involved a proposal (different characters). This one involved planning a wedding. This leads directly to how Sadie really wanted a huge wedding. And has been planning one forever and a day. Carter wants to give Sadie what she wants, though she doesn’t have the resources to do so. Sooo . . . when pops offers to pay for everything on condition of Carter jr. (I forgot to mention that pops is also Carter) coming to work for the company firm.
Which leads directly to: the beginning annoyed me for its lack of transitions. The middle? Annoyed me for the relatively stupid plotline. For reasons that are beyond my ability to understand, Carter believes that the thing to do to/with/for her beloved is to lie to her. For her own good. Or some reason like that. Meaning? She not only doesn’t tell Sadie that she took a job with McKenna Inc, she also lies constantly about where she is located. Carter made a couple decision without including her beloved. But Carter has a history of doing shit like that – like pulling Sadie up on stage early in the book.
To complicate matters – the middle of the book also includes an ex-girlfriend of Carters. Wherein we learn even more about how much of a dick Carter is. Carter, apparently, is the kind to date a woman, fuck them for a while, get bored of them, then . . . . just plain never contact them again. Never actually gets around to dumping them or anything like that. Just . . doesn’t call them or return their calls. Well, she did that with Eliza Trobani. Eliza’s so pissed that she .. . keeps rubbing herself against Carter and wants to get back together. See, Eliza and Carter dated way back in college times. Eliza works for McKenna. They bump into each other on Carter’s first day at her new job. This certainly complicates matters, eh?
Man I hate this type of story-line. Wherein the woman ends up connecting up with someone who they don’t even like, but ‘don’t want to hurt their feelings’ or some shit like that, so does crap that she doesn’t want to do and doesn’t have time to do. Because . . . um . . . anyone? Bueller? No? No idea. None. I call this the ‘accidental cheating’ storyline. The kind wherein the person doesn’t want to cheat, but also doesn’t want to ‘hurt’ someone else’s feelings. I hate this story concept. And this is not the first time I’ve seen it in a story.
Right. So. Didn’t particularly like how the story started (though specific source of the ‘dislike’ disappeared almost immediately), didn’t particularly like the middle and . . . what’s this? At 87% I left a status update. Indicating that I was not sure if I could finish the book. Directly related to the wedding planner. And how she was going on and on about how just perfect the two women are. Um. Hil, the wedding planner, knows that one has been lying to the other. Knows they aren’t perfect, knows . . whatever. *shrugs* I’ll go ahead and finish . . .oh. Book is over at 94% of the kindle file. Ended abruptly, it did.
Right. Okay then.
June 27 2016
June 19, 2016
More like a short story that just puttered on with no real substance to hold onto. With more angst that wasn't even realistic to me, like the boy that cried wolf. But hey, that might just be my take on this book.
July 22, 2016
ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an impartial review
This is the third wedding novella I've read, and likely the last. This one centres on planning a wedding and has a wafer thin plot and characters I just couldn't root for. Carter enters into a deal with the devil to pay for a wedding she and her fiancée can't afford. I don't know why people pay thousands of dollars for a wedding, but I sure as hell don't know why you'd do it when you don't have any money. Carter's father was also a ridiculous character, whose motive were never revealed, so the whole storyline made no sense.
There's a whole lot of nothing happening here and everything turns out as you'd expect, so no suspense, just a lot of eye rolling from me. More frustrating was that due to the novella format and the way these books have been set out, we don't even get to see said wedding. I'm not sure why all of these novellas couldn't have followed the same couple. That would have made more sense.
This is the third wedding novella I've read, and likely the last. This one centres on planning a wedding and has a wafer thin plot and characters I just couldn't root for. Carter enters into a deal with the devil to pay for a wedding she and her fiancée can't afford. I don't know why people pay thousands of dollars for a wedding, but I sure as hell don't know why you'd do it when you don't have any money. Carter's father was also a ridiculous character, whose motive were never revealed, so the whole storyline made no sense.
There's a whole lot of nothing happening here and everything turns out as you'd expect, so no suspense, just a lot of eye rolling from me. More frustrating was that due to the novella format and the way these books have been set out, we don't even get to see said wedding. I'm not sure why all of these novellas couldn't have followed the same couple. That would have made more sense.
May 30, 2018
Review to come!
July 1, 2016
* ARC provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes for an honest review*
This was a good read for a lazy day in bed. I'm not usually a fan of irrational characters who act immaturely but for some reason I don't mind it in this series. In reality most brides aren't rational and they do want the fairy tale wedding, and I would like to think that if you love your partner enough you would be willing to do anything to make them happy. This novella incorporates all of this it just over exaggerated the storyline which somehow made it seem light-hearted and in turn made me enjoy reading it.
This was a good read for a lazy day in bed. I'm not usually a fan of irrational characters who act immaturely but for some reason I don't mind it in this series. In reality most brides aren't rational and they do want the fairy tale wedding, and I would like to think that if you love your partner enough you would be willing to do anything to make them happy. This novella incorporates all of this it just over exaggerated the storyline which somehow made it seem light-hearted and in turn made me enjoy reading it.
December 30, 2016
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a sweet read but was too short for me, as well as making me feel as if I was missing so much. Smith did well at making me like these characters but because I didn't get a book about Sadie and Carter. I would have liked a longer book that had the high school and college years where we could have seen their relationship blossom. Though for a novella this was very well written and had me finishing it in one sitting.g
July 30, 2016
Keeping Time: The Planning is the second book I have read in the Wedding Novellas series. I enjoyed this book better than the first one, but it still didn’t really hold my attention. I recently read another book by Emily Smith and enjoyed it, but novellas are just so difficult. It is difficult to give me enough to make me feel for the characters. That is really the key. While I enjoyed this book better than the previous in the series it was only marginally. I really need more time to get to know a character. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the characters in general. This makes liking a book so much harder. ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews