Wedding of the Century

Marry Me #1

by Patricia McLinn

❤ Their botched wedding is only the start of their storybook romance.❤
Annette Trevetti felt like a modern-day Cinderella as she walked down the aisle towards her first love and the heir to a small fortune. But her wedding day bliss screeched to a halt when an extremely pregnant woman crashed the ceremony claiming her Prince Charming was the father. Devastated, Annette shakes the dust of her small town off her boots and starts a seven-year climb up the corporate ladder to claim her own fortune. But when her brother gets injured on the job, she has no choice but to return to her hometown and risk exposing the feelings she still has for the man who broke her heart.

Single dad Steve Corbett’s biggest regret is tied up with his greatest joy. When Annette returns to town seven years after she left him at the altar, his love for her hasn't changed one bit. And if his match-making daughter and their one-of-a-kind elderly relative have it their way, they’d pick the romance up right where it left off. Working alongside Annette on her brother’s construction project, Steve senses the flicker of their old flame. But he knows it will take a lot of sweat and tears to rebuild the crumbling trust for a second chance at happily ever after.


With years and heartache between them, can Annette and Steve learn to have faith in each other and rebuild a new future together?


Wedding of the Century is a contemporary romance about second chances. If you like fiery chemistry, precocious children, quirky matchmakers and emotional journeys of the heart, then you’ll love USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn’s small-town romance.


With years and heartache between them, can Annette and Steve learn to have faith in each other and rebuild a new future together in this first book in the Marry Me series. If you like fiery chemistry, precocious children, quirky matchmakers, and emotional journeys of the heart, you'll love USA Today bestseller Patricia McLinn's small-town romance about second chances.



Praise for Wedding of the Century:
"So good that I read the whole book all the way through at one sitting. The characters were in-depth and honest." – 5*

“A great, moving story, with humor, emotion, and interesting characters.” – 5*

"Warm and tender." – 5*

“Best book ever!” – 5*

"A wonderful story about two people who deserve to find happiness. The many truths that are revealed when Annette returns to Tobias, Wisconsin . . . are surprising and so very human . . . Read this beautifully told story." – 5*

"Heartfelt!" – 5*

"Compelling! I really enjoyed this small-town second chance romance because it has everything I hope to find when reading a book by Patricia McLinn who has been one of my favorite authors for quite a few years. … I can't wait (for) the rest of this series and learn more about the people and the secrets of Tobias, Wisconsin." – 5*


Praise for the Marry Me series
“With her two latest books set in a perfectly realized and perfectly charming small town, McLinn has created two beautifully written, richly emotional love stories that are a joy to read.” – John Charles, American Library Association

“Gifted Patricia McLinn has written another wonderful series filled with emotion and romance.” -- CataRomance Reviews

"I love the characters in this series. They are well-developed and imperfect - just like all of us!" – 5*


Get all the books in Patricia McLinn’s Marry Me series today!
Wedding of the Century
The Unexpected Wedding Guest
A Most Unlikely Wedding
Baby Blues and Wedding Bells

Love Patricia’s small-town romance stories? Try her Seasons in a Small Town series now!
What Are Friends For? (Spring)
The Right Brother (Summer)
Falling for Her (Autumn)
Warm Front (Winter)

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Amazon, Family, Fiction

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2003

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn’s novels—cited by reviewers for warmth, wit and vivid characterization – have won numerous regional and national awards and been on national bestseller lists.

In addition to her romance and women’s fiction books, Patricia is the author of the Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series, which adds a touch of humor and romance to figuring out whodunit.

Patricia received BA and MSJ degrees from Northwestern University. She was a sports writer (Rockford, Ill.), assistant sports editor (Charlotte, N.C.) and—for 20-plus years—an editor at the Washington Post.

She has spoken about writing from Melbourne, Australia to Washington, D.C., including being a guest-speaker at the Smithsonian Institution. She is now living in Northern Kentucky, and writing full-time. Patricia loves to hear from readers through her website, Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Reviews

[Lu Bielefeld · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ⭐- Ugh! Didn't like it or triggers or pet peeve!
======================================

This story pissed me off!
Our Zero is a complete idiot and in my opinion never loved Zeroine!
He lets the wedding ceremony be interrupted by his ex who claims to expect his kid and completely humiliates our Zeroine! Zero accepts everything quietly and goes on with his life, while Zeroine runs off with her tail between her legs.
He does all this to protect who he loves and his family ... clearly demonstrating that Zeroine is not on his protected list.
And our favorite doormat, aka Zeroine, still accepts him back!
He didn't cheat, he simply took over his brother's mess and bore responsibility in the name of his family's good. But he never went after Zeroine, he had a number of relationships, some serious and he thought of marriage and just went no further because his daughter didn't like the woman and another said she didn't love him and so on. And the icing on the cake was that he blamed Zeroine for not trusting him!
WTF!

[Jac K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just an ok read for me... I just couldn't relate or become invested for any "feels". I purposely waited several days to write this, because I wanted to sit on it first. The content isn’t bad; it just has a couple of things that I really don’t love in my romance reads. Long separation, martyr hero, child by OW. I’ll add in a spoiler at the end in case you wish to go in blind. Although certain aspects irritated me, my main issues were… 1. The pacing, and lack of movement made for a slow read. I was bored, and skimmed several times. 2. The “conflicts” were based on flawed/non-logical reasoning. I understand we need conflict to fuel the drama flames, but it needs to make sense, or it just feels lazy. **FYI- This isn’t a historical romance. I went in mostly blind and for some reason thought it was.**

This one starts out with our H (Steve) & h (Annette) getting married when his ex (Lily) interrupts and announces she’s pregnant with his child. After stuttering to answer the h leaves… the wedding and the town. She returns 7.5 years later to help her recently injured brother, and soon runs into Steve again. The rest is a frustrating read of misunderstandings, family secrets, and assumptions. Many details are fuzzy, and the reasoning left me scratching my head.

SPOILERS

Steve didn’t cheat, the baby belonged to his MIA brother, but he married (in name only…never real marriage) Lily after Annette left to legitimize the child. (we know this pretty early on, but Anette is clueless until 75%) It didn’t really make a lot of sense why he never spoke up, or try to smooth things over with the love of his life. He only says she didn’t sign up for that; apparently Anne suffers from “poor little Anette mode” and liked her brother and Steve taking care of any and all potential problems. Also, not sure why he needed to marry to give her a last name; plenty of unwed couples have legitimate kids, and this book it set in 2016 not 1916.

The time apart is a grey area, I don’t remember her discussing, but I assume she was celibate, but they were sexually active prior to the wedding. For Steve’s part it says he had dated, even had a couple of serious relationships where he considered marriage, but I think he was just looking for a mother for Nell. He never loved them, and it never discusses if they had sex, which I would love to know, because one of the relationships was with Fran who will end up with the MIA brother when he returns to town in book four… and that would be ick. It’s all handled very “proper” like, so maybe he didn’t.🤷‍♀️

My biggest grump is the Nell situation. I 100% understand that she’s an innocent child, but I also could understand, and would expect Annette to have some issues… because she’s still the kid of the woman who selfishly ruined her wedding, and blew up her life, and the ENTIRE town thinks Steve cheated on her… BUT… we’re manipulated into a situation where Annette isn’t allowed to be angry, because if she wouldn’t have been screwed over, then Steve wouldn’t have Nell. For example, Steve ponders if he had spoken up sooner, and still married Annette, then Lily might have refused to give him custody. This is hammered home by reminding us of what a terrible parent Lily was, and what could have become of poor innocent Nell. If that’s not bad enough, Steve explains how after watching Annette struggle with not having parents… how could he do that to an innocent babe. I realize this is a tough one, because she can’t really be pissed at the kid, but it just felt wrong that everything bad happened to her, and now she has to raise a kid that everyone thinks is a result of an affair.

Bottom Line- This wasn’t for me. It almost had like this wholesome “everyone acting like sensible adults” vibe which for me sucked out all the potential angsty goodness, but I do acknowledge that it was written well, and most people really liked it. So I would recommend to readers looking for a romance with lots of "adulting" and low drama because everyone is a martyr.

[thebookish_maze · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start. This is my first 1 star book in two or more years. It has my most hated trope, second chance romance. This was so badly done, the writing style was terrible and the story was even worse. I couldn’t feel the connection between characters, and the plot was the stupidest thing I’ve ever read. Our main characters are so dumb (especially the girl) and I HATED THE GUY WITH PASSION. It’s a short book but it took me more time than it should’ve but I still finished it. I don’t recommend this to anyone, ANYONE!!

[Sometime]

From a review on Amazon: "So instead of chasing after the woman he supposedly loves, he stays quiet during his wedding when accused of cheating on his fiance? shouldn't he have immediately denied it rather than humiliating her??? and then claiming her lack of trust broke them apart? what????

It was his silence that broke them apart, it was him marrying a woman that had nothing to do with him, rather than chasing the heroine. "

Apparently this H never heard of modern conveniences like phones and DNA tests.

This book sounds like torture.

[Tmstprc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beta hero with a god complex.

I liked the supporting characters enough to probably try book 2.

[Mary Parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book, but I honestly felt that Annette took far too much of the blame, for what happened "7 years ago at the wedding that wasn't" and Steve accepted far too little...deflecting, acting as if "you should have just trusted me" is an answer, when a pregnant ex shows up at their wedding and announces, oh by the way, I should be marrying the groom, this is his baby, and he doesn't look surprised, and doesn't deny it.
But it wouldn't be a second chance romance if there is no second chance...and after she runs for the hills, she returns to help her brother out...and good old Steve stalks her around town, accuses her of always expecting someone to clean up her messes and fix everything because her big brother did after her Dad left and her Mom died (can't imagine why she ran away from you Stevie boy) and pretty much is insulted the whole book because he was hurt she left and cannot believe ( he seriously wnders why at one point why she is in hurry to leave town) that she has changed so much...if it hadn't been for little Nell and Miss Trudie...I would have wanted her to run away really fast!
Annette finds out she never really knew Steve, he hid quite a lot from her in the weeks before they were supposed to say I Do...and he learns the hardest thing to do, is not just hear the truth, but tell it...even when it isn't what you know people want to hear. Because the truth sets you free...and once a secret is told, it has no power.
I still think Annette deserved more from Steve, he should have been honest the FIRST time.
But Miss Trudie, Nell and Max...they are unconditionally lovable, along with Annette...Steve still needs another facer Max 😉

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. It was a fun contemporary romance, fast-paced and optimistic. It was a fitting choice for this time of global unease. Honestly, for this long spell of worry and self-isolation, I prefer warm, nimble, and engrossing stories to snuggle up with. Nothing too serious and literary. Nothing too unconventional. It will stay that way for a while.

3 stars

[Red Tide · Rating 2 out of 5]

Odd to me

The story features a girl dropping out of school, leaving this small town, then transferring to another university. She finished her degree, starts a business, builds it to a profitable enough level that she has a number of employees. Finally, She is bought out by a major corporation for a price that will allow her to retire at age 26 or 27. That's a bit rushed for the real world but is necessary for the plot. It's understandable but thirty year old women can have romance too, I thought.

The above isn't character development, it's a standard fantasy setup. It's not badly done particularly but 10% in, I knew how the plot would resolve. She falls for her hot, rich ex-fiance again (who embarrassed her by having his former ex-girlfriend show up heavily pregnant at her wedding). He didn't deny it, expected her to not have a negative reaction and expected her to live that down in Hicksville, USA. He of course will be a good guy, who acted honorably and his rich family's dysfunction will be exposed. She will be portrayed as a whiny, rush to judgement someone or other.

I know that a reader of this type of story, knows the ending already but I'll avoid spoilers. What was troubling was the woman who does all the good stuff above, loses her ability to think in the presence of her ex-fiance. A town clerk gives her the runaround when she tried to file business paperwork for her injured brother (I really was expecting her to say something along the lines of "You are asking for non-standard documentation, fees that my brother knows are not required at this point and seem condescending. Why Is that?"). She doesn't and when he makes the completion of the filing process, dependent on her "having dinner" with him the scene moves from harassment to rape-y. That she doesn't ask for clarification while she records the conversation on her phone, was disappointing. When her ex shows up at the office (he started openly stalking her, as soon as he realized she was in town) and he justified his employee's behavior as not harassment with a promise date rape but as a normal reaction "to a beautiful woman", she gets flustered?

The ex stalks her for the rest of the story and obviously will continue until "He gets what he wants". I'm a man and I'm confused by the story at that point. Is this supposed to an over the top romance or a standard rape fantasy. Either is fine but I was too uncomfortable at the bail point to attempt unpacking the interactions and dialogue.

I don't know how this compares to similar books but I thought that maybe from the title it would be more a comedy or there'd be some interesting twist (maybe a horror story).

[Donna Reed · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like it

This book went no where to me. I really wanted to like this second chance romance...but at the half way point I was skipping pages and could not finish. What took 7 years could have been answered before the walk down the isle. And I still really don’t know the full reason for the H
Closed mouth .

[Kimlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave me the feels and made me cry a bunch. Things made sense later on but sad for the main characters

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Patricia McLinn. She is a fantastic writer and I have loved the books I have read by her

[Clarissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Stox4story · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review without revealing the plot. There were parts I loved but found myself rolling my eyes a LOT. This was a great idea for a heart wrenching storyline but it failed to set up the proper foundation or conditions needed.

Character blurbs below may contain slight spoilers…

Steve: He was too busy playing the martyr. Yes, he sacrificed a lot BUT that was his choice. And yes, he sacrificed his happiness, but it was totally unnecessary. All he had to do was answer an honest question at the alter. Or maybe, just maybe, he could have been upfront with his fiancé about what was going on BEFORE the ex crashes into the church. Keeping secrets cost him his happiness but it also cost his fiancé her happiness. So, the martyr complex kept him justifying his behavior while trying to guilt Annette for leaving his at the alter.

Annette: Way too introspective. No way she should have taken on misplaced guilt of running away from the wedding. She did what any normal woman would have done. She asked….he refused to answer …. she ran. Not her fault! But she had to pay the price for his martyr complex.

Lana: She was a control freak mother, always demanding her way and always putting others down if they didn’t meet her expectations. However, it’s hard to blame her because everyone allowed her to be that way. No one stood up to her. Yes, finally Annette did a little and we are told that Steve also finally confronted her, but that’s only toward the end. I kept wondering why she pretended to be so high and mighty when she would have been considered a ‘promiscuous’ woman back in her early days. What was she really hiding… what was her background before becoming a Corbett?

The Ex: We don’t get to actually meet her, but are certainly given the impression that she is a selfish, money grabbing woman who only cares about herself.

Zach: At least he stands up to his mother, Lana. However, he runs since he can’t handle the situation and expectations anymore.

Nell: For a seven year old, she’s really smart, maybe too smart for her age. She is precocious, assertive in a cute way, and will have to come to grips with a lot of hard truths in the future.

Max: What a wonderful brother he is. He had to grow up to soon, take on responsibilities that weren’t really his but he handled it all with class.

Miss Trudi: Bless her heart. How was she ever a teacher?

Suz: A friend like her is hard to come by, Annette was blessed to have Suzette in her life.

[MN Book Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven years ago, Annette and Steven’s wedding was interrupted by a past girlfriend claiming to be pregnant with his child. Without explaining what was happening, Annette fled the church and their town.

But when Annette’s brother is hurt and she comes back to help him, she can’t help but be haunted by the past. And Steve and his daughter are everywhere in town.

Knowing this is his only chance to tell Annette the truth about what happened, Steve works to break down her barriers so they can talk. But along the way, old wounds are opened as well. And when they find a common cause to fight for, they both see the sparks fly again.

Annette and Steve get their HEA in this stand-alone book in a series.

[Dawn Pressel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This man admits that for 7 years he didn’t think about Annette, maybe fleeting thoughts...thought about seeing her after the funeral and had a couple serous relationships, even proposed to a friend...but after 7 years he wants her? Did she date other men? The author failed to say she moved forward with her life other then to say she had a successful business.

The truth would have been easier but nope he let her walk away and married the bitch. Never asking her to let him explain? Sorry it just seems Steve’s a wimp and lacked “enough” to fight for himself and Annette.

For all her success Annette was not confident, not with the clerk and not in her thoughts...he kissed her and she caved.

The book wrapped up into expected happy ending but still left me wanting more from Steve and Annette.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok read. I found it a bit slow moving in the middle. As well, Annette seems quite clueless around Steve and there was an awful lot of plot cueing from the seven-year-old Nell. Much of the story progressed as would be expected to the HEA. The only thing missing was an epilogue where the plans for Miss Trudi were completed, the mother Lana was enlightened (or not) and there was some word from Zach.

[Smiler The Avid Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of writing was not my favourite.

Spoilers….

The story didn’t flow well for me. I found everything so disjointed and it just felt bitty. The dialogue, descriptions and jumping from scene to scene made my head spin at times.

The relationship and interactions between Steve and Annette left me frustrated.

No matter what Steve said he still betrayed Annette. He was angry with her for jumping to conclusions, but he’d made a decision not to tell her everything due to her reaction….that part was complete bs. He accused her of making assumptions, but at the same time made a huge decision in the split second that changed everything for both of them. He assumed she’d react a certain way…anyone would’ve in that moment. It wasn’t just in the church, it was their past relationship that also cast doubt. He can’t expect Annette to have trusted him when he barely ever gave anything away and never TOLD her anything. One simple sentence….that’s all it took.

There wasn’t enough emotional connection for me in the story. I felt a disconnect from the characters. I didn’t feel the regret or remorse from Steve. He put Annette through something that could’ve been solved in a second, but he never took that on board in the story and it was just cruel to keep it from her. If you love someone you save them from heartbreak, not cause it. His reasonings weren’t justifiable. Not only that then he accerbated the situation by marrying Lily. He had the forethought to warn Max about the wedding, but not to be honest to Annette. So in essence Annette leaving gave him exactly what he needed, to marry Lily.

~”Can’t what? Forgive? I’m not asking for forgiveness, Annette. And I’m not offering it.”

~~Everyone had known how he failed her. No one had known how she had failed him, because he held it all inside.~~

I didn’t feel him hurting for hurting Annette, no matter what the truth and that for me was unforgivable. You have to go through the hurt and acknowledge it to get the otherside. HE was the catalyst…not Annette. He wanted the blame to be equal, but Annette was reacting….not causing. Also Annette didn’t just walk out if the church…she asked him and question and he says nothing. Again she reacted to what was in front of her. Cause and effect. He held all the cards as he knew why Lily was there and Annette was blindsided. Never once did I hear a sorry from Steve. It wasn’t 50/50 equal split of blame like he wanted to believe. He could’ve changed everything with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[Blake · Rating 1 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

DNF

I decided to read to see if I could get out of my Urban Fantasy phase. It wasn't just that it was the wrong genre for me in my current mood.

I despised the love interest. During wedding ceremony to the MC, heavily pregnant woman turns up, claims groom is the dad. Groom does not deny it. MC splits, and also leaves their small town. The correct moves, IMHO.
It was actually his MIA brother who got her pregnant, but the jerk marries her anyway to give the child the family name and a decent parent. He never tells the MC this (until 7 years later) and everyone in their tiny town (even 7 years later) thinks he is the kids bio dad. -- But no she's the one who is at fault still 7 years later for not trusting him...
Love interest is a jerk and a stalker and awful and he's had a couple of serious relationships since. MC has not.
MC was the one who was the victim, yet he's blaming her for not trusting him. He could have just said the truth from the start and paid off baby momma to get custody of the kid. Baby mamma was not a great woman, so she'd have accepted.
MC taking him back, after his lack of love, he was protecting what he loves, which clearly doesn't include her, made her a complete doormat.

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Possibly

Would you recommend?: Probably


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Lady Lauren Explorer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting to like this book.

And I’m going to give it you straight the angst is low to barely mid. The thing that pulls you in is the first chapter because the beginning of the story is WILD 😝!!!!

Then you have no choice but to want to see the confrontation meaning again. Will you do you kind of let down because it’s not satisfying.

But as this is dual perspective you see the ploy behind the story.

You see a man who you don’t want to like because of the situation that he created. But you see him work and work hard to be in her future.

From her and you see how she is just needed the full entire truth. This is basically a miscommunication; a huge one.

By having their perspectives it just pulls you in even more, and then you just wanting to know what’s going to happen next.

A lot does!

The only thing I wish is the brother situation was hinted at the end. Like I want to know if he comes back or is he gone from the Earth. And also of course I wanna see the situation with his mother. Does she kind of learned from her mistake or should I say mistakes?! I wish you always be this coldhearted person even with her grandchild!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this small town second chance romance because it has everything I hope to find when reading a book by Patricia McLinn who has been one of my favorite authors for quite a few years. I was immediately drawn into this emotionally compelling storyline that brings our heroine Annette back to a town that she gladly left behind years ago because of a painful childhood and the humiliation of an interrupted wedding and a marriage that never came to be. Steve still carries the painful memories of that day but when Annette returns both she and Steve are compelled to face their own shortcomings and deal with the consequences of the events that broke them apart. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series and learn more about the people and the secrets of Tobias, Wisconsin.

[doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mclinn/wedding of the century.

The main characters in this story are annette, the girl who was to married Steven ran away due to circumstances at the wedding.steve,the man who his secrets from annette,max, annette brother ,Lana Steve mother who valued the Corbett name more than her sons, trudi, the elderly lady that annette hates,but is a Corbett too, lily, the girl that tries to manipulate both Corbett boys ,steve,and his brother, zach,who left town because of his mother and nell, the one that's caught up in all the drama but doesn't know why, she is Steve's daughter. Don't want to give up the story. Read it you will love it, if you love family secrets and the power of how love will conquer if you persevere.

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read with interesting character development. We missed the setup to the wedding which began the book. Based on that event, probably both characters were immature and didn't really understand what they were getting into.

However both characters have grown over the past 7 years. They are now different and the end result could be expected. It was fun to get into a small town and learn about the different people, although mostly it was the two main characters we learned about. They struggled mightily with their past and coming to an understanding of themselves as individuals.

Some of the twists didn't seem to come together but overall a nice read.

[Nikki Campagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annette Trevetti was a modern-day Cinderella as she walked down the aisle towards her first love and the heir to a small fortune. But her wedding day bliss screeched to a halt when a very pregnant woman crashed the ceremony claiming Prince Charming was the father. Devastated, Annette shakes the dust of her small town off her boots and starts a seven-year climb up the corporate ladder to claim her own fortune. But when her brother gets injured on the job, she has no choice but to return to her hometown and risk exposing the feelings she still has for the man who broke her heart. And then the story begins ……

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wedding of the Century by Patricia McLinn
Marry Me Series Book One
Annette Trevetti was like Cinderella marrying Prince Charming. But unlike a fairytale, hers fell apart when the evil wedding crasher announces her claim upon the prince and nobody lived happily-ever-after. Now, her brother, Max, is hurt and she has to return to Tobias, Wisconsin to help him. In a town this small—there is no escaping the past.

Steve Corbitt sees Annette for the first time in over seven years. She hasn't changed—and yet she has. They are now two very different people then they were back when he last saw her at their almost-wedding. And yet, so many secrets stand between them.

When an elderly woman, who is a friend to both Steve and Annette, needs their help...can they put the past behind them to work together to help her? This is the first book in this series and I really enjoyed it. It's definitely a page-turner with several stories going on. Steve and Annette's past, Miss Trudi's future, a missing brother, and more. I'm really looking forward to more in this series.
**Sexual content
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...

[Dorothy J. Kasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will love the romance

The author writes the best romance stories. This one ranks right up there with her other HEA stories and series. The young bride walks out on her wedding when a pregnant girl interrupts the wedding claiming the groom is the father. 7 years pass, the bride and groom are thrown together, she's not ready to forgive and he hasn't told her the truth about the child. Can love find a way? All this happens in a small town with a snobby mother of the groom interfering in everyone loves still. There really is a HEA.😊

[Gaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am in a bit of a debate, it was good but not too in love with the ending and minor grammar errors. I loved the characters chemistry and Steve's dedication/love to Annette. But the composition of the story line was a bit rough around the edges. Basically I mean that the story was more about family issues rather than Steve getting Lilly pregnant. In addition to that there where insecurities on the characters and too many side character's, they were quickly implemented just rushed and disorganized.

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annette Trevetti is left at the altar after a pregnant woman crashes her wedding claiming the groom is the father. Annette is devastated and commits her time working hard up the corporate ladder. Annette’s brother is injured and she returns home after seven years. Annette works with single dad Steve Corbett at her brother’s construction company. Annette and Steve were to be married before and Steve wants to make amends and start over again. Can Annette trust her heart and rekindle her romance with Steve? I really enjoyed this amazing contemporary romance novel.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This story was a true meaning to second chances. Annette grew up in a small town that if you were poor they looked down at you. Steve grew up with money but for some reason they fell in love. But in the day of their wedding a woman came in saying she was pregnant but there were too many questions. Now she is back to help her brother after he was injured. But something seems to click.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written to draw you in and it will.

McLinn has written a romance set in a small Midwestern town which is a relief from ranches and exotic locations all the other unrealistic settings. Well developed characters and a good story make this a fine first book of a series. If you like to have characters that are relatable and likeable working through tough situations this book is for you.

[Michelle Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It...

Very much enjoyed reading this book.

Both Steve and Annette were lovely characters as were all the secondary characters in this book.

The little twist and turns were great and kept you on your toes. But mostly it was the love from Steve for Annette that jumped off the pages. When Annette finally jumps on board it was beautiful reading.

Can't wait to see where this series goes.