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Do-or-Die Bridesmaid
Always the bridesmaid,
never a killer’s target…until now.
Back in his hometown for a wedding, Detective Conor Wildman reunites with his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Laura Karr, once the tomboy next door. Now Laura is a beautiful woman…and someone wants her dead. Conor is the man to protect her and catch the killer, but will one heated kiss jeopardize their precious friendship? Or will it prove that he can trust her with his wounded heart?
never a killer’s target…until now.
Back in his hometown for a wedding, Detective Conor Wildman reunites with his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Laura Karr, once the tomboy next door. Now Laura is a beautiful woman…and someone wants her dead. Conor is the man to protect her and catch the killer, but will one heated kiss jeopardize their precious friendship? Or will it prove that he can trust her with his wounded heart?
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 10, 2019
51 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Julie Miller
295 books368 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie Miller writes breathtaking romantic suspense. She's won a National Readers Choice Award and two Daphne du Maurier Awards among other prizes. She was also honored to receive a Career Achievement Award from RT BookReviews and has been a finalist for many national and international awards. Her books have appeared on the USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, Amazon and BookScan Top 100 Romances bestseller lists.
Writing about Kansas City cops, Julie has crafted bestselling, award-winning books for Harlequin Intrigue. In addition, Ms. Miller publishes romantic suspense books with a military twist. Millions of copies of her books have been sold in print and digital formats around the world.
USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie Miller writes breathtaking romantic suspense. She's won a National Readers Choice Award and two Daphne du Maurier Awards among other prizes. She was also honored to receive a Career Achievement Award from RT BookReviews and has been a finalist for many national and international awards. Her books have appeared on the USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, Amazon and BookScan Top 100 Romances bestseller lists.
Writing about Kansas City cops, Julie has crafted bestselling, award-winning books for Harlequin Intrigue. In addition, Ms. Miller publishes romantic suspense books with a military twist. Millions of copies of her books have been sold in print and digital formats around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 25, 2018
I really like Julie's books. I've read a few of her Kansas city cop books and just recently bought one of those Intrigue Classic of her's. In this book Detective Conor Wildman goes home for a wedding running into ex's sister Lara. It starts out innocently but then a murder is discovered. There Julie draws you into a fairly fast paced story of mystery, murder and love. It starts in his hometown but ends up in Kansas City. Its neat all the twists and turns that come up. It also brings in his work as a marshall. It gives you a chance to meet a few people he helped. Which gives you a neat perspective of him. You know who the bad guys are but the ending is kinda interesting. I really enjoyed this story and the way Julie wrote this one.
August 16, 2019
To please Connor’s Ex-fiancé, Lisa, & his childhood best friend, Joe, as they get married - he comes to their wedding.
Knowing he’s just going to say Hi, greet everyone at the reception and get out there, it would be just enough to make them and his family happy!
but then walks in Squirt, Lisa’s sister, Laura, and she’s not the little girl he knew and remembers growing up next door,. It shocks him that she has turned into a beautiful 25 year old woman.
She’s the only one that is treating him normal, like the friends they were before he left. When his ex asks for a dance, it’s not her he’s thinking of, but the brides beautiful sister sitting in front of him. She dances with him, not once but many times believing she’s just a distraction for Connor to keep away from Lisa. She believes he’s leaving and kisses him (on the lips) goodbye at the reception hall and then hurries to leave to find her friend Chloe.
“What on earth had possessed her to kiss him like that? No friendly peck on the lips, no polite buss across the cheek—but a full-on, hey-I-have-the-hots-for-you kind of kiss. The kind of kiss that left a smear of lipstick and stamp of wishful possession on his mouth for all to see.” Chapter 3, about 15% way into the book.
Running back into Connor on the way to try and rescue her friend, he ends up driving her and that leads to Connor taking time off from work to protect His all-grown up Squirt after all this the things that start happening that’s not making any sense to Laura. The first being how they found Chloe when they went to check on her, to going on a road trip where Laura meets Connors friends, his new family, there in Kansas City.
It may of started out with Laura being determined to find out what happened to Chloe, while Connor is determined to protect her while she does. But quickly heads into to figuring out how to stay alive, so they can make this relationship work, once they are done protecting one another from killers out there.
Enjoyed it & recommend it!
way can’t the girl named Leslie be the heroin of the story instead of Mom of the bride,....with my name being Leslie, Lisa was always a close second people called me, and Linda & Laura I have been called as well....they just left out the sister Lindsay and it would of been just about all the L names I’ve been called.
Knowing he’s just going to say Hi, greet everyone at the reception and get out there, it would be just enough to make them and his family happy!
but then walks in Squirt, Lisa’s sister, Laura, and she’s not the little girl he knew and remembers growing up next door,. It shocks him that she has turned into a beautiful 25 year old woman.
She’s the only one that is treating him normal, like the friends they were before he left. When his ex asks for a dance, it’s not her he’s thinking of, but the brides beautiful sister sitting in front of him. She dances with him, not once but many times believing she’s just a distraction for Connor to keep away from Lisa. She believes he’s leaving and kisses him (on the lips) goodbye at the reception hall and then hurries to leave to find her friend Chloe.
“What on earth had possessed her to kiss him like that? No friendly peck on the lips, no polite buss across the cheek—but a full-on, hey-I-have-the-hots-for-you kind of kiss. The kind of kiss that left a smear of lipstick and stamp of wishful possession on his mouth for all to see.” Chapter 3, about 15% way into the book.
Running back into Connor on the way to try and rescue her friend, he ends up driving her and that leads to Connor taking time off from work to protect His all-grown up Squirt after all this the things that start happening that’s not making any sense to Laura. The first being how they found Chloe when they went to check on her, to going on a road trip where Laura meets Connors friends, his new family, there in Kansas City.
It may of started out with Laura being determined to find out what happened to Chloe, while Connor is determined to protect her while she does. But quickly heads into to figuring out how to stay alive, so they can make this relationship work, once they are done protecting one another from killers out there.
Enjoyed it & recommend it!
way can’t the girl named Leslie be the heroin of the story instead of Mom of the bride,....with my name being Leslie, Lisa was always a close second people called me, and Linda & Laura I have been called as well....they just left out the sister Lindsay and it would of been just about all the L names I’ve been called.
January 9, 2019
*Available now from Harlequin.com, and from other book vendors in February 2019.*
3.5 stars. This wasn't one of this author's best works, but not one of the worst, either.
The Hero in this book is the US Marshall from the fourth of the Bachelors in Blue miniseries. He has left that position and now works for KCPD. However, most of this book occurs in Virginia while he is attending a wedding. Eventually, our main couple gets back to Kansas City and we see brief glimpses of the Watson clan.
It took me a while to warm up to the H and h and to connect to their story. I put off reviewing to try to figure out why, and I'm still not sure. The characters felt younger than I'm used to from Miller. Not their ages, because there are multiple books in the Precinct series with couples in their 20's and early 30's. But, this couple read younger and less mature. That may because of their history and the way it is brought up throughout the book. The heroine is the little sister of the H's ex-fiancee, and he still remembers her as that young girl. It leads him at times to still treat her like a kid.
The book begins from the H's POV, and it turns into a bit of info dump. Not a huge one, but I was definitely at the point of starting to skim paragraphs, waiting to get on with the story. Background info is usually more skillfully filled in by Miller, and I found the opening of this book unusual for her. I can't say I have never read a small info dump or repetitive passages in her other books, only that they usually come later after all the major characters and some action has been introduced. It made for a slow start.
The book does pick up, and by midway I had a better feel for the couple. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Watsons again, especially my favorites, Niall and Thomas. The suspense plot was paced well. All in all, this was a solid, albeit somewhat average, addition to the Intrigue line. I'm always happy to read anything new from Julie Miller.
3.5 stars. This wasn't one of this author's best works, but not one of the worst, either.
The Hero in this book is the US Marshall from the fourth of the Bachelors in Blue miniseries. He has left that position and now works for KCPD. However, most of this book occurs in Virginia while he is attending a wedding. Eventually, our main couple gets back to Kansas City and we see brief glimpses of the Watson clan.
It took me a while to warm up to the H and h and to connect to their story. I put off reviewing to try to figure out why, and I'm still not sure. The characters felt younger than I'm used to from Miller. Not their ages, because there are multiple books in the Precinct series with couples in their 20's and early 30's. But, this couple read younger and less mature. That may because of their history and the way it is brought up throughout the book. The heroine is the little sister of the H's ex-fiancee, and he still remembers her as that young girl. It leads him at times to still treat her like a kid.
The book begins from the H's POV, and it turns into a bit of info dump. Not a huge one, but I was definitely at the point of starting to skim paragraphs, waiting to get on with the story. Background info is usually more skillfully filled in by Miller, and I found the opening of this book unusual for her. I can't say I have never read a small info dump or repetitive passages in her other books, only that they usually come later after all the major characters and some action has been introduced. It made for a slow start.
The book does pick up, and by midway I had a better feel for the couple. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Watsons again, especially my favorites, Niall and Thomas. The suspense plot was paced well. All in all, this was a solid, albeit somewhat average, addition to the Intrigue line. I'm always happy to read anything new from Julie Miller.
April 19, 2020
Conor Wildman is back in his hometown for the wedding of his ex (Lisa) to his college best mate. He wants to show that there's no hard feelings. He finds himself reunited with Lisa's younger sister, Laura Karr, who he always had older brother protective feelings for. But now she's grown up and hot, those feelings change. He winds up getting dragged into trouble when Laura's best friend is murdered, with the killers now after her, and vows to protect her.
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a bore. For the first 50 pages, it's little more than Conor at Lisa's wedding to Joe. We keep getting told that he's over her, but this is contradicted by his actions, in which he repeatedly drops bitter barbs about her marrying his best friend. If my timeline is right, Conor was with Lisa for some 10 years. All his actions repeatedly screamed that he wasn't over her yet. Worse still, in those 50 pages, we're introduced to Lisa, heroine Laura, their mother Leslie and another sister, Linda, and I got lost with all those L names!
The plot had some okay moments. The sequence where Conor and Laura have to escape his house while thugs attack them was well done. But it was pretty much the only exciting sequence of note. The suspense of their escape was lessened because Conor always had a convenient person he helped in WITSEC (witness protection) willing to help him in exchange. In the final stretch, he seeks help from Thomas Watson and his family (all characters in Protection Detail), and I was overwhelmed with the sudden introduction of about 8 (!) characters and their back stories. Sure, I've read Protection Detail, but all that info-dumping was unnecessary and only served to confuse me all over again!
Mostly, I couldn't get into the romance. It was clear Conor was most emphatically not over Lisa, despite his protests to the contrary. His continued use of the term "Squirt" to refer to Laura was really, really, really, really, really ICKY. YUCK. Just yuck. It felt incestuous. It's not much fun reading a romance where the heroine repeatedly throws herself at the hero, practically begging him to love her, and the hero basically shrugging his shoulders and going, "Yeah, might as well."
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a bore. For the first 50 pages, it's little more than Conor at Lisa's wedding to Joe. We keep getting told that he's over her, but this is contradicted by his actions, in which he repeatedly drops bitter barbs about her marrying his best friend. If my timeline is right, Conor was with Lisa for some 10 years. All his actions repeatedly screamed that he wasn't over her yet. Worse still, in those 50 pages, we're introduced to Lisa, heroine Laura, their mother Leslie and another sister, Linda, and I got lost with all those L names!
The plot had some okay moments. The sequence where Conor and Laura have to escape his house while thugs attack them was well done. But it was pretty much the only exciting sequence of note. The suspense of their escape was lessened because Conor always had a convenient person he helped in WITSEC (witness protection) willing to help him in exchange. In the final stretch, he seeks help from Thomas Watson and his family (all characters in Protection Detail), and I was overwhelmed with the sudden introduction of about 8 (!) characters and their back stories. Sure, I've read Protection Detail, but all that info-dumping was unnecessary and only served to confuse me all over again!
Mostly, I couldn't get into the romance. It was clear Conor was most emphatically not over Lisa, despite his protests to the contrary. His continued use of the term "Squirt" to refer to Laura was really, really, really, really, really ICKY. YUCK. Just yuck. It felt incestuous. It's not much fun reading a romance where the heroine repeatedly throws herself at the hero, practically begging him to love her, and the hero basically shrugging his shoulders and going, "Yeah, might as well."
January 25, 2019
A sweet, tender, and fierce love story between childhood friends in the middle of a murder investigation is a solid, entertaining, intense tale with ferocious action and a fast-paced chase across the country.
I adore the way Ms. Miller can write a hero who is as tough as they come, yet they sensitive side is as strong as their alpha male side. They have vulnerability and they own it, they have faults and weaknesses and they work on them. Detective Conor Wildman, formerly known as the US Marshall, won my heart over easily, as he struggles with the losses he has faced while is trying to justify his attraction towards his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Laura Karr.
Laura and Conor have an easy connection between them. They have known each other for a long time, they get each other, know the history, and understand the struggles each are facing. The attraction between them is so effortless, enjoyable, yet passionate, it's natural and believable from the start. I loved how they faced each other as equal partners, comparable, perfectly matched for each other. I adored Conor and Laura together. After everything Connor has been through, he deserved a good, strong woman like Laura in his life.
The suspense is intense, as well. The culprits are mostly known, yet the motives and reasons have to be discovered to capture them and bring them to justice. The reach of the perpetrators seems limitless, their powerful mastermind opening doors and ways to them no one knew to expect, bringing unexpected plot twists on the way.
As a bonus treat in the story, the readers get to visit with the Watson family in Kansas City and shortly catch up where everyone is with their lives.
The harsh, brutal murder and vigorous hunt for the killers is as fervent part of the story as the deepening feelings between two friends, Conor and Laura, and their balancing act to stay alive to explore the new feels and emotions skyrocketing in their hearts and minds.
A well-founded romantic suspense plot, with savage action and potent suspense, and with engaging, charming, easy to love characters in a delightfully adorable love story that captivated my heart.
~ Five Spoons
I adore the way Ms. Miller can write a hero who is as tough as they come, yet they sensitive side is as strong as their alpha male side. They have vulnerability and they own it, they have faults and weaknesses and they work on them. Detective Conor Wildman, formerly known as the US Marshall, won my heart over easily, as he struggles with the losses he has faced while is trying to justify his attraction towards his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Laura Karr.
Laura and Conor have an easy connection between them. They have known each other for a long time, they get each other, know the history, and understand the struggles each are facing. The attraction between them is so effortless, enjoyable, yet passionate, it's natural and believable from the start. I loved how they faced each other as equal partners, comparable, perfectly matched for each other. I adored Conor and Laura together. After everything Connor has been through, he deserved a good, strong woman like Laura in his life.
The suspense is intense, as well. The culprits are mostly known, yet the motives and reasons have to be discovered to capture them and bring them to justice. The reach of the perpetrators seems limitless, their powerful mastermind opening doors and ways to them no one knew to expect, bringing unexpected plot twists on the way.
As a bonus treat in the story, the readers get to visit with the Watson family in Kansas City and shortly catch up where everyone is with their lives.
The harsh, brutal murder and vigorous hunt for the killers is as fervent part of the story as the deepening feelings between two friends, Conor and Laura, and their balancing act to stay alive to explore the new feels and emotions skyrocketing in their hearts and minds.
A well-founded romantic suspense plot, with savage action and potent suspense, and with engaging, charming, easy to love characters in a delightfully adorable love story that captivated my heart.
~ Five Spoons
January 18, 2019
Do-or-Die Bridesmaid is another terrific romantic suspense by USA Today best selling author, Julie Miller. (There is a reason she's one of my instant purchases.) It's as good as it gets.
Former Deputy US Marshall & current KCPD Detective Connor Wildman is in Arlington, VA his hometown for the wedding of his former high school sweetheart Lisa Karr. He is still stinging from her rejection a few years back and she is now marrying his best friend. However hanging around is the forever faithful, younger sister Laura Karr. She's been in love with Connor from afar as far back as she can remember. She was always the younger sister, the tag along, but now she's all grown up and 25 years old. She always knew that Connor had dated the wrong sister.
It doesn't take Connor long to realize that the teasing banter he'd shared with Laura has matured into a sizzle of attraction. When did Laura become such a hottie? The few years apart hasn't dampened Laura's attraction to Connor, either. If anything she is even more attracted to the tall, blonde man. Will he see her as anything other than the kid sister, though? All his preconceived notions about her get put to the test when Laura's friend and neighbor is murdered during a violent home invasion & Laura's life is threatened. Connor steps up to protect her.
I adored this couple. Julie really knows how to create tender, caring alpha heroes who can protect without being jerks. Laura is a great heroine, small of stature but mighty of heart. They make a terrific pair. The mystery is solid & kept me guessing.
Just read this!
Former Deputy US Marshall & current KCPD Detective Connor Wildman is in Arlington, VA his hometown for the wedding of his former high school sweetheart Lisa Karr. He is still stinging from her rejection a few years back and she is now marrying his best friend. However hanging around is the forever faithful, younger sister Laura Karr. She's been in love with Connor from afar as far back as she can remember. She was always the younger sister, the tag along, but now she's all grown up and 25 years old. She always knew that Connor had dated the wrong sister.
It doesn't take Connor long to realize that the teasing banter he'd shared with Laura has matured into a sizzle of attraction. When did Laura become such a hottie? The few years apart hasn't dampened Laura's attraction to Connor, either. If anything she is even more attracted to the tall, blonde man. Will he see her as anything other than the kid sister, though? All his preconceived notions about her get put to the test when Laura's friend and neighbor is murdered during a violent home invasion & Laura's life is threatened. Connor steps up to protect her.
I adored this couple. Julie really knows how to create tender, caring alpha heroes who can protect without being jerks. Laura is a great heroine, small of stature but mighty of heart. They make a terrific pair. The mystery is solid & kept me guessing.
Just read this!
April 14, 2019
This book has been in my TBR pile since it came out and I'm so glad I finally got a chance to read it, because it was fabulous.
Detective Conor Wildman proposed to his girlfriend, Lisa, but she turned him down and ended up with his best friend. When they invite him back to Arlington for their wedding and beg him to come, he decides to go to appease them and prove he's gotten over being dumped by Lisa. At the wedding he sees Lisa's youngest sister, Laura, whom he affectionately calls Squirt... but Laura is no longer a child. She's grown up, with beauty and curves and a smile that makes his heart beat faster.
When Laura gets a call from her friend and neighbour, she fears the worst - and when she goes to Chloe's apartment with Conor and they find her dead, Laura is determined to find out who killed Chloe and why. Conor won't let Laura do it alone, and they soon find themselves drawn into a mystery that could get them both killed. Along the way, Conor realises that maybe he was with the wrong sister after all... maybe he was just waiting for Laura to grow up. Laura's quicker on the draw - she's loved Conor for years, but Conor doesn't believe himself worthy of a forever love. Can Laura convince him to change his mind, or will time run out for both of them before they can explore the bond between them?
With a hero you can't help but adore, a wonderful heroine who is smart and determined to get her man and get justice for her friend, and a race against time to bring the perpetrators to justice before they pay for it with their lives, this book is everything you want in a romantic suspense story.
Detective Conor Wildman proposed to his girlfriend, Lisa, but she turned him down and ended up with his best friend. When they invite him back to Arlington for their wedding and beg him to come, he decides to go to appease them and prove he's gotten over being dumped by Lisa. At the wedding he sees Lisa's youngest sister, Laura, whom he affectionately calls Squirt... but Laura is no longer a child. She's grown up, with beauty and curves and a smile that makes his heart beat faster.
When Laura gets a call from her friend and neighbour, she fears the worst - and when she goes to Chloe's apartment with Conor and they find her dead, Laura is determined to find out who killed Chloe and why. Conor won't let Laura do it alone, and they soon find themselves drawn into a mystery that could get them both killed. Along the way, Conor realises that maybe he was with the wrong sister after all... maybe he was just waiting for Laura to grow up. Laura's quicker on the draw - she's loved Conor for years, but Conor doesn't believe himself worthy of a forever love. Can Laura convince him to change his mind, or will time run out for both of them before they can explore the bond between them?
With a hero you can't help but adore, a wonderful heroine who is smart and determined to get her man and get justice for her friend, and a race against time to bring the perpetrators to justice before they pay for it with their lives, this book is everything you want in a romantic suspense story.
March 21, 2019
More of a 3.5
You know, including this in the long-running KCPD series is a bit of a stretch when you spend most of the book not knowing who the H is and how he ties in. I suppose I should have recognized the name dropping but it was an email so...:shrug
The story starts out with the H finding himself reading a wedding invite - from his former girlfriend (dumped him when he proposed) and his college room-mate. Along with the invite were notes from the couple expressing concern and a desire for all three of them to be bestest friends again. Are you kidding me?!
To my everlasting disappointment, instead of sending a missive telling them where to shove their friendship, where to go, and explicit directions on how to get there, the H..goes back home to VA to attend the wedding, thereby turning his man card into a wad of toilet paper and flushing it, along with his dignity.
Not happy with the inauspicious beginning here, and frankly disappointed he didn't punch the groom in the face after the wedding. But this wasn't about that couple - they quickly disappeared on their honeymoon (may the mosquitoes of the Caribbean see them as an all-you-can-eat buffet). It is about the bride's little sister, who has had a crush on the H since puberty I suppose, and her scatterbrained neighbor who bit off way more than she could chew and as is discovered, skipped the wedding because she was being killed for her troubles.
We then meet the local deputy who varies between being an ass, to a creep, the the deceased's boyfriend who appears strung out or something, a lawyer, a thug, an ex boyfriend who'd gotten tired of scatterbrain's stringing him along (and she wanted him to be happy for her that she'd found what she wanted to be Mr Right. It's like a disease where people don't seem to realize that expecting someone you dumped to be best buddies is a huge stretch).
Then the texts start, and after she a) figures out she's being spied on through a window and b) figures out what her late friend was talking about, they figure out what the deceased had that was so important, but not why. They also figure out that whoever is watching knows they know, so they run.
They stay at the H's family house (abandoned for at least a year), deciding to stay dressed - at least until they give in to the urges and make woohoo. Then of course, the bad guys show up, set fire to the place and here they gotta get dressed so they can run (facepalm)
They do eventually make it back to KC where we find out just how this ties in to the series (oh, so THAT's who he is), set up a trap, get confessions, get the bad guys caught (lawyer = thug too apparently, and yep; deputy was crooked), confess their ILYs, the end.
Some thoughts/issues - H was an agent for WITSEC, and paid visits to a few of his former clients along the way. This allowed him to dump his ride (made them harder to track), get fed and febreezed... and yet, they couldn't manage to find someone who could gas up the wheels while they stayed out of sight.
He was concerned that someone had gotten into her apartment but after figuring out she didn't have a landline, dismissed it as them trying to bug her phone and not checking deeper into things.
The aforementioned nookie on the run - after the decision to stay dressed rather than change into PJs in case they had to make a run for it, that's a bit more than changing. After all, in a pinch, you can run in your PJs - people show up in walmart all the time like that.
Going from one sister to another. ick And of course, going to the wedding in the first place "so people would stop worrying about him". IMO, the people "worrying" about him gave up their right to be concerned.
You know, including this in the long-running KCPD series is a bit of a stretch when you spend most of the book not knowing who the H is and how he ties in. I suppose I should have recognized the name dropping but it was an email so...:shrug
The story starts out with the H finding himself reading a wedding invite - from his former girlfriend (dumped him when he proposed) and his college room-mate. Along with the invite were notes from the couple expressing concern and a desire for all three of them to be bestest friends again. Are you kidding me?!
To my everlasting disappointment, instead of sending a missive telling them where to shove their friendship, where to go, and explicit directions on how to get there, the H..goes back home to VA to attend the wedding, thereby turning his man card into a wad of toilet paper and flushing it, along with his dignity.
Not happy with the inauspicious beginning here, and frankly disappointed he didn't punch the groom in the face after the wedding. But this wasn't about that couple - they quickly disappeared on their honeymoon (may the mosquitoes of the Caribbean see them as an all-you-can-eat buffet). It is about the bride's little sister, who has had a crush on the H since puberty I suppose, and her scatterbrained neighbor who bit off way more than she could chew and as is discovered, skipped the wedding because she was being killed for her troubles.
We then meet the local deputy who varies between being an ass, to a creep, the the deceased's boyfriend who appears strung out or something, a lawyer, a thug, an ex boyfriend who'd gotten tired of scatterbrain's stringing him along (and she wanted him to be happy for her that she'd found what she wanted to be Mr Right. It's like a disease where people don't seem to realize that expecting someone you dumped to be best buddies is a huge stretch).
Then the texts start, and after she a) figures out she's being spied on through a window and b) figures out what her late friend was talking about, they figure out what the deceased had that was so important, but not why. They also figure out that whoever is watching knows they know, so they run.
They stay at the H's family house (abandoned for at least a year), deciding to stay dressed - at least until they give in to the urges and make woohoo. Then of course, the bad guys show up, set fire to the place and here they gotta get dressed so they can run (facepalm)
They do eventually make it back to KC where we find out just how this ties in to the series (oh, so THAT's who he is), set up a trap, get confessions, get the bad guys caught (lawyer = thug too apparently, and yep; deputy was crooked), confess their ILYs, the end.
Some thoughts/issues - H was an agent for WITSEC, and paid visits to a few of his former clients along the way. This allowed him to dump his ride (made them harder to track), get fed and febreezed... and yet, they couldn't manage to find someone who could gas up the wheels while they stayed out of sight.
He was concerned that someone had gotten into her apartment but after figuring out she didn't have a landline, dismissed it as them trying to bug her phone and not checking deeper into things.
The aforementioned nookie on the run - after the decision to stay dressed rather than change into PJs in case they had to make a run for it, that's a bit more than changing. After all, in a pinch, you can run in your PJs - people show up in walmart all the time like that.
Going from one sister to another. ick And of course, going to the wedding in the first place "so people would stop worrying about him". IMO, the people "worrying" about him gave up their right to be concerned.
February 1, 2019
3 stars
👫First things first. The truth is that I don't particularly like friends to lovers plots. I don't know why but I just feel kind of awkward reading it lol. But because it was Julie Miller's book I read it.I think I didn't enjoy this one as much as her other books. I felt there wasn't the action I expect from her books. It felt more like contemporary romance than 'intrigue' and a little chicklit in the beginning, maybe because of the marriage thing. I don't like chicklit very much... I also found the dialogues were sometimes a little bit cheesy for me. I don't remember feeling that way with her other books so it surprised me.Overall the story was good and also the protagonists although I liked Laura more. Connor's indecisiveness made me want to shake some sense into him. I could understand where this was coming from but still comparing him to Laura, who is younger, he wasn't so mature. It kind of rushed toward the end, we got the persecution, the confrontation with the bad guys, the resolution and then Connor saw the light and proposed. I'd have preferred to see that in an epilogue some time later after she moved to Kansas.Anyway, it was good to see the Watsons again. Waiting for next book.
January 20, 2019
Do-Or-Die Bridesmaid ended up being a really good read! Laura and Conor were constantly trying to stay a step ahead of the bad guys while attempting to solve the murder of Laura’s friend, Chloe. The bad guys are easily identified, but their reasons were not. In the midst of everything, Laura and Conor’s easy rapport and newly realized attraction kept their relationship in the forefront of the story and I enjoyed seeing them work through Conor’s hang-ups. Getting a peek into the Watson family in Kansas City was also extra fun!
January 10, 2019
Another great read by one of my most favorite authors. Always a good suspenseful story mixed in with a good romance.
February 1, 2019
Interesting
March 1, 2019
Do-Or-Die Bridesmaid
Julie Miller
Another great story of 2nd chances, intrigue, and twists and turns that keep you reading from the start to the finish.
Conor is struggling with issues of his past life. Then he runs into his former next door neighbor, Laura, at his ex’s wedding. When a murder happens to Laura’s friend, Conor becomes her protector.
Will they be able to overcome all the obstacles and have a HEA? Will Laura listen to Conor? Will Conor realize he needs to take a risk and let Laura in to his life?
You won’t want to miss out on how it plays out in the end.
Julie Miller
Another great story of 2nd chances, intrigue, and twists and turns that keep you reading from the start to the finish.
Conor is struggling with issues of his past life. Then he runs into his former next door neighbor, Laura, at his ex’s wedding. When a murder happens to Laura’s friend, Conor becomes her protector.
Will they be able to overcome all the obstacles and have a HEA? Will Laura listen to Conor? Will Conor realize he needs to take a risk and let Laura in to his life?
You won’t want to miss out on how it plays out in the end.
August 31, 2024
I read this cause it was the only book I had for a bit and let me say this was the worst mf thing ever they all would vote trump in 2024
April 13, 2019
I think this is the first time I've read something from the Harlequin Intrigue line. It was good but the mystery seemed to snowball quickly from a local case to a statewide problem. I like that Conor and Laura had a connection since childhood and only realized their feelings once they met again as adults.
February 9, 2019
“Do-or-Die Bridesmaid” by Julie Miller pairs Conor Wildman, former WITSEC and now KCPD cop, with his childhood friend, Laura Karr.
Conor returns to Virginia for his former fiancé’s wedding to his college best friend. While still dealing with emotions from his mother’s passing, he doesn’t expect to get caught up in a murder investigation. Or be attracted to his ex’s little sister, who has grown into a curvy and strong woman. His heart is lost to her before he even realizes it.
Laura has loved Conor forever and now that she needs his help in solving her friend’s murder, and to protect her from being next on the killer’s list, she is determined to have him as her own.
With a pulse-pounding mystery that will grip you from beginning to end, Ms. Miller treats readers to a thrilling ride.
Conor returns to Virginia for his former fiancé’s wedding to his college best friend. While still dealing with emotions from his mother’s passing, he doesn’t expect to get caught up in a murder investigation. Or be attracted to his ex’s little sister, who has grown into a curvy and strong woman. His heart is lost to her before he even realizes it.
Laura has loved Conor forever and now that she needs his help in solving her friend’s murder, and to protect her from being next on the killer’s list, she is determined to have him as her own.
With a pulse-pounding mystery that will grip you from beginning to end, Ms. Miller treats readers to a thrilling ride.
January 23, 2019
A story that will have you grabbing tissues. He came back for a Wedding and wand up saving and falling in love with the little sister next door.
July 26, 2019
This was an excellent book. The suspense, and action was intense. There were a few times I wondered how the hero, or heroine were going to make it out alive. I knew they just couldn’t die, but I was holding my breathe. The book starts out with Conor a KCPD Police detective receiving an invitation to his ex-fiancé’s wedding. She was marrying his former best friend. He felt he had to make an appearance to prove to his friends that he was okay. He was happy for Joe, and Lisa but it still stung. At the wedding he could tell Lisa’s little sister Laura, that he grew up both protecting, and picking on had grown into a beautiful lady. He still called her squirt. One of the bridesmaids never showed up, and Laura was worried. She got a strange call from her friend. She was on her way to go check on her friend when she ran into Conor and he offered to drive. What they found at her friends apartment was horrific. Conor and Laura had to work together to find out what happened. I loved the chemistry and friendly banter between the two. 2 old friends falling in love while trying to stay alive. Loved this book!
November 3, 2019
He didn't want to, but Detective Conor Wildman went home for the wedding of his ex-girlfriend and former best friend. When he saw his ex's little sister who he used to call Squirt, he realized the name didn't fit anymore. Now she was a woman with curves in all the right places. As they were getting re-acquainted, Laura found her best friend dead. Even though he was on vacation, thinking like a detective wasn't something he could turn off so he helped Laura find her friend's murderer.
I admired Laura. She was a strong, determined woman who wanted justice for her friend. Conor was professional when working on the investigation but insecure when it came to women. It was refreshing to see a strong man showing his vulnerabilities. I liked watching their romance grow as they worked toward solving the murder. We got to find out more about Conor while meeting some of the people he'd helped in a previous job.
I loved the flow of this story and the twist's and turns had me on the edge of my seat.
I admired Laura. She was a strong, determined woman who wanted justice for her friend. Conor was professional when working on the investigation but insecure when it came to women. It was refreshing to see a strong man showing his vulnerabilities. I liked watching their romance grow as they worked toward solving the murder. We got to find out more about Conor while meeting some of the people he'd helped in a previous job.
I loved the flow of this story and the twist's and turns had me on the edge of my seat.
August 27, 2019
Entertaining romantic suspense. The romance was well written and the characterization was good. I did skim a bit towards the end when all the other characters (friends) of the hero all entered 'en masse' (obviously characters from past books by this author). Apart from that, I liked the story and the excellent writing. 3.5 stars. This is a stand alone read.
January 17, 2022
Despite the fun title, very little of the murder mystery takes place at the wedding. The wedding mostly serves as the meet cute vehicle, and to offer lots of setup. I loved the drawn out mystery of this one though be warned, the heroine is watched in a creepy manner that invades her privacy in a way that could be triggering for some. This is a childhood friends to lovers and dating your ex's sibling story, and while they aren't normally storylines I like the plot was so well written I didn't mind the tropes as they worked really well for the plot.
Side Rant: While I understand that the hero kinda had to come home for his ex's wedding for plot reasons, I will never understand why people are obsessed about having their ex at their wedding. Like you hurt them by breaking up with them because you didn't love them enough and now you want to rub your happiness in their face? Do you need their approval so badly that you need to twist their arm to show up on your big day? Their presence does not mean you've earned their approval. This is something that comes up periodically in tv shows and books and every time I get more and more baffled by it.
Side Rant: While I understand that the hero kinda had to come home for his ex's wedding for plot reasons, I will never understand why people are obsessed about having their ex at their wedding. Like you hurt them by breaking up with them because you didn't love them enough and now you want to rub your happiness in their face? Do you need their approval so badly that you need to twist their arm to show up on your big day? Their presence does not mean you've earned their approval. This is something that comes up periodically in tv shows and books and every time I get more and more baffled by it.
July 12, 2022
The writing was bad, the romance was cringe, and the bad guy is exactly who you think it is. Also, I just...don't understand why he kept calling her "squirt."
June 4, 2019
I’ll go 5/5 mainly because the cop still acted like a cop and tried to do his thing and keep her safe when it was looking bad. I like the story, the confusing sentence about his parents made sense later and the girl had a spine.
December 14, 2019
Bit unblvble. Nice ending.
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June 23, 2024“Relationship Dynamics”
Whew! What an exciting Julie Miller romance. Love that Conor is a strong savvy cop. Laura has had a crush on him since childhood. Their love story is a thrilling adventure.
Whew! What an exciting Julie Miller romance. Love that Conor is a strong savvy cop. Laura has had a crush on him since childhood. Their love story is a thrilling adventure.
December 7, 2024
Really good read! This is a couple I'd definitely like to read more about.
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