Finally a Bride & His Love Match

Always a Bridesmaid #5

by Sherryl Woods, Shirley Hailstock

Sherryl Woods is the author of Feels Like Family , a Netflix Book Club Pick!

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ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID

Luke Cassidy has finally returned home to his small town, with one motive in mind—to convince his best friend, Katie Jones, to marry him. Katie is overjoyed by the prospect of finally marrying the love of her life—unfortunately, the groom has anything but romance on his mind. Luke wants only a marriage of convenience and a mother for his five-year-old son. After a disastrous first marriage, Luke refuses to believe in love.

Katie’s dreams of bridal bliss are turning into her worst nightmare. She has loved Luke for as long as she can remember, so she’ll just have to convince him that she is more than a temporary business partner—she is a marital partner for life!

FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!

His Love Match by bestselling author Shirley Hailstock

Wedding planner Diana Greer is looking for her happily-ever-after. When a dating site matches her up with her ideal mate, it seems like fate—too bad he’s someone she already knows…

Previously published.

Genres: Romance

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 28, 1995

About the author

With two other careers to her credit before becoming a novelist and four states in which she's lived for extended periods of time, Sherryl Woods has collected friends and memories, along with way too much unnecessary junk.

"The friends are the only things I've brought with me through the years that really matter," she says. "I could probably live without one more chintz teacup, another tin-litho sandpail or another snowglobe, but I need those friends."

The theme of enduring friendships and families is always central to Sherryl's books, including her latest Chesapeake Shores series — THE INN AT EAGLE POINT, FLOWERS ON MAIN and HARBOR LIGHTS.

Author of more than 100 romance and mystery novels, Sherryl Woods grew up in Virginia. Over the years she had lived in Ohio and Florida, as well as California. Currently she divides her time between Key Biscayne, Florida and Colonial Beach, Virginia, the small, river-front town where she spent her childhood summers.

A graduate of Ohio State University School of Journalism, Sherryl spent more than ten years as a journalist, most of them as a television critic for newspapers in Ohio and Florida. For several years she also coordinated a motivational program for the more than 8,000 employees at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

Her first book, RESTORING LOVE, was published in 1982 by Dell Candlelight Ecstasy under the pseudonym of Suzanne Sherrill. Her second book, SAND CASTLES, under the pseudonym of Alexandra Kirk, was published later that same year by Bantam. She began using her own name when she moved to the Second Chance at Love line at Berkley Publishing. In 1986, she began writing full-time and also began her long career at Silhouette Books with the Desire title NOT AT EIGHT, DARLING, set in the world of television which she covered for so many years.

In addition to her more than 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition, she has written thirteen mysteries — nine in the Amanda Roberts series and four in the Molly DeWitt series.

When she's not writing or reading, Sherryl loves to garden, though she's not at her best on a riding lawn mower. She also loves tennis, theater, and ballet, even though her top spin has long since vanished, she's never set foot on a stage, and she's way too uncoordinated to dance. She also loves baseball and claims anyone who's ever seen Kevin Costner in "Bull Durham" can understand why.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear, this has so many tropes I dislike, but I read it anyway because it's a marriage of convenience story and I'm a sucker for those.

So - tropes I dislike:

Small town coziness with outspoken citizens who are judging/helping the relationship along like some sort of rural Greek chorus.

Boarding houses that contain quirky individuals that the heroine has fashioned into a makeshift family.

Misunderstandings as the main conflict

Wedding details - this one had two ceremonies describe in lavish detail.

Idiotic legal schemes that would be laughed out of court.

When other characters show up from the series in a big list (in this case her six bridesmaids)

Heroine and hero were friends turned lovers until the hero broke it off to marry his brother's pregnant girlfriend. Six years later he's divorced the brother's girlfriend and he wants to marry the heroine to be a mother to his son because his brother is suing for custody. Heroine still loves him even though he broke her heart. She agrees if he'll give her $10,000 for her boarding house and if he promises to keep it in name only. *sigh* They have a justice of the peace wedding which is a disappointment for the bride and the town's Greek chorus. They go on an uninspired (and unconsummated) honeymoon in Atlanta.

About halfway through the story she finds out the boy isn't his biological son, but it's not that big of a bombshell. They fight about all sorts of stupid stuff (how to run the boarding house - when the rents are paid, etc. . .) - it's supposed to show all of that sexual tension but it's just annoying. Brother shows up - because of the magical heroine he admits to just wanting the love of his brother, not blackmail money. Oh, and he wants to be a country music star. Hero arranges to have his brother sing in a resort on the coast. The whole boarding house comes along and it's a huge success. Brother drops his custody suit. H/h have sex. There are a few more details to be ironed out, but HEA. Brother is paired off with the just-turned 18 boarding house waif (really?), and his identity as the boy's father is never revealed.

Big white wedding of the heroine's dreams in the epilogue.



If you like the tropes I've mentioned, then you'll probably like this story. There's nothing really wrong with it (beside the characters being idiots and not communicating), it just didn't grab me.

[P Hink]

good

[Kathleen Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Woods has been one of my favorite authors for a long time.

This book does not disappoint.

[Nancy Luebke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second-chance romance. I bought this from a local library book sale. This was not for the under 18 readers because of sexual content. However, this had some good stuff to read about like not making big profits over helping friends out. It's a wonder these two got together. It also has other funny things too. I've given it a 4.5* rating and it gave me a good feeling at the end.

[Janice Particka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke and Katie have known each other since college. Teddie, Katie's assistant convinced Katie to sign up for an on-line dating service and so did Luke & this is how they meet up again. Luke has a brother, Tommie that has always been in trouble and he keeps helping him out. She runs a bridal shop but then Luke tries to buy the property. This where it becomes interesting. Read it to see what happens next.

[Michelle Sulte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sweet rekindling of an old love, with a southern twist. I also love the beginning where the characters remind me some of myself with their aggression towards the male lead character based on incorrect assumptions. Overall a nice quick read that ended well.

[Aimee Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic mid-1990s Special edition romance. I loved it.

[Alaine Schumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the books by this author. I started reading them during the COVID as I was looking for something not too complex but with a good story.

[Jan Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read, predictable outcome with pleasant characters. Could see this as a series.

[Sue Perkinson Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it . Another happily ever after

[Vince Colucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book it ended up being sweet and romantic without being sappy, I liked the story and how cute the main characters were together.

[Colinda]

It would not let me post a read date Dec 3

[Cathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first story in this book is "Finally a Bride". It is about a young woman named Katie. She is running a bed and breakfast in an older home that needs a lot of work. Luke, a former boyfriend, and his small son arrive in town. He needs a mother for his son and Katie needs a new roof. Luke asks her to marry him, convenience for both of them. However, this arrangement may not work......

The second book is "His Love Match" is a story of two people who sign up for a computer match up. When they first meet, they are both shocked, they already know each other and both are quite sure the computer made a terrible mistake. They, do not have anything in common, or do they>

[Becky Tatar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both good books Woods has the first one, Finally a Bride, about Luke coming back to his hometown, son in tow, and wanting to marry Katie, the girl he left behind. However, for Luke, it's all about convenience, and for Katie, she never stopped loving him.

His Love Match, by Shirley Hailstock, has wedding planner Diana going on a dating website, and being matched with Scott Thomas. To say they get along like oil and water is putting it mildly. However, stranger things have happened.

[Sheila]

The main story was pretty good. The 'Bonus Story' was so-so. There were parts that didn't mesh...like the main character was in one area or about to do something and then she'd be somewhere else or doing something else. Had to read the paragraph a couple times for clarity but it was simply missing a step. Plus, one character's name is Josh and twice on the same page it was Jose. A few other typos, too.

[Melinda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hate this plot. His reason for disappearing was idiotic. There are other solutions.

[Ewuraefua Marian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed every book I have read by Sherryl Woods. I can’t say the same for this one.