There Goes the Bride

Wedding Veil Wishes #1

by Lori Wilde

Legend claims this antique Irish wedding veil can grant your heart's deepest desire. But be careful what you wish for...
The moment Texas socialite Delaney Cartwright touches the veil, she knows she can't go through with her wedding. And it's not just because she envisions a stranger's dark eyes and irresistible lips the second her fingers hit lace. But she can't simply call the whole thing off. The nuptials to her nice, predictable childhood friend are the social event of the season (not to mention that her mother would freak). To fan the flames of this dying ember, Delaney abducts her fiance for a night of passion...and grabs the wrong guy! It isn't her fault that Detective Nick Vinetti of the oddly familiar eyes and lips has crossed her path--and looks game for all kinds of sexy fun.
Now Delaney hatches an outrageous plan to get out of she'll hire her own kidnapper. With an altar to avoid and a cop to dream of, this runaway bride is hoping a little Irish magic will unveil the true destiny of her heart.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult, Scotland

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Lori Wilde can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write. She even went to nursing school so she could have a schedule flexible enough to allow her to write on the side. She nursed for 20 years, working in a variety of settings from the newborn nursery to the recovery room, to dialysis. But she never lost her desire to write.

She sold her first book in 1994 to Silhouette Romance but later discovered she had a flair for comedy and branched out to Harlequin Duets and now, to Blaze.

Lori is an adventuresome soul who loves to travel. She’s taken flying lessons, completed two marathons, rode in a hot-air balloon, performed with a professional jazz band, traveled Europe as a teenager, hiked volcanoes in Hawaii, trod on glaciers in Alaska, shot white-water rapids, water-skied, snow-skied, raced all-terrain vehicles, bodysurfed in the Gulf of Mexico, and photographed grizzly bears in Yellowstone.

She lives in her native Texas, with her own real-life hero, Bill.

Reviews

[Tucker Almengor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Estelle at Forever for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

'Are you calling me a slut?'
'If the stiletto fits...'

Okay, okay. That quote has absolutely nothing to do with the plot of the book but it made me laugh so hard and it's the only quote I can remember word for word without flipping through the book.

So, what's this book about?
This novel started at the climax which, in my opinion, is a plot device that can die in a hole but anyway...

This novel started at the climax where a bride, Delaney, is kidnapped from her wedding.

We then flashback to a couple of weeks before her wedding when she is still having jitters and cold feet because she's not totally sure that she's in love with her husband-to-be.

This feeling only gets worse when she meets Nick, her current client's grandson. As Delaney continues to work, she can't help but be distracted but the annoyingly good looking Nick.

But worst of all, she begins to find that she may have feelings for him. So now it's up to her to face her feelings. Or not...

I cannot contain my feels because friend I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

I only recently started reviewing Forever Romance but I've already read around five of their books. This one is the first five star read from them AND it went all the way into the 2020 favorites!

As seems to be the trend with Lori Wilde, this book was romantic and steamy while also diving into some very deep topics. This one goes into the problem of differentiating romantic love from platonic love. It discusses cheating and where the lines fall and the fact that those lines are blurry.

This one is also a lot steamier than Rocky Mountain Heat which is actually further ahead in the series. I'm totally reading this series out of order whoops...

There were also a lot of funny moments (like the one at the beginning of this review) that really added to the overall enjoyment.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book! It was deep, steamy and hilarious and I cannot recommend it enough!

Bottom Line:
5 stars
Age Rating - [ R ]
Content Screening (Mild Spoilers)
Educational Value (0/0)
Positive Messages (4/5) - [Being yourself, Bravery, Honesty, There is a difference between platonic and romantic love, Kindness]
Violence (3/5) - [Major injuries to characters]
Sex (5/5) - [Detailed sex scenes, Sexual innuendos, Sexual themes throughout]
Language (4/5) - [F**k, sh*t, d*mn, d*ck, sl*t]
Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Alcohol consumption]
Trigger and Content Warnings - Loss of a loved one, Injuries, Body insecurities, Kidnapping, Anxiety, Alcoholism
NOTE: This an adult novel with detailed sex scenes and it should not be read by young readers.
Publication Date - December 18th, 2019
Publisher - Forever
Genre - Romance/Contemporary

----------------

welp we have a new favorite of 2020!!! I absolutely adored this one!! review to come

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[Bree Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off…why the title change and cover change? While I appreciate the title and cover Long, Tall Texan…I really like There Goes the Bride. Anyway..this was a fun quick read. I started it and finished it in a day. It held my interest and kept me in the story. It’s one of those reads that one day may get bumped up a star if it sticks with me.
Girl meets guy when she’s engaged to someone else-the guy she’s grown up with, the safe choice-guy, the guy also from money..the guy who goes off to Guatemala before their wedding.
Enter in hot cop guy who she meets and has to work alongside.
This has some familial secrets I never saw coming. It has some magical realism, it has a bit of paranormal. It had a lot going on and I think that’s why for now it’s a 3 star. I didn’t hate it, it’s actually a really good read-may eventually bump up a star.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good grief. What an unbelievable story - runaway bride, mother is imposter, bride is kidnapped.... What else. Do not waste your time.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun and entertaining romance. I love both Delaney and Nick. Delaney is such a people pleaser (and I understand her, I am similar) and she is marrying because she can't bear to hurt her fiance or her mother. She's already postponed the wedding twice and when she meets Nick and feels the sparks fly (the whammy, I love that term), she knows she shouldn't be getting married.

Nick has been left by his wife on his honeymoon and he's currently off of his undercover detective job due to a knee injury. When his grandmother and her friend Trudie conspire to bring him together with Delaney, they had no idea the passion that would ignite. But is Nick ready for this after being jilted as he was and does he want another man to be jilted the way he was?

The characters in this book felt very real to me and I liked that they never took the completely easy way out. There is also another subplot going on that lends a light suspense to the storyline, but the romance is what shines through here. This was such a feel-good book for me. I loved Nick's family and the stories of his grandmother and grandfather being struck by "the whammy". So much goes into this book and I was actually sad when it ended (not over the ending), but I wanted more of Nick and Delaney and their families. A wonderful start to a series that centers around a "magical" wedding veil - the series is named "Wedding Veil Wishes". I am about to delve into Once Smitten, Twice Shy next and can't wait to get more of Delaney's friends.

[Anne Z. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly this wasn't for me. Both main characters annoyed me. The girl was spineless and the guy sounded like a 60 year old, specially at the beginning.

[Jo Reads Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, quirky romance
4 stars

Texas socialite Delaney Cartwright is having second thoughts about her extravagant society wedding to her predictable childhood friend especially since she came across a magic veil which apparently grants the wearer their deepest desires. Determined to spice things up with her fiancé - Delaney decides to kidnap him for a night of passion - and ends up with the wrong guy!

Detective Nick Vinetti is slightly surprised to be accosted by such a beautiful woman and even more surprised, and annoyed, to find that she is already taken.

So now Delaney is even more desperate to get out of her wedding so she decides to arrange her own kidnapping. Throw in some true love, blackmail, heart stopping kisses, magic, ghosts and car chases - and things are just starting to look a little interesting!

This is the first book in the new Wedding Veil Wishes series by Lori Wilde and it is a fun book to kick things off.

Delaney is an enjoyable character, trying to find herself despite her mother's constant criticism and expectations. And Nick is just lovely - sexy, rugged but strong in his convictions as he won't allow Delaney to break her vows to her fiancé. Which is nice for us because it throws in some delicious sexual tension! Together the pair work well and I liked their interactions with each other which seemed real.

There are also a good cast of entertaining, and sometimes slightly odd secondary characters, many of whom you assume are getting books of their own in the series.

The book is sensual, but not overly so, and while it does have it's quirky elements, it's not in the least scary or disturbing. Just some fun, romance and crazy situations!

If you enjoy your romances slightly quirky with some unusual and interesting plot points - then this is the book for you. A definite page-turner, it will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

[Addie Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, this is not a cowboy story. It IS a Texas story, but not a western. This is the story of Delaney and Nick. Delaney is a runaway bride with family struggles and self doubt. Nick is a cop who also has some relationship history that messes with his head, but a fantastic and fun family that brings a lot of light humor to the story. I actually really liked their story. I realize every time that I write a review how much I love learning about a character's growth in books and discovering how they learn about themselves to reach a happy ending. This one is a perfect example. It's light, fun and a perfect read for a snow day.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read as a joke / pact with some girlfriends... not my thing at allll but gotta get that book count up!

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as some of the other Lori Wilde books I've read. I've been trying to figure out what it is that didn't do it for me, and I think it was the main character, Delaney Cartwright.

Delaney knew she was in love with Detective Nick Vinetti, and even before that, she still knew her fiance Evan Van Zandt wasn't the one for her, but she persisted with the entire charade to the point of leaving the poor bastard standing at the alter. It was her spinelessness and lack of conviction that I didn't like. She didn't have the guts/strength/willpower/gumption (whatever you want to call it) to stand up for herself and that really annoyed me. Sure, she got Nick-the-hottie in the end, but what about her dignity?

'There Goes the Bride' was not Ms Wilde's best effort but I'll still go on to read the second book in the 'Wedding Veil Wishes' series.

[Cecilia Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this book. The heroine is my least favorite kind of romance heroine - spineless and too easily manipulated by overbearing family members and friends. That said, the author did a good job with her transformation, although I would've liked to have come to some sort of ability to be on her own before jumping into bed with the hero.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starting to read, we find ourselves at a society wedding in Houston that is dramatically interrupted. We then flash back 2 months, to a bride wanting to postpone her wedding for the 3rd time. Delaney is marrying Evan in just a few weeks, approved by all. She's a beautiful people pleaser who since childhood has been formed and groomed by a mother bent on blue blood perfection in her daughter. Delaney does love Evan who has been her best friend since they were babes in arms. But where's the passion? One day Delaney finds a unique antique wedding veil in a consignment shop that's 300 years old and has a legend involving magic that grants the wish that your soul desires. Irresistably drawn to the veil, Delaney buys it.

Then there's Nick, an undercover detective recovering from damaged knee. Nick is an emotional mess after his wife left him on their honeymoon for a famous comedian. Delaney and Nick have quite the meet cute, and then coincidentally get set up by Nick's grandmother Lucia and her best friend when Lucia decides to sell the family home. Delaney is to stage it for sale, and Nick and the rest of the family will be her work crew. Sparks of course fly.

There's a sideplot about Delaney's parents that eventually interconnects with and affects the Delaney and Nick love story. It's quite creative, to the point of absurdity. Oh and the antique veil has its own role to play throughout. I loved teh character of Skylar, Delaney's deceased older sister whose spirit visits her regularly in her dreams to tease and guide her, just as an older sister does.

Originally published as There Goes the Bride, first in The Wedding Veil Trilogy. It's been very loosely adapted into a Hallmark Movie released in 2022. Don't expect any of the steamy sex oreven the sexy flirting to find its way onto the screen.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately Long, Tall Texan is a common book title. Therefore, Lori Wilde's book, Long Tall Texan doesn't stand out. After reading it, I think it should stand out! It is a cute story about oil heiress Delaney Cartwright, who is getting ready to marry her childhood friend Dr. Evan Van Zandt. The closer she gets to walking down the aisle, the more she wonders if she is doing the right thing. While Evan is away in Guatemala for 6 weeks with a volunteer surgical team to perform surgery on sick kids, she gets to know Nick Vinetti. Delaney is staging Nick's beloved grandmother's house on Galveston Island. While Delaney's mother Honey Montgomery Cartwright is planning a celebrity-style wedding, she has a long kept secret that is in jeopardy of being uncovered. The book starts with a prologue that grabbed my attention right away. This book was entertaining due to the well developed main characters, their families, and a few surprises.

[Julie Eichelberger-Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long, Tall Texan is a cute, fun. Delaney is a Texas socialite who is engaged to be married but is desperate to find a way out. She loves her fiance but is not in love with him, they have been friends since childhood so there is no magic. She comes across a veil in a second-hand store that gives her a vision of her wedding to another man, who just happens to be the man she mistakenly attempts to kidnap when she tries to surprise her fiance. Nick is a police detective who has suffered a series of bad events recently and is just looking to get back to work. His wife left him on their honeymoon, he is injured on the job and his grandfather recently passed away, needless to say he is frustrated with life. That is until his first meeting with Delaney, in which she tries to throw a tarp over his head. He thwarts her attempt but the sparks fly. The story that follows is entertaining, emotional and absolutely enjoyable.

[Linda S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was watching a made-for-TV movie about a wedding veil that helped the bride wearing it to find her heart's desire and I noticed at the bottom of the screen that it said it was based on this book - so of course I knew I had to read this book! As usual, the book is always better than the movie. The movie was definitely only "based" on the book since the only thing the two had in common was the special hand-made wedding veil. In the book, Delaney is engaged to Evan, a man she has known her whole life and loves but isn't in love with. Once she sees the veil and touches it, she sees a vision of her wedding day but the man she was marrying wasn't Evan, rather it was someone she never met. She does end up meeting that mystery man and the chemistry between them is very strong - but can Delaney go against her family's wishes and marry him rather than Evan? Such a good story with some twists and turns I did not expect. Looking forward to reading part 2 of this story.

[PATRICIA KUNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book by Lori

Delaney is living the life her mother wants.

She is have doubts about marrying Evan the childhood friend their parents put together but Delancy wants more. She finds a beautiful antique veil that is gorgeous and has magic in it.

She decides to kidnap Evan and have sex with him but gets the wrong man.

Nick is a cop who got injured on the job. They meet again when she is hired by his grandmother to stage her Victorian.

They argue and fight over the house then have a night together

She is going through with the wedding until she gets kidnapped and Nick goes after her.

They find out they are meant to be together and that they find their love for each other.

The veil worked Delaney got the right man.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute romance story about a young lady named Delaney Cartwright who always tried to make peace and never cause any problems since her sister died when she was eight. Now she is facing a wedding with someone she did not love and a mother who she could not disagree with. While trying to build her staging business she met Nick Vinetti whose grandmother was trying to sell her home but needed help. She knew this was the right guy but it was hard to get anyone to hear her when she tried to tell them she wasn’t in love with Evan. Delaney came across the perfect veil in a consignment shop that actually revealed that Nick was her sole mate but she knew that she would not be able to convince her mother that this was the veil for her. This is a very good story and fun to read.

[Kaydin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting Honey Montgomery to be a fake, someone who stole the real Honey Montgomery's identity. I had a feeling she was from a carny family, which she ended up admitting to. Undercover cop Nick Vanetti has huge feelings for a high-society bride-to-be Delaney Cartwright, even though she was engaged to a doctor named Evan Van Zandt. Nick's ex wife, Amber, cheated on him the previous year. Delaney knew her fiance since childhood and they actually played together as children. Nick's grandmother and her best friend tries to meddle to get Nick and Delaney together, which they end up doing in the end.

[Darlene Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was watching a Hallmark trilogy, The Wedding Veil, and the credits said based on a book by Lori Wilde. I had my local library borrow it from another library. It was published in 2007 so I was lucky anyone had it still on the shelves, it's a hardback. The only thing the movies and this book have in common is a magic veil. This story is about a runaway bride, who hires her own kidnapper to get out of the marriage. It's an ok story but I was disappointed. How anyone at Hallmark took this story & made 3 movies out of it is beyond me.

[Ann C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why, why, why do authors have to republish books under a new name. By the time I realized that I owned this book under its previous name, Here Comes the Bride, it was too late to return it. I now own two copies of a mediocre book.

I did not care for the book. After about 3 chapters I skipped to the last 3. I obviously did not miss anything as everything was laid out in those chapters.

I believe I will skip reading the rest of the series.

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this novel in which a young woman falls in love with a handsome man while engaged to someone else. Not wanting to hurt her fiance's feelings, she resorts to drastic measures to prevent the marriage. For most of the plot, the novel is upbeat and almost funny. I will definitely be looking for the next novel in the series.

[HallmarkJenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hallmark Channel's The Wedding Veil Trilogy is based on Wedding Veil Wishes, 4 Book series by Lori Wilde. The series is set in Texas to a runaway bride and a trying-to-not-be-bad bad boy.

The movies are very, very loosely based on the book's concepts. This series is very risqué!

https://hallmarkjenny.com/blog/the-we...

[Christine D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the characters Nick and Delaney but the plot ....I just wasn't feeling it.
This is the second book I've read in the series and I'm not sure how I feel about the 'magical wedding veil' thing.
Also, there was some slight cheating and the subplot of a mother's pressure for her daughter to be the perfect society daughter (fat shaming/ugly duckling backstory).
2.5 stars

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story wasn't exactly what the description said it was. There was a lot going on in this one and a few too many voices telling their story. The whole house staging plot took up most of the book yet it's not in the blurb! It was easy enough to finish but I didn't like it very much

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the Hallmark movies supposedly based on this book. I decided to read it and discovered it was very different.

I deducted half a star because Delaney technically cheated on her boyfriend.

[Kelly Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Thought it would be a basic rom-com but the author threw in a little mystery. Not what I thought the secret would be either. And a bit of steam at the end but just one little part. Interested to see how the Hallmark version compares. Will read more in this series.

[Jo Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was clearly a stretched out bit that could have been used to hype the secondary drama but overall, very good. And I have a new favorite quote : “ What’s a good romance without a little conflict?” And this book beautifully embodies that.

[Exel Estrada · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because my sister found it in the children isle, and wanted to save them from the content of the book. After reading it, she did save those kids.

This is not what I like read, but if you are into the cowboy romance life, this is a must read.

[MARY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book . I loved reading it very much. It was very exciting, full of action, a lying mother who betrayed her own daughter, wanting her to be perfect. Wanting her to marry a man that she didn't really love in the first place. In the end though she did marry the man she did love.

[Ruthie Bronkema · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS FAMILY YOU GAVE US !! You gave back my grandma and her partner in crime 🥰 i laughed out loud in so many parts .. this book will always remain close to my heart ..

[Melody Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wild ride. The intense passion builds throughout the book and a little mystery to boot.