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Special Forces #1
Here Comes the Groom
If Jocelyn Swann weren't so furious, she'd probably laugh. Her best friend, Dan Jansen, has launched a campaign worthy of his Special Forces training to arrange their wedding, from music and minister to flowers and food. What part of no does he not understand?
Their marriage "agreement" was a tipsy scrawl on the back of a coaster…three years ago! It's not a question of love. Of course she loves Dan. She's loved him all her life. If only she could get him to slow down a minute and listen—to be the friend she needs right now—she could convince him that marriage would ruin everything.
Their marriage "agreement" was a tipsy scrawl on the back of a coaster…three years ago! It's not a question of love. Of course she loves Dan. She's loved him all her life. If only she could get him to slow down a minute and listen—to be the friend she needs right now—she could convince him that marriage would ruin everything.
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 21, 2010
833 people are currently reading
1486 people want to read
About the author
Karina Bliss
49 books238 followersNew Zealander Karina Bliss has written a biography for a rock star, swapped identities with her twin, raised three orphaned children with her ex husband, worn a cow costume to a Bachelor and Spinster ball, considered marriage for the sake of a baby, and been mayor of a small town.
Oh wait, that’s her characters.
Outside her imagination, she’s always been a professional writer, first as a travel journalist and then as a romance author. Her deeply held convictions include: love conquers all; yoga pants are daywear; and what a woman really wants is a man who cleans. Unfortunately, she does not live with one, (nor indeed has raised one). Please buy her books so she can pay for one.
She has also swum with sharks. They were very small. Babies, really. But still count.
Career highlights have included being the first Australasian to win a Golden Heart from the Romance Writers of America. Her debut, Mr Imperfect, won a Romantic Book of the Year Award in Australia, and her first self-published title, RISE, a rock star romance also finaled.
Other books in the Rock Solid series are FALL, PLAY and (coming soon), RESURRECTION.
Find out more and sign up to her newsletter at www.karinabliss.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaBlissA...
Twitter @BlissKarina
Email: karina@karinabliss.com
Oh wait, that’s her characters.
Outside her imagination, she’s always been a professional writer, first as a travel journalist and then as a romance author. Her deeply held convictions include: love conquers all; yoga pants are daywear; and what a woman really wants is a man who cleans. Unfortunately, she does not live with one, (nor indeed has raised one). Please buy her books so she can pay for one.
She has also swum with sharks. They were very small. Babies, really. But still count.
Career highlights have included being the first Australasian to win a Golden Heart from the Romance Writers of America. Her debut, Mr Imperfect, won a Romantic Book of the Year Award in Australia, and her first self-published title, RISE, a rock star romance also finaled.
Other books in the Rock Solid series are FALL, PLAY and (coming soon), RESURRECTION.
Find out more and sign up to her newsletter at www.karinabliss.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaBlissA...
Twitter @BlissKarina
Email: karina@karinabliss.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
February 26, 2019
If you've read Karina Bliss, odds are you know better than to assume she's got a light, cotton candy touch. This is not an exception. A zany set up: two best friends, one retiring from special forces where he's meet with some trauma, one caring for her grandmother sinking further into dementia. Sprinkle in a promise "if we're not married by 33," and a hero hell-bent on making it happen. In a funny, honest, really weird yet not creepy way.
He basically plans the wedding (my INTP heart swoons) and tells her not to show if she doesn't want to marry him. His points take on my most fervently expressed issues with the reluctance in friends-to-lovers, coupled with modern day pragmatism and a bunch of crazy real-world problems for these two besties. The heroine,Jo, is incredible: direct, ambitious, loving, and loyal. There's a lot to love here, from interactions with family and friends to how deeply and deftly this book deals with tricky grief, medical, and mental health issues. When we finally get to know Ross a little bit (the hero's, Dan's, best man) I'm salivating. He's...icy. I want. Dan is equally appealing: strong and steady. The question is how is he going to breech their friendship and convince her they can build a life together.
Like I said, the book is a bit weird. I didn't mind that, until the last 10% of "let's prove Dan is better/more dependable than he thinks he is," and I won't share that twist, only to say I wish I'd stopped reading because it was stupid, careless, and...stupid and careless. I would never, in my life, dream that would heal someone, nor would I do that to a person I loved. Stupid. Careless.
Other than that, we got a lovely book with lovely fully developed characters who I was rooting for, even though I thought they were both right the whole time.
I do, however, need to bump it down for that last 10% that was not an act of love.
He basically plans the wedding (my INTP heart swoons) and tells her not to show if she doesn't want to marry him. His points take on my most fervently expressed issues with the reluctance in friends-to-lovers, coupled with modern day pragmatism and a bunch of crazy real-world problems for these two besties. The heroine,Jo, is incredible: direct, ambitious, loving, and loyal. There's a lot to love here, from interactions with family and friends to how deeply and deftly this book deals with tricky grief, medical, and mental health issues. When we finally get to know Ross a little bit (the hero's, Dan's, best man) I'm salivating. He's...icy. I want. Dan is equally appealing: strong and steady. The question is how is he going to breech their friendship and convince her they can build a life together.
Like I said, the book is a bit weird. I didn't mind that, until the last 10% of "let's prove Dan is better/more dependable than he thinks he is," and I won't share that twist, only to say I wish I'd stopped reading because it was stupid, careless, and...stupid and careless. I would never, in my life, dream that would heal someone, nor would I do that to a person I loved. Stupid. Careless.
Other than that, we got a lovely book with lovely fully developed characters who I was rooting for, even though I thought they were both right the whole time.
I do, however, need to bump it down for that last 10% that was not an act of love.
December 7, 2019
What a weird, uneven book. Fun and sweet and moving in moments. Idiotic in others. This has to be one of the strangest reads I (mostly) enjoyed in forever. At time I found myself thinking “ok, I can get into this” before one of the characters would do or say something that brought the lunacy of the entire premise home.
I was giving serious consideration to reading the next one. Until that ending. There was a bit of anguish in this book. A real raw look at some pain. And then a strange ending that seemed to indicate healing, but really felt like putting an idiotic bandaid over a bullet wound.
I was giving serious consideration to reading the next one. Until that ending. There was a bit of anguish in this book. A real raw look at some pain. And then a strange ending that seemed to indicate healing, but really felt like putting an idiotic bandaid over a bullet wound.
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Blurb:
Love heals all wounds...
Special Forces soldier Dan Jansen has come home from Afghanistan with one objective: to marry Josephine Swann. First he has to convince his childhood friend that their marriage 'agreement,' a tipsy scrawl on a beer coaster three years ago, is binding. And that platonic love is enough to build a passionate future on.
Protect those you love...
Jo has only thought of Dan 'that way' once; the night before a surgery that changed her life forever. Friendship is all she has to offer as she struggles to care for her grandmother and resurrect her business.
Both have wounds only the other can heal. But that requires surrendering their secrets. Can two best friends create a love story for the ages?
Blurb:
Love heals all wounds...
Special Forces soldier Dan Jansen has come home from Afghanistan with one objective: to marry Josephine Swann. First he has to convince his childhood friend that their marriage 'agreement,' a tipsy scrawl on a beer coaster three years ago, is binding. And that platonic love is enough to build a passionate future on.
Protect those you love...
Jo has only thought of Dan 'that way' once; the night before a surgery that changed her life forever. Friendship is all she has to offer as she struggles to care for her grandmother and resurrect her business.
Both have wounds only the other can heal. But that requires surrendering their secrets. Can two best friends create a love story for the ages?
November 12, 2018
You can find this review in English below.
Este es uno de esos romances que te sorprende, lo quieras o no. Porque con esa premisa tan descabellada e inverosímil lo que menos te esperas es que la autora vaya a lidiar con temas tan espinosos, complicados, reales y dolorosos como los que arroja a esta historia. La verdad es que me ha dejado helada. En el buen sentido de a palabra. Esta es una de esas historias que es más de lo que parece.
Lo dicho, ni en un millón de años podría creerme que la idea de la que parte la historia es mínimamente realista pero, a toro pasado, entiendo perfectamente la idea de la autora. Y me ha convencido. Esta historia se hubiese ahogado en tanta realidad sin este guiño a lo improbable. No voy a dar pistas porque merece la pena dejarse llevar por la historia. Y tampoco puedo contar más, porque las pistas sobre qué está pasando con los personajes van llegando sobre la marcha. A cuentagotas. Y es lo que hace que funcione.
No creo que sea difícil conectar con los personajes. Va a ser muy raro (o una auténtica bendición) que alguien no sepa de qué habla esta historia. Siempre hay un familiar, un amigo, un conocido que está pasando por algo de esto. Y la autora lo ha manejado bien.
Es muy difícil encontrar romances con un trasfondo tan sincero y realista. Que se desmarque de las manidas ideas de siempre y que apueste por razones más verosímiles y peliagudas para atormentar tanto a los personajes como al lector. Me ha encantado.
***
This is one of those romances that surprises you, whether you want it or not. Because with that preposterous and implausible premise, what you least expect is that the author will deal with such thorny, complicated, real and painful issues like those she throws into this story. The truth is that it has left me affected. In the good sense of the word. This is one of those stories that is much more than it seems.
As I said, not in a million years could I believe that the basis of this story is minimally realistic but, in hindsight, I understand the author´s plan. And it has convinced me. This story would have drowned in so much reality without this wink at the improbable. I'm not going to give any clues because it's worth getting carried away by the story. And I musn´t tell more, because the clues about what is happening with the characters are coming on the fly, in dribs and drabs as the story goes on. And I think it really suits the story.
It's not difficult to connect with the characters. It's going to be very strange (or a real blessing) that someone does not know what this story is about. There is always a relative, a friend, an acquaintance who is going through some of this. And the author has handled it well.
It is very difficult to find romances with such a sincere and realistic background. Which stays away from the same trite ideas as always and which bet for more plausible and tricky reasons to torment both the characters and the reader. I loved it.
Este es uno de esos romances que te sorprende, lo quieras o no. Porque con esa premisa tan descabellada e inverosímil lo que menos te esperas es que la autora vaya a lidiar con temas tan espinosos, complicados, reales y dolorosos como los que arroja a esta historia. La verdad es que me ha dejado helada. En el buen sentido de a palabra. Esta es una de esas historias que es más de lo que parece.
Lo dicho, ni en un millón de años podría creerme que la idea de la que parte la historia es mínimamente realista pero, a toro pasado, entiendo perfectamente la idea de la autora. Y me ha convencido. Esta historia se hubiese ahogado en tanta realidad sin este guiño a lo improbable. No voy a dar pistas porque merece la pena dejarse llevar por la historia. Y tampoco puedo contar más, porque las pistas sobre qué está pasando con los personajes van llegando sobre la marcha. A cuentagotas. Y es lo que hace que funcione.
No creo que sea difícil conectar con los personajes. Va a ser muy raro (o una auténtica bendición) que alguien no sepa de qué habla esta historia. Siempre hay un familiar, un amigo, un conocido que está pasando por algo de esto. Y la autora lo ha manejado bien.
Es muy difícil encontrar romances con un trasfondo tan sincero y realista. Que se desmarque de las manidas ideas de siempre y que apueste por razones más verosímiles y peliagudas para atormentar tanto a los personajes como al lector. Me ha encantado.
***
This is one of those romances that surprises you, whether you want it or not. Because with that preposterous and implausible premise, what you least expect is that the author will deal with such thorny, complicated, real and painful issues like those she throws into this story. The truth is that it has left me affected. In the good sense of the word. This is one of those stories that is much more than it seems.
As I said, not in a million years could I believe that the basis of this story is minimally realistic but, in hindsight, I understand the author´s plan. And it has convinced me. This story would have drowned in so much reality without this wink at the improbable. I'm not going to give any clues because it's worth getting carried away by the story. And I musn´t tell more, because the clues about what is happening with the characters are coming on the fly, in dribs and drabs as the story goes on. And I think it really suits the story.
It's not difficult to connect with the characters. It's going to be very strange (or a real blessing) that someone does not know what this story is about. There is always a relative, a friend, an acquaintance who is going through some of this. And the author has handled it well.
It is very difficult to find romances with such a sincere and realistic background. Which stays away from the same trite ideas as always and which bet for more plausible and tricky reasons to torment both the characters and the reader. I loved it.
January 24, 2011
I'm not sure what to say about this book. Normally I steer clear of contemporary category romances, but this was in the tbr of a friend and had been rec'd in another blog. It is well written, has an interesting premise, and has good characters.
So why two stars? Well, to be honest, the more I think about this story, the less I like it. I'm giving two stars because I think it could have worked with some story/plot editing.
The first problem is the blurb because to me it sounds like a light, romantic comedy. It's not. In fact, it's a bloody heavy read that left me kinda exhausted at the pile on of personal problems. Where to begin? War. Survivor's guilt. Separation/divorce (twice). Dementia. Wedding planning. Cancer. Angsty teen. Possible infidelity. Oh and don't forget a possible hostile takeover or at least demise of the heroine's business (by her ex with the help of a childhood friend).
Enough already! Granted not all of the drama is between the hero and heroine but it affects them and takes time away from their romance. To be honest, I saw no reason for these two to be together other than convenience. I didn't feel a romance between them, much less love, because of all the crap that was going around them.
So what was the point of all that drama? I don't know. This story could have just focused on the war/dementia angle to showcase the pain of survivor's guilt. The rest was just distracting.
And let's not forget the heroine's 'brilliant solution' to the hero's problem. So imagine my surprise when I'm expecting a humorous 'Gilmore Girls' (dramedy) type of story and instead get a 'very special episode' of Days of Our Lives (soap opera). Now multiply that by ten when the end is hijacked by one of those ridiculous 'guy comedies' where the hero is stuck in middle of nowhere thanks to his friends and has to rush to the church by any means necessary in order to get to the wedding on time. Really. WTF?!
I get it why some readers loved this story but it just didn't work for me.
So why two stars? Well, to be honest, the more I think about this story, the less I like it. I'm giving two stars because I think it could have worked with some story/plot editing.
The first problem is the blurb because to me it sounds like a light, romantic comedy. It's not. In fact, it's a bloody heavy read that left me kinda exhausted at the pile on of personal problems. Where to begin? War. Survivor's guilt. Separation/divorce (twice). Dementia. Wedding planning. Cancer. Angsty teen. Possible infidelity. Oh and don't forget a possible hostile takeover or at least demise of the heroine's business (by her ex with the help of a childhood friend).
Enough already! Granted not all of the drama is between the hero and heroine but it affects them and takes time away from their romance. To be honest, I saw no reason for these two to be together other than convenience. I didn't feel a romance between them, much less love, because of all the crap that was going around them.
So what was the point of all that drama? I don't know. This story could have just focused on the war/dementia angle to showcase the pain of survivor's guilt. The rest was just distracting.
And let's not forget the heroine's 'brilliant solution' to the hero's problem. So imagine my surprise when I'm expecting a humorous 'Gilmore Girls' (dramedy) type of story and instead get a 'very special episode' of Days of Our Lives (soap opera). Now multiply that by ten when the end is hijacked by one of those ridiculous 'guy comedies' where the hero is stuck in middle of nowhere thanks to his friends and has to rush to the church by any means necessary in order to get to the wedding on time. Really. WTF?!
I get it why some readers loved this story but it just didn't work for me.
June 29, 2012
Fun book even with the serious issues it deals with. I like the perseverance of the hero and the way the heroine learns to give in and accept his love. Liked the over the top ending. Looking forward to the other 2 guys' stories now.
November 14, 2018
I loved the book, way better than What the Librarian Did IMO.
First of all, I love the friends-to-lovers theme, and this book delivered. Jocelyn & Dan are good friends and make a great couple.
The book had some funny moments, especially in the beginning. Dan's idea of bullying Jocelyn into marrying him (in a good way, mind you) by planing the wedding is unique, and probably something that wouldn't goo so good in RL, but here it works like a charm. I loved Jocelyn's reaction when she realised it wasn't a big joke. :)
Of course, not everything is so light-hearted. Dan is suffering from PTSD, Jocelyn was seriously ill, her Grandma has dementia, suffice to say that they haven't had it easy.
Only one thing bothered me a bit, not enough to deduct stars, but still. Jocelyn's PLAN. I won't go into detail, but you really have to be imaginative to come up with something like that.
I loved Ross, and I'm looking forward to reading his book Stand-in Wife.
First of all, I love the friends-to-lovers theme, and this book delivered. Jocelyn & Dan are good friends and make a great couple.
The book had some funny moments, especially in the beginning. Dan's idea of bullying Jocelyn into marrying him (in a good way, mind you) by planing the wedding is unique, and probably something that wouldn't goo so good in RL, but here it works like a charm. I loved Jocelyn's reaction when she realised it wasn't a big joke. :)
Of course, not everything is so light-hearted. Dan is suffering from PTSD, Jocelyn was seriously ill, her Grandma has dementia, suffice to say that they haven't had it easy.
Only one thing bothered me a bit, not enough to deduct stars, but still. Jocelyn's PLAN. I won't go into detail, but you really have to be imaginative to come up with something like that.
I loved Ross, and I'm looking forward to reading his book Stand-in Wife.
May 8, 2013
While I enjoy how this author writes, the premise of this story didn't work for me. Along with Jocelyn, I was irritated that Dan wasn't listening to her and was bulldozing her into marriage. I liked Dan and I liked Jo, but I didn't like the set-up. But I might have still given it a higher rating, since I did like the characters and the underlying emotions were very well handled, except for the crazy ending. I can't believe that Bliss couldn't think of some other way to deal with it. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the writing and the good characterizations, I'd have given this a 2.
November 1, 2017
As you can see from the cover of the kindle edition this is a re-release of an old M&B novel. I thought it weathered quite well, but then I'm on holiday and everything reads better on the beach, right?
So Jocelyn (Jo) Swann is getting drunk in a hotel, trying to get laid, when her best friend Dan Jansen v-blocks her. Little does he know that she is trying to have one last fling before surgery the next morning. She even tries it on with Dan, only to be thoroughly rejected.
12 months later and Dan is a broken man. His NZ-SAS team were ambushed and two of his best friends died whilst he was off the mission due to toothache! He can't stop blaming himself for his friends' deaths and can barely talk to his friend Lee's widow Claire and her son. He and Jo made a pact, signed on a beer mat, that if they were still single at 33 they would get married, in an attempt to live life big Dan is determined to do just that, even if Jo doesn't want to.
The past 12 months have been hard for Jo, coping after her surgery, running a failing local newspaper AND trying to look after her grandmother who has dementia. The last thing she needs is her best friend playing a practical joke on the town and sending everyone wedding invitations!
This was funny, Dan is planning the whole wedding despite all of Jo's best efforts to thwart him yet underlying his actions is a desperation. At the same time his own parents are having a marital crisis and his father has moved into Dan's house.
I actually read this after I read the first book and I think I bought both thinking of the author Karina Halle, maybe having read the second book I was more inclined to like this as I saw Merry and Ross and heard of Viv and Charlie?
Anyway, it made a nice change of pace for the man to be forcing the woman up the aisle, even if when it was first published it might have seemed a real gender-bender, now it was just a fun romance.
So Jocelyn (Jo) Swann is getting drunk in a hotel, trying to get laid, when her best friend Dan Jansen v-blocks her. Little does he know that she is trying to have one last fling before surgery the next morning. She even tries it on with Dan, only to be thoroughly rejected.
12 months later and Dan is a broken man. His NZ-SAS team were ambushed and two of his best friends died whilst he was off the mission due to toothache! He can't stop blaming himself for his friends' deaths and can barely talk to his friend Lee's widow Claire and her son. He and Jo made a pact, signed on a beer mat, that if they were still single at 33 they would get married, in an attempt to live life big Dan is determined to do just that, even if Jo doesn't want to.
The past 12 months have been hard for Jo, coping after her surgery, running a failing local newspaper AND trying to look after her grandmother who has dementia. The last thing she needs is her best friend playing a practical joke on the town and sending everyone wedding invitations!
This was funny, Dan is planning the whole wedding despite all of Jo's best efforts to thwart him yet underlying his actions is a desperation. At the same time his own parents are having a marital crisis and his father has moved into Dan's house.
I actually read this after I read the first book and I think I bought both thinking of the author Karina Halle, maybe having read the second book I was more inclined to like this as I saw Merry and Ross and heard of Viv and Charlie?
Anyway, it made a nice change of pace for the man to be forcing the woman up the aisle, even if when it was first published it might have seemed a real gender-bender, now it was just a fun romance.
December 17, 2018
My Review
No wonder this is on my re-read shelf!
There are so many great things I could say about this book, I don’t know where to start.
SAS Special Forces soldier Dan Jansen returns home from Afghanistan carrying a ton of guilt and almost desperately focuses on the one good thing in his life- his best friend, Swannie. He decides now is the time to enforce the pledge they made to marry each other by the time they turn thirty-three.
Except, his bride-to-be is surprisingly reluctant.
Jo Swann is fighting demons of her own and doesn’t have time to put up with her best friend’s shenanigans. He’s booked the wedding, sent out invitations, and even ordered the flowers! It’s beginning not to feel much like a joke anymore…
While there are many laugh-out-loud moments in this story, it’s so much more than that. Jo’s grandmother has dementia, the newspaper she’s inherited is in danger of a hostile takeover, and oh yeah, she’s recovering from a mastectomy.
At the same time, Dan learns his parents are separating, and his cousin’s wife and son (the SAS soldier who died in battle) are having a hard time accepting the loss. Hell, so is he.
These two are going through the worst of times and deserve a chance at true happiness.
My favorite lines:
The weather had been moody all day, trying on all four seasons like a teenage girl who couldn’t decide what to wear.
Bliss, Karina. The Soldier’s Wedding: Special Forces #1 (Kindle Location 1558). Karina Bliss. Kindle Edition.
He kissed her. With so much yearning, so much need and persuasion that she had no choice but to kiss him back. With a groan, Jo wrenched her mouth away. “The fear’s always going to be there,” she warned.
“In the SAS they teach you that it’s how you dance with it that makes the difference.”
She closed her eyes.
Sliding one hand behind her nape, Dan nuzzled her neck. “Dance with me,” he murmured against her skin, felt her responsive shiver.
Bliss, Karina. The Soldier’s Wedding: Special Forces #1 (Kindle Locations 1655-1659). Karina Bliss. Kindle Edition.
If you’re looking for a book that will tug at your heartstrings and make you believe in love- this is the one.
I give The Soldier’s Wedding 5 lovely kisses!
No wonder this is on my re-read shelf!
There are so many great things I could say about this book, I don’t know where to start.
SAS Special Forces soldier Dan Jansen returns home from Afghanistan carrying a ton of guilt and almost desperately focuses on the one good thing in his life- his best friend, Swannie. He decides now is the time to enforce the pledge they made to marry each other by the time they turn thirty-three.
Except, his bride-to-be is surprisingly reluctant.
Jo Swann is fighting demons of her own and doesn’t have time to put up with her best friend’s shenanigans. He’s booked the wedding, sent out invitations, and even ordered the flowers! It’s beginning not to feel much like a joke anymore…
While there are many laugh-out-loud moments in this story, it’s so much more than that. Jo’s grandmother has dementia, the newspaper she’s inherited is in danger of a hostile takeover, and oh yeah, she’s recovering from a mastectomy.
At the same time, Dan learns his parents are separating, and his cousin’s wife and son (the SAS soldier who died in battle) are having a hard time accepting the loss. Hell, so is he.
These two are going through the worst of times and deserve a chance at true happiness.
My favorite lines:
The weather had been moody all day, trying on all four seasons like a teenage girl who couldn’t decide what to wear.
Bliss, Karina. The Soldier’s Wedding: Special Forces #1 (Kindle Location 1558). Karina Bliss. Kindle Edition.
He kissed her. With so much yearning, so much need and persuasion that she had no choice but to kiss him back. With a groan, Jo wrenched her mouth away. “The fear’s always going to be there,” she warned.
“In the SAS they teach you that it’s how you dance with it that makes the difference.”
She closed her eyes.
Sliding one hand behind her nape, Dan nuzzled her neck. “Dance with me,” he murmured against her skin, felt her responsive shiver.
Bliss, Karina. The Soldier’s Wedding: Special Forces #1 (Kindle Locations 1655-1659). Karina Bliss. Kindle Edition.
If you’re looking for a book that will tug at your heartstrings and make you believe in love- this is the one.
I give The Soldier’s Wedding 5 lovely kisses!
July 25, 2012
Love the first two thirds, then it felt like the author jumped the shark. Otherwise, the book might have achieved 5 stars (on my 5 star romance scale). That said, I really hope to read more books by Ms. Bliss soon.
The first Karina Bliss book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. One night while drunk, Jocelyn agrees on the back of a beer coaster to marry her friend Dan. Three years later after returning from a tough deployment with special forces, he tries to take her up on the offer. And he goes full force to make it happen - setting up the minister, reception, etc. Jocelyn keeps trying to talk him out of it, but that just makes him work harder.
It’s clear they both want to be with each other, but both Dan and Jo have suffered through emotional traumas that are influencing their attitudes towards the impending nuptials. Jo developed breast cancer and had a mastectomy, but never told her family and friends. She feels that Dan couldn’t desire her imperfect self. She’s also taking care of her grandmother who’s developed dementia. Dan is still suffering from the trauma of losing several members of his group on a combat mission when he wasn’t there when their truck hit an explosive (or something, I can’t remember details).
Even though I’ve not faced these trauamas, the conflict felt very real and contemporary which is why I found the last 25% of the book disappointing. {SPOILER ALERT}
Jo realizes that Dan still needs to address his emotions with respect to the loss of his friends and his fealing that he should have done more or helped them or whatever . So she and his best man drug him and drop him in the middle of nowhere on his wedding day with a back pack, his wedding suit and minimal supplies. Can we say “jumped the shark” boys and girls? Everything else felt so real about this book, that this was just too over the top for me.
There were so many other aspects of the book that I liked that I could look past it and I do want to read more of her books.
A few other things I liked:
Dan’s mom wasn’t crazy about the marriage but she wasn’t nightmarish about it either. So often in romance the immediately family is at an extreme toward the bride.
Snappy dialogue
Good character development.
The first Karina Bliss book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. One night while drunk, Jocelyn agrees on the back of a beer coaster to marry her friend Dan. Three years later after returning from a tough deployment with special forces, he tries to take her up on the offer. And he goes full force to make it happen - setting up the minister, reception, etc. Jocelyn keeps trying to talk him out of it, but that just makes him work harder.
It’s clear they both want to be with each other, but both Dan and Jo have suffered through emotional traumas that are influencing their attitudes towards the impending nuptials. Jo developed breast cancer and had a mastectomy, but never told her family and friends. She feels that Dan couldn’t desire her imperfect self. She’s also taking care of her grandmother who’s developed dementia. Dan is still suffering from the trauma of losing several members of his group on a combat mission when he wasn’t there when their truck hit an explosive (or something, I can’t remember details).
Even though I’ve not faced these trauamas, the conflict felt very real and contemporary which is why I found the last 25% of the book disappointing. {SPOILER ALERT}
Jo realizes that Dan still needs to address his emotions with respect to the loss of his friends and his fealing that he should have done more or helped them or whatever . So she and his best man drug him and drop him in the middle of nowhere on his wedding day with a back pack, his wedding suit and minimal supplies. Can we say “jumped the shark” boys and girls? Everything else felt so real about this book, that this was just too over the top for me.
There were so many other aspects of the book that I liked that I could look past it and I do want to read more of her books.
A few other things I liked:
Dan’s mom wasn’t crazy about the marriage but she wasn’t nightmarish about it either. So often in romance the immediately family is at an extreme toward the bride.
Snappy dialogue
Good character development.
Want to read
August 1, 2013Because when a woman says she doesn't want to get married, it's TOTALLY a non-abusive, non-rape-culture thing to PLAN A HUGE WEDDING ANYWAY AND FORCE HER IN TO IT.
And that's why this is on the NOPETOPUS shelf.
And that's why this is on the NOPETOPUS shelf.
May 15, 2019
Author Karina Bliss begins her "Special Forces Series" with "The Soldier's Wedding". Longtime best friends Josephine Swann and Dan Jansen have always been there for each other--never as lovers, but more like sister and brother. However, some things are just too deep and personal to share, even with your best friend. Through a twist of Fate, Dan is not out on the mission when his Special Forces unit in Afghanistan is attacked and his friends and comrades are either grievously wounded or killed. He blames their losses on himself and struggles with doubt and guilt. Jo never told Dan that she had been seriously ill and had to undergo a life-altering surgery. When Dan returns from Afghanistan, he is determined to hold Jo to a promise they made in jest years ago to marry each other if they were not already married to someone else by a certain age. While Jo is relieved and happy that Dan has made it home, she has no intentions of marrying him. As he proceeds to try to convince her that their friendship will be a great starting point for a happy marriage, he goes forward with plans for the wedding ceremony. Each of them is dealing with family issues--Jo's beloved grandmother is suffering from increasing symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease, and Dan's parents are becoming more estranged from each other with separation looking more possible each day. As Dan and Jo begin to look at each other with a new awareness, there may be more between them than friendship, but they both have to find an honest healing for themselves before their love can grow and come into full bloom, I really enjoyed "The Soldier's Wedding", and I look forward to reading the three other books in the series.
January 19, 2019
Predictable
This is an old title reprised but a pleasant enough re-read. Not quite as good as some of her other books, with it's predictable pitting of a serviceman against the odds ... a rather quirky ending.
This is an old title reprised but a pleasant enough re-read. Not quite as good as some of her other books, with it's predictable pitting of a serviceman against the odds ... a rather quirky ending.
May 16, 2014
This book was just so... weird! I just finished it and I am completely bewildered.
Dan gets out of the military and hasn't seen his best friend Jo in almost a year but he's decided he's going to enforce a drunken marriage pact they made years earlier on a beer mat and occasionally joke about. Without discussing it with her or even telling her he's back in town he sends wedding invitations to all her friends and family. She thinks it's a funny joke at first, but then quickly finds out he is actually putting deposits on wedding stuff and is crazy-serious. She can't just cut him off until he comes to his senses because he is dealing with some trauma from losing two of his unit in Afghanistan and ultimately they are still best friends and she wants to be there for him even though he's behaving like a complete ass. So the first half of the book is them playing chicken, to see who will give in first. She literally says to him, "You want to play wedding chicken with me?!"
I found Dan trying to bully Jo into marrying him to be totally gross. They even talk about how, although they love each other as friends, they are not in love romantically. He doesn't care. He thinks she'll marry him despite this because she wants a family and kids. She kissed him one night when she was drunk and desperate and he is taking this as proof that she wants him forever. WTF dude. He is obviously making her miserable but refuses to back down because apparently you never back down from a mission. It's not entirely clear why he wants to marry her, except that it has something to do with his friends dying. Anyway, it's in no way romantic at all.
Then, about halfway through the book, out of nowhere Dan realizes he actually is in love Jo. She tells him she doesn't love him that way and never will so he agrees to call off the wedding. Finally! Then she admits to him that she had breast cancer and a mastectomy and that's really why she doesn't want to get married (the cancer might come back). But she is attracted to him. So they have sex. She only has one breast, and he is still totally into her and helps her come to accept her disfigured body is still sexy. This part of the book was actually very sweet and definitely the highlight, but it all happens kind of fast and out of the blue. THEN, Dan decides that now they've had sex, the wedding is back on. What?! Oh hells no! She wants to have a relationship but still doesn't want to get married but he doesn't give a shit. Because why care about what she wants, right? She's only the woman you're supposedly in love with. So, highlight ruined.
Then, Dan's army buddies start arriving in town for the wedding, reminding him of his past trauma and he starts acting weird around everyone because he hasn't dealt with his issues, etc etc. He finally agrees to call off the wedding again.
But now Jo realizes that he wants to marry her to protect her, and she has accepted that she doesn't have to deal with her cancer alone, so she's like, no, we're getting married after all.
Then, the night before the wedding she arranges to drug him and leave him in the middle of a forest so that he can prove himself by making it to the wedding on time. What?
He makes it (by parachuting out of a helicopter) and they get married.
The end.
WHAT?!
I gave it two stars because I didn't hate it, but I just don't know what to make of it at all. I'm at a complete loss.
Dan gets out of the military and hasn't seen his best friend Jo in almost a year but he's decided he's going to enforce a drunken marriage pact they made years earlier on a beer mat and occasionally joke about. Without discussing it with her or even telling her he's back in town he sends wedding invitations to all her friends and family. She thinks it's a funny joke at first, but then quickly finds out he is actually putting deposits on wedding stuff and is crazy-serious. She can't just cut him off until he comes to his senses because he is dealing with some trauma from losing two of his unit in Afghanistan and ultimately they are still best friends and she wants to be there for him even though he's behaving like a complete ass. So the first half of the book is them playing chicken, to see who will give in first. She literally says to him, "You want to play wedding chicken with me?!"
I found Dan trying to bully Jo into marrying him to be totally gross. They even talk about how, although they love each other as friends, they are not in love romantically. He doesn't care. He thinks she'll marry him despite this because she wants a family and kids. She kissed him one night when she was drunk and desperate and he is taking this as proof that she wants him forever. WTF dude. He is obviously making her miserable but refuses to back down because apparently you never back down from a mission. It's not entirely clear why he wants to marry her, except that it has something to do with his friends dying. Anyway, it's in no way romantic at all.
Then, about halfway through the book, out of nowhere Dan realizes he actually is in love Jo. She tells him she doesn't love him that way and never will so he agrees to call off the wedding. Finally! Then she admits to him that she had breast cancer and a mastectomy and that's really why she doesn't want to get married (the cancer might come back). But she is attracted to him. So they have sex. She only has one breast, and he is still totally into her and helps her come to accept her disfigured body is still sexy. This part of the book was actually very sweet and definitely the highlight, but it all happens kind of fast and out of the blue. THEN, Dan decides that now they've had sex, the wedding is back on. What?! Oh hells no! She wants to have a relationship but still doesn't want to get married but he doesn't give a shit. Because why care about what she wants, right? She's only the woman you're supposedly in love with. So, highlight ruined.
Then, Dan's army buddies start arriving in town for the wedding, reminding him of his past trauma and he starts acting weird around everyone because he hasn't dealt with his issues, etc etc. He finally agrees to call off the wedding again.
But now Jo realizes that he wants to marry her to protect her, and she has accepted that she doesn't have to deal with her cancer alone, so she's like, no, we're getting married after all.
Then, the night before the wedding she arranges to drug him and leave him in the middle of a forest so that he can prove himself by making it to the wedding on time. What?
He makes it (by parachuting out of a helicopter) and they get married.
The end.
WHAT?!
I gave it two stars because I didn't hate it, but I just don't know what to make of it at all. I'm at a complete loss.
September 2, 2016
One of my very favorite romance themes is the best friends to lovers one. Here Comes the Groom puts a delightful twist on the storyline, making it a unique entry into this well worn trope.
Jo and Dan have known each other and been best friends almost their entire lives. Jo runs a successful newspaper, and Dan is a soldier. Just before Dan is to be deployed to Afghanistan, Jo, drunk as a lord, makes a pass at him. He's shocked and angry with her for changing the playing field between them, especially just as he's leaving for war. Jo is completely humiliated by the failed pass and wishes that they'd never speak of it again.
But now Dan is back from war, and strangely, people keep congratulating Jo on her impending marriage to him. At first she thinks it's a joke, and laughs it off. But as she finds out that Dan has booked the reception location, is picking out tuxes, and has sent out the invitations, she begins to wonder what the heck is going on. When she confronts Dan about it, she is shocked to be reminded that indeed, on another night, in another drunken haze of heartbreak, they'd agreed (on a bar coaster, no less) to marry each other if they didn't find anyone else. Jo is appalled. She wasn't serious. And clearly, neither was Dan, as he rejected her advances before he left of Afghanistan. She doesn't love him as more than a friend, and frankly, has very good reasons for not marrying him. She cannot for the life of her understand why it is that he's pushing so hard. This is going to ruin everything.
This is a book of secrets and baggage. Dan is back from the horrors of war, much worse for the wear. He's experienced trauma and horror, and is determined to move on with him civilian life. This means marrying Jo, even if she doesn't love him. For her part, Jo is also a changed person since she made that pass. She has secrets too awful to tell Dan. And will absolutely not be marrying him for any reason whatsoever.
Once again Karina Bliss has created two interesting, flawed, headstrong characters in Here Comes the Groom. The book, set in New Zealand features nuanced characters who make interesting decisions. Not always good ones, but they learn and grow as they make them. There are a host of compelling secondary characters, including Jo's grandmother, and Dan's parents, themselves going through a terribly rough patch. But it is Jo and Dan who anchor the story. What I found interesting is, as I was reading, I started off really not liking Jo. I thought she was abrasive and combative. But as the reader begins to understand what she's been through, we soften towards her, and the light dawns. She has good reasons for not wanting to marry Dan, just as he has good and serious reasons for wanting to marry her. It's a fascinating tension that is beautifully portrayed by Karina Bliss. The book misses an A grade with me because there is a section with Dan in the outback that I thought was somewhat meandering and could have been tightened up. That being said, if you are looking for a strongly written book with realistic characters with very real issues, Here Comes the Groom is the book for you.
Final grade: B+
Jo and Dan have known each other and been best friends almost their entire lives. Jo runs a successful newspaper, and Dan is a soldier. Just before Dan is to be deployed to Afghanistan, Jo, drunk as a lord, makes a pass at him. He's shocked and angry with her for changing the playing field between them, especially just as he's leaving for war. Jo is completely humiliated by the failed pass and wishes that they'd never speak of it again.
But now Dan is back from war, and strangely, people keep congratulating Jo on her impending marriage to him. At first she thinks it's a joke, and laughs it off. But as she finds out that Dan has booked the reception location, is picking out tuxes, and has sent out the invitations, she begins to wonder what the heck is going on. When she confronts Dan about it, she is shocked to be reminded that indeed, on another night, in another drunken haze of heartbreak, they'd agreed (on a bar coaster, no less) to marry each other if they didn't find anyone else. Jo is appalled. She wasn't serious. And clearly, neither was Dan, as he rejected her advances before he left of Afghanistan. She doesn't love him as more than a friend, and frankly, has very good reasons for not marrying him. She cannot for the life of her understand why it is that he's pushing so hard. This is going to ruin everything.
This is a book of secrets and baggage. Dan is back from the horrors of war, much worse for the wear. He's experienced trauma and horror, and is determined to move on with him civilian life. This means marrying Jo, even if she doesn't love him. For her part, Jo is also a changed person since she made that pass. She has secrets too awful to tell Dan. And will absolutely not be marrying him for any reason whatsoever.
Once again Karina Bliss has created two interesting, flawed, headstrong characters in Here Comes the Groom. The book, set in New Zealand features nuanced characters who make interesting decisions. Not always good ones, but they learn and grow as they make them. There are a host of compelling secondary characters, including Jo's grandmother, and Dan's parents, themselves going through a terribly rough patch. But it is Jo and Dan who anchor the story. What I found interesting is, as I was reading, I started off really not liking Jo. I thought she was abrasive and combative. But as the reader begins to understand what she's been through, we soften towards her, and the light dawns. She has good reasons for not wanting to marry Dan, just as he has good and serious reasons for wanting to marry her. It's a fascinating tension that is beautifully portrayed by Karina Bliss. The book misses an A grade with me because there is a section with Dan in the outback that I thought was somewhat meandering and could have been tightened up. That being said, if you are looking for a strongly written book with realistic characters with very real issues, Here Comes the Groom is the book for you.
Final grade: B+
December 3, 2010
I didn't love this much as Karina Bliss's previous book, but it was still a very enjoyable read. Jo and Dan were such well-crafted characters and I was sucked into the book.
The blurb is misleading, not in terms of plot, but tone, it makes it sound like this book is a romantic comedy and it's not, the book deals with a lot of heavy issues. There's a good dose of humor here, but I thought What the Librarian Did actually had more humor in it.
Dan's back home after a deployment to Afghanistan and is dealing with grief and guilt over dead teammates. Dan takes a joke engagement he had with Jo and tries to turn it into an actual engagement, so he can live big for his dead teammates. Jo is dealing with Dan's marriage plot, an ailing grandmother, health problems, and job issues. She has her own reasons for not wanting to get into a serious relationship and is annoyed that Dan is taking the joke too far.
The whole, hero planning a wedding for an unwilling bride could have been totally creepy and stalkery, but I thought it was actually charming and funny. Dan is trying to convince Jo to get married, but has no intention of forcing her to get married. And it helps that the two of them have a long standing friendship. There are no alpha-holes here.
I loved Dan and Jo. I'm a sucker for a good friends to lover plot, and this book delivered in spades. I loved that the two of them enjoyed a great platonic friendship, and that one of them wasn't pining for the other one for years. The gradual shift from platonic to not platonic was believable and I totally believe these two will go the distance.
Jo was such a strong heroine. Her relationship with her grandmother was one of the highlights in the book. She's dealt with so much in her life, and I really admired her resiliency. Dan has a solid-as-a-rock quality to him that I really liked. The two of them act like actual friends and talk out their issues, I love that there were no big misunderstanding scenes.
This was leading up to an A read, until the ending. The ending was rushed and the way Dan's character arc was resolved made no sense to me. I thought what Jo did was stupid, and I'm baffled at how her solution was supposed to help Dan. I think this book would have benefited from a longer word count and flesh out some plot/character arcs a bit more. Jo's issue seemed to be kind of pushed aside and never really resolved.
But then there was a ton of sequel bait in this book, and I'm guessing we'll be seeing more of these characters in later books.
The blurb is misleading, not in terms of plot, but tone, it makes it sound like this book is a romantic comedy and it's not, the book deals with a lot of heavy issues. There's a good dose of humor here, but I thought What the Librarian Did actually had more humor in it.
Dan's back home after a deployment to Afghanistan and is dealing with grief and guilt over dead teammates. Dan takes a joke engagement he had with Jo and tries to turn it into an actual engagement, so he can live big for his dead teammates. Jo is dealing with Dan's marriage plot, an ailing grandmother, health problems, and job issues. She has her own reasons for not wanting to get into a serious relationship and is annoyed that Dan is taking the joke too far.
The whole, hero planning a wedding for an unwilling bride could have been totally creepy and stalkery, but I thought it was actually charming and funny. Dan is trying to convince Jo to get married, but has no intention of forcing her to get married. And it helps that the two of them have a long standing friendship. There are no alpha-holes here.
I loved Dan and Jo. I'm a sucker for a good friends to lover plot, and this book delivered in spades. I loved that the two of them enjoyed a great platonic friendship, and that one of them wasn't pining for the other one for years. The gradual shift from platonic to not platonic was believable and I totally believe these two will go the distance.
Jo was such a strong heroine. Her relationship with her grandmother was one of the highlights in the book. She's dealt with so much in her life, and I really admired her resiliency. Dan has a solid-as-a-rock quality to him that I really liked. The two of them act like actual friends and talk out their issues, I love that there were no big misunderstanding scenes.
This was leading up to an A read, until the ending. The ending was rushed and the way Dan's character arc was resolved made no sense to me. I thought what Jo did was stupid, and I'm baffled at how her solution was supposed to help Dan. I think this book would have benefited from a longer word count and flesh out some plot/character arcs a bit more. Jo's issue seemed to be kind of pushed aside and never really resolved.
But then there was a ton of sequel bait in this book, and I'm guessing we'll be seeing more of these characters in later books.
December 27, 2011
Dan and Jo are best friends who long ago made a marriage pact as a joke, which Dan then decides to take seriously. He starts planning the wedding against Jo's wishes and does everything possible to talk her into it. It sounds silly, I realize. But there is a lot more going on in this book then is apparent. In the interest of not spoiling the story, I'll just say that Jo and Dan have both been through and are still going through a lot of tough stuff. They are problems which I believe a lot of people can relate to.
Dan is an ex-soldier, now returned home for good and wants to take over the family farm. After the trama he experienced at war, he just wants a normal and happy life. This is partly why he fixates on the idea of a fast marriage of convenience with his best friend. Over time, however, Dan discovers that his feelings run deeper then that, and struggle to come to terms with those feelings as well as a number of other issues in his life.
Jo is a great female lead, all the way around. She's tough, smart, flawed but easy to relate to. She's struggled with a demanding career, ailing grandmother, and burdensome secrets that have lead her to stop hoping for a husband and family. The way in which each issue is resolved is emotional, imperfect and realistic, and just generally very well written. I love that this book delivers a happily ever after ending without becomming sugary sweet.
I'm giving this book 4.5 stars, because there was just one plot aspect that I did not like. I won't spoil it, but near the end there is a rather contrived and silly plan on Jo's part that had me cringing. This aside, the plot of the book had excellent flow and good taste. Overall, I highly recommend this book as a quick and satisfying feel good read.
Dan is an ex-soldier, now returned home for good and wants to take over the family farm. After the trama he experienced at war, he just wants a normal and happy life. This is partly why he fixates on the idea of a fast marriage of convenience with his best friend. Over time, however, Dan discovers that his feelings run deeper then that, and struggle to come to terms with those feelings as well as a number of other issues in his life.
Jo is a great female lead, all the way around. She's tough, smart, flawed but easy to relate to. She's struggled with a demanding career, ailing grandmother, and burdensome secrets that have lead her to stop hoping for a husband and family. The way in which each issue is resolved is emotional, imperfect and realistic, and just generally very well written. I love that this book delivers a happily ever after ending without becomming sugary sweet.
I'm giving this book 4.5 stars, because there was just one plot aspect that I did not like. I won't spoil it, but near the end there is a rather contrived and silly plan on Jo's part that had me cringing. This aside, the plot of the book had excellent flow and good taste. Overall, I highly recommend this book as a quick and satisfying feel good read.
January 24, 2011
This was a sweet friends-to-lovers tale. Jocelyn and Dan have been best friends forever. They agreed, during a night of drunken revelry, that if they were still unmarried at 33 they'd marry each other. Both knew it was a joke, even if they did write it down on the back of a bar placemat and sign it like a contract. Now, on the eve of Jocelyn's 33rd birthday, Dan has changed the rules of the game..he's decided he really wants to marry Jocelyn. But neither of them are the kids they were when they made that deal..a lot has changed. Jocelyn no longer wants a husband and kids, and Dan is no longer the carefree, fearless soldier he once was.
There was a lot of depth here that I didn't expect. The way the story starts out it seems it's going to be a lighthearted romance, but Bliss tackled some heavy issues. I had some problems with both main characters at various times throughout the story, but for the most part I enjoyed watching them come together. I think Jo was a little too independent. I understand wanting to stand on your own two feet and take care of your own problems, but she took it too far.
Though I enjoyed the romance, I think it was overshadowed by the personal growth of both characters. The I Love You's seemed kind of forced at first, though in the end I did believe in them fully.
If you're looking for a good friends-to-lovers story, check this one out. I'll be picking up the rest of the series as it's released.
There was a lot of depth here that I didn't expect. The way the story starts out it seems it's going to be a lighthearted romance, but Bliss tackled some heavy issues. I had some problems with both main characters at various times throughout the story, but for the most part I enjoyed watching them come together. I think Jo was a little too independent. I understand wanting to stand on your own two feet and take care of your own problems, but she took it too far.
Though I enjoyed the romance, I think it was overshadowed by the personal growth of both characters. The I Love You's seemed kind of forced at first, though in the end I did believe in them fully.
If you're looking for a good friends-to-lovers story, check this one out. I'll be picking up the rest of the series as it's released.
January 27, 2025
This was not the light hearted romance I expected. The description is somewhat misleading. You have survivors guilt, dementia, breast cancer, divorce, disability due to war, mastectomy, and death. Very heavy subjects wrapped around a romance.
Then you have Dan, who was moving full steam ahead with a wedding. All Jo had to do was say no and not show up if she didn't want to marry him, or stop being his friend. Dan was a least honest about what he was doing. Jo didn't decide to divulge her secret until about 2/3rds into the book.
It wasn't a bad book, but it was too heavy for what I wanted to read. One or two of those issues in a romance work, but all of them together was too much.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Then you have Dan, who was moving full steam ahead with a wedding. All Jo had to do was say no and not show up if she didn't want to marry him, or stop being his friend. Dan was a least honest about what he was doing. Jo didn't decide to divulge her secret until about 2/3rds into the book.
It wasn't a bad book, but it was too heavy for what I wanted to read. One or two of those issues in a romance work, but all of them together was too much.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
April 27, 2011
what a great story that was.
Maybe is a misconception that i expect superficial plots when i read short Harlequin novels. I was pleasantly surprised to see otherwise.
in "Here comes the Groom" I felt very compelled with both characters as well as the plot.
the Plot dealt with real issues but they were dealt in a charming way. what i thought worked for the story to give it the right depth in its short length, was that the H/h were best friends with a lot of history behind them.
I really enjoyed Karina`s writing style, as it was my first Aussie novel!!
looking forward to read more of her works.
Maybe is a misconception that i expect superficial plots when i read short Harlequin novels. I was pleasantly surprised to see otherwise.
in "Here comes the Groom" I felt very compelled with both characters as well as the plot.
the Plot dealt with real issues but they were dealt in a charming way. what i thought worked for the story to give it the right depth in its short length, was that the H/h were best friends with a lot of history behind them.
I really enjoyed Karina`s writing style, as it was my first Aussie novel!!
looking forward to read more of her works.
January 30, 2011
I liked this one a lot. Hero and heroine have made a pact to marry if they're both still single when they hit 32 (I think that's the age), but when he shows up and starts planning the wedding, the heroine isn't prepared. She thought it was just a joke.
They're both dealing with a lot of issues--he's back from Afghanistan, her Gran's dementia is getting worse, and that's just the beginning. This is just nicely, nicely done. Liked it a lot.
They're both dealing with a lot of issues--he's back from Afghanistan, her Gran's dementia is getting worse, and that's just the beginning. This is just nicely, nicely done. Liked it a lot.
January 31, 2018
I received a copy of this book I'm exchange for my honest review.
I really liked this book, I really did. BUT I did not care for Jo very much. I didn't like the fact that she hid everything from everyone. Nor the fact that she was so dang resistant to Dan even after they admitted their feelings to each other. The end was a bit surprising, what Jo did to help Dan, bit good. It's weird to not see an epilogue on a book. I look forward to those to get a small glimpse of the HEA.
I really liked this book, I really did. BUT I did not care for Jo very much. I didn't like the fact that she hid everything from everyone. Nor the fact that she was so dang resistant to Dan even after they admitted their feelings to each other. The end was a bit surprising, what Jo did to help Dan, bit good. It's weird to not see an epilogue on a book. I look forward to those to get a small glimpse of the HEA.
April 1, 2012
Wow! Just wow!
This was an emotional read that tore at my heart. The issues are so current that at times it was tough to read about.
I love the friends-to-lovers trope. I also like the original take that he did the pursuing and planning the wedding, etc. This was a great story about friends who connect on all levels and 2 people who grow to love one another and need each other.
This was an emotional read that tore at my heart. The issues are so current that at times it was tough to read about.
I love the friends-to-lovers trope. I also like the original take that he did the pursuing and planning the wedding, etc. This was a great story about friends who connect on all levels and 2 people who grow to love one another and need each other.
January 18, 2011
Friends to lovers - some serious issues well done although I guessed all of them early. Unhappy with the stalker vibe although the author redeemed it well. Still not ok with it, but will gladly read more from this author.
June 14, 2012
3.5 stars for the start of a wonderful series. I think Karina Bliss is such a talented writer. I wonder if she'll make the jump from category romances. I think she's earned a spot on my autobuy list.
January 15, 2022
This book touched me a lot. Ms. Bliss has a very personal touch in her stories. And it's that she knows how to mix depth with humor, making the story very entertaining, romantic and exciting. It is excellently written, with a good outline and well-fluent sequences. The main characters are great, from the very down-to-earth Jo, who was always "one of the guys," to Dan, this strong boy who doesn't take 'no' for an answer, stubborn and determined.
What delineates their personalities are the breast cancer that Jo has had to deal with (the scene when she removes the prosthesis and Dan sees her without a breast is touching to tears) and Dan's guilt, which ends arriving from Afghanistan, where he has lost two of his best friends in combat (Steve and Lee), one is in recovery (Ross) and the other has moved away from everything and everyone (Nate). This series is about what happens to four of the five friends and colleagues at the front after they return from that attack. What they have to face when they return home. Dan, Ross, Nate, Lee and Steve were friends for about 15 years and the attack that killed two of the five has changed their lives.
In short, the beginning of the series captivates you leaving you wanting to know how it goes.
What delineates their personalities are the breast cancer that Jo has had to deal with (the scene when she removes the prosthesis and Dan sees her without a breast is touching to tears) and Dan's guilt, which ends arriving from Afghanistan, where he has lost two of his best friends in combat (Steve and Lee), one is in recovery (Ross) and the other has moved away from everything and everyone (Nate). This series is about what happens to four of the five friends and colleagues at the front after they return from that attack. What they have to face when they return home. Dan, Ross, Nate, Lee and Steve were friends for about 15 years and the attack that killed two of the five has changed their lives.
In short, the beginning of the series captivates you leaving you wanting to know how it goes.
March 12, 2019
This is the first book in the series.
We've all had those friends where they want to be wild and use alcohol as liquid courage. This is what the heroine in our book does. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough of that liquid courage and decides to not go through with her plans because her best friend stops by. This was due to his SEAL area getting recalled for a mission.
Her best friend, our hero, decides to help her with plans. After our heroine kisses him. And she signs a napkin stating she'll marry our hero and now the hero was home to collect.
The plot as a play on one of the old plots but I liked how the author threw in the extended families and how well the families knew each other. Also, I liked how insistent the hero was being even taking over the wedding plans. However, when he gets hit with a shock from the heroine, will they be able to still work through it or are they done?
The hero was very likable and you could relate to him. The heroine, at the start, was this way. However, as time went on in some ways she was relate able but in others it was more like huh? or What the?
Overall, not bad and the hero pulls the story along.
We've all had those friends where they want to be wild and use alcohol as liquid courage. This is what the heroine in our book does. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough of that liquid courage and decides to not go through with her plans because her best friend stops by. This was due to his SEAL area getting recalled for a mission.
Her best friend, our hero, decides to help her with plans. After our heroine kisses him. And she signs a napkin stating she'll marry our hero and now the hero was home to collect.
The plot as a play on one of the old plots but I liked how the author threw in the extended families and how well the families knew each other. Also, I liked how insistent the hero was being even taking over the wedding plans. However, when he gets hit with a shock from the heroine, will they be able to still work through it or are they done?
The hero was very likable and you could relate to him. The heroine, at the start, was this way. However, as time went on in some ways she was relate able but in others it was more like huh? or What the?
Overall, not bad and the hero pulls the story along.
February 27, 2012
I think this is more along the lines of 2.5 stars.
I picked it up because of the blurb - the hero pushing for the marriage, with the heroine being reluctant. I enjoy stories that include that type of storyline.
While I overall liked the story, there was a lot going on. Almost too much. And it was set up as if to have one or two more books written about some of the secondary characters . . .I mean, secondary story lines were brought in/mentioned, with no type of resolution. And as this is one of those 'series' that involve many, many books and multiple authors with no single storyline involved, it's iffy that we will see books addressing the secondary storylines.
Okay - so it was an appropriate book to read in October as it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The heroine, Jo, had breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Once we finally find this out, her behavior and thoughts make sense. We just find out in the beginning of the book that she was going to have surgery - not what kind or why - then we are brought back into her life a year later.
In addition to the cancer that we don't know about for a while, Jo is trying to save her business - which was her grandfather's local paper - and she is working very hard to do this. All the while, there is the possibility of her selling the business to a larger paper going on during the book.
And, as if this isn't enough, her grandmother has Alzheimer's and she is trying to take care of her at home. While her grandmother had made arrangements to be placed in a specialized care center when she realized that her disease was going to progress to the point that her care would be too much for her granddaughter, Jo still refuses to admit that it is too much for her. Oh, and did I mention she has not spoken about any of this with her friends?
So, while we have all this going on with our heroine, our hero is now back from deployment and he brings issues of his own with him. We find out - in a much quicker fashion than Jo's issues - that he lost 2 of his team members in a mission that he was not in on, because of a tooth ache.
So, Dan has a huge, heaping helping of survivor's guilt, with a smidgeon of PTSD symptoms thrown in. However, he is totally in denial.
He comes home after being discharged from the military and throws himself into planning his wedding to Jo. But he neglects to tell the bride, who received a wedding invitation on her birthday, and initially thought it was a joke. But, she soon realizes that he is serious and she becomes upset trying to cancel all the arrangements that were being made. (This was a drunken agreement, written on a beer mat, that if she wasn't married by her 33rd birthday, they would marry each other.)
Despite being best friends for, practically, their whole lives - - they don't discuss what is really going on until about two-thirds of the way through the book.
So, while they are finally starting to share their issues and concerns with each other, we have all these other things going on in the background. Including Dan not knowing how to deal with his cousin and her son, whose husband/son was one of the team members who was killed in the mission. He realizes he's actually in love with Jo, who categorically denies feeling the same about him at that time.
Then, we have Dan's parents having problems and divorce being discussed - - despite both of them eventually expressing love for each other - -and separating. Um, oh yeah, one of Dan's sisters is apparently in the process of her marriage ending - at least she is currently separated from her husband. We find out, almost at the end of the book, that she apparently kissed someone other than her husband.
We also have one of Dan's team members, who happens to be his sister's brother-in-law, come in to the picture and we find out he has a lot going on, including his plan on returning to active duty so that he can avenge his injuries and his friends' deaths. But, we can't forget the other member of the team who is in America, avoiding everyone, due to everything that he experienced during that apparent ambush.
Slowly, Jo starts to deal with her issues - finally placing her grandmother in the care facility that is well equipped to provide the necessary/loving care that is required. She deals with her fears of her cancer returning and her self-image and is sharing this 'burden' with Dan, acknowledging that she actually loves him and not just as a best friend.
Now, while she is coming to terms with everything, Dan is beginning t have doubts and actually shows up at Jo's house to cancel the wedding, but she does the about-face and states they are getting married. Of course, Dan, while agreeing to go through with it, is still having self-doubt, concerns, etc.
So, how does this all resolve? Well, apparently by drugging Dan and dropping him in the middle of the woods on the afternoon before his wedding to deal with his feelings, while finding his way out. He remains out until the next morning, waking up with no compass and no way to communicate with anyone in order to get out of the woods and to the church on time. He has a rucksack with some basic supplies, including some water and energy bars, to help him to get out of the woods.
Well, despite all odds - and being late - he shows up a little worse for the wear (his tux was packed into his rucksack for him), back to his old self, and they get married and live happily ever after.
Oh, and this all happens in a 3 to 4 week period.
The issues the characters were experiencing were dealt with (kind of)in a realistic way. However, like I said, there was almost too much going on for this book.
(Okay, my bad. I just looked and there is a follow-up book in which the team member of Dan's that is actually in this story - - the brother-in-law of Dan's sister - - does have his own book. It's "Stand-In Wife". I may pick it up to see if there are resolutions to all the extra story lines thrown in this book.)
I picked it up because of the blurb - the hero pushing for the marriage, with the heroine being reluctant. I enjoy stories that include that type of storyline.
While I overall liked the story, there was a lot going on. Almost too much. And it was set up as if to have one or two more books written about some of the secondary characters . . .I mean, secondary story lines were brought in/mentioned, with no type of resolution. And as this is one of those 'series' that involve many, many books and multiple authors with no single storyline involved, it's iffy that we will see books addressing the secondary storylines.
Okay - so it was an appropriate book to read in October as it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The heroine, Jo, had breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Once we finally find this out, her behavior and thoughts make sense. We just find out in the beginning of the book that she was going to have surgery - not what kind or why - then we are brought back into her life a year later.
In addition to the cancer that we don't know about for a while, Jo is trying to save her business - which was her grandfather's local paper - and she is working very hard to do this. All the while, there is the possibility of her selling the business to a larger paper going on during the book.
And, as if this isn't enough, her grandmother has Alzheimer's and she is trying to take care of her at home. While her grandmother had made arrangements to be placed in a specialized care center when she realized that her disease was going to progress to the point that her care would be too much for her granddaughter, Jo still refuses to admit that it is too much for her. Oh, and did I mention she has not spoken about any of this with her friends?
So, while we have all this going on with our heroine, our hero is now back from deployment and he brings issues of his own with him. We find out - in a much quicker fashion than Jo's issues - that he lost 2 of his team members in a mission that he was not in on, because of a tooth ache.
So, Dan has a huge, heaping helping of survivor's guilt, with a smidgeon of PTSD symptoms thrown in. However, he is totally in denial.
He comes home after being discharged from the military and throws himself into planning his wedding to Jo. But he neglects to tell the bride, who received a wedding invitation on her birthday, and initially thought it was a joke. But, she soon realizes that he is serious and she becomes upset trying to cancel all the arrangements that were being made. (This was a drunken agreement, written on a beer mat, that if she wasn't married by her 33rd birthday, they would marry each other.)
Despite being best friends for, practically, their whole lives - - they don't discuss what is really going on until about two-thirds of the way through the book.
So, while they are finally starting to share their issues and concerns with each other, we have all these other things going on in the background. Including Dan not knowing how to deal with his cousin and her son, whose husband/son was one of the team members who was killed in the mission. He realizes he's actually in love with Jo, who categorically denies feeling the same about him at that time.
Then, we have Dan's parents having problems and divorce being discussed - - despite both of them eventually expressing love for each other - -and separating. Um, oh yeah, one of Dan's sisters is apparently in the process of her marriage ending - at least she is currently separated from her husband. We find out, almost at the end of the book, that she apparently kissed someone other than her husband.
We also have one of Dan's team members, who happens to be his sister's brother-in-law, come in to the picture and we find out he has a lot going on, including his plan on returning to active duty so that he can avenge his injuries and his friends' deaths. But, we can't forget the other member of the team who is in America, avoiding everyone, due to everything that he experienced during that apparent ambush.
Slowly, Jo starts to deal with her issues - finally placing her grandmother in the care facility that is well equipped to provide the necessary/loving care that is required. She deals with her fears of her cancer returning and her self-image and is sharing this 'burden' with Dan, acknowledging that she actually loves him and not just as a best friend.
Now, while she is coming to terms with everything, Dan is beginning t have doubts and actually shows up at Jo's house to cancel the wedding, but she does the about-face and states they are getting married. Of course, Dan, while agreeing to go through with it, is still having self-doubt, concerns, etc.
So, how does this all resolve? Well, apparently by drugging Dan and dropping him in the middle of the woods on the afternoon before his wedding to deal with his feelings, while finding his way out. He remains out until the next morning, waking up with no compass and no way to communicate with anyone in order to get out of the woods and to the church on time. He has a rucksack with some basic supplies, including some water and energy bars, to help him to get out of the woods.
Well, despite all odds - and being late - he shows up a little worse for the wear (his tux was packed into his rucksack for him), back to his old self, and they get married and live happily ever after.
Oh, and this all happens in a 3 to 4 week period.
The issues the characters were experiencing were dealt with (kind of)in a realistic way. However, like I said, there was almost too much going on for this book.
(Okay, my bad. I just looked and there is a follow-up book in which the team member of Dan's that is actually in this story - - the brother-in-law of Dan's sister - - does have his own book. It's "Stand-In Wife". I may pick it up to see if there are resolutions to all the extra story lines thrown in this book.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2025
Genre:
Contemporary Romance (with subgenres of Friends-to-Lovers, Military Romance, and Small-Town Romance)
Why You Should Read It:
Emotional and Heartfelt:
If you enjoy stories where love grows from deep friendship and emotional trust, this book delivers that in spades. Dan and Jo’s journey feels grounded and real.
Wounded Yet Hopeful Characters:
Both protagonists are carrying emotional (and physical) scars—Dan from war, Jo from a life-changing surgery. Watching them find healing in each other is both cathartic and inspiring.
Slow Burn, Strong Payoff:
This isn’t instant love—it’s built on shared history, vulnerability, and mutual care. If you appreciate romance with substance and slow emotional layering, this is for you.
Military Romance with Depth:
Rather than focusing only on action, it shows the emotional toll of service and the quiet strength it takes to reintegrate into civilian life—and to love again.
Feel-Good and Satisfying:
You get the cozy warmth of small-town settings, the intensity of long-held affection finally realized, and a rewarding happy ending.
A very good start, a not so good ending
Contemporary Romance (with subgenres of Friends-to-Lovers, Military Romance, and Small-Town Romance)
Why You Should Read It:
Emotional and Heartfelt:
If you enjoy stories where love grows from deep friendship and emotional trust, this book delivers that in spades. Dan and Jo’s journey feels grounded and real.
Wounded Yet Hopeful Characters:
Both protagonists are carrying emotional (and physical) scars—Dan from war, Jo from a life-changing surgery. Watching them find healing in each other is both cathartic and inspiring.
Slow Burn, Strong Payoff:
This isn’t instant love—it’s built on shared history, vulnerability, and mutual care. If you appreciate romance with substance and slow emotional layering, this is for you.
Military Romance with Depth:
Rather than focusing only on action, it shows the emotional toll of service and the quiet strength it takes to reintegrate into civilian life—and to love again.
Feel-Good and Satisfying:
You get the cozy warmth of small-town settings, the intensity of long-held affection finally realized, and a rewarding happy ending.
A very good start, a not so good ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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