A Wedding Blunder in the Black Hills - eBook
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A fun group of characters
A Wedding Blunder in the Black Hills
Kim O'Brien
It Was a Relationship of Convenience. . .Until It Became a Romance Millie Hogan and David Denvers both have big problems in small town Deer Park, South Dakota. MillieâÂÂa waitress with designs on HollywoodâÂÂhas a mother who keeps setting her up on disastrous blind dates, even though MillieâÂÂs never met a man she could trust. DavidâÂÂa widowed dentist with an almost-teenaged son and opinionated parentsâÂÂis being stalked by an amorous former patient. So when a lost filling lands Millie in DavidâÂÂs office, the two of them cook up a planâÂÂa fake relationship. No one gets hurt, and no one gets nagged. ItâÂÂs a great planâÂÂuntil they really start to care. Now what will they do? Turns out, it probably doesnâÂÂt matter: when Millie learns a shocking family secret she wonders if sheâÂÂs really wife material. Maybe itâÂÂs best to stick with the plan and head for Hollywood. And since DavidâÂÂs folks think MillieâÂÂs all wrong for him, well. . .he realizes he may have to let her go. IsnâÂÂt that what you do when you love someone?
This was a fun story that was predictable at times although it had some unexpected events. The characters were like people you would meet anywhere. They spiritual aspects were slow to start and the increased as the story continues. Although relationships that are unevenly yoked do not always go this way. It was nice to see that conversion and spiritual growth of the female lead. MillieâÂÂs mother was fun and probable the best character in the story. The changing age difference was a little difficult to follow, due to the less than believable timeline built into the story at the start.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
June 20, 2012
Trials and Tribulations can we endure
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. We never know what good can come from life's trials and tribulations. Never under estimate the power of prayer and God's timing in answering our prayers.
The main characters were pretty normal in my book considering their past. It was funny one minute and serious the next. I liked that the author touched on child bullying since it is such an issue for some children. The one thing in the book that confused me was a group of elderly friends. I did not see a need for that many women to be up in Millie's business or the need for such detailed description of these individuals unless there is to be more books involving this group of friends. It is great to have a support system but I just thought it was a little much. Also the ending seemed to have a little cliff hanger leaving this story open for another book possibly. It was a very good read. I would definitely recommend it.
October 4, 2011
A fun, lighthearted read
A good romance novel is a delicate balance between the predictable happy-ever-after, with a few surprises thrown in to keep us guessing, and enough humour to keep it moving without making me cringe. This novel had all three.
Millie is a 31-year-old waitress who works in her mothers' diner in Deer Park, South Dakota. She wants to leave town, go to LA and get in a commercial, a reality show, a daytime soap, so that one day her father (who left when she was a child) will see her and regret leaving. She has dated most of the men in town, but has a deep-seated belief that they will leave just like her father did, so she always breaks up with them first. Unfortunately, her mother had just arranged a blind date for her with the new dentist in town...
David grew up in Deer Park, and has recently returned from California to take over his fathers' dental practice. He has an 11-year-old son, Bart, and their housekeeper/nanny, Aris. His wife, Lisa, also a dentist, died five years ago, leaving David to rely on God and his church family. But now his mother - who is also his dental practice receptionist - is trying to get him together with Cynthia. David is not interested, partly because Cynthia is practically stalking him.
When a caramel toffee and a loose filling bring David and Millie together, they agree to 'faux date', to get their mothers' away from them, and hopefully to get Cynthia to back off. But there are unintended consequences as Millie gets to know David better and discovers she actually likes him and his son. Yet her insecurities won't let her actually believe or trust David, despite their growing attraction...
It all sounds great, but there were several things which I found really annoying - the title (there is no wedding until the epilogue), Millie's acting dream (if you want to act, join the local drama society, take drama lessons... do something!), David's age (he is supposed to be 32, which means he was married with a baby at 21, and has somehow managed to graduate from dental college and had enough money when the baby was born to hire a full-time nanny?). And finally, the final chapter and the epilogue. I don't want to add a spoiler, but in my opinion the final chapter and epilogue were just too perfect, to the point where it actually took away from where the story had finished.
Overall, this was a fun read, and by half-way through I was really wanting Millie and David to get over the fake dating idea and go for it, although the other part of me could see that David's faith meant that was never really going to let that happen unless Millie was a Christian too.
This ebook was provided by NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for review.
September 7, 2011
Formulaic Plot with Depth
After realizing that A Wedding Blunder in the Black Hills is the classic story of a "faux relationship" that turns real, I knew that I had to give the novel a try. No matter how formulaic the plot, I usually love these type of storylines. While I anticipated that the main characters Millie and David would fall in love as they "un-dated" each other, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth that O'Brien wove into her novel. Millie harbors secrets from her past and struggles to trust others in relationships; and while David is a successful dentist, he does not know how to approach the problems that seem to be enveloping his eleven-year-old son. O'Brien did a wonderful job of addressing the concerns and challenges that many young teens and their parents face today; and I especially enjoyed the often comical input from David's housekeeper. Even more delightful was Millie's meddlesome, but fun-loving, mother and the encouragement that Millie often received from her "aunts". As a reader, I was drawn into Millie's and David's small-town lives in the the Black Hills of South Dakota as they encounter the ups and downs of everyday life, while trying to build a "faux" relationship.
I recommend A Wedding Blunder in the Black Hills, which is available for purchase from Christian Book Distributors and Amazon.
I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley, courtesy of Barbour Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade CommissionâÂÂs 16 CFR, Part 255 âÂÂGuides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.âÂÂ
July 12, 2011
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