A December Bride by Denise Hunter Series: A Year of Weddings #1
Published by Zondervan Fiction on 17 September 2013
Pages: 120
Format: eARC
Happily ever after begins today. The honor of your presence is requested at a December wedding.
Every couple has a love story. Join us for a year of contemporary, seasonal wedding novellas, releasing in e-book every month. Each e-novella will include an excerpt from another wedding story in the Year of Weddings Collection as well as a list of the author’s full-length novels.
What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday season - for the sake of her career . . . and his heart?
Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy, the best friend of Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiance would be the last person she'd marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency, a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart. A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.
*I received a free ARC of A December Bride from Zondervan Fiction via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
A December Bride is a short, quick read, about Layla whose fiancé was snatched by her cousin Jessica. When it’s time for their wedding, Jason’s best friend, Seth shows up at the restaurant where she works to suggest they go to the wedding together. Layla is relieved to have a date, but she would have brought anybody but Seth – as she holds him responsible for breaking her engagement.
I never really got to like or understand Layla very much, and I didn’t get a romantic feel from her and Seth very much. Layla is willing to go to great lengths to secure a new job staging homes before they are sold, and pretending to be engaged to Seth, both to keep Jessica away, and to impress the right people. I felt that their relationship was very rushed, and it didn’t seem real, even in the end.
A Decmber Bride is not what I expected, there is more focus on Layla and her new business than anything else. But apart from that, I didn’t feel like I got to know her at all, Seth actually had more depth than her. Seth also showed his feelings, and was willing to fight for something he loved, whereas Layla was willing to lie to obtain what she thought she deserved. The writing is good, though, and the flow is even and made for a quick read.
I hope the other stories in A Year of Weddings series will be able to sweep me off my feet, but A December Bride kind of missed the mark for me. It seems I am a minority, though, as this book has an average of over four stars on Goodreads.
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Twitter: bmreviewsohmy
I always have to scratch my head when I think a book isn’t up to par with what everyone else thinks..lol. (I feel like I am the only person who is not a fan of Hunger Games..lol) I like it when a book has a variety of ratings it makes me decide more on if I want to read it or not. 🙂 Good review, hopefully you will like the other wedding books and this was just a rocky start.
Oh well. I guess expectations prior to starting to read can be part of what can end up disappointing us, Stormi. And don’t worry, I love you even if you aren’t a fan of Hunger Games 🙂
Sometimes, hype is not such a good thing – because the story is almost set up for failure if I think it’s going to be the best thing ever.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I hope that the other bride books are better than this one! *fingers crossed*
I have already read the January Bride book, and I enjoyed that a lot more 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Pamela.
Sometimes I feel like I’m with the minority, too, but then if a book (or the characters in it) doesn’t get you, there’s nothing you can do about it. I haven’t read this one but from your review it seems to me like I would have been in your same position. It bothers me a lot not to get the right connection with the main character.
Anyway, I hope the other stories do the trick for you, so that you get to proper enjoy them 🙂
Oh well, it happens. And I can never read a book differently than the way I actually read it, you know?
And I always need to feel some kind of connection to the characters, it helps even if they are able to make me mad 🙂
thanks for stopping by Silvia 🙂
I totally agree and a connection is fundamental 😉
Aw. Looks like the author has some problems with prioritization. Layla seems like your typical career woman who doesn’t really have time for love. What a pity that they ended up together. I think Seth really deserves a better bride.
The good thing is that this book still has some redeeming qualities. I hope that the future brides would be more adorable than Layla. ;D
Great review, Lexxie! I hope that you and the rest of the fam are having a good Thursday.
Yes! Seth definitely deserves someone nicer and more loving than Layla 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, my friend <3
it’s always difficult I think when you don’t understand the main character… really difficult to really enjoy the story.
Oh, what a letdown, Lexxie. The premise seemed promising. 🙁 I hope the other novellas in this series really knock your socks off! Excellent review, my friend.
I do hope you and your little girl are feeling a bit better today. And hopefully you’ve had a great book or two to keep you from feeling too badly. I just started Enticed by Ginger Voight…I have high expectations. 😉 **BIG HUGS** to you!!
Enticed sounds good, I hope it will live up to your high expectations, Brandee!
We’re both feeling better – she will go back to school tomorrow, but I think I’ll indulge in another day of resting.
Thanks for stopping by, Brandee *BIG HUGS*