A July Bride by Beth Wiseman (Review)

A July Bride
by Beth Wiseman
A Year of Weddings Novella
Christian Fiction / Contemporary / Romance
Available June 2014
Zondervan
120 pages

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About the Book

Can she forgive the man who left her at the altar?

Alyssa Pennington dated Brendan Myers for three years before she accepted his proposal. For almost a year, Alyssa's friends and family helped her plan a lovely wedding to take place in the church she'd grown up in. It was the happiest day of her life when she walked down the aisle to be united with the man of her dreams. But when Brendan left her at the altar, Alyssa was consumed by humiliation, embarrassment, and a broken heart that wouldn't allow her to trust anyone. Especially Brendan.

Brendan Myers knows he will spend the rest of his life regretting what he did to Alyssa, the only woman he's ever loved. Without her, his life is empty. In one fateful moment, he'd panicked, destroyed their future, and ruined everything. Now he plans to win her back.

But winning back his bride might prove much more difficult than he can imagine. And even if he does get her to the altar again, will she think turnabout is fair play?

My Thoughts

I hate writing "less than positive" reviews, but sadly A July Bride was my least favorite of the Year of Weddings series. Alyssa is left at the altar, but then Brendan (the jilting groom) realizes the terrible mistake he made and begins frantically trying to win her back. I felt sorry for Alyssa and the humiliation she suffered. But beyond that, I didn't experience much emotion while reading this novella.

I wished the author had given me a bit ... more ... related to the reasons behind the sudden breakup. It also felt odd for another guy to come on the scene and for Alyssa to be caught between the two guys. I had a hard time establishing the ages of the characters. Many of the actions and conversations gave the story more of a middle school or young high school feeling, but since the characters were discussing marriage, I assume they were at least college-aged.

Overall, I just wasn't impressed with this story. So many of the other books in this series have been fantastic, but I would probably skip over this one. [2 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

About the Author

Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. Having sold over 1.3 million books, her novels have held spots on the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Bestseller List and the CBA (Christian Book Association) Bestseller List. She was the recipient of the prestigious Carol Award in 2011 and 2013. She is a three-time winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and an INSPY Award winner. In 2013 she took home the coveted Holt Medallion. Her first book in the Land of Canaan series—Seek Me With All Your Heart—was selected as the 2011 Women of Faith Book of the Year. Beth is contracted with HarperCollins Christian Publishing into the year 2018, and she has published twelve novels and nine novellas to date.

Beth and her husband are empty nesters enjoying the country life in Texas with three dogs, two cats, and two potbellied pigs. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel, paint, and enjoy time with friends and family. You can find Beth at Fans of Beth Wiseman on Facebook where she interacts with readers or visit bethwiseman.com to learn more about Beth and her books.

Beth Wiseman Online

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