3/5 stars
St. Martin's Press, 2013
384 pages
Adult Romance
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What an eye-catching title, am I right? Those nine words are the explanation Quinn Barton writes to her guests after she abruptly calls of her wedding to long-time love Burke after being informed by his brother Frank that Burke has been cheating on her. She ran off with Frank and although they enjoyed two nights of passion, she felt like she would never be freed from Burke if she stayed with his brother. Now it's ten years later, Quinn hasn't quite gotten over the heartbreak and both men are back in her life when their grandmother asks Quinn to make her wedding dress. With the aid of her best friend Glenn, Quinn has to start facing her past and reach for a brighter future.
Many times I crave a lighthearted romantic story and from the summary, I thought this might fit the bill. Indeed there were many moments of hilarity usually provided by Glenn who pushes Quinn out of her comfort zone with daily challenges ranging from the relatively mundane to the outrageous. However the angst experienced by Quinn over her feelings for both brothers drove me crazy. They were completely understandable-she had been with Burke for six years, starting in high school, with Frank always being a warm presence as well. But for some reason, I had no sympathy for her, preferring that she go back to chilling with Glenn instead of trying to fight her intense physical attraction to both guys.
Additionally I loved her career. She owns a custom wedding dress shop, designing exquisite creations to please brides of all sorts. I loved getting to see her customers and the way she delicately negotiated their wishes. She also faced competition mostly with grace and was rewarded with a positive outcome. I just wish this could have been more of a focus instead of the stupid guys.
Overall: I guess I wasn't craving romance as much as I thought because the non-romantic relationships and career paths were far more enjoyable than the romance at the focus of the story. Still it might tickle someone's heart though it didn't mine.
ahahaha best title ever!
ReplyDeleteI think it's certainly a conversation starter if someone had asked me what I was reading!
DeleteDefinitely one of the top 10 titles...ever! I think I'd need more romance in what seems like a romantic comedy (from the title, that is. Can't start out like that and not have some comedy!).
ReplyDeleteI wish I had found the romance more satisfying as the comedy definitely shone through!
Deletethe moments of hilarity sound great and that is a great title
ReplyDeleteI also like how easy it is to remember-that sticks in your brain!
DeleteOkay, I LOVE the title. I would read this one just based on the title. I can see how the flip-flopping of the romance would sort of grate on your nerves though, especially given Quinn's past with both guys. I may have to give this one a try at some point, since you did enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!
Molli
I would love to read your thoughts on this if you give it a read-I picked it because of the title in the first place!
DeleteBest title ever! I'm not usually a fan of brother love triangles -- way too messy :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics
I don't like brother love triangles either for exactly all those complicated reasons.
DeleteLOL great title, great review.
ReplyDeleteIt always made me chuckle to think of the title!
DeleteThis one actually looks quite interesting and a great one to branch out of my normal YA reads. Also, the title it awesome as everyone has pointed out before me :) Too bad it didn't impress you on the romance department.
ReplyDelete-Mari @ The Sirenic Codex
It has a very easy writing style and moved pretty quickly except for my dislike of the triangle.
DeleteI was thinking the exact same thing about the title, love it! Although the basis of this is a love triangle, it doesn't sound frustrating at all. Well, except for the obvious conflicting feelings lol. Great review!
ReplyDeleteAlise @ Readers in Wonderland
I think everyone's favorite part is the title :)
DeleteYes, the title is awesome! I like it when publishers don't go sucking all the personality out of titles.
ReplyDeleteI went through a major chick lit phase around the time Confessions of a Shopaholic came out, but always, always became incredibly frustrated with it as a genre because the leading ladies were so, so hopeless at their jobs. They took so little pride in their work that it was hard to respect them. I like that the new wave of chick lit seems to be featuring heroines that are passionate about their life's work, so much so that it becomes a part of the story. It sounds like Beth Harbison could have done this a little bit more, but points to her for trying!
I love the competent heroine! I also got tired of the leading ladies who ignore their jobs in fruitless pursuit of a guy-so sad and less interesting than it could be.
DeleteThat is certainly a fantastic title! It sounds like it might get a little irritating to me as well with the whole flip flopping thing between the guys, but I still think it sounds pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI found it doubly annoying because I was pretty sure how it was going to turn out and I just wanted her to figure that out as well.
DeleteI read one of her books a few years ago and really liked it (Hope in a Jar). This sounded like it would be fun too. I think it would be interesting to read about working in a bridal shop. I hate love triangles however and it sounds like that aspect of the book would ruin it for me.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely be willing to give another one of her books a try-will keep Hope in a Jar on my radar.
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