Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Bride for a Day by Carolyn Brown Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on March 29, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 312
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Cassie O'Malley is a woman on the run when she when gets tangled up with a suspicious local sheriff and, on the spur of the moment, turns to a handsome stranger to get herself out of a tight spot.
Ted Wellman didn't go to town to get hitched but that sweet girl with her big green eyes looked desperate. Suddenly he finds himself married to a stranger. No problem, his uncle's a lawyer and everybody knows he's in no emotional condition to settle down, not since the death of his brother put him on emotional lock down.
Carolyn Brown writes country charm and cowboy romance like few others. It was with utter fascination I discovered she was reissuing her very first published books she wrote as Abby Gray. Eager to check out one of her first efforts, I dove into this engaging small town romance.
Cassie O’Malley is a young woman, reared in the foster system and running away from her loser guardian who was attempting to sell her to human traffickers. When he couldn’t get her back, he sicced the law on her by reporting her as a thief. Naturally, she is scared and gets jittery when she gets off the bus in a small town and encounters the local sheriff in the diner. She latches onto a young cowboy sitting nearby to pretend they’re together and astoundingly, he plays along even to a visit to the courthouse to give her a sort term marriage to protect her. Cassie has never encountered such a place and finds herself fitting in for the first time in her life with a family and a friendly town. Ted is pretty great, too. Too bad it’s temporary, or is it?
Ted Wellman is young, but he is certain a relationship and marriage is not in the cards for him since he is convinced that his heart is out of reach after his brother died. But, he’s not beyond playing the cowboy version of Sir Galahad to a scared young woman. He’s not worried about putting a ring on it because his uncle is a lawyer and will get it annulled when the time comes. However, his big quirky family of Wellmans have other ideas when they catch sight of Cassie and, if he’s honest, he’s not that eager to end it, either.
Bride for a Day front loads most of the excitement in that all the big moments do seem to happen in the first third of the book. In fact, some issues just seem to fade away. Then it settles into that easy, gently-paced country life and slow burn loving I’m used to from the author’s books. It was a forgone conclusion where things would end up and I was happy to go along with it. Cassie, Ted, his fun family and the town were easily lovable and I was having fun seeing his family determine Cassie was a good thing for Ted and do their darnedest to make it happen. Ted just had to acknowledge that his grief and loss from the past really didn’t stop him from loving a good woman and Cassie had to do a clean out of her past, too.
So, easy-going and light entertainment in this cowboy romance. Those who don’t mind the less dramatic and gentle-pacing of a country small town setting and characters should definitely slip this one into the reading pile.
About Carolyn Brown
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown was born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma. These days she and her husband make their home in Davis, Oklahoma, a small town of less than three thousand people where everyone knows everyone, knows what they are doing and with whom, and read the weekly newspaper to see who got caught.
A plaque hangs on her office wall that says I know the voices are not real but they have such great ideas. That is her motto and muse as she goes through the days with quirky characters in her head, telling their stories, one by one, and loving her job.
She has been married almost half a century to a retired English teacher that she calls Mr. B and he does not read her books before they are published because she cannot afford a divorce. They have three grown children.—and enough grandchildren to keep them busy and young.
When Carolyn is not writing she likes to sit in the back yard and watch the two tom cats protect the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, other cats, spiders and blue jays.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 Wormhole by Eric Brown, Keith Brooke #EricBrown #KeithBrooke #EricMichaelSummerer @TantorAudio #LoveAudiobooks @sophiarose1816 - September 18, 2024
- Long Odds in Nuala by Harriet Steel @harrietsteel1 @sophiarose1816#KindleUnlimited - September 15, 2024
- Dead Point by Lavonne Griffin-Valade #LaVonneGriffin-Valade @severnhouse #KindleUnlimited @sophiarose1816 - September 11, 2024
Lovely review – I’m glad you enjoyed this one. It didn’t quite work for me, I just couldn’t get on with the author’s voice – it felt a little dated in style. I’m sure if I’d read her more recent work and was a fan I would have been more forgiving of this one, but it was my introduction to her work and I just wanted something a little… more.
That is true, Louise. I think you’re right about certain books being a better place to start and yes, she definitely as a style of writing that takes adjustment the first time. I started with her straight up cowboy romances that are mostly published by Sourcebooks and some Montlake and then slid into the women’s fiction ones that I’ve lately enjoyed even more. Maybe the next try will do it for you. 🙂
Nice. A gentle-pacing of a country small town setting sounds great for a cozy vibe.
For sure, Velvet. It’s a nice cozy setting.
I like the sound of this one. You know I’m a Carolyn Brown fan and have read a lot of books by her, but I didn’t know she wrote under another pen name. I want to get to this one at some point. Wonderful review, Sophia!
Yeah, that was a surprise to me, too, since I’ve seen several older books under the Carolyn Brown name so just assumed she’d always written under that one. Neat to read her first!
Nice review, Sophia. I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. There is a scene near the beginning that just didn’t sit right with me and I couldn’t finish the book. Also, as it’s a reprint, I think the older style of writing wasn’t for me. I’m glad you enjoyed it! I normally love Carolyn Brown books.
Yeah, that’s happened to me before. It might not be more than a one-scene incident, but it’s enough to sour me on a whole book. But, as you know, so many more of hers to love so onto the next one. 🙂
sometimes easy and light hits the spot
I agree, Sherry! 🙂
Awwww I love Carolyn Brown. I really need to pick up something from her soon.
So many good ones to pick from. 🙂
This sounds really good. I honestly have no excuses for not reading this author yet!
LOL, I have no doubt you’ll have a good time once you get the chance.
That easy, gently-paced country life and slow burn loving you describe sounds like a nice vibe for a book. This sounds like a solid cowboy romance.
It does have a great vibe. 🙂
Great review you have of this one here. I have been meaning to read this author more though. I do love the way she implements the country lifestyle, but also her slow burn talents is so well done and I really like that she kept the drama at a minimum it seems. That is always a plus.
I know I can count on Carolyn Brown to give me an even-keeled story. 🙂