When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she’s an accidental bride.
Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can’t seem to keep her head above water—and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected.
Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders’ Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high-school sweetheart—the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.
Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart.
Shay isn’t sure if the recent events are God’s will or just a preacher’s blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?
Denise Hunter lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
My Impressions:
Who are we supposed to please, man or God? Denise Hunter explores this question in her new romance novel, The Accidental Bride. Shay Brandenberger has been under the scrutiny of the people of Moose Creek since she was a child, or so she thinks. Poor choices and poor reactions have contributed to her desire to remain under the radar. But her first love, the man that left her at the altar 14 years before, has returned and all attempts to stay out of the limelight are lost. And vows recited in a Founder’s Day reenactment mean that Shay and Travis are now accidentally married! Travis uses the mixup to convince the suspicious Shay that he really does love her.
If you like light romance, I think you will like The Accidental Bride. I liked the characters, especially Travis. His sacrificial love really hit the mark! And while the actuality of being accidentally married may be pure poetic license, I thought the way Hunter portrayed the dilemma was spot on. Set in ranch country in Montana, The Accidental Bride captured the flavor of that region. This is the second offering in the Big Sky Romance series and can easily read as a standalone. But if you want to start at the beginning, check out A Cowboy’s Touch.
Recommended.
(I received The Accidental Bride from Thomas Nelson and B&B Media Group in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
That sounds fun! I definitely admire any author who can pull off an arranged marriage trope in a modern-day setting!