year of weddings

The Perfect Fall Read

September 17, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

As I write this review, I’m in Dallas, Texas for the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference. This is my first one and I’m excited to learn from many of the authors I’ve reviewed here on my blog. For the next three days, I’ll be meeting other authors, listening in on panels, and attending classes to help improve my own craft. Many of the writers here have contributed to the Year of Weddings novella series over the past two years. And I was so excited to see October’s author on the list this year. I’ve only learned of and read Katie Ganshert last year when I read A Broken Kind of Beautiful but have not been disappointed in anything I’ve read of hers thus far. Including…

On the day of her ex’s wedding, Amelia Woods can’t help but take a peak. Her best friend accuses her of sitting on the sidelines in her small Wisconsin town as the owner of a flower shop her mother once owned, unwilling to experience life.

When she runs into someone else’s car while surveying the group of people in front of the church, she’s horrified and hurriedly flees the scene before her stepsisters see her. Her stepsisters who, by the way, are in the wedding.

She and the owner of the car strike up an email correspondence because of an email address fail and are soon conversing about more than the fender bender. Amelia’s confused about her brother’s engagement and believes she saw something that will break her brother’s heart. She’s always looked after him and doesn’t want to see him hurt.

As Amelia and Nick grow to know each other via the computer, they also learn that maybe love can blossom even with distance.

This story has a little bit of a You’ve Got Mail feel to it. A fun communication between the main characters, some quirky and embarrassing (for Amelia) incidents, and the beginnings of love. While reading this novella, I felt like I was in the flower shop right alongside Amelia as she made the bouquets. And her regular Monday customer, George, is a throwback to days when gentlemen were the rule, not the exception. His story within the main story was an added bonus.

The Perfect Arrangement really is a great way to spend an evening. If you’re a rom com fan, definitely pick this one up (Available Sept. 29).

***BookLook Bloggers and Zondervan fiction provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Love Takes the Cake by Betsy St. Amant

July 31, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Charlotte can set her watch by her Tuesday evening customer. The handsome man’s order for his girlfriend never varies either. Then one Tuesday some friends of his come in—one of them is the Bridezilla she’s got a consultation with for a wedding cake. When the groom to be suggests Will take care of the cake, Charlotte is both concerned and delighted. Her attraction to this attached man is dangerous but, at the same time, she’d rather deal with that than the hyper-emotional bride-to-be.

Will’s life is consumed by caring for his sister. Can he really commit to spending a large chunk of time with the pretty baker? The temptation to kiss her is already pushing at his restraint. Finally agreeing, he realizes there is more to Charlotte than meets the eye. Something in her past has caused her a lot of pain, but will she trust him enough to share that past?

Author Betsy St. Amant has a talent for bringing her character’s past pain to life. How is it that one poor choice in the past can decide how you live life in the present? While both Will and Charlotte grow closer, they must deal with letting go of their guilt and prejudices from their past experiences.

***Booklook Bloggers and Zondervan Fiction provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I Hope You Dance by Robin Lee Hatcher

June 12, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

As much a fan as I am of Zondervan’s Year of Weddings Novellas they’ve been compiling for the past year and a half, I’ve most been looking forward to the second half of this year’s offerings. Some of my favorite authors are each taking a turn at one of these. Starting with Robin Lee Hatcher, an author I have been reading since college some twenty years ago.

Welcome back to Kings Meadows, Idaho. If you read Whenever You Come Around (which released in April), you met both Skye Foster and Grant Nichols briefly. If you did not read that book, this is a great introduction to a few of the other residents of Kings Meadows.

Skye Foster knew early on in life what she wanted to do: race horses and teach others to love dancing as much as she does. When her friends Buck and Charity plan a formal wedding and arrange for all of the members of their wedding party to take dance lessons, she dreams about the beauty of the wedding. The bride and groom dressed up, the couples on the dance floor. She longs to find someone to dance with. Someone who will give her the deepest desire of her heart, a large family. Grant Nichols has agreed to join the wedding party but since he works during the time the dance lessons will be held, he arranges for private lessons with the beautiful dance instructor. Sparks fly immediately. There is an instant attraction between Grant and Skye and they are pulled toward each other. While Grant is still trying to get away from his past, he’s learned to trust God. Even when it comes to his strong, unexpected feelings for Skye, he trusts God. Until he overhears something that makes him question everything. He doesn’t want a large family. In fact, he always believed he would never have kids. Perhaps a whirlwind romance is destined to only leave devastation in it’s path.

I always love book series because you get to visit some of the characters I fell in love with during other books. I Hope you Dance is no exception. Chet Leonard is back as are Charity, Buck, and Midge and Rand Foster. Hatcher is exceptional at making readers feel like they are part of the Kings Meadow community. I’ve said this several times before, but I prefer romance novellas where the main characters have a little bit of history with each other. While that did not happen in this one, I wasn’t disappointed or didn’t find the story unrealistic. Yes, things happened fast, but I’m sure plenty of people out there have similar stories. When you meet the one, sometimes you just know.

Available June 26 Preorder your copy now

***Booklook Bloggers and Zondervan provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In Tune with Love: An April Wedding Story by Amy Matayo

March 9, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

When April Quinn moved to Nashville to pursue a songwriting career, she never dreamed her reality would mean someone stole the lyrics she’d written on a napkin from the bar she worked at to pay her bills. Jack Vaughn’s days as a bartender come to an abrupt end one evening when he leaves the bar and stumbled across four written lines that became his first hit. Three years later—after becoming a bona fide musician with albums, tours, and adoring fans—Jack’s guilt is eating away at him, and he is ready to make amends in any way possible. So when April’s sister asks him to sing at her wedding, he agrees but apologizing to April turns out to be more difficult than he’d imagined. And he doesn’t relish the thought of going back on tour and not spending more time with her.

Through some cute and some hilariously awkward exchanges, both April and Jack begin to realize their misconceptions and errors. April has held on to her bitterness and expectation for an apology that has yet to come. Jack’s guilt has slowly grown to consume him. April had been his friend when they both worked at the bar even if he gave her a hard time about writing her lyrics everywhere—including his arm on at least one occasion. As April’s regret in agreeing to help her high maintenance sister with the wedding when the wedding coordinator quit grows daily as the wedding draws near, Jack comes up with a plan to help. But will it be too little too late?

I love that the bulk of this story takes place three years after the incident which escalates Jack’s career and causes April’s immense disdain toward him. Three years gives these main characters time to grow in maturity and mature in appearance. It was also fun to read a story set in my hometown—Nashville. While the places in the novella are fictions, there are plenty of real places I could insert into the story with no stretch of my imagination. Amy Matayo is a new-to-me author but someone I will definitely be looking into more and keeping an eye on in the future because this was a keeper in this year’s wedding novella collection.

****Zondervan provided me with a copy of this novella via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck

December 6, 2014 by Suzie Waltner 1 Comment

“A Year of Weddings” continues December 30 in A Brush with Love

Ginger Winters has spent her adult life making others beautiful but is convinced she will never fit into the bold and beautiful crowds. Almost content with hanging in the shadows and hiding her burn scars from childhood, Ginger has returns home to Alabama to open her own salon after traveling the world as the stylist for a famous country musician. When Tom Wells, a boy she had a crush on when she was a teenager and the only boy to ever ask her out, all of her insecurities are brought to light. Why did Tom ask her out on a date and then disappear without a word. Sure his family moved but why didn’t the guy ever call and apologize (or at least explain). Will Ginger ever be able to see herself from God’s eyes?

Rachel Hauck has been a favorite author of mine for years and this novella did not disappoint. Some of the scenes in the novella were humorous and made me smile. Others made me sad for Ginger and her past. Tom is a man after God’s heart that you want to see win the woman at the end. This short, engaging love story will keep you cozy on a chilly winter evening.

Preorder your copy here.

****Zondervan Publishing provided me with a complimentary copy of this novella in exchange for an honest and fair review.