An April Bride by Lenora Worth (A Year of Weddings Novella)

War changes everything . . . even their love.

Bride-to-be Stella Carson can’t wait to marry her longtime sweetheart Marshall Henderson. But Marshall has been away serving his country and after suffering a head wound and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome, he has distanced himself from Stella by asking her not to visit him in a Washington, D.C. hospital.

Marshall returns to Louisiana just four weeks before the wedding, but as the big day draws near, Stella wonders if the man she’s loved for most of her life still wants to marry her.

Well, I'm up to April in the Year of Weddings series!  All the books in this series are quick reads- novella length and they are also Christian based.  You can read them in any order as they are not connected in any way.  Each one has it's own style and flavor because each is written by a different author.  It's a fun concept and I'm really enjoying the journey through this series.  My thanks to the publisher, Zondervan, and to NetGalley for making these books possible for me to review.

I love the soft purple colors in this cover- they are so pretty and remind me of all things soft and gentle. 

This book felt a bit different to me because this was about a couple, Stella and Marshall, who were already in love, preparing for a wedding as soon as he returned home from his service in the military.  Unfortunately, Marshall suffers from a head wound he recieved in a bombing accident and is sent to a hospital for recovery.  Stella doesn't realize the full extent of his injuries at first and when she does, it is a hard pill to swallow.  He cannot remember her at all.  

This is a story about finding love all over again.  It is a story about faith and loyalty.

Both Marshall and Stella are good people who want to do the right things.  Stella loves Marshall and that has never changed but she struggles with the knowledge that she might be trapping him by marrying him.  She wants Marshall to marry her for love- the love they shared before.  He doesn't remember her or the time and love they have shared but he is determined to keep his promise to Stella by marrying her.  Marshall holds out the hope that his memories will be returned eventually.

I really enjoyed this novella.  It had a different take on love and relationships.  The characters were easy to like and I wanted so, so badly for a happily ever after for them.  The Christian elements were there as the couple met with their pastor for counciling and relied on God to help them find patience and answers.

You can purchase this book at Amazon.