To Have and to Hold: Three Autumn Love Stories (A Year of Weddings 2 #10-12) by Betsy St. Amant, Katie Ganshert, Becky Wade

Meet the people who make it all happen—the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples—as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Love Takes the Cake by Betsy St. Amant

She’s known for her delicious cakes, but there’s no recipe for dealing with the new man in her life.

Charlotte Cantrell is always the baker; never the bride. When Will, a regular at Charlotte’s bakery, catches her attention, she can only hope that he is the reliable man this single mother has always hoped to find. The problem is that he’s regularly stopping in to buy cookies for another girl. But when Charlotte is hired to bake a host of wedding goodies for a difficult bride and finds out Will is the best man, she has the perfect opportunity to get to know him better—and find out how serious Will is about this other girl in his life.


The Perfect Arrangement by Katie Ganshert

Meeting Nate was truly an accident—but Amelia finds that he’s one of the few people she can count on.

Amelia Woods is a small-town wallflower and the proud owner of Forget-Me-Nots, a quaint flower shop. Despite her success in business, her love life has always been a bit lackluster. Until she spies on her ex-boyfriend’s wedding and ends up in an embarrassing fender-bender with handsome wedding guest, Nate Gallagher.

Meanwhile, Amelia’s younger brother, William, has proposed to his girlfriend. Amelia would be excited except she has evidence that the fiancée is not who she says she is. It seems Nate is the only one available for any advice-giving, and he’s good at it—and pretty fun to talk to, too.

As Amelia works to craft the perfect flower arrangements for other people—including a ninety-year-old “fairy godmother” named George—she begins to wonder if real love is better than the dream. And if it is, will Nate still be interested when he learns who she is?


Love in the Details by Becky Wade

She left him to save his future, but they’ve never gotten over each other.

When Josh returns to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, to help his best friend get married, he didn’t intend to run into church wedding coordinator—and ex-girlfriend—Holly. He can’t help but pine after the girl he never got over.

Holly broke up with Josh years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. But she loved him then and still loves him now. As she helps him plan his best friend’s wedding, she can’t help but feel horrible for the pain she caused him. And even though she longs to be with Josh, she doesn’t feel worthy of his big-time lifestyle when she is more comfortable in her small town world. Will Josh and Holly be able to keep things as they are when their true feelings threaten to surface at every turn?

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These novellas were published separately at one time and they are now combined into one book for your reading pleasure.  I had read (and reviewed) Love in the Details previously (I love Becky Wade) but I hadn't read the other two so I thought I'd pick this one up.

I don't think I've ever read anything by Katie Ganshert but I'll be looking her up after reading her novella.

All three of these novellas are so sweet.  I really enjoyed them.  The autumn theme was perfect for romance and falling in love.  These women are strong and independent- a baker, a florist and a event planner.  They are making a way for themselves and are in the perfect place to have romance enter in.

These stories are sweet, gentle and left my heart smiling.  

Content:  Clean

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Love in the Details: A November Wedding Story (A Year of Weddings Novella) by Becky Wade

When Josh returns to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, to help his best friend get married, he didn’t intend to run into church wedding coordinator—and ex-girlfriend—Holly. He can’t help but pine after the girl he never got over.

Holly broke up with Josh years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. But she loved him then and still loves him now. As she helps him plan his best friend’s wedding, she can’t help but feel horrible for the pain she caused him. And even though she longs to be with Josh, she doesn’t feel worthy of his big-time lifestyle when she is more comfortable in her small town world. Will Josh and Holly be able to keep things as they are when their true feelings threaten to surface at every turn?

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

It's sometimes hit or miss for me in these Year of Weddings novellas but I knew that this one would be a hit (or at least I had high hopes!) because it was by Becky Wade and I love her.  I knew I had to read this one.

Holly and Josh.  Josh and Holly.  In love but then she dumps him unexpectedly.  He is angry, she is sad.  Years later they cross paths again and the sparks are still there but so are the hurts.  It's not a new idea for a book but I it felt fresh to me.  The characters were real and driven by real emotions.  I liked Holly and Josh.  I liked their story and I liked the re-connection journey.  It was a sweet romance.

Today is release day for Love in the Details!  You can pick it up and read it today.  :)  My thanks to the publisher, Zondervan, for allowing me to read and review for them.  And also my thank to the author who let me jump on board her review team for this novella.

I said above that I just love Becky Wade.  The Porter Family Series is one of my all time favorites!  If you haven't read them yet, you should really check them out.

Love on a Deadline (A Year of Weddings Novella) by Kathryn Springer

Meet the people who make it all happen—the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples—as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

MacKenzie “Mac” Davis left her hometown of Red Leaf, Wisconsin, to pursue a degree in journalism. But when her dad, the town’s beloved Coach Davis, suffers a mild heart attack, Mac returns home to help out. She takes a job at the weekly newspaper but instead of covering serious topics, her editor wants her to write about social events—like the garden club’s flower show and the historical society’s afternoon tea. Mac knows it’s no way to earn her father’s respect—or the attention of one of the newspapers she hopes will hire her when she leaves Red Leaf.

When Hollis Channing, Mac’s high school nemesis, returns to Red Leaf to marry her celebrity fiancé, the editor asks Mac to cover the big event—and all the festivities leading up to—for the newspaper.

The last thing Mac wants to do is reconnect with the person who made her life miserable when she was a teenager . . . unless it’s spending time with Ethan Channing, the bride’s older brother—and Mac’s first crush.

Mac is no longer the awkward girl who wore the school mascot costume to the Homecoming dance but she realizes something hasn’t changed. Her feelings for Ethan.

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

This book is part of the Year of Weddings Novella Collection.  I picked it up on NetGalley because I've always enjoyed reading these kind of books.  Each month a new novella is released based on a common theme.  This series involves people who make weddings happen- the planners, photographers, musicians etc..  These books are stand alone and do not depend on any of the others.

MacKenzie was such an easy character to like.  I loved her sense of loyalty and devotion to her dad.  She leaves the life she has created post college and the future she had planned to move home and watch over her dad.  It's not necessarily what she wanted but she is determined to make the best of it.  She takes on the less than stellar job at the local newspaper but longs for more.  MacKenzie really wants to make it big in the world of journalism.

For me, Mackenzie stole the show but the other characters in this book brought depth and color.  I really liked Ethan and his devotion to his family.  He works hard to stand by them and make them happy.  He is an easy going guy and he is very interested in MacKenzie- all grown up and looking good.

I really liked the idea that people can change and you should be careful about judging situations and people by only what you can see.  Chances are if you really knew them, and their story, you would feel differently.  Mac learns this throughout the book and it was very satisfying.

Overall, a great book and I really enjoyed reading it.  It is clean- no swearing or sexual situations.  Light Christian Fiction.

In Tune With Love (A Year of Weddings) by Amy Matayo

April is willing to do anything for her sister’s wedding—until she comes face to face with a guy from her past.

April Quinn is thrilled to be her sister’s maid of honor, until the wedding coordinator quits and the responsibilities get dumped on her. It’s April’s worst nightmare—especially since her sister has more objections and opinions than a lawyer presenting a high-profile court case. When the wedding singer walks out at the last-minute, her sister hires a replacement. When April finds out who the replacement is, she’s ready to call it quits as well.
Because there’s only one person in April’s past that she never wanted to see again, and her sister just handed him a front row seat to the wedding.

Jack Vaughn finally has the career he’s always wanted. After playing in bars and singing in weddings as a struggling musician for half a decade, he’s just released his second album and sales are skyrocketing. But while visiting his parent’s Nashville home the weekend before his first headline tour, he runs into an old friend. When she asks him for a last-minute favor, he can’t bring himself to say no. Even though saying yes means he has to come face to face with April Quinn—the girl who hasn’t spoken to him in years.

And rightly so, since he stole something from her that he’ll never be able to repay.

 * Amazon * Goodreads *

Amy Matayo is one of my new favorite authors.  I'm always on the lookout for a new book from her so I can snatch it up and read it.  And yay for Goodreads where one of my book friends read and reviewed this book.  I ran over and grabbed it for myself so I could review it too.  My thanks to the publisher, Zondervan for allowing me to read and review this title for them via NetGalley.

This was such a fun novella.  My only complaint is that it ended way too soon.  I wanted more of Jack and April.  A lot more.

Poor Jack really did steal something from April that he cannot repay.  But, he's determined to try to make it up to her.  April is good at resisting.  She has years of resentment built up and that isn't easy to break through.  It was a fun battle to watch.  The interactions between April and Jack are great.  They made me smile.  The grocery store scene was classic.  It was nice to see the guy in the embarrassing position instead of the girl.  Ha!  

This book was sweet, clean, and romantic.  The attraction was there, the tension was there and the conflict was there.  You have to wait until the VERY end to get that first kiss but it's worth the wait.  :)

In Tune with Love is part of the Year of Weddings Novellas.

A July Bride (A Year of Weddings Novella) by Beth Wiseman

A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.
Can she forgive the man who left her at the altar?

Alyssa Pennington dated Brendan Myers for three years before she accepted his proposal. For almost a year, Alyssa's friends and family helped her plan a lovely wedding to take place in the church she'd grown up in. It was the happiest day of her life when she walked down the aisle to be united with the man of her dreams. But when Brendan left her at the altar, Alyssa was consumed by humiliation, embarrassment, and a broken heart that wouldn't allow her to trust anyone. Especially Brendan.

Brendan Myers knows he will spend the rest of his life regretting what he did to Alyssa, the only woman he's ever loved. Without her, his life is empty. In one fateful moment, he'd panicked, destroyed their future, and ruined everything. Now he plans to win her back.

But winning back his bride might prove much more difficult than he can imagine. And even if he does get her to the altar again, will she think turnabout is fair play?

Here is another novella from the Year of Weddings series.  I love the blue color on this cover.  It's so pretty!  What I love about this series is that each novella is written by a different author.  You don't have to read them in order to understand because each is as individual as the author.  You can just enjoy 12 great novellas that are sweet and clean.

This book was good and I really loved Brendan.  Yes, he made an awful mistake but you have to love his efforts to win Alyssa back.  Even if they are overboard.  His heart is in the right place.  Alyssa's hurt is deep and very real.  You can't blame her for not trusting Brendan.  It all comes down to good communication and forgiveness in the end.

I loved the plot and the storyline.  I think this book would have been better as a full length novel though.  I felt like there was just too much missing.  I felt like Dalton didn't have time to develop enough and I didn't really like him.  I'm not sure if that was the author's intent or not.  I wish I could have had more encounters with Brendan and Alyssa or even with Dalton and Alyssa.  Lots of time passes in the book that leave big holes and I felt like I was missing out on important stuff that could have made the difference in my understanding and attachment to the characters and story.

I did like this story and I was very interested in it.  I just felt like I was missing out on a lot in the end.  I'd love to read this as a full length book though!

My thanks to the publisher who provided a copy of this book for review.

* Amazon * Goodreads *

A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen

The reality show ended with an engagement, so why doesn’t this feel like the fairy tale she thought it would be?

The Rejection Connection hardly sounds like the place to fall in love, but Wynne Hardy walked off the reality-TV set with an engagement ring. And in the whirlwind of publicity and preparation that follows a TV-bride-to-be in her fifteen minutes of fame, Wynne barely has time to consider how she really feels about her new fiancé . . . to say nothing of how she still feels about her ex.

As the wedding plans develop, so too do Wynne’s doubts: Is she in love with Andy? Or is this really about Callum—the ex-boyfriend who sent her onto Rejection Connection in the first place? A nationally televised snub might be the best revenge . . . but is it a good reason to get married?

When Callum resurfaces at the worst possible moment, Wynne can’t help wondering if she’s made a huge mistake. Is her marriage a publicity stunt? And what happens when the cameras stop rolling, and she has a husband she barely knows?

I was really looking forward to reading this book.  The premise sounded good, one I would be interested in.  I don't know what happened though.  Somewhere it lost it's way and I wasn't as enchanted as I should have been.

The book didn't really focus on the reality TV show so much.  It's more of what happens after Wynne has already picked the guy, Andy, and what happens in the aftermath of the show.  One of my problems, I think, was that I really didn't know either Andy or Callum.  I didn't get a good sense of who either of them were and since both had made some mistakes, I wasn't sure who to set my favor on.  If that makes any sense.

The emotions really did revolve around Wynne and for some reason I had a hard time connecting with her.  I guess I really didn't "get" her.  I don't know.  One thing I do know is that she was confused most of the time.

This wasn't my favorite of the Year of Weddings collection but I still do love the series and I enjoy these light, romantic, inspirational novellas.  My thanks to the publisher, Zondervan, for allowing me to read and review these titles for them.

You can purchase "A June Bride" at Amazon.

A May Bride by Meg Moseley

She’s prepared for her wedding all her life … but she forgot a few things.
Ellie Martin, a country girl in Atlanta, often de-stresses from city life by tending the flower beds of a church near her apartment. She has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life, a wedding like the one her younger sister is planning back in their hometown. Their single mom will pay for Alexa’s wedding, but Ellie started her own wedding fund years ago. She only needs to find a groom.

She bumps into a man who’s a guest at a wedding on the church grounds. She’s noticed him around the neighborhood, but today he introduces himself as Gray Whitby. They embark on a whirlwind romance, but her mother doesn’t trust freewheeling men like him. Standing up to Mom leads Ellie to stick up for Alexa too. When Ellie risks her own plans for her sister’s sake, Gray feels betrayed. Will he always play second fiddle?
Will Ellie and Gray reconcile their differences so her dream wedding can come true, or will the romance they’ve begun come crashing down?

Slowly but surely I'm making my way through the Year of Weddings Novellas series.  This series features a new novella by a different author every month for a year.  What I love about this series is that first, they are all clean.  Second, I love that they are light, fluffy and I can read them in one sitting.  They are the perfect escape books.

In "A May Bride" we meet Ellie and Gray.  I like Gray.  He's a man who sees something he wants and goes for it.  All in, straight up.  He stands up for what he believes in and he doesn't mess around.  He enjoys life and he loves Ellie.  

Ellie has a few more glitches- namely her family.  Her mother is crazed and honestly, not very kind.  She rules the roost and Ellie lets her.  But it's hard to break from something you've always known and dealt with.  Ellie has a kind heart and while she also knows what she wants, she has a harder time getting there.

I enjoyed this book.  It was fun and romantic.  A sweet escape for sure.

You can purchase A May Bride at Amazon.

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.

A March Bride by Rachel Hauck (A Year of Weddings Novella)

Susanna has found her true prince, and their happily ever after is just around the corner. But when Nate asks her to give up something precious to her, Susanna can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign that their love is not meant to be.

Susanna Truitt (Once Upon A Prince) is three weeks from royalty. She’ll soon marry King Nathaniel II of Brighton Kingdom. But when the government insists she renounce her American citizenship before the wedding, coupled with the lack of involvement by family and friends, her heart begins to doubt whether this marriage is God’s plan for her.

Nathaniel would do anything for his bride-to-be. But he knows his position requires that she give up a lot to be with him. Her life will never be her own — right down to her very identity. When she travels home to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, right before the wedding, Nathaniel fears she won’t return. Gathering his courage, he devises a plan to win his bride all over again, and together they seek out a kingdom to treasure above all.

I'm on a roll with the "Year of Weddings" series and I'm up to March!  Okay, so I'm only 3 in but I'm really enjoying this series so far.  These are all novellas, one per month, quick and fun, all by different authors.  I can count on all of these books to be clean which is dreamy to me.  :)

Nathaniel is seriously the sweetest of men.  He will literally do anything for his bride-to-be.  I love how devoted he is to Susanna.  He wants to please her and show his love.  He goes out of his way to demonstrate that devotion and love.  It melts my heart.

This novella is a sort of follow up with the characters from "Once Upon a Prince" which fortunately I have read (and loved).  I'm sure this novella is meant to be a stand alone and can be read without having read the main book, but I'm not sure as I have read them both and in the right order.  All I can say is that I'm glad that I already knew the history of Susanna and Nathaniel when I started "A March Bride".  I had that base history of the two of them that helped me understand the conflict here and made the resolution all the sweeter.  It's so nice to have a follow up of characters you already know and love.  So, if you haven't had a chance to pick up "Once Upon a Prince" by Rachel Hauck, you might want to.  It's a good, clean read.  And yes, Christian Fiction as well.

My thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this title.

You can purchase this title at Amazon.

A January Bride by Deborah Raney

Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper––but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner––a man who's likely many years her senior––and who she’s never even met.

There seems to be a growing trend for shorter, series made books. I’ve been reading quite a few different ones and I have to say that I like it. This particular series is set with a new book each month by a different author. All these books have to do with brides and the series is called “A Year of Weddings”. To me, that’s pretty much a guarantee of a happily ever after. If you are looking for fluffy, romantic, quick reads, this series might be the one for you. A head’s up that this series is Christian Fiction in case that makes or breaks things for you. I, personally, like that because I know what I’m going to get. There will be no sex or language that I might find offensive.

This series actually begins with December, but I didn’t get the chance to read that one yet. I started with January and maybe I’ll just work my way through the year and end up with December.  J

What I liked about this book was how the romance actually came about. The couple didn’t actually meet until toward the end of the book. They did, however, exchange notes back and forth. The funny thing is that each one thought the other was considerably older than themselves. Madeline thought she was borrowing a quiet space to work during the day from a retired, older man. Arthur thinks he is letting an older lady borrow his home while he is gone during the day so that she can write her romance novels.

Another thing I liked was that the characters were a bit older. They had been through love and heartache and had a sense of maturity about them. They were both well established in their careers and had a good sense of who they are. There wasn’t a lot of nonsense, just two people trying to figure things out.

This was a good start to this series for me. I have “A February Bride” waiting for me to read next and I’m sure looking forward to it!

My thanks to the publisher, Zondervan, for allowing me to read and review this book.

You can purchase this book at Amazon.