Sometimes destiny follows no rules...Winnifred Gardner, maid of honor at her best friend's wedding, never dreamed she'd be tempted by handsome, teasing Joseph Duggan, the best man. Her own wedding was only three months away!
The attraction was dangerous, and Winn knew it was wrong. But the initial thrill developed into a sensuous blaze, one that threatened to flare out of control. Winn was faced with an agonizing choice....
Comment: I've had this book in the pile since last year. I also have a few more to read and I'll try to get to them this year too. This is a famous author and has many fans. I've read some books by her before and liked them in general. I was curious about this story and looked for by how the author would deal with it.
This is Winnie and Joseph's story. They meet at their friend's wedding and seem to hit if off pretty well. But there's a problem, Winnie is engaged and will marry in three months. This doesn't stop them from becoming friends but it's hard not to admit the attraction and the connection between them. What could they do?
If one looks for interesting or well thought, or believable ways to make a relationship seem lacking by comparison, then this book wouldn't be it because, in my opinion, the most used cliché of them all is used as a solution to this couple's dilemma. The book is small and only covers the necessary, but the solution isn't as emotional as some issues in the previous books I've read by ms Spencer.
Of course the intended groom isn't loving or dangerous, that would make it more complicated to easily remove him. It would mean more heartbreak whether for both if they were in love or for her if he mistreated her. No, in this case, the groom isn't such a obstacle because they don't love each other completely and the reasons why they are getting married in the first place are easily solved after all the talk why they wouldn't.
I mean, I can understand why someone who is going to marry and has said so for a long time feels cold feet closer to the day but still goes ahead because of other's opinions, of expectations, of money spent, etc. These are strong factors in RL even if people passionately say it wouldn't matter all in the name of true love! But clearly meeting someone else is a huge motivation. I saw it happen to a neighbor actually. She married and a short two or three months after separated from her husband, and went on to live with someone else. Apparently she had doubts before marrying but with everything ready...
Anyway, people often go ahead with decisions not always feeling them. I understand. But in this book's case, both heroine and groom were in a comfortable position and it would be interesting to see how calling it off would affect others around them, namely the bride's mother, but things were done really simple and without fuss. I get it the aim wasn't this but the bride's feelings instead. Still, if the biggest issue as so easily put aide why bother?
Winn and Joseph are a good match, we have countless scenes with them interacting, with them thinking about the other, how their presence would affect them... Winn has a job that can become emotional. Her groom doesn't give her the heartfelt response she needs to cope sometimes and Joseph does. This is an obvious tactic to show us how perfect they are to each other, but honestly I felt everything was staged, put in the right places just to be right. It really didn't emotionally speak to me as her other books did.
All things considered, this is a cute story, surely applies to the way of writing of the 80s Harlequin (it's older than me!) but somehow it didn't seem amazing. There wasn't any subtlety to make the reader more interested in knowing what would happen, how it would happen.
I hope the other books I have to read are more entertaining and enjoyable.
Grade: 5/10
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