Review: Very sweet and emotionally satisfying romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2014
This novella is all sorts of adorable. You don't need to have read the other books in Montana Born Brides's "The Great Wedding Giveaway" series, but this one does feature characters from the one written by Trish Morey, Second Chance Bride.There is desire that you act on, and there is one that you don't. Patrol partners Reid and Tara have always fought the hot pull of attraction sizzling between them. For a year. In an enclosed space.Tara, after all, is about to get married to a good man...who turns out to be not quite the person she imagined. Betrayed by the fiancé she thought she loves and suddenly unsettled with the realisation that she's done nothing but playing safe and settling most of her life--no thanks to her own father's abandonment and her mother's breakdown--she creates a bucket list with help from her more impulsive twin sister Scarlett. It's time for a little recklessness, to live life up a little.Reid's wanderlust takes him places, and he's just about ready to move on from Marietta's police force and his family's apple orchard now that his dad has recovered from an accident a year ago. Everyone's sure he's got that job in Chicago in the bag. He's going away soon one way or another, so anything he starts with Tara will be short-lived.But not giving in to temptation at all will always make them wonder what could've been between them.The story made me snicker, sigh, smile and swoon. Reid and Tara are comfortable with and trust each other; I like their easy camaraderie even as only friends and partners. But the undercurrent of attraction burns deep, and they soon fall into bed (prologued with steam at the car seat, I must add). All stops pulled, they begin to recognise that what they have has always been more than just physical chemistry. Such great development in both our main characters and their deepening relationship in such a short and sweet story. I wish it went on a little longer, but how everything comes together in the end is just right and very satisfying. It definitely helps that there's an epilogue for a more solid closure. :DI don't think I can praise Mayberry's writing enough. She has a way that makes me feel connected to the story and get invested in the characters, and it's no different with this novella. There *are* a few things that might prove distracting for a second: Tammy's absent because she "hadn't been unable to attend", some formatting boo-boos (those thoughts really should be italicised), an instance of "you're heart". They're not deal-breakers, I think, but here's a fair warning nonetheless. That said, Almost a Bride is one beautiful, nicely-paced romance I very highly recommend.(I need to add this! I made a huge, happy, giddy face when Reid told Tara, "The only part that's not negotiable for me is you." Darn, man.)