Happy Friday Guys :)
I wanna thank you all for joining me today on The Preppy Book Princess.
I wanna be honest with you all, and share that some of the darkness in the world has been getting me down the last few weeks. There's so much hate, and hurt, and evil out there, and I knew I needed to set aside some extra time to truly revel in God's word this month, as that's the only place that can help with all this hurt. One of the ways I like to encourage myself during times like this is reading inspirational fiction books. And that's why during the month of March I've kept my TBR list to primarily Christian books. This has definitely been the right decision for me, as I've read so many amazing books that have helped strengthen my faith, and as always, I love that Christian reads are generally clean reads that I don't have to weed out objectionable content in.
That being said, I will definitely still continue to read non-Christian books as well, including in this month, but I'm definitely starting to realize that I feel more uplifted when I read books that speak of the power in God's word, prayer, and His healing hand, and I've really loved most of the inspirational tales I've read so far this month.
One such book was the novella collection, Spring Brides, and I thought it would be the perfect review to start off the weekend today.
Spring Brides by Rachel Hauck, Lenora Worth and Meg Moseley:
Source: Complimentary from the publisher at a book convention
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2015
Genre: Inspirational Fiction/Contemporary Romance
Now as this book is actually composed of three separate novellas, I'm going to review each story separately, so it'll be a little different format than how I typically do my reviews.
A March Bride by Rachel Hauck:
Synopsis:
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, Susanna s heart begins to doubt whether this marriage is God's plan for her.
******synopsis from goodreads******
My Review:
I actually received this book when I attended RT Booklovers back in April of 2016, and all I really knew about it was that it was a continuation of the Year Of Weddings novella series. I ended up reading Winter Brides, shortly thereafter, but this one kind of got put on the back burner for awhile. So imagine my surprise when I picked it up for this month's tbr pile, and discovered that A March Bride is a continuation of the beloved character's introduced in Rachel Hauck's Once Upon A Prince. I was so excited to discover this, and I couldn't wait to read more about Nathaniel and Susanna's relationship. I've talked about Once Upon A Prince quite a few times on my blog before, and you can find those here, here and here.
One of my favorite things about Rachel's writing, is the way she blends the faith element in so seamlessly and authentically, and the way her character's are never portrayed as perfect. In A March Bride, Susanna and Nathaniel are in the process of preparing for their wedding day, when a new political amendment to Nathaniel's established marriage act provides new complications. Susanna is left reeling from the news, and doesn't know how she can truly become part of Nathaniel's life in Brighton, without giving up every part of herself in the process.
Of the three novellas in this particular bind up, this one was by far my favorite. Susanna and Nathaniel are both such selfless characters, and their faith journey is always so endearing to read about. Once again, the reader is shown how humbled they become when they realize that God's plan is often different than our own, and I absolutely loved it. Their relationship was swoon worthy as always, and getting another glimpse into Susanna's life back in the south was an added bonus I wasn't expecting. This was a great follow up to the first book, as it was extra exciting to get to be there while Nathaniel and Susanna were preparing for their nuptials, and this is one series I honestly can't wait to continue on with.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An April Bride by Lenora Worth:
Synopsis:
Bride-to-be Stella Carson cannot wait another day to marry soldier Marshall Henderson. But when Marshall returns home to Louisiana, it becomes clear to them both that he is not the man he used to be.
With only weeks until the wedding, Stella and Marshall must choose between a marriage built on the past and faith in long-ago love or a very different future than the one Stella imagined.
******synopsis from goodreads*****
My Review:
An April Bride by Lenora Worth focuses on bride-to-be Stella Carson, who's been in love with her fiance for as long as she can remember. They grew up together, and soon their beloved friendship turned into something more. Stella knows in her heart that her and Marshall belong together, but life throws an unexpected curve ball her way, that no bride would want so close to her wedding day. Marshall had been serving in Iraq, and was badly injured in an attack. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Marshall's memories have been jeopardized, and she soon comes face to face with the truth-their wedding is in less than a month, and her groom can barely remember who she is.
Stella is soon plagued with unease as to whether this wedding can truly be God's plan for her and Marshall. Is she forcing Marshall into something he doesn't want? Is Marshall only going along with the wedding plans to avoid breaking a promise to her? In this beautiful story, Lenora Worth tackles the tough topic of PTSD, and the devastating effects it has on those suffering with it. The reader soon discovers there's a lot more to Marshall's story than was originally hinted at, and Stella and Marshall will both need to learn to rely on God's power and grace to help them on their turbulent journey.
I really enjoyed this lovely novella, and it's emphasis on faith, healing, family, and love, and I thought it was wrapped up beautifully, while still focusing on the important aspects as to why Marshall was having all the troubles he was. It also brought attention to the fact that you can't ever hide from your problem's, and that our Heavenly Father can't truly help us heal until we're willing to let him do so. This was another great addition to the Year of Weddings series, and I really really enjoyed it.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A May Bride by Meg Moseley:
Synopsis:
Ellie Martin, a country girl living in Atlanta, has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life, but she s missing a key ingredient to her plans for the future: a groom. Then Ellie meets Gray Whitby at a wedding of all places. But when Ellie jeopardizes her own future for the sake of her sister, Gray feels like he'll always be second to Ellie's family. Can Ellie and Gray find their own way together amidst the demands and perceptions of others, or will their romance end before it has truly begun?
*******synopsis from goodreads*******
My Review:
I'm going to be honest and say that this one is my least favorite in The Year Of Weddings series so far. It started out as a sweet tale of a couple who meet accidentally at a wedding, Ellie and Gray, falling in love, and beginning to plan a future together. Unfortunately, as their relationship becomes more serious, Ellie's family throws a massive wrench in their plans. See Ellie's mother made the mistake of getting pregnant out of wedlock, and her husband deserted her when Ellie and her sister were young children. Since then she's determined that neither of her daughter's will ever make the same mistakes she did, and so she refuses to accept Gray's presence in her daughter's life. Ellie's soon pulled in multiple directions as her younger sister's currently planning her extravagant wedding, and she's trying to be there for both her and her mother. However, Gray feel's she's giving her family too much control over her life, and demands that she takes a step back if she truly wants to give their developing relationship a chance.
Unfortunately, once this story really got going, certain parts of it really bothered me. To start with, Ellie's mother was the type of hypocritical Christian that really annoys me, and I had a hard time wanting to read about her character. It's these type of Christian's that give the rest of us a bad name, and it was so frustrating to see the way she behaved. Likewise, I really didn't care for Ellie's younger sister either, as she seemed to be a typical spoiled brat for most of the novel, and in the end, she gets exactly what she want's anyways, and I seriously didn't like how everything wrapped up. And lastly, Gray's character himself really started to grate on my nerves. I completely understood that he wasn't a fan of Ellie's mother controlling her life, but he really didn't do anything to help the situation, and instead seemed to expect Ellie just to cut all ties with her family, and that's definitely not the answer. I found the ending really didn't resolve any of these issues, and I was left feeling disappointed with how everything wrapped up.
There were definitely still moments I enjoyed; like the church's garden setting, and the incredible pastor that Ellie ends up meeting there, and the way that Ellie herself is determined not to behave in the judgmental manner in which she's been raised. However, this one was definitely not as good as the other novellas in the series so far, and I only gave it a three star rating instead of my usual four or five.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
All in all, I can say that I really enjoyed the spring addition to The Year of Weddings series, and I'm definitely looking forward to continuing on with Summer Brides really soon.
Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll see you all again on Monday :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
I wanna thank you all for joining me today on The Preppy Book Princess.
I wanna be honest with you all, and share that some of the darkness in the world has been getting me down the last few weeks. There's so much hate, and hurt, and evil out there, and I knew I needed to set aside some extra time to truly revel in God's word this month, as that's the only place that can help with all this hurt. One of the ways I like to encourage myself during times like this is reading inspirational fiction books. And that's why during the month of March I've kept my TBR list to primarily Christian books. This has definitely been the right decision for me, as I've read so many amazing books that have helped strengthen my faith, and as always, I love that Christian reads are generally clean reads that I don't have to weed out objectionable content in.
That being said, I will definitely still continue to read non-Christian books as well, including in this month, but I'm definitely starting to realize that I feel more uplifted when I read books that speak of the power in God's word, prayer, and His healing hand, and I've really loved most of the inspirational tales I've read so far this month.
One such book was the novella collection, Spring Brides, and I thought it would be the perfect review to start off the weekend today.
Spring Brides by Rachel Hauck, Lenora Worth and Meg Moseley:
Source: Complimentary from the publisher at a book convention
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2015
Genre: Inspirational Fiction/Contemporary Romance
Now as this book is actually composed of three separate novellas, I'm going to review each story separately, so it'll be a little different format than how I typically do my reviews.
A March Bride by Rachel Hauck:
Synopsis:
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, Susanna s heart begins to doubt whether this marriage is God's plan for her.
******synopsis from goodreads******
My Review:
I actually received this book when I attended RT Booklovers back in April of 2016, and all I really knew about it was that it was a continuation of the Year Of Weddings novella series. I ended up reading Winter Brides, shortly thereafter, but this one kind of got put on the back burner for awhile. So imagine my surprise when I picked it up for this month's tbr pile, and discovered that A March Bride is a continuation of the beloved character's introduced in Rachel Hauck's Once Upon A Prince. I was so excited to discover this, and I couldn't wait to read more about Nathaniel and Susanna's relationship. I've talked about Once Upon A Prince quite a few times on my blog before, and you can find those here, here and here.
One of my favorite things about Rachel's writing, is the way she blends the faith element in so seamlessly and authentically, and the way her character's are never portrayed as perfect. In A March Bride, Susanna and Nathaniel are in the process of preparing for their wedding day, when a new political amendment to Nathaniel's established marriage act provides new complications. Susanna is left reeling from the news, and doesn't know how she can truly become part of Nathaniel's life in Brighton, without giving up every part of herself in the process.
Of the three novellas in this particular bind up, this one was by far my favorite. Susanna and Nathaniel are both such selfless characters, and their faith journey is always so endearing to read about. Once again, the reader is shown how humbled they become when they realize that God's plan is often different than our own, and I absolutely loved it. Their relationship was swoon worthy as always, and getting another glimpse into Susanna's life back in the south was an added bonus I wasn't expecting. This was a great follow up to the first book, as it was extra exciting to get to be there while Nathaniel and Susanna were preparing for their nuptials, and this is one series I honestly can't wait to continue on with.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An April Bride by Lenora Worth:
Synopsis:
Bride-to-be Stella Carson cannot wait another day to marry soldier Marshall Henderson. But when Marshall returns home to Louisiana, it becomes clear to them both that he is not the man he used to be.
With only weeks until the wedding, Stella and Marshall must choose between a marriage built on the past and faith in long-ago love or a very different future than the one Stella imagined.
******synopsis from goodreads*****
My Review:
An April Bride by Lenora Worth focuses on bride-to-be Stella Carson, who's been in love with her fiance for as long as she can remember. They grew up together, and soon their beloved friendship turned into something more. Stella knows in her heart that her and Marshall belong together, but life throws an unexpected curve ball her way, that no bride would want so close to her wedding day. Marshall had been serving in Iraq, and was badly injured in an attack. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Marshall's memories have been jeopardized, and she soon comes face to face with the truth-their wedding is in less than a month, and her groom can barely remember who she is.
Stella is soon plagued with unease as to whether this wedding can truly be God's plan for her and Marshall. Is she forcing Marshall into something he doesn't want? Is Marshall only going along with the wedding plans to avoid breaking a promise to her? In this beautiful story, Lenora Worth tackles the tough topic of PTSD, and the devastating effects it has on those suffering with it. The reader soon discovers there's a lot more to Marshall's story than was originally hinted at, and Stella and Marshall will both need to learn to rely on God's power and grace to help them on their turbulent journey.
I really enjoyed this lovely novella, and it's emphasis on faith, healing, family, and love, and I thought it was wrapped up beautifully, while still focusing on the important aspects as to why Marshall was having all the troubles he was. It also brought attention to the fact that you can't ever hide from your problem's, and that our Heavenly Father can't truly help us heal until we're willing to let him do so. This was another great addition to the Year of Weddings series, and I really really enjoyed it.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A May Bride by Meg Moseley:
Synopsis:
Ellie Martin, a country girl living in Atlanta, has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life, but she s missing a key ingredient to her plans for the future: a groom. Then Ellie meets Gray Whitby at a wedding of all places. But when Ellie jeopardizes her own future for the sake of her sister, Gray feels like he'll always be second to Ellie's family. Can Ellie and Gray find their own way together amidst the demands and perceptions of others, or will their romance end before it has truly begun?
*******synopsis from goodreads*******
My Review:
I'm going to be honest and say that this one is my least favorite in The Year Of Weddings series so far. It started out as a sweet tale of a couple who meet accidentally at a wedding, Ellie and Gray, falling in love, and beginning to plan a future together. Unfortunately, as their relationship becomes more serious, Ellie's family throws a massive wrench in their plans. See Ellie's mother made the mistake of getting pregnant out of wedlock, and her husband deserted her when Ellie and her sister were young children. Since then she's determined that neither of her daughter's will ever make the same mistakes she did, and so she refuses to accept Gray's presence in her daughter's life. Ellie's soon pulled in multiple directions as her younger sister's currently planning her extravagant wedding, and she's trying to be there for both her and her mother. However, Gray feel's she's giving her family too much control over her life, and demands that she takes a step back if she truly wants to give their developing relationship a chance.
Unfortunately, once this story really got going, certain parts of it really bothered me. To start with, Ellie's mother was the type of hypocritical Christian that really annoys me, and I had a hard time wanting to read about her character. It's these type of Christian's that give the rest of us a bad name, and it was so frustrating to see the way she behaved. Likewise, I really didn't care for Ellie's younger sister either, as she seemed to be a typical spoiled brat for most of the novel, and in the end, she gets exactly what she want's anyways, and I seriously didn't like how everything wrapped up. And lastly, Gray's character himself really started to grate on my nerves. I completely understood that he wasn't a fan of Ellie's mother controlling her life, but he really didn't do anything to help the situation, and instead seemed to expect Ellie just to cut all ties with her family, and that's definitely not the answer. I found the ending really didn't resolve any of these issues, and I was left feeling disappointed with how everything wrapped up.
There were definitely still moments I enjoyed; like the church's garden setting, and the incredible pastor that Ellie ends up meeting there, and the way that Ellie herself is determined not to behave in the judgmental manner in which she's been raised. However, this one was definitely not as good as the other novellas in the series so far, and I only gave it a three star rating instead of my usual four or five.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
All in all, I can say that I really enjoyed the spring addition to The Year of Weddings series, and I'm definitely looking forward to continuing on with Summer Brides really soon.
Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll see you all again on Monday :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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