Do the opinions of those around us really matter? Most people would probably say no. But that doesn’t stop the feelings from being there. Shay Brendenberger has the same problem. Jilted at the courthouse at age 19, Shay reluctantly agrees to play the town founder’s wife at the annual reenactment of her EXTREMELY small hometown. She is sure everyone remembers her disgraced return and is mortified to find that the “groom” at the end of the aisle is none other than the guy who left her waiting over 10 years ago!
Through a mishap, the original marriage license (10 years old) ends up getting mailed in by the pastor performing the “fake” marriage. Thus the title The Accidental Bride. Travis, the groom, finds that he is still in love with Shay and offers her a deal to give him another shot. If she accepts, she might lose her heart. Again. If she doesn’t, she will lose her ranch.
This new novel by Denise Hunter is a great romance. I love that it is cleaner than a traditional romance. I also love that there is nothing in it that could cause me to be discontent in my own marriage . The electricity between them was palpable but it was never explicit. The only thing that bugged me about it was that she got pregnant and then didn’t tell him. I hate that.
Anyway, The Accidental Bride was a great novel and if you like cowboy/ranch books, romances and stories of second chances this is a great pick for you!
If you’d like to know more about Denise & The Accidental Bride, check out the interview below.
Q: In The Accidental Bride, your main character, Shay is continually concerned with what others might think. Worrying about the opinions of others is a common malady in today’s society. What made you decide to write about it?
As you say, it’s so common to be worried about what others think of us. I love that quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” So true! Shay needed to realize that it’s God’s opinion that really matters. When we focus on pleasing people, we tend to make poor decisions.
Q: This isn’t your first novel based on the cowboy lifestyle. What drew you to this particular lifestyle as the backdrop for your writing?
I’m drawn to the rugged appeal of the cowboy lifestyle. Even though I live in a city, I’m a country girl at heart, and I especially love the mountains; that’s why I was drawn to Montana for this series. There’s something simple and beautiful about living off the land that I think appeals to readers right now. Things are tough for so many people—and though the cowboy lifestyle is a hard one—it’s also very organic, a back to our roots kind of thing.
Q: The premise of The Accidental Bride is both interesting and unique. What inspired your decision to involve your hero and heroine in an “accidental” marriage?
I was watching a TV movie in which the actors were getting married, and I wondered, “What if the actor playing the preacher was an ordained minister? Would the couple be legally married?” Turns out, it’s not quite that simple to become accidentally married. There’s the matter of a marriage license that the pastor has to sign and mail to the proper government agency. So the good news is, it’s not likely to happen to you or anyone you know. But it sure was fun instigating such an event in a novel!
Q: Before she could forgive him, Travis had to rebuild Shay’s trust. Is this a necessary step, or do you believe we should forgive even those who may never be trustworthy again?
Trust and forgiveness are two different things. Forgiveness is something God commands us to do—regardless of circumstances like whether or not the offender is apologetic or has changed, etc.
Trust is different; it’s earned. And unfortunately, it takes a long time to build trust and only one bad decision to wreck it. We forgive the offender, but if he or she doesn’t change, we aren’t required to trust the person again. It’s the offender’s responsibility—if he or she wants to be trusted again—to earn back that trust.
Q: As an award-winning romance novelist you are, no-doubt, a role model for many would-be writers. What advice would you give to those who dream of one day being published? What’s an absolute must for a great romance?
- First of all, I recommend aspiring writers to study and practice. Writing is a craft to be honed, and no matter how much natural talent you have, it takes both of those things to become a good writer.
- Also, write the book you want to read. If you want to read that kind of book, there will be others who want to read it too.
- Study the market, not so that you can jump on every trend, but so that you know how your story fits into the market.
- Join a writers group so you can meet other writers—iron sharpens iron.
- Once you have a marketable manuscript, go to conferences. The American Christian Writers Conference is the best out there in my opinion (www.acfw.com). At conferences, you will learn from some of the best in the industry and get a chance to pitch your work to agents and editors.
- E-publishing is becoming huge, but don’t put a sub-par manuscript out there where it will only flounder. Hone the craft, write the best story you can, and learn to re-write. Then hire an editor. Every published author has one for a reason!
- Getting published can be a long, uphill climb, but persistence pays off.
Disclaimer: This book was received from The B&B Media Group in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
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