Reviewer: Rowena Vision in White (Bride Quartet, #1) by Nora Roberts
Series: Bride Quartet #1
Also in this series: Happy Ever After (Bride Quartet, #4), Savor the Moment (Bride Quartet, #3)
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 28th 2009
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 325
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating:
Wedding photographer Mackensie "Mac" Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be's brother...an encounter that has them both seeing stars.
A stable, safe English teacher, Carter Maguire is definitely not Mac's type. But a casual fling might be just what she needs to take her mind off bridezillas. Of course, casual flings can turn into something more when you least expect it. And Mac will have to turn to her three best friends-and business partners-to see her way to her own happy ending.
I have been looking forward to reading this book for quite some time now. I thought the cover was too cute for words and I’m girly enough to get a little excited about weddings. So anyway, I finally picked this one up and was super excited to read it and while I enjoyed it, I can’t say that it was one of NR’s best. I don’t think it’s because of the way this book was written or because Nora did something wrong, I just think it was more of a preference kind of thing.
Nora Roberts excels at writing character driven stories that pull the reader deep into the lives of the characters in her books. She does a phenomenal job of creating worlds that the reader can be comfortable in and that’s why I enjoy reading Nora Roberts so much. This book showcased that.
My fascination with this series wasn’t mainly focused on the leading couple of the story, but with the foursome of friends who started a wedding business together. There’s Parker, the detail oriented one, she was the one that took care of all the details of each wedding, she took care of everything that everyone forgot about then there was Laurel, the baker. Emma was the florist and then finally, Mackenzie was the photographer. They each brought something different to the wedding table and they each helped each other get things done to keep their clients happy.
I really enjoyed the friendship between all four of these women. They each were different in looks, in personality and yet they meshed so well with each other and the wealth of love they each had for each other was fun to read about. The easy way they were with each other, even when one of them was seriously PMSing made me smile and laugh all along with them. I felt like I was apart of their group and I really enjoyed the parts where we got to see them all together.
This story is the wedding photographer’s story, MacKenzie Elliott. She’s got some serious Mommy and Daddy issues and there were times in this story that I wanted to slap her for the way she handled the good things in her life. I couldn’t blame her for the way that she handled things with Carter but the things where she kept rolling over for her Mom made me want to karate chop her in the knee caps! The excuses she made and the way she got after her Mom left made me want to punch Mac in her face. Alls well that ends well but there were too many instances in the story where I wished that Mac would grow a spine and tell her Mom where to stuff it.
Then there was Carter. Carter isn’t your usual alpha hero, he’s more of the beta hero who is bookish and an English teacher who loves to mold the minds of the next generation. He’s a great teacher and he was cute and everything that’s good but I wanted more from him. What? I have no idea but there was something that kept me from swooning in delight over the yumminess that is Carter. There wasn’t really anything bad about him but there wasn’t anything that wowed me about him either. He was just a good guy. I guess, just not my cuppa even though I really love me a nerdy hero from time to time.
Overall, the story was good but it was the secondary characters and the other things in the story that held me in the story. It was Del and Jack that I wondered over, that I wanted more from and the wedding shenanigans that had me turning the pages those are the parts of the story that I really enjoyed and for me, the main romance took a backseat to it…for me, the main love story was the secondary story. I really enjoyed the other characters and it’s their stories that I cannot wait to read. So though this story was a great story, it was the other things going on in this story that made me really enjoy it. Mac got on my nerves and Carter was just okay and even though they weren’t all that to me, I loved the rest of the book.
So, if you like cute little stories with funny little scenes in them then I think you’ll enjoy this story. I want to know who Emma’s hero is and I really want to know if any of the girls end up with Del or Jack, I hope so because I LOVE THOSE GUYS! Does anyone know?
4 out of 5
The Bride Quartet
This book is available from Penguin. You can buy it here in print, here in e-format or here for your Kindle.
Me too, Jack and Del are both cute. It’s been a few weeks since I read the book (my mind forgets details pretty much the next day, ha) so I can’t remember which of the girls was sister to one of the guys — was it Del who is brother to Parker?
I want Parker and Jack together — assuming that is, that they’re not siblings haha.
Carter didn’t endear himself to me much. I thought he was just too cutely sweet, if that makes sense. lol.
I did enjoy the book though and I LOVE the book cover. It was worth the trade size cost!
I liked this book a little better than you. I thought Carter was a refreshing change from the ususal alph hero.
I also liked that there are four women in VIW. I though NR was getting in a bit of a rut by always having three heroes and three heroines – the personalities from book to book were interchangeable.
I read that Jack is going to be matched up with Emma.
Rowena, you captured my thoughts exactly on what I liked and disliked about the book. I liked Carter though and wanted to just eat him up at times. 🙂 I am looking forward to the next book in the series and hope that the books get stronger as she goes along. The is only my 2nd Nora Roberts book, so I have a huge back-list to get through. KeriM
I have this in my TBR.
I found out about Jack and Emma on an Amazon Discussion Board. I believe it was confirmed on a site where NR posts. Here’s what was said:
In Bed of Roses, florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn’t found Mr. Right. And the last place she’s looking is right under her nose.
But that’s just where Jack Cooke is. He’s so close to the women of Vows that he’s practically family, but the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. When Emma returns his passion-kiss for blistering kiss-they must trust in their history…and in their hearts.
Tabitha,
Yep, it’s Parker and Del that are siblings so I’m hoping that Parker gets with Jack and Del gets with who was it that had the crush on him, Laurel? Or was it Emma that liked Jack? I don’t care who Del ends up with (right now, who know if I’ll change my mind after reading Bed of Roses) as long as he ends up with someone. I want to read his book.
KeriM,
I really enjoyed the book but mostly for everything going on around the main couple, it was still a good book to read. I always love NR books.
Estella,
You should read it, it was a solid read.
Kim,
I’m sorry, I skipped over you…I don’t know how I missed you but where did you read that Jack is Emma’s hero? You’ve just made me one heck of a happy lady!
I can see the appeal of Carter but for me, I wanted more conflict for him but he was a good hero. =)
I read and reviewed this a month or so ago and walked away with the same feelings. This book was less romance for me and more about the four women and their friendships. I liked it just fine but I would categorize it more as chick lit than a full on romance.
I also felt like Mac was the weakest character of the four which makes me looking forward to Emma’s story next. Particularly if it really focuses on she and Jack.
Excellent reveiw. Thank you.
Hi Row!
I felt same way about this one, just read it alst week. 🙂
Emma and Jack are the next couple … their book comes out in October (I think). I’m hoping for Del and Laurel … there was one quick glimpse of them in this one … well one scene where Laurel was annoyed with Del … hmmm … I bet we meet Parker’s guy in a later book … that’s Nora’s style.
LindaLou
Kim,
Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it!
Michelle,
You’re right, this book sure did feel more like a chick lit than an actual romance but still, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more from these guys.
LINDALOU!
Hey you, goodness I miss you guys! How the heck are you doing? I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series pans out, I will definitely be looking forward to reading all of them. I, too hope that Del hooks up with Laurel because of the scene that you mentioned.
What are you up to right now? What are you reading? Huh, huh? How’s Bubba? Yes, this is 20 questions! =)
(((Hugs)))