Stand-In Groom

by | Jan 21, 2009 | Fiction Book Reviews | 1 comment

From the back of the book:

When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she’s found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her “dream” quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman? George came to Louisiana to plan his employer’s wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he’s so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two believers find a happy ending?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Stand-In Groom, go HERE

What they’re saying about it:

“Dacus pulls off a delightful story that places readers in the heart of the South with the debut of the Brides of Bonneterre series. Readers will enjoy this look at how lives are transformed through devastating events and how forgiveness is the key to a promising future. Nothing is as it seems in this heartwarming story.”–Romantic Times, 4-Star Review

“Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed Stand-In Groom from cover to cover! Ms. Dacus’s clever story and wonderful prose will draw you away to a place deep in the heart of Louisiana, surrounding you with the scents, sounds, and sights of the deep south. A story filled with romance and intrigue, betrayal and forgiveness, I found myself laughing, crying and rejoicing right along with the characters.”–M.L. Tyndall, author of The Falcon and the Sparrow and the award-winning Legacy of the King’s Pirates series

My two cents worth:
(I decided to have a little fun with this review – since the book was such a delight. Hope you enjoy the spoof. Kaye, I hope this little jump inside of Anne’s mind is okay with you.)

Advertisement:
Getting ready to tie the knot? Need some help organizing the seemingly chaotic affair of matrimony? Look no further! Please contact me, Anne Hawthorne, professional wedding planner at Happy Endings, Inc.
I will be happy to meet with you to discuss your hopes and dreams, but I DO NOT accept the following:
1. Anyone pretending to be a groom who is not truly a groom (just because his employer wishes for anonymity.) A bride can pretend to be whomever she wishes 🙂
2. Especially if ‘said’ employer happens to be my former fiance! – I do NOT plan weddings for former fiances. I’ve done it once before – by complete accident- and I will not do it again. (Despite the fact that a lot of misunderstandings were cleared up during this unfortunate and highly publicized event).
3. Any weddings around a very special date in March, since I’m hiring myself to plan my own wedding.

Stand-In Groom was a delightful read. Kaye Dacus combines humor, real-life hurt, and spiritual issues together with two interesting lead characters who HAVE to fall head-over-heels in love. The tension of the misuderstandings between the characters is right on – giving the reader that ‘will they’/ ‘won’t they’ feeling. Plus, she cast her hero in the story as a handsome, British guy! What else could she possibly need?!?

One of the many things I appreciated about the book is that her hero, George, isn’t the usual rich, independently wealthy, educated sort of guy. He’s fighting against stereotypes and has been placed in a very unusual situation to pose as his employer….the groom. Anne built her own business, partly out of desire and in-part due to her determination to rebuild her life after her ex-fiance left her. Both characters ‘need’ to fall in love – or so was the feeling I got as I read it.

Both characters are attracted to each other instantaneously – so the struggle Anne has with keeping a professional distance and George’s need to ‘play the part’ of the happy groom despite his admiration for Anne, takes the readers on a fun, exciting, emotional ride.

I’ve never read Kaye Dacus’ work before and was delighted to discover another author to add to my ‘what’s new’ list. If you are searching for a fun, clever, and pleasant journey I recommend Stand-in Groom.

1 Comment

  1. Julianna

    Sounds like a great book! Definitely adding it to my wish list.

    Reply

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  1. A Kiss to Build a SCENE On with Kaye Dacus « Faith and Fiction on Fire - [...] http://pepperbasham.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/stand-in-groom/ [...]

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