Smiling Book Reviews: Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: A Season to Wed: Three Winter Love Stories

A Season to Wed: Three Winter Love Stories by

Cindy Kirk, Rachel Hauck, & Cheryl Wyatt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

They’ve helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples. Now twelve new couples will find themselves in the wedding spotlight in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk

Sometimes the road to happiness is paved with youthful mistakes.

Ten years after what she thought was her almost-wedding, Hope Prentiss discovers that the ceremony counted—and, as fate would have it, the jilted John Burke has just ridden back into town. After spending some time with John and helping plan a Christmas wedding for a mystery couple, Hope begins to wonder if she really wants a divorce . . . or a real wedding of her own.

A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck

Revealing the beauty in other women might be Ginger Winters’s specialty—but it will take an unexpected kind of love to help Ginger see the beauty in herself.

Ginger Winters will be the “beauty-maker” for the Alabama society wedding of the decade. But when high-school crush Tom Wells shows up looking for a haircut, Ginger’s thinly veiled insecurities threaten to keep her from love once again . . . despite Tom’s best efforts.

Serving Up a Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt

Meadow knows how to serve delicious food to match any wedding theme. But can she accept love when it's served up on a silver platter?

Meadow Larson is having the mother of all Mondays when her roof caves in during a blizzard, right before the most important wedding contract of her career. Renovation contractor Colin McGrath offers to fix Meadow’s roof, even though he knows he is the last person she would accept help from.
But the more Meadow gets to know the new Colin, the more she realizes God may have something more permanent in store than a new catering kitchen.

Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk - In my opinion, there are so many ways this novella could have gone and would have been better if the story had been done differently. The premise of the story - two kids go to get married right out of high school but she has doubts and backs out before they even leave the building but not before they've gone through the ceremony and signed the paper. Now, 10 years later, they find out that they are still legally married.

Hope and John have had limited contact over the last 10 years but then John decides to move back to Harmony and settle down. Once Hope finds out about the marriage still being legal she goes to John to tell him about it. What happens next totally threw this book out the window for me. Rather than enhance the romance of the book I think it spoiled it.

And even though I liked the character of Aunt Verna, the whole ruse of planning a wedding for two people who were "deployed" was over the top. And the fact that John and Hope were dense enough to believe it was somewhat frustrating.

A Brush With Love by Rachel Hauck - Ginger is a very talented and accomplished hair dresser who has worked for the stars. She's moved back to her home and is successfully running a beauty shop in town. But Ginger was scarred by a fire when she was a young girl and sees herself as ugly. She covers her scars with long sleeves and scarfs and secretly longs to be normal.

She's hired to style a wedding party and finds out that the best man is none other than the guy who stood her up when his family mysteriously left town 12 years ago. Ginger should have put it past her, but she couldn't get over the hurt and rejection of the only guy who has ever paid her any attention.

Tom is back in his hometown to start a church. Due to the way they left he must work to overcome town bias against his family. He must also work to overcome the walls surrounding Ginger’s heart. Tom sees Ginger’s inner and outer beauty but will he be able to convince her of his love and that both he and God find her beautiful?

This story pulled me in and kept me engaged all the way through. I hurt with Ginger over the pain of her scars and the struggle she had to feel beautiful and wanted. I got so mad at the way she was treated by the wedding party at one point. And was so proud of the way Tom stood up for her! No doubts that this story will keep your attention. The author did a good job on this short novella! :)

Serving Up A Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt - Meadow Larson has triumphed over the trauma of her childhood to become a talented wedding caterer and decorator. When her roof caves in during a blizzard, right before the most important wedding contract of her career, she's in a panic. When Colin McGrath, renovation contractor and an unwelcome connection to her past, sees her trying to take out a snowman, he knows he has to help her. Even if he's the last person she would accept help from.

I loved this sweet romance! Meadow has a hard time believing that Colin is not the same person she knew as a teenager. Even though she has moved on from her painful childhood thanks to her grandmother, Meadow has not fully released all of the hurt and anger from her past. When Colin returns to town to help his parents, he stirs up all the old feelings. But Colin is determined to show her that he has become a Christian and has changed. I loved how sweet and patient he is with Meadow. With bits of humor, moments of chemistry, and uplifting faith, you'll be hooked to the last word.

*Thanks to Singing Librarian Books Tours for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*

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Rachel Hauck is a USA Today bestselling author. Her book, The Wedding Dress, was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and a RITA finalist. Her book Once Upon A Prince was a Christy Award finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower.

Cindy Kirk sold her first book in 1999 as a result of a contest win which garnered a critique of the entire manuscript. She’s been writing—and selling—ever since. Cindy has been a Booksellers’ Best Award Winner, a finalist for the National Readers’ Choice Awards and a Publishers Weekly best seller. Cindy has served on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) since 2007. In November 2014, she began serving as President of the 10,000+ member organization. She’s a frequent speaker at not only the national RWA conferences, but large regional writing conferences. She has also presented at smaller retreats and conferences across the country. She lives on an acreage in Nebraska with her high school sweetheart husband of too-many-years-to-count and their three “boys” (a shih tzu, a blue heeler and a dorkie). Their daughter lives close by with her wonderful husband and their two little girls.

Cheryl Wyatt writes romance with virtue. She’s a USA Today bestselling author and has earned RT Top Picks, spots #1 and #4 on her debut publisher’s Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books list, Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence final, and other awards. Cheryl loves readers! Connect with her on: