There are multiple books with this title…who knew? And when I checked them well after this book had been published, most turned out to be Regency Romances. I write contemporary romance. Oh well…that’ll learn me to check titles before I submit books with what might appear to be perfect, but in reality is so common readers might have trouble finding it!
Not all women are “bride-zillas” on their wedding day. Some aren’t even sure they’re marrying the right man. And when that “Mr. Right…maybe” answers the phone WHILE the bride is walking down the aisle? Doesn’t that tell everyone there that she’s not as important as who might be calling?
The Reluctant Bride
Click cover to read more excerpts!
Blurb:
Veterinarian Pamela Wilson always used to run away from home to get attention from her status-conscious, preoccupied parents. Years ago she met a man who loved her unreservedly, but her parents didn’t approve of his blue-collar job, so she ran away from him too. When the ambitious lawyer she’s marrying answers a phone call while she’s walking down the aisle, it’s the last straw! She runs away again, this time to a cabin her parents don’t know about, owned by the mechanic. Does he still own it and is he still single? Will she finally stop running away and make the right decision for her future?
Excerpt:
Pamela picked up her flower bouquet as she walked out of the room, and headed over to the doorway that led to the main aisle of the church. Her mother was right, the place was packed! She tried to smile at her sister-in-law, who stood patiently waiting for her, so that she could start her trip down the aisle.
To her horror, Pamela found that her lips were so dry that they stuck to her teeth when she tried to smile. She licked them nervously, but to no avail. She bit her tongue, trying to force some moisture into her mouth, and was so preoccupied that she almost tripped over a bulge in the carpet that was right before the doorway. She jerked herself upright, and hit the side of the doorjamb with her flowers, knocking a couple of petals off. She tried to smile at the people sitting in the back; she had no idea who they were, so she told herself it didn’t matter that they had seen her clumsiness.
She could swear that she heard her mother hiss at her, “Regal, Pamela! Remember, you are a princess! Walk like one”¦glide, honey, glide!”
As a child, she had always hated when her mother made her practice walking like that, sometimes with a book on her head. She was at least six inches taller and quite a bit more voluptuous than her diminutive mother, who made gliding look easy. She got her height from her father, and he had always enjoyed going for walks with her, not only for the chance to talk to her alone, but because her mother would always refuse to come with them, to give them time to be alone together. That way, they could both enjoy stretching their legs, taking long strides, and racing each other, to see who could outlast the other.
But Pamela could see her mother up ahead of her, waiting in the first row of seats behind the altar. So she knew she was only hearing a phantom whisper from her past. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to walk gracefully, as if it was as natural to her as it was to Maribel. And as it apparently was to her tiny, bird-like sister-in-law, who was almost mincing down the aisle, as if her feet were on fire.
Pamela tried to duplicate those tiny steps, but felt her ankle twist, unaccustomed as she was to the height of the heels that her mother had insisted that she wear to show off her legs, visible through the diaphanous panels on each side of the gown. She quickly regained her balance, sweating profusely in her fear of tripping over something on her way down the aisle. Numerous cameras were flashing all around her, and her anxiety was building as she imagined how amused everyone would be to get a picture of her falling”¦and how mortified her mother would be!
To try to regain control over her nerves, Pamela stopped looking at the people who were standing to watch her walk in, and instead looked up ahead, to see how her bridegroom looked in his tux. His eyes met hers, and she saw admiration and love in them. She let out a breath, and smiled back at him.
Just a few more feet, she told herself silently, praying that she would be able to make it all the way up to the altar without any untoward incidents. Suddenly Daniel’s hand went into his jacket pocket, and he looked downward. He glanced quickly up again, looking beseechingly into her eyes, then he turned slightly so that his back was to most of the audience.
But Pamela didn’t need to wonder what he was doing.
To find out more about Pamela’s decision, or about me, head to my website: http://www.fionamcgier.com
Buy links:
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=573
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-reluctant-bride-fiona-mcgier/1108101637?ean=9781603139649
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