Title: His Darling Bride
Series: Echoes of the Heart #3
Author: Anna DeStefano
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Montlake Romance
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Bethany Darling doesn’t kiss men at first sight…until she falls into the arms of a handsome cowboy bartender.
A mysterious stranger, Mike helps scare off Bethany’s obnoxious ex-boyfriend. Mike’s touch feels like coming home. But Bethany’s so not interested. Between stalled-out dreams of becoming a painter, troubles reconnecting with her sprawling foster family, and the happy chaos of her sister’s upcoming wedding, Bethany’s already in over her head. But each time she and Mike stumble across each other in small-town Chandlerville…sparks fly.
A famous photographer hiding under a Stetson, Mike Taylor recognizes Bethany as a kindred artistic spirit. Together they rekindle her passion for painting—and she inspires him in unexpected, undeniable ways. Then when Mike’s own past threatens to tear apart his present, Bethany becomes his safe place to turn.
Can these two wandering souls finally trust their hearts? Or will they run from the forever love they never expected to find?
Read on for my thoughts on His Darling Bride. No true spoilers, promise.
Sometimes two wounded souls are lucky enough to be in the same place at the same time – and when that happens the possibilities are endless.
Bethany has returned home to Chandlerville for her adopted sister’s wedding, but also because it’s time. She’s run long enough, it’s time to come home and rediscover her family and her special gift. Bethany has baggage, in her young life things have happened to and around her to cause her to lose the ability to trust easily, to believe in herself and her talents. She needs her family around her again so she can begin to heal and discover exactly who she is now. She didn’t count on falling in love.
Mike is far from the handsome, easy going drifter that he portrays so well. An artistic creator of beauty, Mike also has baggage. And he’s been running from those issues for a long time. One woman may change everything for him. One talented, amazing woman who does not see herself as he does, who cannot seem to believe in the good things in life. He’s determined to change that because love doesn’t come around for everyone and he has no intention of running away this time.
His Darling Bride has so many important threads woven throughout the story. Family. It doesn’t have to involve blood relatives to be a true family, sometimes the families created with strangers are the best kind possible. Trust. Without it what’s the purpose? Learning to trust is scary but so worth the effort. Talent. Not everyone is blessed with the ability to create beauty from their mind’s eye through paint or film. Embracing that talent, nurturing those abilities means loving yourself enough to always strive to be better. Love. It doesn’t always hurt, most of the time it is the absolute best thing that can happen to two people.
Watching Mike and Bethany overcome their baggage and embrace the gift that fate has put in front of them was a wonderful journey. This story has so many layers, you simply have to experience it.
I would recommend this one for any Romance lover. It is full of well defined characters, a good solid story and a cast of secondary characters who will pull at your heartstrings or make you really really mad. Read this one, I believe you will enjoy it and go looking for more.
*I received an e-ARC of His Darling Bride from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
Available in audio, paperback and for the Kindle
