"stand-in groom" by kaye dacus

About the book: Business couldn't be better for thirty-something wedding planner Anne when she lands a client with an unlimited budget. The problem? The groom is George, a man she finds herself incredibly attracted to. However, things are not as they seem, and Anne may yet have a chance at love. But will the hurts of her past keep her from embracing the future?

My take: I first heard of author Kaye Dacus about 18 months ago. At the time, I was attracted to her writing because she featured women like me—women who had reached the age of 30 unmarried and who often had never even had a significant romantic relationship. The first Dacus book I read was The Art of Romance. I devoured it ... and promptly purchased all of Dacus's other contemporaries. (She has a historical series, too, but I prefer reading contemporary novels.) Then I got bogged down with all of my review books, but I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm beginning to read some of the books that have sat on my "to be read" shelf for over a year.

Stand-In Groom is Dacus's debut novel, and reading it showed me just how far she has come as a writer in the years since it was published. That's not to say that Stand-In Groom is bad; it just isn't written as well as her more recent books are. There are a few plot threads left hanging, and while they may be resolved in the following books, the way the characters ended their discussion about the topic made it seem pretty final. And the bad guy's transformation to a sympathetic character didn't ring true.

That said, I did enjoy the plot quite a bit. Dacus took the concept in a different direction than I expected, resolving the conflict between Anne and George much earlier than I anticipated, and then she brought in a whole new conflict to occupy the second half of the book. I enjoyed the twists the plot took, and I'm looking forward to reading books two and three in the series, as they feature some of my favorite supporting characters from Stand-In Groom. 3 stars.

Read my review of Dacus's The Art of Romance.
Buy the book.

About the author: Kaye Dacus is an author and editor who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. Pursuing her passion for writing, she earned a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She is a former Vice President and long-time member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and is also a founding member of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and writes contemporary and historical romances. To find out more about Kaye and her books, please visit her online at kayedacus.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased this book myself and reviewed it of my own accord. I was not compensated in any way. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”