"a may bride" by meg moseley

About the book (from the publisher): She thinks she has prepared for her wedding all her life . . . but it seems she may have forgotten the most important part.

Ellie Martin, a country girl in Atlanta, has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life-a wedding just like the one her younger sister is planning back home. Their single mom will pay for Alexa's wedding, but Ellie started her own wedding fund years ago. She only needs to find a groom.

At a wedding at her church, Ellie bumps into a man who's one of the guests. She's noticed him around the neighborhood, but today he introduces himself as Gray Whitby. They embark on a whirlwind romance, but her mother doesn't trust freewheeling men like Gray.

When Ellie risks her own future for her sister's sake, Gray feels betrayed. Will he always play second fiddle to Ellie's family?

Will Ellie and Gray reconcile their differences so her dream wedding can come true, or will the romance they've begun come crashing down?

My take: The instant I began reading "A May Bride," I knew I was going to like it. It's written in first person, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't ... and in this case, it's perfect. Ellie's voice is so clear and realistic ... and she's hilarious!

I loved watching Ellie and Gray's story unfold through Ellie's eyes. As she faced problems in her relationship with Gray, I often found myself thinking, "That's how I would have handled it, too." I guess you could say I identified with the character!

Ellie's mother does seem a bit like a stereotypical conservative Christian (basically, the way you'd see a Christian portrayed on a TV show), but I've also known people who are every bit as legalistic, so while I don't like the way she is portrayed, I guess she's realistic. And there are other wonderful Christians in the novella to balance out her rigidity.

"A May Bride" is my favorite installment in the Year of Weddings novella series (so far). It's a quick read (it took me an hour—an hour when I was supposed to be reading another book), and it's oh so enjoyable! This is the first I've heard of Meg Moseley, but if this novella is any indication of her other work, she could easily become one of my favorite authors.

My rating: 5 stars

Buy the novella.
Read my reviews of the other novellas in the series: December, January, February, March, and April.

About the author: Meg Moseley is a Californian transplanted to the South. For four years, she wrote human interest columns for a suburban section of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and she home-schooled for over twenty years. Mom to three grown children, she enjoys books, motorcycle rides with her husband, and gardening.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an 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."