Friday, October 2, 2015

All Dressed Up in Love {Quick Review}


All Dressed Up in Love: A March Wedding Story (A Year of Weddings Novella 2, #4)
All Dressed Up in Love by Ruth Logan Herne
Year of Weddings 2 #4
Visit the Author's Website HERE
Publisher: Zondervan
Publishing Date: February 24, 2015
Greg Elizondo hadn’t bargained for this. Any of this.

Satin. Lace. Tulle. Pearl inlay, embroidered bodices, and Swarovski crystals.

The bridal shop business it took his mother three decades to build, the enterprise that covered his university and law degrees in full, was struggling because he might be part-genius when it came to contract law . . . But corset-style gowns with a mermaid flair? Shoot me now.

Tara Simonetti hated law school, but loved the community grant funding her presence at Temple University’s esteemed school of law. She could not fail. Would not fail. But when a notice for bridal store help appeared on the community notice board, Tara applied for the job immediately. While grants and loans helped pave her way, money for food was scarce. Legal precedence, moot court, and judicial clerking all had their place, but they were nothing compared to Alcenon lace, tucked silk skirts, and a well-placed peplum. 

Greg had grabbed her help as the act of a desperate man. Within weeks, he was desperate again, this time to win her heart. But after using community funds to get her degree, how can Tara turn her back on the people who helped finance her goal?

But if she leaves Philadelphia and Greg to return to her small-town in northern Pennsylvania, she’ll be leaving her heart behind. A heart he won, fair and square by posting a help wanted notice on the coffee shop board . . . A heart that filled the missing niche in his mother’s acclaimed bridal store. A heart Greg longed to cherish forevermore.
I received a copy of this book from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Buy a copy today! 

My Thoughts:
Guess what I am going to say first! Yup, LOVE that cover! What a gorgeous back on that gown. I keep ogling it. And the story itself was almost as good.

Tara was our leading lady. Because of some pain in her past, she made a vow to grow up and become a lawyer. When we meet her in our story, she is wrapping up her third year at a prestigious, and expensive, law school. To make ends meet she applies at Elena's Bridal Shop, a job that is like a dream come true, but that she will only be able to remain at for a few months. Overall, Tara was quirky, real, and comfortable. She knew who she was and where she was going. I enjoyed what we got to know.

Greg is our dashing male figure. He is already an established lawyer with his sights set on that Manhattan office space. Greg's mother recently passed away leaving behind the bridal shop she had poured her life into. Unsure whether to sell the store or try to save it, Greg's world changes when Tara comes to the rescue. Greg definitely experienced the biggest changes in the story. Some of it felt pretty sudden, but in the light of his mother's death, it felt right. People often reevaluate life when faced with Time.

'All Dressed Up..' was short and sweet. The story got on track and never deviated. Straight to the point can be appreciated sometimes! However, even understanding it is a novella, it could have benefitted from a few extra pages, even just like five extra pages. I really missed the part of the story where the attraction developed into something deeper. Instead it was just sort of a BAM! event.

Enjoyable for a novella! 'All Dressed Up...' is a great gem in the Year of Weddings collection. If you are looking for an adorable romance novella, Ruth Logan Herne has got you covered with this sweet story. 4 stars. 


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