Zebra, June 2004

Beth Pendleton has a marriage jinx. Three times, her father found her a fiance. Three times, some disaster prevented the wedding, leaving Beth, at 28, well on her way to being an old maid. When her cousin, Rachel, teases her too hard, Beth makes a bet. She'll be married in three weeks or she'll give Rachel a bolt of silk. The bet is made and Beth turns to her old dependable. Mason Whittaker has always been her best friend, the one person whom she could trust. She'll ask him to marry her--and ignore all the talk about a jinx and bad luck.

Mason Whittaker has loved Beth since they were children. Still, Beth's snobby parents, along with a limp resulting from a childhood injury, kept him from declaring his love. He's been waiting for his chance and now Beth beats him to the punch. He's overwhelmed and assures her that nothing could keep him from showing up. Surely Beth's asking him to marry her means that she loves him--doesn't it. The wedding day begins with a series of disasters. Ruined dresses, floods, a farm accident, spooked horses and a drunken groomsman seem to fulfill the town's prophesy that Beth's marriage jinx is still on. Beth is confident about Mason--he'll show up through every jinx in the book--so long as he doesn't find out that the wedding was started by a bet. Because Mason has plenty of pride and a huge temper. If he thinks she's toying with him, trouble is sure to erupt.

Author Caroline Clemmons (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of romance by Clemmons) combines humor with emotion to deliver an enjoyable tale of friendship turning into love. Clemmons' descriptions of 1880s Texas, with its social rules and city/country friction rings true and her message of love and honesty is heartfelt.

Note: this review covers HAPPY IS THE BRIDE--one of three novellas in the GOING TO THE CHAPEL anthology.

Four Stars

Reviewed 4/02/04

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