Reviewer: Janet Davies
Title: TV Bride
Author: Mardi Ballou
Publisher: Whisky Creek Press
E-book ISBN: 978-1-59374-766-4
Release Date: February 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Contemporary Romance
Year/Setting: Present day - San Francisco
Overall Rating: 4.5
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle/Sensual
Language (Profanity) Rating: None
Violent Content Rating: None
Mardi's Website:
Samantha Parker had her sights set on moving into the perfect dream cottage. It had everything she wanted. Problem was the cottage was exactly what Nick Ryan wanted and he outbid her. Samantha was not happy – so not happy that she directed a curse on him. Nick doesn’t believe in curses. But maybe he should start to.
Derek Ryan, younger brother to Nick, is about to star on the reality television show ‘Here Comes the Brides.’ However an unfortunate accident lands him in hospital. Nick is forced into being the ‘Bachelor Prince’ to help his brother out. However there are a couple of problems. First, Derek has been blackmailed into rigging the contest so the Bachelor Prince can only pick one particular contestant to win. If she doesn’t get picked, it’s bad news for the Ryan boys. And second, the curse woman is one of the contestants. What was that about curses?
Being a contestant on a reality romance show is the last thing Samantha wants to do. If she did not owe her best friend, Tiffany, then there is not way she would even consider it. But to honor her debt she reluctantly gets dragged into the hoop la. It’s not like she is even going to try and win. Samantha’s no pretension beauty queen. She’s into jeans, chocolate and attitude. That’s bound to get her eliminated. And when she finds out the Bachelor Prince is the man who stole her dream cottage, she goes out of her way not to be a ‘chosen one.’
However, best intentions and resolute grudges start to crumble. Nick, the commitment phobe is most definitely attracted to the down to earth beauty of the spirited Samantha Parker. And Samantha’s bad attitude towards Nick starts to dissolve when it occurs to her that this just may be the one. Does she start taking the contest seriously? Can she win the man of her dreams or is nasty Melinda going to ruin it for all of them?
My Grandmother had a penchant for letting fly a good Irish curse when someone crossed her so that aspect of the book appealed to me greatly. I knew where Samantha was coming from. As a character Samantha is similar to my own friends so I took to her immediately. I laughed so much at Samantha’s actions at the ‘getting to know you’ buffet when all the contestants meet. Her antics not to be picked amused me greatly. Actually all the female characters are good and believable, even the poisonous Melinda – everyone knows a Melinda.
TV Bride is an excellent swipe at the television reality shows we all love to hate and swear we never watch. But it’s also a story about helping friends, following your heart and being prepared to bend your own self imposed rules to find happiness.
I love a book that makes you laugh, and for a couple of hours, allows you dissolve into a romance that is realistic and sweet. Of course you know that Samantha and Nick will get together in TV Bride and you wouldn’t it any different.
Janet
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