Shelley Lawrence's Reviews > The Accidental Bride

2.75 stars
I’m a long time Denise Hunter fan, but think her early works, and this particular series is just not for me. It’s an older trilogy and is mired in the stereotypical tropes of the romance genre: lack of communication when a simple conversation would solve all, and an unreasonably stubborn character who makes life much harder for herself and those around her. The Accidental Bride was quite simply, frustrating to read. And while I do understand that it’s set in a small, Midwestern town and is written about cowboys, the jargon feels a bit forced and affected.

There are elements I definitely enjoyed in the story. I really liked the daughter, Olivia, and her relationship with the main male character. I also appreciated the examples of life on a ranch/farm and the anecdotes about the animals. I valued the Christian message of trusting that God has a plan and will see us through, even when it doesn’t seem likely, but the overly cliched, predictable plot felt a bit dumbed down and didn’t make for a fun, or meaningful reading experience. That said, I don’t want to take anything away from this author, I do think that her books get better and better with every plot she pens.