A December Bride (A Year of Weddings Novella)

Jan 18, Alisa rated it it was amazing. Layla O'Reilly is working part time at Cappy's Pizzeria while she is getting her home staging business off the ground. Cooper, her date to her ex-fiance's wedding, backs out 5 hours before the wedding. And just when things can't get worse Seth Murphy, her ex-fiance's best friend, comes into the pizzeria. Layla blames Seth for introducing Jack, her ex-fiance, to her cousin, Jessica who Jack is going to marry in 5 hours.

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Before the night is over things are going to get even worse. Seth offers her a ride to the wedding and by the end of the night in an effort to help her save face with her mean cousin, Seth has announced their engagement. The next morning things start looking up If she can stay engaged to Seth for a couple more weeks, Layla has a chance of securing a contract that will finally get her home staging business off the ground. What's in it for Seth? A chance to prove to Layla that they are meant to be together! I both loved and hated how short this book was!

Seth and Layla were both great characters - I loved them both! May 29, Anna rated it liked it Shelves: A sweet Christmas novella about second chances, romance and achieving your dreams. Layla wrongly felt that Seth was responsible for the breakup with her fiance. When circumstances throw them together to attend the wedding of her prior fiance, Seth, to save face for Layla, announces they are engaged. For reasons doing with Layla's career, they keep up the ruse. But with the magic of the Christmas season, what blossoms is true love, and a happy ever after ending. Dec 05, C. Cabaniss rated it liked it Shelves: Around November of every year, I become obsessed with watching Hallmark Christmas movies, which I find odd, since they aren't something that I would normally gravitate toward.

I'm not sure if it's because it's something my sisters and I have always done together or if that this time of year it just happens to be something that I want to do, but I always have fun with them. The other day I watched A December Bride and thought it was an interesting concept, so when I found out it was based on a bo Around November of every year, I become obsessed with watching Hallmark Christmas movies, which I find odd, since they aren't something that I would normally gravitate toward.

The other day I watched A December Bride and thought it was an interesting concept, so when I found out it was based on a book and that I could get it from overdrive, I decided to give it a listen. Overall I enjoyed the two main characters. Layla was hurt because of what had happened to her and this sometimes came across in a not so great light, but she was a good character. And Seth was sweet and caring.

There wasn't a lot of time for in depth character exploration, but they were well presented for a novella. And the romance was cute, even if a little strange at times. The main things that I didn't like about the story were involving the family. Layla's cousin was horrible and there was never any indication that she had been different or was likely to change. It made no sense to me why Layla would still be on speaking terms with her.

I get that family ties run deep, but toxic relationships should be ended no matter who the person is. If they aren't willing to change, then they aren't what you need in your life. Julie Lyles Carr was a decent narrator for this story. I don't have any other listening experience with her, but she seems suited to this kind of story.

I decided to read this book because I saw the movie and liked it a lot.. Jan 07, Kathie katmom rated it really liked it Shelves: Each of these novellas focus on a wedding and the trials and tribulations leading up to the event.

These are nicely clean, but have some UST for our reading enjoyment. Kisses can be FUN! They are also inspirational, but they don't beat you over the head about it. Again, I know Christmas is over for another 11 months And short, and I needed something to read that wouldn't t This is another in the "A Year of Weddings" series published by Zondervan - Fiction. And short, and I needed something to read that wouldn't take all day.

A December Bride: A Year of Weddings Novella (Unabridged)

This fit the bill nicely. I really enjoyed the staging of Seth's house. I could see all the goodies Layla was setting up. Yes, that was a fantastic touch! And Seth, ah he was a sweetheart.

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Jumping at the chance to get the girl of his dreams. He was a bit awkward, but that made him all the more endearing. The thing that I didn't like about this one was Layla never laid the blame for her broken engagement where it belonged. That would be on her cousin and her ex-fiance. She forgives Seth, but he really didn't do anything wrong.

He was a very forgiving guy, himself, and while he shouldn't have felt guilty, he was a great guy who did. Yes, he's a keeper. Even though their fake engagement and then their real one doesn't take all that much time, it worked here. They had known each other for a long time. Finally, the time was right There's no steamy scenes in this book. There is some lovely UST in the form of kisses. It was a lovely, clean read. So, if you are still wishing for a bit of Christmas Cheer, check this one out.

Great romantic holiday clean read! Saw the movie on the Hallmark Channel and wanted to read the book! Seth and Layla were friends in their younger years then something caused Layla to loath Seth but of course in the end they are perfect together! I enjoyed both characters equally!

They fit together so well! I enjoyed reading and feeling each of their POVs. The Christian emphasis was very mild, no preaching. A fun and quick holiday read! Jun 21, Stephanie rated it liked it Shelves: A quick, cute story with likable characters. Dec 18, Kathy rated it it was amazing Shelves: Sep 13, Amber rated it liked it. While at Jack and Jessica's wedding, Seth Murphy, Jack's friend and the one who introduced Jack and Jessica, makes an announcement that him and Layla are engaged. Now they must keep up the story in order to get Layla the job she's always wanted.

This was a quick read and I thought it was cute. Of course I saw the hallmark movie first, last year, and really enjoyed it.

After finding out it was based off the novella, I just had to read it. Most of the storyline is the same, with a few tweaks here and there, so it's easy to picture the movie in your head. Although it was an easy read, I found it hard not to laugh when the author worded her sentences at times. I can't quite explain, you'll have to read to find out.

Anyway, if you're looking for a quick, cute, Christmasy read, this is the one to read. Jun 18, Lisa rated it did not like it Shelves: The premise is cute. I saw the Hallmark channel film first and the film is so much better. The physical manifestation of Jack's jealousy in the book, actually grabbing her arm and pulling her away, is a big warning sign of a potential abuser. He also becomes possessive of her immediately, calling her "baby" and touching her; and there is very little sign of strength or independence as she lets him push her around because she gets all weak kneed.

She makes a pitiful protest when he climbs onto th The premise is cute. She makes a pitiful protest when he climbs onto the ladder with her, which is unsafe for more reasons than just weight bearing; she yields when he tells her to stop working, even though she really has a lot of work to do, and letting him kiss her for a bet? Not even a little. And the only other woman depicted in any detail is underhanded and spiteful. The Hallmark movie is so much more respectful of women, of Layla, both as a person and as a capable business woman, and is still adorably romantic. Nov 12, Robyn rated it it was ok.

To be fair, I would probably give it 2. I listened to the audio book version, and the narrator wasn't very good. That made the book a little harder to get through. Overall, the story was cute. Two people fake an engagement and end up falling in love. There was just nothing special that set it apart from other stories. It's a short read though, so if you're looking for a quick romance this would be it. Nov 12, Nicole Highland rated it it was amazing Shelves: This was a nice, sweet Christmas read that I devoured in one sitting. I'm glad Leila gave Seth a second chance, considering the events that took place weren't his fault.

Very enjoyable read, with a very sweet hero and a well-deserving heroine. Apr 10, Christy rated it really liked it. I am so glad that I picked this up! Surely, she cannot attend solo without a man on her arm! Jessica had car trouble one night out on the highway, and Seth sent Jack out to help her. They hit it off, and Jack ended up leaving Layla for her cousin.

Jessica is snooty, and she looks down her nose at Layla. Meanwhile, Layla is hardworking and dependable and trying to get her own business off the ground staging homes for sale. When Layla and Seth show up at the wedding together, tongues are wagging and they are turning heads.

A December Bride

The reason for that is because she thinks Layla is not good enough for Seth, who is wealthy and owns a hardware store. With her career on the line, she decides to keep up the appearance of being an engaged couple. I enjoyed this story more than I expected! It was hard not to fall in love with Seth. He seems like the perfect man, saying and doing all the right things. His attraction and fondness for Layla is so apparent, and I love his protectiveness of her.

Jessica is a real witch! I loved how Seth put her in her place. At first, I thought that Layla was shallow and only cared about her career and was willing to lie and cheat to get what she wanted.

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As the story went on and we learn more about the backstory of the characters, we learn that there was a spark between Seth and Layla even back before she dated Jack. Denise Hunter is a new-to-me author, and I really enjoyed this sweet clean romance. I will definitely look for more of her work. It appears that this series has a book for each month, written by different authors and featuring different couples. I hope the next one in the series is as good as this one!

Narrator Julie Lyles Carr is also new-to-me, and I really enjoyed her narration. Her pace was very good, and she portrayed the characters convincingly. This review was posted on my book blog: Mar 21, CaliGirlRae rated it really liked it Shelves: Couple that with a winter themed sweet romance and I'm hooked! I liked the way Seth and Layla interacted. Although I felt that Layla was a bit dim at times in not seeing Seth's interest in her, it helped to keep the conflict going and to see them draw closer to each other.

Not to mention it added fuel to their cute back and forth banter. I must say my favorite part was when Murphy swooped in to save Layla in the first chapter. The encounter happened at the wedding and Layla was in a tough spot seeing her ex get married to her snooty, plastic and self centered cousin worthy of any slap-worthy Hallmark villainess , so in order to save face Murphy takes Layla as a fake fiancee to save face.

Layla is quick to end the story as she must keep the facade up but when a chance to make a big impact for her career presents herself, she asks Murphy much to his excitement to keep the facade up until she can nail the job. While on the subject of Murphy, I love this character! He was sweet, caring and he would do anything for Layla even if it meant putting his own reputation on the line. Although he's not a stereotypical alpha thank goodness, we need more sweet betas in romance he was drawn in such a way that I couldn't help cheering for him to get the girl.

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I also loved Ms. Hunters description of him being a strong, fit guy with a gentle heart.

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The inspirational aspects were low key but there. For Christian romance fans, it delivers everything they are looking for in a short fiction format. Don't let the novella length fool you, there's a sweet and satisfying romance story between these pages and if you're a reader like me with a short amount of time on her hands, this one is a perfect sweet story you can finish in between things on your to do list. I'm looking forward to reading more of the stories in the series!

Feb 23, J. Morrows rated it it was amazing Shelves: I have to take back what I said I LOVE this book! When I started reading the book, I was sure it would end up on my "not a favorite" shelf in GoodReads. I could NOT have been more wrong. I seriously misjudged this novella and I'm so glad I gave it a proper chance. Otherwise, I might never have discovered how wonderful is truly is! It is possible I'm not the only o OK mom.

It is possible I'm not the only one who might jump to the wrong conclusion so I'm going to give you a couple of hints that I really don't think will kill the story. The synopsis might give you the wrong idea - especially if you've ever read Zebra or Harlequin romance novels. You might expect it to be one of those things where the two characters make a shady deal about getting married and then doing a "quicky" divorce later. Granted, the reasons for the "fake" engagement are not all that altruistic or even honest but they do not drag marriage through the mud like I was afraid they would. This is truly a good, decent, Christian story.

And, while I hold that courtship is still the best way to head toward a marriage - it could be said that this is about what they have. They're "engaged" before they even kiss and there's a minimum of physical contact because the whole thing isn't real anyway. A terrific story, excellent writing, real characters and great world-building! And it's easy to get right into the story - even if you haven't read any of the others that Denise has written. I didn't even realize this was part of a continuing series until I got to the end and saw "other books by Denise Hunter I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

Jan 22, Laura rated it it was amazing. Christmas romance A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. What started as a whim turned into an accidentaland very publicengagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday seasonfor the sake of her career. Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphythe best friend of Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiancewould be the last person she'd marry. But the news of their upcoming and phony nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agencya coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map.

Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client. For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart. As a December bride myself, I totally love the idea, and the premise behind this story. Layla is a sweet heroine, hurting, and desperate to move out of her low paying waitress job into her dream career.

And Seth is desperate to win her heart—whatever it takes. Seth is a true hero. We are unable to find iTunes on your computer. To download from the iTunes Store, get iTunes now. A year's worth of novellas from 12 inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed. What started as a whim turned into an accidental - and very public - engagement.

But the news of their upcoming and phony nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency - a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she's landed her client.

For Layla, it's the chance to save her career.