Make Believe Bride

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MAKE-BELIEVE BRIDE
Kelly McDonough
ISBN: 1-4137-5152-0
February 2005
Publish America
Ebook, Trade Paperback
Contemporary Romance

Make-Believe Bride is the story of powerful media executive Jonathan Trent and Trent Media account executive, Kelsey McClaire. Jonathan has made a foolish wager that requires him to find a bride within six month or lose a television station. Kelsey, while enjoying success as a Trent Media employee, is saddled with debt from her divorce and has vowed not to ever fall in love again. Jonathan believes that Kelsey has the wit, intelligence and beauty to pose as his bride for six months, enabling him to win his bet and fool his distrustful family into believing that the marriage is real. As they agree to the sham, Jonathan and Kelsey both experience some truly unexpected emotions. Will these two find a way to make their fantasy into reality?

Kelly McDonough has written an amusing take on a modern-day fairy tale. Jonathan and Kelsey are both victims of their past matrimonial experiences and as a result, are scarred. Both Jonathan’s large family and Kelsey’s best friend are secondary characters that add wit and spice to this romance. Ms. McDonough has a fine hand with writing love scenes that are steamy without being too explicit, and the emotions and desires of the characters are plainly discernable throughout. This reviewer was rooting for Jonathan and Kelsey to find a way to lasting happiness and Ms. McDonough’s tale did not disappoint at all. The scars of betrayal that both carry are dealt with in a very realistic fashion that was not overly trite or pat. For a relatively short book, Ms. McDonough manages to make each word, each scene and every interaction count and provides a gratifying tale of romance with no filler or fluff. This reviewer recommends Make-Believe Bride to any reader who enjoys contemporary romances with hints of humor, and would enjoy reading further tales about the Trent family in the future.

Reviewed by Leah
May 2005