Here Comes the Groom [Mass Market Paperback]

I really enjoy the SuperRomance line, and have really appreciated entries from Southern Hemisphere authors like Karina Bliss and Sarah Mayberry. This is my second book by Bliss, and a very decent one.

There was a lot of good here, but I thought the challenge Jo set up for Dan at the end was utterly ridiculous, and detracted from the emotional punch of the first three-quarters of the book.

I loved the idea that a man returns to town and goes about planning a wedding he knows for a fact the woman wants no part in! Dan set himself up for very public failure, and his vulnerability showed through because of it. It was a wonderful premise.

My enjoyment of a book is always diminished by a `dumb blonde' comment - it's my #1 pet hate. Imagine if it was skin colour, not hair colour, that we associated with intellectual inferiority!

On the plus side, the scene where Dan finds out about the illness Jo concealed was so powerful. When a hero is reduced to tears - and it's believable - you know you've written a good scene!

However I am sick and tired of publishers Americanising their books when they are not set in the US! The conversations in this one were painfully American - and thus wrong for the New Zealand setting.

I did find some of the business discussion relating to Jo's work to be dull - mundane details about boring business transactions are bad enough in real life; I don't need them in a book!

This was a pretty good read. I had some issues, but it's one of the better SuperRomances I've read.

I don't usually read contemporary romance of any kind, and this is in fact the first harlequin I've ever paid for. I can't therefore say how this book compares with others of it's kind, but I can say that I really enjoyed it.

At first glance this seemed gimmicky to me--Dan and Jo are best friends who long ago made a marriage pact as a joke, which Dan then decides to take seriously. He starts planning the wedding against Jo's wishes and does everything possible to talk her into it. It sounds silly, I realize. But there is a lot more going on in this book then is apparent. In the interest of not spoiling the story, I'll just say that Jo and Dan have both been through and are still going through a lot of tough stuff. They are problems which I believe a lot of people can relate to.

Dan is an ex-soldier, now returned home for good and wants to take over the family farm. After the trama he experienced at war, he just wants a normal and happy life. This is partly why he fixates on the idea of a fast marriage of convenience with his best friend. Over time, however, Dan discovers that his feelings run deeper then that, and struggle to come to terms with those feelings as well as a number of other issues in his life.

Jo is a great female lead, all the way around. She's tough, smart, flawed but easy to relate to. She's struggled with a demanding career, ailing grandmother, and burdensome secrets that have lead her to stop hoping for a husband and family. The way in which each issue is resolved is emotional, imperfect and realistic, and just generally very well written. I love that this book delivers a happily ever after ending without becomming sugary sweet.

I'm giving this book 4.5 stars, because there was just one plot aspect that I did not like. I won't spoil it, but near the end there is a rather contrived and silly plan on Jo's part that had me cringing. This aside, the plot of the book had excellent flow and good taste. Overall, I highly recommend this book as a quick and satisfying feel good read.

I had expected a romance with certain obstacles to keep the couple apart or cause difficulties in their relationship that they work out during the course of the book. In this book, I got tired of the number and seriousness of obstacles and that the couple does not resolve them throughout the story. The problems just go on and on and on. Got bored and lost respect for the characters, especially the heroine long before the end. Difficult to find the energy to finish the book. NOT ESCAPIST reading and certainly NOT instructive in life skills.