Review: Always a Bridesmaid – Cindi Myers

Always a Bridesmaid
Series:
Release Date:  April 23, 2012
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing
Source:  Provided by Publisher
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She’s sworn off weddings…

After two failed relationships and six stints as a bridesmaid, Stephanie Ludlow is convinced she’s man-poison. So when her hormones point due south to her sexy—but not so charming—new landlord, she can’t help the sparks that fly. It’s a good thing she’s declared a strict “no sex” policy, because Mike Brubaker might as well have “it’s not happening” tattooed across his delectable chest.

He’s sworn off love…

Spurned single dad Mike has learned the hard way women are the source of all evil and should be avoided at any cost. And that definitely includes his gorgeous new tenant. But when they’re thrown together in the wedding party from hell, both will stop at nothing to fight the heat building between them. Giving in is not an option for either of them.

May the best man—or woman—win.

Reviewer’s Thoughts:
I always like a quick romance book that makes me feel like I was not the only one that was completely inept when it came to a romantic relationship.  With Always a Bridesmaid it was Stephanie’s emotional scars from her parents divorce and her own bad luck that had me connecting with her immediately.


Stephanie is gun shy about relationships, seeming to make the wrong choices in men and always falling hard for them and then falling apart when the relationships ended.  So when she meets her new landlord, Mike Brubaker, she knew she was in trouble.

Mike, a recently divorced father, has been turned sour on relationships.  He questions his ability to find the right person to spend his life with and decides focusing on his relationship with his nine year old son is for the best.  But when he meets his new housemate, he discovers that his best laid plans have been smashed to bits by a woman.

As a reader,  I connected with Stephanie immediately.  She’s been hurt in the few relationships she’s had and by her mother who abandoned her for the shiny lights of Vegas.  She searching for that one person who can love her for who she is, stubborn, independence streak and all.  In Mike, she sees a kindred spirit, but also someone who could utterly crush her if she lets him get to close.

Mike can’t explain why he’s as attracted to Stephanie as he is, but he keeps reminding himself that he needs to focus on his son.  But he makes excuses to reach out to Stephanie, to talk to her and finds that when he’s not with her, he misses her.  He needs her, but he also has to figure out how he can have both Stephanie and his son in his life.

This was a very sweet read.  It went by fast, but it was the perfect way to spend an hour…losing yourself in the story of two people learning how to compromise to make a relationship work.