This was a sweet, clean romance with likable characters. It is a revamp of the 1998 book Love is the Answer that the author wrote under the name Abby Gray for the Precious Gems line. The main characters are younger than those found in more modern romances, perhaps increasing its appeal for the young adult or new adult audience. That did not diminish my enjoyment of the story. While the characters do not have the same depth as those in the author's more recent works, the signature humor, close family, and small-town are all there.

Cassie is just a few months shy of twenty-one when her guardian dies, leaving her at the mercy of the woman's husband. She knows she must get out when she finds out that he's sold her to a sex ring. If she can find a place to lay low for a few months, she can claim her inheritance. So, she takes what little money she has and hops on a bus headed toward Oklahoma. When she gets off the bus in a small Texas town for a break, she discovers the town sheriff is looking for her. Panicking, she approaches the young man sitting alone in the diner and asks for his help. She's relieved when he plays along but never anticipated the turn it takes.

Ted, a usually shy and introverted guy, was stunned when Cassie approached him and asked for his help. Asking himself what his twin brother would do, Ted immediately steps up to the plate and confirms they are a couple. But his nerves get the best of him, and he embellishes the story, claiming they are eloping. In either a fit of romanticism or suspicion, the sheriff decides to help them - all the way to the town Justice of the Peace. The next thing Ted and Cassie know, they are married and gifted a night at the local motel for their "honeymoon."

The book immediately drew me in with this scenario. I liked Cassie's quick thinking, both for her escape and her encounter with the sheriff. She got fortunate with her choice of an accomplice. Ted is a good guy but still suffering grief over the death of his twin brother four years earlier. He imagines John's response to the situation and uses that as his guide. I enjoyed watching him get into the deception and laughed out loud at some of his commentaries as he dragged Cassie along. There were a couple of hold-your-breath moments when I thought the cat would be out of the bag.

There was one scene of Cassie freaking out because she realized she hadn't needed the help, but it was too late to do anything about it. I liked how Ted was calm, reassuring Cassie that his uncle, a lawyer, would process an annulment for them right away. The next day they head back to Oklahoma and Ted's family home. Cassie is afraid of their reaction and is stunned when she's warmly welcomed. I liked that she and Ted are honest with the family about why they are married, which goes a long way toward their acceptance of her. It was fun to see them find ways to make her welcome and comfortable staying for a while.

I liked watching the relationship between Ted and Cassie develop. They connected right away and found it easy to talk to each other. Cassie has a significant impact on Ted. His grief for his brother has been so overpowering that he closed himself off to all emotion and has just gone through the motions of living. Being around Cassie stirs up feelings he's buried, and Ted finds himself falling for her. Though Cassie has been isolated for several years, she hasn't lost her sense of self. She knows what she wants out of her life and isn't afraid to go after it. I liked watching them grow closer, talk about their dreams, and acknowledge the attraction building between them. There was no angst-driven black moment, just a steady realization that they belonged together. I liked Ted's big moment and the surprise he had for Cassie.

Ted's grief over his brother John's death, was a big part of this book. Much of it was tied up in his guilty feelings, thinking he should have been able to prevent it from happening. John was never far from his mind, and there were many times when he heard John's voice in his head, giving advice or brotherly commentary. From the moment Cassie appeared, the walls around his feelings began to crumble, and the grief started to fade. I loved the scene in their childhood bedroom.

There were a couple of things I thought were left hanging. Cassie's guardian made a brief appearance, and I loved how Ted and his father and uncle handled him. However, I would have enjoyed a mention of whether their proposed actions were effective. Other than brief mentions, nothing more was said about Cassie's inheritance, despite the importance of hiding out until her birthday.

Well, first of all I didn't know it was a revised version of a really old novel. It's my first book by the author and I'm a bit disappointed. First of all, it seemed too unconvincing. However, implausibility is not the real issue, my main problem was the protagonists and the dialogues. They are uninteresting, to be honest.

Overall, this book didn't work for me.

An updated story by this author (as Abby Gray) of a woman and man who tell a lie to save her from arrest and end up married. Things become more confusing as they explain things to his family, planning to get an annulment as soon as she gets her trust fund. Cassie O’Malley’s mother died and she was left in the care of friends, or were they? When the wife died, the man had criminal plans for her, so she ran. Now accused of theft (which she didn’t do), she asks Ted Wellman for his help which ends up with them married. He comes from a loving family; will they absorb Cassie into their lives and finally give her the close-knit family she has always wanted? Ted is still struggling with the death of his twin when they were teens. Will Cassie be able to show him that his twin would not have wanted him to cut himself off from life…and love? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

EXCERPT: She had said that she didn't want to ever get married, but Ted wondered if that was the truth. Had she envisioned herself in a church, standing beside a man who'd swept her off her feet, who had promised to give her the sun, the moon and all the stars? Did she wish she was wearing a white satin gown, not a faded red sweatshirt, well-worn sneakers and bleached-out jeans?

'Do you?' Sam asked.

'I do,' she whispered.

ABOUT 'BRIDE FOR A DAY': Cassie O'Malley is a woman on the run when she when gets tangled up with a suspicious local sheriff and, on the spur of the moment, turns to a handsome stranger to get herself out of a tight spot.

Ted Wellman didn't go to town to get hitched but that sweet girl with her big green eyes looked desperate. Suddenly he finds himself married to a stranger. No problem, his uncle's a lawyer and everybody knows he's in no emotional condition to settle down, not since the death of his brother put him on emotional lock down.

Much to his surprise, instead of helping get out of it, Ted's crazy family seemed determined to keep him and Cassie together. What could they be thinking? That there is a chance of finally thawing Ted's frozen heart?

MY THOUGHTS: This was a quick fun read with endearing, if a little prickly at times, characters that I just wanted to have a HEA. And, of course, that's what Carolyn Brown is so good at, although she does love to throw in the odd complication along the way.

I read Bride For a Day in one sitting, unable to tear myself away from learning the fate of Ted and Cassie. Loved the big, extended family and the way they all pull together at the first sign of trouble.

Written with Brown's trademark warmth and wit, this is an updated rewrite of the 1997 title Love is the Answer.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#BrideForaDay #NetGalley

I: @carolynbrownbooks @sourcebooks

T: @thecarolynbrown @sourcebooks

#contemporaryfiction #romance

THE AUTHOR: Hi! I'm twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can't trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who've made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He's even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed!

Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.

I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.

I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list.

Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Bride For A Day by Carolyn Brown for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Bride for a Day is a delightful novel by consummate author Carolyn Brown. Cassie O’Malley has had a very rough few years. Her mother passed suddenly when she was 16 and she went to live with her Mom’s good friend, Deana. Just as Cassie was graduating high school and set for a scholarship for nursing, Deana took ill and Cassie was guilted by Deana’s husband Cecil to give up her scholarship and take care of Deana. This Cassie did up until Deana’s death. When she tried to leave then, Cecil retained her and told her she owed him and that he had sold her into slavery.

Cassie escaped with a few belongings, including her grandmother’s wedding rings that she hocked to get away. With the law after her when Cecil reported her as a thief, law enforcement is looking for her. When her bus makes a stop in a small north Texas town, she disembarks to use the facilities but, to her dismay, law officers are crawling around the bus stop. Seeing a single young man seated at a table, she leaves the restroom and waves and heads to him, sitting across from him. As an answer to her prayers, Ted Wellman not only plays along, but also tells the inquiring sheriff it is their wedding day. And the sheriff makes it so!

The next day Ted and Cassie arrive at the Wellman ranch. Instead of being shunned as Cassie expected, she is welcomed with open arms. The family is so pleased to see Ted rising above the funk he had dwelled in since his twin brother’s death that they are thrilled with Cassie and make every plan to help her.

This is a lovely story exploring family dynamics through loss and the gains that bring them all together. This is a delightful book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I do recommend it!

I wish I had known this was originally published back in the late 90's. Despite being updated with mentions of modern technology and pop culture it still felt very dated - rather like reading one of my mums' Mills & Boon cookie-cutter romances when I was a teen.

The plot felt very implausible, the dialogue/inner monologue was quite stilted, whilst the characters felt very flat and lacklustre. Sadly it didn't take long for me to realise that this book wasn't for me.

This is a rerelease of one of the author's books that she wrote under another penname in 1997 called Love is the Answer. It has been updated to today's times but the sweet southern romance checked several boxes including a little danger for Cassie.

Cassie has been orphaned while still a minor and was taken in by a couple. He is a scumbag but his wife is nice yet dying of cancer. Once Cassie is free of her obligation she strikes out on her own primarily because he has sold her to sex traffickers. I appreciated the little bit of the book that delved into this horrible world and was glad that Cassie was able to leave before any of that came to fruition.

Ted is living in his own sort of hell after his twin brother was killed in a car accident. He has never let himself move past that event until now. Even his own family couldn't budge him in moving on with his life.

I thought the storyline was cute and found it comical that they had to get married to avoid Cassie being found out since there was an APB out for her saying she had mental issues. Shows you what sort of dirtbag she was living with at the time. I think Ted taking care of Cassie was what brought him out of his funk. However, Cassie has her own ideas and doesn't need Ted to take care of her, but she does in a way. They are both young (20 and 21 I believe) and there is so much more to life than what they know. Thankfully, Ted's family takes her in as their own and treats her well. I think Cassie fell for the family before Ted and I can't blame her considering the last few years. They both have some growing up to do and what safer place than with each other.

The story isn't long but it is as sweet as sweet tea and was a quick read.

We give this book 4 paws up.

BRIDE FOR A DAY – Carolyn Brown

Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 978-1-7282-4580-5

March 29, 2022

Contemporary Romance



Ryan, Oklahoma – Present Day



Note: Originally published in 1997 as Love Is the Answer under the pen name of Abby Gray. It was updated and expanded a little for its 2022 release.



Cassie is on the run from a man who sold her into sex slavery. She is at a bus stop waiting to reboard the bus when two lawmen come into the restaurant asking questions about a woman (Cassie) who is wanted for questioning. The man she had ran from had reported to the law that she stole from him. Spotting a man sitting alone at a booth, Cassie slips into the seat across from him and asks him to pretend to know her. This is relevant when the lawmen stop at the table to question them. The stranger, Ted Wellman, informs the men that Cassie is his fiancée, and they are on their way to get married. The lawmen are suspicious and become “helpful” in assisting them to get married that day.



After spending their “honeymoon” platonically in a hotel room, Ted brings Cassie back to his family’s ranch after she explains why she is on the run. Cassie will be twenty-one in a few months and then will have access to a trust fund left to her by a relative. Ted and his family insist that Cassie stay with them until then to stay out of the way of the man still looking for her and they also offer her a job and their home as a place to stay. Besides, Ted will be filing for an annulment, and she needs to be around until it is final. But an attraction has developed between Cassie and Ted. Will they end up making it a real marriage? Will Cassie stay beyond her twenty- first birthday? What about the “charges” hanging over her head?



Cassie and Ted never expected that they’d end up married to each other in BRIDE FOR A DAY, but when that happens, they make the best of the situation. Along the way, they fall in love with each other. Ted is a sweet guy who will do anything for people, while Cassie has felt like a doormat since she was sixteen and her mother died, leaving Cassie in the guardianship of a couple who used her. His family barely blinks an eye at Ted and Cassie being married and welcomes her with open arms. Secretly, they are hoping the new couple learn to care for each other enough to make it a real thing. Cassie is a hard worker and proves invaluable to those around her. Once she has access to her trust fund, then she plans to go to school for a nursing degree. That caring attitude helps endear her to Ted.



BRIDE FOR A DAY is a sweet story that will have you rooting for Ted and Cassie to make it work. She deserves to have something good happen to her, while Ted, who still misses his late twin, John, needs a reason to move on to a better future. Be prepared to smile, laugh, and cry as you read BRIDE FOR A DAY.



Patti Fischer

This book was captivating, a little dark and sweet!

Cassie is on the run from her last foster home when she runs into Ted who agrees to marry her to save her.

Ted has his own demons he's dealing with since the death of his twin brother but somehow Cassie and Ted are able to save each other.

This book deals with some heavy topics but the author has a way of ensuring it ended in a happily ever after.

This was a great read and I couldn't put it down once I started.

I had no trouble loving the characters and hoping for their lives to become better.
Cassie and Ted are both searching for happiness, trying to move forward from their struggles. Suddenly they have each other, there’s fun, laughter and when Ted’s family welcome Cassie, there’s belief for a bright future.
The marriage may have come first, but will love follow!
Congratulations and thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the wonderfully talented author for the opportunity to read this book and give an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nothing in the summary of this book indicated it was a reissue of an older title, so I was immediately disappointed reading the introduction. I’m one of those people blessed with a good memory, and I rarely re-read books.

As it turns out, I had read this before. There were updates made to try to bring it up to present day, but I didn’t feel it was enough. However, I’m sure that first time readers will enjoy it as I have other books by this author.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

A sweet read about a cowboy rescuing a young runaway. Ted is minding his own business at a diner when a beautiful redhead whispers help me. Cassie has runaway from the man who has sold her.
This story has many levels, dealing with grief, protecting a innocent, learning to love and trust again. A quick read and a story that starts off getting married and then falling in love.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #BrideforaDay

Complementary copy given for my honest review and opinion. I didn’t really think I would fall for this family like I did. I love this book and the story line. It’s a great alpha male/strong female muted romance.

This book was previously published under a different name and the author republished and updated it as well.

I didn't read it in original form so I don't know how it differs.

The story opens with Cassie, almost 21, fleeing her ward, who treated her poorly. After she lost her mother, Deanna and her husband became her guardians, but Deanna passed away, leaving Cassie under Deanna's husbands rule.

Cassie does not want to live the few months until she turns 21 under the man's mistreatment and his nefarious plans, so she flees, pawning her grandmother's rings.

Luck is on her side when she meets Ted and she spills her predicament to him.
Since she only needs temporary help, with a trust coming due when she turns 21, Ted agrees to help her by marrying her. The marriage won't be permanent and she makes plans to leave after the annulment.

Both Cassie and Ted have had difficult lives. He lost his twin brother a few years ago and has never recovered from the loss.

I liked both characters although there was a bit too much arguing for my taste, I assume their pasts caused the arguments.

I enjoyed the way the family took Cassie in, conveniently giving her a place to live and a job. I liked the relationships the family had with each person.

I liked the way Ted healed during the story and how Cassie learned to settle down and trust and love.

While the book had some hard issues in it, even if briefly mentioned, it was sweet and warm and full of love and a bit of humor, what readers have come to expect, rely on and trust from the author.

I liked the emotions the book brought up and how the temporary marriage between strangers became a true loving marriage.

Always heartwarming and leaving the reader with that warm fuzzy feeling that love still exists even in these crazy days of real life, a good story is just what is needed to bring a smile to the reader.

Highly recommended 4*****

My thanks to Netgalley, the Publisher and the author for the complimentary e arc in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted at Netgalley, Wordpress, Goodreads and amazon.

I'm a fairly recent fan of Carolyn Brown's sweet romance novels, so when I had a chance to read and review a copy of a re-publication of one of her earliest novels, I was curious. Bride for a Day was originally published under a different title in 1997, and the author's note at the beginning of this novel explains that in addition to being reissued, this version has been updated and revamped. Unfortunately, after reading it, I wish Ms. Brown had done more revamping of this story for a number of reasons, which I'll get to, because the best I can give it is a 2-star rating.

First, the title is misleading. The primary characters, Cassie and Ted, meet for a very short time (less than an hour) in a bus station. Cassie is fleeing her friend's husband, who is trying to sell her to sex traffickers, and Ted tells the sheriffs who catch up with her that she's his fiance and that they are eloping. The sheriff has relatives in town, including a justice of the peace, and they are basically forced to marry then and there. The newlyweds eventually return to Ted's family ranch/farm. I don't mind the marriage-of-convenience trope, but although these two characters tried to annul the marriage at first, they were married a lot longer than the 3 days the process took, and Cassie was a bride for far more than a day. And then, they consummate the marriage, making an annulment moot.

Next issue, the characters. Neither character had much of a personality or depth. Ted was grieving the loss of his twin 4 years earlier (something Cassie only learned from his family), and Cassie was so fractious as to be utterly annoying. Ted is 21, and Cassie won't reach her 21st birthday for 4 months, at which time she'll receive an inheritance. Since I'm nearly 5 decades older, I found them to be incredibly immature and 2-dimensional. When Ted eventually falls in love and proclaims it to Cassie, my reaction was, "why?"

Lastly, the plot--there wasn't much of one. Cassie and Ted are forced to marry and then return to his family home. After that, nothing much happens. There was no forward momentum, no drama, and really no romance involved.

I'm glad that although this novel held little interest for me, Carolyn Brown has become a much more well-rounded, well-developed, and altogether better novelist over the years. I've thoroughly enjoyed the 5 or 6 other novels of hers that I've read and reviewed, and if her publisher decides to reissue another of her earliest novels, I think I'll pass.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinion expressed are my own.

Cute, but a bit campy

I've read quite a few of this author's books over the past four years and have absolutely loved each and every one. This one, however, doesn't rise to the standard of her current romances. Despite it being updated since its first publication (it specifically references songs from 2020) the writing still feels amateurish and comes off as more of a sitcom script than a fully-engaging romance novel.

Cassie and Ted are cute together, and his family are all well-developed characters, but some of the scenes were near cringeworthy and several times the main characters contradicted their earlier statements, sometimes almost immediately. Both characters came across as far too immature for marriage. If it had been written by any other author, I would have DNF'd it when Ted threw the lasso.

We get a satisfying HEA, even if a few loose ends remained regarding her tormentor and the never-explained trust fund that was soon forgotten. Not the finest example of this author's talent. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Cassie O'Malley is running away. She had to pawn her grandmother's wedding rings to have enough money for a bus ticket. Cassie's life fell apart when her deceased mother's friend Deana, who had agreed to be her guardian, also dies. Deana's husband has devious plans for Cassie and Cassie isn't sticking around to accommodate him. When Cassie saw the sheriff looking for her at the spot where the bus stopped for a break she panicked. Luckily for Cassie her panic drew her to a cowboy enjoying a meal in a booth in the cafe. Fortunately Ted Wellman goes along with being with Cassie when the sheriff approaches to question them. Then... oh my goodness... Ted blurts out that they plan to get married and the next thing they know the sheriff is escorting them to the Justice of the Peace's office and getting married. Now what?

Ted Wellman is a lost soul. He's still mourning the loss of his twin brother John four years ago. When the pretty lady sat down in his booth in the cafe and begged him to help her Ted couldn't say no. After all Ted had been going along making decisions based on WWJD, normally standing for What Would Jesus Do. In Ted's case that stood for What Would John Do and John wouldn't hesitate to help. From there Ted needed to think of what to tell his family when he got home with his surprise bride. What happens next is a super story to read.

This is a wonderful Women's Fiction story. Author Carolyn Brown grabs your attention and your heart with Cassie's and Ted's story. They have a lot going against them. They are virtual strangers. Yet they have a lot going for them as they both are kind and caring people and Ted's family is good support to them both. I really enjoyed this story. Then again I always enjoy Carolyn Brown's stories.

Bride for a Day by Carolyn Brown is a great story. This is a romance novel between Ted and Cassie. It is a sweet lighthearted romance story that provides a little escape from everyday life. Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite authors and this story was wonderful.

This was a very charming story. Although I think the main characters, Ted and Cassie, are too young, and sometimes it bothered me a bit about the big life decisions they were making, so that kind of got in the way of me enjoying the book fully.

I liked Ted's big family and how willing they were to help a stranger in need. I also liked Cassie's personality and how she wasn't passive about everything that was happening, that she had strong opinions about her life and how she wanted to live it.

But it was a nice story, a bit too smooth at times, because there were moments when everything went too well and it didn't exactly feel real. A bit more conflict would have made the story more interesting.

Except, sometimes, it's just what you need to read: a romance with the reassurance that life works out sometimes, and that even though some problems seem way too big, there are nice people out there who will help you out. So, if that's what you're looking for, Bride for a Day might be perfect for you.

Reading this book really surprised me because after the first few pages I felt like putting the book aside but it quickly changed my mind and after reading a couple of chapters I got really invested in the story and I couldn’t put the book down.

Thinking about it now, I guess it took me a while to get into the book because of the writing style - I’m not even sure what exactly I didn’t like about it but I think it was because at first it felt a bit flat and didn’t really touch me but I was so wrong - there were so many emotions.
The book covers some really heavy topics like toxic relationships, abuse, death, grief, and traumas. But it also shows how a group of strangers can quickly become your home and show you what it means to have a real family. Knowing you are loved and supported, no matter what, is such a beautiful thing.

Seeing how the connection between the main characters got stronger and stronger with every chapter was so nice and even more so was seeing them fall in love.

It‘s also set in a small town, which I always love in books.
I gave this book 4 stars and I‘m very happy that it is part of my reading year 2022.