The Wedding Audition
Runaway Brides Book 2
by Catherine Mann, Joanne Rock
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Pub Date Apr 07 2015 | Archive Date May 04 2015
Tule Publishing | Southern Born Books
Description
The tabloids call her the Hit and Run Bride after reality show star Annamae Jessup walked out on Atlanta’s favorite baseball player on cable television. Eager to escape her notoriety, Annamae takes a road trip to find the grandmother she’s never met and winds up discovering a whole lot more than a band of back woods relatives. There’s no escape from reality TV, even in Beulah, Alabama, population 3000.
The last thing Wynn Rafferty needs in his new life is a spoiled television princess who can’t even know his real name. He’s in temporary witness protection as an apple farmer after his undercover work put his life in danger. He needs to lay low until the heat dies down from his last case— even if he sucks at growing apples as badly as he sucks at relationships. But Annamae turns his new town into a media circus, unwittingly threatening the lives of him, her and most of Beulah. Wynn is an expert at keeping the world at arm’s length, but when it comes to Annamae, the only way he can keep her safe is to keep her very, very close.
A Note From the Publisher
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Joanne Rock writes romance of all shapes and sizes from sexy contemporary to medieval historical and an occasional Young Adult story. She’s penned over seventy books, appearing most often in the Harlequin Blaze series. Joanne taught English at the college level before becoming a full-time writer, and she returns to the classroom as often as possible to share her love of stories. A quiet and unassuming Virgo, Joanne married a fiery and boisterous Aries man in true opposites-attract fashion.
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781942240518 |
PRICE | $2.99 (USD) |
Average rating from 94 members
Featured Reviews
Needing a change reality show starlet Annamae Jessup hits the road. Ending up in Smalltown USA, she starts to better understand who she is and what she wants. When Annamae crosses paths with Wyatt, sparks fly. However, Wyatt has secrets of his own and with Annamae's celebrity status, the attraction may end up costing them both more than they expected. The Wedding Auction proved to be a fun read about appreciating the important things in life. I received a copy of this story for an honest opinion.
I grabbed this because Joanne is amazing at making me fall in love with her Heroes and even the Minor Characters! This book was certainly no different. While I'm an honest reviewer, and I pride myself on that, I can honestly say, There is no reason for me not to LOVE this!
The beginning of the book kinda started out humdrum. Honestly, to me, alot of books start out with this kinda feeling of boring then BAM we see the Hero and we can't put it down. It's not a bad thing because if they didn't start out that way, I honestly wouldn't have liked the heroines nearly as much as I did.
Joanne as well as Catherine has a way of introducing her stories that makes you feel as if you're right there in the passenger seat for the play out. The characters make you feel as if you're right next to them through the entire thing. You run out of breath when they're panicked, you tingle at that first electric glimpse, you sigh in happiness when it all works out. They become your best friend or even your sister/Brother. They insert you into their lives and you almost "live" the books out.
The Animals, very much a part of Catherines works, ( as Sports figures are to Joanne) take on a life of their own. In this story there's Bagel, a mix breed stray that adopted Annamae, and Patch, Tiger, and the half dozen or so other rescues and my personal favorite, the black and white Kitten that liked Wynns bed. (I've named her Sherharizad in my head.) that seem to have adopted Wynn.
The Wedding Audition seemed a bit different from the beginning. Opening up in a beauty salon. Heres a reality star who gives us a glimpse into that world that we either Hate to love, or love to hate. (I for one can't stand the kardashians) We meet Annamae, The oldest, boring daughter of a Stepfather- a man with more money than heart and a mother who is so ashamed of her mistakes from her past that she's practically convinced herself they never happened.
24 hours from her wedding Anna is reeling from cold feet. Which for her is more like Captain America's deep freeze. She wants a little advice away from the cameras and inadvertantly turns herself into a scandal that sends her running from the Salon in Atlanta Georging to Beulah Alabama, and right into, literally, the protection of Apple Farmer Heath Lambert / Undercover Cop Wynn Rafferty.
Not giving anything away but this book tugged at my heart, made me fall in love, smell the apple blossoms, taste the strawberries, and actually feel sorry for jerk of a jilted fiance.
Yes, she is good enough to make me question whether i should hate the jerk or not. part of me hates him because he could have completely publicized the whole "i'm sorry" call she tried to make, and the other part is wondering if he lashed out because she actually had hurt him. (i'm leaning towards the first so she's definitely good!)
My only disappointments in this book were that we didn't see Lindsey past a thought at the end of the book. We don't know if Annamae was able to remain friends with who she felt was her ONE TRUE friend from her life in Atlanta.
the Second disappointment, is that i had to read the last sentence and say goodbye. I will freely admit i tapped the screen on my nook for 2 minutes hoping there was an extra little bit .
The Wedding Audition by Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock is the first book in the Runaway Brides series and was quite a lovely and fairly quick read. It's about a reality show celebrity who's never wanted stardom or popularity now facing notoriety as a runaway bride and a cop in staying under the radar until it's time for him to testify on a case that had him being undercover and cost the life of a young man with a promising future. The last thing Wynn needs is the unwanted media attention courtesy of Annamae.
Wynn and Annamae are both in hiding but they'll need to face the truths they're hiding from if they hope to move forward with their lives. Aside from the romance part, there's also a bit of mystery suspense in the story, courtesy of the person who appears to be stalking either Wynn or Annamae. Annamae's paternal grandmother, Hazel Mae Smith, and her mother, Delilah Jessup, were interesting characters as well, both hiding secrets from her. Overall, The Wedding Audition was a highly appealing read and gets 4.5 stars. ♥
Annamae knew in her gut that getting married tomorrow was the wrong choice. She wasn’t happy, these weren’t pre-wedding butterflies – these were full blown bats and they were telling her to stop, don’t do it. So she bailed, right out of the beauty salon’s bathroom window. During her escape from Atlanta she is adopted by a stray pup, buys a red beetle Volkswagen and heads for Beulah, Alabama. Her biological grandmother lived there and Annamae needed answers that only she could give. She was looking for freedom, peace and if that meant hiding for awhile – so be it.
Wynn had been on his old apple farm for quite awhile now. It was as secure as he could make it, with fences and cameras and alarm systems in place. He was in hiding, if not in plain sight, at least in a small southern town where no one really knew who he was. Just that crazy guy who is antisocial and has the worst luck with his apple trees. And he needed to keep it that way for a few more weeks. He was a cop, a cop who needed to hide out so that he didn’t get his head blown off before the trial that would send a mobster to prison for a very long time. He just had to stay alive, unnoticed and hidden for a few weeks.
What he didn’t need was a runaway reality show star at his front gate pestering him to rent his carriage house.
Annamae and Wynn are both in hiding. Not only from outside influences, but from themselves as well. This time spent together will show them a future that neither one thought possible. If they are brave enough.
I enjoyed The Wedding Audition very much. It’s a relatively short, fun, sexy and entertaining read. Not too complicated, but with a plot that keeps moving at a fast pace. I recommend this one for those that love the happily ever after for two unlikely people who for some reason are just right for each other.
*I received an e-ARC of The Wedding Audition from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
I enjoyed The Wedding Audition. It was a fairly face paced romance book with a bit of drama grown in to add a bit of action to the book. The chemistry between Annamae and Heath/Wynn was well written and seemed fairly believed throughout the book. I also found myself laughing out loud in some spots so the humour in the book was a plus. Overall, this book was well written and very relatable with the reality TV craze that is taking place now so what Annamae had to deal with was so realistic this book was very easy to get into and enjoy. I would recommend this book and give it four out of five stars.
This is the first book in the Runaway Bride series, a fun read. Annamae,has left her fiance a day before the wedding, a big time baseball player. She now just wants to get away from the public eye so she decides to go visit her grandma, the she never really knew. She ends up renting a house on an apple orchard from Wynn who also is in hiding, a temporary witness program. Sparks start to fly between the two.
Loved this story, had me laughing out loud at times. Loved Annamae's quirky family.
I actually really enjoyed this story, though it seemed to me there were a few loose ends that were left, statements thrown out in the heat of a discussion that were never addressed. I really liked Annamae and thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow a backbone. Then there was Wynn, what’s not to love about a protective alpha male undercover cop who’s trying to lay low while waiting to testify in an important case. What I really liked about these characters is that they seemed to bring out the best in each other. Wynn encouraged Annamae to stand her ground and she helped him reconnect to the world and reexamine what he wanted to do with his life after the case was over. I did get a little lost in Annamae’s family dynamics, but maybe that was the point as we all know family relationships can be very complicated. I would have liked to have seen it get fleshed out a little bit more. This is a great story about two people who wouldn’t seem to work on paper but in real life manage to mesh together quite well. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Cute book with a valiant attempt at massive character development in a short amount of words. I never could decide if the mother was supposed to be a bad character or a good one; maybe that was point. The love at first sight thing is a little thin, but overall this was a good time for a reader.
I loved this book! Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock make an awesome pair. I will most definitely be looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Good, fun read. I love both these authors and this book portrays a bit of both their styles.
annamae was sick of the spotlight of the families reality tv show. she was sick of being the good girl well she didn't have to worry about that any more after accidentally breaking up with her golden boy fiancée on national radio. she ends up in Beulah looking for her grandmother and finds something she wasn't expecting.
I enjoyed this book immensely. the characters were believable and fun.
chuck in a little danger and romance and your set.
Really enjoyed this one! The characters were great. Annamae is so full of life and just wants a little time and space to live hers away from her crazy family. Wynn is trying his best to lay low and stay alive but with Annamae around that is getting harder and harder.
This is definitely one I would recommend to everyone.
The tabloids call her the Hit and Run Bride after reality show star Annamae Jessup walked out on Atlanta’s favorite baseball player on cable television. Eager to escape her notoriety, Annamae takes a road trip to find the grandmother she’s never met and winds up discovering a whole lot more than a band of back woods relatives. There’s no escape from reality TV, even in Beulah, Alabama, population 3000.
The last thing Wynn Rafferty needs in his new life is a spoiled television princess who can’t even know his real name. He’s in temporary witness protection as an apple farmer after his undercover work put his life in danger. He needs to lay low until the heat dies down from his last case— even if he sucks at growing apples as badly as he sucks at relationships. But Annamae turns his new town into a media circus, unwittingly threatening the lives of him, her and most of Beulah. Wynn is an expert at keeping the world at arm’s length, but when it comes to Annamae, the only way he can keep her safe is to keep her very, very close.
“The Wedding Audition” by Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock is a perfect merger of their talents. The book reads with the voice not of either author but a combination of the pair. (Thanks Netgallery, Mann and Rock for an ARC.)
I enjoyed Annamae’s journey to from uptown Atlanta to small town Alabama, where she finds not only her roots and gumption but also “the one” for her.
This first book in the Runaway Brides Series starts with the “nice” sister in a reality TV family experiencing more than a few pre-wedding jitters. The result is her seeking advice from a live call-in radio show, that everyone in the hair salon including the camera crew and her family, along with the rest of Atlanta — including her fiané, the “golden boy” of his pro baseball team. After the unintended on-air break-up she flees out a bathroom window with only half finished hair and a dress.
She begins her journey with the dog who greeted her outside the window in a car she pays cash for and several pre-paid phones. She’s going off the grid and in search of the only relative reality TV doesn’t know about her biological dad’s mom.
Annamae is directed to an old apple far, where she meets Heath. He initially turns her away after townsfolk alert him to her identity. But, realizing being linked to the town and him could be putting her in danger, he agrees to let her stay at hte carrier house on the property. His real name is actually Wynn, and instead of a farmer he’s a cop in witness protection at the farm until he can testify in a big mob case back home in Florida.
The tension is palpable between the two from the start and they give in to it quickly. What’s supposed to be a fun affair or rebound for a short time, quickly intensifies. And, he can’t help protecting her.
Things get a little crazy when Annamae’s Atlanta family tracks her down to the farm, where Heath/Wynn tries to keep not just Annamae safe, but her long lost Gram, and her mom and adopted dad too. So much for a quite hiding place!
In the end Annamae realizes that she has to return to Atlanta to face the mess she’s left behind in order to move on with her life. While driving her Gram back to town, she sees the man who’d sneaked onto Wynn’s property the day she arrived. He’s headed toward the farm.
Wynn meanwhile has decided the time for the trial is close enough; he’s ready to head home and face the music.
In the end Annamae learns to accept who she is, the crazy reality TV life as her past and how to utilize popularity for good.
Wynn figures out a way to honor the kid who was killed during the gang related incident that sent him into hiding. She’s able to use that hospitality degree she went to college for and how to stand up when needed and be counted.
I really enjoyed this story and even though to says it is written by two authors, the transition are seamless and you can really sit down and enjoy the ride. Annamae and her family star in a reality show and she gets nervous right before her wedding and calls it off when she realizes this is not what she wants to do. She wants to find her grandmother and find out what happened to her real father. Wynn is under protection due to an upcoming trial that he is a witness for. He's really a cop but Annamae just sees him as a grumpy farmer. Sweet, enjoyable and keeps you entertained and involved in the story the whole time. My favorite is the dog that Annamae finds and brings along with her.
Refreshingly originally set up in this story.
The Jessup reality television series family is so dramatic, they are comically funny and very entertaining. Their daughter AnnaMae has, for the first time in her life, found her backbone, and stands up for what she wants, needs, out of her life, even though maybe going for it in a wrong way.
On her way to find out more about her real father, and escape from the disaster her life has turned out to be, she runs into Wynn, and sparks fly. The attraction is immediate, even though AnnaMae just left her fiance. Wynn is hiding as well, from the crime cartel. Together at the apple farm, they learn to trust each other, and trust the attraction between them. A hope for the possible future together starts to rise, until AnnaMae's family comes for a visit, and the chaos sets off. The story has a fun, humorist tone, even though the danger from the cartel, or the paparazzi, finding them, is constantly present. Wynn and AnnaMae are fun together, the passion is hot, the connection is real, and they truly seem to enjoy each others company. Enjoyable, lively story
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
This is the first in a new series written by two authors that I have previously read and enjoyed. So when I saw their names on the book I knew it would be good. I just wish it had been a full length novel because there were so many parts that could have been flushed out and developed more. However, it was still an enjoyable and fun novella with great characters. A great start to a new series.
The Wedding Audition by Catherine Mann and Joann Rock is a sweet cutie pie. The novella is a short read so the characters are not developed the deepest. Annamae and Wynn and her grandmother are likable, with the cats and the dogs being downright lovable. Annamae’s parents are a completely different story. These were not characters that I liked but did behave how I expected them too.
This story gives a different perspective on the 15 minutes of fame idea that is so popular on television. The “apple farmer” Wynn just wanted to live long enough to give his 15 minutes as a witness. I had no doubt that the danger to him would be quickly eliminated keeping the fun feel of the story.
Fans of reality TV would certainly get a kick out of this romance. Pleasant story for a lazy afternoon read.
**I received an ARC in exchange for my opinion**
Annamae's family is the South's favorite reality TV family. Though usually the quiet one, she's just accidentally dumped her fiance` in a most-public way. Escaping life, she runs to a small town in Alabama seeking the one truth about her family kept secret her entire life. Trying to stay incognito isn't easy, but fortunately for her, she's able to rent a carriage house from Wynn/Heath--undercover cop in hiding before a trial and disguised as a farmer.
Trying to keep both out of the public eye leads to a lot of alone time for Wynn/Heath and Annamae. They discover other paths for the future as they fall in love and try to keep her family under control and Wynn/Heath safe from a crime family. This is a fun read with a great plot and HEA!
The Wedding Audition by Catherine Mann My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first book in the contemporary romance series Runaway Brides.
I liked this book a lot. I liked that Wynn, the transplanted city cop, has thrown himself into his cover story of apple farmer. He offers Annanae and escape from the paparazzi, when she inadvertently shows up on his doorstep.
I love that Annamae, our tv reality star, has thrown herself wholeheartedly into the rural life, transplanting flowers in front of her guest cottage. Wynn thinks her DIY streak is really hot.
Annamae loves his lifestyle -"How delicious was it to do something because you wanted to and not because you were supposed to?"
I am really looking forward to more in this series. I got a complementary copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
A fun story, that clipped right along nicely. Really liked the characters, and the fun of her crazy relatives. Some parts seemed a bit rushed though, like their instant chemistry and instant sex. Also, if he is trying to lay low, why did he so quickly let her in? While reading this didn't bother me much, but thinking about it later got me curious about it. A bit more development in these areas would have made a much stronger book. Would still recommend though, as it is a nice fun and quick read.
Reality television star Annamae Jessup is going to marry Atlanta’s golden boy, baseball player tomorrow. She’s having her hair done - in front of the cameras, of course - when she hears a phone in radio broadcast. She’s not sure about the marriage and goes to one of the few places she’s not filmed - the toilet. Whilst in there she phones the radio show for advice and agrees she should cancel the wedding. The problem is everyone in the hair salon heard her discussion, so did her fiancé, the cameras were filming and everyone has gone crazy. She decides to escape through a window, adopts a dog (Bagel) along the way and runs away! She decides to go find her paternal gran in Beulah, Alabama but finds Wynn Rafferty (aka Heath Lambert) when she tries to rent his cottage. He has a reputation as a recluse but there’s a really serious reason for this and all the security around his farm. He’s an undercover cop who is in hiding, trying to keep safe, before appearing in a trial against a crime boss. The last thing he needs is media attention but she needs protection and he wants to keep her safe…. Sparks fly, the chemistry is hot but the dangers are ever present and further media attention will endanger both their lives. Can they learn from their past, escape potential danger and move on to their own HEA?
What a superb story with strong characters facing great dilemmas and allowing the readers to share them. Well written, making it easy to empathise with the characters and love the associated animal stars (especially Bagel and Tiger). A great book to escape into! I look forward to reading more books by this great combination of authors.
Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Annamae climbs out a window after realizing she basically broke up with her fiance very publically on the radio. She runs away from her reality show family and ends up renting from "Wynn" the apple farmer....they are both hiding something from the other. This is a quick funny read and it is part of the series "Runaway Brides". It is the perfect cute story to pass a couple hours on a lazy day.
I also posted a review on Amazon.
I loved this book. From start to finish and every word in between. It moves at a great pace throughout so no lulls for me. The characters are funny, the story is sweet and the one liners are priceless. I found myself smiling throughout the book and at the big grumpy man with all these cats. I think that while a cute story the underlying tone of finding who you are and being able to be the adult you want to be is very relevant. Money is not the most important thing. This story make me want to be able to tend my own apple trees. :)
Not only is this story extremely well-written, with a seamlessness that makes it impossible to tell which author might have written what, the novel itself has a great situational setup. Thanks to the hero and heroine's troublesome external conflicts and their need to stay under the mass public's radar, it's easy to see why they are the worst people in the world for each other, particularly right now. It's also easy to see how Annamae and Wynn fit together and understand one another. They might be opposites in one way, but they're also really similar in another, which actually makes them absolutely perfect for each other.
This was such a great read, and one I highly recommend checking out.
I loved The Wedding Audition! This book delivered much more than it promised in terms of depth of storyline, interest factor and sheer readability. I thought it would be a light, fairly shallow story of boy meets girl but this one seemed more than a novella to me. For a start the expected boy girl combination was not the one that eventuated. Then there was a twist of suspense and the hint of danger and the possibility that Annamae's celebrity status might jeopardise Wynn's safety. Annamae and Wynn are both likeable characters, though I think both, and particularly Wynn, could have been fleshed out more, but given that this book is a novella it manages to pack a lot between the covers. After reading this book I'm looking forward to more from Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock. Recommended!
Annamae and Wynn - loved them together! Annamae is running from the spotlight having dumped her fiancé while on a reality show. Wynn is in the witness protection program, not needing the limelight that comes with a reality tv show. This story is so much fun but also has some danger too. Overall, I truly liked both characters - Annamae is sweet and caring and kind. Wynn is protective and strong and only wants to protect her. Their chemistry was amazing! Once again, both Ms. Mann and Ms. Rock have done a phenomenal job of creating characters with depth and personality. Of course, add the element of the animals, and I'm hooked! For an easy read that is light and fun, check this one out! I hope that these two authors continue to co-write and there will be more coming for this series. (received copy for honest review)
Anna Mae Jessup had snagged Atlanta's golden boy, the 3rd baseman for the Atlanta Stars. Her family had become Atlanta's small time cable's answer to the Kardashians. The show was called Acting Up. Five years of Anna Mae's life had been documented. Her role was as the good girl in the middle of drama. All she wanted was a peaceful life and to finish her degree in Hospitality and Tourism. The pressure of being followed night and day finally exploded. Her world narrowed down to one thing, escape and regroup. Wynn Rafferty was better known as Heath Lambert. He was in the Witness Protection Program. He had a trial to attend about a Miami drug lord. He was an undercover cop. Wynn's only companions were a bunch of cats. Anna Mae ran away from her life and accidentally broke up with her fiance. She ended up in Beulah, Alabama.
Anna was looking for real life. I found her to be brave and loyal. She was also inquisitive. She grew a lot in this book and it was enjoyable to watch. Heath/Wynn was a strong and loyal man. He was caring even when he tried to come across grumpy. He had to find his way as he waited for the trial. He had to make peace with a teen's death. He had been a good cop but he needed something new.
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
Talk about an interesting and different story! Co-written by Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock, “The Wedding Audition” (Runaway Bride Series 2), is easy on the mind, charming to read and warm to the heart.
Runaway reality star and soon-to-be-ex-bride Annamae Jessup leaves behind a cable network show and takes a road trip to visit her roots. Her trip lands her in the apple orchards of Wynn Rafferty, a cop in a witness protection program. Annamae brings the gossip and tabloids in her wake, and Wynn tries to save her and himself from the threat of a Mafia lord.
With felines and canines for company, Annamae discovers more than she bargained for, and in the process rediscovers herself and what she really wants to make of her life. Attraction and desire spark lust and love, and Wynn and Annamae succumb to the fire of passion.
Witty dialogues and a sassy Grandma make this story even more fun to read. I have always loved Catherine Mann, and now Joanne Rock is a first time read, and this combo created a pretty magnetic story for the readers. Annamae is just hilarious and a bundle of surprises and Wynn is the ever magnetic and sweet guy who falls head over heels his raw harvest skills for the reality star.
Enjoyable and romantic, The Wedding Auction definitely spreads smiles.
www.alimalivzletlivz.com
Recieved a copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
The Wedding Audition is a fun read. Annemae Jessup is about to get married and having second thoughs. She breaks the news through a call-in radio show be accident and when she realizes what happens runs for it. Not to mention that her life is being caught on camera for a reality show. Wynn Rafferty is an undercover cop who is in hiding in a small town until the trail. He has kept a low profile until Annemae shows up and turns his world upside down.
I enjoyed the secondary characters in the story and the animals were a nice touch.
This is a great book to start off the Runaway Brides Series.
A short but sweet enjoyable romance read with a touch of “Sweet Home Alabama” feel to it. The hero and heroine were both likeable and believable along with the cast of supporting characters. I have to admit I was surprised the ex-fiance was written out of the story so promptly. I would have found it interesting to have had him show up unexpectedly demanding more of an explanation or reconciliation with Anna Mae. As well as an appearance of Anna Mae’s biological father to shake things up a bit. As it was, I breezed through this book very pleased with its HEA.
(This review was based on ARC copy received via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
I was attracted by the premise of this topical story; the fifteen minutes of fame reality star and her escape to a small town. The story felt rushed mostly because of the novella format, it doesn't lend itself well to a story that has a first time meeting. That kind of puts the balance off; either too much time goes to character back story, or not enough. In this case, I wanted more. The characters were interesting to me and I wanted them to have more layers. That doesn't mean The Wedding Audition wasn't a good story; it is a well crafted, enjoyable read. Definitely a fast read. I went with 4 stars because I will not penalize authors because I am not fond of the novella format. Based on this sampling, the author pairing is strong and I would like to see a full length novel from them.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
The story line is good and the characters worked well. It was a fun and enjoyable read.
Annamae Jessup's family is the subject of an Atlanta reality tv show. When she accidentally publicly breaks up with her baseball player fiance on the eve of their wedding, she decides it's past time to figure out who she is and who she wants to be, out of the public eye and out from under her mother and stepfather's influence. Heading for Alabama to explore her roots, she finds her grandmother and unwittingly ends up on Wynn's doorstep. Wynn is an undercover police officer in hiding until he can return home, he is trying to make it as an apple farmer. The last thing he needs is a reality star drawing unwanted attention to the small town he is hiding in. He also doesn't want the instant attraction he feels.
When Annamae feels the sizzle of attraction with Wynn, she realizes quickly she made the right decision to end her engagement, because while she liked her fiance, there was no real chemistry.
Fast-paced, this is a quick read with enjoyable characters, both main and secondary. Annamae was always in the background with her family, so it was fun to watch her come into her own and figure out what she needed to be happy in her life.
I received a copy of this via NetGalley for an honest review.
3.5 stars
A nicely written, easy to read, fluffy romance. Just what is needed sometimes.
In The Wedding Audition, Mann and Rock gives us a fun read that I couldn't put down. After the introduction in How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days, I was looking forward to Annamae and Boone. The story delivered in The Wedding Audition is better than I could have expected. Annamae has walked out on Boone and when she runs away, we get Wynn. A runaway bride, an undercover cop in hiding, reality television, all add up to laughs and a pager turner that keeps you reading.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series and more from Cahterine Mann and Joanne Rock.
In The Wedding Audition, Mann and Rock gives us a fun read that I couldn't put down. After the introduction in How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days, I was looking forward to Annamae and Boone. The story delivered in The Wedding Audition is better than I could have expected. Annamae has walked out on Boone and when she runs away, we get Wynn. A runaway bride, an undercover cop in hiding, reality television, all add up to laughs and a pager turner that keeps you reading.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series and more from Cahterine Mann and Joanne Rock.
Straight from pop culture’s love of reality TV, “The Wedding Audition” by Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock pairs reality star Annamae Jessup with no nonsense apple farmer Wynn Rafferty.
After walking out from her fiancé in Atlanta, Annamae drove to rural Alabama to go straight to the unwilling and very surprised arms of Wynn who is also astonished by his unprecedented reactions to the notorious reality star.
In between dodging and hiding from the fans, the paparazzi, the tabloids and the mob, Annamae and Wynn have to find time to fuel their fledgling romance while also trying to keep each other safe. With all these pitfalls, will they even find their happily ever after?
A romantic comedy with a bit of a mystery/thriller thrown in, “The Wedding Audition” is a fun novella to add to your summer reading list.
“The Wedding Audition” is Rated YA for young adult due to sexual content.
The Wedding Audition
Runaway Brides Series - Book 2
By Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock
Tule Publishing - April 2015
Contemporary Romance
Some said it was pre-wedding jitters. Unfortunately, Annamae Jessup was certain it was more than that. And when she tried to get some advice, she inadvertently let everyone know her intentions to call off the wedding. Before she had the opportunity to tell her fiance.
And that was her life. Always in the spotlight due to her family being the stars of a reality television show. Yeah - like everything that was on the show was real. True, she had been engaged, but the fairy tale romance everyone believed in, Annamae had come to realize was just a show. She had loved him, but not enough for marriage.
So now everyone was on the hunt for Annamae as she tried to escape the spotlight for a little while. Learning about a recluse who had a carriage house available for rent? Well, she'd call that a little bit of ingenuity and maybe a teensy bit of eavesdropping. But it was the perfect hideaway.
Wynn Rafferty needed privacy - at least until he testified at an upcoming trial. Having a woman show up at his front gate who had her own paparazzi was not going to help his anonymity. But turning her loose to the wolves at the gate, if you will, was sure to expose him. Plus, it was obvious that she needed help, and that was his sworn duty.
The Wedding Audition was an entertaining addition to a new series by authors Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock. And these authors deftly prevented the romance from becoming overshadowed by the eclectic cast of secondary characters. The focus always remained firmly on Annamae and Wynn. I was entertained from cover to cover and look forward to more stories co-written by Ms Mann & Ms Rock.
Had the game show angle, romance and suspense too. Was well written and I enjoyed the twists and turns.
A fun romance, sweet and engaging to the end! Mann and Rock make a dynamic author duo showcasing a seamless writing style and a beautiful talent for creating heart-warming stories.