A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen, Cymplified!

Wynne Hardy never thought she’d get engaged on a reality TV show, but when she met Andy on The Rejection Connection, the two of them hit it off. Now he’s asked her to marry him, much to the public’s delight and fascination. They’re all set to wed on live TV in a seaside ceremony at the height of the wedding season.

But just as Wynne thinks all her dreams are coming true, her ex-boyfriend walks back into her life at the worst possible time. Callum broke her heart years ago, and she’s still sorting through her feelings for him. Her heart isn’t as clear as her head that it’s past time to move on – even though she’s engaged to Andy.

At a local TV talk show appearance, Wynne meets Meredith, who won another reality TV show – Marathon Mom – proving herself nothing short of a superhero. As Wynne’s beach wedding plans spin out of control, Meredith offers to help, unknowingly stepping on Wynne’s secret feelings . . . and exposing some secrets Meredith has been keeping to herself. Can these two reality stars get real about their feelings? Will Wynne go through with her televised wedding and be the perfect June bride the network is looking for?

Although A June Bride was a different kind of love story with a unique writing style that did not spell out everything for me, and even if I like that that it’s fast-paced and there’s an air of enigma, I felt that the mysteries remained just that, mysteries. For example, I didn’t get to know Andy (what’s his reason for joining the reality show?) or Callum (is he rooted in faith like Wynne?), it’s all just the TV show this, the TV show that. I am not a fan of reality shows for the reason that the “reality” of the stars of these shows don’t seem so authentic anymore. For me, the presence of cameras and knowing that thousands, even millions of people are watching, influence whatever they say and however they act.

There was a moment I thought the novella would angle on the aspect of Wynne as a Christian in an environment of worldly standards, surrounded by non-believers – like the producers, Meredith and Andy. I imagined she would be a little pressured to follow the ways of the world, but would then be inspired by the Lord to stand firm and trust in God’s will for her. I would have loved to see how the protagonist handled that!

This book was just alright. It seemed Wynne had no real interaction with her family, her best friend Picky or Andy. It’s only with Meredith, but it all seemed superficial. I wish the characters were more developed, though. I’d give it three out of five stars.

Note: I received an e-book copy from the publisher through BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.