The Accidental Bride, by Denise Hunter

When I first started reading The Accidental Bride, by Denise Hunter, the word that kept coming to my mind was "dramatic." In the first few chapters, the main character, Shay, struck me as over-dramatic and I wasn't sure that I would keep reading. But I'm so glad that I did. Here's the description from the publisher:

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite her hard work, she can’t seem to keep her head above water—and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high school sweetheart—the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busy body and an absent minded preacher, the wedding reenactment results in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she’ll lose her home. But if she accepts, she may lose her heart.

At first, I just couldn't get into the story - it all seemed so preposterous. However, as the story kept going, I found myself caring for Shay and Travis more and more. I especially appreciated the relationships between Shay and her daughter, and Travis and the daughter, because they rang true to me. In all, this ended up being a great book that held my attention. For me, the test of a good book is whether or not I think about the characters when I'm not reading the book, and I thought about this book quite a bit. I recommend this book to any fans of Christian fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”