Wedding Books

There's something irrepressible about a wedding of royalty. Even the most jaded of us is capable of maybe an 'awww' or two as we get to see a bit of a fairy tale come to life. There is pomp everywhere, from the fabulous gown and jewels that the bride is wearing, the wedding cakes and favours, to public displays of the wedding gifts.

This handsome little souvenir album is to commemorate an upcoming wedding anniversary -- that of England's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who will have been married for sixty years, in November 2007. It is also a look at how Royal weddings have changed and evolved from fairly private ceremonies that were witnessed by close family members and courtiers, to now what is a spectacle watched by millions on the television and launching a flurry of books, magazines and various souvenirs from the pleasant to the grossly tacky.

The five weddings themselves occur in a period of time that spans just over a century, from 1840 to 1947, with the criteria that either the bride or groom would be a monarch of the United Kingdom.

The first wedding is that between Queen Victoria and her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in 1840. Victoria had been Queen of Great Britain for two years when her wedding was celebrated, and public curiosity was intense as to who she would choose to be her consort. With the rise of new printing techniques, there were now ways that the public could observe, albeit from a distance -- there were special prints and panoramas that were printed to feed the curiosity about the event.

About twenty years later, the next royal wedding occured, this time between Victoria and Albert's eldest son, Bertie, the Prince of Wales and the future Edward VII, and his fiancee, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, 1863. Now there was the art of photography to add to the documents; some of these were hand-tinted to create a nearly painting like quality. The gifts were also more opulent, and this time, were described in a special magazine that supplied all of the details from what the guests were wearing to engravings that showed various aspects of the wedding service itself.

Thirty years later, another wedding occured, this time between Bertie's son, George, Duke of York, and his cousin, Princess Mary of Teck, in 1894. This time, celebrations and public notice were high, with various royalties from around Europe visiting to pay their respects. The gifts were put on public display this time, and admission was charged, with the proceeds going to a charity. The bride's trousseau was described in various ladies magazines in lavish detail and illustrations.

The fourth wedding was that of George VI and Queen Mary's second son, Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. No one really expected them to become sovereigns of Great Britain, and so the celebrations were not quite as extravagant as might be expected. But one notable addition was that this was the first royal wedding to be filmed, and soon there would be opportunity for anyone to see it, all for the price of a ticket to the cinema, and sitting through a newsreel.

The fifth wedding was in 1947, with that of two of Queen Victoria's great-great-grandchildren -- Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Philip of Greece. After the dreary years of WWII, and the troubles of rebuilding, London was ready for a celebration. The outpouring from the public was immense, and it seems that all of England took the day off for a holiday. The marriage proved to be one of the most successful in the royal family, and appears to be still quite solid after nearly sixty years.

Each wedding goes into some detail about the clothing, providing pictures and closeups of the brides' gowns, showing some of the intricate sewing and decoration that went into the making. As was traditional, all of the clothing worn were made from British materials and designers. What I found especially beautiful were the samples of lace and embroidery, often with monograms and special designs incorporated into the designs. A very brief history of the couple is also included, talking a little about their childhoods, and what happened after the weddings. At the end of the book, there is also a listing of what music was performed at each wedding, with a few surprises tucked in.

What may surprise you is what you will not find in this book. There isn't any mention of Lady Diana, or of the notorious wedding of Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson.

For anyone interested in royalty, and how what started as a private celebration soon became an opportunity for public celebration, this is a lovely, well-made and designed book. The photographs and pictures are unusual, many of which I had not seen before, and gave a sense of intimacy.

The author, Jane Roberts, is the Royal Librarian, and has compiled a beautiful little volume on the lore of royal weddings. For anyone interested in the English monarchy, it would be a nice addition to their collection.

Five stars. Recommended.

A wonderful book that takes you back in time for 5 royal marriages. I had a splendid time reading and looking at the photos. I have been watching the "Royals" all my life. I remember the day Elizabeth and Phillip were married, and this little book just made those memories much more clearer than ever before! A "must" for "royal watchers"!!

A wonderful display of that special wedding. It was like the Queen was showing these momentos to me herself.

I loved all of the stories in this anthology because of the special and magical plot about the dress. My very favorite has to be GLAD RAGS by Connie Brockway though because she gave that plot a very funny twist. I don't want to give it away because it's so cute but I can say that only Ms. Brockway (and maybe Cary Grant) could have pulled it off!

Giving an overall rating to an anthology is always VERY difficult. Some stories hit and some miss. Yet, I always enjoy reading an anthology, because you USUALLY come across an unfamiliar author . . . someone new and satisfying.

Scotland, 1790. As she quietly sewed, Aileanna MacEwan moved her weary fingers over the beautiful wedding gown, but alas, the exquisite dress was not for her. It was for her spoiled, ungrateful mistress. Sadly, Aileanna winced. All seemed so unfair, for she was in love . . . in love with the intended groom. Yet, Aileanna knew she COULD give her beloved a lifetime filled with happiness, for inside her flowed the blood of a sorceress and for the man of her dreams, Aileanna WOULD cast a spell . . . and so the legacy of the bewitched wedding dress begins . . .

1). Barbara Metzger: "A PERFECT FIT." - Rating: (4 Stars) (Grade: B+)
This was my first trip into Ms. Metzger's world and the adventure pleasantly surprised me.

Katie Cole may be an earl's daughter, but she spent the last eighteen years raising chickens and an illegitimate daughter. Tanyon Wellforde, Viscount Forde has a very unpleasant task. He must reluctantly cancel his nephew's wedding. It seems Gerald is too young and too inexperienced to deal with the designs of a rural gold-digger. As Gerald's uncle and guardian, it is Forde's duty to find out exactly what Miss Susannah Cole and her mother are!

A PERFECT FIT is delightful, witty, and pleasantly poignant. However, the rushed concocted ending (specifically her unforgiving father's reappearance) caused an otherwise intriguing story to slip a notch.

2). Connie Brockway: "GLAD RAGS." - Rating: (5 big Stars) (Grade: A+)
In an anthology format, I was beginning to think that the perfect story was impossible. Connie Brockway proved me wrong! GLAD RAGS is reading perfection. This little gambol has it all - humor, spice, and wonderful characters.

Innocent, strong-willed Lucy St. James was driving Alexander Thorpe crazy . . . he was love-crazy, lust-crazy, and he was leaving for the Crimea! Therefore, he staunchly resisted Lucy St. James' charms. Alex swore he would not make Lucy a widow nor would he allow her to spend a lifetime married to an invalid! Therefore, he did the next best thing. He crazily bowed out of their relationship.

Using the wedding dress folklore, Brockway successfully spins it with a surprising twist. This talented, creative author surrounds the entire phenomenon with a gentle sense of humor. This is a splendid read.

3). Casey Claybourne: "SOMETHING SPECIAL." - Rating: (5 Stars) (Grade: A).
Goodness another winner! In SOMETHING SPECIAL, Casey Claybourne intensely moves her heartwarming tale start into her reader's heart.

Wealthy, eleven-year-old Eliza Cooper was a lonely little girl. Although her frequently absent father tried, the lonesome child wanted a special friend. She wanted someone to share her life, someone to fuss and encourage her, someone to make every day special. Yes, Eliza wanted someone special - someone like a mother. As Penelope Martin arrived in Seattle, she looked forward to a new life. Although she lacked experience as a teacher, she was willing to learn and she knew she could create a wonderful world for Eliza Cooper. However, Josh Cooper had other ideas for his daughter and those ideas did not include this so-called `governess.' A governess? Why, the woman could not even read!

Through soft humor and likeable characters, Claybourne delivers a very good page-turner. SOMETHING SPECIAL is well written and very enjoyable.

4). Catherine Anderson: "BEAUTIFUL GIFTS." - Rating: (4 Stars) (Grade: B-)
In 1996, Catherine released "Keegan's Lady." This story circled child abuse - abuse by an alcoholic father. In January 2006, Ms. Anderson's Summer Breeze will be available. This book revisits the Keegan/Paxton family. BEAUTIFUL GIFTS is the connection between the two, allowing Anderson's reader to revisit the 1996 story and then move into 2006 and Summer Breeze.

Faith Randolph and her precocious daughter, Charity, are running away. They are running from the dark and sinister nature of one man - Faith's father. Through a quirk of magic, brought on by the wedding dress, Faith embarrassingly stumbles upon Patrick O'Shannessy. She is applying for the position of his housekeeper. Patrick is shocked, not only did he place the advertisement long ago, but also Faith Randolph is hardly the housekeeper type!

Catherine Anderson IS one my favorite authors; her books ARE an automatic buy. They are always tenderly written, poignantly moving, and commonly involve the unusual. Although BEAUTIFUL GIFTS is a lovely story, it does however bog down with information data. The reader is very aware this short story's main objection is its connection value for the Keegan/Paxton legacy. Nevertheless, Anderson's skilled hand manages a lovely soft theme, but in this brief anthology format, the information overload IS a problem.

MaryGrace Meloche.

Anthologies are always hard to rate because of the varying stories, and this one is no different.

"A PERFECT FIT".
I really found the first story so dull and slow-moving that I didn't even finish it. In it, a middle-aged woman who had a daughter out of wedlock is desperately trying to give her spoiled daughter a respectable wedding to a man of higher social standing. While the wedding is set, the girl doesn't have a wedding dress...the groom's mother thinks the family are social climbers so she sends Viscount Forde (the groom's uncle, I believe) to suss out the situation and get rid of the bride. While Catherine Anderson tries to create a mix of humor and tension through her characters and plot, she falls far short of the goal. In the end, their relationship is uninspiring, the plot is slow-moving and boring and, you're not really left rooting for anyone.


"GLAD RAGS"
Connie Brockaway's "Glad Rags," immediately had me wondering why I've never read anything else by her. In it, we meet Alex, Viscount Thorpe, a war hero recently returned home from Russia and his erstwhile love, Lucy St. James.

Two years before the story takes place, Alex and Lucy had an unofficial engagement but it was suddenly and publically broken when Lucy flirted with another man and Alex rejected her. Lucy's brother, Hugh, is convinced that Alex's actions have condemned Lucy to a life of spinsterhood so, out of revenge, he wins a bet against Alex and forces him to wear a dress in front of a ton party.

Although Alex and Lucy haven't talked since his return to England, she feels compelled to speak with him considering it was her brother who put them into their predicament.

I love the witty, sophisticated dialogue that Brockaway employs. These characters make you laugh and cringe, because their love is apparent even after years apart but their pride--which got them in trouble in the first place--is understandable.

In the end, Brockaway creates tension and a powerful love that has you hoping and praying these two will figure everything out and, for the love of God, just swallow their pride. This one is truly the gem of the anthology.

"SOMETHING SPECIAL"
This one, again, is a story that wasn't all that spectacular, it's really what'd you'd expect from an anthology. Eliza is an intelligent ten-year-old girl who lives with her bachelor father in 1850's Seattle. With the help of a local widow, Eliza brings Penny, an uneducated girl from Boston, to Seattle to be her governess, but really hopes she'll be her new mother.

The father, Joshua, returns from a three-moth business trip and is immediately attracted to Penny but resists the attraction--or tries to. While the characters are pleasant and the story was relatively entertaining, I hate stories like this because the romance seems to develop out of nowhere. The hero and heroine are physically attracted to one another and then, suddenly, they decide they're in love. Some authors can make this work, but Casey Claybourne is not one of them.

"BEAUTIFUL GIFTS"
The final story starts out rather slowly and, I honestly felt my eyes glazing over after the first three pages...I didn't finish this one, so, besides that, I can't offer an opinion.

In short, it's an alright book that would really have just been incredibly mediocre if it hadn't been for Brockaway and "Glad Rags." I'll definitely be looking for more books by her in the future.

I'm kind of sick of anthologies that have two good stories and three bad ones, but this antho is enough to change my mind. First of all, I loved the Brockway one called Glad Rags. Because it was hot: the hero is totally in lust, but he's going off to war, and he doesn't want to leave the heroine alone if he dies. So he backs out of the marriage--and I was DYING for him to come back and make love. Which he does. Fabulous story. I really liked the other ones too, although they don't stand out quite as clearly -- but this is one of those anthologies where I kept reading right through all of them. That almost never happens for me.

I highly recommend this one!

I agree with the previous reviewer that rating anthologies can be tricky as some stories are always better than others. This one is no different. The book starts off promisingly, with the prologue by Catherine Anderson (who also does the books epilogue). A servant, Aileanna, who descends from a line of sorceress', is stitching her selfish, mistresses wedding dress. Our witch, though, is in love with the groom-to-be, Halford, a highborn English gentleman. Though magic, the dress is blessed to bring good luck to whomever wears it and our couple run off to get married. Halford is willing to forgo his inheritance to be with her and even suggests going to America. Then the story ends.

I had thought that all the stories would be tied together not though a dress but though family connections to that couple. Aileanna had red hair and Halford incredible blue eyes and blond hair and all our hero/heroines had some of the mix. But it was never clear if indeed anyone was related to the young lovers.

The first story is the best. Barbara Metzger's A Perfect Fit comes close to being a perfect story. It is fun, light, believable and enjoyable. Katie Cole, a highborn Lady, lives in a cottage with her daughter, Susannah, preparing for Susannah's wedding to Gerald. Katie lives falsely as a widow; Susannah is a bastard and Katie's family disowned her as she anticipated her wedding vows 18 years earlier. Viscount Forde comes to see if Katie and Susannah are using his nephew, Gerald, for his money and to see if the wedding should happen at all. They are a sexy couple and the dialogue is smart and funny. Of course love blooms, and there is that mysterious wedding dress that just won't get dirty, even when falling in mud. The only flaw with this story is Kate's father. It was unbelievable how he turned up in the end.

Connie Brockway's Glad Rags follows. Alexander, Viscount Thorpe, was sort of engaged to Lucy St. James two years before our story opens. It was never public, just sort of assumed. Lucy, in a fit of pique as she wanted him to actually ask her before he went to war, tries to make him jealous and all that happens is he leaves and they are finished. Now, two year later after his dash off to war, it seems that Alexander's former good friend and Lucy's brother, Hugh, carries a grudge. With a ridiculous bet when Thorpe returns to the Ton party world, he tries to make a fool of Thorpe. The bet was silly and uninteresting. The level of pride between Thorpe and Lucy was over done. The story fails, and badly, as there is no sense of real love or devotion between them. A rather boring story.

Casey Claybourne's Something Special, features a mail order governess to a young girl outside of Seattle. Penny, who comes to teach Eliza without Eliza's Dad knowing as he is away months at a time logging, is a nice heroine. Nice twist about the reading. Eliza and her manservant are engaging as well as Eliza's Dad. It is a nice story and enjoyable. The couple blends well.

Catherine Anderson's Beautiful Gifts is I did not enjoy. Between Faith, a rich NY runaway mom with a little girl, who hails from the East, and our pokey cowboy, Paddy, the story does not work. Faith's father, a rich, vindictive mean man tracks Faith and her daughter to Oregon, where they are staying with Paddy. The father wanted to yet arrange antoher marriage for Faith that she did not want. The way Paddy gets rid of her Dad is unbelievable. A man as devious as Faith's Dad would not leave with his tail between his legs.

And Anderson's epilogue is too short and uncertain. Is Charlotte a descendant of Aileanna and Halford? The book is not clear and I find that I rather know what is going on rather than read between the lines.

I am on a very tight budget for my own wedding but this book gives FANTASTIC step by step crafts that are not only BEAUTIFUL but cost effective as well. Every bride (and wedding corrdinator) should own this book. The crafts are great fun for you and your fiance to do together. It offers ideas on centerpieces, decorations, scrapbooks and best of all you can personlize everything you make.

Pretty much a re-issue of every other Hal Leonard book of wedding music with one or two new pieces added. If you already own a book in the Hal Leonard wedding series, double check the song selections before ordering. Most arrangements are greatly simplified. Not to the point of being considered "EZ-Piano" apparently, but enough to make the majority of the music in the book accessible to less skilled keyboardists, and as a result, a bit dull. If you are a strong music reader, but not so adept at chord substitutions, or adding color to bland arrangements, you may want to look to other sources for thicker arrangements.

Catherine Depford is a wealthy heiress looking to marry but disturbed by some strange events. She's started hearing voices and dreaming of a Scottish man - all rather alarming when her mother went mad and eventually jumped to her death. When Catherine actually meets the man who has been in her dreams she discovers that he is courting her because she is apparently the key to mitigating a curse on his lands - where the highland chief must marry a woman from a specific family who bears a particular mark on her body. Catherine is identified as the 'Bride' of Gabriel MacBraedon's generation, only she's not instantly willing to leave England and travel to Scotland.

Gabriel has to try to persuade Catherine that the curse is real whilst Catherine's father tries to arrange a marriage for her. As signs of Catherine's possible madness stack up, events get more serious. When Catherine finds herself in Scotland with MacBraedon she realises that she might not be his choice, if it weren't for the curse, and has to decide whether she can give herself to a marriage without love to save people she barely knows.

This book was rather a disappointment. The overall plot was pretty thin with very little happening right up until the last 20-odd pages where events moved thick and fast. Neither Catherine nor Gabriel were well drawn characters with the overwhelming impression Catherine left being that of petulance and selfishness. Gabriel was a cipher of a Scottish warlord and the other characters were equally typical for this sort of book. I didn't find the scenes between Catherine and Gabriel romantic and some of the plot devices, such as her father's behaviour, seemed both unlikely and then magically convenient. This was a fairly mediocre book without anything special to recommend it, the plot device of the curse being one I have come across many times before.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Catherine Depford is a wealthy heiress and could have her pick of most eligible titled bachelors but she was confused and afraid that the madness which took her mother's life would descend on her. Catherine's fears are real as she has been having dreams of a Scottish warrior claiming her body - igniting her with passion, and voices constantly reverberating in her head chanting curses over and over when she least expects it. Expecting to follow in her mother's footsteps she must find a kind and caring man should the worst happen.

Highland chief Gabriel MacBraedon has come to London, to claim his bride. Not the woman he loved, but the bride who will satisfy an ancient curse that has dragged his clan into poverty and despair. An honorable man, he will do his duty to save his clan but in finding Catherine, Gabriel never expected to find the woman he would be able to love and cherish.

*** I've always been pleased with this author whose talent for writing sensual romantic adventures has always drawn me like a magnet when I see her books on the shelf. In THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING, Mullins sets an unusual stage with a bit of a fantastical plot. All of it surrounds an ancient curse that will either return harmony and bounty to the MacBraedon and Farlan clans, or plunge them deeper in despair - all of it hinging on whether one woman, Catherine Depford, will wed the chief of the MacBraedon clan.

Mullins ties together a neat scenario with the telling of Catherine's mother Mad Glynis, who rejected the former MacBraedon chief and ran away with an Englishman, only to go completely insane some years later taking her own life. Catherine's father never told her the story of her Scottish background and only watched for signs of madness in his daughter, hoping that he could find (buy) her a kind husband before she went mad, a man who would care for her after he was gone.

As part of Catherine's symptoms Mullins came up with a very unusual and entertaining element where Catherine began speaking in fluid Gaelic, a language she'd never heard before! This was turned into a humorous event when the only one who understood her was her maid Peg, who was basically planted in the household to both help Catherine accept her fate and aid Gabriel in winning her over.

This was a sweet and rather simple romance with only a few minor barriers towards the two leads achieving happiness. Unfortunately, while Gabriel came across as extremely kind, honorable, handsome as the devil and a perfect mate for Catherine - I didn't `feel' the love. There was plenty of lust and physical attraction, but that spark of love that sets apart a good love story from a great one was not an emotion I felt strongly. Sorry to say, this was not one of Ms. Mullins best efforts.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

I bought this book along with another (Julianne MacLean's "In My Wildest Fantasies") and couldn't decide which to read first, so I had a friend look at the amazon.com descriptions of each one and tell me which he thought sounded most interesting and he picked this one...that was about 10:00 and I didn't put the book down til I finished it at 4 am! Debra Mullins is very hit-or-miss for me; I loved "Three Nights..." and "Two Weeks With a Stranger" but couldn't get into "Just One Touch" to save my life.
Though it took me some time to really get accustomed to the odd storyline (a centuries old curse dictating that the two characters, Catherine and Gabriel, must marry or she will go mad and his clan and it's lands will suffer desolation and poverty), I enjoyed the book quite a bit-though I might say that I liked the men from Gabriel's clan almost more than I did him-I would LOVE to read Brodie and Maire's story, and would also love to see a continuation about his younger brother, etc.
Two things bothered me, though-the first is Catherine's unwillingness to accept the idea of the curse and marry Gabriel to save his clan. Unbelievable though a curse would be to accept, she is almost beaten over the head with evidence that it exists and still denies it. She admits to herself that she could just marry Gabriel anyways, that she may as well, even if there is no curse...but then still, when asked point-blank when the wedding day is, acts as if she still isn't sure and is leaning against doing so. And then after all her protestations, she gives in almost immediately, seemingly just because she feels as though she has betrayed the hospitality and good will of the clan.
The second thing that really bothered me was the ending. Catherine's father has been against her marrying "that Scot" for the WHOLE book-even rejected him at gunpoint when he asked for Catherine's hand. It was therefore understandable for him to try to kidnap her after finding that she had already married Gabriel. But he gave up SO easily when chased after, rather in an abrupt "I've seen the light" manner. And the conflict with Jean-though I didn't want it to be drawn out or anything, it frustrated me that after as much rancor as Jean had against Catherine, she gave in so easily. Basically, the end of the book seemed like what happens a lot, I think-the author spent a lot of time developing the story line and building things up and then they get to the end and either run out of time or run out of energy, because it just seems rushed. We have the climax where the curse is broken and then it feels as though the author is racing to finish the book, and we lose out on a sense of closure.
All in all, a good read, but I dunno that I'll put it on my "keeper" shelf.

Catherine Depford is shocked when Gabriel MacBraedon informs her that because of a curse, she is to be his bride. As chief of his clan, Gabriel has always known that once Catherine was found, he had to make her his bride or the clan would suffer. Her mother ran away from marrying a MacBraedon Chieftn and the curse drove her mad. Now Catherine finds herself hearing voices and she is forced to accompany Gabriel to the Highlands. As they travel together, Catherine begins to fall in love with Gabriel, but will he ever view her as more than just his duty?

I love Debra Mullin's historical romances. She has always been a "must have" as soon I see her books on the shelf. However, I have to say that I was greatly disappointed with The Night Before The Wedding. The story started out wonderful, a curse, two people who must marry to satisfy the curse and sparks flying around them every time they are together. But from there every thing seemed to fall apart. When Catherine travels to Gabriel's home, the woman that Gabriel wanted to marry, Jean, lives in the family home, and it comes across clearly that he still has strong feelings for her. Gabriel and Jean have scenes together that ruin the story that was begun in the beginning and cause the ending to feel rushed and unformed. By the end of the book, Gabriel went from being a hero that I adored to one that I was very ambivalent about. Readers who are looking for historical romances should definitely pick up Debra Mullins older books. Two Weeks With a Stranger and Three Nights are not to be missed! But truthfully The Night Before The Wedding is not what I've come to expect from Debra Mullins and I can only recommend that readers give it a pass.

Melissa
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Both Catherine Depford and Gabriel MacBraedon are cursed. Catherine is in London and has been having vivid dreams about a man who awakens her passions. When she spies this man at a London Ball, she thinks she is going mad. After all, her mother was insane and Catherine knows that this fate can befall her too.

Gabriel, the man in her dreams and the laird of his clan, knows he must marry Catherine to appease the curse between the clans. He is willing to conform to English ways to do so but his impatience to take wed Catherine is always evident. His clan is suffering and so is hers.

The book kind of goes downhill after these two have their initial meeting. Catherine refuses to believe in a curse even though there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the curse is real. Gabriel can recite the voices in her head, and mysteriously, Catherine can speak Gaelic without ever hearing the language. Of course speaking in this unknown tongue cannot convince her; she is too rational about these things. A little consistency in character would have gone a long way here. How can Catherine believe a curse is irrational but speaking an unknown foreign tongue in complete sentences logical?

Catherine's father is aware of the curse and determined that Catherine not go back to her mother's people in Scotland. He would rather her marry a notorious rake than a decent Scot who also happens to be an Earl. He says he loves her and is doing this for her own good.

Gabriel and Catherine bicker constantly. When did they ever fall in love? Suddenly in the last chapter they love each other. There was great sexual tension in the first few chapters but it quickly dwindled away amongst Catherine's constant anger toward the hero and the world at large. Gabriel could have been a wonderful hero. Instead he soon became a demanding uncertain Scot.

The book "Willa By Heart" is really amazing i just love the
events happening in this book.I can't even stop reading because
this book is so interesting. I really really recommend this book
to everyone you wont regret it!

This book is amazing! I ate it up in three hours, sitting in the bathroom till midnight till my tense-from-reading fingers flipped to the last page, my tired eyes relished the last sentence, and my exhausted hands closed the book. This ah-mazing book picks up where The Cupid Chronicles left off. Willa Havisham, with new boyfriend Joey Kenelly/JFK have been crowned "most compatible couple" at Bramble Academy. Just as they begin to enjoy their status, Willa's eye catches a sign advertising auditions for a community play, Our Town. She heads off the pick up a copy of the book, and convinces JFK to audition with her. She figures if he gets the male leading role, and she gets the female leading role, it will be incredibly romantic. Once at the auditions the new girl in town, who by the way is gorgeous, swoops in and steals the lead role from Willa! What could be worse??? Oh, maybe that JFK ended up with the male lead role!!! Or that the two kiss onstage!!!
With enough to deal with, Willa's life gets chaotic when they begin to flirt, plus with a new sibling on the way, things get out of control. With heartbreak, laughter, smiles, and more, you will be just like me, flipping rapidly to get to the end of this fabulous, amazing, moving, book.
I recommend it 100%

Wonderful! My 15 year old neice introduced this series to my 12 year old, who does not like to read. She could not put them down. It was delightful for my husband and I to find her reading every chance she had. I have noticed that now all my daughters friends, who have very different tastes, are reading them as well. So the books seem to appeal to a wide "tween" audience. A definite purchase!

This is the continuing story of Willa Havisham, a high school freshman from Cape Cod. She is a wonderful girl, very reminiscent of Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables; she's a dreamer, reader, fantasizer, and all-around decent girl with a loving home and spirit. In this book Willa is helping to plan two weddings on the same weekend, and she is looking for a new community project (her last one was helping the local library raise funds). Her boyfriend, JFK/Joey, also plays a key role in the story; he forms a relationship with a new girl in town that Willa has mixed feelings about. Willa's feelings towards her stepfather Sam also come to the forefront in this story. Overall, this is an excellent series and this 3rd book is much better than the 2nd one was (Cupid Chronicles) because it gets back to exploring the character of Willa and her fanciful musings about love and life. It's a really great story for tween girls. I'm giving it five stars because of the quality of writing for this age group and the decent character and storyline it offers.

Book arrived, via a friend in the US (not postable to Aust) and although the cover was a little scuffed, for the price, not bad. Love the book; just what I was looking for, and although I have only peeked through, I can tell it will be helpful in the research I need.

A great memento of a happier time for both Diana and myself. Thanks :D

The Book is very very good. I really like knowing how the Emanuel's came up with the idea for Diana's dress.

A great book to own and a great keepsake for all times. I remember the wedding well and all the glory and pagentry surrounding that beautiful July day. Never again will a dress be made and worn with so much style and all the unselfish love and care that went into making this beautiful masterpiece for all the world to see. But not for Diana herself could this particular gown or memorable event have gotten off the ground and into the pages of history. Diana picked the best- the Emanuels to make her this beautiful creation and Diana's own beauty to capture the creation and magic of the most recorded wedding day ever. Pat C, New York

I was amazed to find this book, which I had never seen, on Amazon for a wonderful price.
Filled with lovely anecdotes on all the wedding details, this book was written before the "fairy-tale marriage" was revealed to be a nightmarish sham of deciet and betrayal. If Diana was starry-eyed, so were we--and we wanted to be.
A labor of love, "A Dress for Diana" is rich with lavish details, such as the history of the silks and laces used and where they came from, close-ups of laces, shoes, patterns, and toilles(dress samples made in muslin during the design process.)
Did you know that the Emmanuels made a perfect miniature of Diana's dress as a gift for her, as did her shoe designer? Nor did I, until I read this book.
"A Dress for Diana" is a singular and fascinating look at an unforgettable time in history. If you love Her Royal Highness,Diana, Princess of Wales, or if you have an interest in English history, you will want this book, for it is one to treasure. The Emanuels have authored an exquisite tribute with a unique point of view.

This is an excellent book for those of us who watched the royal wedding at that time--and were so fascinated with that dress--and train. Although there were unexpected problems with the dress such as how do you fit a dress with an exceptionally long train into the small royal wedding carriage?--nevertheless, the dress was one of a kind--and forever will fascinate Diana fans throughout the world.

The book shares the moment-by-moment details of the making of the dress as well as some other previously unpublished photos of the dress.
A must book for Diana fans!