Customer Reviews

The Bridesmaid Chronicles: First Dance (Bridesmaids Chronicles)

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Karen Kendall has done it again! Another smart, sexy, savvy book in The Bridesmaid Chronicles, FIRST DANCE revolves around the third bridesmaid in the upcoming wedding of Julia Spinelli and Roman Sonntag.

In this installment, Manhattan divorce attorney Vivien Shelton is already amazed that she's a bridesmaid in a wedding. The irony doesn't escape her. What she can't figure out is why she's having such a hard time convincing the bride, Julia, to sign a pre-nuptial agreement before the wedding. After all, Vivien knows that love rarely lasts. She sees everyday the way former couples can destroy each other, and she doesn't want to see the same thing happen to her friend. And besides, Roman gave Julia a cubic zirconia ring, for goodness sake! An ironclad pre-nup sounds like the best wedding present she could ever give her best friend. So she's off to Fredericksburg , Texas , to make sure her friend doesn't bite off more than she can chew.

For J.B. Anglin, the best man, protecting his best friend Roman's best interests is the most important thing. Being the Sonntag family lawyer has its responsibilities, and making sure Roman isn't sucked into an unfair pre-nuptial agreement is at the top of his list. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that the lawyer pushing for the agreement is none other than hot-shot divorce attorney Vivien, a woman known for her cynical views on love and marriage-and also the woman he had a sizzling one-night-stand with three years ago after a battle in court. Their relationship hadn't worked out back then, with J.B. in Texas and Vivien in Manhattan , and he's still stung over the way things ended. Now, when they're battling over the interests of their two best friends, seems like the perfect time to have it out, once and for all.

I loved FIRST DANCE. Wonderful characters, unforgettable dialogue, and plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes make this a perfect addition to The Bridesmaid Chronicles. The way Vivien and J.B. fight and love is reminiscent of numerous couples I know, and kept me in stitches. This book is a great way to spend a relaxing evening, laughing at the antics of two people who just can't figure out that if they'd ever stop arguing, they'd find a love worth fighting for.

When New Jersey nouveau riche Julia Spinelli and Texas Brahmin Roman Sonntag met and fell in love, neither expected their respective families and friends to revolt. That is what seems to have happened as everyone discounts the feelings of the duo and insists they know what is best for either Julie or Roman. Now the third bridesmaid New York divorce attorney Vivien Shelton does not trust the Italian speaking Texan that she never met. Their whirlwind courtship has their families in an uproar. She draws up the perfect present for her best friend Julia, a prenup with no loopholes though she has to do that in between migraine causing clients. She leaves her five greyhounds behind to go to Texas to rescue her best friend.

Roman's pal attorney J.B. Anglin is reminded by Roman's nuptial of the New York lawyer who bested him in a divorce case, Vivien Shelton. When they meet again to discuss prenups, he is cold towards her while she is cynical about relationships and marriage. As they fight, they fall in love, but she is Manhattan and he is Texas but more important neither seems to trust one another though they are good in bed together.

The third entry of this series (and the final one starring the bridesmaids) is a terrific tale as the two combatants battle every moment until both realizes that love has snuck into their relationship. The story line is amusing as the lead couple argue over everything as he is cattle and she is greyhound. This dueling duo makes for a fine entry that sets up the final march down the aisle of Julia and Roman in FIRST LOVE

Harriet Klausner

Tough NY divorce attorney goes to TX for her friend's wedding. She encounters small-town lawyer again, 3 yrs after she coldly kicked him out of her hotel room after their 1-night stand. Hero makes it clear that he wants revenge & another affair with her. Heroine tries to be emotionally distant with him like she was 3 yrs before but finds it harder to do so. Hero won't let her hide from him again & his ex-wife's constant presence in his life brings out feelings she can't ignore.

This was a well-written lighthearted romance with some depth. It was emotionally-involving & engagingl, which made it a quick read. Romance, sexual chemistry,& sex scenes were good. The characters were interesting & the secondary characters didn't distract from the main romance. I liked heroine's toughness with issues & people she cares about. She goes the distance to protect them, even though she herself had an emotionally-neglectful childhood & still has difficulty being emotionally-vulnerable to others. She didn't act like a victim but tended to over-compensate on being a savior to the neglected. Hero was an honorable man, even with his ex-wife. He values marriage & family & won't move out of town to take care of his mom. He was also sexy, humorous, & hard-working. I liked that Hero didn't sleep around, turning down opportunities. He was celibate 4 yrs since his divorce & didn't have sex with anyone else since heroine the last 3 yrs.

Recommended.

This is the 3rs book in a series of 4.

Vivien and JB are seeing each other for the first time since the one night they spent together several years before. She's heading to Tx to talk her best friend into signing a prenup and he's the grooms friend and lawyer. She has trust issues and he hasn't let go of his failed marriage yet.

This was a funny story and I would defintiely reccommend it. The two books in this series that Karen Kendall wrote are the best ones and I think the series would have been better if she would have written all of them.

'First Dance' by Karen Kendall is Vivien Shelton's story. She is the one of the Bridemaids who is attempting to stop her bestfriend from getting married after only dating Mr.Texas for one month. Vi flys off to Texas only to run into her one night stand from three years ago. He is ex-football player and reunion is pure joy to read....

FIRST DANCE - Karen Kendall
The Bridesmaid Chronicles, Book 3
Signet
ISBN: 0-451-21610-5
August 2005
Contemporary Romance

Manhattan, New York and Fredricksburg, Texas - Present Day

Known as the ball-busting-bitch of Manhattan, divorce attorney Vivian Shelton doesn't have much use for men. After representing too many women, in too many divorces, Vivian is decidedly cynical about love and marriage. When her best-friend Julia asks her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, Vivian reluctantly agrees. But Julia's whirlwind romance to cash-strapped Roman Sonntag sends Vivian from the courtroom to the wide-open spaces of Texas, determined to persuade Julia to at least sign a prenuptial agreement to protect her fortune. Vivian's only previous experience with anything Texan is when she represented Kiki Sonntag's ex-husband in their divorce. During the divorce of Kiki and Walter the Wanker, as Vivian calls him, Viv tangled with Kiki's Texas attorney, and not just in the courtroom. After a night of heated passion, Vivian kicked the cowboy out of her bed, and out of her mind, but now, it seems, she's going to have to go toe to toe with sexy lawyer J.B. Anglin, again.

J.B. Anglin is a man who keeps his word and believes in forever; unfortunately, his ex-wife didn't share those beliefs, and the only woman he's been interested in since his divorce is a tough-girl attorney from Manhattan, only she kicked him out of bed before the sheets were cold. But now Vivian Shelton is on his turf, and he plans to get a little revenge.

From the moment Vivian and J.B. appear together, the sparks fly. The humor, sarcasm and banter between the two are a complete delight. Their interaction with other characters is limited, but adds a lot of insight and humor to the story. Vivian is a hard as nails woman on the outside, but inside she is so vulnerable it's nearly painful. She thought her life was just the way she wanted it, but it's obvious to the reader that she's on a fast course to being a lonely and angry woman if she doesn't learn to trust. J.B. seems to be a carefree, well-adjusted man with a positive outlook on life, but even he has issues and pain buried deep that make him vulnerable, and sometimes angry. Watching the interaction between J.B. and Vivian is a riot. They are passionate about each other, but believe they are complete opposites. It will take patience, understanding, and courage for these two to make a life together.

Fast-paced, flirty, fun and fabulous aptly describe Karen Kendall's FIRST DANCE. For a novel that will entertain, make you laugh and sniff back a few tears, I highly recommend FIRST DANCE. I can't wait to read Julia's story coming out in September, FIRST LOVE by Julie Kenner.

Terrie Figueroa

Karen Kendall's 3rd book in The Bridesmaid Chronicles is superb! I read it in record time because I just didn't want to put it down. If you read Karen's first book in this series, you will absolutely love First Dance.

In First Dance, Manhattan's top female divorce attorney, Vivien, heads to Texas in the hopes of getting her bride-to-be best friend to sign a pre-nup (her idea of a great wedding present). But, she soon finds out that one of the groomsmen (also a lawyer) is deadset against a pre-nup, plus he is itching for a fight, in particular one with Vivien. A woman he was involved with in the past and has a score to settle, or will his heart take over and lead him to something else?

Additional novels in the collection include: First Date by Karen Kendall, First Kiss by Kylie Adams and First Love by Julie Kenner.

As a divorce lawyer, Vivien is all too aware of how the perfect romance can sour once the new wears off; therefore, when tagged as a bridesmaid for one of her dearest friends, her gift to the happy couple is given with unhappiness down the road in mind, a prenup. After all, a man who gives a CZ engagement ring can't be in it for the long haul. However, the best man is also a lawyer, and less of a cynic than Viv. He also has a history with the tough as nails lady. They shared one night of passion, after which J.B. found himself summarily dismissed. From the moment he gets a second chance to tangle with Vivian, he's out to avenge his pride, until his heart gets in the way.

*** Sharp banter contrasts with the soft side of these two intelligent protagonists to create an intricate romance. Especially of interest is the information Ms. Kendall slips in on canine rescues. There is one scene in particular, with a woman divorcing a chimp, that makes the book priceless. ***

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.