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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.08508
EAN num: 9780061472688
ISBN number: 0061472689
Label: Harper
Manufacturer: Harper
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 384
Printing Date: June 01, 2008
Publishing house: Harper
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Sale Popularity Level: 42380
Studio: Harper
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Product Description:
Some marriages are made in heaven . . . Some are not.
What happens when 'the happiest day of your life' turns into a nightmare? Forget the drunken best man or the bridesmaid dresses from the '80s . . . none of these wedding day disasters can compare to a cursed bride determined to make it down the aisle, or a vampire who is about to disrupt your wedding.
Join New York Times bestselling authors Maggie Shayne and Jeaniene Frost, USA Today bestseller Kathryn Smith, as well as Terri Garey in four unforgettable tales of unholy matrimony . . . where the grooms are dark, dangerous, and mostly dead, and to love and cherish till death takes on a whole new meaning.
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Rated by buyers 
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Although I usually love these authors this is not really an outstanding anthology. The stories are bland and the very first one by Maggie Shayne did not set a very warm example. It is readable if you have nothing else.
Maggie Shayne gives us a curse, placed by an ancestor whose husband was caught with a maid. It was mildly interesting, as soon as she met the lawyer, you knew they would get togather. There was no mystery but there is a twist when the curse is lifted. A so-so story.
Jeaniene Frost gives us a woman forced to marry a mobster to save her brother. However, her grandma calls in a favor from an old love who is undead.
Terri Garey gives us a short Nicky Styx story. It was OK. Nicky winds up a bride's maid for her cousin. The missing bridesmaid turns up as a ghost and talks to Nicky.
Kathryn Smith gives us a story about a Vampire created by the Templars. The woman he loves, and has been trying to forget is getting married.
Each story is OK but none are great.
Rated by buyers -
I picked this up because I had recently read Terri Garey's DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY and really like her Nikki Styx character and also because I used to be a big fan of Maggie Shayne's "Wings In the Night" books. I hadn't read Jeaniene Frost or even heard of Kathryn Smith. It ended up being a 50-50 split on how good it was. I thought the Maggie Shayne story was by far the worst. It was so saccharine sweet I was afraid I might barf by the time I got to the end of it! I love her old stuff, this just wasn't up to that standard, IMHO. I wasn't terribly fond of Kathryn Smith's story, but then I'm not a fan of stories that take place in that time period anyway. Terri Garey's story was my favorite. Nikki's been roped into her cousin's wedding and has to deal with the ghost of a dead bridesmaid. I really like this character! And I enjoyed Jeaniene Frost's story so much, I ordered her 2 books. Not a bad way to pass a Saturday afternoon, and if you get lucky enough for half the stories in an anthology like this to be good that's not a bad deal!
Rated by buyers 
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Got the book, read it--I so wish Maggie had tied her story to the Witch series--the fact that it had a witch in it was misleading!
Loved Kathryn Smith's "Blood Grail Vampire Payne---her story was fantastic.
A new author to me--one I plan to check out soon is Jeannie Frost---the story was very good--I liked it as much as Kathryn's Smith's story
And another author, Terri Garey, who I never heard of before really entertained me with her wit.....
[Till Death by Maggie Shayne] 3.5 stars
My disappointment came in I think because I was wanting this to be another leg to her Witch series--BUT IT WAS NOT--and I almost wish it had been Vampire---It was good, however!
[Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost] 5 stars
[Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey] 3.5 stars
[The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith] 5 stars
Overall this was a really enjoyable anthology. I gain interest in a two new authors. I love it that Kathryn Smith's tied in whith her Blood Grail Vampires. Maggie Shayne's story is 9has to be) stand alone--nothing connected with her witch series--and truly far from her Vampire series--no mystery or suspense either. Just a romance-- done in Maggie style.
Rated by buyers -
Four new short stories all revolving loosely around a 'wedding' theme from some hot paranormal authors: some old (long established) some new - now all we need is something borrowed and something blue and we're set to go.
Maggie Shayne's story centers around an ancient Scottish family curse - their spouses' infidelity is deadly for the MacLellan brides. Shayne's a long time favorite of mine (love her vamps) but while the premise and the chemistry between the leads was good, the lightspeed dating was just a bit too fast to be satisfying. There were hints of reincarnation or soul mates but not tied together well enough to make the story really work for me. (3 stars)
Jeaniene Frost's contribution is set in the world of her Night Huntress series and has several brief pop-ins by that series' hero Bones. But the hero vampire Chance is an almost as luscious. As a favor to his sire (Bones), Chance steps in to save the lovely Isabella from a coerced marriage to a would-be B-movie type mafia boss and Chance finds himself attracted to her with an intensity he's never felt before in his very long life. Isabella and Chance are every bit as good as Bones and Cat, Frost does great heroes and competent intelligent heroines well. This was fun but trying to pull Bones in felt forced and a bit hokey to me. (3.5 stars)
Kathryn Smith's entry gives us a vampire romance which is spin off from her regency era Templar series, Brotherhood of the Blood. Smith did a good job with her commitment phobic immortal and the forthright young woman who is deterimined to convince him that living in fear of love is really not living at all. Smith fit alot of steamy stuff into her short space, but this one lost some points for me for a crude word or two. I hate the 'P'word - my problem I know, but it really pulled me out of the scene and since this was a short story there wasn't really time to get back into it. (3.5 stars)
My favorite of the four, terri Garey gives us a little vignette with her series' heroine ghostwhisperer Nicki Styx. Here Nicki's a last minute fill-in for her cousin's wedding - someone has to wear the bridesmaids' dress from hell and Nicki's 'it'. If the banana orange Carmen Miranda dress isn't bad enough, Nicki ends up having to deal with the ghost of the dead bridesmaid. This one wasn't a romance, even though Nicki's boyfriend is on hand to provide some sweet talking and moral support. Garey's very first Nicki Styx book is sitting in my TBR pile, but this story was a well done standalone so that I still enjoyed it even with no knowledge of the series. For you fans, I am sure that it would be even more fun. (4.5 stars)
If you enjoyed these shorts, you'll definitely want to check out the authors' full length novels -- which are even better. Here's a few to get you started.
Jeaniene Frost
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2)
Kathryn Smith (Brotherhood of the Blood - Templar vampires)
Be Mine Tonight (The Brotherhood of Blood, Book 1)
Night of the Huntress (The Brotherhood of Blood, Book 2)
Taken by the Night (The Brotherhood of Blood, Book 3)
Let the Night Begin (The Brotherhood of Blood, Book 4)
Terri Garey
Dead Girls Are Easy (Nicki Styx, Book 1)
A Match Made in Hell
Maggie Shayne
Immortal Desire
Eternal Love (Berkley Sensation)
Demon's Kiss (Wings in the Night, Book 1)
Rated by buyers -
Weddings From Hell is another paranormal anthology in the vein of Dates From Hell and Holidays Are Hell. Pick a theme and throw some popular paranormal romance or urban fantasy authors at it. And just in time for wedding season we've got this collection of tales sure to make your horrific bridesmaid dress woes and cold-feet fly right out the window.
[Till Death by Maggie Shayne] is the very first offering in the anthology. When a heartbroken witch of the McLellan clan lays a curse on the women of her family they are cursed to either die at the hands of their cheating husbands or never know love. When Aunt Iris passes away and Kira heads to Scotland for the will reading the last thing she expects is to encounter ghosts or start falling for handsome family friend Ian Stewart. Can she break the curse and find her happily-ever-after?
I've never actually read anything by Shayne, though I have several of her books waiting to be read. This story was short, cute and felt only slightly rushed by the limited time frame. But what really impressed me was her well written dialog, her Scottish brogue was near flawless and read so well! Can't wait to get caught up enough with other books so I can start reading hers!
[Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost] is the second tale, when grandma Greta's grandson and grandaughter get into trouble with a local mob-wannabe she calls in a favor from her vampire buddy Bones. Happy to serve, Bones sends in Chance to look after Isabella and hopefully find her missing brother Frazier. Unfortunately Frazier is likely in the hands of Robert Bertini, who has strong armed Isa into marrying him. But Chance isn't about to let the strong and independant woman marry the murderous lout, especially not since he himself is falling for her. Will he be able to save her brother and prevent her from this forced marriage?
Another author I've not read, but she's on my wishlist. This story was amusing with its intentional mobster cliches and the banter between Isa and Chance. If the writing here is any indication of Frost's writing for her series I doubt I'll be dissappointed when I get my hands on it.
[Ghouls Night Out by Terri Garey] is the third story, introducing us to Nicki Styx (who has her own series--2nd book comes out later this month). When Nicki's cousin needs a bridesmaid who is she to deny the family, even if it means dressing up in a pineapple orange dress meant for the bride's best friend Michelle who just so happens to be dead! Of course, no one knows about Michelle's death yet so when she appears to Nicki, she can't help but feel compelled to help find out what happened. Will Nicki find out what happened to Michelle before it's time to kiss the bride?
This story ended up being my favorite in the anthology. I've never read Garey's very first novel as it never hit my radar, but now I'm thinking I should hurry up and get it going! The redneck comments got a little judgemental at times but the stereotypes were nicely handled. Anyone who has some redneck relatives will likely find the entire wedding planning to be realistic and amusing, bachelorette party at a country bar complete with Shania Twain karaoke and round after round of beer anyone?
[The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith] was the final story, rounding out the anthology with a historically set scene. When Payen Carr returns to London the last thing he anticipates is that he's arrived on the eve of Violet Wynston-Jones' wedding. When he realizes that her groom-to-be is a member of the Order of the Silver Palm--a group of former Templars seeking the Blood Grail and the destruction of the vampires who protect it--he can't let the wedding happen. But he has other reasons for wanting to stop the wedding as five years ago he and Violet shared one blissful night in which she proclaimed her love. If Payen stops the wedding will he be doing it to protect her from the Order or because of his own unspoken love for Violet?
Another author I haven't read, but have her series sitting on my shelves waiting--this short storty turned out to be my least favorite. I'm not sure if it was because of the historical setting or because I felt like I didn't get enough back story. Maybe a little of both. The dialog was a little dull and very little descriptive scene setting took place to frame out the world in my mind. I believe this story ties directly into her series though so fans of it might enjoy the side trip.
Overall this was a really enjoyable anthology. Three authors I was interested in and hadn't read gave me a good taste for what they write and an author I hadn't even noticed yet smacked me between the eyes and made me take notice. From what I do know of the authors and their series Frost's ties into hers as does Garey's and Smith's. I can't say about Shayne's but I get the impression this is just its own story but well worth reading to feel out her ... Read More
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