I really enjoyed reading this contemporary romance, and I look forward to more books by this author!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

Pretty good book.. Kept wondering if they would end up together or not... It was a book for a true romantic... Some funny parts lol.... Though the epilogue was not what I expected. I guess it somewhat sets the scene for the next book in this series..

This is a good book. The two main characters are Cate and Harry. Cate is getting married except her soon to be husband announces at the wedding he doesn’t want to get married. Cate runs away and Harry finds her. He offers a hideaway for Cate. They start dating. They have some issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

Not the usual Janice Maynard book romance but all the same it is an enjoyable. This is an entertaining enjoyable fast-paced easy quick read in the “Blossom Branch Series.” Cate and Jason were the best of friends, boyfriend and girlfriend and were all set to walk down the aisle. Jason confronts Cate and informs her he loves but he is not in love with her. As Cate is preparing to walk down aisles she finds herself the jilted bride as she is left with no fiancé in front her guest, family and friends disappointed and humiliated. So, for Cate she did what anyone in her shoes would do, she ran off to escape. As Cate is busy making her escape her nemesis Harry who is Jason cousin is there to rescue her and offer her solace. Harry is older than Cate and has been a thorn in her side. So, why all of sudden is Harry offering to console and be there for her. Jason gives Cate time to heal her broken heart. He is not looking for marriage but is there for Cate.

Now that Cate is getting her herself back on track will Jason and Cate find that they have more in common, will the two worm their way into each-others heart and Cate finally get to be a bride?

I received an ARC and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This is a wonderful story. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Harry’s POV as well. There were some times when Harry would say or do something that would confuse me. I really didn’t connect with him because of it.

Cate is marrying her long-time boyfriend Jason. As she is reflecting back during the ceremony, she realizes that something is amiss. Jason pulls her aside. He breaks the news to her that while he loves her, he is not in love with her. As she flees the church, Jason’s cousin Harry comes to her rescue.

Harry is older than Cate. He takes her to his home to let her get away from everything. As the days go by, Harry forces her to slowly get back to the living, past the pain and heartache. Harry doesn’t want to get married nor have any kids. Will Cate rebound from Jason to Harry? Can Harry see passed his past to seek something special with Cate?

This is a sexy read so there is just a word of caution on that note.

Everyone loves a wedding and gets caught up in the romance of it all but Callie get jilted at the wedding with 1200 people. Running from embarrassment – her ex Jason friend Harry helps her to escape. Meanwhile, Jason continues to the honeymoon. The story centers around what to do with your life when life hits you at the crossroads. It involves learning to go forward and build from the past and not let the past block your future. It is about love and forgiveness. I would recommend this book. It was good and will look to see what else the author writes.

**I received this book from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first book in a new series by Janice Maynard. Cate and Jason are getting married but at the alter Jason calls off the wedding. Cate is devastated and runs out of the church and is rescued by Jason’s cousin Harry. She end up staying with Harry and she begins to see that she is upset about the wedding but not so much about losing Jason. We get to see Cate grow closer to Harry who has his own issues to work through. This was a great book and I look forward to the next In this series.

A cute and enjoyable story about love and second chances. When your life implodes and you're left at the altar, the only place to go is up. Harry is there to pick up the pieces and they both learn the true meaning of falling in love.

The bonus novella was a second chance romance between a famous actor and the hometown girl. Looking forward to book 2 in the series.

Although I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Run of the mill contemporary romance. Sunshine/grumpy, older hero/younger heroine, close proximity. It’s all here. Just falls flat in the steam dept.

Good for an escape.

Cate's life has been picture-perfect until her groom leaves her at the altar, embarrassing her and leaving her shocked. When she runs out of the church and doesn’t know where to go or what to do, Harry “Prescott’ Harrington is there is lead her away and get her to a safe place so that she can grieve in private, her lost life and humiliation she left back in the church. Jason shares with Cate that he loves her but isn’t in love with her. Cate decides to return to the town that means so much to her: Blossom Branch. Harry accompanies her and while they are away, she makes a few decisions about her life. She buys a building and decides to open a store. As Harry and Cate spend more time together, Harry share a secret with Cate that he’s carried for years.

The Runaway Bride of Blossom Branch is a captivating and thrilling novel that will keep me hooked from start to finish. With its fast-paced narrative and addictive storyline, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking an exciting literary escape.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

Unfortunately I will be unable to provide a rating( it made me choose one so I chose 3 but please know I didn’t feel comfortable actually giving one) , nor will I be reviewing this book on Goodreads or Instagram.

I made it to 50% of the book and I am having to stop. I will not be finishing the story (for the following reasons) and do not feel comfortable providing a rating on an incomplete read.

1) Formatting

I understand that ARC copies are not completed works. I understand that they are going to have grammar issues and formatting issues, but this was bad enough that it was distracting me. The formatting of the paragraphs and even some sentences change numerous times within the same chapter and the inconsistencies were frustrating. I wasn’t able to ignore it.

2) Grammar/Editing

Again, I understand that these issues are to be expected on an unfinished copy, but they were too numerous to ignore. Multiple spelling mistakes, words that were hyphenated at some points weren’t at others, as well as this weird issue with words that had “f”s in them causing random spaces between words, making sentences unreadable on a first pass.

3) Lack of Chemistry Between Characters

We are given the impression that our FMC,Cate and MMC, Harry were a play on enemies to lovers. Yet, we aren’t given any real backstory as to why Cate and Harry never got along. He randomly comes to her rescue and despite being told she didn’t like him, she accepts the help with no questions. I could look past this if there was some sense of tension/chemistry between the characters, but they both feel extremely flat and one dimensional.

4) Predicability

I am not one to shame a book on how predicable it is or not, because I understand that all books are written with the same tropes/twists etc. There are very few truly unique ideas anymore and I very rarely hold that against an author. Unfortunately in this case, even the journey to the predictability isn’t very unique. It feels like a book I’ve read before and I found myself skimming, reading only the dialogue before realizing I needed to stop.

I am so grateful for the chance to be an ARC reader and I really wanted to like this book, as I loved the premise when browsing and requesting it. Unfortunately I don’t think I’m the right audience for it and don’t want to risk hurting the reputation by giving a less than stellar review.

Cate Perland was walking down the aisle today to what she to her fairytale wedding and to a perfect life but was she really...before she made it to the alter, her groom to be takes her aside and tells her that her he loves her, but he is not in love with her. She is stunned, but she knows in her heart he’s right. So, she turns around and runs out of the church and leaves the cream of Atlanta society in shock, not only them, but her parents and family too. They should have stopped this runaway train of wedding long before this...

When she runs out of the church and doesn’t know where to go or what to do, Harry “Prescott’ Harrington is there is lead her away and get her to a safe place so that she can grieve in private, her lost life and humiliation she left back in the church. She has no idea why he is there, or why she feels so safe in his presence.

When she wants to hang out at her grandparents' home in Blossom Branch, the one place that she always felt safe and where she had so many happy moments, Harry comes with her and as she starts to heal her heart and her life, Harry starts to become more than just a friend. He was honest with her, that he would never marry or have children because of his troubling past, but can Cate show him that love can heal all things and that what they are feeling with last. Can Blossom Branch be where they both see light among the peach trees? Will love blossom.

I really loved this book; Janice Maynard gives us such great characters to delight our reading senses and wonderful scenarios of watching two opposite people fall in love and building a life together for that HEA. I look forward to reading more about Blossom Branch and other couples who will meet and fall in love.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.

Fast paced and addictive drama! The first book in Janice Maynard's brand new Blossom Branch series was highly enjoyable. Cate is humiliated when her wedding doesn't go off as planned, but the last person she would have ever expected coming to her rescue puts a major twist into her life. I felt like the town setting and characters as a whole could have been developed more to leave us eager to come back for a repeat visit, but overall Cate and Harry won my heart.

Cate is young and naive, but she has a good heart and is easy to like and root for as her story plays out.

Harry is accomplished and sincere as he helps her during her time of need and gently guides her to see her worth. I enjoyed his character very much.

I highly recommend this kick off to the Blossom Branch series to anyone that enjoys a small town romance with lots of feels and an enjoyable happily ever after.

THE RUNAWAY BRIDE OF BLOSSOM BRANCH – Janice Maynard
Blossom Branch, Book 1
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-52303-7
July 25, 2023
Contemporary Romance

Atlanta & Blossom Branch, Georgia – Present Day

Cate Penland is standing at the altar, about to marry her best friend, Jason, when he suddenly stops the wedding in the middle of the vows. Jason takes Cate aside to inform her that he can’t go through with the ceremony. He loves her—as a friend—but isn’t in love with her. Cate, stunned by being jilted like this, runs into the foyer, where Jason’s good friend Prescott “Harry” Harrington III happens to be waiting. Harry whisks Cate away to his place and tells her that she can wallow in her misery there as long as she wants to. After several days, she finally feels better enough to realize a couple of things. First of all, it is good that she didn’t marry Jason because she doesn’t love him. Secondly, she wants to go to Blossom Branch where she spent most of her childhood.

Harry accompanies Cate to Blossom Branch. Both grew up there though Cate’s parents moved to Atlanta while she was a teenager. Cate and Harry stay at her grandparents’ house, though they are out of town for a few weeks on a cruise. Harry’s mother still lives in Blossom Branch, but he doesn’t want to see her because they have a difficult relationship. Meanwhile, living under the same roof, first at Harry’s place, then in Blossom Branch, stirs up feelings between them. It hasn’t been a month since Cate was jilted, but why is she now attracted to Harry? He makes it clear that he isn’t the marrying kind, while she has always wanted marriage and children. Will they just have a fling and then walk away from each other?

Cate thought she had her life all mapped out with her marriage to Jason in THE RUNAWAY BRIDE OF BLOSSOM BRANCH, but it all falls apart after he backs out. She is devastated and it is Harry, a man she mostly knows through Jason, who helps her to get away from the church. Why he was there in the foyer, she doesn’t know. But she appreciates him taking her away from the embarrassment of being jilted. The first few days she stays in the guest room and doesn’t interact with Harry. After she emerges, they begin to talk and realize that they are getting along. He is still worried about her, which is why he accompanied her to Blossom Branch. Cate remembers how much she loved the small town and begins to think about opening a gift store there. With Harry’s help, she begins to realize her dream. But their feelings for each other are soon out in the open. Will it tear them apart because of their differing thoughts about love and marriage?

THE RUNAWAY BRIDE OF BLOSSOM BRANCH is a mix of sweet and sensual romance. There is a lot of emotion flowing between Cate and Harry. Their childhoods were different, and each has a different outlook on life. But being jilted has Cate seeing her life plans change, while Harry begins to see that maybe having someone like Cate in his life would be great. Their story is one of finding love after thinking it was no longer there for them. Don’t miss their enjoyable journey in THE RUNAWAY BRIDE OF BLOSSOM BRANCH.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Delightful and entertaining! The cover on this is also stunning. I have been reading Janice Maynard for years and loved her books. This was no exception.

First, I love the cover.
Second, I really did find Cate a bit immature and needy, but she grew up in a hurry.
Ah, Harry. The smoldering stoic man who hides a painful damaged background and is truly hungry for a woman’s love.
I smirked at their ‘transactional’ sex agreement because any reader would know where it’s going to end up.
Lots of steamy, (emotionally detached, yeah right) scenes.
It’s Georgia so there’s lots of peaches, hotness, and finally some emotional break throughs.

Cate Penland is at the altar and when it comes time for the groom Jason to say I DO; he doesn't. Jason and Cate are life long friends and lovers. Jason decides he loves Cate; but is not in love with her. Cate runs from the church and Prescott “Harry” Harrington III comes out of the church and takes her to his home.
Harry is a cousin to Jason and lets Cate stay at his place until she decides what to do. Cate decides to leave Atlanta and go to Blossom Branch where her grandparents live, and she lived until she was 12.
The grandparents are on a cruise and Harry decides to go along with Cate.
Cate has a lot of decisions to make about what to do with her life and where to live now. Harry is actually interested in Cate can she see it and will Harry let her into his life?
Wonderful story on taking time and deciding what is important in your life.

The Runaway Bride of Blossom Branch is the first book in the Blossom Branch series.

Cate and Jason are about to be married. Standing at the altar, the minister asks Jason if he takes Cate to be his wife and says nothing. The minister repeats the question and again can't answer. Jason asks to speak to Cate and tells her he can't marry her. Devastated and embarrassed about being rejected in front of over a thousand people, Cate runs outside into Harry, who whisks her away from the wedding site.

Harry takes her to his place and gives her a place to stay, no questions asked. As he takes care of her, she begins to think about what went wrong and slowly comes to care for Harry. But Harry keeps a lot of things that are deeply personal to himself.

The more time she spends with Harry she realizes he is more than just a friend of Jason's. Harry has made it clear that he never wants to marry or have children, After Harry falls and is injured, it is Cate's turn to care for Harry. While taking pain pills, he slowly reveals what happened during his childhood. Cate feels Harry has opened up about himself and now she begins to care for him even more.

When Cate and Jason meet unexpectedly, they talk and she tells him she forgives him, and finally at peace goes home to Harry's. But when she tells Harry about her forgiving Jason, Harry gets the wrong idea and tells Cate it is time she left to start her new life without him. Can these two finally talk to each other and tell each other how they really feel, only time will tell.

This was a delightfully entertaining read. The characters were wonderful, and I liked them all. The story is well written and easy to read. I am interested in reading the next chapter in the series.