Wish You Were Here by Beth K. Vogt, Book review and Giveaway

Synopsis:

Kissing the wrong guy days before her scheduled wedding leads Allison to become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to happily ever after?

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother, Daniel, in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point. Daniel’s adventures—chronicled through a collection of postcards—have always appealed to Allison’s well-hidden desire for something more. But how can betraying her fiancé’s trust lead to a true happily ever after?

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Recognizing she doesn’t have all the answers won’t be easy because she’s used to being in control. To find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her—one outside her carefully defined comfort zone—and find the strength to let Him lead.

My thoughts:

Beth K. Vogt writing is as engaging as her winning smile! I indulged into a wonderful 'just for me' time on Mother's Day by sitting on the porch with a cuppa and her debut novel 'Wish You Were Here' and I had a lovely time! 

There is always something intriguing in the 'no show at the altar' subject and I will admit to just plain curiosity! I am not a fan of Julia Roberts (oops, sorry!) and  I had a hard time to sit through 'Runaway Bride' but it was the idea of 'running away' which first attracted my attention!

A Runaway bride, a kiss, a series of postcards and God's hidden plans...

In 'Wish You Were Here' Beth K. Vogt gives us a wonderful opportunity to 'run away' from everyday  hum drum and discover yet again, with faith there are amazing things just waiting for us in this world!

Well written and clearly with a zest of life, this is a Christian romance novel you will enjoy with all your heart! Beth K. Vogt knows what makes women, young and older, feel all those butterflies...

The author richly balances all of her characters in this debut novel and you will have a hard time to find just one favourite! Allison is blessed with a solid family, great friends and her life is at a glance just as it should be. When she realizes however she is not happy, she finds the courage to follow a different path, opening her heart and trusting in God's plans.

If I had to choose one protagonist over the others it would be the stepfather figure! With that description Beth K. Vogt wowed me and yet it was just a very small part in the novel! And then there is the unconventional aunt, and the 'Bad Boys' who will have you chuckle starting with their quirky names...Who knew llamas liked cats?

Each chapter starts with a postcard message and you soon discover Allison has attached herself to the wrong groom! Never mind that she also hates her wedding dress!

A delightful story certain to pull at your heartstrings on more than one occasion, you will want to read it in one scoop, forgetting everything else! Absolutely perfect to relax with!

It is just the sort of novel to tuck in your beach bag for a good summer read and the perfect gift for a good friend!

I give it 5 stars of course and I am looking forward to Beth K. Vogt's next novel!!

About the Author:

Beth K. Vogt provides her readers with a happily ever after woven through with humor, reality, and God's lavish grace. She's a non-fiction author and editor who said she'd never write fiction. She's the wife of an Air Force physician (now in solo practice) who said she'd never marry a doctor-or anyone in the military. She's a mom of four who said she'd never have kids. Beth has discovered that God's best often waits behind the doors marked "Never." She writes contemporary romance because she believes there's more to happily ever after than the fairy tales tell us. Beth earned a journalism degree from San Jose State University and met her husband Rob when he knocked her down at a karate studio. They've been married for 31 years. They have four children, ranging in ages from 28, 25, 23 and - thanks to a funny thing happening on their way to the empty nest-a 10-year-old.
More on her website (here).

As part of this blog tour, let me invite you to check out other reviews of this debut novel (here)

AND NOW FOR BETH'S GIVEAWAY...

Win an iPad2 from @BethVogt! Celebrate with Beth by entering her Wish You Were Here Giveaway!

One "happy" winner will receive:

• A brand new iPad with Wi-Fi (The must-have, do-everything gadget!)
• Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt (Swoon worthy.)
• $15 iTunes Gift Card (Music, books, apps, & more.)

Hurry, the giveaway ends on 6/4/12. The winner will be announced 6/6/12 on Beth's website!

Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Beth's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.





I received this book free from LITFUSE as part of their blogger review program. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.