Book Review: Bridal Quartet Series

Hello lovelies!  I'm joining Heather and Megan for Book Club Friday.  I will warn you and say that this post is going to be extremely long ... but please keep reading.  :)  You see,  I'm reviewing four books instead of one today.  I thought it would be best to review all four books in The Bridal Quartet series by Nora Roberts together.

The four books are:  Vision in White, Bed of Roses, Savor the Moment, and Happy Ever After.

Vision in White

Synopsis:  

Meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac -- the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut's premier wedding planning companies.

After years of throwing make-believe weddings in the backyard, flowers, photography, desserts, and details are what these women do best: a guaranteed perfect, beautiful day full of memories to last the rest of your life.  

With bridal magazine covers to her credit,  wedding photographer Mackensie "Mac" Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be's brother ... an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

Carter Maguire is definitely not her type: he's stable and he's safe.  He's even an English teacher at their high school alma mater.  There's something about him that makes Mac think a casual fling is just what she needs to take her mind off dealing with bridezillas and screening her mother's phone calls.  But a casual fling can turn into something more when you least expect it.  And with the help of her three best friends -- and business partners -- Mac must decide how to make her own happy memories.

Bed of Roses

Synopsis:  

Since she was a little girl,  Emma Grant has always loved romance.  So it's really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist.  She gets to play with flowers every day and work with her three best friends in the process.  She could ask for a better job.

And on the surface, Emma's love life seems to be thriving.  Slim and sultry, she brings color into every room she enters, just like the arrangements she creates.  Men swarm around her, yet she still hasn't found her Mr. Right.  And the last place she's looking is right under her nose.

But that's just where Jack Cooke.  He's been best friends with Parker's brother for years, which makes him practically family.  The architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship.  And when Emma returns his passions -- kiss for blistering kiss -- things start to get complicated at Vows.

Jack has never been big on commitment.  Emma yearns for a lifelong love affair.  If the two are to find common ground, they must trust in their history -- and in their hearts. 

Savor the Moment

Synopsis:  

Laurel McBane has always relied on her friends for support, especially when her dream of attending culinary school was almost ruined by her parents' financial problems.  Now Laurel is repaying the kindness of her friends by creating extravagantly luscious tiers of cakes and other confectionary delights that add the perfect touch to their clients' weddings.

As for romance, Laurel believes in it -- in theory.  But she's too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that other women seem to long for.  What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker's older brother, Delaney Brown,  on whom Laurel has had a major crush on since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach.  Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her, or so she thinks.  When Laurel's quick-silver moods get the better of her -- leading to an angry, hot, altogether mind-blowing kiss with Del -- she'll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passions into forever.

Happy Ever After

Synopsis:

Parker Brown turned the quartet's childhood game of Wedding Day into their dream jobs.  And now she's the face of Vows -- the one who meets every bride's demands; keeps every event on schedule; and brings Emma's romantic flowers, Laurel's delicious treats, and Mac's stunning photography together in one glamorous package.  She knows how to make dreams come true.

Mechanic Malcolm Kavanaugh loves figuring out how things work, and Parker Brown is no exception.  But as a good friend of Parker's brother, Mal knows that moving from minor flirtation to major hookup is a serious step.

No man has rattled Parker in a long time, but the motorcycle-riding Mal seems to have a knack for it.  His passionate kisses always catch her off guard, much like her growing feels for him.  Parker's business risks have always paid off, but now she'll have to take the chance of a lifetime with her heart.

{all excerpts via book covers}

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"A compelling celebration of the power of friendship and love." -- BOOKLIST

"She creates characters you care about ... you want them to be happy." -- The (Columbia, SC) State

Review:  After reading Emily Giffin's books,  I knew that I wanted to continue to read books with romance in the "chick-lit" genre.  A friend suggested this series by Nora Roberts and I must admit I was hestitant at first.   As a single girl,  I wasn't sure how I would feel reading a series about weddings.  I decided to give it a try and I am so glad that I did.  I LOVED THEM!  Nora Roberts shows great attention to detail in her writing.  I found myself instantly caught up in the lives of these four best friends that I could not put the books down.  Although each book focuses on a different friend,  I was happy that you not only got to learn more about each of them, but they were all so closely connected and they all were apart of each book.  Mac, Emma, Laurel, and Parker weren't just best friends, they were more than that.  They were sisters.  They were a family.  It was so nice to see the bond they shared with one another.  Not only were they there to love and support each other through the ups and downs, but they were a group of strong, independent women who loved what they do and worked hard to run a successful wedding planning business together.  Every wedding they planned was perfection and as the reader, you truly hoped that they would each find their own true love, have the wedding of their dreams, and live happily ever after.   One would think after reading four books about the same group of people that you would grow tired of them but I didn't.  I honestly wanted to read more!  This series is DEFINITELY A MUST-READ!  

Have you read this series? What did you think?
Do you have a favorite Nora Roberts book?

**BUCKET LIST Update**
You can see my 2011 BUCKET LIST here.

-- Read 15 books (9/15)

1. Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin    

2. Something Blue - Emily Giffin 

3. Baby Proof - Emily Giffin

4. Love the One You're With - Emily Giffin

5. Heart of the Matter - Emily Giffin

{Something Borrowed Book Review;  Something Blue Book Review}

{images via}

6.  Vision in White -- Nora Roberts

7.  Bed of Roses -- Nora Roberts

8.  Savor the Moment -- Nora Roberts

9.  Happy Ever After -- Nora Roberts

Happy Reading! xo