The Accidental Bride

Summer Island #2

by Christina Skye

Love can find you in the most unlikely of places...  

When her friends order her to take a vacation, celebrity chef Jilly O'Hara is skeptical. She may be overwhelmed by her sudden success, but a trip to the mountains is not her idea of fun. Especially when a snowstorm forces her to fill in for an absentee bride in a lavish television wedding taking place at the resort. But then the ruggedly handsome make-believe groom arrives.... Walker Hale has kept to himself since his return from active duty-but the next thing he knows, he's reluctantly playing along with the wedding charade.

Even this jaded loner isn't immune to Jilly's quirky charm...or her beauty. But Jilly has to return home to Summer Island, leaving Walker to decide if the feelings between them were something more than pretend.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Chick Lit, Military Fiction, Ebooks

376 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 18, 2012

About the author

AKA Roberta Helmer

Roberta Helmer is an American writer of Chinese art and culture and as Christina Skye is a best-selling USA Today and Publishers Weekly writer of over 23 romance novels. Her romance book have been translated into 8 languages.

Roberta Helmer was born in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A., an is a descendant of Revolutionary War hero Adam Helmer. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and obtained a doctorate in classical Chinese literature at Ohio State University, where she learned to speak fluent Chinese, French, and Japanese. Later, she worked as translator and as a consultant to the National Geographic Society and the American Museum of Natural History. She lived in on the western slopes of McDowell Mountains in Arizona.

Reviews

[Alicia (is beyond tired of your *ish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book through the first half. There was a lot of potential to the story.

I enjoyed most of these characters. I liked Jilly O'Hara and the health issues that derailed her life seemed different to me. A set of problems that it would be interesting to explore, especially when it came to the culinary empire she was trying to build. The same goes for Walker Hale and all of the issues he had after returning from Afghanistan where he did two tours as a Marine until he and his amazing chocolate lab, Winslow (who truly steals the show), were injured.

The two of them navigating these issues, while trying to forge a relationship, not to mention geographic differences could have been enough drama and plot for the entire book. Yet, in the second half of the book we kind of forget all of this for this incredibly silly fake-real wedding they have solely to comfort an old woman before she goes into the hospital for tests. Er, okay. Why focus on this other woman's health problems when our Heroine has severe health problems that could present a problem? And even though it was silly and I rolled my eyes too many times to count, if they were going to do this farce of a wedding why in the hell did it have to be an actual, legally binding marriage? That makes absolutely no sense. And really the repercussions of it being legal aren't explored beyond a single point that kicks off my next issue with the book.

Then we're given contrived drama in the form of a seriously lame, clichéd plot that, again, had me rolling my eyes. Of course he is. Of course. A conversation is overheard. Giant, stupid, unsupported assumptions are made. People forget that they've only known each other maybe a week. Childish actions are taken. More nonsensical character actions and decisions are made. And an ending that leaves a bunch of questions unanswered or dangling.

The book could have been really compelling if it kept on the track it was on in the first half. A lot could have been done with Jilly's health problems. That could have provided the drama. Instead, it became a mess of lame story we've seen over and over and dropped pretty much all of the promising plot elements that got me invested in the story. I just don't understand why this was the route taken. Or why the title and synopsis make it seem like the wedding was a big part of the plot when really it didn't come until after the first half of the book and was kind of just a blip event that the story moved beyond pretty quickly.

The book still gets three stars for how much I liked the beginning and for Winslow who I fell in love with just as much as Jilly.

[DarkAthena59 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autant le premier tome m'avait laissé un goût d'insatisfaction, autant ce tome m'a bien plut.
Cette fois-ci, j'ai bien accroché au couple formé par Walker et Jilly, deux être blessés par la vie et qui tentent de prendre du recul et de reconstruire leur vie. Avec en trait d'union Winslow, un chien très touchant, et une petite bourgade bien sympathique à plus d'un plan.
J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce tome.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Accidental Bride – Christina Skye
This was such a romantic book, not filled with the usual sexual tension we have come to expect from this genre. This book is simply a wonderful story told well. If you are looking for a story filled with hot sex and passion, then this most likely will not be the book for you. Not to say that there is no passion in this book, it is just that the fans of passion are not really flamed until after the wedding!

Jilly is a young orphaned woman just finally making a go at her career. She owns her own restaurant and even has a line of salsas and chipotle sauces that are gaining in popularity. Until one day while in the middle of cooking for her restaurant she experiences chest pain, nausea and blacks out. Now she must make some changes in her life and to help her think and to put things into perspective her two best friends send her off on a vacation in Wyoming.

Walker is a near recluse in this Wyoming town, that is until he meets with Jilly as she is getting off her plane in Wyoming. They interact as she drops her suitcase that has an abundance of snack cakes and chocolate and some sparks fly.As Walker finally starts coming more and more out of his shell they realize that things might progress. And things seem to be going well until under special circumstances they agree to a ‘staged’ yet perfectly legal wedding.

This book was realistic and the characters are so well drawn and fleshed out that it was almost like reading about some of my own friends. I rooted for Jilly, Walker, and his dog Winslow! If there is one complaint I had with this book it would be that it ended too soon and the epilogue didn’t give me the follow-up information on their lives that I really wanted.

So as I said, if you are looking for a sweet non sex packed romantic novel with a truly good story, this may be something well worth your reading time.


*eARC SUPPLIED BY PUBLISHER*

[Miranda Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars means it's ok. This reminded me of cream of wheat. I do like c of w. This is 'comfort reading.' It's warm, satisfies a basic hunger and is reassuringly bland. The H/h are opposites, the friends are a touch cliche, chick-litty chums and their dialogue is real/banal for the most part. The guy is tall, dark, quiet and controlled about everything he does. He's a marine with a dangerous, secret specialization and a trained dog (ex-marine, too). Both were seriously wounded in action. She's got the requisite emotional baggage and life challenges to complicate things properly. But the fake wedding felt fake and not in a good way.

I once read a Jan Karon book and it left me feeling this same way...as if Thomas Kincaide had put down his paint brushes and taken up writing romances. The story was comfortable, warm-and-glow-y and predictably formulaic in a reassuring way that some enjoy. But I didn't.

[Sláinte Wanderlust · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover & Title - 3.5 out of 5
Favorite Line - "Enjoy your life Jilly. Don't waste a single moment." The woman's voice tightened. "Not for pride. Not for ego. Not even for stupidity. It's a terrible waste of time."
Favorite Character - The dog for sure.

This was the second book in a series but it worked fine as a stand alone, the series is about a group of friends finding love. I haven't read the first in the series or any other books by this author but after reading this book i would certainly read more by her.

I liked the story, i found it a sweet & relaxing read. No stress, just easy going romance. The character really did seem to care for each other & I was happy they both found love as they deserved it.

I would recommend this book.

Click here for my book review blog

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye
4 STARS I really enjoyed the Accidental Bride. It has good friends,loveable dogs and caring comunity. Lots of laughter and sweet emotion too. Jilly has a heart attack and told she needs to leave her stressfull job. She owns her own restraunt, a line of sauces. She was in the middle of dinner rush when she had her attack. After all the tests come back telling her she can't have the stress of cooking and running her restraunt. Her friends rush her to the airport for a flight to whyoming. They tell Jilly its a cooking classes at a resort. So she can relax and brush up on some cooking. They are really sending her to the resort but it is a knitting classes thats thier right now. In the airport waiting for taxi she spills contents of her luggage that her friends packed for her and snacks and underwear spill out in front of a tall handsome guy. She makes friends with his dog even as he warns her he not to good with strangers. Winslow likes Jilly and he really likes the jerky in her pocket. His owner Walker has some good looks too. The next day Jilly finds out that thier are no cooking class but she meets the chef and he has her sauces and uses them. She goes into town on a bike to the coffee shop thier and orders a special coffee. As she thinks of the commitment of cutting out the cafine. She is only one in the store and the clerk asks her to watch the shop while he runs to the bank. A customer comes in and asks were Jonathon is. When she is told he is at the bank the girl is disapointted because she is in a hurry and really wants a fancy coffee. Jilly tells her she can get it for her. Makes her a perfect cup and all fancy. Walker and Winslow comes in and wants just plain coffee. She talks him into trying something and when she is done he really likes it. They flirt a little before he leaves. Jonathon gets told about how good the coffee is. Jilly explains what and how she did it. She had worked in a coffee shop for a couple of years and sat down and explained to Jonathon about his equipment ect. Next day Jonathon asks her to borrow car from resort and come help him for awhile. Thier is a big line out the coffee shop. The girl talked her coffee up and everyone wanted to try it. Walker only came to town once in awhile but meeting Jilly he started showing up more. Walker was a hero who wrisked his life to save others in the community that served with him in the war. He and Winslow were both released for medical injuries so everyone was willing to help him to find love. Walker and Jilly were talked into being married for a good cause. Thier were a few love scenes in the book. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. 09/25/2012 PUB HarlequinHQN

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Note the synopsis above is not accurate to the book. The correct synopsis is below.
When her friends order her to take a vacation, successful chef Jilly O'Hara is less than enthused. She may be overworked, but a trip to the mountains is not her idea of fun. Especially when she's roped into an outrageous scheme to pose as a happy bride—all to fulfill the kindly resort owner's dreams of once again hosting a lavish wedding. But the ruggedly handsome make-believe groom may just make it tolerable….

Walker Hale has kept to himself since his return from active duty—but the next thing he knows, he's also playing along with the wedding charade. Even this jaded loner isn't immune to Jilly's quirky charm…or her beauty. But vacations have to end sometime, and they'll soon have to decide if the feelings between them were more than pretend.

**********REVIEW****************
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have always been a fan of Christina Skye but this book was one of her best. And that is saying something!

I loved that Jilly is so strong and independent yet so vulnerable with her heart condition. She is written so wonderfully and connects easily with the reader. Walker is just too scrumptious for words. He is so protective and generous with his caring that he is hard to not fall in love with. And do not even get me started on Winslow! I think I was in love with him for the first time he was introduced.

Skye always writes wonderful books that make you not want to put them down until you are at the last page and only then because you have no choice. I think this is Skye’s best book in a long time and since I love everything she writes that means that I would give this over 5 stars if I could. Make sure when you start this book you have time to read it cover to cover because you will not want to stop.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye
ISBN: 9780373776597
Jilly O'Hara runs her own restaurant and is very happy with the progress it's made since she opened its doors.
Caro MacNeal and Grace Lindstrom were worried as they'd not heard from Jilly in some time. They were in the knitting shop on Summer Island, Oregon.
They were restoring an old house to bring it back to its glory as an old landmark on the island.
After Jilly has a heart emergency and is told to take things easy, no more cooking, her 3 best friends set up a cooking retreat for her in Wyoming.
Problem is things are not what they seem...
At the small airport she met a man, Walker Hale and his service dog, Winslow but he was difficult to get much out of their conversation.
She is quite taken with him and his dog and learns how the town has never forgotten the hero he is although he was never given a parade or any other recognition for saving many lives.
She is starting to knit now and accepts dinner from Walker and as things get heated he gets many phone calls about the trip he's taking in the morning but she hears things that make it sound dire, so desperate he has to leave that night. She has agreed to watch the dog til he gets back...
It's suggested to raise the morale of the owner of the retreat that they get married...
He's kept a lot of secrets from her and she's kept many from him and they all come out eventually and it's interesting to see how they handle the truth...
Love the knitting and the references to their relationship with one another.
A series where the other woman have their own story, super! Many references to everything taught in this book are noted at the back.
Can't wait to get the rest of the series.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting twist on how to arrange a marriage in the current day.
Jilly O'Hara is well on her way to becoming a well-known chef when an unknown heart problem causes her doctor to tell her she needs to relax. Jilly? Ha!
Her friends trick her into going to a yarn retreat in Wyoming. At the airport, she meets a brown lab (Winslow) with whom she immediately falls in love. She also meets Winslow's owner, Walker Hale, with whom she immediately... likes a little. C'mon, who doesn't love a cowboy. Except... he's not a cowboy and Winslow's not an ordinary dog. They work together to dismantle bombs and they are both recovering from a rather hard hit (Winslow in particlar).
Jilly doesn't love the yarn conference (at first, of course, because all of the female characters in Skye's latest series love to knit) but the people at the lodge interest her and she's finding a way to make herself comfortable in town.
Unfortunately, I never really connected with Jilly. We don't get a lot of her back story. The same is true of Walker. We get brief sketches but nothing in depth. Then, the ending is way more complicated than in needs to be. Walker's past finally catches up to him but it doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story. It's all very rushed where the rest of the story was smooth and gentle.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tell the story of Jilly who are forced into semi retirement after a minor heart attack due to the stressful lifestyle that she have eventhough she is in her 20s. Enjoyed the most when she is at the most stressed up level, she is left with nothing to do. Hence, her good friends booked her into a cooking escapade in a remote resort. Only it turned out to be a knitting getaway instead. In the resort village, she met up with friendly villagers and tourists and slowly she found herself to be attracted to Walker, the village's hero is a loner. Both of them does not understand the chemistry that they have for each other but they acknowledged that they feel safest and comforted when they are together. An unfortunate situation occured when they were put into a position where they can make one old lady to be happy.. to have organise a wedding for them.

I like the story plot and the way it was written.. a feel good book with a tint of conflict at the end of the book. Overall, i enjoyed reading this book very much!

[Shan ~A~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story. Jilly, who went from foster home to foster home and grew up to have trust and abandonment issues. Walker, the rich kid who didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps. Can anyone say polar opposites. The thing is we go through the whole story not knowing much about Walker, just like Jilly so when you realize who he is you can understand why she feels the way she does considering how she grew up.

I think that I would have liked this story a little more if I was a big dog lover like these people seem to be because their pets are a big part of this story. Also if I would have started with the first book in what must be a series that includes Jilly friends I may have been more invested.

As it is it was still a pretty good read.

I actually loved the town more than I loved the story. I felt like that is the place and community that I would love to raise my children. I learned something new also about service dogs. I had no idea that they had animals trained to do those types of things.

[Lesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this just ok. I have not read this author before, including the preceding book(s) in this series, so perhaps I am at a disadvantage there. One of the things I did not care for was the way the dialogue was written- more than once, I found myself thinking "geez, people do NOT talk that way." I also found the heroine annoying. I realize she was supposed to be portrayed as a strong-willed, intense Type-A, but it wore on me. Also, the woman was just diagnosed with a heart problem, and yet the author has her eating snack cakes by the dozen and drinking coffee and alcohol against her doctor's instructions?? Meh. I don't know if I should be annoyed with the character for that, or the author for writing her that way.

[Mskychick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Argh. Not much ruins a book for me faster than incorrect facts. If you're going to write about something you don't know, get a beta reader in that field to check your facts!!
1. There's no such thing as an atrial valve. There's 2 atria in the heart, and there's the mitral and tricuspid valves that lead from the atria to each of their respective ventricles (pg 25)
2. A bad heart valve does not show up as a shadow in an X-ray (pg 26)
3. You cannot tell someone's blood pressure by feeling their wrist to check their heart rate (pg 62)

[Sasha Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying

This is a nice story about two people who need to heal. They meet at a quiet mountain resort and find themselves embroiled in a plan to undertake a fake wedding as a favor. Jilly and Walker are unlikely but perfect together. Both are escaping their lives and have success in spite of challenging pasts. It's a sweet story but it didn't completely draw me in. There felt like some loose ends were left hanging and the knitting metaphor was oddly resolved. However, the characters are likeable and the writing solid. Fun and frothy.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book ok. It contained a few of my pet peeves -- the synopsis contained information that didn't happen until after the 50% mark. And the characters fell in love way too quickly, and without much depth. I'll try one more of her books and see if it was a one book issue.

[Jack Vasen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

This second book of the series tells a complete story. Three women who are close friends are each the subject of a book, but even though I read this book first (and probably only), I don't think I missed anything from the earlier book. Reading this book, you can't help but know the general outcome of the first book, but I don't think any plot details are revealed.

It's a risk to start a book or movie or TV show out with a scene and then flash back a week or few to begin telling the story from there. In this case, it made me feel like I was just treading water waiting to get to the original scene. The day or two between hatching the scheme and where it picks up from the opening scene were particularly boring for me.

The marriage scenario seems like it might be a rehash of a common plot device but I can't remember it being done in quite this way before. Even so, the justification for it is lame. I never felt like the title was an accurate description of the premise.

There are some surprises just prior to and around the climax, but I didn't like a number of things about how that whole sequence transpired right up to the conclusion. There is an issue left open for Walker which seemed to me to be fairly ominous. I wonder if it will be resolved in book 3, but I don't care enough to read that book.

Jilly is a character that draws some sympathy from the reader. Her heart condition presents concerns not just for her health but for her livelihood and her future sense of purpose. But the heart condition also presents what I thought were a number of inconsistencies. The worst involved altitude.

Walker has a backstory lingering to be revealed that the reader knows is going to be … what … significant?

Jilly's friends are a little heavy handed both in the beginning and at the end in that they seem content to make decisions for her and even trick her in the beginning.

Who couldn't love Winslow? Sloppy kisses and all.

Mature themes: there is some very mildly explicit sex. There is some brief review of war experience but without much detail.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story of two people who are good, but have a hard time trusting people, and find it hard to commit to a relationship. I loved the little town they met in. I loved the characters. But the fact that she started having heart problems in the beginning of the book and you spend the whole book on edge because she's having episodes but doesn't really deal with it except the first time in the beginning of the book, made the whole story a downer for me. All I did was feel sorry for her and kept waiting for something terrible to happen. Then the old lady that owns the resort also has heart problems just made it worse. By the end of the story the old women is suppose to have a Stent put in, and Jilly, the main character, just answers Walker's question how it went at the doctor and she tells him there are more tests to be done and the doctor thinks the medicine and life style changes will be enough. No clear answer, so I guess she stays sick. There is one more book to read, so maybe there's more clarity in there. Because all four books are about 4 women friends. Again, there are questions left unanswered. I read to escape into a mystery or a love story, etc.. I don't like reading about illness and things people have to deal with in real life. So it was not an escape, it was an uncomfortable read.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the description on the back of the book I was expecting a completely different story. This book ended up being very disappointed. I liked Jilly at the beginning, but for the last third of the book I just could bring myself to care what happened. It was really tough to but into the romance in this book and in the end Walker was kind of a jerk. He flips out on her for not telling him something about her health while he's keeping all kinds of secrets from her. Also, the whole bit with his father was pointless - she told him where she lived and where her friends were! Figure it out yourself! There also seemed to be a lot of minor plot points that went nowhere and seemed pointless as a result.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Butterfly Cove & The Accidental Bride - Christina Skye, book 1 was not available. that is strange on Amazon book 1 is The Accidental Bride, book 2 is "A Home By The Sea" (i've not read this book) & book 3 is "Butterfly Cove. wondering why on Amazon they are not the same as Goodreads, doesn't Amazon run Goodreads??! thinky face. i read these from my local library leaning program. please check this series out. fun times. book 3 - "Butterfly Cove" - New Adult & College Romance, Contemporary Romance (kindle store & books. September 24, 2013 was this release date.
book 1 "Accidental Bride" came out October 1, 2012. romance in uniform, military romance. romantic comedy. i will read more from this author soon. fun reads.

[Tammy Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. 27 year old chef and cardiac patient, Jilly, is sent to Wyoming on a knitting retreat by her friends so she can learn to relax. Instead she meets veteran Walker and his dog Winslow and love blooms. This had great potential but veered into the ridiculous with a “pretend” marriage that was legally binding?? What? Wouldn’t it have given Mamie more to live for if there was a wedding to plan several months down the road? Also, why did we focus so much on Mamie’s health instead of Jilly’s? I’ve finished the book and still not really sure what her issue is. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Winslow was by far the best character in the book so I added 1/2 a star just for him.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Accidental Bride was way better than the first book. Although the main storyline is similar. A hero (war hero, risking his life hero) and a kind of heroic woman fall for each other. Jill and Walker`s story is better. But what ruined things for me is the ending. I get how some people have trust issues, like Jill. But she behaved like a total teenager when running away without giving Walker a chance to explain and feeling sorry for herself. But.. Why did Jill overreact like that in the first place? He didn`t tell about his family? So freaking what?

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, the synopsis listed on Goodreads is not correct. I kept waiting for this fake wedding and I think that storyline would have been more interesting. I didn’t care about the characters, the big problem seemed silly, and everything was resolved very quickly. I don’t know what causes me to enjoy some book romances and find others cheesy and annoying but this one was on the cheesy and annoying side for me.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt a bit..much. It was a cute start, but i found the dialogue corny (& overuse of character names in conversation was high). I enjoyed the story up until the title of the book came into play. Truly i forgot the name of the book & then bam! There it all was. Too many side plots kind of happening. Too much main plot in an extremely small portion of the book. There were some good moments of character depth, & I enjoyed it enough overall.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story

I enjoyed the book, however, I felt like the main characters dwelt on the same things over and over again. It was too repetitive. I was also confused a few times. I felt like I missed something, so I went back and reread parts but I hadn't missed any new part but the book skips to talking about other stuff with the impression that the reader knows what's going on. It was confusing to me.
But overall, the story was fun.

[Millennial Book Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was fine. The blurb doesn't quite match the actual premise of the novel, but I enjoyed the story overall. The romance was cute, wholesome and the characters were easy to connect with and root for. They each had compelling stories and an interesting dynamic. The conflict in the third act felt contrived, however, and added drama to a book that didn't really need it.

[Kathyk21 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye

The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye is chock-filled with rich and endearing characters. Walker is a hero, a former soldier, a loner recovering from battle wounds, a good neighbor to his small community. Jilly is an over-worked chef who is suddenly dealing with serious heart problems. You’ll love the people.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fine but not great. There are two small towns in it, one in Oregon and one in Wyoming, and both are charming. The story of a young woman having to learn to manage her health was a moving one. However, the third act conflict and the whole last part of the book was dumb.

[Heycandyj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Precious!

This book has sat in my “overstuffed”Kindle Library for years! Absolutely one of the best reads in my entire library! Did I say my Kindle is over stuffed? You won’t regret it! Thanks Ms Skye!

[Tawni · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read

I checked this book out from the library. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Another accidental bride story. This one sucked me in from the beginning with likable characters, beautiful scenery and a great storyline.

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. It held my attention all the way through. However, WHAT WAS PROMISE WALKER HAD TO FULFILL? Did I miss that part?
I really enjoyed this book; the author is very good at keeping the story flowing. UNTIL the Epilogue; why was Walker gone for 3 weeks?