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Bliss Village #1
A Match Made in Bliss
A Match Made in Bliss by Diann Walker released on Feb 28, 2006 is available now for purchase.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 2, 2022
A friend (MH) sent me this book in a box of books.
The beginning is full of what author Robin Jones Gunn would call God-things and what most would call coincidences.
*Garrett's daughters decide to have a "Win Daddy's Heart" contest. They invite 5 women to come for a 2 week free stay at their B&B (with no promises of romance), but they lose the information on one of the 5 contestants.
*Lauren's friends arrange for her to stay at a B&B but Lauren loses the paper with the information on it and ends up at Garrett's B&B instead.
I figured out early on that Bliss would be the name of the town. (or in the name of the town). (Reference the book's title).
The beginning is full of what author Robin Jones Gunn would call God-things and what most would call coincidences.
*Garrett's daughters decide to have a "Win Daddy's Heart" contest. They invite 5 women to come for a 2 week free stay at their B&B (with no promises of romance), but they lose the information on one of the 5 contestants.
*Lauren's friends arrange for her to stay at a B&B but Lauren loses the paper with the information on it and ends up at Garrett's B&B instead.
I figured out early on that Bliss would be the name of the town. (or in the name of the town). (Reference the book's title).
May 24, 2022
Reality-show style romance done badly.
I've written one of these kinds of stories before, and know that there are some HUGE challenges to them. Ms. Walker met *NONE* of those challenges, and while the premise wasn't bad, she couldn't follow it thru. Not on any level.
In her story, Garrett owns a B&B and has two teenaged daughters. He's been single for three years since he killed his wife via his negligence. ((Which... first Walker says he knew the tire had a problem on his wife's car, and he didn't take care of it. Then she changed it later to him knowing about the tire, calling a shop, but THEY couldn't get her in, and she was stubborn and drove the car, anyhow... because chrischun writers can't have it be TRUE negligence, it can only be PERCIEVED negligence, cuz no good chrischun man ever done neglected his wife's needs.)) *Sigh.*
Anyhow, his one daughter's off to college, the other graduates soon, and they don't want to leave daddy behind, alone... so they set up a 'Win His Heart' contest on-line, screen five applicants, offer them two weeks free stay at the B&B, and then call out the local news to cover the 'bachelor' show that's happening. They're setting daddy up with strangers.
Dad isn't told until the night the contestants arrive. Of the five women, one bails, but that's the one the daughters *ironically* lose the information on. BAD writing, there - if there are only five, they wouldn't forget her name/city, at the least. But the author needed an 'opening' for Lauren. It was just awkward and badly done, requiring a LOT of suspending of reality.
Enter Lauren. Lauren is a corporate lawyer who's fiancé just dumped her for her best friend. Worse, she was working in the same firm as fiancé, so it's *alluded* to that he had Daddy-the-boss fire her, to remove the awkwardness from the office. So she's unemployed, sad, jilted, betrayed by bestie, and left with a cross-eyed shih-tzu she dresses in little outfits, because reasons. (!?!?!) She does NOT come off as mature enough to be a lawyer. Anyhow, her long-distance college roomies buy her a relaxing retreat to a B&B, to get away from it all.
Ditzy Lauren and her doof-a-pooch go to the wrong B&B, and Garrett assumes contestant #5 changed her mind, and that Lauren in the missing participant. Now the women screened sent photos along with their applications, so that the daughters DON'T know this isn't a contestant is ridiculous. And with only five? You'd think they'd've been OVER that info enough to know this isn't right. But no. Pretend they're idiots and forget their own names, to make this work.
And here's where it gets worse. The author apparently can't handle characterizing five women, a dad and two daughters. I did twenty contestants in mine, and managed more personal facts, details, dialogue, and personality. Here you just get the four names of the other women and their home location, and if they happen to be 'up' in a scene? Some pretty tedious caricatures (one's goth, one's shy/glasses/whispers, one's gorgeous haughty southern belle, ones beefy mountain woman). Because clichés always make for an excellent novel, amIright? (((insert eye roll)))
Not to mention poor Rodney Snodgrass, the dweeb boy crushing on his daughter. Cliché enough, there? That's... pitiful. PITIFUL writing.
Walker tells us that Lauren is 'like fine china at a flea market', being at this B&B... except every time we see her, she's in sweats. Sweatpants AND a sweatshirt. That's... NOT FINE CHINA, hello. Worse, it's a throwback - sweat-suits went out in 1989, for the love of all that's holy. GAH, the writing...!!!! And who dresses their dog in hats and ruffles while dumping around in sweats, anyhow?!
Then Walker proceeds to WRITE OUT the other contestants, completely. From moment one, Lauren isn't part of the group. The daughters take the women for coffee... leaving Garrett and Lauren alone. The daughters take the women sightseeing... leaving Garrett and Lauren alone. There's a rainstorm and Lauren's out wandering in the woods, lost... leaving Garrett and Lauren alone when he finds her. She's up late getting a snack, leaving Garrett and Lauren alone. It's NOT A CONTEST if she's not participating with the others, hello! And vague references to 'games' and such does not participation make.
There are NO scenes with Garrett and the other women, one on one. They just 'go off' with Lauren watching from a window, and he comes back later and complains to his kids. Which is NOT. GOOD. WRITING. C'mon... you want contestants? Have them in the story!!
As for the daughters, they are FLAMING jerks. "No, you listen to me, Dad!" one snaps at her father at one point in the book. WHAT IS THAT?!?!? My kids would *n.e.v.e.r* talk to me that way. I... was appalled. He can't have been negligent of his wife's car, but they can treat him that way as good lil' chrischun girls? Seriously?!??!?!
And the writing is abysmal. On pg 62 Garrett puts his daughters to bed. Then on pg 63 - SAME NIGHT - Lauren comes down for food, and he and his daughters are talking. Didn't he JUST put them to bed, watching them go upstairs, on the previous page? How are they back in the kitchen for the next scene?!? And how can these writers gush over their awesome editors when crap like this slides by?
We should probably talk spirituality, while we're at it. There isn't any. Lauren skips church, Garrett doesn't talk to the Lord because God took his wife, there's NO mention of spirituality in the other women... it's all me-me-me-I-I-I... with him, Lauren, and the girls. And that's the opposite of a Lord-centric book. Maybe that changes later? But the platitudes aren't encouraging. At at this point, I'm not 'inspired' in the least. In fact, it's pretty discouraging, reading this.
I... am out. DNF @ 65 pages. Because I came here to see what others said, and the reviews say it gets more painful as it goes along... and if it's going to get worse? I don't think I want to be there for it. I'll re-read my own little effort, thanks.
I've written one of these kinds of stories before, and know that there are some HUGE challenges to them. Ms. Walker met *NONE* of those challenges, and while the premise wasn't bad, she couldn't follow it thru. Not on any level.
In her story, Garrett owns a B&B and has two teenaged daughters. He's been single for three years since he killed his wife via his negligence. ((Which... first Walker says he knew the tire had a problem on his wife's car, and he didn't take care of it. Then she changed it later to him knowing about the tire, calling a shop, but THEY couldn't get her in, and she was stubborn and drove the car, anyhow... because chrischun writers can't have it be TRUE negligence, it can only be PERCIEVED negligence, cuz no good chrischun man ever done neglected his wife's needs.)) *Sigh.*
Anyhow, his one daughter's off to college, the other graduates soon, and they don't want to leave daddy behind, alone... so they set up a 'Win His Heart' contest on-line, screen five applicants, offer them two weeks free stay at the B&B, and then call out the local news to cover the 'bachelor' show that's happening. They're setting daddy up with strangers.
Dad isn't told until the night the contestants arrive. Of the five women, one bails, but that's the one the daughters *ironically* lose the information on. BAD writing, there - if there are only five, they wouldn't forget her name/city, at the least. But the author needed an 'opening' for Lauren. It was just awkward and badly done, requiring a LOT of suspending of reality.
Enter Lauren. Lauren is a corporate lawyer who's fiancé just dumped her for her best friend. Worse, she was working in the same firm as fiancé, so it's *alluded* to that he had Daddy-the-boss fire her, to remove the awkwardness from the office. So she's unemployed, sad, jilted, betrayed by bestie, and left with a cross-eyed shih-tzu she dresses in little outfits, because reasons. (!?!?!) She does NOT come off as mature enough to be a lawyer. Anyhow, her long-distance college roomies buy her a relaxing retreat to a B&B, to get away from it all.
Ditzy Lauren and her doof-a-pooch go to the wrong B&B, and Garrett assumes contestant #5 changed her mind, and that Lauren in the missing participant. Now the women screened sent photos along with their applications, so that the daughters DON'T know this isn't a contestant is ridiculous. And with only five? You'd think they'd've been OVER that info enough to know this isn't right. But no. Pretend they're idiots and forget their own names, to make this work.
And here's where it gets worse. The author apparently can't handle characterizing five women, a dad and two daughters. I did twenty contestants in mine, and managed more personal facts, details, dialogue, and personality. Here you just get the four names of the other women and their home location, and if they happen to be 'up' in a scene? Some pretty tedious caricatures (one's goth, one's shy/glasses/whispers, one's gorgeous haughty southern belle, ones beefy mountain woman). Because clichés always make for an excellent novel, amIright? (((insert eye roll)))
Not to mention poor Rodney Snodgrass, the dweeb boy crushing on his daughter. Cliché enough, there? That's... pitiful. PITIFUL writing.
Walker tells us that Lauren is 'like fine china at a flea market', being at this B&B... except every time we see her, she's in sweats. Sweatpants AND a sweatshirt. That's... NOT FINE CHINA, hello. Worse, it's a throwback - sweat-suits went out in 1989, for the love of all that's holy. GAH, the writing...!!!! And who dresses their dog in hats and ruffles while dumping around in sweats, anyhow?!
Then Walker proceeds to WRITE OUT the other contestants, completely. From moment one, Lauren isn't part of the group. The daughters take the women for coffee... leaving Garrett and Lauren alone. The daughters take the women sightseeing... leaving Garrett and Lauren alone. There's a rainstorm and Lauren's out wandering in the woods, lost... leaving Garrett and Lauren alone when he finds her. She's up late getting a snack, leaving Garrett and Lauren alone. It's NOT A CONTEST if she's not participating with the others, hello! And vague references to 'games' and such does not participation make.
There are NO scenes with Garrett and the other women, one on one. They just 'go off' with Lauren watching from a window, and he comes back later and complains to his kids. Which is NOT. GOOD. WRITING. C'mon... you want contestants? Have them in the story!!
As for the daughters, they are FLAMING jerks. "No, you listen to me, Dad!" one snaps at her father at one point in the book. WHAT IS THAT?!?!? My kids would *n.e.v.e.r* talk to me that way. I... was appalled. He can't have been negligent of his wife's car, but they can treat him that way as good lil' chrischun girls? Seriously?!??!?!
And the writing is abysmal. On pg 62 Garrett puts his daughters to bed. Then on pg 63 - SAME NIGHT - Lauren comes down for food, and he and his daughters are talking. Didn't he JUST put them to bed, watching them go upstairs, on the previous page? How are they back in the kitchen for the next scene?!? And how can these writers gush over their awesome editors when crap like this slides by?
We should probably talk spirituality, while we're at it. There isn't any. Lauren skips church, Garrett doesn't talk to the Lord because God took his wife, there's NO mention of spirituality in the other women... it's all me-me-me-I-I-I... with him, Lauren, and the girls. And that's the opposite of a Lord-centric book. Maybe that changes later? But the platitudes aren't encouraging. At at this point, I'm not 'inspired' in the least. In fact, it's pretty discouraging, reading this.
I... am out. DNF @ 65 pages. Because I came here to see what others said, and the reviews say it gets more painful as it goes along... and if it's going to get worse? I don't think I want to be there for it. I'll re-read my own little effort, thanks.
July 7, 2010
The Bliss books were great.
Diann Walker is also Diann Hunt
Diann Walker is also Diann Hunt
November 17, 2018
Sweet faith-based romance. Predictable and almost a touch boring but a nice break from the trashier romance that is so dear to my heart. ;) Okay back to something to put a little steam in my life.
February 18, 2026
An easy read that was a very welcome feel good book.
January 29, 2010
This was an interesting book with a twist. Enjoyable reading.
September 11, 2013
This book started out as cute but it turned out to be overly far-fetched and annoying. I would liken this book to chick-lit. In general I do not like chick-lit and I did not like this book.
September 11, 2014
LI Daughters set up a contest for widowed dad to find a new love. Cute.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews