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Bride in Training
Perfectionist Martin Davis's life is in turmoil. The lonely businessman's search for companionship led him to adopt a dog—a rather rambunctious terrier. And now Martin's at his wits' end. When dog trainer Emily Ireland offers to help, Martin is grateful—and intrigued. But he's wary of getting too close to the sweet, pretty Emily, especially when he learns of her scandalous past. Can Martin ever open his heart to the possibility that Emily just may be his perfect bride?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
5 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Gail Gaymer Martin
147 books137 followersMulti-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin writes Christian fiction for Winged Publications with many books published by Love Inspired and Barbour Publishing, where she was honored by Heartsong readers as their Favorite Author of 2008. Gail has 77 published novels or novellas with over four million books in print. She is the author of Writers Digest’s Writing the Christian Romance and a founder of American Christian Fiction Writers, a keynote speaker at churches, libraries and civic organizations and presents workshops at conference across the US. She was named one of the four best novelists in the Detroit area by CBS local news. Gail loves to hear from readers through her website contact and adds the reader's name to her bi-monthly drawing for a free book or two.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 30, 2023
This couple had low self esteem and thoughts of themselves, but they managed to work things out and fall in love.
September 9, 2025
Slow to develop.
June 18, 2010
Can a feisty terrier unite two lonely souls?
Martin Davis is a lonely businessman. His brother has just married and is enjoying the life of a newlywed, and Martin misses his companionship. Work doesn’t fulfill him like it used to, and coming home to an empty house is a drag. But when he decides to adopt a feisty terrier from a local shelter, he gets more than he bargained for.
Emily Ireland loves her job as a dog walker and working part-time for a local dog shelter, Time for Paws. She’s delighted to see little Nessie, a loveable Terrier, find a home, but worries that the stoic workaholic who adopted her won’t be able to handle the energetic dog or give her the love and attention she needs. Emily’s good friend married Martin Davis’s brother, and she knows all about Martin being a perfectionist with a hardnosed attitude. She soon gets a call for help, but is being around Martin Davis the best thing for her, especially since she hasn’t been able to get him out of her mind? She finally agrees to come to Martin’s home and teach him how to handle Nessie, but despite her efforts to remain unaffected, she is attracted to the handsome, lonely man.
An incident in Martin’s past makes him leery of women, and Emily’s secrets force her not to allow a man to get close to her. When they move from friendship into something more, will their pasts and vast differences destroy any hope for a future together?
BRIDE IN TRAINING is a charming book about a small dog who unites two lonely people. Martin struggles to become a kinder, more likeable person than he used to be. Emily is a character who tugs at your heart with her lack of family, insecurities, and feelings of self-doubt. I enjoyed watching these two grow and blossom, just like a rose opening up. They brought out the best in each other and encouraged they other to be a better person through their faith in God. Nessie is an adorable secondary character, but doesn’t steal the show. Readers of the other two books in this series will enjoy learning what’s happened to the characters in the previous books, but readers new to this series won’t be lost. For a delightful contemporary read that is sure to tug at your heartstrings, pick up a copy of Gail Gaymer Martin’s BRIDE IN TRAINING.
Martin Davis is a lonely businessman. His brother has just married and is enjoying the life of a newlywed, and Martin misses his companionship. Work doesn’t fulfill him like it used to, and coming home to an empty house is a drag. But when he decides to adopt a feisty terrier from a local shelter, he gets more than he bargained for.
Emily Ireland loves her job as a dog walker and working part-time for a local dog shelter, Time for Paws. She’s delighted to see little Nessie, a loveable Terrier, find a home, but worries that the stoic workaholic who adopted her won’t be able to handle the energetic dog or give her the love and attention she needs. Emily’s good friend married Martin Davis’s brother, and she knows all about Martin being a perfectionist with a hardnosed attitude. She soon gets a call for help, but is being around Martin Davis the best thing for her, especially since she hasn’t been able to get him out of her mind? She finally agrees to come to Martin’s home and teach him how to handle Nessie, but despite her efforts to remain unaffected, she is attracted to the handsome, lonely man.
An incident in Martin’s past makes him leery of women, and Emily’s secrets force her not to allow a man to get close to her. When they move from friendship into something more, will their pasts and vast differences destroy any hope for a future together?
BRIDE IN TRAINING is a charming book about a small dog who unites two lonely people. Martin struggles to become a kinder, more likeable person than he used to be. Emily is a character who tugs at your heart with her lack of family, insecurities, and feelings of self-doubt. I enjoyed watching these two grow and blossom, just like a rose opening up. They brought out the best in each other and encouraged they other to be a better person through their faith in God. Nessie is an adorable secondary character, but doesn’t steal the show. Readers of the other two books in this series will enjoy learning what’s happened to the characters in the previous books, but readers new to this series won’t be lost. For a delightful contemporary read that is sure to tug at your heartstrings, pick up a copy of Gail Gaymer Martin’s BRIDE IN TRAINING.
June 12, 2010
Martin and Emily both have pasts they have tried to run from. They have pushed people away and have avoided love for far too long. But a little dog named Nessie is about to change all of that. In this sweet and romantic story, Martin and Emily learn how to forgive themselves and trust God to forgive them and free them to love again.
Bride in Training is the little book that has a strong impact. I am once again amazed at Gail’s talent for creating a very romantic story that has a very powerful Christian message that so many readers will be able to relate to. I’m sure pretty much all of us have things from our past that we have tried, unsuccessfully, to bury. The harder we try to hide, the more shame and guilt we feel. This is what Emily was experiencing and when the full extent of her story was revealed, I felt a great sadness for what she had been through. I also felt great joy in the forgiveness she received, the forgiveness she deserved. I love to see characters redeemed and loved. This is a very romantic story, but the real-life problems Martin and Emily work to overcome make this story real and relatable.
If my memory serves me, it seems that Bride in Training had more dogs and more sweet dog moments than the previous book had which added a wonderful lightness and humor to this story. It is obvious that Gail loves dogs, she loves flowers and she loves her characters because each one is written so lovingly. I loved Bride in Training. It is a book that will tug at your heart and inspire you to seek your Heavenly Father for all of your needs and it will inspire you to love and appreciate those you care about.
Bride in Training is the little book that has a strong impact. I am once again amazed at Gail’s talent for creating a very romantic story that has a very powerful Christian message that so many readers will be able to relate to. I’m sure pretty much all of us have things from our past that we have tried, unsuccessfully, to bury. The harder we try to hide, the more shame and guilt we feel. This is what Emily was experiencing and when the full extent of her story was revealed, I felt a great sadness for what she had been through. I also felt great joy in the forgiveness she received, the forgiveness she deserved. I love to see characters redeemed and loved. This is a very romantic story, but the real-life problems Martin and Emily work to overcome make this story real and relatable.
If my memory serves me, it seems that Bride in Training had more dogs and more sweet dog moments than the previous book had which added a wonderful lightness and humor to this story. It is obvious that Gail loves dogs, she loves flowers and she loves her characters because each one is written so lovingly. I loved Bride in Training. It is a book that will tug at your heart and inspire you to seek your Heavenly Father for all of your needs and it will inspire you to love and appreciate those you care about.
May 25, 2010
I loved this book.
Like so many of us Emily and Martin had both reached a point in their lives that they felt as though they had nothing to offer a spouse. Emily because of a bad childhood that brought her to the darkest days possible, and Martin because of a failed marriage. Enter Nessie the Cairn Terrier. She brought the two of them together and showed them both that they needed to trust God and follow their hearts.
It is a beautiful story...go out and get it!!
Like so many of us Emily and Martin had both reached a point in their lives that they felt as though they had nothing to offer a spouse. Emily because of a bad childhood that brought her to the darkest days possible, and Martin because of a failed marriage. Enter Nessie the Cairn Terrier. She brought the two of them together and showed them both that they needed to trust God and follow their hearts.
It is a beautiful story...go out and get it!!
April 16, 2011
Martin is having problems with his newly adopted dog, Nessie however when he turns to Emily for assistance with training the dog. While caring for the dog, Martin gets to know Emily and sparks fly between the two. This is a sweet story that uses a dog as a matchmaker which is an interesting concept.
August 16, 2011
Story line okay, not really and in depth book, good for a quick no thinking read.
February 20, 2016
Bride in Training
Good story by a good author. Martin and Emily must both overcome past mistakes and hurts, but with God and the help of a dog they can.
Good story by a good author. Martin and Emily must both overcome past mistakes and hurts, but with God and the help of a dog they can.
Read
July 1, 2010The 3rd book in the Man's Best Friend Series. I enjoyed writing this series.
Want to read
September 22, 2013A good inspirational book
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews