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Bride Needs Groom
Gorgeous playboy Dominick Chickalini can charm his way out of - or into-any and every situation. But on the plane on his way to Las Vegas for a weekend of drinking, flirting, and gambling, he suddenly feels like everyone is coupled up-except himself. He tries to push it out of his mind, but then he notices the passenger next to him. She's the most stunningly beautiful woman he's ever seen...and she's wearing a wedding dress. Mia Calogera has to get married or her strong-willed, and incredibly wealthy grandfather will cut her off. Accustomed to the finer things in life, she's hatched a marry a man she met on the Internet. But with Dominick next to her on the plane, her stomach won't stop doing flip-flops. When Mia's plan goes awry, and Dom needs to borrow money, Mia has the perfect way for him to pay her back. But will the eternal bachelor succumb to the bride's plan?
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
About the author
Wendy Markham
37 books204 followersNew York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than seventy published novels and has sold more than three million books worldwide. Under her own name, Wendy achieved New York Times bestselling status with her single title psychological suspense novels. Those novels and the women's fiction she writes under the pseudonym Wendy Markham have also frequently appeared on the USA Today, Barnes and Noble Top Ten, and Bookscan bestseller lists.
Wendy grew up in a large, close-knit family in rural southwestern New York State and decided she wanted to become an author while in third grade. She worked in two independent bookstores during college, then moved alone to New York City at 21 to pursue her dream. After stints as a book editor for a Manhattan publishing house and an account coordinator for a major advertising agency, she sold her first novel, the supernatural young adult thriller SUMMER LIGHTNING. Early in her writing career, she published in various genres including suspense, horror, historical and contemporary romance, television and movie tie-in, and biography. She also co-authored a mystery series with former New York City mayor Ed Koch and has ghost-written for a number of bestselling authors and celebrities.
Wendy now lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband of nineteen years and their two children. A 1986 graduate of the State University of New York at Fredonia, she proudly delivered the keynote commencement address at her alma mater in May 2008 and is serving a three-year appointment to the Dean's Advisory Council for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Wendy grew up in a large, close-knit family in rural southwestern New York State and decided she wanted to become an author while in third grade. She worked in two independent bookstores during college, then moved alone to New York City at 21 to pursue her dream. After stints as a book editor for a Manhattan publishing house and an account coordinator for a major advertising agency, she sold her first novel, the supernatural young adult thriller SUMMER LIGHTNING. Early in her writing career, she published in various genres including suspense, horror, historical and contemporary romance, television and movie tie-in, and biography. She also co-authored a mystery series with former New York City mayor Ed Koch and has ghost-written for a number of bestselling authors and celebrities.
Wendy now lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband of nineteen years and their two children. A 1986 graduate of the State University of New York at Fredonia, she proudly delivered the keynote commencement address at her alma mater in May 2008 and is serving a three-year appointment to the Dean's Advisory Council for the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 27, 2011
DNF. I am not a fan of the author's writing style, which completely turned me off the story.
September 3, 2014
An annoying cat and mouse story. I am not one who doesn't finish books, so I forced myself to complete this one. I can honestly say, that I'm not really happy that I did. I found myself rooting against the so-called heroine by the middle of the book. The main characters are selfish prats. Perhaps, they are more realistic than I know, but you will find yourself not caring whether or not they find resolution. The expected ending couldn't come soon enough. Don't waste your time with this book. There are far better "romances" out there. I gave it one star, because I can tell the author tried. I liked the concept, but the execution should have been much better.
January 2, 2016
the first half of the book (before mia and dom get married) was fun and i loved it, but the second half became dull and i had to skip some pages till i reached the ending.
i think it could have better by adding some unpredictable events.
i think it could have better by adding some unpredictable events.
June 14, 2025
I loved the Suddenly Single series and Mike, Mike and Me story Wendy Markham wrote and rushed to buy as many books from her as I could. Since then, this book has been sitting on my shelf, and on my last vacation I asked my kids to each choose a book for me to read. This was one chosen, and off to vacation it went!
The story started out strong when I was reading on the plane. There was a meet-cute on a plane (how fitting! I too was on a plane, but no meet-cutes to be found) between Mia and Dominick. Mia was on her way to Vegas to get married. Not for love, but to avoid being cut off by her wealthy grandfather. As with any meet-cute, she is already dressed in her wedding gown and is off to meet her groom for the first time on the way to the chapel. But imagine her surprise when her seatmate, Dominick, is so attractive. And he, OF COURSE, is a never-settle-down playboy that finds himself so attracted to her. And she is so attracted to him. What strange timing!
In a move no one saw coming, Mia and her groom-to-be did not hit it off and she finds herself stranded in Vegas. Enter the stalking phase of Mia finding Dominick! Because why not! Strangers are ok to save her!
This was where I stopped reading it, and it took A LOT for me to pick the book back up. At this point the story became VERY repetitive with their internal thoughts of "wait I think I'm falling for the other person but oh no my circumstances make this impossible! I want to be single forever!" There are only so many ways to say it before it becomes an annoyance and doesn't move the story forward.
I started skimming the pages just to see how the story would play out, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything. Some of the references did not hold up well over the years, like Mia thinking to herself that it was good that a psychic specified she would meet a man because how dare someone think she would love another woman. Ummm - I really hope the authors views have grown with the times.
The story started out strong when I was reading on the plane. There was a meet-cute on a plane (how fitting! I too was on a plane, but no meet-cutes to be found) between Mia and Dominick. Mia was on her way to Vegas to get married. Not for love, but to avoid being cut off by her wealthy grandfather. As with any meet-cute, she is already dressed in her wedding gown and is off to meet her groom for the first time on the way to the chapel. But imagine her surprise when her seatmate, Dominick, is so attractive. And he, OF COURSE, is a never-settle-down playboy that finds himself so attracted to her. And she is so attracted to him. What strange timing!
In a move no one saw coming, Mia and her groom-to-be did not hit it off and she finds herself stranded in Vegas. Enter the stalking phase of Mia finding Dominick! Because why not! Strangers are ok to save her!
This was where I stopped reading it, and it took A LOT for me to pick the book back up. At this point the story became VERY repetitive with their internal thoughts of "wait I think I'm falling for the other person but oh no my circumstances make this impossible! I want to be single forever!" There are only so many ways to say it before it becomes an annoyance and doesn't move the story forward.
I started skimming the pages just to see how the story would play out, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything. Some of the references did not hold up well over the years, like Mia thinking to herself that it was good that a psychic specified she would meet a man because how dare someone think she would love another woman. Ummm - I really hope the authors views have grown with the times.
October 23, 2018
I hated it, slow and not very likable charactors.
December 15, 2018
Cute story. But got a bit annoying at times
Took me a long time to finish because I needed a break!
Took me a long time to finish because I needed a break!
September 5, 2020
Too many other wonderful romances out there. I would pass on this one. It was just ok as a light read.
September 20, 2012
I started reading this book a week or two before or wedding looking for a fun lighthearted book to get me in the wedding mood. Except a week after the wedding I was still reading it. It was a cute book, but it wasn't about a girl who decides to marry a stranger in Vegas so she can inherit her grandfather's money. Yes, the potential for a fun plot, but not the type of thing I want to be reading the the days leading up to being married.
The book was a little predictable, which I didn't really mind, and I think is expected in a book like this. But my biggest complaint was that it was slow. Granted I was somewhat occupied in the time I was reading this, but each chapter did seem to drag on.
That's not to say it was a terrible book. There were parts that I enjoyed, and I think it have a cute plot idea. But overall, this probably isn't an author that I'll be running out to read again.
The book was a little predictable, which I didn't really mind, and I think is expected in a book like this. But my biggest complaint was that it was slow. Granted I was somewhat occupied in the time I was reading this, but each chapter did seem to drag on.
That's not to say it was a terrible book. There were parts that I enjoyed, and I think it have a cute plot idea. But overall, this probably isn't an author that I'll be running out to read again.
January 11, 2011
Mia Calogera meets Dominic Chickalini on the plane on her way to Las Vegas to marry her internet buddy Derek so that she will not be disinherited from her Grandfathers will. He wants her married and has gone back to Sicily to find her a husband but Mia wants to find her own. She is dressed in her wedding dress.
When she arrives in Las Vegas and meets Derek, her intended, she doesn’t want to marry him anymore because she has just met Mr Oh so handsome Dom.
Dom was not the marrying kind, he would only marry if he meets his dream woman, but on his way to a business trip to Las Vegas he starts seeing things and thinks someone is trying to tell him it is time he marries then he meets Mia on the plane.
Of course it is not all smooth sailing for this couple but it was a bit of fun.
When she arrives in Las Vegas and meets Derek, her intended, she doesn’t want to marry him anymore because she has just met Mr Oh so handsome Dom.
Dom was not the marrying kind, he would only marry if he meets his dream woman, but on his way to a business trip to Las Vegas he starts seeing things and thinks someone is trying to tell him it is time he marries then he meets Mia on the plane.
Of course it is not all smooth sailing for this couple but it was a bit of fun.
July 4, 2012
3.5 stars If you like marriage of convenience stories, read this one :)
Mia needs to get married so that she can keep the lifestyle she's gotten use to living, and to insure that she won't be disinherited. She flies to Vegas to marry someone she barely knows. The only problem with that is she meets Dominic on the plane ride there. She and Dom connect and fall for one another, yet they walk away from each other in the airport. After a horrible day with her future husband, Mia backs out of the marriage. With no money or clothes, she finds Dom. They spend an amazing weekend together and end up married. I won't tell you what happens after that, but know that it's not all a bed of roses.
This was a sweet little fluffy read. And honestly, I teared up a little towards the end.
Mia needs to get married so that she can keep the lifestyle she's gotten use to living, and to insure that she won't be disinherited. She flies to Vegas to marry someone she barely knows. The only problem with that is she meets Dominic on the plane ride there. She and Dom connect and fall for one another, yet they walk away from each other in the airport. After a horrible day with her future husband, Mia backs out of the marriage. With no money or clothes, she finds Dom. They spend an amazing weekend together and end up married. I won't tell you what happens after that, but know that it's not all a bed of roses.
This was a sweet little fluffy read. And honestly, I teared up a little towards the end.
September 19, 2008
So guess what.. this is another book that goes with another book that I read. It goes before the other one that I read. There are just too many. Somebody stop me. Anyway, read it. I love her sense of humor and everything. She thinks like me.. etc. Or maybe I think like her..but I love Wendy Markham.
June 15, 2011
I liked this book. Sugary sweet, almost too much so. I really liked the fact this book didn't end with a pregnancy. Mostly I enjoyed the fact it wasn't one of those romance books that trys to see how many ways they can describe a persons privates. Fun read,not real believable. Fun and entertaining.
July 11, 2012
This was a fun read. Mia is a not all put together type person who has her own way of dealing with things. She doesn't always put a lot of thought into things before she jumps in. It was hard to put down when I needed to. I really enjoyed it.
December 29, 2008
fun quick read...though characters needed more communication
April 18, 2009
Cute quick read about two Italian Americans coming to grips with adulthood, sort of.
October 20, 2009
I was excited to find that characters from "The Nine Month Plan" were in this book. The story is quite shallow, but fun to read nonetheless.
December 28, 2010
It's a fun read but it didn't live up to the slightly series.
April 15, 2011
I am surprised at how much chick-lit I read in 2006 and 2007. Wow!
December 6, 2011
Fun read, I loved the opening scenes
July 8, 2013
girlie mushy but a good read
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews