Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger

Starred review from May 27, 2013
Runaway bride Quinn Barton helps make other women’s wedding dreams come true, but can’t find her own happy ending in this smart, funny, and unapologetically romantic tale of finding love—and the guts to embrace it. Harbison (When In Doubt, Add Butter) hits all the right notes with wounded Quinn, who runs a wedding gown business in the Virginia suburbs; Burke Morrison, the guy she left at the altar after his brother Frank told her about Burke’s serial cheating; and Glenn, Quinn’s gay pal, who—10 years after Quinn’s wedding fiasco—helps coax the shell-shocked seamstress out of her rut with a riotous “Go Commando Day.” But Burke and Frank’s grandmother Dottie is the one who finally forces Quinn to face her demons and move on, though Quinn, a self-described Cinderella, just can’t seem to decide who her Prince Charming is. Harbison keeps the conflict interesting with a clever parade of brides-to-be. “Most people are smart enough to remember they ended it for a reason in the first place, but not us,” admits one divorcee before remarrying her ex. Agent: Annelise Robbey, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

June 15, 2013
A runaway bride, competing brothers, a potential gold digger and a 30-day "reinvent yourself" challenge provide laughs in this latest from Harbison's good-girls-making-bad-choices arsenal. Long ago, Quinn almost had it all: She was moments away from marrying Burke Morrison, high school's sexiest nice guy and heir to a dreamy Virginia horse farm where Quinn would happily live. That is, until Burke's older brother, Frank, knocked on the vestry door and dropped a bomb: Burke had been cheating on Quinn. The wedding was called off. A few days later (in a blur of rage and misery), she and Frank drove to Vegas, where they engaged in some regrettable intimacy. Ten years later, Quinn is still wondering what went wrong. Why did she trust Frank's story? Why didn't she talk it over with Burke? Ironically, she designs wedding dresses and comforts nervous brides, but her own romantic life is stuck in the deep freeze. When Morrison matriarch Dottie comes in to have a wedding dress made, Quinn gets plenty of opportunity to resolve her issues. Although Dottie has reached her golden years (she's Frank and Burke's grandmother), she still wants a little romance and has found it in Lyle, a much younger furniture salesman she met online. When they marry, Dottie will sell the farm (this is unbearable to Quinn, since she spun her best fantasies there), and soon, Frank and Burke will be in town to help her pack up--that is if they can't dissuade her from marrying what they suspect is a gold digger. Best friend Glenn sees the strain Quinn is under and so creates daily challenges (drink all day long, try speed dating, wear a side pony) in hopes of raising Quinn's courage. With Burke and Frank both in town, Quinn can rehash the past in order to create a future. The question is, which brother will be in it? Amiable, though the manic narrative style can be grating.

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July 1, 2013
Seconds before her trip down the aisle to marry her high-school sweetheart, handsome wild man Burke Morrison, Quinn has a change of heart. Then Burke's brother and best man, Frank, reveals some scandalous news that sends him and the runaway bride to Vegas for a fling. But he isn't a good fit either. Nearly two decades later, Quinn ends up in a small Virginia town, managing her family's bridal shop, tailoring dresses, and offering advice to a succession of brides-to-be. When the brothers come back in town, old flames reignite and Quinn once again finds herself in the middle of a love tug-of-war. Harbison's signature smart chick lit (When In Doubt, Add Butter, 2012) delivers a lovable protagonist with a razor-sharp wit combined with modern characters and true-to-life scenarios. As the title suggests, this hilariously quirky, charming, perfect-for-summer read will have readers choosing sides (Team Burke! Team Frank!) and learning along with Quinn to embrace true love with humor and heart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

February 15, 2013

Ashley threw over Burke Morrison practically at the altar, persuaded by his brother, Frank, that Frank loved her more and that Burke had been cheating on her. Then Ashley ends up throwing over dully dependable Frank and works at her family's bridal shop until, fatefully, both brothers arrive back in town for a wedding. Lots of angst, but Harbison's heroines always work it out; readers are lining up.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2013

What's worse than finding out your fiance has been cheating on you? Finding out from your would-be brother-in-law...just minutes before the wedding. New York Times best-selling author Harbison (When in Doubt, Add Butter) drops readers into the drama-filled life of Quinn Barton, who, after ten years, is still jaded over Burke and his infidelity. Single, lonely, and ironically the owner of her family's wedding-dress shop, Quinn is still confronting the demons of her failed wedding and her subsequent rendezvous with Frank, Burke's brother. When the boys come back to town to deal with their grandmother's property, sparks fly as Quinn is faced with the past she has tried so unsuccessfully to forget. In an effort to help her move on, Quinn's best friend, Glenn, develops special activities for Quinn to complete each day. The chronicles of "Day Drunk Day" and "Go Commando Day" are definitely amusing, and Harbison succeeds in providing a moderately satisfying read for lighthearted chick lit fans. VERDICT A decent beach read, but the characters could use an extra boost of chemistry. [See Prepub Alert, 1/25/13.]--Chelsie Harris, San Diego Cty. Lib.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.