Janice Thompson: Every Girl Gets Confused

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

Katie Fisher and Brady James may be a match made in heaven, but that doesn't seem to guarantee them a happily ever after accompanied by angelic choirs. In fact, the sounds being heard at the bridal shop where she works are on the contentious side lately, as a bride- and groom-to-be try to mediate the growing rivalry between their basketball-obsessed families in the middle of play-off season. On top of that, Katie's parents are nagging her to get out of Dallas and come home to tiny Fairfield where her former boyfriend Carson is waiting for her, ready to rekindle their relationship. Oy vey! What's a girl to do? And will she ever be able to wear that gorgeous wedding dress she won?

The breezy fun continues as Janice Thompson throws everyone's favorite small-town girl into big-city bridal chaos--and makes her choose between the love she thought she lost and the love she stumbled upon in the aftermath.

My Thoughts:

I read Every Bride Needs a Groom, and I loved getting to know Katie Fisher. I was excited to know there was a second book in the series, Every Girl Gets Confused, which reminded me of why I enjoyed the first book. I love a story that has a small town girl who heads to the big city and tries to make a name for herself, something different than what she originally was. Thompson does exactly what a contemporary romance should do.

From the first page, I was reminded of the events that occurred in Every Bride Needs a Groom. I felt like no time had passed since I read that story. I remember the connection between Katie Fisher and the bridal shop, Cosmopolitan Bridal. I couldn’t forget her unengagement to Casey and her new developing relationship with ex-basketball player Brady James. Thompson created a story that brought comfort, joy, and a sense of familiarity when I opened this book.

In the second book, Katie struggles with feelings of homesickness. She keeps returning home to prepare for her grandmother Queenie’s upcoming wedding to a local pastor. During this book, Thanksgiving and Christmas occur, which brings a lot of memories of home and fitting in where she belongs. To throw another wrench in the pile, Thompson brings back Casey, her almost finance, and Katie ponders if she did the right thing in moving on to Brady. Even through all her emotions, Katie is still a successful business woman with tons of ideas to improve Cosmopolitan Bridal, even when she works herself to pure exhaustion. I really relate to how much she wants to succeed, but life throws her for a loop

Seasons. The story hits on the theme of the different seasons of our lives. Some seasons are good, warm, and bright while other seasons have more treacherous weather with a variety of storms, but we have to learn to trust in the Lord with every difficulty in our lives. The footprints poem came to mind when I think of all the different seasons and how we cope with them.

I think I enjoyed Every Girl Gets Confused more than most contemporary romance novel because of the continuing main character. I enjoyed returning to a setting that I knew well and returning to a character that I could relate to. It was nice watching her grow and mature from the girl I met at the beginning of Every Bride Needs a Groom. In that book, all Katie thought about was getting engaged and settling down. But now, Katie doesn’t define herself by whether or not she is getting married. She is making a name for herself in the Bridal business. She is still improving spiritually and emotionally. Just like me.

I wouldn’t change anything about the story; I enjoyed it just the way it was.

In true bridal fashion, Janice Thompson’s Every Girl Gets Confused comforted me and reminded me of all the trials in my life and how I need to stay focused on God’s plan for my life, not my plan for my life. I can’t wait for the third book in the series, so I can see what becomes of Brady and Katie’s whirlwind romance.

I received a complimentary copy from Revell Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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