A November Bride

By Andrea Renee Cox

A November Bride

About the book:

Even though Sadie enjoys her job as a private chef, she dreams of one day having her own cooking show. Uncertain she’ll make it big any day now, she soaks up the encouragement of her best friend, a guy she met in middle school. But Erik’s got a different plan for Sadie. Though he agrees her goal is admirable—and he’d love for that dream to come true for her!—he wants to slip past the “best friend” title and see what else God has in store for them. Will he find the answer he’s looking for, or will he crash and burn? And will Sadie learn to trust God through the uncertainties of life?

My Review:

A November Bride is one novella I was super excited to get an early copy of. I’m so thankful to Beth Vogt and her publisher for allowing me to read it before its release date, via netgalley.com. This is my honest review.

A November Bride is the final installment of the first Year of Brides novella series. It’s the only one I’ve been able to read so far, but after LOVING it, I guarantee you I’ll be finding a copy of the others when my budget permits. Fun, spunky, creative, and hilarious all describe Beth K. Vogt’s witty tale of romance that includes one of her “favorite” things: doors marked NEVER. I’m sure Sadie and Erik thought a romance was behind a NEVER-type door. But if you pick up a copy of A November Bride for yourself, you’ll see just how wrong they were. Their journey from best friends to territory neither expected to test out is one exciting ride that kept me laughing from beginning to end.

I was already a fan of Beth’s (since her very first fictional novel, Wish You Were Here, which is still my favorite), but this one, though much shorter than her others, brought something new to the table. It held more of a lighthearted tone throughout, whereas her others tend to touch on very deep topics at times—another reason I love her! She challenges you to dig deep along with the characters, pushing you to grow as a person as they do as characters. Even in this light romance, though, I found myself catching glimpses of a deeper and wider truth, that, even when life doesn’t seem to be happening any way I thought it would, I can still hold on to hope in Jesus Christ. He knows exactly where He’s leading me, and if I grasp the hope He’s offering and cling to Him, He will bless me in ways I could never have imagined on my own. His dreams for me are much greater than the ones I’ve made for myself. All I have to do is hold tight to Him in prayer and wait for that divine timing of His. Sound easy? Not so much. But the best things in life are worth fighting—and waiting—for.

Beth K. Vogt

To tell you the complete and honest truth, I’ve been struggling with waiting for God’s timing. It’s hard to be patient when you feel like He’s taking His sweet time and dragging it out. The thing is, though, that He knows where I’m at and where He’s leading me. Holding on to hope in the dark days is the toughest thing I’ve ever done, and I really wanted to give up today. But I can’t give up. It’s not in my character. I may cry about the situation I’m in, and that's okay because He will lend me His shoulder. I may be on the verge of giving in to the “quitter” bug that tries to niggle its way in. But, when push comes to shove, God knows I will never quit or give up or stop believing in Him and His promises. Why? Because He loves me too much to let my dark days last forever. God is still God, and God is still good. Even just typing up this review tonight has been an encouragement to me, and I praise God’s name for that. He always knows exactly what I need, and He provides. Always.

May the God of Heaven bless you, one and all.

Readers, how has God encouraged you recently? Did you have a happy Thanksgiving? What was your favorite part of the holiday?

Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to drop by next Monday for my latest article.

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