Here Comes the Bride

Brownwen Oliver was switched at birth. At least, that's what she likes to tell herself. How else to explain the perfect, Jesus-like brother, the mom who dyed Bronwen's hair blond at 13, and all the disgusting ketchup-eating that goes on in their house? Back when her dad was alive, Bronwen felt like part of a real family. Now that he's gone and her mother has remarried, she's sure she must belong somewhere else.

Enter Jared Sondervan. The summer after 11th grade, Bronwen falls in love with the cute, romantic college student, who happens to have a completely nice and normal family. He proposes to Bronwen on her 18th birthday, and she says yes! There's no rush for them to get married ... until suddenly there is. Now Bronwen has to decide between college life and married life, her life and her-life-with-Jared.

Somewhere around chapter 4, I Now Pronounce You Someone Else really grabbed ahold of me. The progression of Bronwen and Jared's relationship is so natural that it almost makes sense for her to accept a marriage proposal before starting her senior year of high school. Even when in real life I would advise anyone against doing so. Thankfully, both Bronwen and Jared's parents provide the "You're So Young" argument, lest the reader worry that no one in this book realizes They're So Young.

What none of the characters mention is what I think of as the whole "Getting Married ASAP So We Can Have Sex" phenomenon. Early in the book, Bronwen is dumped by another boyfriend because she won't do it with him, and later on she makes it clear to Jared that she doesn't want to have sex outside of marriage. I don't feel right accusing Jared (a fictional character, I realize) of proposing to Bronwen just so he can sleep with her, but I can't help but wonder if that plays a part in his rush to get married.

So yeah, in spite of the super chick-lit cover, I Now Pronounce You Someone Else is not all bouquets and bows. Bronwen is dealing with identity issues, relationship issues, even daddy/stepfather issues, and author Erin McCahan doesn't shy away from exploring these in depth. You can read the book as a simple romance if you want, but if you're looking for more, it's there too.

P.S. To celebrate the book's blog tour, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is giving away a copy of I Now Pronounce You Someone Else!

Reviewed from an advance copy provided by BookSparks PR.