Book Review: Chose The Wrong Guy, Gave Him The Wrong Finger

Author: Beth Harbison

Publication Date: July 9, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Ten years ago, Quinn Barton was on her way to the altar to marry Burke Morrison, her high school sweetheart, when something derailed her. Rather, someone derailed her—the Best Man who at the last minute begged her to reconsider the marriage. He told her that Burke had been cheating on her. For a long time. Quinn, stunned, hurt, and confused, struggled with the obligation of fulfilling her guests’ expectations—providing a wedding—and running for her life.

She chose running. With the Best Man. Who happened to be Burke’s brother, Frank.

That relationship didn’t work either. How could it, when Quinn had been engaged to, in love with, Frank’s brother? Quinn opted for neither, and, instead, spends the next seventeen years working in her family’s Middleburg, Virginia, bridal shop, Talk of the Gown, where she subconsciously does penance for the disservice she did to marriage.

But when the two men return to town for another wedding, old anger, hurt, and passion resurface. Just because you’ve traded the good guy for the bad guy for no guy doesn’t mean you have to stay away from love for the rest of your life, does it?

Because, like I said, I’m not an Eat Pray Love girl. I’m not an adventuress. I am, I hate to say it, in too many ways timid. Ten years ago could feel like last week because last week wasn’t that different from ten years ago.

There are five stages of heartbreak. The first is Denial (He didn’t! He wouldn’t!), followed by Fear (What if he did? What will happen to me if I dump him?), a variable period of Rationalization (He didn’t even have time! I would know if he’d been with someone else!), and eventually Acceptance (Okay, he did it, I have to move on, and he doesn’t deserve me).

Don’t you dare wimp out, I heard Glenn’s voice saying in my head. You’re just looking for a convenient excuse to stay in your tiny world and die alone except for a bunch of cats.

All I knew was that it wasn’t for me to judge. I hoped she’d get her happily ever after no matter what it was.

The first book I ever read by Beth Harbison was When in Doubt, Add Butter, and I absolutely fell in love with her characters and the dynamics she could so easily create between them. I knew that I had to pick up this book and review it on my blog, or die trying! This story follows Quinn Barton, cool name for a girl, as she is about to walk down the aisle to marry her high school sweetheart, Burke Morrison. At the last minute, Burke’s brother, Frank, pulls Quinn aside to tell her that she cannot go on with the wedding because Burke has been cheating on her for quite some time now. Quinn does what any sensible woman would do, well maybe. She walks to the end of the aisle, slaps Burke right in the face, and parades off to Vegas with his brother Frank. Sadly, this does not end in the happily ever after she thought it would, and when their grandmother gets remarried, both brothers head back to town for a reunion. Quinn thought she was rid of them for good!

Quinn, after dating both of the Morrison brothers, is now her own little success because she owns her own little wedding boutique where she designs custom made gowns called, Talk of the Gown. I loved hearing about her quaint little shop and her best friend’s Glenn’s cheese and wine shop right next door. I know this is a small, miniscule detail, but Harbison makes every place she writes about feel so much like home. Middlebury, Virginia all of a sudden became Times Square once I became involved in the lives of these vivacious characters. I loved hearing about the nervous brides that came wondering into Quinn’s shop and I loved being a part of that world for a little while.

Quinn’s character, along with Glenn’s character, is all a part of Harbison’s humor and witty sarcasm. Both Quinn and Glenn filled me with moments of uncontrollable laughter. There were moments when I thought to myself that these characters must be based off real people; that’s how realistic Harbison paints a picture. I will say that there was some crude humor and language, but I felt that it definitely fits the personalities of the characters!

 ***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review***