Can't Buy Me Love by Beth Vogt

This enovella kicks off a new series by Vogt about destination weddings. Bellamy Hillman is the bride to be. She is a dog groomer, a result of her inability to decide her major in college. She's from a large, boisterous family where dollars were stretched as far as possible. Now she is marrying Reid Stanton of the wealthy Stanton family. Bellamy is caught up in the planning the one-of-a-kind Manhattan wedding when she realizes her wedding gown is almost exactly like that of Reid's recently married sister. She averts disaster by buying another wedding gown. But when the bill comes in, she realizes she may have dodged one disaster only to cause another.

This is a fun short story (about 140 pages). It introduces us to the whole idea of destination weddings. It's a good romance as there are some classic elements. Bellamy is from a large and outgoing family, Reid from a small one who hides from the media. Bellamy's family is rather middle class while Reid's is terribly rich. There is something Bellamy and Reid have in common, however. A devastating mistake with money. While Bellamy is willing to share her error, Reid is not so forthcoming. And that spells disaster.

So an immediate issue that comes forward in this novella is honesty. The story certainly shows the need for it to maintain a good relationship. There is also the issue of one coming from a middle class sort of family while the other is from the very rich. How can the two, though so much in love, possibly get along? And the same goes for their families.

I really like how Vogt works it all out. I like how the Christian faith of the two families supersedes the supposed class difference between the Stantons and the Hillmans. I like how Reid's mother is really a regular woman rather than a snobby rich woman. I like how Reid's sister always wanted a sister of her own.

This is a rewarding novella, a good read for an evening. The romance is fun and there are some good lessons to learn too.

You can read my review of the first novel in this series, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, here.

Beth Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she'd never write fiction. She's the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she'd never marry a doctor or a military man. She's the mom of four who said she'd never have kids. She is a 2014 Carol Award finalist. You can find out more at www.bethvogt.com.

Howard Books, about 140 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novella through The Book Club Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.