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If you’re a fan of novella collections and a wedding buff, then you’re going to want to check out the new 4-in-1 from Barbour, Windswept Weddings. Filled with sweet stories of the trials it sometimes takes to get a couple to "I Do," this book is sure to give make you sigh with pleasure. The first story in the collection is "Move a Mountain" by Lena Nelson Dooley. In this one we meet perfectionist/florist Christine Dailey and her loving fiancé Christopher Davis. All seems to be going perfectly for them when Christopher proposes, especially when his father then announces he’ll be resigning as CEO of their family company and handing the reins over to Christopher. It’ll mean a bigger salary and more security, but it also means taking more of his time during the transition period–time Christine needs him to spend planning the wedding if every detail is going to be perfect. She has the perfect dress being made by her grandmother, the perfect groom, now all she needs is perfect weather for her Valentine’s wedding–a few whispering snowflakes falling from the Minnesota sky. But when she goes to her grandmother’s place in the country for a final fitting, disaster strikes in the form of a blizzard, putting all her carefully laid plans in jeopardy. In my mind, the wonderful thing about this story was the connection between the main characters. Though they had doubts and trials and arguments and disappointments, I loved the way Christopher always knew when something was wrong with Christine, even if he was halfway around the world and couldn’t get hold of her. She had doubts along the way, but he stood strong in the face of them and reminded her through his quiet faith that they could move mountains with their love. The second story is "Blown Away by Love" which takes us into tornado country and into the lives of paramedic Dale Endicott and his lady love Marie Barrett. Twice already they’ve had to postpone their wedding–first because of a medical emergency and then because of a missed flight–but Marie is determined that the third time will be a charm. Because if it isn’t, there won’t be a fourth time. And so far everything’s working out. The rehearsal goes off without a hitch, Dale is in town, nothing can go wrong. Until, that is, Dale is convinced in a sleep-deprived, pre-coffee state to join his brother on a tornado chase the morning of his wedding. His brother swears he’ll get him back on time, but once the caffeine kicks in, Dale knows he’s goofed up big time. He sets out on foot for home, but events seem to be conspiring against him. And once again Marie is left wondering where her groom is as the wedding hour approaches. This was a fun story, complete with comical snafus and unexpected twists. Marie’s doubts were completely understandable, but Dale was so determined that you couldn’t help but hope she’d realize her insecurities were getting in the way and that she’d forgive him if he didn’t make it back on time. Family problems were there but dealt with, and the end result is guaranteed to make you smile. Third came "Hurricane Allie," which takes us down to Florida and into the lives of Allie Seton and Kyle Landon. Allie knew from the moment they met, interior designer and architect, that they were meant for each other. It was only a matter of time before he proposed, and even if he couldn’t afford a ring until a week before the wedding, she loved him more than diamonds could say. But when he lands a major contract that requires traveling to New York the week before the wedding, and when Hurricane Allie veers toward the Florida coast, all their carefully laid plans are in harm’s way. Florida pretty much shuts down, and so the airports that Kyle’s supposed to fly home to–so how will they possibly pull off a wedding? The threats don’t bother him too much–he knows she’s the one, and if they have to postpone, so be it, but when he states his certainty, he isn’t quite convinced by her response. She says she wants to get married–but she doesn’t say she wants to marry him. Can Allie overcome the storms of doubt brought on by Hurricane Allie? The best part of this one was the little underlying plot about a guy from Allie’s past who she had never quite forgotten. It lends an interesting light to the story, and gives everyone something to think about while they’re running around lighting candles and boarding up windows to prepare for the hurricane. I admired they way everyone pitched in at the end and worked night and day to modify the wedding plans, and you also gotta admire a girl who’s willing to give up her dream wedding as long as it means getting married to her dream guy. The book is wrapped up with "Heart’s Refuge," set in fire country, California. Luke has already broken Krista’s heart once before, when he went on the pro-volleyball circuit and got caught up in the glamor. But years later, he’s back in Settler Lake, back in the faith, and back in Krista’s arms. But his best man at their wedding is the very man who pulled him into the party life to begin with–and Krista isn’t sure she was as ready to forgive as she thought. To make matters worse, lightning storms are racing through the area, and the community is put straight in the path of the wildfires they ignite. Luke, as a firefighter, has no choice but to answer the call for help, but is love and a fire battalion enough to save the town and their wedding? The backstory to this one was deeper than the other three in the collection, and the fact that the characters had a darker history made me root for them all the more. I could understand Krista’s reluctance to trust Luke’s friend, but I could also see why Luke wanted to have him there, to show him the new life he had built for himself and Krista. The tension runs high through most of the story and kept me reading to the last page. As a whole, the collection is broken down easily into the four stories, and it’s a perfect choice if you don’t have much consecutive time to read. I took it in four or five sessions, pretty much one story per sit-down, and that way I had the sweet feeling of completion after each one but also the expectation of more to come. This was a charming and sweet book that’ll definitely keep you turning the pages. Publisher: Barbour
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