Professional wedding planner Mallory Shepard knows her job is challenging under any circumstances. But when the groom is your ex and someone invites murder, there may never be another tomorrow . . . Mallory’s fine—really—handling the wedding arrangements for her ex, Keith. But his fiancée, Becca, has at the last minute decided to switch from a Japanese-cherry-blossom theme to a Gone with the … theme to a Gone with the Wind theme. She wants to honor her ailing grandmother, who owns an impressive collection of GWTW memorabilia—and who is fiercely at odds with the groom’s mother over the nuptial plans.
But among other complications, Becca gets into a fight with an old childhood rival over a replica Scarlett O’Hara wedding gown. She wins the dress—but soon becomes a murder suspect when the other woman is found dead in Becca’s swimming pool. And it’s up to Mallory to solve the mystery behind this unhappy occasion, before a different kind of civil war breaks out . . .
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I read the first book in the Wedding Planner Mysteries, ENGAGED IN DEATH, but I didn’t read the second or third books. The first took me some time to warm up to. Now having read GOWN WITH THE WIND, I remember it’s some of the characters I couldn’t connect with. Those characters still aren’t my favorites, but I had an easier time reading them.
As the title suggests, the theme of Gone With The Wind is represented in this book, and mentioned often. So GWTW enthusiasts will certainly enjoy that.
GOWN WITH THE WIND is a creatively thought out tale with more than one mystery going on. Murder, attempted murder, attacks, theft, and general mayhem are all present and handled well by author Stephanie Blackmoore.
Fans of this series are going to love GOWN WITH THE WIND.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
I could not wait to get my hands on this newest installment to this adorable cozy series. We finally get to see if the cheating ex makes it all the way to the alter after Mallory agrees to plan it even moving up the date when they get a cancellation. What follows is this blend of attacks, deaths, weird occurrences, and so much more all mixed around several events. Mallory has to struggle to keep up but she figured it all out in the end with a nice surprise ending. Perfect for fans of cozies and weddings. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
I loved this fouth book in the Wedding Planner Mystery Series. Actually, the first three books were equally as good. Stephanie Blackmoore had a way of drawing readers in on the very first page and keeping them engaged until the very end. She combines the perfect amount of suspense, romance, and humor.
Love this series. The sisters are wonderful but their mom is a hoot! The plots are fantastic.
Wow. What an ending. Never expected that!! Kept me interested all throughout the book.
Remarkably unpleasant characters in a fairly standard plot.
Best story ever. Also saw the movie 5 times.
A bit too long.
A fun book! Mallory is helping to plan her ex’s wedding and it is a nightmare. When a woman is murdered, Mallory investigates. This book was a lot of fun to read with complex characters who turn out to be nothing like they seem. Hope to read more books in this series and see more of Mallory and Garrett’s relationship!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Juggling should be listed as a key talent for a wedding planner. Mallory Shepard has many balls in the air, two weddings, a Mother’s Day tea, a partner that wants to book more non-wedding events. All that before the murder.
Becca, her ex’s new bride has planned a Japanese Cherry Blossom wedding but then the groom’s mother steps in to put her own spin on the festivities. Becca finally decides she wants a Gone With the Wind theme to honor her grandmother and tells Mallory to plan accordingly. She even finds the perfect dress. Until a fight breaks out in the bridal salon with a childhood friend/enemy. She wins the dress but loses the war when the other bride is found floating in Becca’s pool. Of course, she is the prime suspect. Becca and her grandmother come to depend on Mallory to not only clear Becca but also handle another event.
This was a delightfully fast-paced read.
Mallory Shepard is a great protagonist. With all that is thrown at her she rarely gets rattled. I mean dealing with the wedding of an ex is tough but have to plan it and go with the flow of all the changes is beyond hard and she keeps it together for the sake of her business. Her sister Rachel also seems to always be pushing her buttons and the envelope with a more, more, more attitude when it comes to their business. Strong women that do make a good team but they need to be aware of their limits.
Again this installment brings in a batch of new characters that were very well developed. The author gave us great descriptions that easily brought them to life within the story. With the theme of this series, new characters are a must and really keeps each edition fresh. It also gives new readers to jump in to this series anywhere.
The mystery is very well plotted and written with many twists and turns. The subplots were entangled perfectly into the mystery. The story completely held my interest, making it a difficult book to put down.
I have enjoyed each visit Thistle Park B&B and look forward many more.
This is a good series and I’m enjoying the stories. Although I thought she was a little crazy to help plan her exes wedding to the woman who broke the engagement up, what can I say. It all worked out in the end. But the funniest part of the story was everyone thought that her boyfriend was buying her an engagement ring and that wasn’t so. As far as the who the killer was and why, about mid way through the book I began suspecting who the killer was. When it was revealed though and why it was done, I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was though. Especially the reasoning behind it all. Start with the first in the series so you know who the characters are and how they mesh together.
Gown with the Wind by Stephanie Blackmoor is the 4th in the Wedding Planner mystery series. I have been a fan of this series since book 1 and they just keep getting better. This can be read as a stand alone but you will want to read them all.
What could go wrong, when the groom of the wedding you are having at your venue is your ex and his new fiancee was the “other woman” that broke you up, plenty. Then throw in the groom’s overbearing mother and a Gone With the Wind theme wedding, you have a tsunami in Port Quincy, Pennsylvania.
There is some laugh out loud humor and the main characters are realistic and likeable. You have plenty of twists and turns that kept you guessing until the end. It is an easy to read, enjoyable cozy mystery.
There are recipes also included.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley and Kensington Books for an honest review.
The 4th installment in the Wedding Planner Mystery series brings the past back for Mallory when she agrees to plan the wedding of her ex-fiance Keith and Becca, the woman he cheated on her with. Keith’s mother is a whirlwind to deal with on top of the regular stress of wedding plans. When murder enters the picture, you’re drawn in to the mystery and taken on a journey filled with twists and turns. A charming mystery!
Gown With The Wind is the fourth book in the A Wedding Planner Mystery series.
After their failed elopement, Keith Pierce and Becca Cunningham again seek out Mallory and her sister, Rachel, to plan their wedding. As Mallory is running through her ideas for their wedding, Keith mother, Helene, a thorn in Mallory’s side, enters the room and once again takes over and informs the bride and groom-to-be of her plans for the wedding. Soon there is a concern for the health of her Grandmother, Alma when she is found in her home having been attacked and strangled. It turns out that she will recover, but decides to gift Becca with her extensive collection of GWTW memorabilia before it’s too late. When Becca goes to Silver Bells to look for her wedding dress, she finds one that could have come from Tara. She immediately decides that her wedding should have a GWTW theme. This leaves Mallory shaking head, but the bride is always right. Before Becca can change her clothes another bride-to-be, Felicity Fournier enters the store and wants the same dress. Soon a real fight ensues and in the melee, the dress becomes torn. A day or two later everyone is to meet at Keith’s house, where there is to be another tasting, and hopefully the last, and repairs to the dress. But as everyone goes out to the patio they find the body of Felicity’s body dressed in the wedding dress, drowned.
Grandma Alma, knowing of Mallory’s having solved other mysteries, asks Mallory to investigate who is trying to ruin her granddaughters’ wedding. She has no confidence in police chief Truman Davies, as he has been unable to find the killer of her husband a few years before.
A well-written and plotted story with a very interesting and varied cast of characters. Mallory and Rachel are still trying to decide whether they should just do weddings or to expand there into other areas.
Recipes are also included in with the book.
I will be watching for the next book in this interesting series.