"Count Down to Love"

Welcome to my stop in this blog tour.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book.  Thank you Ms Ford for the delightful read and Lexie @The Book Bug for hosting this tour.  ~Be sure to check out other participants in the tour for your chance to win this book and a Due West CD.

by Julie N. Ford, AF, 2011, 231p, rating=4
Source: provided by author in exchange for an honest review

Abandoned at the altar, Kelly Grace Pickens finds herself left holding not only the bouquet but also the exorbitant bill for an A-list wedding. Homeless, a once promising singing career floundering, and her life bearing an uncanny resemblance to one of her country music ballads, she reluctantly accepts a last minute offer to appear on a reality TV show akin to the bachelor. Pitted against silicon-enhanced supermodels in four-inch heels, Kelly feels confident that she will be among the first would-be fiancés to be excused. Only, when the mysterious bachelor from New York City, Dillon Black, invites her to stay, Kelly finds herself thrust into the vortex of a game she doesn’t have the first idea how to play. Nursing her hopelessly broken heart while avoiding the foils of her fellow contestants, Kelly is oblivious to Dillon’s affections as she wades through hurt and betrayal to discover, in the end, that she has landed firmly on both feet.
Leaving behind Nashville’s Music Row for the majestic Grand Teton mountains, Count Down To Love takes readers on a journey from duplicity to sincerity as Kelly discovers that being true to oneself is the first step in finding happiness and everlasting love.

This was a story about testing the range of love and loyalty to oneself and what better way to exhibit that than by starting off in a horrible situation.  Hence, Kelly was left at the altar!  Yikes, what now?  How about getting roped into being a contestant on a dating TV show?  A "Bachelor"-like program, no less.  Wow, that was way out there!  It didn't seem to be the logical next step but it ended up serving as an intriguing backdrop for Kelly's journey to staying true to herself and in the process setting herself up for true love.

Although much of the read was predictable, I was transfixed by Kelly's character.  I could empathize with her denial.  I could understand her being gullible.  And in the end I applaud her integrity.  Of course, the swoon worthy romance between her and the bachelor, Dillon, didn't hurt either.  Wow, those kissing scenes were pretty tantalizing! 

This was a really pleasant read.  A clean romance that will leave you feeling optimistic about love by showcasing that honesty is attractive and where true beauty lies.  Well done, Ms. Ford.  Thank you for the delightful read.

Julie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in English Literature from San Diego State University. In addition, she earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. She has worked in teaching, childbirth education and family therapy. Besides writing, she spends many hours working along side her husband at their UPS Store franchise, but hopes to re-enter the Social Work field someday.

She is the author of three women’s fiction novels, The Woman He Married (March 2011) and No Holly for Christmas (November 2011), published by Whiskey Creek Press. The third, Count Down to Love (July 2011), published by Bonneville Books.
Currently, she lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, two daughters and one very feisty fish.

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