Chloe took it as a good sign when she and Mark made some
compromises while planning their wedding. Mark's mother
added significantly to the guest list, and Chloe
incorporated some Jewish traditions into the ceremony. But
when the stomped-upon wineglass doesn't break on cue, Chloe
decides it's a very bad omen and flees the scene. She
drives away in her truck, veil flying in the wind, during
the final minutes of her wedding ceremony.
Even Chloe can't explain why she ran. She used to be the
normal one in her family. She's had some bad role models in
her alcoholic mother and ultra-strict stepfather, plus her
playboy father and his perfect third wife "The Charm." Her
siblings include an anorexic pregnant sister, and her
brother Rafe, who's so handsome and charming that he's
like "girl Velcro."
Suddenly, Chloe is homeless and jobless. She's already
taken two months leave from her job as a lab researcher at
a biogenetics company, so she moves into her Gran's vacant
bungalow to supervise some construction and try to sort out
her life. In the torn-down walls of the remodeling project,
Chloe discovers a metal tin full of old letters and a
family mystery that may explain some of the dysfunction
they've all come to accept as normal.
Each chapter begins with "Chloe's Guide for the Runaway
Bride" advice, which takes a sarcastic twist on typical
wedding planning. With barely a backwards glance at happily-
ever-after, Chloe celebrates the undoing of her wedding
plans as she's eating tons of leftover salmon and mini-
quiches, returning wedding presents, dodging the helpful
advice of her family and friends and moving on.
Eileen Rendahl creates a moving story of a wedding
that wasn't. This book was a quick read, and romantic sub-
plots for Chloe's brother Rafe and her friend, Clarissa,
were great additions. I was expecting more of a romantic
comedy in a book about a runaway bride, but I was intrigued
by a surprisingly deep family drama that delved into
several generations of history and secrets. Funny moments
come from runaway bride jokes, since Chloe is fodder for
small town gossip and teasing. Even so, the more I learned
about Mark, the less I thought that Chloe was crazy for
going UN-BRIDALED.
With half her immediate family having been committed --
mentally speaking -- why can't Chloe Sachs commit? After
all, she's always been considered the sane one in the
family. But seconds before becoming Mrs. Mark Hutchinson,
Chloe leaves her handsome, successful fiancé at the altar
and tears down Interstate 505 in her red Nissan Frontier.
Maybe it was the heat of a California June wedding. Maybe it
was when a family tradition went awry before hundreds of
shocked guests. Or maybe it was because she heard a voice
telling her in no uncertain terms, Run!
Now Chloe has no Plan B, two kooky dogs, one angry ex, and a
truckload of wedding gifts to return. Taking refuge at her
grandmother's, Chloe helps renovate a bungalow that's been
in the family for years -- and unearths some surprising
secrets. She also discovers that leaving her heart open may
invite some very intriguing guests -- like the beguiling
veterinarian she can't get off her mind. And with her family
and friends' help, Chloe realizes she's truly free... to
follow her heart wherever it takes her.
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