Ghosted at the altar

About the Book

Book: Ghosted at the Altar

Author: Chautona Havig

Genre: Christian fiction, Christmas romance

Release Date: September, 2020

Ghosted at the Altar -sm He’s goin’ to the chapel and he’s gonna get… ghosted?

Guys don’t always “get into” the whole wedding thing, but there’s one thing Mitchell Bogaert has been anticipating for the last two years–that first glimpse of Brenna coming to meet him at the altar. So, when the back doors open to reveal a missing bride, he’s shocked, disappointed, hurt, angry–pick your negative emotion. It probably fits.

Brenna Kinsey didn’t know she’d bolt at the last minute, but now she’s trying to figure out what happened and how to prevent it happening again before Mitchell decides she’s not worth the emotional trauma–or the town drama!

Lauren Kinsey, on the other hand, is more than just the kid-sister bridesmaid. She’s a self-proclaimed sleuth and determined to ferret out the problem, arrive at a solution, and get things back on track before broken hearts shatter into more pieces than Humpty Dumpty.

Time’s running out, only the bride and groom don’t realize it. How will Lauren fix this mess before the “clock strikes midnight” and there isn’t a ghost of a chance to save the marriage that never got a chance to be?

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About the Author

media-headshot-sm Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name

More from Chautona

How Did One Silly Story Become a Favorite Series?

Dickens and his revival of the “ghost story” at Christmas inspired the kick-off book in a series I’d planned almost twenty years ago. The little village of New Cheltenham first appeared in None So Blind and Thirty Days Hath…. However, the touristy village with its obsession with all things English was actually conceived almost twenty years ago!

That first book… still isn’t in print. I’ve reimagined it, and it will be coming out soon. However, Dickens… well, that guy has a way of getting under your skin, and what better place for a Dickens Ghost Storytelling Contest than in a village that looks ripped from England’s countryside?

The Ghosts of New Cheltenham was born. I actually thought it would be a great way for me to force myself to finish that book I’d started so long ago. But then Amanda Tru sent me a message that said, “We’re going to do one about wedding dresses,” and Something Borrowed, Someone Blue became the second book instead. I wanted more of Mitchell, Brenna, and the loveable Lauren, so I concocted a story that would give me just that.

Is it any wonder, then, when Amanda messaged again with our next collection theme of jilted brides or grooms, I immediately thought, “Oh, dear! What if Mitchell got ghosted at the altar?” That is the fastest title I’ve ever come up with!

Because one more Christmas story in New Cheltenham wasn’t quite enough, I set a third one there this year! The Bells of New Cheltenham. In that one, Mitchell is done with this ghost storytelling stuff and starts a contest of his own!

While you can read these books as stand alones (both mine and the ones within the collections), mine will be a richer reading experience if they are read in the following order

The Ghosts of New Cheltenham (read the companion short story free on Kindle Unlimited HERE)

Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (in The Wedding Dress Yes CrossRoads Collection)

Ghosted at the Altar (in the Five Gold Rings CrossRoads Collection)

The Bells of New Cheltenham. (in the Melodies of Christmas Love Collection)

(note, the last two really can be read in any order.)

How did my silly idea for a plasmaphobic guy who had to tell a ghost story to inherit spark one of my favorite series? All things considered, how could he not?

MY REVIEW

I am laughing at myself right now because I had no idea what ghosted and marriage had in common. Silly me not knowing that someone was about to be left awkwardly in front of everyone at the altar. The author delivers a funny story complete with a very opinionated teenager. Wait I take that back. She seemed more mature than the bride and groom in this story. While I liked Brenna and Mitchell, my heart went to Lauren.

I loved her attitude and determination to get these two silly people married off. Something caused Brenna to bolt but what was it? The story is lighter than most of the authors books, but it was just what I needed to lighten my gloomy mood. Things that seem so hard to talk about to others is exactly what needed to happen in this story. Oh there is much miscommunication and unsaid words that crescendo to a big mess.

Mitchell is left wondering why Brenna suddenly changed her mind sheer seconds before taking her graceful walk down the aisle. The decorations are all in order, the food is ready to serve and I Do’s are about to be declared. In a split second we have a runaway bride. Now it might seem like this is a short funny story, but just beneath the surface is the meaning for all to glean from . Forgiveness is the key in this story. Brenna does something she instantly regrets. How will she be able to explain to Mitchell why she ran? My big question was who is Charlie and how does he play into the story?

I did walk away from this story with a lesson on forgiveness. We also see the ugliness of pride and how it can turn someone bitter. I have to say what I liked the most was how a young woman of fifteen became the voice of reason and wanted the best for everyone. Do we overlook teenagers at times because we think they are too young to understand adult issues? Well shame on us for not looking past a stigmatism in the world and not look at the heart . I just got schooled on being judgmental about youth and I want to change that.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.