| Copyright
© 2007, J.T.
Schultz Reviews For THE BRIDE WORE BOOTS by J.T. Schultz Rating: 5 hearts JT
Schultz sure does know how to tell a mean erotic story that had me in
its firm grip at the end! The Bride Wore Boots is about Maddy finding
out the disturbing motivations of her family who have made a habit of
half truths and flat out lies. The Bride Wore Boots is a fantastic read
and JT Schultz has outdone herself! 4.5 lips! Humor
is mixed throughout the whole book and I found myself laughing out loud
several times. There's a good mix of drama as well as the humor. Their
chemistry is hot and their encounters hotter. The tangled web of lies
both Ty and Madison tell gets more and more complicated and the tension
of waiting for one of them to drop the ball is tight. Without having
read any other work by J.T. Schultz I can't say whether this is her
usual style but I'm more the willing to find out. This book kept me
in my seat all afternoon and once I was finished I walked away with
a sense of loss. I was really sad to put the book down. The best compliment
an author can have is for her book to be read again and again, and that's
what I'll be doing with this one. Sample Chapter For THE BRIDE WORE BOOTS by J.T. Schultz “Oh dear, what have I done?” Madison Bellini lifted a white gloved hand to her chest. Staring back at her in the floor-length antique mirror stood a woman on the precipice of marriage. And she was shaking her head at Madison in disbelief. She moved her gloved fingers up and over the pearl encrusted bodice to slide along the lump she felt growing in her throat. She was having difficulty breathing. The woman in the mirror seemed troubled as well. She tried to see what her reflection was trying to tell her and barely heard her mother’s authoritative and condescending voice. “Madison, stop that before you hyperventilate. Really, darling. And stop worrying your lip so. Don’t you realize how lucky you are to be marrying Edward? Why, every girl in town is after that man.” “And most of them have had him.” Madison almost did choke as she heard the mumbled reply from her best friend, Bethany. “What was that, dear?” Her mother’s tone held a sharp edge of warning. “Um, she was agreeing with you, Mother.” “Hmm. Well, darling, I need to leave you with your...friend. If I don’t go and pry your father away from the mayor now, I’ll have to walk you down the aisle. I swear those two are thick as thieves.” Maddy watched as the door swung wide and she glimpsed the multitude already filling the pews of the huge church. The lump grew. As her mother closed the door, Madison tried to work a small breath around the boulder in her throat. Again, she peered at her reflection in the grand, full-length, brass mirror. Her pearl tiara matched the expensive necklace around her neck. The pearls sewn into her veil weighed a ton and caused her head to ache. Her satin shoes pinched and hurt her feet. The long, full, meringue-looking dress had cost her father almost ten thousand dollars. Blinking, she stared at herself. She looked just like a porcelain doll. So elegant and pretty, but breakable. Her heart picked up speed. She was actually marrying Edward Theodore Von Housen III in a matter of minutes. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she always knew this day would come, but why did it have to be today? It was too pretty outside to be stuck inside this church with the cream of society, exchanging wedding vows to a man who no longer held any reverence for her. Had he ever? She thought hard, but not long. She knew the answer. She had gone out with him at her parents’ behest. Since that day, their parents had become joined at the hip, or at least the hip pocket. It wasn’t like she loved him, but marrying him was now expected. Edward had serious problems keeping his pants on at the country club and it had earned him the nickname Ready Teddy. He wasn’t even her type. Their marriage though, was good for both her father’s company and Edward Senior’s. Instead of the nervous fluttering a bride should feel, she swallowed hard against the anxiety that churned inside her stomach. Her breathing became ragged and she realized it wasn’t nervousness at all that plagued her. It was dread. “You look flushed, Maddy. Are you okay?” “I don’t think so.” Again she stared at the face of the porcelain doll in the mirror. Soon, the door would open and her father would come to escort her to Ready Teddy . Once more, she asked herself what she was doing. She watched as her friend Bethany furrowed her brows. “Maddy, this isn’t about Sophia, is it? I mean, that was two days ago and it was a bachelor party. Things get crazy at bachelor parties.” “It isn’t the bachelor party, Beth.” “Good. Now turn around so I can adjust your veil. It’s slipping.” Again, the young woman staring back from the reflection in the mirror seemed to be waiting for Maddy to do something about this situation. But what? “Beth, I don’t think he...will be faithful.” “Surely, once you two are married...” As Maddy lifted a perfect eyebrow in incredulity, her features and the one in the reflection finally matched. “My feet hurt!” Maddy’s sudden outburst brought everyone’s attention to the satin shoes that she kicked from her slender feet. Bethany giggled, however Teddy’s sister actually flipped her cell phone shut with a disgusted flick of her wrist. “What do you think you are doing?” Maddy heard the demand for an explanation from her future sister-in-law and spun back toward the anorexic, aloof bitch. Never a golden hair out of place, Celeste was a carbon copy of Teddy and represented all too well the cold, self-serving world Maddy was about to join hands with. “Need I remind you that you are about to walk down the aisle in front of everyone who is anyone in Calgary in an Alfred Sung gown? Your feet can bleed for all I care. You cannot walk down that aisle barefoot!” “Oh, don’t worry, Celeste. I won’t be barefoot.” Maddy whirled back to the low bench, spotting her well-worn but cherished cowboy boots. “Oh, no!” Celeste exploded, grabbing up the satin sides of her bridesmaid dress as she made to block Maddy from her boots. “You are not marrying my brother in those things!” “Watch me!” “Get out of my way!” Celeste fumed as Bethany blocked her path to the bench and the boots. “Madison, you will not make a laughingstock of my family!” Maddy fought the layers of frothy wedding gown to slip her boot over her toes. She almost laughed at the blocking dance Bethany and Celeste were engaged in as Celeste continued. “This wedding is the most important event of the season! It’s going to be featured in society columns all over the world. You can’t do this to me!” Maddy wriggled her toes within her leather boots and sighed, leaning back, not caring if she did wrinkle the gown in the process. Celeste’s words registered. “Do what to you?” “You know very well that my wedding will take place next year! If you go down the aisle in those things, we will never get the press attention you are receiving today.” “Feeling better?” Bethany asked, grinning over her shoulder at Maddy. “Much,” she breathed, smiling for the first time. As she felt her smile stretching across her face, she saw Bethany’s eyes grow larger. She watched as Bethany mouthed silently, “What?” Maddy shrugged innocently, kicking her boot-clad feet and sending the frothy shirt flipping up into the air. Celeste stopped struggling and stared down at her cell phone. “Oh, no!” “What?” Bethany asked, letting go of her. “Mother just text messaged. It’s starting!” With those words, she flung the door open. Sure enough the strains of the organ could be heard and Madison felt suddenly numb. And perhaps sick. The image of her father coming around the door caused her to tuck her booted feet under her gown and stand. She wondered if there would be time for a father and daughter talk. One she could cherish forever. Where he talked of how she had grown before his very eyes and how proud he was of her. She waited as he waved Bethany out into the main chapel. “Well, Madison.” She waited, feeling her eyes begin to itch with emotion. “Let’s go, girl. Everyone is waiting!” What? He sounded as she were holding up traffic! “Father, I’m not so sure about this.” “Nonsense! You were born to be Mrs. Edward Theodore Von Housen III. Come along now. Can’t keep my future son-in-law waiting.” She felt the steady pressure on her back as he propelled her toward the door. “Madison, where’s your bouquet?” “Um...on the bench.” “Well, hurry it up!” As her fingers wrapped around the beautiful bouquet, all she could think was how wrong this all felt. Staring down at the peach and white roses, she realized it was all wrong. She hated the color peach and she wasn’t even that fond of roses. She thought back on the beautiful and vibrant yellow and purple wildflowers she used to pick at her aunt and uncle’s ranch and how she would fashion them into a huge bunch and pretend she was getting married. Yet, in her pretend wedding, she walked toward a strong and handsome cowboy, not a pretentious man whore. This was all wrong. “I don’t want to marry him,” she whispered as she felt her world crashing in around her. “What? Madison, now is not the time for this.” His reassuring hand on her arm did more leading than comforting as he led her from the room and into the main vestibule. Maddy tried to make eye contact with her father, but he was checking his appearance in the small mirror above the credenza. Turning, she caught Bethany’s look of concern. Before Maddy could say another word, the organ music began, signaling the procession. Maddy watched as they slowly moved past her, each wearing their peach gowns. She had wanted anything but peach. She hated peach. It did nothing for anyone’s complexion and it reminded her of the wine coolers she and Bethany had tossed back the other night, the night of the bachelor party. She felt the touch of her father’s hand grasping her gloved fingers and draping his arm with hers. The first chords of the organ struck, startling her and she felt a tightening in her throat. “Daddy, I don’t think Teddy is ready for this. Hell, I don’t think I’m ready for this…” “I know. I heard about the bachelor party, but he’s a young man. He will settle down eventually. For God’s sake, smile, Madison. All of society is watching.” She was led down the aisle, the peach and white swagged pews resembling a gauntlet of sorts. She fought the urge to yank her hand away and could even feel her father’s strong fingers trapping her to him. Nervous, she glanced about and at the same moment heard a gasp from her right. Looking in the direction of that gasp, she saw her soon-to-be viper-in-law staring down in abject horror at Maddy’s feet. The woman’s evil eye was actually twitching spasmodically. Beside her stood her soon-to-be father-in-law, an older, yet true version of the man she now saw waiting for her. Waiting for her and casting a glance over to his bachelor party favor, Sophia. Sophia Wainwright, blonde, buxom, and apparently totally boffable. According to rumor, she had been a party favor for Teddy before he had dumped her to begin dating Maddy. Only now she knew the truth. She was still a party favor for Teddy, the swine. Watch him rock back on his heels as if he has just scored a merger. Oh, that self-satisfied smirk. I hate that. I’ve always hated that. What am I doing here? Maddy felt her arm being released and heard the preacher begin to speak. She dared a quick glance to Teddy and found herself waiting for him to even acknowledge her. And then he did it. He did the unthinkable. He turned once again and looked back to Sophia. The preacher was saying something, but suddenly all Maddy could hear was a loud buzzing in her ears. Her parents wanted this wedding. She did not. She had gone along with this to make them happy. Make them proud of her. The priest still rattled on, but it was just muffled, monotone sounds and unclear words. This was it. This was her life, formal pearl perfection. The tornado spun more wildly and tossed her nerves. She couldn’t focus. Then, as if she had reached the eye of the storm, a calm settled over her as she looked at her husband-to-be. So good looking, so unfaithful and so consumed with money. Madison turned and looked at Sophia, who was still crying. Then to Teddy and finally at the priest. “We’re waiting, Madison,” Teddy whispered. An eerie calm settled over Madison. “No.” Teddy’s eyes widened and he snapped his head in her direction. “What was that, Muffin?” A strange stillness fell over her. Edward Theodore Von Housen III was a first-class asshole. Not only did she not love him, she didn’t even like him. “I said no. No, you unfaithful, money-grubbing swine. I won’t marry you.” She felt as if she were gathering steam. “Have I ever told you that I detest it more than a trip to the dentist when you call me Muffin?” Gasps filled the church fully packed with society’s elite. She smiled. “No, I’m not going to honor and cherish you. I don’t love you now, so I guess that rules out the whole in sickness and in health part. Frankly, I wouldn’t care if you dropped dead tomorrow.” Giggling, she realized what she had just said to the man before her. How liberating was this? “There are people watching, Muffin.” Teddy’s voice held an edge of warning. “Oh, really? Since when do you care what people see? Or do you think they didn’t see you at your bachelor party, and at the country club, with Sophia? Yeah, well, all of society saw you stick your penis in Sophia on the deck of the outdoor pool two days ago, so we’re even.” Maybe she should not have used the word ‘penis’ in church but hey, even the priest had one so it wasn’t really a big deal, was it? For the life of her, she couldn’t believe how calm she felt in the face of his mounting rage. His face was turning a livid shade of vermilion. “Now, see here, Muffin.” “I am not your muffin, you supercilious bastard!!” “How dare you?” Mrs. Von Housen stammered and stepped forward. Madison turned on her boot heel and looked at the most ostentatious and venomous person she had ever met, next to the woman’s son. “How dare I? Would you like for me to tell you just how I dare?” For the first time since Maddy had met the pretentious windbag, the old viper was speechless…sputtering even. “I am so outta here.” Maddy was saying the words as her boot-clad feet were spinning her toward the huge double doors. Mrs. Von Housen’s talons sank painfully into Maddy’s arm, spinning her back. “Y-y-you can’t just leave!” “Oh, yes I can! I’ll tell you what I can’t do, though.” Maddy smacked at the woman’s grip with her peach and white rose bouquet, sending rose petals into the air between them. “I can’t marry a mama’s boy, and I won’t marry a philandering pig who reaches for his zipper like he was reaching for his wallet.” “Well, I never.” “Then he must get it from his father!” Mrs. Von Housen’s grip suddenly loosened as the woman sought to cover her own mouth in shock at Maddy’s words. “Excuse me.” Maddy swept up her poofy, valanced, gown into her fingers and moved swiftly toward the huge church doors, each booted stride leading her closer to freedom. She knew someone was running, moving after her, and quickened her pace to a sprint. “Maddy, wait!” Bethany. Madison halted as her hand felt the cool brass of the door pull. Oh, no. Bethany, do not tell me I am wrong. “You’ll need your purse.”
Bethany shoved Maddy’s white satin clutch into her gloved hand. “You are not leaving here!” Mrs. Von Housen yelled, making her way down the aisle. “You are going to marry my Edward.” “Oh, I’d run,” Bethany advised as Madison pushed the heavy doors of the church open. |