Review: Keeper of the Bride

Keeper of the Bride by Tess Gerritsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adore Tess Gerritsen’s work, and I’m trying my hardest to get my hand onto everything she has written. I accept, however, that not everyone shares this view. I’ll gladly admit that her more recent work is her best, but her older stuff is also fun. However, when it comes to her older stuff you need to enter with an open mind. There is no question that her recent work falls into the mystery and thriller category, whereas her older work falls into the romance. Romantic suspense, even. Due to this, I know a lot of her more recent fans do not enjoy her older work.

Now I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest lover of romance, but I am coming to enjoy it more and more. With Tess Gerritsen, I find myself enjoying her older books – those that fall more into the romantic category than anything else – a lot more than I ever expected. Due to this, I find myself easily giving four stars. When compared to her more recent work – such as her Rizzoli and Isles – they’re a different kind of four stars. Her mystery stories are four stars because of the countless layers she adds, whereas her romantic stories are four stars because they’re easy and enjoyable. The plot is straightforward, the story telling to the point, and they’re generally easy reads.

As cheesy as this one is, Keeper of the Bride is one of my favourite early Tess Gerritsen books. I cannot really explain what in particular has left me with such an opinion, yet such is the case. I believe her bridge book – Girl Missing – will always have the title of my favourite romantic Gerritsen book, yet this one certainly had me hooked from the get-go.

It starts off with a left at the altar scene, and quickly develops into a bombing mystery. Who is to blame? Why does Nina appear to be a target? What bigger player is involved in the game? It is very far from Gerritsen’s modern day mysteries, but you can see the start of them developing here. This book is still more romance than anything else, but it is possible to see how Gerritsen is starting to develop into the author we know and love today.

Overall, another fun read. Even though I love some more than others, this one highlights how I’m never disappointed by Gerritsen’s work.

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