Review: I Do. . .Or Die by Donna Cummings

Title:  I Do. . .Or Die
Author:  Donna Cummings
Genre:  Romantic Suspense
Publisher:  Crimson Romance
Release Date:  December 10, 2012
File Size/Pages:  439 KB/290 pgs
Source:  Donna Cummings

My Rating:  5/5

Summary:  “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride” is Shelby Atwood's personal credo. She’s managed to avoid commitment all her life - no pets, no plants, not even a long-term lease. Heck, she’s had colds last longer than her romantic relationships. How could she be any other way when she has a gigolo for a father? But then gunfire erupts at the latest wedding she’s agreed to be in, and it ends up being the best thing to happen to Shelby’s love life. Detective Ryan Nichols is assigned to the case, and when the shootings don’t stop, he becomes her 24-hour bodyguard. Shelby wouldn’t mind except Ryan is too appealing, too sexy, and too happy to remind her of the raucous bachelorette party when she mistook him for a stripper. Shelby’s plan is simple: find the shooter, have a fling with Ryan, and return to her non-committal life. Unfortunately, the shooter is very elusive. Shelby’s feelings for Ryan are way more than adrenaline-fueled lust. And returning to her normal life is now impossible since, despite her lifelong resistance, she’s managed to put her heart smack dab in the line of fire.

Review:  I received this novel from the author, Donna Cummings, in exchange for an honest review, and I absolutely LOVED this novel! The story begins with the main character, Shelby, in her best friend, Alexa's, wedding. During the first chapter, we learn that this isn't Alexa's first wedding and that Shelby is completely against marriages; she's practically a commitaphobe. Before Alexa and her beloved husband, Jordan, could say, "I do," Alexa is shot and everything becomes a huge mystery after that. At the hospital, Shelby meets Detective Ryan. He offers to bring her home and that's when they find out that Shelby is the target for the shooter, not Alexa. When Ryan elects himself to be Shelby's full-time bodyguard, tensions rise high, and Shelby begins feeling things that she's never felt before. I absolutely enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. I thought the relationships in the book were well developed and enjoyable to read. Overall, this was one of the best novels I've read in 2013!