Bronwen Oliver is certain she was switched at birth. What else could explain her aversion to ketchup when the rest of her family slathers the condiment on almost anything edible? Or her gift for journalism amid a family that doesn’t write (and she’s not counting her great-uncles’ self-published The Onderdonk Reliable Method for Preventing Most Diseases of the Rectum)? Since her father died in a plane crash when she was six, her mother stopped talking about difficult topics, her brother Peter became equally reticent, and her stepfather dismissed her adoption request, she has dreamed of being rescued one day by her “real” family.
After breaking up with Chad, who only wanted to take their relationship to the next level (i.e., have sex in her basement after prom), Bronwen is surprised to run into Jared Sondervan, one of Peter’s former high school friends. Only this new romantic boyfriend can evenly match Bronwen’s impeccably timed, quirky humor and observations on life. As she enters her senior year of high school and her boyfriend his senior year at a nearby college, their love blossoms (and readers wistfully sigh) until Jared unexpectedly asks Bronwen to marry him. It’s an opportunity not only to be with the guy she loves but to become a member of Jared’s seemingly perfect family and start fresh by forming a family of her own.
But if her wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day ever, why then does Bronwen begin to feel depressed and like she’s losing her freedom already? Maybe she’s not the only one in her house who needs to learn to open up about her feelings. With scenes that prompt both laughter and tears, I Now Pronounce You Someone Else reveals Bronwen’s doubts, healing and discovery that her true family may have been surrounding her all along.
