GRR Reviews Planning Bliss (Bliss Series Book 1) by Michelle Jo Quinn

Planning Bliss, (previously published as Confessions of a Wedding Planner) can be best described as a reformed rake trying to woo a girl who got her heart broken and ground into dust, but it's for real this time. It was at times tropeish, rom-com-y, and sentimental. Which makes it a good read.

Wedding planner Veronica had her heart broken when her boyfriend (whom she thought she'd marry) moved on to engage with a French socialite. She had her heart grounded into dust when he came to her wanting her to plan his wedding. Then she found out the bridezilla wanted a huge wedding in merely 1 month, involving 400+ guests across two continents, and a gown flown in from France. Her work ethics demanded she gave it her best, even as her heart bleeds. She was not ready for attention from the best man Levi, a known playboy. He wants to get into her pants, she's not in the mood. But Levi is actually royalty, and rich, and have plenty of patience. And he's actually serious this time, but how does a rake convince everybody, esp. the girl, he's no longer a rake?

I have a little problem seeing the chemistry between Veronica and Levi, though I guess it could work. The book tried to throw in a bunch of prequel scenes to explain Levi's earlier attraction to "Nica" (at prior events) but it wasn't until this wedding that he could act on the urges. It doesn't quite build-up right. The rest of the book kinda makes the whole thing worth it once you get past this point.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot:  Broken-hearted Wedding Planner (planning her ex's wedding) Wooed by the Best Man (and a rake/playboy)

Tropes:  jilted, wedding planner, commitment-phobe, reformed rake, best man

Overall Rating:  4/5 (rounded up from 3.5/5)