GRR Reviews Wedding of the Century by Patricia McLinn

Annette once vowed never to return to her small town, after she ran away from her dream wedding... which is AFTER a very pregnant girl showed up claiming the baby was fathered by her betrothed, Steve, and he didn't refute it. So she left and started her own life. Seven years later, she had to return when her brother broke his wrist and can no longer work as a contractor for weeks. Her ex-betrothed is now a single father, and it's clear there still are feelings that remained. And perhaps, she may even gather enough courage to ask... Why did Steve betray her? And the answer will shock her to her core...

Wow, the twists are shocking, and a bit soap-opera worthy, but everything makes sense. 5/5

GRR Reviews Midnight Kisses by Alexa Rivers

Justin was invited to his ex's wedding to another guy, and that's just salt in his wound. Reconnecting with Emily, former school mate (and enemy of his ex) was nice, and having Emily as his plus-one at the wedding... Even better. It's just to show his ex that he's over her... Right? Or will he admit that he can love again?

Sweet, and relatively short (just over 100 pages), 4/5

GRR Reviews Stealing the Bride by Nadia Lee

Court (short for "Harcourt") is a billionaire who tries to stay away from all the family drama. One night at his brother's nightclub, he met the woman of his dreams... She won't give her name, so he called her Skittles (like the candy), and she called him Whiskey. It was a great night... Next morning, he found no woman, just 50 bucks on the nightstand. WTF?!  He somehow tracked her down, and interrupted her wedding... Except it wasn't her wedding... But her twin sister's wedding. Yikes. And her name is Pascal. She's fiercely independent, but she can't get a promotion at her father's firm as a financial analyst. Cort wanted to help her, but wasn't sure how without "interfering"... Was it betrayal? And who can she turn to?

The momentum was very uneven. It's as if this was two books stitched together. The first part, about a one-night-stand leading to a wedding interruption, was a great story in itself. The rest of the book, while intriguing, just somehow never quite measured up, and Pascal's father needs some serious karmic payback for stringing her along for YEARS. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Cake A Love Story by J Bengtsson

Jake was famous for TWO reasons: he survived an unspeakable ordeal at the hands of a serial kidnapper and murderer, and he also became a famous musician in spite of his ordeal. He had turned himself off emotionally to survive the first and remained aloof for the second. He rarely forms personal connections... Until now. // Casey was just a college student who agreed to be a bridesmaid for a friend. She didn't expect to be paired with the famous performer Jake. They are polar opposites: He's a musician, she's practically tone-deaf. She talks a lot, he's mostly silent. Yet when they finally met, they seem to be a perfect complement to each other. But can their love help him heal?

A bit longer than you'd expect (600 pages!), Jake and Casey actually have FOUR MORE books about their love and ordeals (for a total of 5 books). The characters are nicely nuanced, and the opposites attract trope was used very nicely. Jake was a guy that just wanted to be treated as "normal", while Casey can't do anything except being herself. It's her slowly drawing out the details of his ordeal and bonding over those moments that'll jerk your tears. This is NOT your typical "rockstar seduces ingenue" book. 5/5

GRR Reviews His Deadly Past by Jean Talty

Jasper is falling for his physical therapist, Ashley. Jasper is an ex-special forces trooper who retired to join the NY State Troopers on the special response team, but his knee injury is slowing him down, and he wants to get back into the field, and she rebuffed him, but did clear him for field duty. Months later, Jasper has reinjured his knee (the one Ashley had warned him about), when he met Ashley at a destination wedding for her cousin. This time, they fell for each other. Until a deadly secret from his past threatens them both...

Good overall, just not like super-good. Good tie-in with the bits and pieces of background. However, I noticed at least two editing mistakes. "His fast" should be "his face", and "her daughter" should be "her son". Good touch about the douche getting his comeuppance. Though WHY he'd do it is kinda unexplained (other than he's a douche) 4/5

GRR Reviews Hate Loving You by Aubrey Wright

Carter and Jenny were an item in high school until she found him with Kendra. He swore "it wasn't what it looks like", but trust has been broken. Ten years later, Carter is here to attend Jenny's big brother Sam's wedding. Carter and Jenny got back together, until somehow, Kendra was again, there at the wrong moment...

Okay, I am surprised that neither of them figured out someone is always there messing them up. That brings up a different question though. Why would that guy also has "proof" of Sam's fiancee cozying up to someone else, and chose to show it to Carter and Jenny? Was it just to have Carter fail miserably and appear even less credible? While satisfying, it almost qualifies as TSTL. In fact, I predicted the ending... when the perp made a verbal slip. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Mountain Bride by Elizabeth Bromke

Mary, a small-town innkeeper, is engaged to tech billionaire Kurt. They are opposites in almost every way. She's a small-town country girl. He's a city techie guy. As the wedding draws near, both sides started to get cold feet. She's worried that she won't' fit into his "city" values, or he won't fit into her country life. Kurt knew he found his soulmate in Mary, but he can't run a tech company from a tiny town where broadband connection doesn't really exist. He can compromise by commuting between Phoenix and Maplewood, but is that enough for Mary?

I'm not sure what to make of this novel. It's neither "on the rocks" nor was it falling in love. Basically, both are finding that love isn't that simple, with conflicting needs. But when both of them is chickening out or think the other will, it's kinda TSTL, with severe lack of faith and plenty of self-inadequacies. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Every Yesterday by Nancy Naigle

Megan used to be a pretty successful painter, until loss of her father and ending of her last relationship left her unable to continue painting. She had great memories of riding with her father in a very rare car: 1958 DeSoto Adventurer convertible. She would never sell it. In fact, she didn't even want to let her best friend to borrow it for her wedding. // Noah is a car restorer, car collector, and bachelor. He can't believe his best friend is getting married... or he'd find his dream car in the small town of Boot Creek. yes, the 1958 DeSoto Adventurer. But the owner, Megan, also the maid of honor, didn't want to sell. EVER. Noah is determined to change her mind though... so much he'd bet $1000 on it. But the more he knew Megan, the more he realized she's right, and he's more interested in her than the car. When the wager became known to Megan, will it doom their relationship?

Good internal conflict brought forward with the wedding as the catalyst / inciting incident, and good use of an iconic object as source of conflict. 5/5

GRR Reviews The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin

NOTE: Lucy Kevin is Bella Andre's "sweet" pen name.

Julie's restaurant didn't make it, esp. after a 2/5 review from a celebrity chef / reviewer was made public. Julie ended up working as the chef for Rose Chalet, a full wedding venue, taking over from her aunt who had to retire for health reasons. And guess who's the first client for her first tasting? None other than hot celebrity TV chef Andrew Kyle, the person who gave her that 2/5 review, as the groom's brother. Andrew told Julie that while her technique is good, her creations have no spark. Incensed, Julie wanted to give Andrew a piece of her mind, but was instead invited onto his cooking show in a live cook-off. And it's clear they have chemistry together... On and offscreen. But getting involved with a client is a definite no-no at the Rose Chalet... While Andrew wanted Julie, Julie can't decide whether her career or her food is worth risking for a chance for love with Andrew...

Eh... not feeling too much with this one. Firing Julie from Rose Chalet seems really dumb, and the first "experimental meal" was created without ANY input from the couple, which is just stupid. Seems Julie only works in extremes... Either super conservative, or super-creative. Took her until end of the book to balance the two, which actually is character growth, but still, it's just stupid to create a menu WITHOUT looking at the client. Chemistry between Andrew and Julie also was unexplained. 3.5/5

GRR Reveiws Something Borrowed by Eve Dangerfield

Elle hated weddings, esp. destination weddings. (She also hated to fly.) But for her best friend, she can make one exception... Until she found herself seated next to none other than her nemesis, Jackson... // Jackson was a douche, and he knew it. Emphasis on "was". He wants to prove he's reformed to Elle, but he can't think of how, esp. when Elle doesn't even want to be next to him. When he noticed something about Elle... He decided to take the gamble... One week of submission to Elle... any orders (short of illegal or dangerous stuff, of course) to him will be followed... EXCEPT getting himself off. Yes, that. He will go blue balls for a week. And if she STILL hated him by the end of the week, he'll leave her alone forever. Unable to resist, they get involved, and their relationship turned VERY complicated indeed... She found he had indeed changed, but is it for the better? And he found her domineering attitude in the bedroom refreshing... and he liked it... But will they really resolve their differences before the wedding?

Oooh... Femdom kink, albeit in such a delightful way that you almost don't realize you're reading D/s. Yes, Jackson tried to top from the bottom, but Elle put an end to that quickly. This may be the best "fun" intro to D/s relationship romance I've found so far. 5/5

GRR Reviews Just Roll With it by Tawdra Kandle

Amanda had been working hard as a law student in her final year. While she felt an attraction to the bride's brother Vincent, she knew she can, at most, spend one night at it. NSA fling. That's it. Good thing that Vincent, the pastry chef of his family restaurant, agreed. He's smart, sexy, and wanted no attachment either. Their chemistry is sizzling, and they are VERY sexually compatible.  But Vincent can't get Amanda out of his mind... he likes her sense of humor, her sass, and her smarts. In fact, he wanted her for more than just one night. But can he convince her that she's good for more than just a fling, and so is he?

Some parts I liked. Vincent had this underlying resentment of his situation, about how his brother (who is the "real" chef) is always riding on him, how his parents were always riding on him, so much so he blew up and interviewed for a position to possibly be closer to Amanda. Amanda kinda beats herself down a bit. Slightly masochistic (not in bed, just in life) believes the worst of herself. But overall, it's pretty good. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Hometown Calling by Lexy Timms

NOTE: Cliffhanger

Chase is attending his best friend's wedding... although his best friend is the bride, and the groom's not happy about it. So why is he interested in the bride's little sister Miranda, aka "Mira", now all grown up?

The book was good right up to the point with the cliffhanger... Chase is leaving, and Mira obviously isn't. A bit of Meh, and there are two more volumes to this. Felt a bit drawn out. 2.5/5 (includes -1 for cliffhanger)

GRR Reviews Sweet Enough to Eat by Alexa Riley

Nikki has been crashing weddings with best friend Sugar for a while, trying to find "The One". And Dean seems to fit every criteria she had... He's gorgeous, and he's great with sex, and he even wants the white picket fence and all that. Until his genital piercing hooked on her IUD. And that necessitated a VERY VERY embarrassing visit to the ER. When they separated, she ran, not even leaving a last name. But Dean knew who he wanted... for life. And he's ready for the chase...

Awwwww, sweet if a bit raunchy rom-com material. But it's really short (50 pages). 4/5

GRR Reviews Wedding Cake Crasher by Alexa Riley

Sugar and her best friend crash weddings. Sugar is there for the cake, but her friend is looking for "the one". Their latest expedition may surprise them... // Hank knows construction, but when groom's wedding cake was waylaid by a flock of geese on the morning of the wedding, Hank was forced to reinvent himself... as a baker. And the results are... spectacular (as in magnificent). And who's that lovely creature sampling the cake? Maybe he ought to sample her too...

Nice, short, and sweet. At less than 100 pages you get a fast-moving plot that still satisfies. And surprisingly, virtually zero tropes. 4/5

GRR Reviews Then He Happened by Claudia Burgoa

Eileen has ALWAYS been overlooked by her family, when her sister got all the drama. Now that her sister's pregnant, Eileen has been shanghaied and guilted by her family into planning a shotgun wedding... Scheduled on her birthday AND graduation day, in merely weeks. Good thing the best man is gorgeous, and seems to notice her... // Jason is a cynical and rich playboy who was left at the altar by a woman he loved with all his heart. Now he has none to give. Now his no-good cousin needs the biggest bailout of them all... He knocked up a girl and needs to marry her. Jason knew he'd end up footing most of the bill... and he can see that Eileen is the quiet one in the background, always bailing out her family... without complaint. And Eileen doesn't even fall for his charm. Now he's on a quest to show he's not as shallow as Eileen thinks he is... and perhaps... even prove he has a heart to give.

Awwww... Everyone knew siblings and families like that... and people who sit in the background, NEVER take any credit. Though this one is, for laughs, amped it up to 11. Nice tale. 5/5

GRR Reviews The (Not So) Perfect Day by Maggie Dallen

Ellie is about to get married, but without her best platonic friend Ian. He seems to be ignoring her... // Ian had received the wedding invitation for weeks, but he's avoiding the obvious... He can't imagine Ellie to be with anyone good enough for her. Not even himself, because he travels a lot and doesn't want to get married. But he had to support her decisions. But there's something definitely wrong with Ellie's fiancee, and not NOT just jealousy. Can he come clean (with himself) with his feelings, and show her that her best man is really the best man for her?

There's some serious angst, and Ian is in DEEP self-denial there. There's a bit of back and forth, but Ellie had to see for herself that whoever she was marrying was not good for her. 4/5

GRR Reviews Faking Forever by Catherine Bybee

Shannon divorced her no-good husband, who married her for political reasons (to get elected governor) only. She wanted a family for herself, and she may settle for a "sperm donor" (just a fling) if the right one came along. Her photography business took her to Mexico to cover a destination wedding until the bride did a runner, and the jilted fiancee Victor accused Shannon of sabotaging his wedding. // Victor never thought he'd end up on a honeymoon for ONE, and who else did he ran into but the one woman who caused the whole thing... By asking the runaway bride is a wedding what she really wanted. But Shannon's words also got him thinking... and reflecting what he really wanted out of life. And between the water and sky of a Mexican beach and a lot of tequila, Victor and Shannon shared a kiss. But they know what happened in Mexico... should STAY in Mexico... So they came up with a pact to stay away from each other for 3 months, and see if they still want to get together... But as the deadline approaches, their professional and personal lives started to intersect, even as their respective pasts came back to haunt them via tabloids. Now, Shannon and Victor have to really decide whether they should be together...

Wow, that's an interesting twist on the storyline about jilted groom, and good character arcs on both. A must read for me.  If you have KU, you get the audiobook too.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews The Bride's Secret by Sophia Summers

Carisa got cold feet only moments away from marrying Heath. She can see that he does not love her and will not be faithful. She ran, only to bounce off Wyatt, the best man, and a friend of Heath from long ago. Surprisingly, Wyatt agreed with Carisa that she needs to run, and he helped her... all the way to Hawaii, where she was supposed to go for Honeymoon, but she just wanted to get away from Heath. Wyatt went on the same flight, somehow sensed that she needed a little help, even as he looked for a business deal on the island. Carisa appreciated Wyatt's helpfulness, but she can't fall for Wyatt while she's still technically engaged to Heath. Wyatt wasn't exactly looking for a lover, but he may have fallen for Carisa already. Then Heath arrived on the island...

Nice, very nice, not really a triangle, but a lot of expectations and shame.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Borrowing a Fiance by Kat Bellemore

Melinda had been managing her parent's cafe for over a decade. She's getting grumpy because she wants to go to college. When her younger sister, who did go to college, announced an upcoming marriage, she reluctantly agrees to attend with her best platonic friend Daniel. But when pressure mounted, she announced that Daniel is her fiance and they intended to marry soon. Now caught in her lies, she doesn't know how to get out of it... // Daniel had been to prison, and got back out, knowing what he did (he was forced, but he knew he could have found another way) and he had been living properly since. He's not the kind of guy a girl takes home to meet their parents, but when Melinda asked, he can't refuse. But be her fake fiancee? That's not exactly a burden, but he doesn't really want to lie...

Now that's an interesting way to handle fake fiancee, by layering the problems with expectations, desires, envy, only to find nothing is as it seems. And even the darkest hour was handled properly, instead of "sensitive hearing and ego", it's "you don't need me now that you got what you wanted". Wow, that's some deft plotting. Can't spoil the plot, so I'll stop here. But read this.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Wanting Secret Baby by Suzanne Hart

Naomi wanted love, and a baby, and a family. Alex was her bestie's fiancee's little brother, and notorious party hardy guy and heartbreaker, fond of telling women "there was nothing between us other than ****ing". Naomi knew Alex's reputation, which is why she has to resist him. But when they have to be respectively bride's maid and best man, and he really wanted her, and he can tell she wanted him too... They indulged for one night... then everything changed... and not for the better...

Wow, this story managed multiple twists of tropes, from reluctant lovers to secret baby to reunion. Yes, I did kinda spoil the plot. The story did last quite a while, and at times, felt a bit too long. But it's very nice push-pull, with no obvious plot-holes.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.