Tag Archive for: meghan quinn

Romance Reviews – Cane Brothers Series by Meghan Quinn

January 12, 2024/7 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday everyone! I haven’t actually posted what my reading/blogging goals for 2024 are yet, but one of them is definitely to finish up some of the series that I’ve had sitting on my shelf for way too long. So far I’ve finished up the last two books in the Daevabad fantasy series and this morning I finished the last book in Meghan Quinn’s Cane Brothers romance series. Bloom Books gave me the push I needed on that one when they re-released the series with the gorgeous new covers I’m featuring above. I thoroughly enjoyed all three books so I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

A Not So Meet Cute (Cane Brothers, 1) Goodreads

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: Originally published November 2, 2021, re-released November 14, 2023

Publisher: Bloom Books

A Not So Meet Cute is the first book in Meghan Quinn’s Cane Brothers series and this is the spiciest book in the series! The story follows Huxley, the oldest Cane Brother, and it’s an enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine romance that also features fake dating. Those are some of my favorite romance tropes and as if those weren’t enough, A Not So Meet Cute also has major Pretty Woman vibes, so I had a great time reading this one.

When we first meet Huxley Cane, he has gotten himself into a mess while trying to secure a big business deal. In trying to wine and dine his potential client, Huxley lies and tells them that he is engaged and that his fiancée is pregnant. There’s just one problem with that. There’s no baby and Huxley doesn’t even have a girlfriend, much less a fiancée. Enter Lottie Gardner. Lottie has just unexpectedly been fired from her job and is trolling around Beverly Hills jokingly searching for a Sugar Daddy. Her unexpected run-in with Huxley leads to her spilling her guts about her predicament, which then leads to Huxley having her sign a business contract, where she pretends to be his pregnant fiancée until he lands the big business deal. Lottie thinks Huxley is a jerk, but the terms of the contract would allow her to pay off her debts so she reluctantly agrees and moves into his mansion. Neither of them realizes just how much their lives are about to change…

Lottie had my heart right from her first scene. She’s fierce, sassy, and very resilient. She doesn’t care that Huxley is a billionaire and refuses to take any crap from him. Huxley is a sexy but broody, grump of a man and it takes time to warm up to him, both for me and for Lottie. I enjoyed watching Lottie push the boundaries of their agreement and force Huxley out of his grumpy comfort zone. They have intense chemistry with one another and keeping their arrangement professional becomes more challenging, the more time they are forced to spend together.

While it is definitely filled with tension and spice, A Not So Meet Cute is also hilarious. I’ve never read a fake pregnancy story before so I wasn’t sure I would like it since I’m not a fan of the accidental pregnancy trope. I didn’t need to worry though because I thoroughly enjoyed all of the crazy and awkward antics that took place as Lottie and Huxley were forced to bond with Huxley’s client over breast pumps, lamaze classes, and so many other pregnancy-related activities. I laughed my way from cover to cover and rooted for Lottie and Huxley to get together all the more!

While this is a series, all three books work as interconnected standalones, so if your vibe is super spicy Pretty Woman, you’ll definitely want to check this one out and meet Lottie and Huxley! 4 STARS

So Not Meant to Be (Cane Brothers, 2) Goodreads

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: Originally published June 7, 2022, re-released December 5, 2023

Publisher: Bloom Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e- copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

So Not Meant to Be is the second book in Meghan Quinn’s Cane Brothers series and boy does it deliver the laughs! It’s an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance that centers on the middle Cane brother, JP. JP is a charmer and has won the heart of everyone who works for him. Well, everyone except for Kelsey, who thinks he’s just obnoxious and refuses to give in to his charms. She also very much disagrees with JP’s belief, a la When Harry Met Sally, that a man and a woman cannot work together and just remain friends. When Kelsey is forced to not only go on a business trip with JP, but to also stay in the same penthouse with him, JP’s theory is put to the test with hilarious and heartfelt results.

I adored JP and was charmed by him immediately. He’s a flirt and he’s very intrigued by Kelsey, and he likes to push her buttons to get a rise out of her. Kelsey, on the other hand, took some getting used to because she came across as a bit prickly and judgmental in the beginning. Once I got used to her personality, and especially once she and JP started to get to know each other better, I really warmed up to her. I also love the forced proximity trope so it was definitely a good time watching the two of them share the same space as they slowly work through their feelings for one another. As always with Meghan Quinn’s writing, the humor, and especially the banter, is top notch and had me downright cackling at times!

So Not Meant to Be was another fun installment in the series and even though this is a series, the books do work as interconnected standalones so if When Harry Met Sally is your vibe, you could easily start with this one. 4 STARS

A Long Time Coming (Cane Brothers, 3) Goodreads

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date:Originally published January 10, 2023, re-released January 2, 2024

Publisher: Bloom Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e- copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A Long Time Coming is the third installment in Meghan Quinn’s Cane Brothers series and this one was my favorite. A friends-to-lovers romance, I found this one to be the sweetest book in the series. This story focuses on Breaker, the youngest Cane brother, and his best friend of ten years, Ophelia Fairweather-Fern (Lia). Breaker and Lia met and bonded over all things nerdy when they were in college. Even now, all these years later, they are still inseparable, having weekly board game nights, and they actually live next door to one another. When Lia announces that she and her boyfriend Brian are getting married, it’s only natural that Breaker, as her best friend, would serve as her Man of Honor. But is he only just a friend?

I adored both Lia and Breaker. They were just so sweet and fun together, and their banter had me in stitches the whole time I was reading. I also really felt for Lia too though because the whole situation with her wedding is a nightmare. Brian’s mother, an upper crust snob, has deemed Lia as a somewhat acceptable choice for her son but decides that she should be the one to make ALL of the decisions regarding the ceremony, up to and including what Lia should wear, where the ceremony should be held, and when it should take place (5 weeks after Brian’s proposal because an elite location has one opening!). She stomps on Lia’s ideas at every turn and makes her feel inferior over and over again, while Brian just stands there and lets his mother behave this way. It is Breaker who steps in time and time again to defend Lia and to put Brian’s mother in her place. I already loved Breaker and thought he was a sweetheart before watching him in action to defend Lia, so he became ultimate book boyfriend material when he went after Brian’s awful mother.

I’m a huge sucker for a friends-to-lovers romance so I was in heaven watching Breaker and Lia slowly come to realize that their love for one another has long since left the friend zone. While this is a series, all three books work as interconnected standalones, so if sweet, sexy and fun is your vibe and you enjoy movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding, you’ll definitely want to check out A Long Time Coming. 4 STARS

Reviews: RUNAWAY GROOMSMAN, PARTNERS IN CRIME, & BUILT TO LAST

October 31, 2022/24 Comments/by Suzanne

Hey everyone and Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend and got plenty of quality reading time in. I did as I’m trying to catch up on the ARCs I got behind on thanks to my work deadlines. I’m slowly but surely working my way through them but still have a ways to go. Thankfully the novels I’m sharing my thoughts on today were all lovely reads, which makes playing catch up so much easier. That said, I also wanted to give folks a head’s up that I might be even more sporadic with blog hopping this week than I usually am. My mom is having surgery on Wednesday, so I’ll be traveling Tuesday night to be with her and I’m not sure how much I’ll be online until she’s back at home. I have a couple of posts scheduled for later in the week but it will probably be the weekend before I really get back into the swing of things.

Reviews: RUNAWAY GROOMSMAN, PARTNERS IN CRIME, & BUILT TO LAST

Runaway Groomsman Goodreads

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: October 11, 2022

Publisher: Montlake

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn follows Sawyer Castle, a Hollywood screenwriter who writes romance for a living. While he knows what a good on-screen romance looks like, his own love life is a disaster, so much so that when the story opens, we meet him while he’s standing at the altar watching his ex-girlfriend marry his ex-best friend. Not only did they have an affair behind his back, but they also had the nerve to ask him to be a groomsman at their wedding. Struck by the ridiculousness of the whole situation, Sawyer abruptly tells off the bride and groom and runs out of the church. Unfortunately for him, many media outlets were there to cover the big event and they all caught his escape act on camera. Needing a place to hide out for a while, Sawyer decides to stay in the tiny town of Canoodle, California, not knowing his life is about to change forever.

Fallon Long owns and runs Canoodle Cove Cabins, family-owned business, that she took over from her dad, Sully, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. When Sawyer checks in for a long-term stay, Fallon is struggling to make ends meet and is overwhelmed with the responsibilities of running the business, performing desperately needed renovations on the cabins and grounds, and with caring for her dad. She is grateful to have the income that Sawyer’s stay will provide, but beyond that, she assumes he’s just another shallow, ego driven celebrity, as does her hilarious best friend, Jazlyn, who teases him and calls him Julia (a nod to Julia Roberts and her film Runaway Bride) for the entire book. That is, until he makes it his mission to prove both Fallon and Jazlyn wrong.

I can’t even express how much I adored Fallon and Sawyer together. I loved their easy banter and their obvious attraction to one another, but I appreciated the slow burn nature of the story because Sawyer has his work cut out for him, trying to prove he’s not the crazy, jealous guy the media has portrayed him to be. I thought it was so sweet how Sawyer would sneak around, secretly renovating small parts of the property to help Fallon out. The renovations not only gave him a much needed sense of purpose, but he also just really enjoyed doing his part to alleviate some of Fallon’s worries so that she could focus on her dad.

As sweet as the blossoming romance between Fallon and Sawyer was, my absolute favorite part of this book was Sawyer’s relationship with Sully. It was heartbreaking to watch Sully when he would have bad days because of the Alzheimer’s but the way Sawyer went out of his way to treat Sully with respect and dignity and gently help him through some of his worst moments was just so touching and heartwarming.

Runaway Groomsman was such a fantastic read for me! It’s both heartwarming and hilarious, and it’s filled with a wonderful cast of characters that you will fall completely in love with. 4.5 STARS

Partners in Crime Goodreads

Author: Alisha Rai

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyage

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai was such a fun read for me. This was my first time reading romantic suspense and I quite enjoyed the blend of romance with a more action-packed, high adrenaline storyline.

The story follows Mira Chaudhary, a 35 year old accountant who is trying to break away from the dysfunctional antics of her family, and live life on her own terms. All Mira wants at this point in her life is to find a nice guy to settle down with, so she turns to an Indian matchmaking app in hopes of finding her perfect match. In the midst of her dating adventures, Mira learns that her aunt has died and that she needs to meet with her aunt’s attorney to discuss her inheritance. Imagine Mira’s surprise when she arrives at the attorney’s office, only to discover that the attorney is none other than Naveen Desai, Mira’s very sexy ex. Then, as if the situation isn’t awkward enough, Mira and Naveen are kidnapped from the parking lot. Even after they escape, tensions escalate both because it becomes a race against the clock to figure out what the kidnappers want and where it is, and also because there’s definitely unresolved sexual tension between Mira and Naveen.

I was thoroughly entertained, both by the prospect of a second chance romance as it becomes more and more clear that Mira and Naveen have feelings for one another, and by the high stakes action-packed kidnapping storyline. The kidnapping storyline is especially fun as Naveen and Mira are forced to work closely together and their adventure is filled with unexpected twists and turns, involving hackers, a stolen necklace, and seemingly endless secrets from Mira’s family’s past. I really liked both Mira and Naveen too. I admired the fact that Mira wanted to break away from her clearly screwed up family, and I also enjoyed the fact that Naveen wasn’t scared off by the troubles that obviously surrounded her family and instead, stuck by her side to help her get out of the mess her family has gotten her into. I don’t want to give anything else away about their adventures, but I’ll just say it’s a wild ride!

If you’re looking for a fun romance with an action-packed storyline that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, be sure to check out Partners in Crime. 4 STARS

Built to Last Goodreads

Author: Erin Hahn

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I love second chance romances and I love home renovation shows, so I knew I had to read Erin Hahn’s new book Built to Last, which features both. And what a delightful read it was! The story follows Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs, two former child actors who also happen to be former childhood sweethearts.

Shelby, in particular, captured my heart right away. We learn that, after some pretty bad experiences including a public meltdown, Shelby chose to leave show business altogether and move home to Michigan. She has been working with her dad, who renovates and flips houses, and has found new purpose in her life restoring vintage furniture. For the past ten years, she has been building a new life for herself and trying to prove to herself and to everyone else that she isn’t that messed up little girl anymore. I really loved everything about Shelby, from her determination to move on from her past to her absolute passion when it comes to restoration.

The more I got to know Shelby, the more I wanted her to reunite with her childhood sweetheart, Cameron. Why? Because he really is a sweetheart in every way. While Cameron stayed in show business, he changed his focus and now travels the world making documentaries. No matter what Cameron has going on though, if Shelby calls him, Cameron comes running. Their connection just runs that deep, even if Cameron is afraid to admit to himself just how strongly he still feels for Shelby. But when the opportunity presents itself for Cameron to work with Shelby again, on a new reality TV home renovation show, neither Cameron nor Shelby feel they can say no, even if Shelby’s obnoxious ex, Lyle, is the showrunner.

Hahn does such a wonderful job weaving together the various threads of this story. I loved watching Cameron and Shelby work together and grow closer in the present, while also getting quite a few glimpses into what they were like together as child actors. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching them take on Lyle and his ridiculous shenanigans. Lyle is the character you’ll love to hate, for sure. In addition to Shelby’s relationship with Cameron though, I also absolutely adored her relationship with her Dad. They were just so sweet together and I loved how he helped to get her back on her feet after her meltdown and that she was so determined to do this new show to try to pay her Dad back for all of his help and support. This story just touched my heart on so many levels.

If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming second chance romance that also features plenty of entertaining scenes revolving around a reality TV show, as well as a lovely story about the importance of family, I highly recommend Built to Last! 4.5 STARS

Romance Reviews: THE LOVE CON & THE ONE NIGHT

December 20, 2021/14 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Monday all! Just a few more days until Christmas and I’m thrilled to finally be able to say that I have made through the last big work deadline of the year and can now relax and enjoy myself until January. And of course, read more books. 🙂 Later in the week, if I have time, I’ll probably be posting some quick reactions to the holiday novels that I’ve read so far this season, and then next week I plan to do a quick wrap up of the books from my own shelves that I’ve managed to read this year since that has been such a big goal of mine. Today though, I’m sharing my thoughts on my last two December review books, both of which I enjoyed immensely.

Romance Reviews: THE LOVE CON & THE ONE NIGHT

The Love Con Goodreads

Author: Seressia Glass

Publication Date: December 14, 2021

Publisher: Berkley Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Love Con by Seressia Glass is a delightful new rom-com that follows Kenya Davenport, a young woman whose passion is creating intricate cosplay costumes. While it’s just a hobby now, Kenya is determined to win the reality contest, Cosplay or No Way, and turn her hobby into a career.

When the book opens, the contest is well under way and Kenya has just been named as a finalist. She thinks she has the contest in the bag until the final challenge is announced and she learns that she is supposed to work in tandem with her significant other to create costumes for an iconic duo. There’s just one problem – Kenya is single and so has no significant other. When asked for the name of who she’ll be working with, Kenya panics and blurts out the first name that comes to mind, Cameron Lassiter (Cam), her roommate and longtime best friend.

Kenya and Cam were of course my favorite part of The Love Con. I loved Kenya’s strength, her determination, and her passion. She’s also funny and sassy, and just a joy to follow as she follows her dreams. I also loved Cam from the moment we meet him. He’s such a sweetheart and I adored how supportive he was of Kenya and how protective he was of her. Even though Kenya was beloved by most of the TV audience, for example, she still had her share of online trolls who didn’t seem to like that she was a strong, independent black woman and they frequently made disparaging comments about everything from her appearance to her personality. Cam gets so upset by this that he creates an anonymous account so that he could defend her honor. Not that she couldn’t defend herself if she felt the need to, but I just thought it was sweet that he cared so much.

I also enjoyed watching the two of them work together throughout the last round of the contest. Even though they were supposed to be pretending to be a couple, they hardly had to pretend at all because they had such amazing chemistry. What we learn early on though is that some of Cam’s chemistry with Kenya is because he has secretly been in love with her for ages and he’s hoping that this whole fake dating scenario can finally help him make the move with Kenya from friends to lovers. The author did a lovely job of not only showing us how Cam and Kenya’s relationship changes as they work in close quarters for the contest, but also giving us some really cute glimpses into how they first became friends in high school.

The actual contest was entertaining to read about as well. I don’t know much about cosplaying or costume design so it was pretty fascinating to see just how much work goes into designing and constructing a costume.

If reality TV contests, fake dating, and friends-to-lovers romances are your catnip like they are mine, The Love Con is a book you’re going to want to add to your reading list. 4 STARS.

The One Night Goodreads

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: December 14, 2021

Publisher: Montlake

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The One Night by Meghan Quinn is a fun holiday-themed novella that centers on the lead-up to a one night stand between a recently divorced man and his ex-wife’s best friend. And while it might just be a novella, it’s still packed full of what I love most about Meghan Quinn’s novels, namely laugh out loud humor and steamy romantic scenes.

The story follows Cooper Chance (Coop), a recently divorced man, whose parents are so determined to get him to move on and find a new love, that they dress up in their most festive Christmas attire and take their son barhopping. Their philosophy is that if their son won’t go looking for love, then they’ll act as his wingmen and bring love to him. Coop’s parents are hilarious, steal every scene they’re in, and I just adored them.

The bar they end up in brings Coop face-to-face with someone he wasn’t expecting to see, Nora McHale, the best friend of Coop’s ex-wife. Nora has come to the bar, not looking for love, but rather to just have a drink and relax alone after an exhausting day of work. But not even Nora can resist the charms of Coop’s parents and soon she finds herself chatting with Coop and enjoying it way more than she expected to. Neither Nora nor Coop can believe how well matched they seem to be, but both wonder if they would be crossing a line they shouldn’t if they act on their attraction.

I loved the chemistry between Nora and Coop. Their flirty banter was so cute and I really enjoyed watching them each see the other in a whole new light. I also thought Quinn did a wonderful job of combining their increasingly steamy attraction to one another with very realistic internal monologues of doubt about whether or not they’re doing the right thing, if a relationship between them could even feasibly be possible.

The one thing I didn’t like about The One Night is that it actually ends on a cliffhanger. I practically screamed when I got to the end because I wanted so much more of Nora and Coop. Thankfully I soon learned that The One Night is also a prequel to Quinn’s upcoming novel, The Reunion, which focuses on Coop’s parents and their fiftieth wedding anniversary party. So not only will I get to see what’s going on with Nora and Coop, but I’ll get to see more of Coop’s adorable parents. Win, win!

If you’re in the mood for a fun, flirty holiday-themed rom-com and don’t mind a little cliffhanger at the end, I highly recommend The One Night. 4 STARS.

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE REUNION by Meghan Quinn

November 3, 2021/14 Comments/by Suzanne

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

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My selection for this week is THE REUNION by Meghan Quinn. I loved The Wedding Game when I read it earlier this year and have been wanting to try more of Quinn’s books ever since. This book, which features romance, sibling rivalries, and a 50th wedding anniversary just sounds like too much fun to pass up.

THE REUNION by Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: February 22, 2022 by Montlake

From Goodreads:

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Game comes a new romantic comedy about the antics that ensue when three siblings come together for their parents’ fiftieth-anniversary party.

Martin and Peggy Chance believe love should last a lifetime. With their fiftieth wedding anniversary on the horizon, they’ve modeled a beautiful relationship for their three grown children. But to their dismay, that lesson hasn’t quite caught on—the three siblings just can’t seem to take a chance and find love in their own lives.

There’s Ford, the eldest, devoted to his work and resistant to romance…or so he claims. Cooper, the middle child, can’t get past his divorce—until he reconnects with a feisty baker from his past. And Palmer, the baby of the family, is the free-spirited world traveler who always pictured herself with someone other than a handsome small-town family doctor.

When the Chance siblings come together to plan the ultimate anniversary party for their parents, they’ll have to navigate romantic entanglements, sibling rivalries, and the definitive end of their childhood. Whatever happens, The Reunion promises to be a fun, flirty, wild ride.

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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Romance Reviews: FIRST COMES LIKE & THE WEDDING GAME

February 15, 2021/20 Comments/by Suzanne

If you saw my Top Ten Tuesday post last week, you’ll remember that I shared ten rom-coms I’m excited to read this year. Well, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I got a jump on reading them this past week and have reviews to share for the first two I read, First Comes Like by Alisha Rai and The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn.

Romance Reviews: FIRST COMES LIKE & THE WEDDING GAME

First Comes Like (Modern Love, #3) Goodreads

Author: Alisha Rai

Publication Date: February 16, 2021

Publisher: Avon

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Even though I’m only reviewing First Comes Like, the latest book in Alisha Rai’s Modern Love series, I actually binge-read all three books in the series last month. Usually I’m terrible at keeping up with series, but once I started this one, I just couldn’t stop reading. What hooked me on Modern Love is the way Rai writes her main characters. I love the mix of strength and vulnerability she infuses them with and of course, the chemistry is always off the charts. I also love that, as the title of the series implies, all of the books are modern and focus on where many people turn these days when they are looking for love, social media.

First Comes Like follows Jia Ahmed, who is a very popular beauty influencer on social media. She’s busy making connections and trying to build her brand and has no time for men, although she’s willing to make an exception for Dev Dixit, a sexy Bollywood soap opera star, who has recently slid into her DMs and started flirting with her. Jia decides to score an invite to a party for his new film so that she can finally meet Dev in person. All is going swimmingly until she meets Dev face to face and he says he has no idea who she is. Awkward! It quickly becomes clear that someone has used Dev’s social media account to catfish Jia; the question is who. Things between them take an even more awkward turn when paparazzi photos of Dev and Jia embracing become public. Even though the photos are in actuality way more innocent than they seem, the public and both of their families flip out and that’s where things got really fun.

I had so much fun with this book. I loved the chemistry between Jia and Dev, especially watching their relationship evolve from her wanting to kill him at that first party to the two of them working together to concoct a plan on how best to deal their families. I also really loved the focus on their beliefs and culture, in particular the respect Jia and Dev each gave to the other’s beliefs as their relationship grows. I also thought it was wonderful that Dev was so respectful of Jia’s career. He didn’t think it was silly or shallow at all and even watched all of her videos and even helped her film and take photos. The two of them were just really sweet together and I was of course rooting for them to continue to grow closer.

I wouldn’t call this a hot and steamy romance, but it’s definitely a sweet, slow burn and I enjoyed every page of it. 4 STARS.

The Wedding Game Goodreads

Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: March 1, 2021

Publisher: Montlake

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon First Reads. All opinions are my own.

Meghan Quinn’s new novel, The Wedding Game is one of the most charming and entertaining romances I’ve read in a long time. I laughed, I cried, and I honestly loved every single character in the book. Okay, well two of them I loved to hate, but you know what I mean!

Set in New York City, the story follows Luna Rossi, a self-professed jack of all trades when it comes to crafting. There’s pretty much nothing Luna can’t do when it comes to crafts and she even has her own very popular social media accounts where she offers tips and tricks to others who share her passion for all things crafty. About the only thing Luna loves more than crafts is her brother, Cohen, so when she learns that a DIY reality TV contest called The Wedding Game is coming to NYC and is seeking contestants, she takes it upon herself to sign her brother and his fiancé up. Luna lives to make sure the people she loves are happy and so can’t resist the idea of giving her brother and the love of his life a perfect wedding day. Plus the grand prize of a NYC penthouse apartment for whoever designs the best wedding doesn’t hurt either. With the Queen of Crafts in their corner, how can they lose?

The Wedding Game also follows Alec, an attorney who, like Luna, has a brother, Thad, who is about to get married. Unlike Luna though, Alec is not especially close to his brother and has no interest in his wedding plans. Alec and Thad used to be incredibly close, but have drifted apart in recent years. Thad sees the ad for The Wedding Game and begs Alec to do it with him and his fiancé. For Thad, it’s a great opportunity to get his family started off on the right foot, but even better, it’s a chance for he and Alec to reconnect. Alec reluctantly agrees and it’s off to the races.

The bulk of the story focuses on the contest itself and an unexpectedly fierce rivalry that develops between Luna and Alec. Oh my goodness, you guys! I don’t want to give away any spoilers but these two have such intense chemistry from their very first hostile encounter. It was hard to tell if they were going to kill each other or rip each other’s clothes off, haha! I thoroughly enjoyed every scene they had together and some of their banter truly had me laughing out loud. The evolution of their relationship had me captivated more and more with each turn of the page and before long, I was rooting for them to have a happy ending of their own.

It wasn’t even just the relationship between Luna and Alec that had me so invested in The Wedding Game either. Honestly it was all of the relationships. Yes, this is a sexy, steamy enemies-to-lovers romance with a hilarious reality TV show as its backdrop, but it’s also a beautiful and heartwarming story about love, family, and forgiveness that left me with a big smile on my face. 4.5 STARS