weddings

A May Bride
by Meg Mosely
Rating: 4/5
A Year of Weddings Novella
Zondervan – Fiction/Romance

Meet Ellie Martin, a witness to a “guerrilla wedding” in which she meets her would-be prince, Gray Whitby. As a new real estate agent in the ATL area, she still hasn’t found the time to meet her groom, even though she’s been setting aside money for her wedding since she was 18. After secretly admiring Gray at the local coffee shop, she finally meets him at the impromptu wedding. When she doesn’t call him, Gray tracks her down and asks her out. Thus a romance is born. Ellie is swept off her feet in a matter of months before she realizes she’s found “the One”. Ellie is sure that her drama queen sister (who’s planning her wedding) and her uber-conservative, Christian mother will get in the way of the relationship. Ellie’s mother is afraid one of her two daughters will end up pregnant before they say, “I do.” She is super strict about their relationships and tries to control their lives. Can Ellie find a way to patch up her relationship with her mother? Will Gray and Ellie find a way to make their relationship work when Ellie’s family issues arise? Will such a whirlwind romance spell heartbreak for Ellie and her wedding fund?

I am now a fan of Meg Mosely because this novella did not disappoint. From the beginning, I was caught up in Ellie’s world and smitten by the handsome and charming Gray. Obviously, since this story is a novella, everything had to move fast. Ellie’s character had a lot of baggage she needed to work through, which I’m not sure the author had enough time to develop. Ellie’s mother’s transformation happens a little too quickly, but I appreciate the effort. Her mother was probably my least favorite character portraying a Christian who can’t forgive herself – one who has let her bitterness and shame affect how she treats and sees her daughters. I am a big fan of redemption, but the story length doesn’t lend itself to a fully developed transformation. Gray and Ellie’s chemistry fizzles halfway through the story but I still had to keep reading to discover how it ended. All in all, an easy, fun, light read for the summer!

I recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary romance.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

A Bouquet of Love
By Janice Thompson
Rating: 4/5
Book 4 of Weddings by Design series
Revell – Fiction / Contemporary Romance

After her large Greek family moved from Santa Cruz, California to Galveston, Texas, to open up another restaurant, Cassia Pappas lands her dream job in a flower shop owned by the Rossi family, her family restaurant’s competition. Being part of the family restaurant has always been a part of her life, but Cassia’s love for flowers and floral design has her excited to go to work. Meeting a Greek Adonis named Alex Rigas doesn’t hurt either. Since Alex’s family grows and supplies the flowers for the shop, he and Cassia are constantly thrown together, and they cannot deny the attraction to each other. Will her overbearing and controlling father find out about her friendships with the Rossis? Can she help her father see the truth about how similar they all are?

I’ve been a fan of Janice Thompson for a while and this story did not disappoint. I loved the floral design angle because I grew up wanting to work with flowers. I loved all the fun and quirky characters. The characters are endearing and hilarious. I loved getting to catch up other characters from her previous books too. She’s created such a fun world and even makes me want to go visit Texas – a place this California girl has never been. I also enjoyed the Judy Garland thread throughout the story – such a refreshing perspective. As I read the book, I thought the story read like a movie – after reading that Thompson is a screenwriter, my reaction made a lot of sense.

I definitely recommend this book to those who love romantic comedies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and love to smile/laugh their way through books.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review.