What I'm Reading: The Wedding Compilation

So, this compilation didn't actually come about by accident. I've been working on a wedding book and, to keep myself in the mood, I've been watching wedding shows on YouTube and reading wedding themed books.  

Not that reading wedding themed books is all that unusual, I think it's one of my favorite tropes to read and write, actually. But these are a few of my most recent reads. 

The first book--The Wedding Game, by Meghan Quinn--is the second book I've read recently that revolves around a reality TV show. And, just like the other one, both heroes are jaded divorce lawyers. Go figure. Have I just discovered a secret trope? 

The Wedding Game
Meghan Quinn

https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Game-Meghan-Quinn-ebook/dp/B0899QWN9Y/ref=sr_1_1

USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn’s latest bauble is the charming story of a crafting queen battling a jaded divorce lawyer on a wedding reality show.

Luna Rossi is a veritable crafting genius—she can bedazzle and bead so hard her Etsy site is one of the hottest in the world. So it’s only natural that Luna would convince her brother and his husband-to-be to compete on The Wedding Game, a “do-it-yourself” TV show, for the title of Top DIY Wedding Expert.

As a jaded divorce lawyer, Alec Baxter scoffs at weddings and romance. But when his recently engaged brother begs him to participate in The Wedding Game, Alec grudgingly picks up a glue gun and prepares for some family bonding.

Both fierce competitors, Luna and Alec clash on national TV as harsh words and glitter fly with abandon. But as they bicker over color swatches and mood boards, they find themselves fighting something else: their growing mutual attraction. While Luna is torn between family loyalty and her own feelings, Alec wonders if he might have been wrong about love and marriage all along…

 

The Wedding Proposal (by Sue Moorcraft) is not technically a wedding book--but it starts with a botched proposal, so I think it counts. It opens with a forced proximity trope--two former lovers find themselves sharing space on a houseboat in Malta. 

The Wedding Proposal

Sue Moorcraft

https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Proposal-laugh-out-loud-Moorcroft-Collection-ebook/dp/B0D87RCCZM/ref=sr_1_1 

Two exes, one disastrous proposal and a tropical island escape.

Sensible Elle Jamieson is ready for a new start. One where she can be carefree and adventurous. And put the past firmly behind her.

She’s spending the summer living on her friend’s boat in Malta. Elle imagines sun-drenched days discovering the island’s hidden gems.

But her dream getaway turns stormy when she discovers she’s sharing her floating home with gorgeous, but insufferable, Lucas Rose. The man who broke her heart.

Four years ago, Lucas proposed to Elle and she turned him down. His injured pride prevented him from staying to ask why and Elle never forgave him for it.

With both of them refusing to give up their holiday they must learn to live side by side in paradise. Which is easier said than done when they can’t agree on anything. And past emotions begin bubbling to the surface.

But one thing they can agree on . . . falling out of love is a lot harder than falling in love.

Other People's Weddings is possibly the most wedding-y of all these books. A photographer and a cake designer who were childhood enemies turned adult enemies turned (predictably) friends and lovers. There's a whole series of weddings--and wedding disasters in this one. And, at times, that's really painful.

Other People's Weddings

Maisey Yates 

https://www.amazon.com/Other-Peoples-Weddings-romantic-bestselling-ebook/dp/B0CP21S54M/ref=sr_1_1 

The sparkling new enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates, perfect for fans of Emily Henry's You and Me on Vacation.

If Poppy Love could just avoid Ryan Clark, her life would be fine.

The brooding photographer hated her on sight when they met at twelve years old, and the feeling is mutual. And yet somehow he's always . . . there: Poppy's first wedding as a cake designer, the second wedding when a bear ate her cake, and then there was the fifth wedding when. . . well, it's probably best not to mention it, actually.

Now her best friend is getting married and moving to the other side of the world. And as if that impossible heartbreak wasn't awful enough, Poppy, as Maid of Honor, is about to be stuck with Ryan for the whole wedding trip to New Zealand, because of course he's the Best Man.

Perhaps it's time to finally call a truce. Or perhaps it's time Poppy admitted the heat between them isn't truly hate, at all. . .

Another book that reunites childhood friends, Third Time Lucky might not belong in this collection, except for the fact that their adult  "meet cute" occurs when the hero interrupts the heroine's wedding ceremony.

Third Time Lucky

Aimee Brown

https://www.amazon.com/Third-Time-Lucky-Aimee-Brown-ebook/dp/B0DP1XQCHY/ref=sr_1_1

Could a blast from the past be the secret ingredient to their future?

Asher Wright has spent his career creating and concocting the perfect dishes and is about to open his very own restaurant. Life is good. His love life, however, is far from cooking! He hasn’t thought about Lucy Gray in years – not since they both graduated, reeling from the shocking loss of her then boyfriend and his best friend Kris, who tragically died at 18. So when he witnesses the breakdown of her wedding in all its humiliating glory - old wounds and long-buried emotions resurface.

As Lucy lands a right hook on her soon-to-be ex-fiancée in front of their entire wedding party, she has a moment of realization... Love is not on the menu for her! Fate, however, has other plans... A chance twist of events lands Asher as the private chef for Lucy’s spirited grandmother, Mitzi, and what begins as awkward encounters in Mitzi’s Portland mansion soon evolves into a simmering connection she never expected.

As Asher and Lucy work through their past they discover a bond that feels both familiar and excitingly new.

Mug Shot: Texas Wildflowers

Not too much to say about this mug other than it's very pretty. I love flowers and flowered mugs hold a special place in my heart. I still miss the California Poppy mug I lost somewhere along the way. But this is cheerful, so...

What I'm Reading: The 12 Days Ultimatum

So, this book was a surprise. It doesn't appear on Lanyon's website--as far as I can tell. Personally, it's not my favorite site to try and navigate. It's not in "standalones" which it wouldn't be since I believe it's part of a series. It's also not on the series page, however. Although, to be honest, I'm not sure which series it belongs to, so I might have missed it. She's got quite a few books with FBI characters and it's been awhile. 

Lanyon is one of those authors--like me and so many others I know or knew or try to follow--whose output has slowed dramatically in the past ten years. It's been rough. 

Anyway, this is one of the better books I've read lately, even if it still catches me off-guard how emotional her FBI characters tend to be. I mean, they all claim to be good at compartmentalizing, but I think that's just one more thing they're in denial about. 

That having been said, her profilers are a lot better at reading people than the run of the mill agents, so maybe it's my own (completely non-existent) experience with FBI agents that's at fault? 

The Twelve Day Ultimatum

Josh Lanyon 

https://www.amazon.com/12-Days-Ultimatum-Josh-Lanyon-ebook/dp/B0GHPSW1ST/ref=sr_1_3

“I don’t take kindly to ultimatums.”

Nobody gives FBI Supervisory Special Agent Lucas Alexander ultimatums. His reputation as a hard-ass perfectionist is well-deserved. There’s a reason he’s the go-to person for agents, the community of Silver Pine, Idaho, and even the Salt Lake City Field Office. For Lucas, the job always comes first. Always has. 

Always will?

Because Lucas does have one weak spot, and his name is Special Agent Riley Christopher. Two days ago, Riley delivered his boss an ultimatum: prioritize their relationship or end it. Now Lucas has a choice. The job or the relationship? Lucas has to decide whether he’s capable of balancing love and duty before the twelve days of Christmas are up.

Mug Shot: Bee Kind

I always wish I could have kept bees back in the day when I had a place in which to keep bees--and the energy to do so! My son had hives on his property for a few years, but that was just far enough away that I couldn't take that on as a job and still have a life outside of bees. 

But, like with most subjects that I find fascinating, I did get to live vicariously through my characters. Lucy in A Taste of Honey, keeps bees...but I bet you guessed that from the title, huh? 

A Taste Of Honey

Oberon Book 4.0

For Lucy Greco Cavanaugh, life is a dream come true.  She has it all. The perfect family. The perfect husband. The perfect marriage. What more could she wish for?  Other than the chance to do it all again. To experience once more the agony and ecstasy of falling in love with the man of her dreams. To recapture the joy and uncertainty that comes with starting over.

As far as Dan Cavanaugh is concerned, his life has become a nightmare. His storybook marriage is on the line when Deirdre Shelton-Cooper, the runaway daughter of a former girlfriend arrives in Oberon intent on proving Dan is her father. Even though he's convinced the girl's claims are false, Dan decides his only chance to keep from losing everything lies in keeping her very existence a secret from his wife and family.

But, sometimes, what you don't know can hurt you--and those you love. When Deirdre, masquerading as a surfer girl named Monica, accidentally hooks up with their son, Seth, Lucy and Dan are left to wonder: has their perfect, fairy-tale romance, turned into a classic Greek tragedy?

 Sometimes you get exactly what you wish for.  And it's more than you'd ever dreamed.

https://books2read.com/TasteOfHoney

What I'm Reading: How to Fake it in Society (KJ Charles)

Have I mentioned how, so much of the time, Charles' regency world reminds me of Georgette Heyer?  Not a complaint. It's like finding Easter eggs when you're least expecting to. This book, for example has a premise very similar to the one in Heyer's The Reluctant Widow, which I wrote about earlier this year. And honestly? I think Charles does it better. 

How to Fake it in Society

KJ Charles

https://kjcharleswriter.com/standalone-books/

It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life.

At least, that’s what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists’ paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London . . . including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte.

Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it’s the perfect chance for him to exploit London’s newest golden purse – until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies…

Mug Shot: Blue Travel Mug

I love this mug shot. It's one of the few where the mug isn't staged but is shown in situ. And it's pretty. The steel blue of the mug, the blue sky, the blue-gray car dash is complemented by the green grass, yellow flowers and white clouds. 

I really like this mug, too. I bought it a few days before we took this trip to Mustang Island. We were shopping for last minute travel needs when I saw this mug and fell instantly in love. I love the color, the grippable surface, the handle(!), the size. My husband was less enchanted at first, but he's since come around to my way of thinking. 

It's a great mug. 

What I'm Reading: Animals and the Afterlife (Kim Sheridan)

I first read this book a few years ago after I lost my dog. We lost our other dog the following year and my grandson's puppy the year after that. So no, I am not okay. And while I am starting to get to the point where I think about maybe adopting an older pit bull (one who gets along with smaller dogs and will not try and kill the neighborhood cats) I'm not quite there yet. But I digress.

One of the things I found most interesting about this book was how much the author talked about pet rats that she and others had had. It was unusual. Most pet psychics seem to stick to more mainstream animal companions--dogs, cats, horses. Rats are outliers to some extent. Of course, there are people who might say the same about horses, but that's beside the point. 

I was at yoga last week and overheard the teacher talking about his pet rats (all dead now) and how he was thinking about getting a new one and about reincarnation, wishing he could communicate with his former pets, etc. 

I couldn't wait to suggest this book to him. And now to all of you, as well...

Animals and the Afterlife

Kim Sheridan

http://kimsheridan.com/books/

Do animals have souls?
What happens when they die?
This book offers some amazing answers…

Kim Sheridan grew up with animals as her constant companions. Each time she faced the death of a beloved animal, along with the pain came the same questions, to which she could find no answers. Then mysterious things began to happen which she could not explain. Unable to dismiss these mysterious events, Kim embarked upon what became an incredible journey to uncover the truth. Along with her own experiences, she compiled the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people from around the world. She discovered overwhelming evidence that forever erased her own doubts of an afterlife for animals. Kim’s award-winning book provides reassurance to anyone who has ever loved and lost an animal. For more information, visit: www.AnimalsAndTheAfterlife.com