Author: Jasmine Guillory

Review: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Posted March 21, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments

Review: The Wedding Date by Jasmine GuilloryReviewer: Rowena
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Publisher: Penguin, Berkley
Publication Date: January 30th 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 320
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
two-stars

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel.

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend...

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other...

They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want...

I’ve been hearing such great things about this book from damn near everyone so I wanted to read this book something fierce. I was ready for a diverse romance between two perfect strangers that meet in an elevator. Sadly, this book didn’t live up to the hype and I finished this book rather disappointed in the overall reading experience.

The Wedding Date features Ms. Alexa Monroe and Dr. Drew Nichols as they meet, become friends, fall in love and then ride off into the sunset together to live happily ever after. Their adventure in love isn’t easy but in the end, they get it right and that’s that.

Alexa’s sister is in town and Alexa is meeting her at her hotel room to celebrate Olivia’s good work fortune and she runs into Drew Nichols on the elevator. When their elevator gets stuck, they get to know each other. Drew is in town for his friend’s wedding…to his ex-girlfriend and he’s dreading everything. The rehearsal dinner. The wedding ceremony. The wedding reception. Because of course, he’s in the wedding and he has to be at all of these functions. Spilling everything to this beautiful stranger in the elevator gets everything out in the open and nobody is more surprised than he is when he invites this beautiful stranger to be his date for all of it. He’s even more surprised when she agrees.

The wedding jump starts the romance between Drew and Alexa. It was a lot of fun when they were just having fun but the fun can only last so long. I enjoyed the book up until things started getting serious between these two and I think a huge chunk of my disappoint stemmed from how immature both Drew and Alexa were when things got tough. It was disappointing because they both held positions of power in their career fields (he was a doctor and she was chief of staff for the Mayor of Berkeley) and yet they lashed out like little children over things they should have been adults about.

I wasn’t a fan of the way that Alexa handled the whole 4th of July BBQ thing because 1) Drew technically didn’t do anything to her yet, 2) They never defined their relationship and 3) She never told Drew how she felt about him so for her to get mad and then string Drew into a fight so that she can have a reason to be pissed at him over was not a good look for her.

I also wasn’t a fan of the way that Drew treated his best friend Carlos. He lashed out at Carlos like Carlos was his little bitch over things that had nothing to do with Carlos. I get that they’re best friends but if my best friend talked and lashed out at me the way that Drew did to Carlos? We’d be fighting and I’d be wondering why I had such shitty friends.

Overall, there was a lot of potential here but it didn’t work for me and by the end of the book, I was just glad to be finished with it. Oh well. I had high hopes and the beginning starts off great but as the story picked up steam, my hopes fell and disappointment was left.

Grade: 2 out of 5

two-stars


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Guest Review: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Posted February 5, 2018 by Tracy in Reviews | 3 Comments

Guest Review: The Wedding Date by Jasmine GuilloryReviewer: Tracy
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Publication Date: January 30th 2018
Format: eARC
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel.

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend...

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other...

They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want...

Alexa is visiting her sister Olivia’s hotel room in order to celebrate with her as Olivia just made partner at her law firm.  While in the elevator on the way up to the room the power goes out and she’s stuck in an elevator with Dr. Drew Nichols who is San Francisco for his ex’s wedding.  They have such a good time conversing on the elevator that when they finally get out, Drew asks Alexa to the wedding with him as his date.  He unfortunately slips and says she’s his girlfriend so she has to play the part.  After the wedding their sexual tension gets the best of the two and they end up having a great time in bed together.  After that they make arrangements to fly to each other on weekends to see each other.

Alexa really liked Drew but he says that he doesn’t really “do” relationships so she tries to keep her emotions separate, but it turns out to be impossible.  Drew never has a girlfriend but when he thinks of breaking it off with Alexa it practically gives him hives because he doesn’t want that.  Unfortunately life and his ex’s get in the way of things and soon Alexa is seeing that any future relationship with Drew is impossible, or is it?

This was a really cute story. I liked how it was light-hearted for the most part and only had a couple of angsty moments.  Drew was a pretty big player but once he’d found Alexa that was it for him. Of course it took a while for him to admit that to himself but I thought he was great with her.

Alexa fell for Drew hard and fast but was reluctant to admit her feelings, which might have been a good thing.  Sometimes I think that it’s best that couples get in these arguments because it makes them see what life would be like without the other and I think it makes them appreciate the relationship so much more.  That’s not always the case, but in this book it was true.

The story is pretty simple and straightforward, getting a tad bit slow in the middle, but overall a good read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars


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Sunday Spotlight: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Posted February 4, 2018 by Holly in Features, Giveaways | 6 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Sunday Spotlight

I’ve been hearing wonderful things about this book. I’m really excited for it.

Sunday Spotlight: The Wedding Date by Jasmine GuilloryThe Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Publisher: Penguin, Berkley
Publication Date: January 30th 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 320
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel.

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend...

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other...

They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want...

Order the Book:

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || KOBO

Excerpt

THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory
Book Binge – exclusive excerpt

By the time she knocked at the door of room 1624 she was a bundle of nerves. Maybe he thought better of this? Maybe he already checked out of the hotel and forgot to tell me? Maybe he . . . She didn’t have a chance for another possible worst-case scenario before he opened the door. And then she was speechless for a moment.

She’d thought Drew was hot in his worn gray T-shirt in the elevator, and she’d thought he was hot at the rehearsal dinner, clean-shaven in his pale blue button-down shirt. Now, in a tuxedo, he was so hot she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye all night.

He wasn’t even fully in the tux—that was the worst part. He had the shirt on and the bow tie untied around his neck, with his hair still damp. He looked like every romantic comedy hero at the end of the night, just before the heroine pulled his shirt out of his pants and started unbuttoning . . .

“Hey!” He interrupted her increasingly lurid train of thought. “You’re just in time. I was about to break into the snacks.”

“Snacks?” she asked. She followed him into the room, momentarily distracted from her fantasies.

“I got us cheese and crackers . . . and beer. If this is anything like most weddings, we’re not going to eat for a while. I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink before this night gets under way.”

“You read my mind,” she said. She dropped her tote bag on his bed and hung her dress up in the closet. “I almost brought a bottle of wine, but I didn’t want to start dancing on tables before the wedding even began.”

He disappeared into the bathroom and came out a few seconds later with two bottles of beer in his hands.

“Beer’s in the bathroom sink. The champagne bucket was too small for a six-pack. Plus, there are two sinks; filling one up with ice was the biggest stroke of genius I’ve had in a while, if I do say so myself.” He cracked open both bottles, handed her one, and then raised his to her. “To my wedding date, and thanks again.”

She took a long drink of her beer and looked around the room, trying to find something to distract herself from how much she wanted to lick that drop of condensation off his lower lip. Huge king bed, neatly made up, so housekeeping must have already come and gone. A full-length mirror by the closet— great, she would need that while getting dressed. Floor-to-ceiling windows beyond the bed. She wandered over to the window, beer in hand, and glanced outside.

“Wow.” The view stretched out over the sparkling bay. She could see both the gray and white bulk of the Bay Bridge and the gleam of the Golden Gate Bridge, with the bright sun overhead.

“The view is something else, isn’t it?” he asked. He came up behind her so close she could feel his body heat. She wanted more than anything to lean back against his warm chest.

“It really is,” she said, without turning around. “Olivia was on this side of the hotel, too, but we were so busy talking I didn’t even look out the window. Josh and Molly got a perfect day for their wedding.” She turned to him, but he’d already stepped back over to the desk.

“I couldn’t compete with your fancy cheese and crackers,” he said, “but I did what I could.”

She walked over to investigate and set her beer down so that she could dig in.

“I love this stuff,” she said, dipping a Wheat Thin into the tub of herbed cream cheese.

He followed suit.

“You’re not just saying that to be nice? Or because you need to eat something so that you don’t jump up on that table and start dancing? Don’t hesitate to do that on my account, by the way.”

She took another swig of beer and grinned.

“I told you, I love all forms of cheese and crackers, even that gross stuff that I used to get in my lunch as a kid with the little red plastic spreader.”

He flopped down on the bed with his beer and grinned at her. She could just push him all the way down and unbutton that shirt of his. Would he have chest hair? If so, not too much—that glimpse of his stomach she’d had in the elevator was branded in her memory, and there hadn’t been a ton of hair there.

Oh my God, what was wrong with her? A few sips of beer and her fantasies were trying to take over.

Giveaway Alert

We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

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Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About the Author

Jasmine Guillory

WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Jasmine Guillory is a graduate of Wellesley College and Stanford Law School. She is a Bay Area native who has towering stacks of books in her living room, a cake recipe for every occasion, and upwards of 50 lipsticks.

As well as writing books, Jasmine sometimes writes about books, pop-culture, and food, some of her favorite things. Here are some of her recent pieces:

Words With Friends
The 33 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time
If Michelle Obama Were Your Girlfriend
If Nigella Lawson Were Your Girlfriend
What to Do When ICE Raids Your Restaurant
If Lupita Nyong’o Were Your Girlfriend
If Barack Obama Were Your Dad


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