The Wedding Date

by Jasmine Guillory

From the author of The Proposal, a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick!

One of Cosmopolitan's 33 Books to Get Excited About in 2018!

A feel-good romance to warm your heart, for fans of Jo Watson, Sarah Morgan and Holly Martin. A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in this 'charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel' (Roxane Gay).

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

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is not something Alexa Monroe would normally do. But Drew's proposal proves hard to resist.

After their wedding date turns into a whole weekend of fun in San Francisco, Drew and Alexa return to their all-consuming careers - his in LA and hers in Berkeley. Too bad they can't stop thinking about each other...

It could be the long-distance dating disaster of the century - or Drew and Alexa could be just a flight away from what each of them truly wants.

• ISBN10: 1683247418
• ISBN13: 9781683247418
• Publish Date: 28 May 2018 (first published 30 January 2018)
• Publish Status: Withdrawn
• Out of Print: 1 July 2021
• Imprint: Platinum Spotlight Series
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 399
• Language: English

Reviews

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

This is my first book by Jasmine Guillory and I was pleasantly surprised with how sweet and entertaining it was. While I am not yet convinced to read the entire six book series, I definitely want to check out book #2 and book #3 (especially since I was suspicious about two certain people and book #3 confirms my suspicion. I peeked ahead - sshh...it will be our little secret).

 

Some say opportunity is around every corner. Truer words have never been spoke for Drew who has found himself in a desperate situation. Having recently ended things with Emily, he was now dateless for his ex girlfriend’s wedding. Even worse, he was a groomsman! Still puzzled at how he got himself into this situation, he enters the elevator, daydreaming about this weekend finally being over. That is until a gorgeous woman joins him. He doesn’t think Alexa sees him as she is preoccupied with her phone and it is confirmed when the elevator suddenly stalls and she nearly jumps when he makes a comment. The natural flirt that he is, he passes the time making her laugh and explains his weekend situation. When the elevator starts working again, they go their separate ways until Drew decides to put all his eggs in one basket and asks Alexa to be his date (and later, thanks to his big mouth, pretend girlfriend) for the weekend. Alexa thinks the idea is crazy but when a drop dead gorgeous man with a lethal smile (who is also a doctor, mind you) asks you to be his date to a rehearsal dinner and a wedding, how can you possibly say no. Two evenings, two strangers from two separate cities, no matter what happens - she will never see him again so why not live a little.

 

This was a super cute story. I enjoyed how two people who are insanely successful and confident in their own day to day can be so confused and insecure with each other. The escalation of those insecurities was a great reminder of human behavior. The problem is not the other person, it is our own issues that we project and when we don’t communicate, it all falls apart.

 

I loved the best friends! Maggie and Carlos for the win. Carlos does deserve a reward for dealing with Drew though. I also enjoyed Alexa's "work spouse" Theo. The friendships of this book were the most fun.

 

As for the spice, while Jasmine’s scenes where heated, they remained more on the R rated side. A lot of what when down was heavily implied but she spared the descriptions and just stuck with the reactions and conclusions of events.

 

I thought the ending was very sweet and a wonderful conclusion to a heartwarming story. Overall, I did enjoy Jasmine including Alexa’s inner dialogue and outward explanations of racial perspectives. It is appreciated that Drew didn’t think of Alexa based on her race but understood when she explained how it didn’t make potential problems nonexistent.

 

While the book was 336 pages, it honestly felt like a short read. For most of it, we got to hang out with Alexa and Drew as they got to know each other. We went to work with them, we hung out with friends together, we were simply the third party to their adventure. In some cases, a reader can feel like they are on the outside when this happens but the dual POV made you feel wrapped in the action.

 

I can't wait to dive into the next two books and see what happens next. I am hoping the overlap allows us to check in Drew and Alexa as we get a chance to spend more time with Drew's best friend Carlos in Book #2.

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

The Wedding Date is the first book I read by the lovely Jasmine Guillory, and it will not be my last. I enjoyed reading this Romantic Comedy/Contemporary Romance book and look forward to diving into the next book.

Jasmine Guillory brings two characters together, Drew and Alexa, in a very awkward situation where they both get stuck in an elevator. Drew needs a date for the wedding he’s part of and doesn’t want to end up going alone. He ends up asking Alexa who he met in the elevator. They end up having to pretend they are in a relationship since Drew said Alexa is his girlfriend. After the wedding though Drew and Alexa ends up seeing each other quite a bit. There is a lot of flying back and forth to Berkley to Los Angeles and vice versa. This is when it gets tricky, and readers find out more about Drew and Alexa. Alexa is a successful, beautiful African American woman working as the Chief of Staff for the Mayor. She never thought that a handsome doctor like Drew would ask her out. Then there is Drew with his difficulty of keeping a relationship due to him not wanting to have one. He’s always breaking up with the women he dates after so long due to his reasons.

I enjoyed reading this romantic comedy/contemporary romance book and loved how Jasmine wrote about the difficulties and triumphs between Alexa and Drew.  Poor Alexa is not sure most of the time in the book on what she and Drew are, and she tends to lack confidence in herself when it comes to being with Drew. Drew was completely confused in the book on how he felt, even though there were moments of jealousy. I wish these two would’ve had the talk before they started hooking up, but they didn’t. The long-distance relationship makes it difficult for them to be together, which Jasmine brought up situations that could break them away from each other.

There were times that Alexa drove me crazy on her confidence in herself. She didn’t see Drew going out with her, even though he always let her know he loved how she looked and didn’t want her to change one bit. Drew drove me crazy too on how he put off the status between him and Alexa. Although, the drama was crazy at times the banter and humor between the two were what kept me intrigued into reading their book. The first moment they met in the elevator at the hotel, they were adorable together.

I loved how the author had Alexa and Drew come together and overcome all the challenges that they were faced with as far as a long-distance relationship and other items. I look forward to reading the next book, which involves Carlos.

Now I’m onto other review books at this time until I receive Carlos book, The Proposal from my local library.

Story Rating: 4 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3.5 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of series, but can be read as a standalone.
Do I recommend this book? Yes.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes.
Tropes/Elements: Fake/Pretend Relationship at first; Interracial Relationship
Hero: Pediatric Doctor; Has issues with keeping a relationship
Heroine: Chief of Staff for the Mayor; Lawyer; Low Confidence/Self-of-Esteem

[bookperson]

Eh. Honestly I expected more since this book often compare to Roomies by Christina Lauren.
It was sweet, but both of main characters was so annoying to me. Maybe it's because before that I read romance with strong and fierce protagonists (even though they were flawed af) and I'm honestly tired of insecure MC. 2.5 rounded up to 3.

[kymmiejournals]

The story about "Wedding Date" itself, took place in two to three chapters only, the rest is about the "date" only. How the characters decided to still keep in touch with each other after the wedding event that both of them have attended. A lot of racial issues has been raised as well. I only picked this book because of the "long-distance" relationship it promises but somehow along the story, it gets dragging and the "racist" part is annoying. I kind of want to defend Alexa because she doesn't deserve to be treated like cancer in society. She's also a human being and is entitled to have her own opinions and emotions. I guess the reason I dislike the "racist" part is because the truth hurts because we know that in reality, there are still people who think so highly of themselves and thought there's nothing wrong with judging others. It's just sickening. Although, good thing Drew grew some balls and decided to defend Alexa from his entitled selfish brat friends.

[stacey_is_sassy]

A sigh worthy love story...and doughnuts too



First up...This or That? Honestly, I love both of these equally. They both capture parts of this story and give it a quirky and original feel. I will admit that the red cover made me feel like it was a historical romance and the pinky, purpley one a more modern feel. But, I really and truly like them both equally. What do you think?

Do you know what surprised me the most about The Wedding Date? Successful people have insecurities too. If you're anything like me, you can't help but envy successful people for the confidence and self-assurance they present. I'm sure in some cases it's an act and in others they just are that bloody confident. It was nice to know that below the facade they may be shaking in their shoes...or need a doughnut or two to get through.

So, we get to meet Alexa and Drew in a very cute setting. And, like Alexa admitted, it was the stuff of romance novels. Getting stuck in a lift with a hot guy...and cheese and crackers. Straight away these two connect and it seems like Alexa was dropped into Drew's world to make his life better. Who better to take to his ex's wedding than the curvy, beautiful woman who makes him laugh?

I really liked this sweet story and enjoyed watching both Alexa and Drew fall in love. Now, I'm going to be honest, I tend to reserve the word sweet to love stories that don't give you the nitty, gritty of the bump and grind. This does not mean we don't get a bit of the "oooh...ahhhh...mmmm", we just don't get the whole shebang. Mind you, we get plenty of sexy times, and there's no way you could miss their connection. It's more like a friend telling you it was good, just not how good.

I highly recommend this sweet love story that tackles a few issues. There were some frank discussions on how judgements can be made based on colour and sex. I thought these were worded well and gave a true and insightful look at the real picture. Both Alexa and Drew have high pressure jobs that are equally important. There's also the pressure of living in different cities and only managing catch-ups on the weekends.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out The Wedding Date was this authors debut novel. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

[kimbacaffeinate]

The story that unfolds was filled with sweet moments, delicious banter and mutual respect and friendship. Along the way, we learn about Alexa's job at the Mayor's office and Drew's job as a pediatric surgeon. I love that they are both hard-working, well rounded and confident. This doesn't mean they are without flaws and communication is definitely a weakness for both when it comes to personal feelings. On the job, they got this, but expressing things to each other...oh boy!

Lack of communications, assumptions and personal fears complicated the relationship, but I could not help rooting for them. I felt Alexa's pain but also wish she had opened up more and stopped assuming she knew everything. Drew is adorkable! His inner dialogue and fears had me laughing. He spoke just like I imagine a pediatric doctor would with patience and strong listening skills.  Secondary characters, work, and family added interest and propelled some couple's fears. Aside from wanting to shake them both, the drama wasn't overdone and allowed for personal growth and reflection.

Janina Edwards narrates The Wedding Date and I thought she gave voice to both characters capturing their emotions and passions. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[girlinthepages]

There's been so much buzz around The Wedding Date for months now that I was certain it'd be a perfect read for me: diverse, set in California, adult fiction (which I've been craving more and more of these days). etc. I'm also 100% obsessed with all things wedding related since I'm in the midst of planning my own wedding, so I was thrilled to see the protagonists meet and bond over a ritzy San Francisco wedding. Unfortunately, The Wedding Date completely missed the mark for me, and has fallen to the bottom of my list of 2018 reads so far.

At its core, The Wedding Date has a cute and predictable premise: two strangers have a meet cute, decide to pose as a couple at a wedding, and then fall in love for real. It's definitely been the plot of many a movie in some way, shape or form and I was expecting a light, fun tale (bonus points once I found out the couple was comprised of a doctor and ex lawyer/successful political business women- total power couple!) It was also set in my beloved Bay Area, so there were 100 reasons why this book should have worked for me. However, it fundamentally missed the mark because I found I just did not connect with ANY of the characters. It lacked depth and the dialogue (especially at the beginning) felt almost like I was reading fan fiction. While I was expecting something light and fluffy, this read was almost too much so, and was weighed down by the classic, terrible trope of miscommunication- 90% of the issues in the book could have been avoided if the characters had just TALKED to each other. It's frustrating enough to read scenarios like that in YA when you can at least excuse the characters for being so dense because they are in high school. However, there's really no excuse for characters who are grown adults.

Alexa and Drew's relationship also felt like it didn't have a lot of growth. While I was happy to see that the book extended past the wedding weekend (so I wasn't expected to believe ~true love~ could happen in 48 hours), when they were together every weekend for the next month or so, all they did was eat food, be intimate, and not tell each other important things. I know they were in the honeymoon phase of a new relationship and all that, but it was so predictable and boring after a while. I honestly was so much more interested in Drew and Alexa as individuals and enjoyed the portions of the novel that focused on their careers significantly more than I did any passages about their relationship (or pining for each other, usually after a big drama that could have completely been avoided with like a two minute conversation).

While the book didn't work for me overall, there were some highlights- it was made very clear that Alexa had more of a normal/curvy body type, it showed a positive relationship with food (donuts especially) and it didn't shy away from discussing race or uncomfortable situations, and of course featured an interracial relationship. I felt like the bones of a good story were there, but the dialogue, repetitious plot happenings, and overall cheesiness outweighed the positives for me in this story, big time.

Overall: The Wedding Date is my biggest 2018 release letdown so far. I had to push myself to finish it and I became frustrated quickly with the lack of communication trope that became the foundation for the plot. Some good basic elements to this story, but the execution fell very, very short for me.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages

[jamiereadthis]

Not feeling this at all. Abandoning at halfway. So! Many! Exclamation points! In this dialogue!

[Rowena]

I need to sleep on this one because right now? I’m waffling on my rating. I went into this book expecting a fabulous romance and I was disappointed for sure. The hero and the heroine both spent their fair share of this book pissing me off and yet I read this book twice in the last week so that I can cement my feelings for everything. In the end, this book gets 2.5 stars from me.

Full review to come soon.

[Leigha]

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Two professionals fake a relationship for a wedding in this cute, if formulaic, romance.

Drew and Alexa are two attractive and successful professionals stuck in an elevator. When Drew asks Alexa to attend a wedding as his faux girlfriend, their lives change forever. These two characters are engaging and funny, particularly when they are flirting with each other. However, Alexa is by far the more engaging of the two. She deals with interesting personal and professional issues on top of the romance, creating an authentic and captivating character.

While this book is cute, it's also formulaic and angst-filled. Alexa and Drew's drama felt contrived at times. It would have been far more interesting to see these two characters deal with the drama of long distance dating than how to define their relationship.

tl;dr A cute romance with a captivating female protagonist and angst-filled drama.