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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Lauren Layne's newest series, The Wedding Belles, is kicked off with a wonderful story line and some endearing characters. This is only the second book by her that I've read but I see a future as an Lauren Layne one click fan. Within the first few pages I fell for Seth, and then when I met Brooke, it seemed they were fated for some type of relationship as Brooke escapes her status an a duped bride and finds her world suddenly filled with Seth Tyler as she plans his sister Mayas' wedding
What I love about Laurens characters is that they are multi-dimensional but not over complicated. She uses the story line to advance their back stories so we can understand what motivates them. They are contemplative which makes reading them a joy. With Brooke, her own fiance's deception is enough to make her question her own judgement yet she remains optimistic, but only for others.
"She was a romantic, sure, but she was also deliberate in her romanticism. As though her unshakable belief in happily ever after was a conscious decision rather than a default fantasy born out of naivete." ~ Seth
With Seth, his life is really filled with work, and his own lack luster relationship history is a great excuse to avoid getting involved. But once Brooke and Seth begin to relax around each other and the conversation begins to flow, the connection can't be stopped.
"You were so reserved and yet so forward. The contradiction was puzzling, and I wanted to know what you wanted." ~ Brooke
As the story line progresses he inserts himself in Brooke's life and try as she might, she can't ignore him or their growing attraction. It 's no surprise that this leads to lots of flirting (and some very well done sexy scenes). There's also bit of drama. as Seth makes some bad decisions that create a divide between them. I thought his actions were sweet in that over protective way, but it gives us some angst.
But a series about wedding planners must be filled with hope for love and Layne does a really stellar job delivering that with smart characters and great dialogue. the ending gave me the sometimes elusive warm fuzzies and those tears that prickle at the back of the eye. When my husband asked what I was reading ( what would give me watery eyes?) and I gave him the title, he said "Awe" in such a sweet tone it gave me my very warm and fuzzy moment. YAY me :-) 4.5 Stars and recommendation.
* I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
What I love about Laurens characters is that they are multi-dimensional but not over complicated. She uses the story line to advance their back stories so we can understand what motivates them. They are contemplative which makes reading them a joy. With Brooke, her own fiance's deception is enough to make her question her own judgement yet she remains optimistic, but only for others.
"She was a romantic, sure, but she was also deliberate in her romanticism. As though her unshakable belief in happily ever after was a conscious decision rather than a default fantasy born out of naivete." ~ Seth
With Seth, his life is really filled with work, and his own lack luster relationship history is a great excuse to avoid getting involved. But once Brooke and Seth begin to relax around each other and the conversation begins to flow, the connection can't be stopped.
"You were so reserved and yet so forward. The contradiction was puzzling, and I wanted to know what you wanted." ~ Brooke
As the story line progresses he inserts himself in Brooke's life and try as she might, she can't ignore him or their growing attraction. It 's no surprise that this leads to lots of flirting (and some very well done sexy scenes). There's also bit of drama. as Seth makes some bad decisions that create a divide between them. I thought his actions were sweet in that over protective way, but it gives us some angst.
But a series about wedding planners must be filled with hope for love and Layne does a really stellar job delivering that with smart characters and great dialogue. the ending gave me the sometimes elusive warm fuzzies and those tears that prickle at the back of the eye. When my husband asked what I was reading ( what would give me watery eyes?) and I gave him the title, he said "Awe" in such a sweet tone it gave me my very warm and fuzzy moment. YAY me :-) 4.5 Stars and recommendation.
* I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am all for any story that encourages ways to empower one's self. Lauren Layne does inspiring, entertaining and romantic. To Have and To Hold reads like a country western song. Brooke has bitten used, confused and left with a broken heart, now she has to figure out how to rise above it all, to make a fresh start. With her reputation in tatters and her business on the verge collapse, proving herself capable and reliable is essential. In walks Seth. Arrogant, irritating and irresistible. Mixing business with pleasure would be career suicide for her pocketbook, but instrumental in mending her heart. Will she risk it all for her own happy ending? With To Have and to Hold, Ms. Layne has written a song of love that is sinful, sexy and sentimental. Tempting fun.
Please note that I gave this book 4.5 stars but rounded it to 5 stars on Goodreads.
I previously read the novella and decided to give this series a go since I really couldn't stomach anything more than romance novels this weekend.
The first book in the series follows new Wedding Belle wedding planner Brooke Baldwin. After a scandal has Brooke fleeing from California to New York, she is decidedly done with any romance. Having a wedding to plan with a hotel heiress should be a piece of cake for Brooke, but then she meets the bride's brother Seth Tyler and finds herself thinking about him and wondering how they would be together.
Seth for his part is not worried about getting married anytime soon, after misjudging where he was in a past relationship he has decided that marriage and him don't mix. Focused on making sure his sister isn't about to marry someone she should not, Seth decides to use Brooke to keep an eye on the groom. Of course he starts thinking about how good he and Brooke would be together and pretty soon romance follows.
Well this is a romance first for me. I loved the hero (Seth) more than the heroine in this book (Brooke). I liked that Layne chose to do a third person story with alternating POVs between Brooke and Seth. A lot of times romance books choose to focus on just the women, or if they do include the men I find most of them pretty freaking unappealing. But for some bizarre reason Seth really got to me while reading. He blames himself for his father's death and wants to keep his sister safe from what he perceives is a fortune hunter. When he starts to fall for Brooke, he wants to do what he can to keep her safe and that means making sure her past doesn't have a way of harming her future.
Though Brooke is all about the happily ever aspect of weddings and being angry at Seth for not trusting his sister's groom to be, when you find out her backstory I had a hard time with her head in the sand approach. I didn't want Brooke to be cynical, but she was naive about way too many things and didn't ever really seem to get closure on her past. I also thought it was weird that no one in Brooke's past really seemed to keep in touch with her. I always find it odd in books when a character moves that no one from families or close friends calls to check in on them unless it's integral to the plot.
I thought the secondary characters were hit or miss. Seth's sister Maya was very well developed as was Seth's best friend Grant. But I actually thought the other wedding belles (Heather and Alexis were not that developed) were barely in this story, which didn't make a lot of sense since books #2 and #3 are about them. Also I had a hard time with Brooke's boss Alexis giving her the go ahead to get involved with the guy who was paying for a potential wedding. The whole thing smacked of being unprofessional, and when things blow up (of course they did) it causes a lot of problems for all people concerned.
I liked the writing and the sex scenes were great. And I definitely got chemistry vibes from the characters of Seth and Brooke which is great. The flow was a bit lacking though in the middle I thought. I think the antagonism between Brooke and Seth ran too long and also we don't get enough opportunities to look at Brooke's past besides a phone or text from her parents. So when those things happen in the story, it just made it stop a bit for me.
The ending of book #1 definitely had me excited for book #2.
I previously read the novella and decided to give this series a go since I really couldn't stomach anything more than romance novels this weekend.
The first book in the series follows new Wedding Belle wedding planner Brooke Baldwin. After a scandal has Brooke fleeing from California to New York, she is decidedly done with any romance. Having a wedding to plan with a hotel heiress should be a piece of cake for Brooke, but then she meets the bride's brother Seth Tyler and finds herself thinking about him and wondering how they would be together.
Seth for his part is not worried about getting married anytime soon, after misjudging where he was in a past relationship he has decided that marriage and him don't mix. Focused on making sure his sister isn't about to marry someone she should not, Seth decides to use Brooke to keep an eye on the groom. Of course he starts thinking about how good he and Brooke would be together and pretty soon romance follows.
Well this is a romance first for me. I loved the hero (Seth) more than the heroine in this book (Brooke). I liked that Layne chose to do a third person story with alternating POVs between Brooke and Seth. A lot of times romance books choose to focus on just the women, or if they do include the men I find most of them pretty freaking unappealing. But for some bizarre reason Seth really got to me while reading. He blames himself for his father's death and wants to keep his sister safe from what he perceives is a fortune hunter. When he starts to fall for Brooke, he wants to do what he can to keep her safe and that means making sure her past doesn't have a way of harming her future.
Though Brooke is all about the happily ever aspect of weddings and being angry at Seth for not trusting his sister's groom to be, when you find out her backstory I had a hard time with her head in the sand approach. I didn't want Brooke to be cynical, but she was naive about way too many things and didn't ever really seem to get closure on her past. I also thought it was weird that no one in Brooke's past really seemed to keep in touch with her. I always find it odd in books when a character moves that no one from families or close friends calls to check in on them unless it's integral to the plot.
I thought the secondary characters were hit or miss. Seth's sister Maya was very well developed as was Seth's best friend Grant. But I actually thought the other wedding belles (Heather and Alexis were not that developed) were barely in this story, which didn't make a lot of sense since books #2 and #3 are about them. Also I had a hard time with Brooke's boss Alexis giving her the go ahead to get involved with the guy who was paying for a potential wedding. The whole thing smacked of being unprofessional, and when things blow up (of course they did) it causes a lot of problems for all people concerned.
I liked the writing and the sex scenes were great. And I definitely got chemistry vibes from the characters of Seth and Brooke which is great. The flow was a bit lacking though in the middle I thought. I think the antagonism between Brooke and Seth ran too long and also we don't get enough opportunities to look at Brooke's past besides a phone or text from her parents. So when those things happen in the story, it just made it stop a bit for me.
The ending of book #1 definitely had me excited for book #2.
This didn’t work for me. In some ways it kind of felt like a pale imitation of her Sex, Love, & Stiletto/Oxford series, which was a series I was already getting kind of tired of. The main problem for me was that I could never really get into the romance. There was way too much instalust right off the bat, which I typically don’t like (although otherwise well-developed romances can usually get me past instalust), and I never really bought the transition from lust to love, which was also a problem with the last Lauren Layne book I read, Good Girl. Seth was mostly fine as a character (not a character I loved, but not one that I had major issues with), but Brooke kind of drove me crazy.
The main reason this is getting 3 stars and not any lower is that I really liked Maya, and I was super into the background romance between her and Grant. I was so into the set-up for that and was at first hoping they would get their own book, or at least a novella, but the end of this made it seem like that won’t be the case. Which is super frustrating, since
Anyways, I feel like I’ve definitely been less into Lauren Layne’s recent books, but I love some of her older books enough that I’ll probably keep reading whatever she comes out with. And at the very least, I’m into the set-up for Alexis/Logan from this book, and that’s apparently going to be the romance in the 3rd book in this series, so I’ll check that out at least.
Spoiler
I really did NOT understand Brooke’s reaction to finding out about the private investigator. Especially her saying that what Seth did was as bad as what Clay did, or possibly WORSE. Like, seriously??? Finding out your fiance is a conman on your WEDDING DAY via the FBI coming to ARREST him is somehow BETTER than finding out your boyfriend of like a couple weeks (and not even really boyfriend, more like the guy she had hooked up with a couple times) hired a private investigator to look into his sister’s fiance who he didn’t trust and into his girlfriend’s conman ex who was out of prison? Seriously??? I’m not saying that Seth wasn’t being overly controlling or too meddlesome or whatever, but like… he wasn’t WRONG, and surely him finding out about Ned/Neil that way was preferable to Ned/Neil conning Maya and taking all her money after they get married, right??? And it was just bizarre to me that Brooke wouldn’t let herself see it from Seth’s side considering what she went through! Like, surely she would’ve preferred someone find out about Clay and tell her BEFORE the wedding so she wouldn’t find out via the FBI crashing the ceremony. I don’t know, like, I get her being a little upset, but comparing Ned/Neil conning Maya so he can pay off his $800,000 debt to Seth being overprotective of his sister and girlfriend and using a private investigator to see if his doubts are unfounded is fairly ridiculous to me.The main reason this is getting 3 stars and not any lower is that I really liked Maya, and I was super into the background romance between her and Grant. I was so into the set-up for that and was at first hoping they would get their own book, or at least a novella, but the end of this made it seem like that won’t be the case. Which is super frustrating, since
Spoiler
WE DON’T EVEN GET TO SEE THEM GET TOGETHER!!! All we get is like a throwaway mention that they finally got together, which I almost missed it was so quick. If they couldn’t get their own book/novella, the very least we could’ve gotten was a love confession scene between them!!!Anyways, I feel like I’ve definitely been less into Lauren Layne’s recent books, but I love some of her older books enough that I’ll probably keep reading whatever she comes out with. And at the very least, I’m into the set-up for Alexis/Logan from this book, and that’s apparently going to be the romance in the 3rd book in this series, so I’ll check that out at least.
Lauren Layne has a fun new series on her hands! Centered around an elite bridal coordination company called The Wedding Belles, the series appears to follow each one, just like with the Stiletto gals!
This one starts with Brooke, new to New York after having to flee her own wedding coordination company when she was left in shock as her husband-to-be was arrested while they were at the altar! Leaving LA, she moves to the East Coast to join the Belles and her first client is the hotel heiress Maya Tyler.
While Maya is excited about her fiance and upcoming wedding, her brother Seth isn't on board. He's suspicious of Maya's man, and insists of being involved in the wedding planning so that he can keep an eye on this dude and find out what secrets he's holding. Seth is blindsided by Brooke, and his reaction to her.
Seth and his BFF Grant have a conversation early on and Grant NAILS it: "So let me get this straight. Maya's marrying a douche bag out for her money, and you're trying to run interference by getting involved in the wedding planning, except the wedding planner's got your D in a tangle."
Yup. Plot summary right there.
Filled with the banter and charming characters you'd expect from a LL novel, this one was an entertaining read. This one left me feeling sad for Brooke and Maya, frustrated with Seth for being a typical Alpha man - stubborn and brooding, and in the end rooting for all of them! Looking forward to the rest in this series.
This one starts with Brooke, new to New York after having to flee her own wedding coordination company when she was left in shock as her husband-to-be was arrested while they were at the altar! Leaving LA, she moves to the East Coast to join the Belles and her first client is the hotel heiress Maya Tyler.
While Maya is excited about her fiance and upcoming wedding, her brother Seth isn't on board. He's suspicious of Maya's man, and insists of being involved in the wedding planning so that he can keep an eye on this dude and find out what secrets he's holding. Seth is blindsided by Brooke, and his reaction to her.
Seth and his BFF Grant have a conversation early on and Grant NAILS it: "So let me get this straight. Maya's marrying a douche bag out for her money, and you're trying to run interference by getting involved in the wedding planning, except the wedding planner's got your D in a tangle."
Yup. Plot summary right there.
Filled with the banter and charming characters you'd expect from a LL novel, this one was an entertaining read. This one left me feeling sad for Brooke and Maya, frustrated with Seth for being a typical Alpha man - stubborn and brooding, and in the end rooting for all of them! Looking forward to the rest in this series.
2.5 stars
Generally this was fine. I like Brooke and Seth individually and liked them as a couple. It's just that much of the book was focused on Seth doing 'secret' background checks on his sister's fiancée and Brooke's previous fiancée. I honestly don't see why that was an issue. A very rich man is going to automatically do that. It would've been nice if he told them he was doing it, but they should also have known it would happen.
I understand the struggle to come up with new issues and problems for a fictional couple to face, but this one was just silly. Layne should've crossed it off her idea list and moved on.
Generally this was fine. I like Brooke and Seth individually and liked them as a couple. It's just that much of the book was focused on Seth doing 'secret' background checks on his sister's fiancée and Brooke's previous fiancée. I honestly don't see why that was an issue. A very rich man is going to automatically do that. It would've been nice if he told them he was doing it, but they should also have known it would happen.
I understand the struggle to come up with new issues and problems for a fictional couple to face, but this one was just silly. Layne should've crossed it off her idea list and moved on.
3.7/5
Ligerito, romántico y entretenido. Me recordó un poco a la película The Wedding Planer.
Ligerito, romántico y entretenido. Me recordó un poco a la película The Wedding Planer.
3.5 stars ✨ considering I started this in february and finished it in july I would not rank this among my favorite lauren layne books (the literal conning and deceit were... not my favorite additions to a book?) but I love wedding planner romances so. nevertheless we persist.
I liked everything except for the FMC. I just do not understand her.
She got her heart broken, was absolutely devastated and felt betrayed because her fiancé was arrested at the altar (he's a conman).
Her new client is now about to marry a con-man but instead of being suspicious of him, of supporting or at least understanding the MMC who poked around and found out about the debts, the lies, the manipulation, she gets pissed?
"Let her make her own mistakes"?! What in the hell?
"This is not love" but letting your loved one marry a conman is?
Would you not want to save another women the heartbreak, humiliation and drama that you just went through yourself?
I just did not get it.
Otherwise I loved everything though. Loved him - as always. Loved the sister - which surprised me but she was a lot more sensible about it all than the FMC. Loved the best friend - sad that he will not get his own book (probably). Even the Wedding Bells I adore.
She got her heart broken, was absolutely devastated and felt betrayed because her fiancé was arrested at the altar (he's a conman).
Her new client is now about to marry a con-man but instead of being suspicious of him, of supporting or at least understanding the MMC who poked around and found out about the debts, the lies, the manipulation, she gets pissed?
"Let her make her own mistakes"?! What in the hell?
"This is not love" but letting your loved one marry a conman is?
Would you not want to save another women the heartbreak, humiliation and drama that you just went through yourself?
I just did not get it.
Otherwise I loved everything though. Loved him - as always. Loved the sister - which surprised me but she was a lot more sensible about it all than the FMC. Loved the best friend - sad that he will not get his own book (probably). Even the Wedding Bells I adore.