Book Review: Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Title: Party of Two

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Series/Standalone: The Wedding Date Series (Book #5)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance

Pages: 312

Publisher: Berkley Books

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"A chance meeting with a handsome stranger turns into a whirlwind affair that gets everyone talking.

Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can't resist-- it is chocolate cake, after all.

Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble-- not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max's high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?"

My Rating: 1.5/5

I think that this author and I just aren't a good fit together. It could be because these are fast-paced romances that usually have people in their mid-30s, and I am currently in my mid-20s. Or it could be the writing style, but these books haven't been hitting me the way they seem to other people. I've decided to call it quits with this author, just not for me. This book really seemed focused on two high-power people working to compromise in a way to be together. The dialogue was ridiculous, the intense interest in food in these never fails to entertain, but is slightly confusing. Not what I hoped for going into the holiday season.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

Title: Royal Holiday

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Series/Standalone: The Wedding Date (Book #4)

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction, Holiday

Pages: 304

Publisher: 2019

Year Published: Berkley

Format: Audiobook

"Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie's work trip to England to style a royal family member she can't refuse. She's excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn't expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.

Malcolm Hudson has worked for the queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour- until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.

Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year's Day... or are they?"

My Rating: 5/5

This was such a great romance for me. I know that it's a Christmas book, but I was fine with reading it at the end of summer. The difference between this book and other books that I've read by this author is the character's age range. They are older, in their 50s I would think, and they knew what they wanted from each other. They knew how to flirt, and there wasn't a huge miscommunication plot that derailed the relationship. It was great to see characters find love again and watch them explore London together. I would highly recommend to people who don't like indecisiveness in their romance.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

Title: The Wedding Party

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Series/Standalone: The Wedding Date (Book #3)

Genre: Adult, Romance

Pages: 351

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"Maddie and Theo have two things in common:

1. Alexa is their best friend.

2. They hate each other

After an 'Oops, we made a mistake' kiss, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa's wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they're comfortable with. underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won't fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn't looking.

But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don't fall in love."

My Rating: 4/5

This was exactly what I have been wanting from Jasmine Guillory books. As I continue with the series the characters get increasingly complex and far more interesting in their narrative. I also have enjoyed the slight plot that has been going on within the books. It's lovely to see past characters and where they end up in the future. It's also lovely to see that the conflict has become more believable over time. I think that's something I struggle with sometimes in romance because my partner and I strongly believe in communication so when the conflict is just miscommunication I become frustrated. The only reason this book didn't get a 5/5 is that I don't like mainly fade to black sex scenes, it's just not what I'm looking for if I'm reading a romance. Someone I watch on booktube also pointed out how big of a thing food is in these books and now I can't help but notice the detail that is given almost too much detail. Will I be reading the Christmas book in summer? Why of course!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny 

Book Review: The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

Title: The Proposal

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Series/Standalone: Series (Companion) (The Wedding Date Book #2)

Genre: Adult, Romance

Pages: 325

Publisher: Berkley Books

Year Published: 2018

Format: Audiobook

"The Author of the Wedding Date serves up a novel about what happens when a public proposal doesn't turn into a happy ending, thanks to a woman who knows exactly how to make one of her own...

When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn't come as a surprise-- or happen in front of 45,000 people.

When a freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn't the hard part-- they've only been dating for five months, and he can't even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans...

At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik's rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He's even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik's social media blows up---in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can't be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes...."

My Rating: 3/5

This was far more my speed than the first book in this series. This book still had a very quick and fun romance, without being quite as insta-lovey. I think that these two characters were better suited to each other and we knew more about them than we did about other characters in the past novel. It was nice to see the past characters but was glad that this didn't have too much about their lives in it. I will say that the conflict was insanely small. I did struggle with the way time goes in these books, all of a sudden it's been 5 weeks, and I don't realize how much time has passed. Could be just a problem I'm having. I do plan to listen to the next companion book on audio.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Title: The Wedding Date

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Series/Standalone: The Wedding Date Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult, Romance

Pages: 317

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2018

Format: Audiobook

"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 Berkley, 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."

My Rating: 2.5/5

I really wanted to enjoy this romance. I felt lately like I need something lighter, and this was light, but almost too much. You may be wondering what I mean about that so let me explain. I don't think that this romance book really went there. I wasn't cheering on the couple, not that I didn't want them to be there I was just passively watching it. It didn't go into massive details during the sex scenes, but it also didn't go into detail on their dates, or any of their time together. It was all so surface level. I wanted to care more, but it's hard to care when you're being told how things are not shown. I do plan to read the next book just to see if things dig deeper, but I don't currently have high hopes.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny