At the heart of this is a laugh out loud, sexy romantic comedy, but I wasn’t invested enough in the relationship to feel the love. Essentially, our couple finds themselves in a series of outlandish situations, but the story is more about those situations and the characters responding to them rather than growing together as a couple. It lacked the swoons. But I liked this MUCH better than the first interconnected standalone in the series – I was seriously considering a 4-star rating, but it was just too easy for me to put down. There are a ton of great things about the book – the fresh voice, the inclusivity, the comedy, and the opposites attract dynamic – so it’s still got a lot of good stuff going on.
The story follows Solange, a woman who overhears a bride declaring her love to someone other than her groom on her wedding day. The groom is a friend of a friend, so Solange decides to let him know before he gets married. Except… Dean isn’t overly upset by the discovery, and he takes it better than expected. Somehow the two find themselves faking a relationship (it’s complicated), and these near-strangers are forced to navigate through some interesting situations together. Along the way, Solange realizes that the buttoned-up guy is actually pretty great, and it’s not long before their relationship starts to feel real.
I went into this with low expectations, because I wasn’t a big fan of The Worst Best Man – something about Sosa’s writing style isn’t a total win for me. So I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this was. The characters and comedy were a win this time, and the opposites attract vibe worked. I loved how different Dean and Solange are from each other, and it was fun to see Dean loosen up as the story progresses. My main issue is just that there was SO MUCH going on and the situations were fully explored, while the actual relationship between Dean and Solange was not. Sure, they were together for a significant portion of the book, but there’s a LOT of time spent explaining where they are and what they’re doing. I wanted less of that and more time developing the chemistry, which was definitely lacking. By the end, I knew they were attracted to each other, but I wasn’t convinced of the love. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this rom com.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Jo6bb3
Blurb:
The USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with another hilarious rom-com about two strangers who get trapped in a lie and have to fake date their way out of it…
Just weeks away from ditching DC for greener pastures, Solange Perreira is roped into helping her wedding planner cousin on a random couple’s big day. It’s an easy gig… until she stumbles upon a situation that convinces her the pair isn’t meant to be. What’s a true-blue romantic to do? Crash the wedding, of course. And ensure the unsuspecting groom doesn’t make the biggest mistake of his life.
Dean Chapman had his future all mapped out. He was about to check off “start a family” and on track to “make partner” when his modern day marriage of convenience went up in smoke. Then he learns he might not land an assignment that could be his ticket to a promotion unless he has a significant other and, in a moment of panic, Dean claims to be in love with the woman who crashed his wedding. Oops.
Now Dean has a whole new item on his to-do list: beg Solange to be his pretend girlfriend. Solange feels a tiny bit bad about ruining Dean’s wedding, so she agrees to play along. Yet as they fake-date their way around town, what started as a performance for Dean’s colleagues turns into a connection that neither he nor Solange can deny. Their entire romance is a sham… there’s no way these polar opposites could fall in love for real, right?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Jo6bb3
About the Author:
Mia Sosa is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have received praise and recognition from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, The Washington Post, Book Riot, Bustle, Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, and more.
A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (okay, okay, they’re sweatpants). Now she strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match.
Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and an adorable dog that rules them all.
Learn more about Mia and her books at http://www.miasosa.com, Twitter (@miasosaromance), or Instagram (@miasosaromance).
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