Once upon a time back in college Max would walk Sarah back to the dorms from the campus library. Her knight made sure she got home safely, teased, flirted and became a friend. He also became the man she’d have liked in a more personal way but for his own reasons Max felt he wasn’t good enough for Sarah and they parted ways. Now, eight years later, they are both in the same city, in the same bar and history might be about to repeat itself.

Sarah never understood why Max turned her down all those years ago. But she couldn’t change the past – still the present just might be exactly what she needs to relieve herself of a pesky little problem before hitting the crown jewel of her career – New York City. If only she can keep her emotions in check, and be willing to leave when the time came. Walking away from Max this time was going to be even worse than the first time they parted, this time she knew she loved the stubborn man.

The Wedding Date Bargain is a light hearted, fun and charming romance between two people who should have always been together. Max can be a stubborn fool and a bit commitment phobic but the way he reacts to Sarah being around any other guy is quite telling. Sarah may have been engaged, she may have been holding back since that break up but she knows what she wants, if not for the true reasons. Max has always been “it” for her, even when he turned away. Now they have a second chance, if only they can be brave enough to grab each other and hold on.

I enjoyed my time with Max and Sarah. Their romance is fun, a bit steamy at times, and a fun take on the friends to lovers theme. If you enjoy Romance then The Wedding Date Bargain is a story that should be on your reading radar. Although it’s the second in the series, you don’t “have” to have read the first but I’d recommend it for they are both fun charming love stories.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

The Wedding Date Bargain is the second book in Mira Lyn Kelly's The Wedding Date series. If you've read May the Best Man Win, you'll recognize Max Brandt from the group of longtime friends who seem to attend a lot of weddings. Well, while attending such a wedding Max is taken aback by the appearance of his friend from college Sarah Cole. 

Eight years ago, Sarah and Max could have been the thing fairy-tales are made of, except when Sarah was ready to take the next step with Max - and sub-sequentially lose her virginity in the process - he turned her down. Flash forward, and due to other events in Sarah's love life, she's still holding onto her V-card, and she just so happens to run into Max during a bachelor party. 

Well, sparks definitely fly between the two as though no time has passed at all. The only problem being, Chicago is only an interim stop for Sarah before she moves to Manhattan for a job promotion. She'd love to have what she sees as her little problem taken care of once and for all before she leaves, and she'd love Max to be the one to help her out. 

Max, on the other hand, still feels like Sarah deserves her first time to be special. So he proposes a plan. A plan that sounded better in his mind than in execution because as both Sarah and Max begin to ultimately fall for one another, they still try to hold on to their preconceived notions of what that other wants. 

I like the idea behind The Wedding Date Bargain. It's kind of a second-change romance and those are some of my favorite to read, but I couldn't help but feel like things between Max and Sarah felt a little clunky in places. Each of them have has incidents in their pasts that now shape how they look at their present and their futures. I felt like it took too much time to truly convey this message in the story though. I wanted more show and less tell, because when we only got the tell (and therefore partial bits and pieces of the story) things just didn't mesh together well enough. The back and forth between them on what they're feeling or what they should be feeling was oftentimes confusing because they so obviously wanted to be in the same place. When their pasts take a backseat in regards to influencing their presents things run much smoother in the storyline. But using their pasts to bring up current misconceptions was hit or miss for me while reading. 

Overall, I do enjoy this series. I'm very interested to get the rest of the friends's stories and the ending definitely gives us a hint as to what we can expect in the next book, and that's got me really excited.

Loved This book, it was sweet and perfectly written. Max is such a great character and so likeable. I love seeing this story play out for Max and Sarah. I know Mira Lyn Kelly will give a book to remember and this is that book. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a fairly quick read for me and it was okay overall.  There was not a wow factor about this because, simply put, the characters had no personality.  This story revolves around a 28-year old virgin and a cop.  These two characters met back in college and while Sarah wanted a one-night stand back then, Max wanted more from her.  Now back in Chicago for two months before she goes to her permanent job in New York, Sarah wants to get rid of her v-card and what better person than Max, the guy who she has been crushing on since college. This story confuses me because it is obvious that Max has strong feelings for Sarah and wants a relationship with her, but when the opportunity presents its self, he turns it down.  Throughout the entire book, Max is saying how much he wants Sarah, but goes through unnecessary loops to finally admit his feelings. 

Now let me go back to the part where I said that the characters had no personality. Sarah works with a hotel marketing department and besides that information, there is nothing more that she has going on.  Sarah was not relatable or interesting and I struggled to cheer for her and Max.  Speaking of Max, he is a police officer who rarely works.  The subject of his work has come up only a handful of times and I would have liked to go more in depth with that because obviously it is part of him as a character.  Max was not a charismatic hero and his logic made no sense when it came to Sarah.

To conclude this review, this book is a solid read, but it did not hold my interest at all until the last part of the book.  When everything hits the fan at around the 70%, things begin to get a little more exciting. Other than the good ending, which saves this story, the books is just words on a page and there is no spark and no connection between the characters or the reader.  Three Stars and the ending saved this story definitely.

Myra Lynn Kelly is one of those authors that if one of her books is on my TBR list I know I can pick-up and will easily get sucked into.  The Wedding Date Bargain was no exception.  I totally fell for Sarah and Max as a couple and the whole group of friends and really didn't want the book to end.  This was definitely one of those times where I wished this was the second book in an established ten book series, but who am I kidding, I'd be through that in two weeks easily and still have the end of series blues times ten.  My point is that the story is great but the characters are amazing and I highly recommend this book.  I actually did immediately text my friend and tell her she needed to read the first one and then immediately move on to this one, which I typically do not do.

Max and Sarah knew each other in college but parted ways. 8 years later, they run into each other again and the chemistry is still there. 

Sarah is only in town for a small amount of time before she's off to New York for her dream job. On the way to that new phase in life, she's looking for help. To lose her virginity. And Max is just the guy to do it. 

However, Sarah is looking towards her future. All Max sees is his past. Will he be able to help Sarah? No strings attached for a few months...nothing can go wrong. Right?

This is another fun, sexy, angsty story by Mira Lyn Kelly. I loved the banter between Sarah and Max and I totally fell in love with the both of them. Sarah knew what she wanted/needed and at times I just wanted to throw something at Max! The dates that the two of them go on? One word...HOT. The entire story line was entertaining as were all of the friends thrown into the mix. 

What a wonderful story!

I've read one other book by Mira Lyn Kelly and it was Waking Up Married. I immediately loved her writing style, the way her banter was witty between the friends, the spark her two main characters caused to explode, and the way she put a little of angst in her light-hearted stories. 

The Wedding Date Bargain was one in the same, eliciting the same swirl of feelings inside me all over again. The secondary characters had so much to give the lead characters and were in a way detrimental to this plot, but in no way did they steal the shine or overshadow them. 

Max and Sarah were indeed friends to lovers who had a relationship that would make anyone jealous. They're so good together and the chemistry between the two of them came flying off the pages at me in every direction. Though sometimes the story read very familiar to me, things didn't always go as I initially thought they would, warranting a shock factor in me. 

The Wedding Date Bargain was a quick, sweet and sexy romance that gave me laughs and made me swoon. I look forward to reading more from this author!!

It starts with one of those unique to romance novel set ups -- used to be best friends, meet again at a wedding, she's still a virgin, he decides he'll help her with her "problem." I honestly think this book would have been just fine without the "still a virgin" hook and some of the talk surrounding that problem didn't fit the character, but I still really enjoyed this book. Once that issue was not the central focus anymore, it turned into a really sweet romance novel and I just enjoyed it. The male character was better written than the heroine whose character seemed a little contradictory at times. It was a good read and I'd recommend it for those who enjoy a romance with a happy ending.

Every time I open a Mira Lyn Kelly book I know that I'm in for an awesome story. She has the awesome ability to craft a story that burns slowly and keeps me turning pages with an urgency I can't really describe. I think I'm having a love affair with her words. 

Max and Sarah had a bit of a "thing" in college but were not on the same page about it and parted ways, only to run into each other 8 years later. The years might have passed but the chemistry between them is still there and a lot harder for Max to avoid. 

Sarah is only in town for a transitional period before she's off to New York for her dream job. There just one little thing she needs to take care of before she gets there. Her virginity. Who better to help her than her college crush turned sexy as hell policeman. 

She's running towards her future and he's running away from his past. 

Another slow burning, sexy, fun story from Mira Lyn Kelly, this had just the right amount of angst without the drama being dragged out. Max will make you angry but then he'll turn around and make you fall in love all over again. The dates, the seduction and the easy banter between Sarah and Max was exactly what made me fall in love with this story. 

The secondary characters and the fantastic dynamic of this group of friends has me yearning for a night hanging out at Belfast throwing some darts and drinking a few beers. They definitely help to round out the story and amp up my excitement for the next books in the series. I can't wait for Sean's story!!!

‘The Wedding Date Bargain’ is my first Mira Lyn Kelly book, which I enjoyed reading. I will definitely be reading the first book ‘May the Best Man Win’ and if I am not mistaken (I am also hopeful that I am right) at the end of the book Mira Lyn Kelly gave little hints that there will be a next book in the series and I am really curious about that too because of the hero and heroine of that book. (I am not giving hints read ‘The Wedding Date Bargain’ and you will see in the epilogue :) )

Back to our story Sarah Cole and Max Brandt knew each other from college but didn’t see each other after graduation. Sarah is beautiful, strong, and smart. All her focused is on her career and after she gets the promotion she dreamt for a long time, she finds herself back in Chicago for two months. Even though she will be working during her time in Chicago, she considers this as a two months vacation. Ohh! Did I mention that she is also a twenty-eight years old virgin. Her time in Chicago gets interesting when she runs into her college crush Max after eight years. Since she is spending two months in Chicago and run into her college crush, she thinks it is best that she takes care of her virginity problem by the help of Max. Max is known as a lady’s man. He is sexy, charming, loyal and sweet. Chemistry between Sarah and Max is explosive. They are both attracted to each other. Back in college even though Max liked Sarah, he didn’t act on it because he thought he wasn't good enough for Sarah. So when Sarah asks Max for help with her virginity, he rejects her. Because even after eight years apart, he still thinks he is not good enough for her and he is scared that Sarah needs more than sex from him, which he is not willing to offer because of his commitment issues. When they decide to start their two months long fling, both Sarah and Max is determined not to get their feelings in the way and ruin their friendship. Will they be able to keep their feelings in check or will their friendship end by the end of their fling? That is for you too find out :)

Even though last part was dragging and both Sarah and Max being so clueless was kind of annoying, beginning of the story was very attention-grabbing and fast. I also loved the secondary characters in the book. It was really cute to see how Max’s friends took Sarah in fast and the dynamics in the group and their friendship was fun and interesting. Even though, ‘The Wedding Date Bargain’ is the second book of the ‘Wedding Date’ series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I will definitely read the other titles in the series.

Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.

The Wedding Date Bargain, by Mira Lyn Kelly is an interesting contemporary romance filled with unrequited love, on-going drama, and plenty of issues to resolve.

Max Brandt and Sarah Cole, former friends from college, meet up again at a wedding. After a lot of wavering, they decide to date with a time limit, since Sarah is moving away for a job. As the story unfolds, this temporary relationship turns into Sarah still wanting more (yet having a secret) and Max claiming that they can only be friends, while he secretly wants Sarah to only be his.

Also, the secondary characters, primarily a close-knit group of friends, provides intriguing and often humorous interactions with Max and Sarah.
 
As the second book in the The Wedding Date series, it's recommended to start with the first book, May the Best Man Win, yet it's not necessary to read the books in order. With such dynamic interactions between the group of friends, I'm interested in reading future books in this series, too.

The Wedding Date Bargain is an interesting book with intriguing characters, and it's geared towards those who enjoy reading modern romances.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

4 - "You with the lines..." Stars!

The Wedding Date Bargain is the second book in Mira Lynn Kelly’s Wedding Date Series. Max Brandt and Sarah Cole are your quintessential friends who are denying the fact that they want more.

Its Live!
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GIF.

That is until Sarah asks Max to help her out with a little something...

Eight years have passed since this couple were last in the same city, Max used to walk Sarah home from the college library, their attraction then was strong, but back then Max believed himself to not be good enough for her. Sarah is in Chicago on a work secondment until her new role opens up in New York, determined to get rid of her virginity before hitting the Big Apple, she makes Max and offer she hopes he won’t refuse.

"Not sure you can hold out against a little lace and a lot of skin…"

It’s plainly obvious he is as attracted to her as she is him, but initially he declines. Doesn’t take long for him to change his mind though once the thought of another guy doing the deed with her hits his brain cells.

"I’ve been losing my mind thinking about you with some other guy… I can do this for you. I could do this with you, and I could do it right…"

Friends-to-lovers is always a trope I enjoy, Max and Sarah have the added benefit of a great cast of secondary characters to keep things entertaining. I haven’t read the first book in the series; May the Best Man Win from which I am guessing they were all introduced, but it didn’t affect my reading enjoyment of this one, once I had got to grips with who everyone was.

"I don’t want to be some box you check off your bucket list… I want it to be good."

Four dates over two weeks, inevitably stretches into more, and with Sarah being offered the opportunity of a lifetime, Max’s commitment issues are put firmly in the fore. I liked that the author kept the drama between them relevant but didn’t drag it out, they were a great couple together, plenty of diverse sexy-times and a few teases as to who the next book is likely to be about, which I won’t lie I cannot wait to get my hands on.

Luckily I have the first book in the series sitting on my Kindle ready to go, and I think it will be the perfect accompaniment to my next vacation. Mira Lynn Kelly offers up the perfect contemporary romance in my opinion, with Heroes you want to be with and Heroines you want to be friends with.

I loved this book. The progression of the story was well written. the chemistry between Sarah and Max is sizzling throughout the story.

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

This is the second book in a series, but I never felt like I was missing out on anything by not reading the first book. There was quite a lot to like about this book, but I think what knocked it down a half a star for me was that there was a lot of one step forward, two steps back by the hero. I also am not a fan of when the hero makes arbitrary decisions for the heroine cause he knows what she wants and what she thinks better than she ever could. 

Overall though I did enjoy this book. I liked Sarah and Max and the second chance romance sort of feel to this book. Although Sarah and Max never actually got together previously, they had both been very interested in the other back when they were in college. Now 8 years later they’re getting a chance to do something about those feelings. There is some serious chemistry between Sarah and Max. I don’t know how they held off doing something about it back when they were in college, but there was definitely no way they could deny it now.

I also really liked the secondary characters in this one. I loved Max’s sister Molly. I’m hoping she gets the next book….perhaps with her brother’s best friend Sean….I may go back and read the first book in the series when I have time, but I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for what comes next.

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review

I usually loved second chance romance, particularly with a charming hero like Max. Yet somehow this book didn't work for me. You wouldn't guess from that cover, but oi the amount of steamy scenes here... it's too many for me. 

Much as I liked Max and his circle of friends, and sympathized with his childhood, the prolonged devirginization topic here just put me off. That Sarah kept indicating Max's action and words as some sort of "lines" was not helping. When pretty soon the pages became a steamy scenes to another... I just had it. For a couple of former good friends reunited, the foremost on their head when thinking about one another seemed to revolve around sex. And sex. And sex.

The barely told background of where both Max and Sara came into their position (on love, career, family) took place so late in the book it failed to raise my interest. If it wasn't for Max's yahoo of friends and sister, I would've put down the book sooner. And frankly, the way this entry turned out I'm wary on how the next book would bring. And I was actually looking forward to Max's sister's story (which I suspect would share the spotlight with one of his best friend). I guess I'll just gonna take a wait and see stance on that. 


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't read the first in this series but I don't think I missed anything. This is definitely fine as a stand alone story! And I really liked this one. I wasn't sure that the virginity stuff was going to work for me but it didn't bother me. This one was fun and interesting. The pacing was fantastic. I really liked Sarah and Max as a couple. I didn't want to put this story down. I found it to be engrossing and found the romance itself worked well for me. I really liked the group of friends in this series ... their camaraderie and playfulness was really engaging. This is a series that I'll continue to follow!

sarah cole and max brandt have a history. one where she keeps putting her heart on the line for him and he keeps stomping it with his need to protect her. when sarah and max meet for the first time in 8 years in the wedding date bargain, max is sure that this will be their one chance to end things differently.

but instead, he finds out that sarah is no more worldly than she was 8 years ago. and he thinks that he's not the right guy for that kind of intimacy. but while sarah might not be more worldly, she is stronger, so she gives max an ultimatum that he isn't able to resist.

max doesn't take her challenge lightly. but when he thinks that she might try to experience things with anyone else he can't handle it. she will lose her virginity with him and no one else. and then he'll send her on her way to new york. and they'll never have to think of one another again.

but here's the thing: in the 8 years that intervened from their previous moment, they still remembered each other. they still thought of one another and wondered what if. and what has changed? nothing except now they'll know how great they can be together. and it will be harder to let each other go. and even more impossible to forget their time together.

but maybe plans can change? the connection sarah and max share is definitely worth fighting for. they just have to find the courage to fight for what they really want. and when they do, the reward is so worth it.

**the wedding date bargain will publish on june 6, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/sourcebooks casablanca in exchange for my honest review.

QuickShot Review
At 61%, I was totally digging this story and thinking that it was a solid 4 star with potential to go all the way. And then the final stretch just killed it for me. There was a heavy dose of mansplaining just suffocated the romance and brought it back down to earth. The insistence on explaining to the heroine how she felt was ANNOYING, no matter how well intentioned it was. Between this and some questionable actions..yeah, I just can’t. For the first half alone, I will say that I did like it and the deflowering scene gets high marks for me. I could have loved it, but the last part was just not my cuppa tea.

I had a really hard time maintaining interest in this book. It was a good story and the writing was decent but I found it to be predictable and a little boring at times. I'm giving it three stars while wishing I could give it more because the synopsis sounded amazing.

Whenever I read a Mira Lyn Kelly novel, I'm reminded of a greeting card. With a few choice words and in a matter of minutes, each knows how to leave their mark. The Wedding Date Bargain uses Ms. Kelly's quick witted sense of humor to charm readers as she spins a tale of romance and awkward situations to warm even the coldest of hearts. Sarah is a bit neurotic. Max, a tad clueless. Yet underneath all the crazy you find a story of devotion that leaves readers with a good feeling from beginning to end.