As I pull into the parking lot of my eight-year-old’s elementary school, mucky slush from the morning’s snow sloshing under my tires, I think of how welcome an escape from the interminable cold and blah of a groundhog-saw-his-shadow mid-February in Ohio would be.

And that’s what I was hoping for when I picked up the much-promoted Jasmine Guillory novel, The Wedding Date.

Featuring a realistic protagonist, complete with wiggly bits and a serious donut fetish, The events of The Wedding Date take place in a setting about as different from the one in which I live as can be – sunny California.

As the book opens, Northern-California native Alexa Monroe is stepping onto a hotel elevator, heading up to visit her east-coaster sister who is in town for an important business meeting.

It’s not until the elevator unceremoniously stutters to a stop that Alexa realizes she’s sharing the elevator – must be a big fucking elevator – with a full-fledged, chiseled-body hunk.

The trapped duo soon discovers that the power has gone out, but they are assured that a generator will kick on shortly, allowing them to continue their upward travel with only a slight delay.

As they sit, trapped in the elevator, they begin to chat – obviously, because standing silently with someone in the elevator for 15+ minutes would be awkward AF. Alexa learns that the hottie with whom she’s sharing the car, Drew, is a pediatrician – which, let’s face it, is the sexiest form of doctor there is… no offense, podiatrists.

Drew lives – and saves the lives of children – in LA, but has come into town for the wedding of his ex-girlfriend, which he won’t just be attending, he’ll actually be participating in. And as if being in the wedding of an ex isn’t enough, Drew’s pity date backed out at the last minute so he’s facing attending these oh-so-awkward nuptials minus a plus-one.

And so an idea is born.

Alexa can go as his date.

But it will be just that.

One wedding weekend, and then they part ways.

Well, if you’ve ever seen a rom com – most specifically the rom com with which this book shares a name – you’ve probably already guessed that it won’t work out as neatly as planned.

No, in the grand rom com form, this single weekend turns into one of many, as they develop feelings for each other that are so intense – so uncontrollable – so unexpected – that they have no choice but to fall, head first into a relationship.

So, in terms of an escape, did this book work?

That’s a hard – and disappointing – kinda.

Working in its favor was the fact that Alexa was a “real” woman.

In a bit of a break from the norm, we weren’t presented with another leading lady who “can just never find love” despite wearing a size two and having both Pantene Pro-V commercial level hair and flawless – read, poreless – skin. Nor are we given a we-are-going-to-pretend-she’s-fat-but-she’s-not-really-fat heroine, as in one of my personal favorites – sorry, Bridget, 130 pounds? Not on my best day.

The “flaws” and feelings the author attached to Alexa made her a largely likeable character so, despite how unlikely the relationship between her and Drew might be – and how inevitable heartbreak seemed – you really did want it to work out for them.

But the protagonist was pretty much all this book had going for it.

Okay, the protagonist and the cover. The cover was also pretty nice. Because I judge books by their covers. Because that’s a normal thing that all people do.

Anyways, the weaknesses were quite significant and unmitigated.

My first issue, the plot.

I had expected the elevator entrapment and wedding weekend to, essentially, make up the majority of this book.

But they didn’t.

Our protagonist and her love interest managed to both escape the elevator and navigate all the weekend’s wedding festivities by about a quarter of the way through the book.

So, what happened for the other three-quarters?

Well, pretty much just weekend after weekend of flying back and forth to see each other – doing nothing during these visits but eat (donuts, mainly) and have sex.

It’s all very fancy and very metropolitan and very something-that-a-rugged-successful-I-run-on-the-beach-in-the-free-time-wipe-the-sand-from-my-rock-hard-abs-pediatrician would do, but it also felt too divorced from reality.

Don’t you guys have things to do that don’t involve penises and pastries?

Aren’t you tired of sex now?

And, most importantly, how the fuck do you have so many frequent flyer miles?

The other impediment to my enjoyment of this book was just as significant – the overall writing style.

The prose as a whole was rather clunky and functional.

Let me preface that critique by saying I did afford what I would consider a substantial amount of leeway. Yes, this is supposed to be a simple and fun romance, not a complex exploration of the human condition, but even when a novel’s entire purpose is to provide an escape, I, personally, expect a bit more fluidity and grace in the writing.

Unfortunately, neither were present here.

The fact that I went into this book with such high expectations almost certainly intensified my eventual disappointment.

I wanted so badly for this cutesy-tale of an elevator-born love to be the escape that I sought.

But, alas, it fell short for me.

Way short.

As I read, I kept thinking, "Is this over yet?"

And that's never a good sign.

It's like when my son starts negotiating how many more bites of his casserole he needs to take before he can be done.

It means he doesn't like it.

When I long for the end of a book, it means I enjoyed it about as much as my 3rd grader enjoyed the tuna noodle concoction his father piled, a bit too enthusiastically, on his plate.

With a lack of keenness that surprises even myself, I give this one 2 out of 5 cocktails.

Four stars: A fun, flirty romance with memorable characters.

Alexa decides that if she is going to be trapped in an elevator, at least she is lucky enough to be caught with a drop dead gorgeous man, who also has a charming personality. Alexa and Drew quickly bond in the elevator over cheese and crackers. When the elevator power is restored, both find themselves reluctant to leave. Then Drew surprises himself and Alexa by proposing she be his wedding date. Alexa even more shockingly agrees. The weekend ends up being so much more than either of them anticipated. Despite their busy schedules, Drew and Alexa find themselves flying back and forth every weekend to see each other. Neither can deny the chemistry and the sparks, but how long can they keep up a long distance relationship?
What I Liked:
*The Wedding Date is a fun, flirty romance for when you want a romance without unnecessary drama. I loved the realistic and likable characters, the chemistry and watching the relationship unfold. This is a terrific pick me up romance.
*I adored both Alexa and Drew. Talk about opposites attract. I especially loved Alexa, she is a curvy, African American woman, who is smart, hard working and a bit insecure when it comes to her curves. However, that doesn’t mean she lives on rabbit food. It was so refreshing to see Alexa embrace the foods she loved, especially donuts and coffee. Drew is a handsome, Caucasian male, who doesn’t like spicy food or black coffee. He is a pediatrician, devoted to his patients. He is a sweetheart, but he can never commit to a long term relationship. I loved seeing these two try and balance work, real life and their relationship.
*Big props to the author for giving us a female protagonist who isn’t a gorgeous, stick thin blonde. I loved that Alexa was voluptuous, and that Drew was drawn to her curves.
*I liked Alexa’s confidence when attending events with Drew. She found herself as the only African American woman at the gathering, but she never let it get to her, she took it in stride. I was especially pleased when Alexa encountered all the beautiful, skinny blondes. I was expecting some cattiness, but the women were lovely. It was so refreshing!
Carlos was an amazing character. He was Drew’s best friend and confident. I loved him. I especially enjoyed the scene between Carlos and Alexa bonding over spicy tacos and comparing notes on Drew.
*I loved that both Alexa and Drew were successful and dedicated to their careers. In fact, their jobs play a big part in the story. It was endearing seeing Drew care for his patients, especially little Jack. I also enjoyed watching Alexa fight to create a program for troubled teens.
*The ending was lovely. I closed the book with a big, happy smile.
And The Not So Much:
*Even though I loved Drew, there was a time or two that he needed a good kick in the rear for his stupidity. Thank goodness Carlos was there to set him straight.
*Speaking of Carlos, I loved him, and I was disappointed that he didn’t play a larger role in the story. Perhaps the author will consider writing a book from his point of view.
*I was bothered that at the end as the book moves one year into the future, that there wasn’t closure on Jack. I longed to know how Jack was doing.

The Wedding Date isn’t your typical romance. I adored the down to earth, realistic characters with real jobs and distinct personalities. I also enjoyed the romance that starts with harmless flirting, and quickly moves into heat and passion. This is a romance with memorable characters and it is without the heavy drama. Grab this one for when you need something light and flirty.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Jasmine is on her way to meet with her sister at the Fairmount when she gets stuck in an elevator with Drew, a doctor (please, no Dr. Drew here) in town for his friends’ wedding. When they get stuck, Drew asks Jasmine to be his date to that wedding. Feelings are felt, chemistry is bubbling, and yes, sweet romance happens.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between

The Good.
I’m a total sucker for the elevator plot device. Some of my faves have begun in an elevator. When Alexa and Drew meet there, it was definitely of the meet-cute variety and set the tone for the rest of their story. I could believe that these two clicked in a The diversity is such a plus. I love that she’s a curvy, black heroine, but she’s not the only person of color in the story. It’s a rich world, like something I would see in my everyday life. Even Alexa’s insecurity, which I’ll discuss later on, touches on colorism that exists in our society and gives you food for thought. Besides the insecurity, there are genuine long distance relationship issues that are handled believably, because above all, these two characters actually had some great conversations, genuine and heartfelt. It’s those conversations that make you believe in their relationship and in the viability of their HEA.

The Bad.
Alexa is an overthinker and usually insecure about her appearance, other people’s perception of her, and her insecurity is a constant. Even when I understand it, it’s just not something that I get alot of enjoyment out of when reading. Also, for a couple that actually speak to each other, when the inevitable occurs, the lack of a conversation was just meh, even if it served that romantic plot point.

Which brings me to this. Sigh. The romance itself didn’t hook me the way I wanted it to either. It’s cute, but it’s not compelling. I’m a big believer in the Firsts (meet, kiss, love scene) setting the tone for a romance, and here, they were just cute, fine, just ok for me. It was like they would build up to the sex, and then ....they're at the afterparty and I'm left wondering if I skipped a page.

Is it because the sex scenes were more PG-13, bordering on R, when I’m ready for some NC-17? Probably. So, this is a very subjective quibble, and really doesn’t reflect on the writing, more my personal taste when it comes to a romance where the leads hook up early and often.

But I imagine those who prefer sex scenes to be vague, or of the more fade-to-black variety, rather than descriptive, it may be more your cuppa than mine.

Everything in Between.
I touched on it briefly, but the professional lives they lead aren’t ignored and I did appreciate that. I loved that these characters don’t exist in a vacuum, solely for the purpose of romance. And that epilogue? As cute as the rest of the story.

The Bottom Line 3.25 stars
I liked alot of the elements in this story. It was cute, even if though the romance itself didn’t capture my attention the way I had hoped it would. However, I’m curious to see what she comes up with next and I would recommend this for fans of contemporary romances who like their heat on the mild side.


**ARC provided by publisher via netgalley for review**

I first heard about The Wedding Date when the the Berkley Romance team gushed about it during a Booze with Berkley episode and I knew it had to be one of my first reads of 2018.

I know it's very early in the year, and I'm going to be reading a lot more books, but I can confidently say that The Wedding Date is one of my top reads of 2018. So, skip that lame date this Valentine's Day and spend it with Alexa and Drew instead--seriously, if you're going to pick one romantic book this February, you can't find a more perfect one than The Wedding Date.

I love the premise of The Wedding Date. Alexa Monroe and Drew Nichols met when they both got stuck on an elevator and after a super cute banter about cheese and crackers, Alexa agreed to be Drew's plus one/fake girlfriend to his ex's wedding. Having more fun that either thought they'd have at the wedding and not wanting their time together to be over, Alexa and Drew ended up spending the night and the day together. As well as the next several weekends, flying from one end of the state to the other (Alexa is from Berkley and Drew lives in LA) as they fall into a long distance dating situation. Drew wasn't looking for anything serious and Alexa decided, for once, not to overthink things, but will their fling turn into something more?

I love everything Drew and Alexa! One of my favorite things about them was how secure they were and the satisfaction they feel in their chosen career. I found it very refreshing (and relatable) to read about people who are at a different point in their career--dealing with challenges on the job rather than struggling to get a job. Individually, Alexa and Drew were both wonderfully written characters. I so very much related to Alexa in her hangups about her body and her feelings of awkwardness when being the only PoC in a room of white people--some of the situations she experienced in the novel were almost the exact ones I've experienced. I do wish I have her confidence in public speaking and her ability to make small talk. As for Drew... I can only hope and pray that get stuck with my own Drew Nichols in an elevator. He's my new favorite book boyfriend. I love Drew and Alexa together! All their scenes, from their meet cute to them just hanging out and eating Mexican food/In-N-Out burgers/coffee/donuts to their fights and makeups, I ate it all up. They are my new favorite OTP!

I also enjoyed the secondary characters we met like Alexa's best friend Maddie and her sister Olivia, and Drew's best friend Carlos. It's been announced that Ms. Guillory's next book will be about Carlos, and I'm hoping the women will also get their own book so that we can spend more time with these group of characters that I've fallen in love with.

The Wedding Date was written with a very deft hand--it didn't read like a debut novel. The characters and plot were spot-on and we got a superbly charming and genuine novel about a mixed race couple. I both wanted to devour it and take my time with it so I can savor the story because I knew once I turn the last page I was going to miss Alexa and Drew (and I did--crossing my fingers we'll see quite a bit of them in Ms. Guillory's upcoming book The Proposal that features Carlos). Ms. Guillory has definitely made her mark in the women's fiction/contemporary romance genre with The Wedding Date and I have a feeling she will soon be a household name à la Emily Giffin or Jane Green but better because she adds sorely needed color to a very white genre.

Loved it! Our interview with the author is now live on iTunes and anywhere else podcasts are found.

This was a really sweet, fun, and super romantic story that had me smiling through almost the whole book. I really liked these characters and they way they met. Alexa was a fantastic heroine, smart, sexy, and successful. She had doubts and insecurities about herself but handled herself with class and style - I really loved her character. Drew was a good hero, he made me a little angry a few times but overall I liked his character. I really enjoyed this sweet romance and look forward to more by this author!

The Wedding Date was amazing!!! Thank you Berkley for a copy.

This is one of my most anticipated releases for 2018. It lived up to my expectations and it deserves all the love. I loved Alexa and Drew's relationship and the long distance aspect of it. We actually get all the aspects around this topic. I love their jobs and their relationship around them as well. Jasmine Guillory showed us that sometimes things might be more important but it's not impossible to try and make it work.

I related so much with Alexa, she's my favorite forever. She's power and I hope I can be like her and I absolutely adored everything about her.

If you love some fake dating, a weddings, cheese and crackers, lots of donuts and one sweet romance, The Wedding Date is for you!

Sometimes the universe conspires to throw two people together into a situation so they can meet and beautiful things can happen. In The Wedding Date, the two people would be Alexa and Drew, and the situation a stalled elevator. They chit chat, joke around and share cheese and crackers during the brief period they're stuck in there. Alexa's visiting her sister who's in town and Drew is there for his best friend's wedding though he's not looking forward to being in it. Since they got along so well in the few moments they were in a confined space, he's struck with the idea to invite Alexa to the wedding as his date. It's an unusual offer from a stranger but she accepts and ... voila! The last-minute wedding date turns into a few more weekend hook ups.


Alexa and Drew are both happily single and successful in their respective careers - she's the mayor's chief of staff and he's a pediatric doctor. The slight snag comes with distance - she lives in San Francisco and he's in LA. But since they hit it off so well that first weekend, they figure they could do the long distance thing and just see where it goes. No expectations, no pressure. At some point though it gets complicated. Even though they agreed to just have fun, the impulse to put a label to what they have going on and define who they are to each other is there. It's interesting how it's been sex-based this whole time and then all the awkwardness kicks in when they try to be serious about it. Funnier still how they can be physically intimate yet hesitant to initiate a conversation about where the relationship is headed. It just goes to show that even adults can't get it together sometimes.


I noticed some buzz in the last week about the fact that this is an interracial couple featuring a female POC. Personally, I'm glad for it because as one myself, it's nice to see something similar to my situation reflected in a story. Guillory joins the ranks of many of her fellow authors in giving POC a voice and showing them facing many of the same ups and downs that any couple faces. The Wedding Date doesn't make their racial backgrounds the main focus but rather how two individuals will navigate their relationship around their careers and any lingering fears of commitment. So what I'm getting at is that it's nice to see representation but for me, it's important that there's an experience within the story that anyone can appreciate.


The Wedding Date is an adorable story about two adults simply figuring things out and having fun along the way. It's one of those "good feels" books which I had a wonderful time reading. I cannot recommend it enough.


~ Bel

I was really excited to read The Wedding Date. I loved the idea that these two get stuck in an elevator together and in a time of need, Drew asks Alexa (his elevator buddy) to be his plus one at his ex girlfriends wedding that weekend. What starts off as a carefree night of pretend soon turns into a friendship and then into a relationship. The story sounds like something you would watch on the Lifetime channel and I was prepared to swoon my heart out. However, the story barely scratched the surface for me.

While I wasn’t expecting a whole lot in this story, other than an adorable romance, I was expecting there to be some sort of depth. I mean, you have two highly successful adults who have their lives and careers in two different cities. They have this crazy story of how they first met and became a sorta couple. Not to mention that they are a bi-racial couple which could pose problems down the road. There was just so many roads the author could have gone with this story. However, all we got were stolen weekends of sex. One would fly to the other on a Friday night and they’d bang like rabbits, maybe have an encounter with a third-party, and then fly back to their own corners of California until the following weekend. I just never felt much of a connection to them, their romance, or their friendships. If you took out the sex and them ordering out food… the book would probably be a fraction of the size. While I don’t mind sex in my books (I’ve been known to read erotica), I was hoping for more of an actual story. Something that would make me swoon, make me root for them, make me sad or upset when one of them was being stupid. Instead, I just felt ho-hum about it all.

One thing I did enjoy about the story was when you’d get to see them at their jobs. Mainly, when they weren’t on their weekend sex-fest. I liked getting to watch Alexa try to figure out how to get her program for the city kids approved, or watching Drew check up on his patients. Those were the moments that made me start to see the characters take shape instead of being a name on a piece of paper. They are both really passionate about their jobs and I loved what they did. I wish we had seen more of that and maybe less of them in bed, ordering in food.

The Wedding Date has so much potential to be an adorable read. Heck, it would make a great Lifetime movie. However, I wish there was more substance. All I took away from this story was that they don’t cook and instead only ever eat out or order in food, and they have sex… a lot. I guess I was just hoping for more. If you’re looking for a light, breezy romance than this would definitely foot the bill. However, the repetitiveness and lack of actual depth and story line left me wanting more.

This is a debut romance by an AOC with a Black heroine and while I found it mostly nice and sweet, I aslo had some issues with it.

It started really strong for me, the meet cute in the elevator and the fake date to a wedding both made me laugh and get invested in the characters. I liked the heroine from the start - she is smart, professionally successful, funny, a bit shy and she struggles with some insecurities re her weight and attractiveness, all of which made her feel real to me.

I quite liked the hero too, at least initially. He is nice, smart and equally successful professionally but terrible at personal relationships.

Things between them start as a joke but both develop feelings for each other pretty quickly. This is where the story and romance lost some of it strength for me. They start a long-distance relationship but both avoid talking about what was happening between them and where they wanted this thing between them to go. I found their interactions to be repetitive and the whole conflict was based on a couple of misunderstandings and hasty decisions which I was not all too happy about. They both acted like kids and made assumptions which were all wrong.

While I overall enjoyed the story, I had some issues with it. I can enjoy a fade-to-black sex scenes in my romances but here they came after rather explicit descriptions of foreplay and at least to me, they didn't really fit the story. Add to that the fact that the sex scenes were quite a few, all fade-to-black and over time they felt repetitive and at odds the tone of the story.

On the plus side, I liked the glimpses we got into the professional lives of Alexa and Drew, their circle of friends and colleagues, which gave fullness and further sense of realism to the romance.

In short, this is a nice romance, not too bad for a debut book. It has some really strong points - positive fat representation, POC heroine who is smart and successful, a hero who respects her and is not intimidated by her success but quite the opposite, he values her work and is proud of her success.

Girl meets boy when they're stuck in an elevator in a San Francisco hotel with only wine, cheese, and conversation about how they got there. Alexa's meeting her sister who's staying in the hotel and Drew's in town for the dreaded wedding of a former lover and one of his good friends. Before you know it (and definitely too soon!) the power's back on and they're headed their separate ways... BUT, she's somehow agreed to stand in as The Wedding Date that he needs for the upcoming nuptials! If this sounds like a cute start to good book then you're absolutely right! In fact, it isn't just a cute beginning, it's also a very cute story that's enjoyable and easy to read.


The Good
I loved the fact that both Alexa and Drew had solid careers and that it actually felt like they were getting to know each other. The introduction of the characters felt fresh and, like I said, it was too cute. What a great way to meet your significant someone! The attraction felt real from the beginning to the end and I was cheering for them to get their HEA.

The Bad
The conflicts weren't the most original in my opinion. Alexa's a professional woman who could have approached her concerns in a more adult way. I'm pretty sure Drew's reluctance to have a serious relationship was enough of a conflict without the childish tantrums on her part. I also didn't care for the way that she constantly compared herself to other women in Drew's life, from skin and hair color to body shape. C'mon now! That man was attracted to everything about her!

My Final Word
I believe this is a debut novel by author Jasmine Guillory and I have to say I plan to check out future works that she offers. I recommend The Wedding Date if you're into sweet meets and lingering passion for that one person you can't seem to get out of your head. Unfortunately, if second-guessing heroines with poor self-esteem test your last nerve you might find yourself a bit irritated with the heroine here. Still, I do recommend this and give it a 4 out of 5 rating for being an overall pleasant read.

DNF @ 10% -
With all of the hype surrounding this novel, I so desperately wanted to fall into it and be charmed by its humor and witty characters, but unfortunately The Wedding Date was not a story for me. I could plainly see the backbones to the story were strong, and the plot of asking a stranger to be your wedding date was going to be an amazing opportunity for a love story, but the characters really did nothing for me. They didn't pull from the pages or feel evocative in any way, almost as if they were shallowly placed into the story and told to give their own depth when they just couldn't. Sometimes I can be a picky reader with high expectations for writing to really grab me and feel different from anything else in a sea of romance novels, and sadly I think those high expectations of mine weren't satisfied by the writing I read. All of the pieces were right there, they just didn't blend together and give any depth. I need to be grabbed pretty quickly in a story and to feel the characters, for them to give me reason to follow along on their journey, and The Wedding Date wasn't able to do that for me.

I knew this was going to be adorable and a lot of fun but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I went into this expecting a cute romance but got so much more. It was sweet, steamy, and heartbreaking. So many incredible important conversations and their relationship felt so real. Even though like with most romances I wanted to yell at them to just TALK TO EACH OTHER I still loved this!

This is a rom-com for readers who love rom-coms. It’s also a rom-com for readers who don’t necessarily gravitate to rom-coms. Like moi.

It begins with a meet-cute to end all meet-cutes. Drew and Alexa get stuck in an elevator together, at the fabulous Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. She’s there to catch up with a friend, and he’s there to be a groomsman at his ex’s wedding to one of his friends. Trapped in the elevator with Alexa’s purse-full of snacks and time to kill, they have a much better time together than either of them ever expected. So when Drew asks Alexa to be his “fake date” for the weekend at the wedding he’s attending as penance, she agrees.

And tries desperately not to overthink it.

Their fake date turns into an entire weekend. And it turns out to be anything but fake, even if neither of them is willing to admit it. But as they live in nearly opposite ends of the state (she’s in Berkeley, he’s in LA) they both figure that it’s a one-time fling.

Until it turns into the next weekend, and the next, and the next. And Alexa starts needing to figure out what it really is – while Drew tries to avoid thinking about what it really is.

They both went into this thing believing that it was short-term at best. But as that string of weekends turns into a couple of months, Alexa realizes that she’s in a relationship she hadn’t planned on, while Drew believes that whatever they have has to end sooner or later, because he always ends his relationships before they reach the commitment stage.

This time, it’s too late. It always has been.

Escape Rating A: I loved this one. I say that and I don’t normally like rom-coms. But The Wedding Date just worked for me, and I couldn’t put it down.

One reason that rom-coms don’t normally work for me is that there is so often a misunderstandammit somewhere in the pages. That the crisis is usually wrapped around a big secret that could have been revealed in a simple conversation that never happens.

This time, it felt like all the things that Drew and Alexa weren’t saying, and the reasons that they weren’t saying them, were organic to their relationship and their personalities, and not forced by the need for a crisis. I think we’ve all been there, where we feel that we’re deeper into a relationship than the other person, and are scared to mess up a good thing by pushing for too much too soon. And that usually that instinct means that if we push, the good thing will be over before its time.

As this was a relationship that began with a short shelf life, Alexa’s hesitation is not surprising at all. And Drew is completely blindsided. He never lets himself stick around for anything to develop into a relationship, so he’s unwilling to see that this time it’s happened before he has a chance to back out.

Part of what makes this story so much fun is how likeable both of the characters are. Drew is a pediatric surgeon, so he’s a doctor who works with children. And he’s both cute and caring about it. But Alexa is the character who really shines. She’s the Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Berkeley, and her job is fascinating, adrenaline-inducing, all-encompassing, extremely professional and headache-producing all in one. She loves it and it consumes her life until Drew steps into it. At the same time, she does not stop working or stop being professional or stop loving her job because she’s in a relationship. She does what we all do, she juggles, and she does it well. With a little help from a marvelous coterie of friends.

Another thing that makes this story a bit different is that Alexa is black and Drew is white. She does a really deft job of opening Drew’s, and the reader’s, eyes to some of the issues she faces everyday while never breaking the flow of the story or lecturing either him or the reader. The way that she gets Drew to see his privilege while explaining a program that she is working on at her job works on multiple levels. That he gets it without getting offensive or defensive is part of his character’s charm. That we get it too is part of the author’s charm.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you smile and just plain brighten your day (or even week!) The Wedding Date is a real treat! It’s every bit as delicious as the doughnuts that Alexa is addicted to – without the calories.

Reviewer’s Notes: First, I almost find it impossible to believe that this is the author’s first novel. It is completely polished and utterly marvelous from beginning to end. Second, while I don’t normally have a visual in my head for characters in books I’m reading, every once in a while, I do. For some reason, I kept seeing Drew as Justin Trudeau. It worked for me.

*I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This is my first true foray into the romance genre, and I couldn’t have picked a better novel. Guillory created a story that involves an interracial couple, consent, and plenty of food! Alexa was definitely my favorite character: smart, no-nonsense, and knows how to order doughnuts. Her relationship with Drew, her sister, and her friends seemed incredibly realistic, and I love that she was passionate about her job as a lawyer for the town’s mayor. Drew was likable as well, and very kind. However, I really liked him more through Alexa’s point of view instead of his own. This is a delightful read that is both cozy and powerful.

Meet while trapped in an elevator and she says 'yes' to his wild idea for her to be his fake wedding date. Sounded all sorts of light and fun in this interracial romance so I was up for trying a new to me author in Jasmine Guillory.

The Wedding Date started out cute and funny when it opens on Drew and Alexa's meeting in a San Francisco hotel. He's there for the dreaded wedding of his ex and his best friend (no, it wasn't a cheating thing- Drew was actually the bad guy who called it off with Molly) and Alexa is there to meet her sister on a visit from New York to do a deposition.

If this had only been a light romantic comedy of sorts, it would have been okay and nothing to write home about. It had some moments that made me smile and laugh, sigh, and squirm, tap my fingers with irritation, and then go all swoony like a good romance will do. Alexa and Drew hit it off and are suitably very attracted and do something about that, but they do have their miscommunication and assumption issues that try to sabotage the long-distance relationship they decide to give a try (he’s a pediatric surgeon from LA and she’s the Oakland Mayor’s Chief of Staff).
I had the urge to lock them in a closet and not let them out until they hashed it out. I spent the middle of the book in a slow grind at times as they did lots of mental monologuing about what they thought the other one was thinking. Sometimes it made sense for the situation and sometimes I felt it was just there to add drama. Truthfully, I could have used more convincing why this pair was even together the way Drew was so adamant in the beginning that he didn't do relationships and came over a bit cocky about his appeal.
But, the end picked back up with the fun of the early part. I didn't hate them and I thought they brought out the best in each other. And hey, they got up to lots of sexy times together.

But, here's what really pulled me in. It wasn't just a fluffy romcom. I loved the inclusion of the relationship between Alexa and her older successful sister, Olivia, who seems to always make Alexa feel inadequate. It is this that had Alexa so willing to take a chance on the mild mess that is Drew. I loved seeing these two trying to work out their sisterly troubles. And, I also enjoyed Alexa's friendship with fashion designer, Maddie, and Alexa's Mayor Office co-worker, Theo (I loved that Alexa worked in a big city Mayor's office- rather fascinating). These other connections added a nice layer to this story with their banter and also support. Might I say, a more appealing layer.

For those looking for romances featuring people of color, this definitely would qualify, but if you are looking for racial identity to be a strong feature of the piece, this would be just moderately so. It was good to see a heroine successful in her career and a hero not threatened by that. Alexa is a person I could like and root for.

All in all, I liked it. I thought the pacing was off in the middle and there was more miscommunication drama than I liked, but in the end, I liked these two together, the banter and humor, and really liked the heroine. Would be fun to see some of the side characters get a story.

While "The Wedding Date" capably handles the inherent challenges of both long-distance and interracial dating, it suffered from uneven characterization. I frankly had a hard time understanding why Alexa would be interested in Drew; he was charming but insubstantial. Alexa, meanwhile, was a vivid and interesting person with a fascinating career and a genuine ability to connect with others. I adored her and wanted to be friends with her. As a romance, however, it fell flat and lacked emotional intimacy.

As far as physical intimacy goes: apparently they liked sleeping together. It just seemed like the physical fervor didn't justify the emotional issues the two experience in the second half of the novel. That being said, if you can get past an unconvincing relationship, it's refreshing to read about a heroine who is self-aware, professional, and grounded.

In an effort to include some fun, feel-good reading in my list of Best Books to Read on Spring Break 2018, I stumbled upon The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory. Not only am I always excited to support debut authors, but I'm also making an effort to include more diversity in my author selections; The Wedding Date covers both.

While I primarily read literary fiction, plus a few mysteries and thrillers thrown in from time to time, I do enjoy a departure; I experience more than my share of broken characters, family dynamics and serious topics in my professional (and often personal) life, yet these are the stories I am drawn to most often.

What I love most about The Wedding Date is that, while it is certainly a witty, smart, funny and romantic story, it includes real world problems. When Alexa and Drew meet cute, at the very beginning, one might worry, as I did, that this could easily slide into predictable territory. To Guillory's credit, her reluctance to shy away from topics like the pitfalls of interracial relationships and body image issues prevents this slip; I am hopeful this will endear her to a larger audience.

"They were all wearing those barely there dresses - the kind that you couldn’t wear a bra with, the kind that Alexa always walked right by in the store - and their bodies looked perfect in them. She looked down at herself in the forgiving red and white polka-dot A-line dress she’d felt cute in before leaving Drew’s apartment and sighed."

Another aspect I appreciate is that Alexa and Drew are each struggling with very relatable issues - busy careers to maintain; complicated pasts; difficulty with communication - and they seem to cope with them in very relatable ways, like the consumption of In-and-Out Burgers and long runs.

"Carlos squeezed out three ketchup packets onto his hamburger wrapper and grabbed a handful of fries. Ugh, he always took all of the ketchup. Drew should have just gotten his own damn hamburgers and gotten drunk at home alone in peace."

Before I make this sound like it's all business, there is plenty of comedic relief and a few hold-your-breath romantic gestures. Additionally, I absolutely adore Alexa's personality and can relate to her desire to remain tough, even when she most wants to break down on the couch with ice cream and television.

The Wedding Date was unexpectedly delightful; I will certainly recommend this one to many friends and fellow readers who are looking for an entertaining, yet thoughtful, romantic escape.

“I’m so glad I got stuck in that elevator with you,” she said.
“Me, too.”


Alexa Monroe found herself trapped at a hotel elevator with a handsome, charming Drew Nichols. The incident led to a wedding date, a pretend relationship which quickly escalated into something more.


The Wedding Date charmed me from beginning to end. The best part about this book was easily the heroine! She’s gorgeous and competent as hell but also strong and vulnerable. Alexa Monroe was everything I love in my romance book heroines.


Another element I enjoyed about this book was the development of Alexa and Drew’s relationship. What started out as a disaster (getting stuck at an elevator) became so much more. That’s not to say there wasn’t some awkwardness between them at first because here was and it was charming and cute because you recognize it as part in real life. Loved their chemistry together.


I also loved the fact that both characters are competent at their jobs. Drew is a doctor and Alexa is a mayoral chief of staff. Their careers are part of who they are and I enjoyed reading those parts in the book.


Conflict wise, I thought that it was very well done. Drew and Alexa not only came from different backgrounds, but they also lived in two different cities which was a challenge to say the least. I normally do not like long distance relationships in my romance, but I liked how it was dealt with in this book. Drew and Alexa were very aware of its pitfalls and of course, its rewards. I thought their actions were very real, and it showed the characters’ flaws and redeeming qualities.


The Wedding Date met all my expectations, which I am so grateful for. It’s sweet, charming, lighthearted romance at its best. If you enjoy fake-dating-relationship stories, I highly recommend this book! This is only Miss Guillory’s first book and judging by how much I enjoyed it, I’m looking forward to more books from her in the future.