I’m a total sucker for the stuck in an elevator situation and add that to fake relationship…you had me at hello. I really enjoyed this one. I liked Alexa and Drew together. From the beginning I could tell they would have issues with the distance and just general things of how a relationship can transition from just sex to more. I liked the added layer with the interracial relationship. It wasn’t just a thing, it was discussed. I can see Alexa pointing out things that I would say in that kind of relationship which made it more real to me. I liked Alexa’s relationship with her sister and how she worked to fix it. I also liked Drew working on his issues. I thought he was crazy to be in a wedding for his ex until I realized his actions. I really loved Alexa and Drew as a a couple. The resolution to the story was very satisfying to me. Overall I liked this one and would recommend it.

Jasmine Guillory’s debut novel was an interesting and fun story. Original and refreshing, I sincerely enjoyed reading this interracial tale that had some laugh-out-loud moments as well as some hot as hell sex scenes.

From the time Alexa and Drew stepped into the elevator until the time the stepped out of it for the last time, I smiled. Drew was an interesting man with a very interesting past. He was funny and fascinating, had a sense of humor and totally against commitment. When Alexa falls into his life, things start to change. He finds himself changing his schedule, flying to Berkeley just to spend time with this witty woman. But, one party, a couple of ex-hook-ups and a few stories later, he finds himself alone and missing the one woman who may have finally stolen his heart. Granted, he was up front with her but now, he’s wondering just what he’s going to do without her.

Alexa doesn’t have time for relationships. There’s a project close to her heart that she just has to see through to the end. There’s a sister that she has to apologize to. But, being a fake girlfriend for a night sounds like it could be a lot of fun and she is definitely up for that. She can’t deny the chemistry between her and Drew but doesn’t have her hopes up that it can be anything but a little fun. A few week-ends together, lots of texts and she falls and falls hard. Until the party. Her three months are up and the end is near, she just knows it. There is no way that she could handle that so she’ll take matters into her own hands.

So, what’s a romantic comedy without a little bit of drama? Without a little bit of heart-break? Without two people who know that they belong together but circumstances and misunderstandings keep them apart?

Jasmine Guillory did a wonderful job of integrating Alexa and Drew into my heart. I enjoyed their time together and was really rooting for them to find a way back to each other. I wasn’t disappointed at all. A flowing story, fun, stimulating supporting characters and two people who really belonged together. I was really impressed that this is a debut novel. It really was well written and had a fresh storyline. I loved that it was interracial, that Alexa was a plus-sized woman and none of it mattered to Drew … it was her and all her that he fell in love with. Well done Ms. Guillory.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy of The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory and I cannot wait for y’all to read it. It’s swoony throughout and so well written. I was so in love with the protagonists and even though we all know how romance novels end, the journey with The Wedding Date was just so god damn delightful. It’s in bookstores January 2018 and no one told me to say that. I just know we all need good news to look forward to.

There is meet-cute and then there is meet-adorable. What happens when Alexa Monroe and Drew Nichols meet in the first scene of The Wedding Date is meet-adorable+++++. Theirs is the story of what happens when by-chance becomes even-more. This book simply enchanted me. I loved these characters who bonded over and appreciated good food (they had me at cheese and crackers). But that they also developed a sixth sense for each other and how they operated in the world is illustrated fabulously throughout the story.
Every moment spent in Alexa Monroe’s head and heart are pitch-perfect. I loved every single thing about her. Her POV was what made me love this book all the more. Not just because her experiences were different from my own, but because of the commonalities – Alexa is all of us – with internal dialogues, running on caffeine, sugar and fumes, biting her tongue and turning the charm on people who really should just know better.
No two ways about it, as sweet and adorable as Dr. Nichols was, he had some bro-tendencies when it came to relationships and commitment(s), which had me fighting the urge to reach through my device and give him a smack upside the head. But it was never necessary, as the author lets us see that his struggle with his history is no match for how he truly feels about Alexa. I loved watching this man not only fall, but fall hard for someone who is so truly perfect for him.
There’s kissing in this book and lots of it. There’s also snuggling and hugging, which leads to lots of sex, and while it Is not shared in explicit detail, what we see lends itself perfectly to this couple, their story and their brilliant chemistry.
The Wedding Date’s supporting cast is very strong, with each being intriguing and deserving of their own stories. The bit players are also done very well – they bring a dose of real world into this story that keeps everything well grounded.
Bottom line is that this book left its mark on me. My mind is straying to the many moments that made me smile and for some odd reason I find myself wanting donuts. Let this book find its way onto your TBR and into your heart. Happy reading.
Laurie’s Rating: 5 STARS

When I randomly picked this book up a few days ago, I seriously didn't expect to love it as much as I did!

First and foremost, Alexa and Drew are a dream! Right from the first page and their first encounter, I was HOOKED. And the beauty of this being a fast-paced read, is that we get plenty of Alexa and Drew's adventures. Their "fun get-togethers" may be a bit hindered by their long distance commute, but damn it if the temperature doesn't heat up when they're in the same room!

Drew was such a charmer and Alexa was such a headstrong woman, seeing them together made me feel all of the feels. From their flirty moments and banter to their sweet, heartfelt ones, I ate it all up and I still couldn't get enough! I'm not surprised at how I felt when this was over; I wanted this to keep going!

My eyes could not be pulled from the words on the page, the flow of the writing just didn't allow me to, honestly. While there were some parts where I just wanted our main characters to simply communicate, I could still feel that genuine feeling that Alexa kept having given the circumstances. However, this story made up for it all with its ability to make me laugh, swoon, and have me completely enamored and engrossed with it all!

Overall, this story left me feeling so content and I'm also glad it brought forth some issues such as race, body image and creepy men who just don't know such things as a filter. And maybe because of this, I loved these characters so much more. Ugh, can we just get more of Alexa and Drew soon please?

The Wedding Date was a book that took the fake dating trope and perfected it. This book was fun, romantic, entertaining, and extremely addictive!

I absolutely adored the two main characters, Alexa and Drew. Alexa was a dedicated, hard-working, and smart woman. I loved her passion for her work and how much she wanted to help her community. Drew was a kind, charming, and swoon-worthy man. I feel in love with him so quickly. I also was so surprised by the development and inclusion of so many wonderful side characters. I genuinely loved every character that the author created in this story. I need a sequel to this book because I cannot stop thinking about these characters!

The romance between Alexa and Drew was perfectly paced and executed. The way their relationship developed felt so honest and realistic. Their relationship slowly changed to a fake relationship into a real relationship with deep feelings. It was so much fun watching them take chances together and realize how perfect they were for each other. Alexa and Drew were so supportive of each other and genuinely wanted to see each other succeed. Their dedication to each other made my heart grow 50 times bigger. SERIOUSLY, THEY ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER. I WANT TO READ ABOUT THEM FOREVER.

Even though there were moments of predictability, this book was still extremely enjoyable! The author did a great job at keeping the book entertaining and hilarious! There were moments of miscommunication, which was understandable but so frustrating! At times I was screaming at the book because I just wanted Alexa and Drew to talk! However, the miscommunication definitely added a lot of tension between Alexa and Drew which kept the plot moving.

Overall, this was a wonderful romantic comedy. If you are in the mood for a charming, hilarious, and adorable romance novel, then I definitely would recommend this book!

4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

Sometimes I like reading light and fluffy chick lit.

Like most chick lit books this one was a fast and easy read. I did enjoy it but I found there was little humour and found both Drew and Alexa immature for their ages.

I am giving this 3 out of 5.

This book was well-written and entertaining. I would have never guessed that this was a debut novel. I was charmed from the first page and fell more in love Alexa and Drew with each turn of a new one.

The story flowed seamlessly and without any over the top drama or conflict in order to make it interesting. The progression of Drew and Alexa’s relationship felt authentic and natural.

I’m extremely happy that both main characters were career-driven and individually independent, successful and happy. It’s refreshing that neither of them were battling past traumas or carrying a ton of bad relationship baggage.

Alexa was spunky and confident while still showing signs of insecurity and doubt. Drew leaned on the cocky side but was still just a really great guy when you got down to it. I think they really brought out the best in each other, even though they didn’t always communicate in the most efficient ways.

This story is one of those stories that really made an impression on me, but in a subtle way that probably won’t leave me dwelling on it for a long time but that will have me picking up a physical copy for my shelf and picking up another time to read.

This was a very solid debut for Jasmine G. As a woman of color I’m LOVING the diversity in this story and the wonderful array of characters. It’s very hard to get diversity in mainstream romance and this book gives me hope. Anyway, enough with the public service announcement. This was a funny, romantic and cute story. Drew and Alexa were a cute couple. They had hot chemistry in and out the bedroom. As expected there was a little drama mainly due to miscommunication. This is the kind of book you read on a rainy day ( I did) or after a heavy, emotional read. The writing was good,the story flowed, the plot held my attention. I will be checking out more books from this author in the future.

2 STARS!

I came across The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory while searching through titles on NetGalley. The cover stood out to me immediately and once I read the blurb, I was completely intrigued. This book was buzz worthy and I wanted to read it!! Halfway through the book I loved Alexa and Drew's dynamic. How they meet and everything that was occurring within the pages of their story... Then it went downhill. At least for me. Their overall behavior, happy one moment and then fighting the next, Alexa's constant insecurities and attitude-it all caused a rift not only in their already fragile relationship, but in the initial connection I first felt for the two main characters. It was a push and pull type relationship, a constant back and forth that ultimately gave me whiplash. The Wedding Date truly has potential, but it was hard for me to fall in love with the rest of their love story.

When Alexa and Drew end up stuck in an elevator together, they quickly hit it off, and Drew ends up asking Alexa to be his fake girlfriend at his exes wedding. She agrees, and sparks fly. 

Despite living in different cities, Alexa and Drew continue to see each other. Even though Drew made it clear that he "doesn't do relationships", this feels different. He can't stop thinking about Alexa, and likewise, she can't stop thinking about him either. As feelings grow, Drew and Alexa will have to figure out if true love is worth risking everything for. 

The premise of this book sounded really cute (albeit predictable), and that's exactly what I got from reading the book! It read like a romantic comedy movie, which I really enjoyed. Alexa was smart and sassy, which I loved, and Drew was charming and funny. She was also black, and Drew was white, so there were discussions surrounding race and how Alexa grew up differently being a black woman than Drew did, being a white man, and I loved that the author addressed these conversations and topics, even though the book is a romantic comedy. 

The book is certainly predictable, as most romantic comedy/chick lit books are, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of it. It had me laughing out loud in parts, and rolling my eyes in others. One of my pet peeves is when books write in drama/fights because of a lack of communication, and that happened in this book. I wanted to shake the characters and tell them to just talk to each other instead of assuming, but of course books need those points of tension to move the plot forward, but I felt like it could have been done in a different way to be less cliche. 

All in all, I thought the book was cute and light, and if you're looking for a quick read that isn't too heavy, this is a great choice! The Wedding Date comes out on 1/30/18, so be sure to pick up your copy! I'd like to thank Netgalley, Berkley publishing, and Jasmine Guillory for an advanced copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Two professionals fake a relationship for a wedding in this cute, if formulaic, romance. Time to review The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory.

Drew and Alexa are two attractive and successful professionals stuck in an elevator. When Drew asks Alexa to attend a wedding as his faux girlfriend, their lives change forever. These two characters are engaging and funny, particularly when they are flirting with each other. However, Alexa is by far the more engaging of the two. She deals with interesting personal and professional issues on top of the romance, creating an authentic and captivating character.

While this book is cute, it’s also formulaic and angst-filled. Alexa and Drew’s drama felt contrived at times. It would have been far more interesting to see these two characters deal with the drama of long distance dating than how to define their relationship.

tl;dr A cute romance with a captivating female protagonist and angst-filled drama.

Alexa is visiting her sister Olivia’s hotel room in order to celebrate with her as Olivia just made partner at her law firm. While in the elevator on the way up to the room the power goes out and she’s stuck in an elevator with Dr. Drew Nichols who is San Francisco for his ex’s wedding. They have such a good time conversing on the elevator that when they finally get out, Drew asks Alexa to the wedding with him as his date. He unfortunately slips and says she’s his girlfriend so she has to play the part. After the wedding their sexual tension gets the best of the two and they end up having a great time in bed together. After that they make arrangements to fly to each other on weekends to see each other.

Alexa really liked Drew but he says that he doesn’t really “do” relationships so she tries to keep her emotions separate, but it turns out to be impossible. Drew never has a girlfriend but when he thinks of breaking it off with Alexa it practically gives him hives because he doesn’t want that. Unfortunately life and his ex’s get in the way of things and soon Alexa is seeing that any future relationship with Drew is impossible, or is it?

This was a really cute story. I liked how it was light-hearted for the most part and only had a couple of angsty moments. Drew was a pretty big player but once he’d found Alexa that was it for him. Of course it took a while for him to admit that to himself but I thought he was great with her.

Alexa fell for Drew hard and fast but was reluctant to admit her feelings, which might have been a good thing. Sometimes I think that it’s best that couples get in these arguments because it makes them see what life would be like without the other and I think it makes them appreciate the relationship so much more. That’s not always the case, but in this book it was true.

The story is pretty simple and straightforward, getting a tad bit slow in the middle, but overall a good read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on Book Binge.
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It's no secret that I love to read romance novels, but it's not often that I come across such a delightful one. This is one story that made me feel all warm and fuzzy, while being extremely sizzling hot at the same time, not to mention also managing to be kinda funny, and unrelentingly charming. Yeah, so basically The Wedding Date has everything one would look for in a romance novel - and more.

However I think (for me) the one thing that stood out more than anything else were the characters. Especially the male protagonist Drew. I guess I had kinda forgotten how stereotypical heroes in romance novels can get, all mostly fitting in the strong-silent-arrogant personality mold (which now that I think about it is more intimidating than attractive) before I "met" Drew in this novel. This guy, he was like a breath of fresh air, he was warm & friendly, and with a sense of humor that could single-handedly charm most of the female population.

And then there was Alexa, the female lead - smart, driven, successful, very admirable in her own way. But she too wasn't the picture perfect heroine that most romance novels go for either. In-fact she suffered from many of the same (real and imagined) insecurities most (if not all) women know intimately. And it was this that made her seem more real and relatable to me.

Moreover, I liked the fact that both Drew and Alexa were highly qualified, accomplished professionals in their own right, with very full lives outside of their relationship with each other. They were passionate about their work, had causes they believed in, and people they cared for.

Of-course none of this took away from them as a couple, it just made for an interesting, multi-faceted story, in which the romance outshone everything else anyway - which is just how it should be, 'cause afterall this is a romance novel.

And finally, I cannot write this review without mentioning how much the lead pair seemed to love their food, in-fact it almost seemed like they were eating all the time. It was odd and hilarious all at once (though I don't think it was meant to be). And just to be clear, this is not a complaint, I just found it funny how much food was involved, all the time, every time.

All in All: If you are looking for a good, swoony romance, which strikes the perfect balance between sweet, fun, and sexy, look no further, and pick up a copy of The Wedding Date. It will be a perfect read (or gift) for Valentines Day.

As excited as I was to read The Wedding Date once I read its summary, I was unfortunately extremely disappointed. I knew a couple pages in that I was probably not going to finish the book. I made it halfway and then had to put the book down.

The biggest problem with TWD is that I never connected with either Alexa or Drew. That's like 85% of enjoying a book, I think. If a book has characters I find compelling, I'll enjoy it. Or else a really intriguing plot. But with contemporary books where the romance IS the plot, I REALLY need to connect with the narrators. And I never did. Neither Alexa or Drew had a unique, interesting voice to me, and when they flip flopped pov or had a conversation without dialogue tags, it was hard to tell who was speaking. Why did these two very different characters have such a similar voice?

And for that matter, the switches between their pov were very abrupt. I typically prefer pov changes at chapter breaks, but they just went back and forth seemingly without reason. The sex scenes were of the fade to black variety, but again: the transitions were really abrupt.

Also, the dialogue seemed really stilted to me. Like so many of the conversations were about nothing, and I couldn't figure out a reason why some conversations were a summary (not a direct quote from the book but something like "and then she told him blah blah blah") and some were written out in their full, boring glory.

Sadly, this may be a case of it's not you, it's me. I know many readers have enjoyed The Wedding Date, but the style was not to my taste. I will not be posting a review of The Wedding Date on my blog.

THE WEDDING DATE is the utterly adorable romance charming in both its story telling and delivery.

It begins with a chance meeting between Alexa Monroe and Drew Nichols. Alexa is in town meeting her sister at the hotel in which she is staying. In a rush to get up to her sister’s room she barely notices the stranger who is on board with her. That quickly changes when the power goes out and they become stuck.

The stranger in question is handsome paediatric surgeon, Drew. He’s a reluctant member of a Wedding party taking place over the next few days. Getting stuck in an elevator is an inconvenience he can do without, but once he strikes up a conversation with his fellow detainee, it quickly becomes the highlight of his day.

The ease of interaction and conversation became them would become a real source of enjoyment for me. Although they have a “known” each other a short while it makes perfect sense for Drew to invite Alexa to be his wedding date. It’s a welcomed element of fun and mischief to the story, and the beginning of friendship that so wonderfully blossoms into more.

I have to say how much I really enjoyed Alexa as a heroine. She was smart , driven and one hell of a classy lady.

An elevator glitch + two charming characters + cheese and crackers = one of the most delightful meet-cutes I’ve read in a long time. Jasmine Guillory sets the stage for an effervescent romance from the very first page of The Wedding Date. Alexa and Drew have instant chemistry and they’re a whole lot of fun to read about.

Alexa is a heroine who’s easy to root for and adore. She’s successful, intelligent, and kind. She’s confident in her job as chief of staff to the mayor of Berkeley, but she’s plagued by some very relatable insecurities in her personal life. When she agrees to Drew’s spontaneous request to be his date to an ex’s wedding, Alexa lets go of her inhibitions for a whirlwind weekend of fun. I was so eager to see her find happiness with Drew, a pediatric surgeon who made me smile right alongside Alexa when they first meet. Drew is a sexy, fun hero to start with, but he loses some of his shine over the course of the story. He’s not a bad hero, but because his character isn’t explored as deeply as Alexa’s is, his commitment phobia and moodiness stand out in an unappealing way a few times. I do wish we’d gotten to know his character better because it would have made the romance stronger.

The Wedding Date is a book I have a hard time rating, because there are some things I really love about the book and some things I struggled with. I loved that Alexa opened Drew’s eyes to some of the everyday struggles a person of color faces and that she, a black woman, faces in particular. Alexa’s candor adds depth and realism to what would otherwise be a fairly breezy story. I also loved that both Alexa and Drew are successful thirty-somethings with high-power, demanding careers. That they understand and support one another in their work really had me rooting for them. What kept me from falling in love with this story like I wanted to was the middle of the book. It’s disappointingly repetitive. Either Alexa or Drew flies to meet the other, they eat, have sex, and don’t talk about their relationship or what their expectations are. The same thing keeps occurring with very little change, and I wish I’d seen more of their conversations or activities outside eating, sex, and the occasional party so that I could feel more of a connection to their romance. I also had a hard time with the fact that a lot of the conflict stemmed from miscommunication or simply an unwillingness to talk to one another about a problem. I did understand why Alexa was reticent to do so (to a certain extent), but when the same patterns kept emerging, it dragged the book down. That being said, the end of the book was so sweet, so lovely that I circled back around to falling for Alexa and Drew.

The Wedding Date is Jasmine Guillory’s debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from her. Alexa and Drew have quite a few wonderful friends whose books I’m dying to read. In fact, it’d be remiss of me to talk about this book and not mention Carlos, Drew’s awesome best friend and my new book crush. Carlos is friendly, incredibly patient, and caring and I absolutely cannot wait for his book. Until then, I will definitely revisit my favorite moments from The Wedding Date because when Alexa and Drew work, their book shines.

Alexa is on her way to visit her out-of-town sister. Drew is in town for a wedding. The pair get trapped for a short time in an elevator, and they hit if off immediately. While there is definitely mutual desire, both enjoy the easy banter more than anything. So when Drew asks Alexa to be his date for the wedding, she agrees. What happens next is an intense attraction that neither is prepared for.

The Wedding Date is a cute story about two successful individuals trying to find their way through life and love. While the premise is adorable and totally up my alley, I really struggled with the characters and overall execution. For the most part, I loved Alexa. She’s real. She works hard, loves her job, has fun, and lives life. She’s smart and successful - both main characters are - so that’s why I was frustrated with the fact that both Drew and Alexa have the emotional maturity of teenagers. They have no self-confidence when it comes to relationships, and they are constantly second guessing and looking for hidden meanings in actions and words (or the absence of either). It’s exhausting. They don’t communicate at all, which I get happens in real life, but I don’t read romances to see an accurate reflection of real life. The conflict in the story was driven by the insecurities of the characters.

I was also frustrated with the amount of off-page action. And I’m not just referring to sex. Although, I have to admit, sometimes it was so behind-closed-doors that I missed the fact they even had sex. But In general, there are too many scenes like this one:

On the way back to his apartment, they drove by the Santa Monica Pier.

“I haven’t been there since I was a kid,” she said. “It was always so fun.”

An SUV pulled out of a parking spot ahead of him, and he made a snap decision.

“No time like the present.” He reversed into the spot and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”

When they got back to his apartment, they were both giddy, sunburned, and exhausted.

If it was such a great getting-to-know you experience that helped the couple grow closer, why not share it with the reader? Scenes like this did nothing but aggravate me after a while.

Then comes the last 10% of the book. IT WAS PHENOMENAL! Alexa and Drew own up to their feelings and COMMUNICATE. They take risks and do something. This part of the story is full of emotion, with a strong storyline. It’s just too bad the whole book wasn’t written this way.

In the end, I enjoyed The Wedding Date, the debut title from Ms. Guillory; however, it took me a while to get through the book. Unfortunately, both main characters suffer from bad choices and a significant lack of confidence, which is what drives the conflict, something I didn’t care for. There are moments of good sprinkled throughout the story, and the last 10% or so is wonderful.

My Rating: C+ Liked It, but I had issues