A lovely debut by Ms. Guillory. Alexa a woman of color and Drew a caucasian man ends up in an elevator that stop working. Alexa is off to see her sister and he is in the Berkley area for a wedding. Right away sparks fly with a beginning flirtation in the elevator. Alexa finds out Drew is in town to go an ex girlfriend wedding and her groom happens to have been a close friend to him in the past. He has not date and ask Alexa if she would go with him. What ensues after that is how easily they played off of each other at the wedding with just knowing each other two days prior the wedding. Just when both of them things this is going to be a one night stand they find themselves flying back and forth him from Los Angeles and her from Berkley to see each other. In the opening scenes I felt the sparks of them in the elevator to the wedding scenes where they togetherness felt so natural. As with these rom com they a few misunderstanding amongst them before they both realize this relationship is more than a fling but possible the real thing. Loved Drew's doctor friend Carlos who was a great comedy relief along with Alexa friend Maddie and her co-worker Theo. Review on goodreads and amazon.com

I really don't know why I didn't enjoy this book, but it didn't click with me. I thought it fell flat and I wasn't surprised at anything that happened.

The Wedding Date was sweet and sexy. This was a basic stand in date for a wedding story where your leading characters fall in love with each other. This story was Funny, Witty, and Charming. Really Enjoyed.

Alexa and Drew meet during an elevator mishap at the hotel where he is staying for the wedding of his ex-girlfriend. On a crazy whim, Drew asks Alexa to be his plus one and pretrend to be Drew’s newest girlfriend, newest being the operative word as he has a player reputation. Weddings are a fine place to have lots of fun drama especially with Drew as a reluctant groomsmen. They are both successful professionals: Alexa is the mayor of Berkeley’s chief of staff while Drew is a pediatric surgeon in Los Angeles. Alexa enjoys herself quite a bit beautifully navigating the shark infested waters of wedding party. Drew is captivated by Alexa and she is equally drawn to him so they relationship continues long distance taking it in turns flying to meet for weekends.

The obstacles that crop up besides the distance include Alexa’s self-esteem issues in regards to her body as she is a black, full-figured girl who love her carbs surrounded by salad eating, skinny California blonds. The inter-racial couple issue causes some problems with a few of Drew’s insensitive friends. The other main obstacle is Drew’s proclivity to date women and then break up before things get too serious. His habit of serial dating causes Alexa a lot of doubts and pain.

While I enjoyed the story for the most part as a romantic comedy, Drew’s commitment issues and his callous treatment of several women make his at times a less than likeable character. As a pediatric surgeon, one would think he more than most would see the valuable of loving relationships and family. I actually liked his best friend better who continually challenged Drew’s behavior. No explanation is given for why he keeps his Peter Pan attitude towards dating such as a bad break up or other previous heartbreak. The author also just about sent me into a carb coma with donuts, pastries, and French fries being Alexa’s stress coping mechanism. One wonders how much drama Alexa could have been avoided with a little less sugar.

It's not you - it's me. We all know for me to love a contemporary romance the book has to be out of this world (I'm looking at you The Hating Game) or have some weird kink or twist. A sweet, vanilla, love-story just doesn't flick my Bic.

Alexa and Drew have a super meet-cute in an elevator. Which leads to an invite to be his fake date for a wedding. Which leads to relationship ups and downs of the realistic variety.

<b>"Yep, this was how she usually acted around hot guys. Scared to make eye contact, stared at his abs, said something awkward."</b>

Alexa has a lot of doubts about her attractiveness to Drew. She's curvy - and spends a lot of the book comparing herself to the women surrounding him - fixated on their blonde thinness. I struggle with heroines who undermine their self-worth. I've said it before, and I'll say it again "honey, if you don't know why he's with you I don't know why he's with you." It's not an endearing trait.

<b>"And she'd spent the night falling deeper and deeper in lust with Drew, with those dam tingles every time he touched her, and the whole time he was probably looking at all those women, wishing he was with one of them." At this point, if he wasn't wishing it I was.

However, if you love meet-cutes and sweet relationships and a heroine with legitimate fears about her physical appearance around a man she finds flawless - you should read this book. In this situation - it's not a bad book. I'm just a bad reader.

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I thoroughly enjoyed The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory, a charming romance between two likable characters, Alexa and Drew, who have to learn to trust themselves and each other on the way to a HEA.

Alexa Monroe is a chief of staff for the mayor of Berkeley, and she’s in San Francisco one evening to meet up with her sister who is in town for the weekend. On her way up the elevator in the Fairmont Hotel, the power suddenly goes out and the elevator grinds to a halt. There’s a handsome white man in the elevator with her, and they strike up a friendly, flirtatious conversation. It turns out that Drew is in town for the wedding of his friend and an ex-girlfriend, and his date had to back out at the last minute. On a whim, he asks Alexa to be his date and she agrees.

There is so much to like about this story. This is a charming set-up and I believed in these characters and their world. Both the pacing of their love story and the complications they faced felt realistic and true to life. There is not a billionaire in sight in this book---yes, Drew is a doctor, but he’s worried about his student loans. Yes, Alexa is a lawyer, but she’s left legal practice behind to work in politics. They have to face differences of race, family background, and geography. As a black woman, Alexa experiences the world differently. She knows Drew doesn’t always understand, but when trusts him with her experiences, he believes her and supports her. These external conflicts are compounded by each of their internal fears and worries. Drew has been a serial dater, always breaking up with women after a few months and while they are still friends. Alexa has figured out this pattern and is wary of trusting her heart to him.

Being with each other is easy, comforting, and right...and that scares the hell out of both of them. Drew is afraid of commitment, and if I had one quibble, I’d say that it’s not very clear where that fear comes from. I guess it’s supposed to read as “average white dude” fears, but compared to how well-developed Alexa’s character is, Drew’s backstory felt a little thin. As a content warning, Alexa does struggle with body image. However, this was real and organic to her character, and not played for laughs or cheap shots. She notices that she is curvier and rounder than the paper-thin blonde white girls that Drew is friends with, but she also can tell that Drew loves her body. This is an internal struggle for Alexa, one driven by her awareness that as a black woman, the standards of beauty will always be working against her. This isn’t a major plot point, but it is pervasive, especially when she and Drew are out with his friends and she is the only black woman.

My last thought on this book, I’m worried that the steep price of this book ($12!) will make folks less likely to buy it. I enjoyed this romance, but I’ll be honest when I tell you I’d have a hard time buying it for myself at this price. When I first heard about this book and that price, I speculated that maybe it would read more as Women’s Fiction (a term I hate and would like to blast into the sun, but I guess that’s what we’re calling it now) than romance. But The Wedding Date is a romance--the relationship is primary, and the way Alexa and Drew both grow is what makes the HEA possible. Maybe the idea is that this book has a crossover appeal, drawing both the romance and the women’s fiction crowd? I’d say I trust Berkeley Romance to know their own market, but I’m writing this the week Ana Mardoll is doing a read of another Berkeley title, Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgans, which is fatphobic and sounds truly appalling. Needless to say, that’s not exactly making me feel like this is a publishing house I can trust to know its own market.

I just thought this was a sweet happy book. No long prolonged "Big Misunderstandings", just two people who liked each other, learned to communicate with a realistic HEA. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a pick me up. This author is now on my auto buy.

Reviewed on Amazon and BN.com as SJC Reviews

Rating 5 stars
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would highly recommend this book & it’s the first book in a long time that you really are not sure the 2 main characters are going to find their HEA but you really really hope so !!

Drew & Alexis story begins in an elevator - a chance meeting where sparks fly from their mutual attraction. Drew is comitment shy never staying with the same girl for more than a few months - he needs a date for his ex’s wedding - who better to ask to be his fake girlfriend then elevator girl ..,

Alxis has a great career & is not looking for a boyfriend she decides to take Drew up on his fake girlfriend offer - they have a great time at the wedding together & an unplanned night of explosive sex. Their chemistry for each other off the charts ..

They decide to carry on a long distance relationship and begin to fall in love - as it becomes pretty aparent early on they just love being together...

This book reminds us that relationships are not always easy but if someone is important to you - you will work together to handle those bumps in the road rather than giving up and starting over ...

I really liked this authors writing style and can’t wait to check out more of her
books !

Overall I liked this book, and I will definitely check out any of Jasmine Guillory's future books. Her writing is sharp and smart, as are her characters.

What bugged me slightly about the book was how low the stakes were. Two people have to navigate a long-distance relationship (only an hour plane ride, tickets for which each character seems to be able to easily afford), and the only obstacle was their unwillingness to admit to their feelings. I wanted a bit more characterization of Drew into why he's not into committed relationships (that was sort of thrown in midway through the book) and why Alexa might be reluctant to admit to being in love with him.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory is a debut romance featuring Alexa and Drew who meet while stuck in a hotel elevator during a blackout. She’s there to pick up her visiting sister and he’s in town for a wedding and dateless—with Drew desperate for a wedding date a fake romance ensues but real sparks fly from the start. It’s witty, sexy and sweet.

When I first saw this book, I thought it would be a good fit for me, because I love fauxmance romances, and I was right! This book was delightfully sweet and charming, and I enjoyed it very much.

Who?
Alex, a former lawyer, now chief of staff to the mayor of Berkeley, who has been so busy building her career, she had no time for romance.

Drew, a pediatric doctor, who prefers to casually date and keep himself emotionally detached.

What?
While in Berkeley for his ex-girlfriend's wedding, Drew finds himself trapped in an elevator with Alexa. There, he asks her to pose as his fake date in order to avoid the pitiful glances of the other attendees. The date may have been fake, but the sparks were all too real. Their wedding weekend turns into the more, but will it turn into more?

Why?
Alexa and Drew were both fantastic characters. They seemed to have it all on the surface, but underneath the perfect veneer, they had a few flaws. I found I could relate to both Drew and Alexa because of these flaws. Aside from the flaws, they had a lot of great traits.

Alexa was an independent woman. She had career goals and did what she needed to in order to achieve those goals. She was also fun and vivacious, determined and passionate. I hated when she felt insecure, because she really had a lot to offer. I was glad Drew was sometimes able to remind her of those amazing qualities from time to time. She also had an awesome bestie, Maddie, who encouraged Alexa to go outside her comfort zone, as well as being her cheerleader.

There was something about Drew that pulled me in immediately. He was easy going and kept it light and easy, but as the story went on, I felt like he slowly began giving more and more of himself to us. I really liked his friendship with Carlos. I love a good bromance, and those two definitely had one. Carlos was such a solid friend, and often served as the voice of reason, when Drew was allowing his fear to govern his decisions.

I also really enjoyed the story in general. The heart of this story wasn't the fake date, but rather, what happened after. It was about Alexa and Drew and their blossoming relationship, and I thought Guillory did a great job letting it unfold. I am so glad she went with a duel point of view, because flipping between Drew and Alexa really added to this story. I couldn't imagine not being in one of their heads. It just would not have had the same effect.

Guillory filled the book with Alexa and Drew's work life and separate social lives, but what I looked forward to were their weekends together. They were hot, steamy, and swoony. The feelings that were growing between them were more than obvious and I just couldn't wait for Alexa and Drew to acknowledge them.

And let's talk about that ending!!! Oh, here come the happy tears again. I swear, it was perfect.

Overall
Fun, flirty and filled with too many smile inducing moments! I had so much fun being a part of Drew and Alexa's fauxmance to romance.

This book had me hooked from the very first sentence and I pretty much didn't put it down until I had finished. It's a fairly typical romance, with a great elevator meet cute, but what sets this story apart from most is that it features an African American woman and a white male. Both Alexa Monroe and Drew Nichols are strong protagonists that I found myself rooting for constantly. Alexa, especially, was a well-developed and charming character. The story isn't earth-shattering, but in a way it is - I kept thinking to myself that I'd never read an interracial romance before. It added some elements that wouldn't have been there otherwise and made me think a bit. I'm not going to lie - I had tears of happiness in my eyes at two points toward the end of the book and I'm not much of a crier. I honestly can't wait to read more from this author.

There's a lot of buzz around this debut romance, and I was super excited to get an e-galley from the publisher. The pretend-boyfriend trope is one of my favorites, especially when it involves complete strangers, so I had high hopes for this one.

Overall, the story was cute. The setup, while forced, worked well enough to make for a fun few chapters as the hero and heroine played boyfriend/girlfriend at his ex's wedding. The heroine's background in politics helped with the believability that she could walk into that situation, not knowing a single soul, and be charming and gracious and lovely ... and impress the pants off of the hero, literally.

Where I think things started to fall apart for me was with the pacing and plot of the last 2/3 of the story. There was a lot of repetition in terms of the romance (much more than I'd expected), and I found myself wishing there'd instead been more page time dedicated to character development. (I felt there was so much untapped potential there!)

One of the reasons why I'd been interested in this book was because of the PoC heroine. While I appreciated that the biracial aspect didn't dominate or overshadow (or define) the romance, it did feel somewhat clunky in how it was brought up at times. That said, it was refreshing to read a story with a diverse cast. (Carlos, the hero's BFF, was easily my favorite of them all.)

THE WEDDING DATE was a quick and easy read. The author's voice is maybe a little too sweet/cutesy/cheesy for my taste, and the conflict was one-dimensional. BUT, it was an enjoyable enough read that I know others will like it.

Rating: C+ (3½ stars)

THE WEDDING DATE was delightful from start to finish. I am not generally a fan of the "we're saying it's just 'hanging out' but really we're falling in love and can't admit it" setups. I need more assurance than that, and true, I wanted to smack Dr. Drew Nichols a time or two. But overall Dr. Nick and this book won me over. I think that is because of how much I liked our MC Alexa Monroe - the mayor's chief of staff and all around real-world badass making a difference in her community (well, in her fictional world).

I also adored how natural Alexa and Drew's romance felt. From insecurities to working through misunderstandings to learning each others lives and favorite foods (this story basically revolves around their meals), Alexa and Drew's romance grew in a way that seemed natural. Plus it was super swoony from their first meeting in the elevator, and I could definitely understand their connection. Alexa is black and Drew is white and they talk about being an interracial couple, including ways they view the world differently. For instance, Alexa asks Drew if she's going to be the only black person at the engagement party they attend at the start of the book, and it's something Drew hasn't even thought about before that moment.

This is a book you should put on your radar and make sure to pick up a copy when it releases in February.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone - I'd love to read more from this author

This is the first book by this author that I have read and after reading The Wedding Date it wont be my last.
This was a fun, sexy, easy to read book. The author pulls you in from the first page and makes you fall in love with the characters. It was nice to read a book with a heroine that was a bigger lady. Alexa is independent, fun and funny. Drew is sweet, charming and stubborn at times.
You could tell from the start where these two would end up but it didn't ruin the reading experience for me.
The story was fast paced, well written and lighthearted. It kept me reading, I needed to see where these two would end up. A few times I wanted to bang their heads together because they couldn't see how the other one felt and I just felt so frustrated with it.
I really enjoyed some of the side characters, like Carlos, Maddie and Olivia.
The story was realistic and the characters were very likeable which I really enjoyed.

Unfortunately, I didn't end up finishing this book. I started it and couldn't get into it. I thought the writing was a little immature. I tried a couple other books and went back to it and still couldn't get into it and now it's been a couple weeks and I just have no interest in it any longer. Since I did not finish he book, I won't be writing a review.

The Wedding Date is about Alexia, a 30 something woman who works for the Berkely Mayor chief of staff, and Drew, a pediatrician surgeon. They met in an elevator and the story take off from here - see what I did :D

It is a fun quick read about two adults and how they make distance relationship hot, I meant work. I really loved how the author tackled the race issues, which were all written respectfully and yet are all true. Especially the infamous "Where are you from from?" question. Plus I appreciate how she made Alexia and Drew story appealingly sexy without being blunt. Though the characters were too stubborn at times (hey it's part of their personality), they wasn't much surprise and everything was predictible.

Still though, all in all I'd say it's a cute romantic comedy that I'll recommend !

Review will be on the blog during release month.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
Alexa Monroe never would have thought that visiting her sister to celebrate would lead to being stuck in an elevator with an amazingly hot and funny man. A man that asks her to be his savior for the weekend by attending a wedding with him. Alexa takes a chance and steps out of her comfort zone and says yes.
Drew Nichols does not want to be here for the weekend. But he is the best man at the wedding and it would look really bad if he didn’t show up. Fate is on his side but getting him stuck in an elevator with one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen. Then a plan forms into his brain, he will ask this amazing women! And surprisingly she says Yes!!!
I am grateful that Berkley Publishing sent this super sweet book to review. I am not sure I would have picked this book up otherwise, it was not on my 2018 list to read. But I am very grateful because I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more books from Ms. Guillory.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Absolutely delightful. Charming. Smart. Real. Jasmine Guillory's debut is a fresh yet familiar romcom with a couple who meet cute in a hotel elevator, hit it off fantastically, and then find themselves falling into a long distance relationship. Skillfully and honestly addresses race and body positivity/anxiety issues. It’s the kind of rom-com we’ve needed for awhile. There may already be a movie called the Wedding Date, but we need this one.