The fake relationship troupe can be so much fun when done well, especially when it's being done to make someone else jealous and even more especially when we find out that at least one of the two fakers isn't faking anything at all from the very beginning. With all of the above going on, the first half of this book was absolutely delicious.

And then Brody decides to go all noble on everyone--grrrr....

There were a few times that Brody and Gwen's relationship veered off into the territory of big misunderstanding and I got a tad bit concerned, but they always managed to bring it back from the brink in a fairly reasonable manner...until Brody loses his flipping mind and decides that only he knows what's best for Gwen and he's going to push her towards that without letting her know what he's doing first or giving her any say in the matter. OMG, I wanted to smack him. Gwen definitely should have smacked him. He pulls his head out of his butt in the end and Ms. Kelly gives us an absolutely adorable ending--which *almost* makes up for it.

Almost.

Sigh.

But we do have a wonderful ending, so there is that. All kinds of HEA-goodness flowing everywhere with a super-cute where-everyone-else-in-the-series-is moment that left me with warm fuzzies and a goofy smile on my face, so...

The Decoy Date is the 4th book in the series, and though by starting with this one you won't know the tight knit group of friends at its center as well, it could work okay as a standalone. I'd only read the first book in the series so far ( May the Best Man Win ) and to be honest, I'd forgotten that I had until after I was finished with this one and looked at the rest of the books in the series and I did just fine.

Though of course now I have to read the rest of them, ASAP...

Rating: 4 stars / B-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

4.5 stars - Brody is everyone's friend (even his ex’s). He’s also super fine and a great cook to boot.

Gwen’s been in love with her best friend, Ted, for about 20 years. While they’ve hooked-up on occasion, he’s never been shy about bringing other woman around. Their besties and they've never wanted to ruin so haven’t given a relationship a real shot. She’s ready, but thinks he isn’t. I walks Brody with a plan to help Gwen get her man. Little does he know, she’s everything he’s ever wanted.

It’s a fun read with some heat that’s about moving forward, going after what you want, being open enough to see where that leads you and then embracing the love that proves true.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review

Gwen Davis has been in love with her best friend Ted since they were teenagers. But he doesn't even seem to notice that she's there.
Brody O'Donnel doesn't think that Ted is half the man that Gwen believes him to be. And he's sick of watching her woebegone face in his bar. He suggests a bet. The two of them pretend to be hot and heavy and see if Ted reacts how Brody predicts therefore showing Gwen that he's never been in love with her. After some arguing, Gwen agrees. But will being in a pretend relationship with Brody show her exactly how much she'd be missing in a real relationship with Ted?
The first half of the book was exactly as I expected from Ms. Kelly. The second half... was not as good as usual. It was still okay but she was trying to twist a trope and it didn't quite work for me. I'm not sure if there are any more books in the Wedding Date series but I will be on the look out for those and other books by Kelly.

Three stars
This book came out December 11
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and publisher

We all knew where it was going, but it was so much fun getting there! Great characters, believable and entertaining dialogue, and good chemistry. Mira Lyn Kelly is a great author.

Will appear soon at Romance Reviews Today site: http://romrevtoday.com/index.htm

DECOY DATE – Mira Lyn Kelly

The Wedding Date, Book 4

Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 978-1-4926-33082-1

December 2018

Contemporary Romance



Chicago, Illinois – Present Day



As a bartender, Brody O’Donnel is used to being the sounding board, shoulder to cry on, and keeper of all secrets, but he’s tired of seeing his friend, Gwen Danes, unhappy that the man she’s interested in won’t look at her. So, Brody proposes that they pretend to be dating, hoping that it will make her guy jealous. But once they start “seeing” one another and they kiss, an unexpected attraction develops. Brody isn’t into happily-ever-afters, and Gwen deserves more than a fling with him.



Gwen’s romantic world has revolved around her love for her best friend, Ted, but he doesn’t think of her in the same way. After Brody suggests a “fake” relationship, she agrees, but soon discovers that she’s attracted to him. But a funny thing has happened…Ted is now jealous of Brody, and Gwen realizes she wants to focus on building a future with Brody. How can a man who doesn’t want to commit to a woman make her happy?



DECOY DATE is the fourth tale in The Wedding Date series by Mira Lyn Kelly about a group of friends who hang out in a local bar and find love amongst their circle of friends. Brody is the bartender and also friends with the group. Gwen has come into the bar and hung out with him, decrying to him her inability to attract Ted. Brody figures it won’t take much for insipid Ted (which is how he sees the man) to realize his mistake and turn his attention to her. But instead, it’s Brody who ends up wanting Gwen. A sizzling kiss leads to red-hot desire bubbling between them. Will they act upon it for a night of passion?



Brody’s feelings about relationships and commitments stem from his mother, who is as cold as they come. It has left him feeling like love isn’t what it seems to be. As his friendship with Gwen turns into something more, the more vulnerable he is to feeling insecure. When Ted makes his move on Gwen, what will Brody do? Has Gwen’s feelings for Ted changed, or will she fall in love with Brody? While DECOY DATE is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone, even as we catch up with the characters from prior books.



Friends-to-Lovers are always a good bet for a read in my book, and DECOY DATE doesn’t disappoint. Gwen and Brody have a rocky road to romance, but it’s one that is well worth the read. Grab a copy of DECOY DATE today.



Patti Fischer

This book was wonderful! The best was saved for last. Brody was everyone’s buddy and this time he got his own happy ever after. Brody owns the bar that everyone hangs out at and that is where he met Gwen. Gwen came in all the time and was trying to be subtle in her crush on her friend Ted. Brody offers his help to Gwen in getting Ted to notice her and want to go out with her. Of course in doing this Brody falls for Gwen and vice versa. But neither tells the other and then misunderstandings happen. When Gwen can finally get what she thought she always wanted she is torn because she realizes that her feelings have changed.
It was great seeing Brody’s friends again especially Molly and Sean. Gwen became really good friends with Molly and she will be connected to them for a long time. I loved Brody and Gwen was perfect for him. I liked how they became friends before they fell for each other. And they were a super hot couple when they got together. I would definitely tell people to read this book. I could totally see myself reading this book again it was so good!

What a great book! It had charm, wit, steam, love, friendship! I do believe Mira Lyn Kelly is now one of those authors I must watch for new books because I am hooked. She writes honest, human characters with all the baggage and foibles of real people. If you are looking for a fast paced book that holds onto your interest until the end this is the book for you!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Decoy Date - fun, easy read!

This is the final book in the Wedding Date Series. I don’t recall the 2 main characters in the previous books, but I don’t think it made much difference, and made this one a definite Stand-Alone. The group of friends were still included in this book, but not nearly as much as I expected. Again, this made it more of a Stand-Alone.

I found this was a fun book and I really enjoyed watching Gwen and Brody discover their love. Brody proposed that Gwen and he pretend to be together to help Gwen’s lifelong friend Ted jealous and finally see Gwen. As is typical with this plot line, Brody and Gwen fall for each other instead.

This is a fun, easy read and like the others in this series, I recommend this book for a no-brainer feel-good romance. As a reader, I wanted Brody to be successful in his quest for Gwen’s heart, and I found myself at times wanting to shake Gwen to realize what was right in front of her eyes! I did find some spots dragged a bit and a few incidents more frustrating than I should have (although, I was very tired when I read the book, so it could have been my mood).

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

This final book in the Wedding Date series follows the last single member of the group of friends we've gotten to know over the course of three previous books.

Brody O'Donnel has been attracted to Gwen Danes since the moment he saw her. The problem is, Gwen has had secret feelings for her childhood best friend, Ted, for years. Brody sees what Ted has been doing, stringing Gwen along, and he's ready to open her eyes to it as well. So, he offers to be her fake boyfriend in order to make Ted jealous enough to finally notice Gwen. Brody figures this will finally show Gwen what he sees: that Ted is no good for her.

Gwen has been waiting forever for Ted to finally notice her, so she's more than willing to give Brody's idea a try. Despite what he thinks, she knows Ted is a good person. But soon, what Gwen starts feeling for Brody becomes more than pretend, but one thing's for sure, she's done being the one on the other end of unrequited feelings.

For his part, Brody does come to care for Gwen beyond the friendship they've formed. Unfortunately, he'll have to contend with Gwen's friendships and her past if he wants things to work out.

This is another one, like Just This Once before it, where Mira Lyn Kelly takes an oft-used trope (in this case the fake boyfriend) and turns it on its ear in terms of how I thought the story would go, and it's much the better for it.

At first, I was a little put off by the set-up. I don't remember Gwen being mentioned in previous books, if she was the forgetfulness is completely on me and I apologize. But with that in mind, I felt like the story just pops up out of nowhere. I would have loved if we were given hints in previous books (again, if we were, I apologize for my forgetfulness). I think it would have made the impact of the developing relationship between Brody and Gwen resonate much more. I was also a little thrown by the fact that it's not as centered on the group of friends as Just This Once was. Obviously that book was dealing with a friends-to-lovers storyline in which said friends are in the same group of people so of course there was going to be a lot of interaction with the other couples from the previous books, and I was missing that this time around. Don't get me wrong, the group is featured (you couldn't cut them out completely), but I felt, for the most part that Brody and Gwen were in their own orbit, so to speak.

Luckily, Brody and Gwen work really well together. The chemistry is hot. Honestly, and I feel a smidgen bad for saying this, but, initially, I felt like Brody always occupied the background. I didn't dislike his character, but he didn't much register on my radar as wanting or being excited for his book. I felt like what we knew was just on a periphery. Well, I'm happy to say that, now having finished the series, Brody is by far my favorite. His sexiness jumps off the page. Mira Lyn Kelly does a great job of getting to the heart of this character who is so genuinely good and kind, yet you can also see he looks for the forever type of love that was lacking in his own family growing up. But he's not broken in the sense that he's afraid to end up like his parental units, no, he welcomes the differences he has with them and sees the capability of love when he looks at his group of friends.

I equally liked Gwen, who, for so long thought she wanted something (or someone) only to see the difference of those feelings when they're real. The idea of changing over time, how despite how much people love a happily ever after where everything works out in the end, sometimes people are not meant to be together.

The Decoy Date was so much more than a "fake boyfriend" trope and I welcome anyone to give this one a try if you're looking for romance that challenges our own perceptions of these tropes.

This is my favorite in the Wedding Date series. Brody and Gwen make great friends and even better lovers. And their little experiment to make her lifelong friend Ted jealous and finally look at her in the way she's always looked at him, worked a bit too well. Neither planned on falling for the other but with the sexy nothings whispered in Gwen's ear and the kisses that made her weak in the knees, there was no doubt they belonged together.

This is an easy read and very enjoyable. I've truly loved all of these Wedding Date characters and they make plenty of appearances in The Decoy Date. They all have each other's backs and it is never more evident than in this one.

Brody is such a great guy and I was rooting for him to win Gwen's heart and not just for Ted's benefit. These two have plenty of detours on their road to this unexpected happiness but it was all worth it in the end. I even have a soft spot for the beleaguered Ted and hope his story is told as well. Kelly made me actually like him when I didn't want to!

The book went on a bit too long at times and a few incidents of miscommunication were a bit frustrating for me. But it's a sweet little read for a cold winter's day, and I give The Decoy Date a 3.5 stars!!

My first read of the series and I'm hooked! The banter between the characters had me laughing out loud at work. Such a clever friends to lovers story, I'm definitely reading the rest of the books immediately!

Mira Lyn Kelly has written a fun and engaging romantic comedy series in The Wedding Date, with a group of bachelors starting out as best men for their friends and ending up finding their own perfect match by the end of each story. Book one, May the Best Man Win got a spot in my ‘best reads of 2016’ folder. It’s still my favorite of the series (in part because enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope), though the ones that have come after have been entertaining and enjoyable as well, including this latest release, Decoy Date.

Brody O’Donnel is a pub owner and friend to many, the kind of guy who treats women well even after a breakup and whose big body and bigger cheerful presence don’t go unnoticed. He can see that his friend Gwen is waiting for her longtime crush Ted to really notice her, and proposes a fake relationship to grab Ted’s attention and make him see what he’s missing in keeping Gwen in the friend-zone. Ted and Gwen have a long history together: childhood friends and neighbours from the same town, parents who still hang out together on holidays, and the occasional hookup that never developed into anything more despite Gwen’s hopes. Waiting for Ted to finally ‘see’ her doesn’t seem to be working so Gwen figures Brody’s offer is her last best hope.

Things get a little complicated when Gwen finds she’s enjoying her fake boyfriend far more than expected.  Though Brody’s intentions at the start are to keep his emotions in check because he knows Gwen has real feelings for Ted, when the sizzling attraction between them gets both of their attentions it becomes a challenge to remember why they started acting like more than friends in the first place. And when their plan starts to work, who will get to have a happy ever after?

This is a classic love-triangle romance trope: Girl 1 crushes on Boy 1; Girl 1 enlists Boy 2’s help to make Boy 1 jealous; Girl 1 and Boy 2 start to develop feelings for each other; Boy 1 realizes he’s been an idiot; and then the final question – does Girl 1 end up with Boy 1 or Boy 2? If this were a ménage romance everybody would get their happy ending but it isn’t, so though the reader can likely figure out the final solution to the equation, it’s the complications, emotional moments, and the sexy times (there are plenty of those) that make it worth reading.

I’m of the same mind as Brody when it comes to Ted. It’s hard to see what Gwen sees in him romantically from the get go. He’s great as a friend – always there for a phone call or a quick meal together, rides out to see the parents and for joint family time. But he dates other women, basically flaunting them in front of Gwen, and yet she still thinks he’s the one for her. It made me shake my head at Gwen for not coming to her senses sooner, especially with a single guy like Brody around.  Because Brody's a nice guy and sensitive to Gwen's feelings he doesn’t tell her his real thoughts on the man she calls her best friend.  Brody believes that once Ted realizes he’s losing his comfort blanket of Gwen’s adoration, he’ll make his move; Gwen will date Ted, realize she’s mistaken about her feelings for him, they’ll split up and then Gwen can finally move on to a new relationship with her whole heart (and Brody hopes that will be with him). Nothing goes according to plan and because of that someone is bound to get hurt, giving this story a little heartbreak amidst the joy of discovering new love.

The wedding part of this story is secondary to the romance plot. Brody is the best man at a wedding of mutual friends, and there are a few scenes with the gang pre, during and post wedding but it doesn’t have the same emphasis or importance as in the original story that started the series. Now it’s a way to catch up with secondary characters and showcase some of the friendships between the guys and gals. Some are married and some are expecting children and it's nice to see how they've all moved forward with their lives.

I definitely think the right couple ends up together and though it seemed easy for Gwen and Brody to pretend to be involved, the actual way to a happy ending requires some soul searching and honest communication. This is a series where each story works just fine as a standalone and the tropes are all different, so depending on your tastes, you may find one story works better than the others. While I don’t think this one is as strong as previous entries, that’s likely because love triangles aren't my favorite trope rather than a case of problems with the writing style or characters. On the whole, the romantic comedy Wedding Date series gets a positive score from me for the series concept, likable characters, and sexy, satisfying stories.

This review has been posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link.

I have read all of the books in The Wedding Date series....looking forward to each one. So I was familiar with Brody's character and was anxious to read his story. If you are looking for an unbelievably sweet, mature, got-your-back kind of guy, Brody is the one for you. He is perfect BBF material. This story is a fake relationship trope and Mira Lyn Kelly does an excellent job of getting the reader on-board for when the switch happens for each character to start seeing things differently. (Sometimes writers don't get that right and we don't buy in to it as we should.) Their relationship was fleshed out well with all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings. I left the book, and the series, satisfied with a smile on my face. I would definitely recommend the whole series for readers wanting romantic, feel-good stories with the right amount of heat and witty banter. Looking forward to more to read by this author.

It’s always a bittersweet moment when a series winds down to the last story (I can always hope for more but…). Decoy Date is the fourth story in The Wedding Date series, a group of stories that I’ve enjoyed very much.

Gwen has had a crush on, and an off and on relationship with Ted the user, loser for some time now. She always has her hopes up that he’ll fall madly in love with her, but the fact is that Ted is out for Ted alone, he’ll use whoever he pleases and leave them when he moves on to someone else…and then come back as though nothing happened. Frankly, I hate Ted.

Brody is tired of watching his friend, Gwen do anything or put up with nothing in order to get Ted’s attention. In Brody’s opinion Ted doesn’t deserve a second glance from Gwen — but he’s got a plan. If Gwen really wants Ted to step up to the plate and declare himself then Brody will make the jerk sit up and take notice when the always there girl starts dating someone else, namely Brody. Jealous anyone? His plan might have worked out well if not for the small fact that Gwen and Brody started feeling some real emotions in their fake relationship. When Ted finally sees the light of what he’s passed up in Gwen it’s time for Gwen to finally see the truth of her own worth… and of the man she’s really in love with. And that’s not Ted.

If you’re in the mood to watch someone discover what love really feels like, and discover what’s most important to them – then Decoy Date is a story you’ll want to pick up. I’d say you “could” read this one on its own, but you’ll have a much better feel for the entire series, and the other characters if you can start at the beginning. I had fun in this world, I’m sad to see it come to a close… but then I’ll be on the lookout for what Mira Lyn Kelly has for us next.

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

3.5 Stars

I always enjoy a good fake-relationship story and The Decoy Date certainly delivered. With wonderful dialogue - especially when Brody turns on the charm, and great characters, it was easy to get caught up in this story.

I absolutely loved Brody. He has a reputation of being a flirt and maybe a bit of a player, but he’s really just a great guy. I wasn’t too sure about Gwen at first, but she did grow on me, especially when she finally stood up for herself when it came to Ted. There was definitely some great chemistry between these two, so it was no wonder that the “fake” relationship turned into more – it was just too bad it took so long for both Brody and Gwen to let each other know, especially since I’m not a huge fan of too much angst, and there was definitely quite a bit that played out towards the end to get Brody and Gwen to their happy ever after. I really did enjoy watching their fake relationship evolve, especially how Brody would narrate it – it would be hard for any girl not to fall for Brody after hearing the things he was saying!

One thing I did miss was not getting to spend a lot of time with the other characters from the series. Since Gwen is from a different friend group they didn’t have a chance to offer much of a supporting role until near the end, which, let me just say Molly was awesome and I loved how that all played out, but I did miss the fun banter that happens whenever the group gets together.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. This was an easy read with a lot of great dialogue and a cast of characters that were easy to relate to. This is the fourth book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone, but I have read the others in the series and would encourage anyone to start at the beginning and enjoy getting to know all the characters in this series. This book, author, and series would look good on anyone’s TBR shelf!

Brody was usually and easy going guy . He liked to laugh, make fast friends, and usually didn’t get too spun up in bs outside his control. He’d been told he was an old soul with a generous heart and wisdom beyond his years. But he’d hit his limit. Gwen was already out of the passenger door, she had been at Bret and Claudia’s wedding shower just like he had as he was best man. There were some other couples from the shower heading into Brody’s bar- Belfast that he had owned for five years. Ted also. Ted was Gwen's best friend but also her Unrelenting secret obsession and he was playing up to some out of town cousin . Most people didn’t know Gwen had a crush on ted for most of her life and a lot of her firsts had been with him. But Brody had known the score after meeting Gwen the year before. Before going tn the bar Brody told Gwen it was time she got over Ted. After missing time for the shower Brody should be tending to the crowd, or checking on his crew, or tending to the paperwork on his desk Jill kept reminding him still needed to be taken care of. Instead he was behind the bar making Gwen a special drink. Gwen gave him that awed expression that had him making a new drink for her every week for the last two months. He knew Gwen and ted had slept together a couple of times . Gwen was still waiting for more and ted didn’t care enough to set her straight. Getting over ted would be easier for Gwen if ted stopped giving her false hope. Brody said she needed to see that once she had ted she wouldn’t want him and Brody was going to help her get Ted. Brody said that if she agreed to what he was suggesting Ted will be the one waiting for her at the end of the night. Brody said his plan was to shake Ted up some since he already knew she was into him. So what they needed to do is take that blanket away- Gwen always waiting for in the background. Ted needs to believe he was going to lose her for real, for good. They are going to make Ted think Brody took Gwen and she was with him now.
I absolutely loved this book. I have a new favorite romance novel. I loved Gwen and Brody together and how they interacted. I felt like I was there with Gwen and Brody. I read this in one setting as I didn’t want to put this down. I loved how Brody had his own family made up of his friends. I really didn’t care for Ted as he was a liar and butt hole. I don’t care if you are drunk if you can’t control your mouth and hurt someone like he hurt Gwen than he needs not to drink. I happily found nothing to criticize in this book. I loved the plot and the pace. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend it.

LOVED this friends to lovers story!! I enjoyed the interaction between Brody and Gwen as they begin their fake relationship in the hopes Gwen's long time crush will finally sit up and take notice. Problem is it works too well. About the same time Brody realizes his feelings for Gwen are changing, Teddy (the crush) seems to be realizing the same thing. Now Gwen has a serious decision to make!

This is the fourth book in the Wedding Date series and it can easily be read standalone. Do yourself a favor though, read them all! I'm certain you'll love all these characters as much as I do.

This is a cute romantic story with lots of ups and downs and a “first love” factor. It starts out as a harmless way to get her “first love” to recognize she’s girlfriend material. When she finally gets his attention, she discovers she wants so much more than he can give her. She ends up falling for her decoy date. It’s a hot sexy romance then. But because all of the Wedding Date stories have a lot of drama, she brings the “first love” back into the story. It’s cute, but it left some things out for me and seemed to go on a little too long.

Although this is billed as a standalone novel in the series, you really need to read the others to get a feel for Brody and he is involved with Gwen. That was tough for me because I felt like, until the last part of the book, I’d missed a lifetime of these two building a friendship and why Brody was so interested in getting her over Ted. Well, apparently that happened in the previous books. Also, it felt like it was going to be a novella and then it kind of dragged until Ted was brought back into the story. And finally, it left you hanging a little bit about her family and whether they accepted Brody or not. That was actually a big part of the story, when her Dad is totally not liking Brody and doing everything to throw Ted at Gwen. I feel a little bit left to hang on that part. The scene building was good and the character development for Gwen and Brody was very well done. Just a few issues for me. You do get your HEA, so pick it up and give it a try.

'The way he was kissing her was like he couldn’t get enough. Like he didn’t know how to stop. Like maybe he’d been waiting as long as she had.'

I absolutely adored this book. Like, to the point where I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m a hot minute from scrawling Brody and Gwen 4 Eva on some scrap paper, y’all—that’s how giddy I am about Decoy Date.

This book is just so much fun. The fake romance aspect is well-done and believable, the characters are very likable (including all of Brody’s friends, returning from earlier books in the series), and the chemistry very apparent.

While I would have been very happy to see a little more from the “aftermath”, I read and finished this book with a lingering smile and a very happy heart—and more than a little hopeful that this isn’t the last we’ll see of these characters.

“You’re so beautiful. Like a fucking dream. More. Because I’ve been dreaming about you for too long, and even in the best of them, you never look like this.”

Mira Lyn Kelly has written a fun and engaging romantic comedy series in The Wedding Date, with a group of bachelors starting out as best men for their friends and ending up finding their own perfect match by the end of each story. Book one, May the Best Man Win got a spot in my ‘best reads of 2016’ folder. It’s still my favorite of the series (in part because enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope), though the ones that have come after have been entertaining and enjoyable as well, including this latest release, Decoy Date.

Brody O’Donnel is a pub owner and friend to many, the kind of guy who treats women well even after a breakup and whose big body and bigger cheerful presence don’t go unnoticed. He can see that his friend Gwen is waiting for her longtime crush Ted to really notice her, and proposes a fake relationship to grab Ted’s attention and make him see what he’s missing in keeping Gwen in the friend-zone. Ted and Gwen have a long history together: childhood friends and neighbours from the same town, parents who still hang out together on holidays, and the occasional hookup that never developed into anything more despite Gwen’s hopes. Waiting for Ted to finally ‘see’ her doesn’t seem to be working so Gwen figures Brody’s offer is her last best hope.

Things get a little complicated when Gwen finds she’s enjoying her fake boyfriend far more than expected.  Though Brody’s intentions at the start are to keep his emotions in check because he knows Gwen has real feelings for Ted, when the sizzling attraction between them gets both of their attentions it becomes a challenge to remember why they started acting like more than friends in the first place. And when their plan starts to work, who will get to have a happy ever after?

This is a classic love-triangle romance trope: Girl 1 crushes on Boy 1; Girl 1 enlists Boy 2’s help to make Boy 1 jealous; Girl 1 and Boy 2 start to develop feelings for each other; Boy 1 realizes he’s been an idiot; and then the final question – does Girl 1 end up with Boy 1 or Boy 2? If this were a ménage romance everybody would get their happy ending but it isn’t, so though the reader can likely figure out the final solution to the equation, it’s the complications, emotional moments, and the sexy times (there are plenty of those) that make it worth reading.

I’m of the same mind as Brody when it comes to Ted. It’s hard to see what Gwen sees in him romantically from the get go. He’s great as a friend – always there for a phone call or a quick meal together, rides out to see the parents and for joint family time. But he dates other women, basically flaunting them in front of Gwen, and yet she still thinks he’s the one for her. It made me shake my head at Gwen for not coming to her senses sooner, especially with a single guy like Brody around.  Because Brody's a nice guy and sensitive to Gwen's feelings he doesn’t tell her his real thoughts on the man she calls her best friend.  Brody believes that once Ted realizes he’s losing his comfort blanket of Gwen’s adoration, he’ll make his move; Gwen will date Ted, realize she’s mistaken about her feelings for him, they’ll split up and then Gwen can finally move on to a new relationship with her whole heart (and Brody hopes that will be with him). Nothing goes according to plan and because of that someone is bound to get hurt, giving this story a little heartbreak amidst the joy of discovering new love.

The wedding part of this story is secondary to the romance plot. Brody is the best man at a wedding of mutual friends, and there are a few scenes with the gang pre, during and post wedding but it doesn’t have the same emphasis or importance as in the original story that started the series. Now it’s a way to catch up with secondary characters and showcase some of the friendships between the guys and gals. Some are married and some are expecting children and it's nice to see how they've all moved forward with their lives.

I definitely think the right couple ends up together and though it seemed easy for Gwen and Brody to pretend to be involved, the actual way to a happy ending requires some soul searching and honest communication. This is a series where each story works just fine as a standalone and the tropes are all different, so depending on your tastes, you may find one story works better than the others. While I don’t think this one is as strong as previous entries, that’s likely because love triangles aren't my favorite trope rather than a case of problems with the writing style or characters. On the whole, the romantic comedy Wedding Date series gets a positive score from me for the series concept, likable characters, and sexy, satisfying stories.

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