This is a follow up to the author's first book. Unfortunately, I was not aware of this prior to reading this. I did enjoy the book, but I think it is crucial to read the first book. This book is very cozy.

Another visit with the Wedding Belles- Natalie, Tessa, and Ama. This time Ama, the baker of the group, is the focus of the tale. You'll meet a bridezilla or two as these three work at their business and their own romantic lives. Briggs does a good job of wrapping in a cross cultural issue for Ama but you know, don't you, that love will prevail. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A light, quick, happy read.

I enjoyed this book but am disappointed that there was no warning that it was the second book of a series. It was a nice story wrapped around a cozy winter theme. I will be going back to read the first book as I feel this book would have been more enjoyable had I done so.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publishers. What a fantastic wonderful feel good winter romance. Not read anything by this author before and wished I had read the first book but nevertheless still enjoyed it

I have read the previous book as well and although I liked it, I liked this one even better. 

We are reconnected with our three (or should I say four) wedding planners and they are, as usual, doing their utter best in order to make the happiest day in a couple's life the most magical possible. It seems like the perfect job to me, because it's like creating fairy tales and what can go wrong doing that ...

But there is more to this story than just that. It's about pleasing your family even if it's not what you really want, but you oblige even if you have to tell a (not so) white lie. It's about trying to be up front about your feelings and about not letting yourself be pushed into a corner. Love is waiting around the corner and is showing it's face when you least expect it. No go looking for it.  When the time is right, it will find you.

The story is fluently written, romantic and funny. It's taking place in the festive season, without being a soggy Christmas tale. The focus is on other things entirely.

I am certainly looking forward to the next part. So please, Laura, don't keep me waiting too long. 5 stars

Thank you, Laura Briggs, Bookouture and Netgalley.

(the review will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and my blog on publication day)

This is a first for me by this author.

I didn't realise this was the second book in the series but I still enjoyed it and will be adding the first to my TBR list.

Tessa, Ama, and Natalie are all very different, yet their individual talents and personalities are what make their wedding planning business The Wedding Belles work.

Whilst the book is about all three ladies... I feel it aims more towards Ama as the description of the book would suggest.

Ama’s been baking ever since she can remember. Desserts, cakes, cookies – anything sweet, delicious and sinful... sounds like a friend I would get along with.
She feels that something is missing from her life and as she's working on the biggest cake she's ever made, for a magical winter wedding, she realises how much she too dreams of falling in love.
When she meets a motorcycle-riding bad boy he sets her pulse racing. He's her very traditional parent's worst nightmare so she knows it can never be, but do her family really know best? Should she trust her heart and find out what really goes into the recipe for true love?

It's about love for your friends and family, with a touch of romance.

I'm looking forward to the next book as there are a few loose ends that I feel needs tying up but maybe that's the way it's meant to be... to keep you guessing until the next instalment.

Thank-You Netgalley for my ARC.

I struggled a bit with this book in the beginning because there was no rhyme or reason to the constant switching between character point of views. It seemed very disjointed. It also seemed to be trying to copy one of Nora Roberts series and cramming it into one book. However, I appreciated the diverse cultures expressed in the book along with family expectations. I was disappointed that the characters struggled to be their whole authentic selves and by the end of the story, only one was attempting to do so.

I had been really looking forward to this book since finishing One Day Like This which was the first to feature the Wedding Belles.

It was wonderful to be back with Ama, Natalie and Tessa and not to mention their unofficial fourth partner Blake, with a new wedding to plan, and more insights into their lives.

In the previous book I was sure that Tessa was the main character for at least that book, but this time all three felt far more on an even footing but I couldn't help but want to see more from Ama, as she is from a different culture, it was interesting to see how East meets West with regards dating.

I am incredibly eager to see how Ama's story progresses in the next book, as I think she is great, plus she makes all the lovely food!

The Belles this time are organising a wedding in a relatively short time frame for Nadia and Lyle, and I really felt for the Belles and Nadia as the plans progressed, for the warring mothers are as different as chalk and cheese and had differing opinions on everything.

One wanted a classy wedding, one wanted glitz, glitter, big and bold, yet the bride wanted something inspired by Frozen. As I was reading I was continually wondering who the first to snap would be.

For a book filled with a wedding, three ladies and some prospective romances, there was a distinct lack of romantic action in this book. In fact the overall impression i have of this book is that is building character progression for a future installment, but for me it was missing those certain qualities that make me really smile and enthuse about a book.

Don't' get me wrong I did like the story, I just didn't love it. I may just be frustrated as I have read books from the author that I have enjoyed significantly more in the past - but regardless I have every intention of reading the next in the series, I need to know what happens next to Tessa, Natalie and Ama.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Although set in the run up to the festive season this story doesn’t go overboard on the Christmas cliches that seem to crop up a lot in chick lit thank goodness but it still has a lovely, warm underlying theme to it, as much about love for your family and friends as it is about romantic love. I enjoyed reading about the three girls business and loved the descriptions of the winter wedding they arranged for a client. Looking forward to the next instalment- so many loose ends thatI’m curious about!

Having previously read One Day Like This, it was great to catch up with the girls and Blake. Tessa, Ama, and Natalie are all very different, yet their individual talents and personalities are what make the Wedding Belles, their wedding planning business work. With this book, we see Ama, and possibly Natalie, start to move forward in relationships. Unfortunately, Tessa and Blake don’t see to be moving any closer to one another. Hopefully, Mac and Blake aren’t really engaged and their situation will be resolved in the next book in the series.