I tore through this amazing queer romance on my flight back to the city this week, and it was so much fun!! D’Vaughn and Kris both enter a reality TV show dating competition where they’re tasked with posing as an engaged couple and convincing their families that it’s all real! It’s a quirky mix of 90 Day Fiancé and Married at First Sight, kinda. As a cringey reality TV lover, I was here for it 😆

D’Vaughn is entering into the show as a way to force herself to come out to her family, and Kris is genuinely looking for love. As they get paired together and start their journey, they handle all kinds of hurdles together, and as they fall for each other, D’Vaughn must unlearn a lot of insecurities, and Kris must learn to communicate her feelings, and it was all 🔥🔥🔥

• Fake dating but is it fake? Check.

• Steamy scenes? Check.

•Two queer people learning how to actually build a strong foundation instead of just falling for each other and having it all magically work out?? DOUBLE check.

All in all, a solid queer romance and my first of 2022! Thank you for the free advance copy!

Kris is striving to break through as an influencer. D’Vaughn is looking for a way to finally come out to her mom. Enter Instant I Do, a reality show where Kris and D’Vaughn can both get what they want — plus $100,000 — if they can plan an amazing wedding in just six weeks.

D'Vaughn and Kris are completely lovable protagonists, and they have real chemistry on the page. The reality TV aspect is hilariously unrealistic, both in concept and in practice (where are the cameras and mics??), but that put the love front and center. This is a great comfort read for romance lovers!

D'Vaughn and Kris are paired together on a reality TV show where they have 6 weeks to convince their friends and families that they are engaged, plan a wedding, and make it to the altar without anyone suspecting the farce. The two win over Kris' enthusiastic Afro-Latinx family, and Kris stands by D'Vaughn's side as she comes out as a lesbian to her religious mother. The story is an ultimate fake dating challenge with the natural struggle to differentiate between what's real and what's for show.

The book thrives on wedding joy for both our protagonists and their families as they check off their planning tasks while dodging obstacles put in place by the network to add drama. D'Vaughn and Kris' initial attraction grows into something more as they share special moments and start to wonder what happens after the show. My favorite part of the book was the emphasis on consent that extends to any romantic touching (sheds an ace tear of joy). I also appreciated the Spanish and race-based slang championed by the author.

My only complaint is that the volume of content fit into these pages was too much for each element to be fully sustained. For example, the reality TV framing sometimes functioned on strange logic to engineer specific outcomes. D'Vaughn's coming out journey was a big emotional part of the story, but the repercussions felt a bit smoothed out to regain focus on the romance. The love story also moves along swiftly given the allotted six weeks and the limited, specifically curated meetings between the two.

This is a fun romance with spice and feels. Both the characters and their families are endearing, and you get to experience TV and wedding day magic before it's all said and done.

Oh my goodness, this book took me for a ride. First, I love the characters; not only were D'Vaughn and Kris fully fleshed out, living and loving, real people, but the families and reality show characters were so perfect and so funny (shout out to Ray shooting his shot, I was cracking up!) The plot went at a good pace, I simply could not put the book down. The ending had me tearing up in Waffle House from the sweetness, and I am so happy how it ended. I was rooting for them from the beginning, and I feel like I watched them grow in those 6 weeks, so if there was ever a new season, I'd totally be there for it.
Thank you for the ride, and for all the amazing quotes and descriptions. And thank you NetGalley, Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the ARC. And thank you Chencia C. Higgins, I can't wait to see what's next!

I adored this book! It was a great combination of sweet and steamy. I loved D'Vaughn's journey. I expected a little more conflict at the end but it was so sweet that it's hard to complain about that. I'll definitely recommend this one!

Reality show fans need to read this romance! Reading D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding felt just like settling in to watch an episode of my favorite reality dating show and I loved it! Fake dating to marriage has to be one of my favorite tropes and Chencia C. Higgins does it so well in this book. Higgins features so much pure joy in this novel and allows the characters so much room to explore this new relationship.

This queer love story should have a place on all library shelves!

This book was a celebration and a joy. The characters liked each other so much, and treated each other with such care. Higgins never misses, and I can't wait to see what she does next.

I do love a good reality show romance, even if I don't generally like watching reality TV. This was a fun, quick read, and I liked how little drama there was. I did want a little more from it, though. It had potential to become a new favourite comfort read, but it didn't quite get there for me.

Of course the plot of this means that this is a fast romance, since they have to plan their wedding in the span of 6 weeks. But I also found the emotional build-up to feel quite rushed, and I think that's the reason I didn't feel as emotionally invested as I would have liked.

Really enjoyed reading a sapphic love story that doesn't center on white people! Love the body positivity, the twist on the "fake dating" trope, and the contemporary bend with a reality TV dating show. This is a warm, fun read with some very much-needed diversity in the cast.

4.25 Stars. A fun and enjoyable read. This is the perfect read for people looking for a love story that is lower angst, fluffy, and sweet in the right moments but still has a bit of heat. Sometimes we just need a feel good book and this fit that bill. I am new to Higgins writing, but now I would read her again in a heartbeat. She knew how to draw me into a story from the first page, while keeping my enjoyment level up until the end.

I have mentioned before, and recently, that one of my guilty pleasures is watching reality TV shows. It’s funny, but I just read another book about two people on a reality show. I ended up enjoying both books about the same, but that was a cooking show so this being a dating/fake wedding show, the books felt so different which I appreciated. I’m not a fan of getting deja-vu while I’m reading. What I really enjoyed about this book was that it was my all-time favorite trope, a fauxmance. I love a good fauxmance and this book had a great hook, which was just different feeling enough that it was a treat to read.

I loved the characters. I often talk about being a character driven reader and boy does that seem to matter as I read more and more books. Not only were the mains great, but the whole cast of secondary characters were as well. The premise of this book is that are mains are on a reality show where they have to convince their families that that have fallen in love and are planning a wedding that will happen in only two months (I think it was only 2). Because of this premise, the families of both characters are important in the book and I enjoyed getting to know them. There was only one brother character who was too over the top for me, but everyone else was just well done.

I would not call this romance insta-love, but because of the premise, the romance does and has to move at a fast pace. While it may have been faster than I normally prefer, it fit the storyline so I was fine with that. The two mains had crazy chemistry together so it was easy for me to believe that they were falling for each other. And while this story could feel fluffy at times, the sex scenes were a different story all together. They had more heat than I expected, and I’m definitely not complaining.

TLDR: This was a really enjoyable, feel good story. It was fun and sweet, but the characters still had great chemistry together and some spice. I would easily recommend this one to fans of fauxmances and reality show premises. While the angst level was on the lower side, there was still plenty to drive the book forward and it never slowed down or got boring. I enjoyed meeting these characters and their families, and I can’t wait to read another sapphic book by Higgins.

I started this books without grand expectations because everytime I did that I was always dissapointed, but in this case I was so freaking happy with the story! D'vaughn was my favorite leading lady and seeing her feelings regarding the reality show she is in was so relatable! Kris took some time to grown on me but when she did, I was sold! They were sexy, fun and so in love that if I was watching the reality I would surely root for them!

rating: 4,5

I have been talking about wanting to read D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding for ages! Tara has been very patient with my desperation to read this book. A lesbian rom com about a wedding reality show? Girl, sign me up! Anticipating a book for years usually leads to crushing disappointment, but this book lived up to the hype for me. It’s so good, y’all!

Overall, I loved this book. There was just enough fake relationship and reality show drama to keep me reading, and I enjoyed the family antics, and healing. This book might appeal to readers who like seeing a chivalrous person woo a reluctant heroine, and don’t mind a few loose ends. I’d happily read this again.

This was such a fun, unique and inclusive book. It explored gender, sexuality and was extremely educational all while incorporating the fun fake dating trope.I highly recommend

Fake engagement and love at first sight?! Two of my favorite tropes and they work out so well in "D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding"! I love the variety of LGBTQIA+ representation and how valued consent is. My one criticism is that I wish there had been more explanation about Kris' social media career. There's so much love and warmth in this book that it made for a quick read with a satisfying ending.

🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Lesbian love
~ The dark skin colour descriptions were on point! 😍🙌
~ Wholesomeness of the characters, story and plot
~ Multicultural cast of characters
~ Variety of love expressions, of family relationships, of body shapes, of gender expressions (it was beautiful!)
~ Sweet developing relationships
~ Spicyyyyyy attraction, steamy seduction and H O T seggs

Instant I do is on its third season and it has finally diversified its cast! D’Vaughn (eager to come out as a lesbean to her family) and Kris (a well-liked lesbean looking for love) are only two of the ten participants who will either win 100k dollars a piece, or say their I dos at the altar. While as the reader, we always know the final destination, the road there is pure joy, and if I may, I adore that things didn’t follow the route I had anticipated. 🥰🙌

✨I am obsessed with this book. I loved the moments of self-discovery, discovery of each other, all of the positive support that comes from various corners in our lives and the way Kris and D’Vaughn just allowed themselves (after much inner turmoil and discovery) to be what each other needed.✨

I refuse to say more because I don’t want to ruin it AT ALL. Please read it. ♥️

I want more from this author! ✨Give it a read.

🌱THE MEH
~ N O T H I N G - it was a perfect read

♡🌱 But that’s just me ;)

This book was everything you could ask for. I loved the romance and the story. To have such a sweet story with characters of color as the leads was so important for me. The romance and relationships actually felt believable and so well handled. I appreciate this book so much just for existing, but also, for being so good.

Kris and D'Vaughn are strangers who go on a reality TV show. They're matched up to plan a fake wedding, all the while convincing their families that they're a real couple. They both have their reasons for going on the show: Kris is an influencer looking to increase her reach (and secretly hoping for true love), while D'Vaughn is afraid she'll never have the courage to come out to her mom unless she's forced to. With $100,000 on the line, can they make it to the final round? And if they do, will they take the money, or go through with the wedding?

This book is completely adorable. I love Kris and D'Vaughn. They're a perfect match, with Kris more outgoing, and D'Vaughn needing time to warm up to people. This book explores family relationships as well as the growing romantic bond between Kris and D'Vaughn. It has its funny moments but it also gets into the deeper, more poignant aspects of the characters' lives.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

If you know me as a reader, you know five stars is an emotional rating for me. I reserve it for books that punch me in the chest, or make me cry, or make me stare into the air at random moments because I can't stop thinking about it. I have told everyone who will sit for five seconds about this book because it was.... refreshing.
And I am not being light when I say that.
I told a friend I had romance novel PTSD. I love drama. LOVE IT. So I pick books with big impossible problems to solve and then critique how the author wrote the characters solving the problem, so when i picked up this book about a couple trying to get on a dating game show to fake a wedding and win some money and one of them wants to use the show to come out to her friends & fam, I was ready for the drama, honey!
I'm not going to say there was no drama, because this show put these contestants through some things, some folks hatin' from outside the club, and one very tense moment with a family member, but in all this was the warm, comforting hug I want in a romance novel. Iread very heavy stuff, so when I want love I want love and I GOT IT.
FUN. NY. When ever I read a CCHiggins book, this chick makes me laugh out loud! When you get to the name of Mama's church, you'll know what I mean. As a person who has attended services at Solid Rock Holy Sanctified Church of God in Christ (that is a real church name) you will howl as well.
Also I would like to marry Cinta, bc I love a bestie that will tell you about yourself to your face.
Moments that made me tear up (not cry because I am a thug and thugs don't cry)- conversations with Kris' Mama, D'Vaughn's entire family, the therapy session and the epilogue.
Readers- pick up this book if you're looking for a joyful, size positive LGBTQ+ ROMANTIC AS EFF! novel. It's such a delight!

D'Vaughn and Kris plan a wedding is a very cute, very easy to read book. Rather than focusing too much on the reality TV aspect, as I expected, it focuses more on the developing relationship between the two women and their families. I do think that was a little to its detriment, however, because after the first week, it really didn't feel like much happened. I never found myself desperate to find out what happens next. However, if you're in the mood for a feel-good, little drama book, then I would recommend.

Overall: 5/5
Spice level: 2.5-3/5
Tropes: fake dating/engagement, LGBTQ, plus size

TW: brief scene of colorism

First of all, this is a top read for 2021. Hands down. 6 weeks to plan a fake wedding that makes the families think it's real for TV? Count me in.

I loved the chemistry between D'Vaughn and Kris. The little affections throughout the book mostly made up for the lack of spice. There were a couple of sexy scenes but I was definitely hoping for more. Of all the sapphic books I've read, there's almost never any toys involved in the spicy scenes, which tells me I need to branch out more, for sure, but this book didn't even have on page oral.

Moving right along, I absolutely loved their families and all the group interactions. The camaraderie was beautiful. I loved how close-knit they were.

My absolutely favorite things about the book though: plus size rep, all the LGBTQ rep, and the fact that it was set in Houston. That doesn't happen often so it really made everything feel more familiar and connected. As a queer woman in Houston, this was great! Oh, also, Kris was very swoon-worthy. The way she doted on D'Vaughn and always made sure she felt seen and heard and the way she catered to her feelings was absolutely beautiful.