This was a brilliant story. It's the 2nd book I have read by this author, and it didn't disappoint. It was such a wonderful romance with a few racey bits. It had so great funny bits, too. It was very well written and flowed well. It was a great story that I just couldn't put down. I love how this book was a second chance romance story. The characters were great and realistic. I recommend reading it. I loved the photography theme and it certainly put a smile on my face.

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a wonderful story to wind away the hours with. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this fantastic author.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/an-alaskan-wedding-by-nance-sparks-boldstroke-books-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me access to these books, thank you to the publisher and the author for giving me access to this eARC.

Apologies for the late review life has been crazy.

This is a beautifully told saffic story about heartbreak overcoming that and second chance romance which is one of my favourite tropes in books and it made it even better finding out this book was saffiic. This was beautiful, elegant and blossoming with description. The relationship is complex each dealing with their own issues and it's wonderful to describe that as some storys focus too much on the relationship and not that each still has their own lives outside of that.

My overall feeling about this book was that it was an ok read. Would probably give it closer to 3.5 stars. Book wise for readers, this isn't a high angst book between the two main characters. It's more - how do Andrea and Riley figure out how to make two crazy lives mesh together so they can be a couple?

My main two likes about the book was that it definitely made me want to go to Alaska, and the daughters were pretty spot on with dialogue. The atmosphere really played a big role in my being interested in the going's on. I also appreciate books where the characters have known each other when they are younger and it NOT relying too heavily on flashbacks, but I think this book went a little too far. I would have loved if it had started with the tree scene. I feel like that would have played better than just telling about it 15 years later.

My biggest complaint was that it was a little too sappy for me. Once they got together (I would figure not a spoiler...), it was like 100% for marriage and total emerging of the family. I like books more slower paced, so that's just my personal preference.

I was unable to download this audiobook in time as I didn't realize it was on my shelf. It was archived too quickly from the time I requested it.

Andrea and Riley haven't seen each other in many years, so when they cross paths in Alaska during Andrea's best friend's wedding none of them really knows how to act. Too many things have been left unsaid, but they'd love nothing more than to reconnect.

This book is a cute, feel-good read, if you're into second chances in romance. However, I struggled with the first half, as it felt very slow and there were lots of info-dump moments, but it later picked up and got into the truly cute parts. On the more positive side, Sparks's descriptions are very good, I had no trouble picturing the (beautiful) scenery every step of the way, and once I got past the awkwardness of the relationship it did feel pretty wholesome.

All in all, this may not have been the perfect read for me, but it might just be your cup of tea if you're looking to spend a couple of relaxing afternoons curled up with a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I always enjoy a second chance love story, particularly when they've reached a point in their life that they're content, but there's that one that got away - I don't have that experience myself, but it's always interesting to read, the instant connection can be lovely to see. This story didn't disappoint - lovely connection between the main characters, and the other characters, including Andrea's children, add a great contribution to the story! Thanks to Bold Stroke Books and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn’t read this author before, and found this to be ok, but not great.

This features Andi, who is in Alaska for her BFFs wedding, and Riley, who is the photographer at the wedding. The two knew each other from childhood to just prior to college when they were split apart by Andi’s parents. This drove Andi to make a bad decision, which in turn results in a loveless marriage and two kids (who she adores).

Both MCs are shown to have constantly pined for the other, so when they reunite and realise both are now free they immediately hook up. I found this part a bit hard to swallow, they do eventually talk about everything that split them up but I’d have preferred this clearing of the air to occur first. They then decide to spend the rest of the trip together. Andi then returns home to her (delightful) daughters and Riley to her nomadic existence and they keep in touch and do various meet ups where Riley meets the girls and they continue their romance.

The issue I had is that there’s not much substance. While the MCs pend a lot of time together, most of it is references to the past and/or sex. Apart from the girls, the other characters are barely fleshed out, Andi’s ex Scott, while often mentioned, appears only off-screen, so it’s hard to get a handle on what this relationship was or wasn’t, as we only see it from how Andi describes it to Riley and through actions recounted to us. Same with his wife Cathy, who seems lovely, but is never in an actual scene.

I also found the insta-love a bit much, I get that they knew each other before, but they know nothing about each other now, and I’d have preferred a bit more of them getting to know each other before jumping into a family unit. Riley’s pining for Andi through photos was also a little creepy.

I did enjoy the interactions between Riley and the girls and how quickly they bonded and I also appreciated that the dramatic moment had nothing to do the the MCs breaking up and that communication was strong in this book. Overall, it’s an ok read and I’d read this author again. 3.5 stars.

Such a fun read. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very well written and I loved the relationship between Riley and Andrea it was so sweet and loving. Andrea's teenage children Sidney and Olivia were so smart and cute, I loved how they took everything happening in their mom's relationship with Riley in stride and just went with it. There was a bit of family drama, but this didn't bog the second down, I feel it only made this book better. I would definitely recommend this book and author to all my friends and family, and I look forward to what comes next from this author.

“An Alaskan Wedding” is a second-chance romance and the sophomore release from Nance Sparks.

Riley Canon is a highly sought after same-sex wedding photographer. She gets the shock of a lifetime when she’s hired to shoot a wedding in Alaska and the maid of honor is none other than her high school love, Andrea (Andi) Daniels. The two haven’t seen one another in 15 years and it doesn’t take long for their attraction to spark back to life.

This is only getting three stars from me because while the book wasn’t all bad, especially the second half, the first half almost had me DNF’ing several times and I was never able to completely get over it to enjoy the second half. There were a few different things that got on my nerves but the worst for me was how the second-chance trope was handled. It’s been 15 years since Riley and Andrea have seen one another but that doesn’t seem to matter as they basically pick right up from where they left off. I didn’t feel like the new relationship was earned with how quickly they get back together. I have expectations for second-chance including angst and some push-pull. Neither one show up here(at least not enough), which may be a positive for some but it disappointed me.

It felt like Sparks found her groove during the second half and it got better. I thought Riley and Andrea had a sweet, heartwarming romance and probably would’ve enjoyed it more had they met at the wedding and taken it from there, instead of being exes. I liked how they communicated with each other told the other what their expectations were. I don’t see that a lot with reading romance so I found it to be refreshing. Also, kudos to Sparks for avoiding the black moment we all loathe.

Another thing I liked was how Sparks wrote the different settings. Starting with Alaska and the different sights Andrea and Riley tour together to the arcade and even Riley’s home/studio. It was very descriptive and I felt like I could look up and see exactly what was written.

I really can’t recommend this to second-chance romance fans, but it would work if you’re in the mood for a light, feelgood read.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a second chance romance with a few twist. It was an easy read and turned out to a page turner. I enjoyed it very much and recommend.
4 stars


Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.

4 star
This is not your typical 2nd chance romance. There are many layers to their past and their journey and many obstacles. But it all resolves very nicely. And on the way you get to meet 2 great kids, learn a lot about photography and witness a very hot romance between two interesting characters.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really sweet book and I really enjoyed it. I appreciated how maturely issues were dealt with instead of creating artificial drama to keep the storyline moving forward. I liked both main and secondary characters, especially the kids. I really enjoyed the scenic descriptions of Alaska too. While I quite like the second chance trope, I don't like flashbacks, especially if there's sex involved. It feels wrong to read that in my 50's which makes me like this book even more for their absence. I will happily buy this book. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

i honestly wanted to like it. But I could not feel anything or connect to anyone. there was good parts but the majority for me was so boring/fake. its not my style and I'm so happy that many found it interesting.

Second-chance-romances are one of my favorite tropes in romantic novels. That is only one of the reasons I fell in love with An Alaskan Wedding by Nance Sparks.

This book has a lot going for it. For much of the story, the setting is the state of Alaska where we get to see the wildlife, the scenery, and even the Northern Lights through the eyes of Andrea and Riley, the main characters. The tale of these two women finding each other again after a heart-rending breakup fifteen years before is very well-written. I like the way the author shows how the love (and desire) that Andrea and Riley felt for each other is easily rekindled, but being able to trust each other is much harder to reclaim. It is the attempt to rebuild that trust that takes up a good portion of the plot.

The characters, both main and secondary are a major reason this is such a lovely book. They are easy to connect with, easy to love (except maybe Andrea’s ex) and make the story a joy to read.
I had a blast reading this novel, and I highly recommend it to all romance lovers.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲.

Honestly, if i had known that being pregnant with someone else was the reason that ended the relationship the first time round, I would have avoided this book at all cost, even though no cheating was involved. This type of second chance romance is one of my least favourite storylines and it isn't about the children. It's the complicated historical baggage that I can't deal with. But the fault is entirely mine for not reading between the lines of the blurb.

But I must admit, the story is quite nicely done and even though it was a bit weird that Andrea and Riley reconnected so quickly, the rest of the story was heartwarming. The characters haven't met in 15 years and live completely different lives but I liked how they tried to include each other into their worlds. I love how Riley bonds with Andrea's daughters easily, especially Syd, and I love how welcoming the kids are towards Riley. I think it helps that the kids are 12 and 14 and are at the age where they have a mind of their own and Syd in particular, is a great young character and stole the show multiple times.

What is missing from this book though is a proper chance for Riley to make peace with Andrea's ex-husband and parents, all of whom had played a part in destroying their relationship the first time round. I thought closure in that aspect would have been nice. But I'm still pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this when I hadn't expected to.

I enjoyed Nance Sparks's debut Cowgirl, so it was only logical to pick up this author's second book.

This is a whirlwind of a second chance romance, I liked it. The biggest plus for me, there is actual communication, they are acting like responsible adults. I didn't expect Riley and Andrea to exhibit any communication skills at all because of how their relationship ended some 15 years ago and how they go together again in present day. They do go from 0 to 60 in 1 second flat, but I wouldn't call this instalove or instalust. Side note, lots of lust in this book and they fit really well together. Why I wouldn't call this insta anything is because of the history, but mostly the communication. They establish ground rules, communicate, on and off the page (off-page communication is a bit hard to wrap my head around at times), discuss the past, present and possible future. Communication makes all the difference. This rings especially true for second chance romances.

What I didn't expect is this book having me laugh out loud a couple of times, Andrea's BFF has no filter and I love it. She, or at least her Alaskan wedding, is the reason Riley and Andrea see each other again after such a long time and instantly reconnect. The interactions are funny, but there is this one scene that is straight out of any rom-com that had me laughing out loud in the middle of the night. I couldn't sleep and decided to continue to read, big mistake if you haven't read this scene yet and you don't want to disturb your partner.

Sparks's writing has improved since the debut, and the debut was pretty good to begin with. Some of the newbie bumps are smoothed out, some are still there. The style is very nice to read and I appreciate adults communicating and the absence of the formulaic big drama. I feared it was coming well over the 90% mark, but luckily it didn't. I'd recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a second chance romance, very close to 4 stars read.

This is the second book of Nance Sparks, after reading her first (cowgirl) I was entertained enough to keep an eye out for her future books and this one has improved in a few areas.
What's still the same is the great descriptions without taking away from the pace of the book, ofcourse Alaska and its Northern light is a thankful subject and it gave me a bit of a holiday feel along with Andrea who's there for a wedding, leaving her single mum life behind for a week.
In comes Riley Canon, the photographer hired for this wedding and coincidentally they were eachothers first love, the one that got away. The characters are likeable and the dialogue felt a bit more natural than in Spark's previous book. Yet it still was a little bit too perfect and for me it edged towards the boring territory. There's a few weeks between reading and writing this review and the fact that I had to go back and re-read because I forgot a big part of the plot is a sign that while this is a nice relaxing read, it's not one that is overly memorable.
But that is also a good reason to pick up any romance: to float away for a couple of hours and shut down your brain.

3,5 stars for me.

This was a simple, low angst romance. Riley and Andrea were best friends since kindergarten who became more than friends during high school. The two were forced apart and went their separate ways. A decade and a half later the two were reunited at Andrea’s best friends’s wedding in Alaska. I’ve always wanted to visit and the picture of Alaska Nance painted for me made me even more antsy to go! The rest of this book took place when Andrea and Riley returned home after their trips. There wasn’t any drama or unnecessary angst and the problem was resolved simply and easily. Cute read.

Andrea is excited to be in Alaska for her best friend’s wedding. This is the first week she has been able to get away for adult time without her teenage kids in years. Riley has been booked to be the photographer for a destination wedding in Alaska. When she starts photographing for the welcome dinner she notices a face that she’s never been able to forget.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is the second release from Nance Sparks and it was solidly written, filled with heartwarming characters that you can’t help but cheer for. I always love second chance romances and this one hit all the high marks for me. Loved especially the interactions at the airport coffee shop towards the end. And who can resist the romantic backdrops in Alaska, complete with the Aurora Borealis and highly entertaining Miss Charlotte! Loved this one!

A slightly different type of romance book, Riley and Andrea are former high school sweethearts that got separated due to parents homophobia are having a chance encounter at a remote wedding in Alaska where Andrea is the maid of honour and Riley the photographer. They reconnect instantly and embark on a 3 day trip in Alaska before returning to their very different lives where Riley is always travelling and Andrea is a single mother to two teenagers and a nurse. Or so they thought. I liked that Andrea is given a second chance to respond to a homophobic reaction to her relationship with Riley. This sweet second chance romance is a good read and I rate it 4.5 stars.
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.