Chalk this up as a solid not for me. I didn't like any of the characters and they didn't seem particularly well developed and I really didn't like the binary choices that the heroine seemed to have to chose from - success in business or success in love. It just didn't sit right with me. Add to that a case of instalove that the protagonists decide to fight by just acting really weirdly to each other and a best friend who dumps all his wedding planning on the friend he's ignored for a year and it just didn't work for me. It's a shame as a Valentines obsessed small town setting on a f/f romance in the run up to a m/m wedding reads just like catnip - but maybe others will like it more than I did.

Cute!

Event planner, Ryann, is helping her best friend Stuart plan his wedding. When she arrived the last thing she expected was to fall so easily for the other groom’s maid of honor, Maddie. Together Maddie and Ryann embark on the fun tasks maids of honor have to do for the wedding, and partaking in a few fun scenario of pretending it is their wedding they organising options for, they realise they might have something. However, being the workaholic Ryann is, that is all threatened when she can’t imagine how a relationship would work between them with such distance.

Adored this story! The perfect rom-com in the perfect settings. What better place to find unexpected love than when planning a wedding for someone else. I loved that connection that Maddie and Ryann had from the instant they met. There was just something there, even if they didn’t realise at first, you just knew that the moment they entered any of those meetings to plan flowers, cakes, food for the wedding, they were just going to end up either falling for one another or falling out.

I loved each and every moment they shared during the planning. Those meetings were such fun, not only for Ryann and Maddie but for the reader. Each time they could have gone either way, so I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, as you too when something just seems too perfect to be true. Everything about Ryann and Maddie’s story was just the sweetest, from how they were set up by their best friends, to how they just fitted together like puzzle pieces.

As with all good rom-coms, there were those intense moments, the dramatic ones, and the ones of realisation that just made the whole things magical. I really enjoyed the story and can’t recommend it enough to all romance lovers.

The Wedding Setup was okay. I had a hard time getting into this book. I didn't find the lead very interesting and the romance convincing.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There was so much potential in this book, some of which was delivered really well, especially at the beginning of the book. The setting was excellent, the characters - mainly the friends and the sisters added all the right ingredients, but somewhere, around the middle of the story, the required sass and banter sort of flittered away. I was definitely interested at the start, for example what was Maddies’s back story? What was Ryann’s business doing? But gradually, the two leading ladies, left to their own dialogue and interactions, became kind of boring. The focus on work keeping them apart was a bit too dominant. Overall, more snow, more sisters and more oopmh required.

The premise sounded really good but the delivery was not what I was expecting at all.
The characters have no depth and no development, I cannot name a single one that I actually liked.
Ryann and Maddie's connection felt nonexistent and honestly? kinda boring. By chapter ten, I found myself skimming through the chapters. Just not for me.

There are varied reviews for this one and I understand where they're coming from. I was a bit on the fence about this book....it started promising with a strong character in Ryann, a corporate leader and ice queen type. But she seems to do a complete 180 in character as soon as her best friend Stuart ropes her into organizing his wedding in 2 weeks. Ryann has to work with the best friend of the other groom, Maddie, and sparks are flying even though they don't really seem to like eachother. I felt there was too much judgement going around and can somebody please explain to me why it's so bad when you *really* need to go away for business when the wedding planning was dropped in your lap at such a short notice? The fact that everyone got mad and Ryann turned into a blubbering mess didn't sit wel with me at all.
Overall I could kinda see the chemistry and I liked the book enough to keep reading and see what would happen, but it's not a book that will earn a spot on my reading again pile. If you like wedding planning, small town setting and romance surrounding Valentine's Day pick this one up and give it a chance.

***Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for giving me this book to read and review ***

This was not the read for me. It started out well enough as Ryann, CEO of her own company handled what sounded like a major project in several cities around the world and impressed her board with her business acumen. I was thinking okay, this book features an ice queen corporate type with potential for a fish out of water romance at her best friend’s small town gay wedding. I was surprised Ryann would drop everything and agree to spend two weeks in Loveland for Stuart’s wedding when he had been a lousy friend to Ryann in the past year. I was shocked at the audacity of Stuart and Jai leaving Ryann and Maddie to handle ALL their wedding planning.. I’ve had coworkers take eighteen months to plan their perfect wedding and Stuart expects Ryann and Maddie to plan his wedding in two weeks?

Yes, I know the title of the book implies our main characters are being set up. Not many lesbians in Loveland so let’s thrust Stuart’s friend Ryann together with Jai’s best friend Maddie and we can all sit back and watch the sparks fly. Ryann accepts her mission, is attracted to Maddie, overwhelmed by Jai’s many sisters (or maybe that was just me) and sleeps in everyday, forced to rush to get ready for their appointments. I struggled to understand how corporate slayer Ryann morphs into this wing it any way you can Ryann because you don’t want to disappoint your buddy, the same buddy who ignored you all year. I didn’t find it cute, romantic or endearing. Instead it felt underhanded and manipulative.

A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for review.

This book was a bit all over the place and it took me some time to really get into the pairing although they really are cute together. Ryann a powerful business women goes to a small town to help her best friend Stuart plan his dream wedding to Jai. She has to do this with Jai's best friend, Maddie. Sparks are there from the beginning but I needed some time to see this couple together. It did work out though and I liked them as a couple. Cute read for those cold winter days or even in summer at the beach.

If you are looking for Hallmark-ish romance for Valentine’s, this could be the book for you.

Tasked as the maid of honour for her best friend’s wedding; powerful and aloof CEO Ryann travels to Loveland, Colorado and finds herself falling unexpectedly in love in a town where everything speaks Valentine’s.

While this might not be a book for me - a CEO undergoing a 360 degrees change in temperament and character and swoons over an attractive butch and overcomes long distance for a happy ever after ending, i could certainly see the appeal for some with the setup, location and quick fire romance.

I just reviewed The Wedding Setup by Charlotte Greene. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

The wedding set up

 By Charlotte Greene 

2 stars 

I couldn't get into this book at all, I didn't like how the main character was more focused on her job like it's everything. She doesn't have any sort of life she works and that's it. She's also super judged but she does love her best friend. I couldn't wrap my head around how Ryann and Maddie got together so fast. They just hang out go to different shops and bam happened way too fast in my opinion. I just couldn't get connected with it at all. This is my first read by this author so I am willing to give her another shot but this book was just not for me at all.

Wow! I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, sweet and just really good. I liked the characters a lot. However, I do wish that we knew a bit more about Maddie. It feels like I barely know her. I wish the author could have elaborated more on Maddie and Ryann's families. The plot was pretty good. I liked how people were so welcoming and open-minded in the town. The side characters were pretty great too. Overall, it was a nice, quick read.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read anything else by this author and thought this was ok, but not great.

The basic premise here is that Ryann and Maddie are the respective BFFs of Stuart and Jai, who are getting married in a few weeks, right on Valentines. As the Maids of Honor, Ryann and Maddie are expected to help with the wedding planning.

This was the first issue I had with the book, I could maybe understand it if the two MCs were asked to meet with florists, bars owners and bakers, etc if the two guys lived somewhere else and needed that done before they arrived, but they’re getting married in Jai’s hometown, and it was just ridiculous that they wouldn’t pick that stuff themselves. This also lead to endless passages about trying cakes and drinks, etc that was a little boring.

Maddie and Ryann are also opposites, butch/femme, city/country, artist/workaholic, but instantly attracted to each other. Even though they live in different places and know it’s a bad idea from the start, they still hook up. You could see where this would end up from pretty much the first meeting. Ryan’s character was also hard to pin down, she had (also boring) work drama going on and was supposed to be some ice queen, ruthless corporate type, but was also really sweet, so it was hard to get a read on her. Maddie was supposed to be the sweet one, but was also quite judgemental of Ryann, and that got old too.

I also couldn’t fathom why the author decided to have everyone in Jai’s family have a name that started with ‘J’, it made scenes with his many sisters confusing and I soon gave up on caring who was doing what.

I did enjoy the banter between the MCs and felt they had chemistry but there was just too much other stuff going on and they weren’t together long enough for me to buy into their relationship and HEA. Like I said, and ok read. If you like push/pull and wedding planning, then you’d probably like this. 3 stars.

His was quite the romcom and an easy read. I enjoyed the main characters even though I felt that their chemistry was a bit lacking. I recommend. 4 stars


Thank you BSB and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was good. It felt to me at times that the main characters were sort of young in the way some of the phrases spoken felt closer to what a teenager would say. I did like Ryann and Maddie together their relationship was just right for them and their best friends were just who you would picture each girl having as a guy friend. There was drama and some angst, but nothing to bog the story down. I actually feel that this is an earlier book by this author, because I read Legacy and that was an awesome book. I will definitely check out more books from this author, and I would recommend this book.

When Ryann was growing up her best friend was Stuart. They even went to college together but when Ryann came out to her parents they did what unfortunately many do, turned their backs leaving her alone. Luckly for her she still had Stuart.
Taking the funds they had given her she started her own company. Now she is the CEO of a very successful business. Now she has a big project that she’s put together a proposal that should make everyone involved richer than they already were. While Ryann had her business Stuart was trying to make his way in the art world and to follow his dream he moved to Colorado.
Now Stuart has asked her to come to Colorado to be his maid of honor. He was getting married and wanted his best friend to stand with him for the most important day for him.
Taking a couple of days to visit with him was one thing but a whole three weeks. But that’s exactly what she does. Never having or making time for any romance in her life she’s surprised when she finds herself planning the big day with Maddie. A local who everyone knows and loves, she seems equally taken by Ryann.
Now Ryann is working with Maddie and finding all kinds of interesting facts. Ms Greene has herself a nice little read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books.

Ryann has lost touch with her best friend Stuart but he suddenly appears again and announces that he’s engaged. Also, the wedding is in two weeks halfway across the country, he wants Ryann to be his maid of honor and also needs her to plan the wedding details without him or his fiancée Jai. Maddie, Jai’s best friend, is also roped into the shenanigans and Ryann is forced to plan a Valentine’s Day wedding with Maddie within two weeks.
This was my first book by this author and I thought the characters had great chemistry together. I liked their initial banter when Ryann couldn’t help but accidentally flirt with Maddie. Jai’s family was also pretty entertaining. The writing was well done and I didn’t notice any editing issues. There were a few plot points I didn’t love though. The first being that anyone would force a friend they haven’t spoken to in 6 months plan a wedding for them in two weeks. It just feels incredibly unrealistic and the fact that they don’t really get to why Stuart ghosted Ryann also feels wrong. Another issue was when Ryann had to prioritize a work issue and Maddie and Stuart got upset over it. She dropped everything to travel to Colorado at the drop of a hat but they won’t allow her to handle a work issue without griping about it. This flows through to the end when no one else can think of any other options for Maddie and Ryann to stay together other than Ryann moving, it seems like there would be opportunities for them in New York together but no one even brings that up as an option. Overall it was an enjoyable read but felt a bit too out of touch with reality.

I was excited to read this book because I used to live near Loveland, Colorado and the story sounded great. However, I think the book was a little below my age level as I couldn't relate to any of it - the story, the characters, etc.

The book was fine, just not for me.

I really loved this book. The only thing I didn’t like was the Big City Woman Gives Up Career for Love trope, but I can look past it.

Ryann is such an endearing sweet character and I loved her from the second she stepped onto the page. Her fierce love for her company and her best friend are admirable. The way she juggled her career and her personal life might not have been the most healthy but it was successful!

Maddie is like the cutest thing ever. Her dog sculptures, her love of flannels, and her volunteer work had me head over heels. Her and Ryann have such opposite personalities and I loved watching them clash and be drawn back together. Stuart and Jai really did know what they were doing in bringing them together.

What can I say, I’m a sucker for romance novels and this one checked every box for me other than the aforementioned hated trope.

𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿.

This book has a gay Valentine's Day wedding and two lesbians maids of honour so I like the premise. It sounded lighthearted and festive. And it helped when Ryann, one of the main characters, started out as a power lesbian in the work context, so I was excited to read on.

But I realise after a while that I wasn't able to get into the story and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. One major conflict between the main characters is priorities and it annoys the hell out of me that work versus personal life (friends and romance) is viewed as a zero-sum game. They are not and both are important. I didn't really like how Ryann and Maddie sometimes act like love sick fools too and how their friends are overly invested in their budding romance.

I also realise that some minor things get a bit repetitive at times. Like how the main characters like to spring apart when someone interrupts special moments and how certain emotions like anger get overused.

This book isn't for me but it could be for you, so do check out the other reviews too for a more holistic opinion.

In The Wedding Setup, hard-nosed Manhattan-based CEO, Ryann takes a trip to Loveland, Colorado, to help plan her friend, Stuart's, wedding at the last minute. She has a major business deal in progress that is not going well so she is nervous about being away from the office for two weeks but plans to work in her downtime.

In Colorado, Ryann meets Maddie, the maid of honor for the other groom, unknowingly at the bus station. There's a spark of attraction when they feast their eyes on each other. They later formally meet when the wedding parties are introduced to each other at a local Loveland bar.

I found the premise of the book, with Stuart and his finance, Jai, setting up Ryann and Maddie to be promising. The execution was generally good, in my opinion, but Ryann was not initially someone that I would want to route for in real life as the rough and tumble CEO. She did begin to grow on me though through her association and eventual relationship with Maddie. The relationship seemed to soften her tough exterior. Overall, the book was 3.5 stars.

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