SO THIS IS WHY THE STRAIGHTS LIKE ROMANCE????? Seriously tho, this was such a good book, SO HOT and I loved the whole concept! This book was so diverse, I was honestly impressed

D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 6/21/22
Author: Chencia C. Higgins
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrator: Rebecca Lee
Goodreads Rating: 4.16

I requested an audio advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: All Kris and D’Vaughn have to do is convince their friends and family they’re getting married in six weeks. If anyone guesses they’re not for real, they’re out. Selling their chemistry on camera is surprisingly easy, and it’s still there when no one else is watching, which is an unexpected bonus. Winning this competition is going to be a piece of wedding cake. But each week of the competition brings new challenges, and soon the prize money’s not the only thing at stake. A reality show isn’t the best place to create a solid foundation, and their fake wedding might just derail their relationship before it even starts.

My Thoughts: Fake dating/engagement trope is one of my favorite tropes. I wanted to read this book exclusively based on the cover! This was a fun light read and would be a perfect listen for a beach day. I love the lesbian focus of the book between our couple. The narrator was perfect, she gave the characters life. The character development was amazing, they had depth, an instant connection (not romantic at first), growth in the relationship, witty banter, and amazing chemistry. I instantly fell in love with our MCs and connecting with them, moving along this journey with them. All of the characters, even the supporting characters were an absolute joy. The author’s writing style was light, yet complex, warm, inviting, and overall beautiful. While I love a good miscommunication romance trope, this pure love with amazing communication worked really well for this book. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend that you pick up for a quick beach or weekend read!

D’Vaugn & Kris Plan a Wedding shows hows how simply easy it is to include representation in your books. And THANK GOD LESBIANS GET TO BE HAPPY!! Watching their romance blossom in the gayest way (falling hard & fast) was truly a pleasure.

The premise of Instant I Do was cute, and while a bit far-fetched, is to be expected of reality tv and fictional fun. The reality show created perfect chaos while still centering the relationship of the characters.

The lovable cast of characters was so vivid, and the narration brought them to life with smart and lively choices that made the dialogue distinct and engaging. I listened on 1x speed, which is quite rare for me. The narration fit the story and kept at pace with it, keeping my little ADHD brain engaged!

Overall, a great feel-good book that I adored listening to! If you’re considering reading this book - give the audiobook a chance!

This was interesting not something I typically read but good I’m glad I did I was enjoyable and different and a blast

I thoroughly enjoyed this; it's sweet, queer, fun, and body positive. The reality show setting was really fun. It's warm and fuzzy and low angst, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Kris and D'Vaughn have great chemistry and I absolutely adored Kris' family.

I highly recommend it for reality show fans and any sapphic romance fan.

I received an audio ARC from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review. D'Vaughn Miller has spent her life being reserved. She's kept her sexuality a secret from her family her whole life. But now, she wants to live her full authentic self. What better way to break the news than a fake engagement on a reality show? Kris Zavala is an influencer, wanting to increase her visibility and elevate her brand, but also, find love. They find themselves on Instant I Do, a reality show where the contestants have to see who can convince their family and friends that their engagement is real. D'Vaughn and Kris are paired up and there is an instant attraction. But will they be able to make it through the challenges created by the show? Will they make it to the alter, and what happens *if* they make it to the alter?

I absolutely loved this book. I loved both characters, each so different, but the attraction you could feel through the words. I received an audio ARC, and while I thought the narrator was fantastic, I would have preferred dual narration. Kris is Afro Latina and while I loved having Spanish sprinkled throughout, as a Latina it took away from the experience to have the words mispronounced. Aside from that, I loved every other aspect. The reality show that is just bizarre enough to feel real. D'Vaughn's journey to be more authentic and open about who she is and Kris trying to let go of the influencer mask and show D'Vaughn the real Kris were told so well. I loved their love story! I would recommend this to fans of Sapphic romance, steamy romance, reality shows, and romance with Black and Latinx representation.

I liked D’Vaughn and Kris I enjoyed listening to their dynamic. The reality show setting was really fun and different and how it was set up with the diary cam in between each chapter was really cool. A good storyteller can really make or break an audiobook and Rebecca Lee read the book perfectly. This was a really cute one.

*a copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book is the definition of a cotton candy romance but it was exactly what I needed and I couldn't put it down. It's all warm feelings and low angst but the characters are so well developed and there's such great representation that I really enjoyed it. In most romances there's that moment where the big problem happens 3/4 of the way through and they have to work back together. I kept waiting for that here but we were just gifted with great conversations about anxiety and talking to your partner. The premise of the reality show was really interesting and I loved the large cast of family members and friends. 4.5 out of 5, definitely read this one!

this was such a a amazing romance book!! i loved the pace and the character development. kris and d’vaughn were really amazing characters and i was so invested in their relationship. i loved the meet cute set up too. the audiobook narration was great!!

This book has been on my radar for several months because it contains a perfect storm of elements I was bound to love: queer characters, top-tier spicy scenes, fake dating, and a reality television show setting. Surprise surprise, Chencia C. Higgins did not disappoint with this one.

The premise of the story is that D'Vaughn and Kris have been selected to participate in a reality TV show where they will plan a fake wedding that they must convince their family and friends is real. They are paired together by the production team, given weekly tasks, and must essentially "fake date" to convince everyone that their love is real. At the end, they can either walk away with money or say "I do" at the altar for real. Most couples take the money for obvious reasons -- six weeks is not a lot of time to commit to a stranger.

Shy, sweet D'Vaughn, a school counselor, is using the show to come out to her religious family. Charismatic Kris, a gym teacher, is using the show to up her social media game and build her influencer presence. Both feel an instant connection but don't know what it all means, considering the premise of the show and the obstacles set before them.

They figure out their feelings for each other pretty quickly, though, and their romance is electric. Each brings out the best in the other, but they also challenge each other in very important ways.

I loved the chemistry between these characters and I loved seeing more butch representation in a sexy romance. I've said it before, but we just don't have enough masc characters in sapphic lit! I appreciate all kinds of characters in my romance stories, but the disproportionate representation is noticeable.

I listened to the audiobook for this read, and the production was solid. As with all audiobooks I had to crank it up to double/2.5 speed to keep it moving, but everything was easy to follow and nothing was distracting in the narration or production quality.

As for things I didn't love, and why I rated this four stars instead of five, there were a few. There was a brief conflict between D'Vaughn and her mother early in the book that literally made no sense to me and kind of made me angry -- though I appreciated that Kris supported D'Vaughn fully in this conflict despite not fully understanding her position, I did not feel this way. I was frustrated by this conflict and didn't even understand why it needed to be in the book, as it just seemed illogical and added nothing to the overall story/conflict. More info behind the spoiler tag --> <spoiler>When D'Vaughn comes out to her mother, who is very religious, everyone was expecting her mom to not take it well. However, her mom has the opposite reaction! Her mom says that she always knew/suspected that D'Vaughn was gay and that she's happy D'Vaughn finally told her. D'Vaughn then spends a solid amount of time being mad at her mom for not telling D'Vaughn that she knew. This makes no sense to me because it seems very respectful for D'Vaughn's mom to wait for D'Vaughn to talk about it when she's ready? It feels like a strange expectation for D'Vaughn to place on her mother when everyone should just be happy that the information is out in the open and everyone is cool with it -- a best case scenario. </spoiler>

Second, the ending was cute and expected, but the characters also made a weird decision here that was saved by a Deus-ex-machina plot point that seemed so unrealistic that it took me out of the story for a minute. I'll explain more behind these spoiler tags --> <spoiler> I don't understand why D'Vaughn and Kris turn down $100,000 each with the logic that paying for another wedding later would be very expensive. Like, was your wedding going to be more than $200K? They didn't get to pick any of the details of their wedding for real, so it seems like a no-brainer to take the money and plan a real wedding that reflects them. But luckily they get to have their cake and eat it, too, when the show decides to give them even MORE money for making the dramatic choice to actually get married. Explain that to me? Now the show is causing problems for itself in future seasons because contestants will know that getting even more money to actually say "I do" is a real option. </spoiler>

Of course, these complaints are me trying to insert logic into a romance novel, which is a fools game. Sometimes you just have to take the thing as it is and enjoy it without thinking too hard. In the end, that's what I did. This was fun, it featured diverse voices, and it celebrated believing in the magic of falling love. I can't complain too much about that and I found this to be a solid, spicy read that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good Happily Ever After.

I am tired of reading queer books in which coming out is the main conflict. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this novel in exchange for my review.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really great read! I loved the narrator and the writing style. I would definitely recommend this to romance readers. The chemistry was super fun and I was sad to end this book!

Have you ever wanted queer representation on all of those reality TV shows? Do you love a steamy fake-dating romance? Well, look no further!
D'Vaughn and Kris are coupled together for a reality show where they must convince their families they are marrying a complete stranger....and the wedding is in six weeks! If they can make it happen they will each get $100,000. They both want and need the money.
Why put their lives in the limelight? Kris wants to build her social media presence and D'Vaughn is using the show as an excuse to come out to her family.
No matter what their motivations are, D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding is a fantastic queer story that will make even the most love skeptic fall in love!
This books is very well written and the audio recording is fantastic!

“Instant I Do” is a reality TV show where contestants have to convince their family that the strangers they just met have proposed and they are getting married. D’Vaughn Miller is trying to come out of her shell and try something new. She casts for the TV show and doesn’t think she will get very far. She is partnered with Kris Zavala who has recently become a big influencer on social media. Can they convince their family in 6 weeks that they are getting married? If one family member doesn’t believe they are getting married then, they are off the show.

This book caught my eye by the cover. I absolutely fell in love with the cover art. I fell in love with the idea of a wedding-type reality TV show where you have to convince your family and friends you are getting married. I really enjoyed this book. It is a fluffy rom-com that is sapphic. It is different than a lot of the trending rom-coms out there and I hope more people will pick this one up.

The only thing I wish there were more of was seeing the other computers on the show paper or in the book. Many can argue that would be more fluff but being a reality TV junkie I think it would have been interesting if another couple was paired at the same venue showing at the same time and there was some drama. You know me and my drama.

**Received ARC of the audiobook by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Quippy banter from Higgins, performed perfectly by the narrator Rebecca Lee.
I've been thinking a lot about this book and will probably listen again before the Summer is up.

D'Vaughn coming out to her mom was such an emotional moment to experience, especially via audio.
I did feel bad for the family members being duped by the reality show, but the end was played beautifully.

brb checking out Chencia C. Higgins's backlist

4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars

A lovingly queer, fun novel with an even “funner” plot. Good character development, excellent narration. Super enjoyable to read. This could definitely be a reality TV show and do very well.

The conclusion was predictable, yet I was still drawn to every word, hoping the couple would still choose one another rather than the money.

I’d recommend this to any queer human who loves a good romance. Let love prevail!

(ALC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you!)

D’Vaughn and Kris have agreed to be on a reality show and now they have six weeks to plan their dream wedding.

The catch: their whole relationship is fake!

Kris Zavala’s is on the cusp of making it as an influencer, some time on reality TV could elevate her brand plus the $100,000 wouldn’t hurt, either.

D’Vaughn Miller is trying to break out of her shell and needs a reason to push herself to come out to her family.

All they have to do is convince their friends and family they’re getting married in six weeks to someone they have never met!

Each week of the competition brings new challenges to bring the couple and their families closer together. These scenes were always fun to see how the characters interact with each other and brought some laughs. You can tell that family means everything to Kris and D'Vaughn so seeing them believe, trust and accept their partner goes a long way in bringing these two together.

Final Thoughts: Good amount of steam but the characters seem like they could be anyone. An enjoyable, quick, and breezy romance novel.

tw: bigotry, colorism

I LOVED this audiobook! I saw so many stellar reviews for the book, and it did not disappoint. The narrator, Rebecca Lee, did a phenomenal job of pulling you into D’Vaughn and Kris’s love story. This book is for lovers of reality tv, hot Black sapphics, and fake dating turned swoon-worthy love. I enjoyed reading this with my monthly queer book club. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This disappeared from my account before I could review it. I wasn’t able to listen to the audiobook. It vanished before I had the chance. Thank you though!

D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins and narrated by Rebecca Lee is a dual POV lesbian romance following D'vaugh Miller and Kris Zavala as they join a reality TV show where they have six weeks to convince their friends and family that they are getting married. If someone figures out that they are not actually getting married they lose the prize of one hundred thousand dollars. I really liked this book when it came out in January but after listening to the audiobook I loved this book even more. The narrator added emotion that just made this book so much better. I highly recommend the book on its own and the audiobook. I rated this book 5 stars. Thank you to Net-Galley for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.