I absolutely adored this book! I got swept away with these characters and their story. I cannot wait for more in this series!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

I really loved this adorable story! From the hysterical meet cute, friendly-ish bar competition, and the decision for a “no strings” vacation flinging, watching the relationship between Tillie and Gabe was an absolute delight. Throw in a funny cast of secondary characters, some family complications that both Tillie & Gabe have to deal with & a hurricane (it is a tropical island) and this is a perfect beach story that can be enjoyed anytime of the year!

The second book in the this series, the story of Tillie and Gabe. Tillie is on the island for her sisters wedding, and does not expect to fall for Gabe the way she does. I liked how it was told from both points of view. Can't wait for the next book!

This story is a cute and humorous romantic family drama beach read. The story takes place in a breathtaking island paradise where a handsome local and a sexy tourist get swept away in a tart and tempting romance.

The characters are well-developed and relatable. The main characters, Ensley and Drew, have great chemistry and their banter is entertaining. The setting is described in vivid detail, making it easy to imagine the beautiful island paradise where the story takes place. The plot is engaging and keeps the reader interested throughout the book. There are some unexpected twists and turns that add to the excitement. The writing style is easy to read and flows well. The author has a great sense of humor and there are some laugh-out-loud moments in the book.

Some parts of the story are predictable and cliché. However, this is a common issue in the romance genre and doesn't detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Overall, it is a fun and entertaining read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted romance novel.

With the setting of the island and talks of the sand and sun, this is perfect for a good summer read.

I thought that Tilly and Gabe were so cute and enjoyed how their love grew. How they realized they needed to be with each other. Side characters were good. Great banter. Overall, a very cute read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Tillie meets Gabe when she is at her sisters wedding. He is a local bartender and the two start a no strings fling while she is on the island for two weeks. These had fun banter and steamy times. Fun read as I always have with this authors book and I recommend and look forward to more.

The narrative is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and poignant moments that paint a vivid picture of love blossoming against the backdrop of a breathtaking island paradise. The chemistry between Tillie and Gabe is electric, and their journey from a fun fling to something more is both heartwarming and realistic.

It was nice to visit the James sisters again in this island bound romcom-- Tillie meets a hot bartender when on vacation for a wedding. Bartender doesn't bother with tourists but she takes the crap and gives it right back.

I love the writing of characters that are flawed but strong - they know where they're strong but also have to keep growing. Tillie could hold her own but the shifting and growing of the characters throughout -not just jumping in bed but in all of their relationships felt true to life.

#arc
#netgalley
#theweddingshakeup

This was a cute book! Tillie goes to her sister’s wedding and it doesn’t go quite as planned when crabs takeover. Gabe helps clear them away. He is a bartender from the US working on the tropical island where the wedding is taking place.

Gabe and Tillie have a drink contest and then one thing leads to another. Gabe also show Tillie his caring side when she gets a bad sunburn and he has to take care of her.

This is a cute book and I recommend it!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is book two in the Wedding Meet Cute series, and it is filled with loads of fun, sun, a wedding, killer crabs, and a two-week vacation filled with more than two people were expecting.

Tillie James and her sisters are on La Jarra Island for Tillie's sister's wedding when the killer crabs begin to attack. Along comes a hunky local to save the crabs from the tourists.

Gabe Landers doesn't like tourists, but they keep the island alive. When he sees a wedding party about the kill the female crabs, he rushes in to save them.

There is something between Tillie and Gabe, a connection neither wants to explore for long. Neither one believes in relationships. So they decide to have an island fling. What can go wrong with that?

I loved everything about this story and think I love it more than the first one. So grab book one and catch up and then enjoy this one. You will not be disappointed. I recommend reading them in order as it will not make any sense any other way.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series and I would recommend that you read them in order for the full goodness, however, you can read this as standalone too.

Tillie is at her sister's destination wedding, but she prefers to be behind the scenes, so enjoys talking to Gabe, the resort's bartender, and takes him up on the cocktail making challenge. Their chemistry is wonderful, their banter is fabulous, and I was delighted that they decided to at least enjoy each other short term. I am sure that most of us will have been hoping that there would be a twist that ensured that they could have a long-term future.

I really enjoyed the holiday vibe, and the side stories – reading it was like taking an extra summer holiday with friends!

So this started out with a perfectly hilarious bit where crabs came out of the bushes and some of them came straight at the wedding party. While Tillie and Gabe started out as a bit of grumpy/sunshine/enemies, once they really started hanging out the enemies was gone, and Gabe’s grumpiness went away. The two of them had such a perfect, meant to be connection that when we got close to the end, and Tillie was going to have to go back to home and the real world, so far away from the tropical paradise island where Gabe lived, I honestly could not figure out how in the world they were going to make it work!

Along the way though, there was the fun times of the two of them working together at Gabe’s little bar in a hut. Now I’m not much of a drinker, but the drinks they were making sounded sooooooooooo good! I’m so glad I got a couple of the recipes for them in the box I got from the author for this month. Although the chocolate layered drink sounded yummy too, and I may have to do some online research for that one. Not that I have any alcohol in my house to try to make it though.

With Tillie being the youngest in her family, seeing how her sisters behaved with her and her “fling” made sense in a way. But it still was irritating, and as I am the oldest sister, I didn’t agree with her sisters, although their reactions somewhat made sense as I said, based on their family background. So Tillie’s reluctance to be able to move or stay there with Gabe made sense in that aspect. But it was also easy to understand why she didn’t want Gabe to leave his own family and world.

Gabe’s background had its own issues of course, and those fit the story perfectly, filling in the puzzle pieces that made these two the perfect couple. What happened at the end that made it possible for the two of them to see a way to be together was something I didn’t think of, and I love that the author used that for the plot. The way Tillie’s sister came to understand and know that she needed to be with Gabe was natural and realistic I thought as well.

Now I’m just looking forward to getting her sister Lila’s story in the next book!

The Wedding Shake-up is a fun, charming, hilarious good read! This book is the perfect summer read. The Wedding Shake-up is a modern-day version of Tom Cruise's Cocktail! The witty banter that Tillie and Gabe shared is entertaining. They definitely shared good vibes and I really felt the chemistry between them. When Tillie and Gabe shared that first kiss, I cheered along with the crowd.

Tillie is a bit of a firecracker. Her big personality brought out the fun side of Gabe. Tillie and Gabe make a cute couple. On a serious note, I am glad that Gabe had Tillie by his side when he confronted his past. On a last note, I want to give a shout out to Gabe and Tillie's friends as they also brought the fun.

It all starts with a case of crabs when local bar owner Gabe crashes a wedding to save the lives of the nesting crabs just trying to cross the beach. He's had it with tourists and avoids them when possible but when Tillie challenges him in his own bar he's up for a little competition and maybe more. Nothing could come from a little fling, especially when she's leaving in two weeks anyway, right?
This was a sweet and fun vacation rom-com with a little twist of Cocktail vibes. Reading this felt like a sunny island escape and would make the perfect beach read. I love the banter between the two main characters and the way everything worked out in the end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥

This was a fun, surprisingly deep read to bid farewell to summer.

Tillie James is on La Jarra Island for her sister's wedding. What she did not expect while in paradise is being pinched by angry crabs and getting into a flirty cocktail-mixing competition with local bartender Gabe Landers. Their competitions soon turned into bedroom adventures, vowing to put an expiration date to their island fling when Tillie heads home.

But when the day comes, Tillie gives Gabe an open invite to Atlanta. Unfortunately, the city holds demons in his past, leaving him torn between a potential happily ever after and evading the history he has tried to put behind him.

J.J. Knight surprises us with a rich, emotional story that starts with fun flirting in paradise. The chemistry between Tillie and Gabe is undeniable. We get fun banter in La Jarra and it slowly transitions into a deeper connection as the couple faces Gabe's emotional baggage in Atlanta. The spice is on the milder side, but the steamy chemistry makes up for it.

I can see how this read can be standalone, but there are references and nuances that might be helped by reading Book One.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to J.J. Knight, Montlake, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

I went into this story not knowing that it was part of a series. It's Book #2 of The Wedding Confessions.
I read the description and thought it sounded good and was I right. This book was a fun read. That totally sucked you in from the start.

Tillie and Gabe:
It was all supposed to be just a fun vacation, destination wedding and extra time to relax.
No one said anything about attack crabs.... Enter the grumpy local. She thought she would never see him again and then found his bar. There is some banter and some flirting then the next thing she knows she is showing off her bartender stills and a Competition is formed, this was sooo much fun to watch play out.
These two are steamy, addictive and wow their chemistry is fantastic!
You can just have a vacation fling right?!?!?
Guess you will have to read this book to find out what happens to these two, and just a heads up you wanna read this book.

Great characters and there was even some backstory to make it all even better and so much character growth.

I am so thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book's ARC. It was so good. Above is my review/opinions, which are honest and voluntary.

Not sure what was funnier... the crabs on the beach "attacking" or the "best drinks" contest? And this was only in the first couple of chapters. Tillie and Gabe truly knew how to rock the beach!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

JJ Knight’s The Wedding Shake-up was like a warm hug from the sun. I felt joy and happiness as I read this, The descriptions were so well done without being overly wordy; I could feel the sun on my face, taste and feel the salt air and mixed drinks. This book felt like my happy place. And don’t get me started on the witty banter. The witty banter oozed with chemistry. It was brilliant.

Bartender Tillie James is on a two week vacation for her older sister’s Island wedding. She grew up poor and is soaking up every second of this vacation. Tillie meets Gabe Landers in a hilarious wedding meet cute. Gabe has lived on the island all his life and is the local bartender. Gabe initially comes off as the worst grump but as Tillie gets to know him and spends time with him she quickly learns he’s more of a cinnamon roll. As the two spend her vacation together they both determine they don’t want things to end. But how can they make it work living in two different countries? You have to read this to see how they achieve their HEA. Go ahead and pick this one up if you need an island vacation or just love two really great characters that spark off each other in the best of ways. They really bring out the best in each other.

This is book 2 in the Wedding Meet Cute series. Book 1 was about Tillie’s sister Ensley. Hopefully there’s more to come for the other siblings.

Thanks to Montlake, NetGalley & JJ Knight for the opportunity to review this.

Thank you JJ Knight, NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC. 🤍

Tillie James is enjoying La Jarra Island for her sisters wedding. She has 2 weeks in paradise and why shouldn’t she have a summer vacation fling w a local bartender? What starts out as a fling quickly develops into stronger feelings between Tillie and Gabe. Tillie struggles w her feelings for Gabe and her loyalties to her family back in the states.

This was my first read from JJ Knight. I really enjoyed it! I was fond of all of the characters. I really loved Gabe’s mom, Taralyn, and her piece of the story she portrayed warmed my heart. I found myself laughing out loud throughout this book. I love rom-coms so it was right up my alley. This is written in dual POV which I also love. This is the second book in the Wedding Meet Cute series. I did not read the first book (The Wedding Confession) and I do feel as though this book can be read as a stand-alone even though the characters intertwine throughout the books. The Wedding Shake-Up pub date is 09/26/2023. 🎉

Reading this really made me want to find a tropical island! I loved the setting and the way that it helped the story unfold. Gabe and Tillie have terrific chemistry. I loved the way they worked together and supported each other. The secondary characters were great, and I want to read books for all of Gabe's friends. But first Lila needs her HEA; she's earned it.