This is my first time in this small island world and I'm sold. It was the perfect rom-com to make you laugh out loud and swoon and even bite all your finger nails with some angst along the way.
The characters are well written, are relatable and flawed, but that makes them more aproachable, in my oppinion.
Vivian lives in a world of appearences, of other people's oppinions and how she sells her image to the world. When that gets compromised and she is at risk of losing all she worked for she panics and starts a little white lie that somewhere down the road comes an bites her in the ass. She has to get a husband and soon, or her career as an influencer is over. She finds one in an inconventional way, but a fake marriage counts as a marriage right?
Ben is a hard working single dad, who is cautious, reliable and values safety. Is priority is his son, and he does all in his power to make him happy, even if it means putting all he dreamed behind. He is caring and loving even if with a touch of grumpiness. When he finds that his brother is fake marrying Vivian he tries to get them to back of and drop that decision. But sometimes when you can't win you better join them, so he learns to accept the whole situation, as unconventional as it is.
But, along the way, Vivian starts to see Ben as more than her brother-in-law, and Ben wishes he was the one in his brother's place. Can they put every feeling aside and go on whth the show? Will they admit they want each oner and their chance at love?
Read this one and find out!

My Fat Beach Wedding is about Viviana, who is a famous social media influencer. Her channel is at a standstill as to anything new happening, so her management team, Zaylee and Zara, the Mighty Twins, as she affectionately called them while brainstorming ideasto keep her subscibers hooked came up with this fake boyfriend scenario as she wasn't currently dating anyone. So she started talking about her fake boyfriend online. Sharing pics of stuff he bought her & telling what the did. Her subscribers were commenting that it seemed fake because she never posts a pictures of her boyfriend online. She comes up with a way to make it as real as can be while out at the bar with her friends.

She meets a strange guy who is eating salad at a burger joint. She and her friend are making jokes about it, but this guy, who would benefit from a green card if he married Vivian, may be the answer to her dilemma. She goes up to this handsome man that intrigued her in the bar and explains her situation. He agrees to help her out in exchange for her helping him out.

Dominic is living with his brother Ben and nephew. The two brothers had been taking care of little Henry since his baby mama left Henry on their doorstep when she realized she couldn't raise a child. Vivian had her hands full trying to execute this fake social media marriage with her new fake boyfriend or maybe soon to be real husband? You gotta read this book to find out what happens next.

I fell in love with Melanie Summers light-hearted romances when she first published her Crown Jewels series back in 2017 and I've loved them ever since. This particular series is set in Paradise Bay in the Caribbean and I think we're now up to book 7 or 8. Each one is funny and so entertaining.
This time we have a fake marriage, a social media influencer and a single father.
The standout character in this book is Ben's (the hero of this story) 5-year-old son. I love him.
Ben and Vivian make such a great couple and I loved reading their story. I love these returns to Paradise Bay and I hope we get to visit again next summer.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Oh boy what a muddle. A cutie pie hero / dad Ben, an influencer falling for the wrong guy, a cute kid who actually plays a role, and a fake fiancee and all this in the publics eye. Ms. Summers delivers a well written romcom that untangles the mess in an engaging manner. What a hero

#MyBigFatBeachWedding #NetGalley

I hate social media and I don't understand the point of following an influencer or being one. And I don't like lies that are so pervasive that they force someone to go so far as to find a fake husband to save face in the digital world.

But I absolutely LOVED this story. I loved Ben, who is probably too handsome and perfect to be true, and Henry too (but he's a kid!), and Dominic, and Jo, and...

I loved the chemistry between Viv and Ben, the magnificent relationship Viv creates with Henry, and Dom's kindness. I really liked Ben's story, his woodworking. Even though she seems very superficial at first, Vivian really has a great personality and she deserves Ben.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Melanie Symmers has become an automatic buy for me. A lighthearted fun romantic comedy that involves social media. Engaging plot, loveable characters and a swoonworthy romance.

Not your usual love triangle rom-com! Fun characters, a great setting, and lively banter. I really enjoy Melanie's books!

Vivian enters a fake relationship with Dominic after her social media presence is tested by her rival and followers. Then she meets Ben, the other James brother and his adorable son. It's a twisted storyline and kept me interested.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

This was a great story! I really loved the characters and they were relatable. The story was well written and interesting. I would definitely recommend!

My Big Fat Beach Wedding by Melanie Summers is part of the author's Paradise Bay books but also a standalone book. Romantic, cheesy, fake-marriage trop with a twist. Quite an interesting read. Thank you for the ARC, Gretz Corp and Netgalley. This is my honest review

*My Big Fat Beach Wedding* is a delightful, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that blends fake relationships with unexpected love. Vivian Whitlock’s career is on the brink, and she hatches a plan to save it by pretending to marry a secret boyfriend—only for the charming Dominic James to enter the picture as her fake fiancé. But as she becomes entangled with Dominic and his brother, a single dad with a heart of gold, Vivian realizes that what she thought she wanted might not be what she truly needs. A perfect feel-good escape filled with humor, heart, and a touch of romance.

This book is like a frozen cocktail with a twist of chaos—sweet, a little messy, and exactly what I needed. My Big Fat Beach Wedding had me giggling from page one, grinning through the drama, and cheering for the kind of love story that wears flip-flops to the altar.

Between the delightfully dramatic family, sun-soaked shenanigans, and a romance that simmers like beachside barbecue coals, Melanie Summers serves up a story that's both heartwarming and hilariously unhinged—in the best way.

It’s rom-com paradise, where love is complicated, the in-laws are extra, and sometimes the best vows are made with your toes in the sand and a margarita in hand. I’d RSVP ‘yes’ to this wedding a hundred times over. 💍☀️💃

This book, which you can read without reading any of the others in the Paradise Bay series, takes you to a beautiful beach, and it's all about a fake wedding that turns into a real romance. It's a closed-door romance, focusing on the emotional connection between the characters.

The story is about Vivian Whitlock, who's a social media influencer in a bit of a career crisis, and Ben James, who's a single dad. Vivian needs a fake fiancé to save her job, so she teams up with Ben's brother, Dominic. But things get tricky when she starts falling for Ben and his adorable kid.

Summers' writing is, as always, funny and super easy to read, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments and great banter. The characters are awesome, and you can totally feel the connection between Vivian and Ben. Plus, the little kid is super cute and makes the story even better.

My Big Fat Beach Wedding is the perfect feel-good book. It's a sweet story about finding love when you're not even looking for it, and it'll leave you with a big smile.

What to expect:

Single dad

Opposites attract

Fake relationship stuff

They have to be around each other all the time

A really cute kid

Funny conversations

A slow and sweet romance

Closed-door romance

If you like light and funny romance novels, you'll love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gretz Corp for providing this book, with my honest review below.

My Big Fat Beach Wedding reminded why I love Melanie Summers and her Paradise Bay series, as these stories are easy to slip right into. In this one, reliably, two good hearted characters run into a few shenanigans on the way to a happy ending but everyone is so wholesome and the events so entertaining that by the end I wish it had continued!

In My Big Fat Beach Wedding, Vivian, and influencer, has to find a groom stat or else lose her sponsors as her subscribers and a competing influencer call her out on her made up boyfriend’s existence. Now Vivian made up this boyfriend to stay connected to her subscribers and not lose sponsors so of course she doubles down and says they’re getting married. Enter Dominic, who is both gay and willing to help Vivian out as she can be his entree to Broadway. Dominic comes with a brother, Ben, and adorable nephew, Henry, and Vivian quickly discovers that Ben is the one she wants to be with - but what would that do to the highly complicated lie she’s spun?

I love the setting of these books and Vivian and Ben’s story was as great as the ones preceding it. Both entertaining and highly heartwarming, I really can’t wait for the next!

This sunny romcom brings together fake relationships, unexpected parenthood, and social media drama in a heartwarming (and often hilarious) package. The story centers around Benjamin, a young contractor and devoted single dad to five-year-old Henry—a sweet surprise left on his doorstep years earlier. He lives with his flamboyant and fabulous brother Dominic, whose larger-than-life personality provides plenty of entertainment and heart.

Enter Vivian Whitlock, a struggling influencer whose career is teetering on the edge of collapse. To save her brand, she needs a wealthy, devoted boyfriend—stat. Dominic, always game for drama and mischief, volunteers to play the part. Vivian soon finds herself living with the two brothers and an adorable little boy who quickly steals her heart.

The setup is classic romcom chaos, and Melanie Summers pulls it off with her usual flair for humor and emotional depth. The chemistry between Benjamin and Vivian is slow-burn and satisfying, and little Henry adds an irresistible layer of charm to every scene. The fake engagement leads to real feelings, of course, and while the story leans into trope territory (especially the influencer angle and pretend relationships), it still manages to feel fresh thanks to likable characters and great pacing.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Gretz Corp for this arc.

Here’s another fun beach read from the Paradise Bay series. This one is a bit more convoluted than a standard beach read. Parts of it annoyed me but overall I enjoyed it. I actually like how all the various moving parts of the plot fit together. Actor Dom is willing to play his part in order to get a shot at Broadway which has always been his dream. True he’s gay but everyone will act according to the script and he’ll get a green card.

The fly in the ointment is Dom's brother Ben and his son Henry who stole my heart. Ben never planned on being a father but he discovers he’s a father and his brother gives up his dreams for five years to help raise Henry. Ben is Not Pleased about Dom playing the part of a hetero groom (Ben wants Dom to find his perfect guy) as well as panicked at the thought of losing his backup for raising Henry. Yes, there are moments when Ben does come off as a teensy bit selfish but deep down, he really does want the best for his brother. Henry is not a plot-moppet. He is a delight. Ben, despite his moments of pure panic, is a pretty great dad, too.

The person who makes me silently scream the most is Vivian. As her mother tries to tell her, be your best single self but Vivian can’t stop chasing those “views” and “likes” and doubles/triples down on her mistake. Then once she finds Dom (a miracle) and begins to fall for Ben (he really is a good guy), she still won’t admit her mistake, change gears and live a true life. Lose her followers? Start from scratch? Oh, no. I get that her swag is fabulous but as the story progresses she admits that making “content” each day is a drag now and that’s before she paints herself into a corner for years with a husband who, though he won’t disappoint her the way her own dead-beat dad betrayed her and her mother, will not ever be “the man of her dreams.”

Will the truth of Vivian’s and Dom’s relationship remain a secret? Well, not really and when wisps of the truth begin to float across the internet, they trot out a lie that props up a nice feeling – which is that love comes in many forms and can look many ways – which is a great message. But still The Truth is obviously headed towards them like a freight train.

Poor Vivian keeps her head deeply in the sand and refuses to communicate to the bitter end. She just won’t be honest about her feelings beyond wanting hot sex. Ben won’t say anything either so, yeah without family members pushing them together, I’m not sure these two would have found their way. I was happy that Vivian finally tells her father what she thinks of him and Henry is a doll but there’s a fair degree of frustration here. B-/C+

This was a fun little read. I am drawn to books with great characters and the characters in Big Fat Beach Wedding are so cute and fun. I absolutely love Henry the most, but all of the characters are vibrant. I really love the support the characters give each other. This book isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it is a good summer read. I’d say a 3.5 star read.

Benjamin James, 25, has his brother, Dominic, living with him right now, They awaken early one morning to find a baby on the doorstep with a note that the baby’s father is Benjamin and his name is Henry. Five years later, and Henry is an adorable little boy with round red glasses and ready for Kindergarten. Benjamin works as a contractor and Dominic, who is gay, works at night entertaining guests at a luxury resort.

Vivian Whitlock is staying at a resort with her friend Paige trying to keep Vivian’s job as an influencer from crashing. Vivian has been saying for some time now that she has a wealthy boyfriend who treats her very well. However, her followers are starting to not believe her as they have not seen a picture of him. They’re right. He is a myth and now Vivian has to find someone ASAP to fit the bill. That’s when Dominic overhears their conversation and volunteers. Now, Vivian is moving in with Dominic and Benjamin is not happy about that. But before long, Henry is falling in love with Vivian and Benjamin finds himself drawn to her as well.

As wedding plans are made the Vivian’s followers increase with excitement about the nuptials, Benjamin realizes that he is truly in love with her and Vivian returns his feelings. How can Vivian and Dominic go through with the wedding now?

There are a lot of laughs and a lot of honest emotions in this book. I loved all of it and look forward to reading more books by this author. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

My Big Fat Beach Wedding was highly entertaining. I would like to read this again, on the beach with a mocktail in my hand. This should be your first summer read of the year!

If you are looking for an easy, breezy, laugh out loud rom-com with all the beach feels for your summer reading list than look no further! My Big Fat Beach Wedding has all the beachy feels with a cast of characters that leap off the page. Lighthearted, humorous and romantic, this book had everything I look for in a summer romance. Melanie Summers is a new to me author and I am officially obsessed! Her writing transports her readers right into the heart of the Benavente Islands.