This one wasn't groundbreaking or anything, but I do love a book with family conflict with strong characters to overcome it in a healthy way. I do also love the "taboo" not taboo love of an already adult step sibling situation... It was really cute & entertaining!

Thank you for the ACL

2.5 but I rounded up because I can see some liking this way more than me.

I went into to this book knowing that I have a hard time finding enemies to lovers books that I like, as well as the cringe I feel about step-siblings.

I was triggered a bit by the past bullying, but I tried moving past it.

Although the MMC appears to have grown up and matured, and I can’t blame the FMC for hating him, she came across as immature and a brat.
(Maybe this is why I can’t seem to find enemies to lovers that I like, the female always comes across as terrible) By the end, I could not stand the FMC. She ruined her own surprise for Pete’s sake (during the epilogue). Carson was way too good for her. He grew up and she acted like she was still in high school.

I got major 3rd hand embarrassment from the wedding speech part.

The ending fell flat for me. It would have been nice to see more of them falling in love (after they acknowledged their feelings to each other), not a sentence about it in the epilogue.

The chapters are on the longer side for those that care about chapter length.

I enjoyed the narrator.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. I love books that are tailored around weddings! All the stress, drama, and scandals that could happen, usually leave me devouring the book. This however landed flat for me. I'm not sure if it is hearing books that are very similar to this or if it was something else. Julia is a very type A person that likes to have things her way. When she finds out her go with the flow type mother is getting married and doing a destination wedding, Julia inserts herself to plan everything. The only problem with that plan is, is that Julia's mom and future father-in-law want her to plan the wedding with her high school bully Carson.

This is book two in the Belize Dream series. I didn’t realize it was part of a series when I started, but I was able to keep up just fine. That said, if you want to avoid spoilers for the first book, I recommend reading them in order.

Julia and Carson haven’t seen each other since high school, where he made her life miserable as her main bully. Now, their parents are getting married and ask them to plan the destination wedding together in Belize, the place where Julia grew up. She’s fresh out of college and still trying to find her footing, and her mom thinks this project will be a good distraction. Carson’s trying to move on from his past mistakes, but opening up is not exactly his strength.

From the second they’re reunited, the snarky banter and unresolved tension between them kept things fun and flirty. Their adventures while prepping the wedding are chaotic and hilarious, and when they finally let go of the past, their chemistry is fire. They try to keep things casual, but that never really works, does it?

Julia just wants to be taken seriously as an adult, but her mom and sister keep boxing her in. Carson, meanwhile, wants to do better by Julia but keeps stumbling over his own emotional walls. I kept wanting to grab them both and shake them so they could see what was right in front of them. Their dynamic was fun, full of heart, and just so meant to be. I’ll definitely be going back to read book one now.

The audiobook was performed by Meg Sylvan, and I thought she did an amazing job. I’m usually not a fan of single narrators for dual POV stories, but she really brought both characters to life and kept me engaged the entire time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and author M.C. Vaughn for the advanced listener copy.

Haven’t read an (almost) step brother and sister romance before and I was happy that this one was not as weird as I thought it might be, because they had a previous (non-romantic) relationship with one another so it was more of an enemies to lovers romance because of the past mistakes that happened.

I liked to read about the changes of the characters Julia and Carson from when they were young to present day and also the changes they went through during the story. There was a lot of growth and development, but also a little too much dwelling on the past and basing so much of your thoughts and personality just on a few experiences from high school. Sometimes it was a bit much.

The main setting of Belize was amazing for the destination wedding. There were lots of cultural references for food, activities and tourist spots. It made me think about travelling there and gave me a desire to get to a beach soon!

Overall the story was good, there were interesting secondary characters (who apparently were introduced in the first book in the series, but it was fine to read this one first), and the main characters had good chemistry. There was the typical “misunderstanding” at the end of the story (lies, secrets), and there were some spicy scenes which were fun. A good build up throughout the story made Julia and Carson’s relationship believable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC of this book. I enjoyed the narration very much! All opinions about the story are my own.

This book was a fast and fun little romp through Belize.

The pros: Julia and Carson are well-constructed and believable characters and the conflict feel probable. I think th author did a good job of showing a realistic scenario of Carson trying to prove himself to Julia for a second chance and her grappling with that decision. The spice was not gratuitous but done in key parts after a good amount of build up and will they/won't they.

The cons: Julia was ..... generous to forgive her high school bully even after learning why he did it. If this had happened to me - ain't no way, girl.
Most importantly- the step-sibling thing gives me the ick. Even though they are adults and wouldn't be blended under one roof, just ew. The book hinted at maybe not fully going through with the wedding which gave me hope they wouldn't actually become step-siblings, but, spoiler alert, it does. I could feel the ick come on immediately after that shifted. Plus the 'grand gesture' at the wedding felt slightly off for the character and did not need to be that public- more ick.
4 stars until I hit the ew factor which knocked it to 3 for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and Afterglow books for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

4 stars – 3 chili peppers

-High school bully + high school crush
-Enemies to lovers
-Future step siblings
-Second chance romance
-Only one bed
-Event planners for parents wedding
-Belize destination wedding
-He falls first
-Forced proximity
-Miscommunication trope
-Witty banter
**There is mention of parental death but it happens off page **

Julia heads back home from her masters program in hospitality to attend her mothers engagement party to her 4th husband. Imagine her surprise when Carson, her high school bully (and her secret crush) is there and tells her that he is going to be her new stepbrother. On top of that, her mom announces that they are having their wedding in Belize…in less than 2 weeks! Now Julia and Carson have to team up to plan this wedding in record time! Carson swears that he has changed and is determined to prove it. Will they be able to make a miracle wedding happen in paradise or will they allow their past to ruin the future?

This was a super cute audiobook! The narrator, Meg Sullivan, was great! She has a very clear voice that was a joy to listen to. I loved the nuances that she used when voicing both Julia and Carson. This is the second book in a series of interconnected standalones and I don’t think that you need to read the first book in order to understand this one – unless you want to!

This was a nice spicy pallet cleanser from all of the dark romantasy that I have been reading lately and I definitely plan on going back and reading book one in the series to learn about her sisters story!

OMG I absolutely ADORED this book. This is a story of a high school bully and his victim who have to face each other 10 years later. Of all the things, their PARENTS are in love and are to be married. They are thrust into another country to plan a whirlwind wedding. The characters are brought to life in such a way that I was literally on the edge of my seat listening to this story unfold.
So many moments where my jaw actually dropped and I needed to fan myself a little bit. So much drama in the very best way possible.

If you can gets your hands on this book read it ASAP.

As someone with is unable to take a vacation this summer, this was the next best thing. A funny and romantic novel for people with unfulfilled wanderlust.

This was just about as cute as the first one! A fun quick read but it was so nice to come full circle on Alex and Julia's mom. A great low-stakes second chance romance with jaded/flawed FMC that's all too relatable. I would have loved some more flashbacks to when they were in HS but still a great read. Carter's growth after his accident was really fun to read as well.

Such a fun book idea Full of romance and perfect for summer that includes second chances at love in such a beautiful destination with a sense of adventure and exploration, I’m absolutely loving it and will definitely be recommending this just enough disaster to make the trip fun!

Destination Weddings and Other Disasters by M.C. Vaughn is a fantastic romantic escape—fun, flirty, and full of chemistry! The spark between the two main characters is electric, and the spice is perfectly balanced, making their connection feel both passionate and genuine. The satisfying ending left me grinning, and the Belize setting was pure wanderlust fuel. Vaughn’s depiction of the location is vibrant and authentic, celebrating its beauty without falling into clichés.

This book is the ideal summer listen—whether you're lounging on a beach or daydreaming about turquoise waters on your commute (I may or may not have mentally booked a trip to Belize after finishing it!). The audiobook narrator deserves special praise—her dynamic performance brought every character to life so vividly that I forgot it was just one voice.

Now I’m off to dive into Alex and Bo’s story because if it’s anything like this, I’m in for another treat! Highly recommend for anyone who loves romance with humor, heart, and a swoon-worthy getaway vibe.

ALC Book Review!


Destination weddings and other disasters by M.C Vaughan

3 / 5 ⭐️
Unavailable / 5 🔥

Thanks @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I normally don’t apply for ALCs because I am soooo picky with voices on audio books but this narrator knocked it out of the park! The pacing was consistent and the story was entertaining. Unfortunately I can only give it a 3 ⭐️ because the step siblings thing was just major ick / cringe THE ENTIRE BOOK! Every time I’d forgotten about it the topic would come back up. If that doesn’t bug you and the tropes below appeal to you then you’ll probably really like this book! It just wasn’t a stellar one for me.

*please note that there are a few spicy scenes but I skipped them due to step siblings ick and therefore will not be giving it a 🔥 rating.

This book is for you if you like :

Step siblings… to be
Tropical Destination
Adventure company
Career struggles
Blended family




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Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio and MC Vaughan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️ I like it. It was a pretty quick and easy read (listen). It’s book #2 in a series but I didn’t read the first and don’t feel like I missed anything.

Julia is attending her mom’s engagement party and finds out her mom is engaged to the father of a boy who made high school difficult. Julia had tutored Carson and things had not gone well. There was a lot of miscommunication and pressure; Carson was a dummy and was a big jerk resulting in Julia having panic attacks and protecting herself moving forward from hurt.

Fast forward 10yrs and Julia is not pleased to see him, and especially unhappy to be partnered with him to plan this wedding in less than 2 weeks.

I liked the healing and growth shown by Julia, Alex, their mom and Carson.

The step sibling thing wasn’t an issue for me. Yes, it is still a step sibling but they’re grown adults and not being raised as siblings so I’m glad it wasn’t made into a big deal.

I listened to the audio and like the narrator except for the voice she used for Julia’s mom - that one drove me up the wall so I was happy she wasn’t a bigger character.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of Destination Weddings and Other Disasters.

This was a cute and quick read. It took me a bit to get past the two of them being almost step siblings, but I guess it happens. Our FMC was slightly annoying at times, but I relate to her as someone who cares way too much about what other people think. I love how honest the MMC was about how awful he treated her in high school, and how he would stop at nothing to earn her forgiveness. I also loved how she used his app and didn’t know he created it! Second chance romances are the best!

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job.

Audiobook Review-
Goodreads review posted on: 07/17/2025

This was a NetGalley ARC for the audiobook version so I wasn’t aware there wasn’t a first book in the series but this was a great standalone regardless!

Carson and Julia’s story was adorable, quirky, angsty, and full of laughs and sweet moments. Julia is holding on to some residual feelings for Carson from high school (both good and bad feelings) while Carson is agonizing over his reputation with Julia and his unrequited feelings. These two are on a whirlwind adventure in Belize to plan a destination wedding for their parents.

The adventures they go on show Julian’s strength, Carson’s aversion to dark and right places, and how quickly feelings of rejection and upset can turn into the warm and fuzzies when with the right person! Overall, 4/5 ⭐️ for their story and I look forward to reading the other book in the series!

Their were so many parts of this book that I really liked.

Destination Wedding
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Shared History
Future Stepsiblings

I originally thought that the last tropes would throw me off. It has in the past, but it worked here. I think because they didn't make it weird or a massive deal. I think the chemistry between Jules and Carson is so undeniable that who cares if their parents are getting married. I also enjoyed the mom sticking up for herself and her past relationships . This is a second book in a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone and not confusing.

I received this as an audio booked, and the narrator killed it.

Thanks, Harlequin Audio, for the ARC.

Thank you to M.C. Vaughan, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you're in search of a light, engaging read to accompany a sunny beach day, this rom-com may be just the ticket. The story follows Julia and Carson as they reconnect in an unexpected way—soon to be step-siblings—at their parents’ destination wedding.

The setting was vividly described and perfectly captured the ease and beauty of a tropical getaway. The romance, while low-stakes, offered well-executed chemistry and tasteful spice that felt natural and never overdone. With an easy-to-follow plot and a strong sense of place, it delivers a breezy, vacation-ready experience.

While the storyline didn’t fully resonate with me on a deeper level, I still appreciated the atmosphere, pacing, and escapist charm. It’s an enjoyable, summery read that would make a great addition to any holiday reading list.

This was a fun story, however the 3rd person narration is one I personally have a hard time with. It pulls me out of the story and makes it harder for me to connect so that was a little distracting. Mostly because I listened rather than read, so it got confusing.

There was fun banter and just enough space for the story. Couldn't stand the MFC's mother, totally disagree with her take by the end 😅 but the side characters were great additions. I'm always up for a sweeter read, especially this summer!

*Review given freely of my own volition. My opinion is not all that should be taken into account and readers should be aware that not all tastes are the same and my view may not be the norm. This statement made remains fact, regardless of how I obtained any copy.

Cute second-chances/enemies to lovers title. It is perfect for summer reading! I adored the characters and the development, forgiveness, and ability to face challenges together. It was a great love story!