Title: The Wedding Date
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Source: Publisher
Format: Audiobook
Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.
On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend...
After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other...
They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want...(goodreads)
The Wedding Date was fun but still managed to tug at my heartstrings.
Plot: Who doesn't enjoy the fake-date trope? I know I'm actually trash for it, and The Wedding Date was just what I needed! Alexa and Drew met under unusual circumstances that led to even more unusual situations that entertained while still revealing their personalities. I enjoyed how they explored their budding relationship while balancing their hectic work lives, but even though this book was barely over 300 pages, it felt like the middle dragged out a bit too long. There wasn't a lot of drama as I expected, but it was still a nice journey watching their relationship unfold with a truly satisfying conclusion.
Characters: When I first picked this audiobook up, I had no idea that the main character was black, nor did I know that this was an interracial romance which had me invested immediately. As a black woman who is presently married to a white dude, I loved all of their interactions and how they had to navigate around topics of race while still getting to know each other.
Alexa was a strong woman and it was easy to get in her head. I loved her dedication to her job and her support system was everything a girl could want. Drew was a successful surgeon with a history of leaving girls when things started getting too serious. He was frustrating at times and I just wanted him to be honest with himself.
Worldbuilding: The Wedding Date took place in the Bay Area as well as Los Angeles and it was easy to get the sense of both cities. I've only been to California to go to Disneyland (because I'm an adult), but Guillory painted both so clearly that I felt like I was right next to Drew and Alexa on their dates. My main complaint with contemporary romances is that they are never diverse enough, that is not a problem with The Wedding Date which made it easy for Guillory to have honest conversations about race and white privilege.
Narrators: Janina Edwards captured Alexa's voice wonderfully, but I occasionally had trouble telling her Alexa voice apart from her Drew voice. I think The Wedding Date would have benefitted from a male narrator to play Drew's role, but overall, Edwards did a fine job.
Short N Sweet: The Wedding Date was a satisfying romance that will become an instant favorite for many readers!
Labels: 4 stars, Berkley, book review, jasmine guillory, review, the wedding date
