A very pleasant book that is well written However it was a bit too cliche for my taste and despite high hopes I can only give it three stars.
Would make a great read for your summerholiday at the beach

This was fun. A perfect summer read to read by the pool. Re-read this recently during lockdown which prompted me to give this belated review.

Opposites attract!!! Billionaire needs a wife and humanitarian who can't stand billionaires.
Olivia Ramsey has been ambush talking to billionaire Coleman Grant III for trying to save bats for last two months. He is oozing wealth, sexiness but he wasn't her cup of tea until he proposes a marriage for next three months after drunken one night stand.
Cole has been working hard to expand Grant investment for last 5 years and never thought he would be facing biggest challenge in his life. HIs father's will states he will need to marry by his 30th birthday or all his wealth will go to his grandmother and she is cruella devile in disguise. Now he needed to marry someone until things will settle down. He couldn't think of anybody and since he spent a night with Olivia, he proposed her during their bachelor/bachelorette party and decided to help her with bat conservation.
Now they will have to act like an actual couple. Olivia can't stand Cole but she won't bail out on him and they were trying to figure out if they could live in same place. They have nothing in common but they are willing to give it a try.. Slowly they are opening up to each other but his grandmother gets in the way to brake them apart. Once they open up to each other, they are a great.. Now time is getting closer 3 months and will they keep their rouse or will they admit they love each other.
It was quick read and I enjoyed it. Great start to new series. Olivia and Cole were great.. I can't wait to get to next one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Swerve for my ARC in exchange for honest review.

BLACK TIE OPTIONAL - Ann Marie Walker

#1 Wild Wedding romance series

FUN - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Olivia is an environmentalist who has been stalking a billionaire who has plans to destroy a habitat with his new project. When they both randomly end up in Las Vegas for their friends' pre-wedding festivities, they find themselves tying the knot to satisfy a mutual business arrangement. However, their relationship also starts to undergo a change as they find themselves wildly sexually attracted to each other and eventually becoming friends.

Writing - 4 stars - This is a new-to-me author, and I found her writing to be very enjoyable, easy to read, and a pleasant way to spend a few hours. I will definitely look for the next in this series and will seek out others from Walker. She writes in a style that resonates with me, and I was caught up in the story right from the first page.

Characters - 4 stars - Cole is the perfect romantic hero--rich, handsome, and successful. His contentious relationship with his grandmother makes him seem more vulnerable, and his crazy friendship with Conor makes him more human. His sexual attraction to Olivia is off the charts, but he (as they always do) decides to "get her out of his system," although we regular romance readers know that this never works. Olivia is a staunch environmentalist and vegetarian, as different from Cole as she can get. She's a little over-the-top for me, but she means well and blows off steam when she can. I felt that we didn't really get to know her more normal side before we saw her going crazy in Vegas, though, so I didn't find her as appealing as I might have. Eventually, her back story is revealed, and her love of her family gave her some very high points for me. They are a fun couple, who continually aggravate each other, but they also appreciate each other's beliefs.

Title - 4 stars - This is mentioned briefly, but I didn't think it was really necessary. The gist of the story, pointing out the differences between Olivia and Cole, was easily understood with this title.

Cover - 4 stars - I like this cover, with champagne glasses representing the wedding, but also reminding us that Cole is of the upper crust. The pale blue color is eye-catching and attractive.

Overall - 4 stars - Lots of fun and action, right from the beginning. The argument between Cole and Olivia is spelled out from the first page, as is their underlying sexual tension. I didn't love either character at the very beginning, but as we got to know them, they both became very appealing. I'm always a sucker for characters who love their families, and Cole's relationship with sister Rebecca and friend Conor fit that bill. And Olivia is very close to her parents and friend Cassie, all of whom support her no matter how crazy she gets. I really felt right at home from the very first page and couldn't wait to continue with this book. The anticipated confrontation with Cole's grandmother was somewhat disappointing, but the ending was very satisfying. I'm looking forward to reading Cassie's story.

Olivia is a tiger when it comes to getting what she wants! What does she want you may ask?! Well to save the bats! She is a humanitarian.

It's like totally opposites attract through a whirl wind of firecrackers!
Olivia stalks Cole on his morning coffee routine for months, wanting him to move his construction site to save the bats in the area.
Cole is in a bit of a pickle! His billions will be gone if he doesn't get married. That's when Olivia comes in.
It's like one minute these two can't keep their hands off of each other and the next it's freaking Antarctica between them!
It's easy to see when the tables turn and they realize what they have is more but Cole has a little bit of a pesky Grandma determined to other throw him.

I was crazy about these two wanting them to get an happily ever after because it's always nice when opposites attract.

I love this book by Walker and can't wait for the next installment!! Pick it up Black Tie Optional today!

This battle of opposites was an entertaining read! Coleman, Cole, Grant is everything Olivia Ramsey despises. As a convinced environmental activist, she is a staunch opponent to ruthless businessmen's approach to environmental matters. Cole is an influential and arrogant business tycoon and also happens to be her main target. She has made a habit of harassing him during his morning coffee run, to convince him of the validity of her cause in defense of endangered species. I loved her tenacity and determination to pester him! She is convinced that Cole will eventually give in to her demands.

Cole has a lot on his plate. He has to marry before his thirtieth birthday or the control over the Grant estate will revert to his scheming grandmother. A marriage of convenience would save him from ruin and could be a profitable business transaction, with billions at stake. He is convinced that Olivia would be the best person to fool his grandmother. In exchange, he is willing to back her conservation project. His grandmother is not a sweet old lady, though, but a shrewd and manipulative snake.

Olivia and Cole are the best allies and they respect each other’s opinion, even if they don’t always agree. I loved their banter, the warm and cozy interactions. They have forged an emotional connection and lines are blurred. The marriage for show might become a reality. Olivia is compassionate and her passion for life is contagious, but she always remains true to her convictions.

This book combines two favorite tropes of mine: enemies to lovers and the marriage of convenience. This was a great recipe for a fun and sexy read. Granted, the plot is nothing new, but the characters are easy to love and engaging.
Good enemies to lovers book

Olivia thought how just like clockwork the SUV came to a stop alongside the curb as it stopped a full alne of Chicago's morning rush hour to a grinding halt. Then Coleman/Cole Grant III gets out of the vehicle to get the same extra hot double shot Americano from the same big chain coffee shop. It looked like Cole ran Nasa from the back seat of the vehicle not just a business. The commute from his Gold Coast penthouse to his loop headquarters was less than two miles. Everything about Cole oozed power and sex. Olivia went to Cole and he said most people simply make an appointment with his assistant. Olivia said she had tried but for some reason his schedule was always full. Olivia had no plan to stop the sidewalk sessions until Cole agreed to her demands or he filed a restraining order. Olivia was fighting for the northern long-eared bat. Then coleman said they were really the most vile creature had she ever considered taking up the fight for a more appealing animal. Then Cole handed Olivia a cup of coffee. Olivia wondered if Cole thought he could charm his way out of the hot seat? Olivia had spent her entire adult life and most of her teens speaking on behalf of those who couldn’t. As he got in the car Cole flashed her a grin that could have made her drop her latte also her panties if she didn’t find him to be lacking if not only morals and ethics but quiet possibly a soul. Olivia's best friend was Cassie and they were going to Vegas. Cole went to the hospital to see his sister Rebecca. He hated seeing her in a hospital bed as tubes dripped and machines beeped. But for Rebecca it was business as usual. Cole reminded her she needed to rest. Then he left. Cole made a trip to vegas and it happened to be the same time Olivia was there. Olivia and Cole run into each other and they get drunk and end up in bed together. They had planned to keep everything in Vegas that had happened. But Cole needed to be married to beat the clause in his father's will. The business Cole had build up and put so much into. Otherwise his grandmother would get the business. Cole suggest he and Olivia marry then she would save that bat and he would get the business. So they married in front of an Elvis look alike. Cole met Olivia's parents and saw how much they still loved each other and he thinks maybe this is something he could want. Cole had never really been part of a family as he had been brought up by servants and nanny’s.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fast cute read. But I do think there were a few too many conflicts entered into this book. But I loved how Olivia was not intimidated by Cole and she told what she thought including of him. I did feel the ending was rushed. I liked the plot and pace. I laughed at times while reading this. I loved the way Olivia and Cole interacted with each other. I really enjoyed the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.

The Proposal meets Two Weeks Notice is a very accurate description for this story.

Olivia is the earthy, hippie type who harasses Cole constantly about protecting various animals and/or habitats. Yes they find each other attractive but they still can't stand each other.

Cole is dealing with besting his grandmother in trying to get and keep his inheritance. Perfect timing that he has a drunken night with Olivia in Vegas. Just as he's needing to get married.

What happens is a hilarious mix of hot and sweet encounters as Cole and Olivia try to master their new arrangement.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Most people are familiar with the phrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas". That particular phrase did not work in the case for one Coleman Grant III and Olivia Ramsey.

Olivia Ramsey had spent the past three months stalking Coleman Grant III as he stopped for his morning coffee. Well, perhaps stalking was a powerful word, however, she knew he stopped for his double shot americano every morning, at the same time every morning without fail. She also knew he was a money-grubbing billionaire who only cared about himself and not at all about the endangered bat she was desperately trying to save.

Coleman Grant III found Olivia at best slightly irritating in her pursuit every morning to stalk him. It could have been worse if she wasn't adorable in pushing her flying rat beliefs on him. One weekend in Vegas for a bachelor party and a lot of alcohol thrown into the mix made for some bad decisions. It must have been the alcohol talking because he suddenly finds himself proposing to Olivia. Call him crazy, but it made sense at the time.

There couldn't be two people more opposite than Coleman and Olivia, but there also couldn't be two people who needed each other more. Their chemistry is off the charts and at the end of the day these two people helped soften the sharp edges off the other just a bit. Black Tie Optional is a refreshing read with chemistry between the two characters that is off the charts.

Oh. My. God. It has been a while since I've devoured a book. Once I started Black Tie Optional, I could not put it down. We're talking "Kindle whacking my face several times before I finally went to bed" kind of devour. I regret nothing! Except maybe the 4 cups of iced coffee I had today. Or not...

One element that I friggin' love in a romance book is banter between the hero and heroine. When that banter turns into verbal foreplay, all the better. I'm always waiting for the spark that'll ignite the sexual tension. With Cole and Olivia, it wasn't a spark. It was a freaking firecracker that ignited. Holy shit, hold onto that fan ladies because you're going to need it! Black Tie Optional was a blast to read. From the characters to Ann's writing style, I loved everything about this book. She made me giggle and swoon at all hours in the night. This was my first time reading one of Ann's books and I'm damn sure it will not be my last. I already have the 2nd book marked and I know who I want to get the 3rd book, mainly because it'll drive Cole completely insane and that'll be fun to watch. Can we make that happen, Ann?

This is the first book by Ann Marie Walker that I've read and I have to say that overall I enjoyed it.

Black Tie Optional was a good, fun read. Initially I wasn't a big fan of Cole, he came across as a bit of a jerk but when we got to know him he definitely won me round. Olivia was fiesty, funny and in the main a likable MC.

Together this pair sparred and argued like crazy but all of this intensity and fire lead to some hot as hell smexy times!

Black Tie Optional was an interesting and engaging read. I liked the supporting characters - with one exception, and you can't help but work out who that is as you read! - and I'm looking forward to more in this series and finding out more about Livvy's friends!

I'm giving this book 3.75*

This is a story of multi-lined tropes, from enemies-to-lovers, to hot billionaire meets average Jane and just about everything in between, well except for a mad biker or a mafiosa type, lol. In saying that, it doesn’t detract from the actually story.
Coleman Grant the 3rd is an arrogant, hot as hell alpha douche, he’s also opinionated, and entitled. But he’s a sexy bast**d for all that. He’s head of a huge conglomerate, and Olivia Ramsey has him in her sights. Olivia is an activist working for a non-profit organization trying to save endangered species, one of which is a small bat.
The two meet when Olivia tries to explain her views and why she needs his help, but he just continually ignores her.
Three months of this pass before they are flung together by a coincidence in Vegas, during which Cole is given the news that the battle he’d been fighting to nullify a clause in his parents’ will has failed. He has to get married in less than 3 days or lose everything he’s worked for since graduating from college.
He’s not considered a ruthless business man for nothing and when an opportunity strikes, he takes it. When he suggests a marriage of convenience to Olivia she thinks he’s mad, until he gives her the one thing she wants.
Fake marriages are always a risk, it makes it harder for the couple to bond and these two hate each other on a visceral level. But you know the saying ‘there’s a thin line between love and hate’.
Well, sometimes it was thinner than others. They might hate each other, but never stopped supporting their pretend partner whenever the need arose, both were pushed beyond their comfort zone, but Olivia more than Cole.
Their banter was fun to read and the sexy times were scorching hot. I really enjoyed how this story played out and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

You Don’t Want To Resist This Wild Laugh Riot

All the reasons to read Black Tie Optional are in the first 4 pages – not chapters you understand. If you can hold back the laughter to focus on the story by the end of Chapter One – you have the best reading experience to look forward to. It’s the naughty and nice romantic comedy I never knew I was missing. Coleman Grant III, billionaire corporate raider playboy in Chicago, schemes to undermine his grandmother. He must marry by his 30th birthday or the company and the estate will revert to his grandmother’s control and a trust after her death.

Finally, a laugh out loud fake marriage I can get stuck in the middle seat on an airplane for. Yep!! You heard it. I started this book on a flight stuck in 19E with no arm rest. And after reading 4 pages, I had my seatmates looking at me like I was losing my every freaking mind. I mean, I am supposed to be miserable stuck in the middle seat. Well, the joke was on them. Coleman Grant III and Olivia Ramsey is THE couple worthy of the middle seat. My mascara was ruin from all the tears of laughter. I had to hold my laughs and close the kindle to keep from becoming an emotional support hyena on my flight. It just that damn good!!

Black Tie Optional is the guiltiest of guilty pleasure. I am 100% sold on Ann Marie Walker’s take on “frenemies to lovers”. It’s brilliantly hilarious with top-tier writing and will leave you in stitches. With all the humor aside, there are many heartwarming moments and hot sweaty sex. Cole is the perfect alpha male who accepts the fall from bachelorhood. His only dilemma is trying to convince Olivia without getting his heart broken. As Cole desperately races to save his company and the misfortune of every meeting Olivia, he quickly discovers their bad timing and twist of fate is the best thing to ever happen to this life.

If the next book in the Wild Wedding series is half as good as this one: Bring it on!!!

I always go into a RomCom with a bit of trepidation, waiting to see if it's going to actually be funny. Happily, I was pleasantly surprised with this fake marriage romance. While the conclusion is predictable (it is a fake romance, after all), the journey was witty and fun. Cole and Olivia create fireworks, both in and out of the bedroom. Their sexual chemistry is almost palpable, but outside the bedroom, they couldn't be more different. I couldn't stop laughing as this pair drove each other crazy. From their Vegas wedding to them finally realizing that they maybe aren't so wrong for each other, the whole story was engaging and kept me turning pages. The tale does have a touch of sadness, and of course, a small bit of angst, but the absolutely hilarious situations throughout kept it lighthearted.I can easily recommend this one to anyone who enjoys the genre.

4 - "You're a lot less charming when I'm sober." Stars!

Nothing gives me more pleasure than discovering an author whose work I get along with, but that I haven’t read before, and although well-known Ann Marie Walker is an author now to me.

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Black Tie Optional is the first book in the Wild Wedding series, and Cole and Olivia’s story was just all round easy reading. Plenty of humor, lots of chemistry and verbal sparring, and two characters that you cannot help but like.

He might be hotter than Ryan Reynolds and Ian Somerhalder combined, but underneath that perfect exterior beats the heart of an ogre…

I think the dual POV really added to this story, both Cole and Olivia on the surface seemed quite cut and dried when it came to their characters, one free-spirited, flighty and always fighting for the under-dog, while the other staid, bound by expectation, and expects to be the top-dog in every situation he finds himself in. They say that opposites attract, and even when pushed into a marriage of (in)convenience they really do on this occasion.

"Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t be my first choice. Hell, you wouldn’t even be my last choice, but I’m out of time."

If I am honest, nothing in this story came as a major surprise, but it was so well written, and the characters so well developed, that it was just a pleasure to read. Definitely a book I can see being made into a successful Rom-Com in the future that’s for sure!

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But even with the laugh out loud situations, and stellar verbal sparring this is a couple with their own vulnerabilities and the author added them to this story at really pertinent points. Secondary characters also made an invaluable contribution to the overall story as well and I would love to see some of them get their own books at some point in the future.

"I don’t care how this started. All that matters is where we end up."

Book Two; Icing on the Cake is due for release December 17, so not too long to wait for more wedding style shenanigans, Ann Marie Walker style, and if you take into account the amount of tropes out there that can be fitted into this style of book, the author has the opportunity to keep this series running for as long as she has the inspiration to keep adding books to it!

"Always busting my balls aren’t you?"

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

I loved this book.  Olivia loves her life and protecting animals from those who want to do them harm.  Cole is a powerful man, who is trying everything in his power to keep his life as it is.  Olivia meets with Cole every morning to fight her cause with him.  He does not back down.  Their chemistry is on fire from the beginning.  When they run into one another in Las Vegas, Cole makes her a deal she can not refuse.  He has to get married before he is 30 years old or he will lose everything dear to him.  Olivia is trying to save an endangered species.  Cole's grandmother is something else.  I love how Olivia stands up for Cole and herself.

This is book #1 of the Wild Wedding series.  I can not wait to read book #2.  This is my first book by this author.

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

Well, hello there, new series to obsess over. It’s nice to read ya. Ha! See what I did there? OK, that was totally cheesy so just ignore me. But seriously though, Ann Marie Walker has a super fun new series in the works and this was a great way to start it! Black Tie Optional was cute, sexy, and fun. If there’s one thing this author can do, it’s write one heck of an intense alpha and may did she strike gold with the grumpy, cynical billionaire Coleman Grant III. #Yum
Now I love me a good marriage of convenience trope and man did this book bring it. The opposites attract force was strong with this one. Here you have a tree loving, animal saving, vegetarian activist meet brooding alpha billionaire and boy do the spars fly. I loved the banter between Cole and Olivia and Olivia definitely wasn’t shy about telling him what she thinks of him. #Winning
Cole has a problem; he needs to get married in less than a week to get ownership of his father’s company that he helped build into the success that it is now. His viper grandmother brings everything but the warm and fuzzies in her bid to make sure that he doesn’t. What’s a guy to do? Propose marriage to a woman that’s been driving him nuts for month in her Save The Bats campaign. So what if they accidentally had one of the most sizzling one night stands while in Vegas. This is all business now. If only he can continue to keep his hands off her and his grandmother wasn’t determined to prove their marriage for the shame that it is.
You drive me fucking crazy,” he growled before once again claiming her mouth in an unforgiving kiss. A battle he was destined to lose waged inside him. He’d sworn to himself that what happened in Vegas was nothing more than a drunken lapse in judgment. A one-time event never to be repeated. But even though a part of him already knew he’d regret it later, all he could think about was how much he wanted her.
“Really?” she rasped. “’Cause I don’t give you a second thought.”
I seriously enjoyed this book! A LOT! So you’re probably wondering why the 3.5 rating. This is entirely a reader preference thing, so do take this with a grain of salt; but the heroine didn’t quite work for me. Keep your tomatoes to yourself now! I fully admit it’s a me thing. I’m just not a fan of the tree hugging save the world types. *cringes* Oh man, that sounds terrible doesn’t it? But I can’t help it. There were just certain aspects of her personality that slightly grated on me. Cole was simply delicious and made up for almost all of it. I also really loved Livvie’s family. This would have been a solid 4 star read for me if not for the ending. I couldn’t help feeling like it was very abrupt. I wanted more closure with the grandmother. More details. It felt somewhat rushed and I just wanted….more.
Aside from my few quibbles, this was still a fabulous read and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

Black Tie Optional is book 1 in the new Wild Wedding Series by Ann Marie Walker. Black Tie is a fast-paced, quick-witted rom-com with a mix of enemies to lovers/opposites attract theme. The story is really engaging and easy going, well-written with smart dialogue, funny situations, and hot chemistry. Coleman Grant III and Olivia Ramsey mix like water and oil, each with issues and insecurities, but the final outcome is a sweet story that left me entertained and smiling at the end. I look forward to the next in the series, Icing on the Cake.

Ann Marie Walker is a new author for me so I was really excited to read Black Tie Optional. Let me just say, this book won me over and I'll definitely be looking for more titles from her.

I loved that the two main characters, Cole and Olivia, were complete opposites--and I mean literally, complete opposites. But they both had a mission and neither were willing to stop until they had what they both wanted even if it meant getting hitched in Vegas.

There were so many moments throughout this story that I laughed so hard--it was fun and witty and original. The author's writing style flowed smoothly and I hated to see the story come to an end. I would certainly recommend Black Tie Optional to anyone looking for a light-hearted romance that's full of laughs. Cole and Olivia are two characters that are going to stick with me for a long time because I never knew what either of them was going to come up with next. Great book!

**ARC provided via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

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