Black Tie Optional is a cute, funny enemies to lovers/marriage of convenience romance. Olivia is a free spirited, but fiercely crusading hippie chick who's been trying to get Cole, a billionaire CEO, to move one of his projects and save her latest cause, the northern long-eared bat. She ambushes him every morning at the local Starbucks, trying to get him to see reason, but he never, ever changes his mind or his ways. Talk about two completely opposite people! She's sweet, kind and free spirited. He's uptight, rich and conservative with feelings only for his bottom line (and his half sister, whom Olivia knows nothing about).

But when the two run into each other in Vegas, suddenly the fierce attraction they've always felt for each other explodes and in a drunken mistake, they indulge in a steamy tryst. When she wakes up with a hangover and regrets, Cole knows he has to make his move now to save the company he's built, from his evil grandmother's clutches. So, he makes her a proposal: if she'll marry him, he'll move his project and save her bats. She'll get to save her newest cause, and he'll get to keep his company from his grandmother's clutches. Sounds like a good plan on paper, but it never accounted for the feelings that might, and do, soon pop up between the two enemies. As they navigate their marriage of convenience, soon, their enemy status is banished as they start to realize the other really isn't such a bad person. And their banter is so snarky and witty and the rising sexual tension is hot!

Black Tie Optional is one of those books I could easily see being made into a sweet, funny, sexy rom-com with a cute girl like Jennifer Lawrence cast as Olivia and a swoon worthy guy like Ian Somerhalder cast as Cole. It's nothing earth shatteringly excellent, but it's a nice escape to dive into for an hour or two.

To preface this review, I'd like to mention that I don't really read much contemporary romance. Historical all the way! However, since Black Tie Optional featured a modern day marriage of convenience plot line I thought I had to give it a shot.

The main characters, Cole and Olivia, are two mismatched romantic partners. He's an uptight corporate guy and Olivia's a free spirited young woman interested in saving the world (or at least, a particular species of bat). They end up getting married because Cole needs to married or he'll loose his stake in his family's company. Cole convinces Olivia to agree with the outlandish scheme by vowing to save her bats and changing everything about a building project his company is in charge of.

I think the story worked and I liked the tension between the two characters; however, it still doesn't measure up to my beloved historical romances. I liked the fact that there was more to both characters than initially apparent, but I was never able to really immerse myself into the story. Apparently the historical setting is much more important to me than I realized!

I’m a big fan of the arranged or forced married or marriage of convenience trope and so when I read the description for this, I definitely had to read it.

Cole and Olivia are total opposites – he’s the CEO of a family corporation who is driven to work in his ginormous car every day, lives in a glass and chrome castle in the sky and stops and picks up his take away coffee. Olivia is a conservationist, fundraising for various causes and every day she attempts to talk to Cole and convince him to move a site he’s going to develop in order for her to save some sort of endangered species of bat.

It’s a game they play every morning but when they run into each other in Las Vegas, the game changes slightly. Cole has just discovered that he’s been unsuccessful in his latest attempt to extricate himself from a clause in his father’s will that says he must marry or he loses his company and the incentive of saving her latest cause is enough for Olivia to agree to temporarily marry him. They might be total opposites but they discover that they get along just fine in bed. Maybe even better than fine.

This started off really promising – I loved the opening scene of Olivia waiting for Cole where he stops and gets coffee on his way to the office. We get both their points of view which is good as well – some people don’t really like being in the head of the male character, preferring the mystery but I’m the opposite. I like knowing what they’re thinking. Their banter was amusing, Cole was dismissive of Olivia and her causes, typical of a corporate jerk.

I’m not sure how believable it is that someone’s will could force someone to be married but I’ll let that go for the sake of the story as I think there was an attempt to give some reasoning behind it, even if the reasoning was a bit flawed. So I didn’t mind the set up but I think Olivia agreed to it remarkably quickly, without even really knowing a lot of the details and what being married to someone like Cole would involve.

And I think things like that ended up being a downside to this book – it was too light, it just glossed over a lot of things, rather than delve a bit deeper to better flesh out the story. It happened in many aspects of it but particularly in the interactions between Cole and Olivia and the way in which they realise that they’ve come to feel much more than dislike for each other. I’m not sure they have enough really meaningful interactions that show how this really occurred. The time spent in Olivia’s hometown tries to I think, but I wanted a bit more. I wanted more from Cole. If I’m honest, I didn’t really like him that much. Lines like “you talked less when my cock was in your mouth” don’t really endear a character to me.

I liked Olivia and I loved her family. But I was confused about the character of Cole’s grandmother, who seemed vindictive for little reason but yet stayed on the periphery – I wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be misguided or truly evil. She wasn’t enough of a presence in the story to be sure although some of her actions were quite underhanded, it was more in a laughable sort of way. Either way, once again, that wasn’t a discussion that Cole and Olivia had, about how to handle her, what she might do, how to present a united front. Olivia kind of had to figure it out on her own and she did really well and I can only assume the united front came later, after they both had confessed their feelings to each other.

This was okay, I found it an easy, pleasant read without really falling in love with it.

6/10

Ann Marie Walker didn't disappoint! I loved Black Tie Optional so much!

This book was a pleasant surprise on the enjoyment meter.

We have two characters who have nothing in common but attraction. She is out to save endangered animals and he is out to make money. Let's just say this makes for one very interesting relationship.
After all her stalking they enter into a Marriage of convenience. Of course it turns into so much more, and love is the ultimate reward.

I found this book cute, sexy and highly entertaining. The author got it right with these two opposite characters. I recommend this to lovers of romance and comedy.

Is this book perfect? Hell no. Is this book insanely fun and an addictive read? Definitely! When I was emailed about it I was intrigued but hesitant because I always get excited about fake relationship books and I have been disappointed a time or two. I was concerned that I would experience the same thing again. Thankfully, I didn’t.

It was originally proposed as being a book for fans of rom-coms and The Proposal and it is very true. I saw it as a cross between Two Weeks Notice and The Proposal. Two Weeks Notice for the rich man thing who is a bit of a dick but still charming. And then The Proposal as they stage a fake relationship to fool his family and convince them he has gotten married. I just loved the whole fake relationship and the entire relationship they staged as they were such opposites.

Cole and Olivia were so good together, they were opposites, Olivia campaigning for the rights of animals and Coleman not caring about little more than making sure his business is successful and keeping his sister happy. Those are the things which are most important to him and nothing else matters. Together they were so good together and enjoyed reading them moving from attraction to actually caring about one another. I especially loved when they were at her parent's house because he was out of context. He was no longer just the rich guy but also got to relax away from work and expectation and he could be a little silly and fun and that was the time I liked them best. When they weren’t putting on as much of a show for other people.

Basically, this was a fun romance which included a favourite romantic trope of mine. I would recommend for a nice easy summer read. You will enjoy yourself and who doesn’t love that?

The book is described as The Proposal meets Two Weeks Notice. I completely agree. It’s the best of those films and a whole lot more.

I was laughing like a fool while reading this book. I also couldn’t keep the smile off my face. You knew that Cole and Olivia were going to find their groove, but it didn’t matter that you knew. What you wanted was to see how they got there.

I loved how I immediately related to Olivia. She is the type of girl I could see myself having drinks with after a long day. We could vent to each other and laugh with each other. She was a strong independent woman that had her beliefs, and wasn’t afraid to say them out loud.

Cole was the type of guy I wanted to slap one moment, then throw my panties at him the next. He is also a billionaire type, and I can always get behind a billionaire type.

This book is perfect for the summer or even a long weekend. I say crack open a bottle of bubbly or a crisp white wine. You can’t go wrong with this one.

BLACK TIE OPTIONAL starts off with two people who can hardly stand each other having a marriage of convenience, and then working their way back to that first hum of attraction that ends up in love. I love this type of stories. Not sure if this is something I’d find attractive in my own life, being trapped in a fake marriage, but in fiction it sure works wonders. The sexual tension that comes from living in close quarters, those moments when the couple sees each other in a new light, all that makes for a sweet and sexy read.

This book started off a bit rushed if I have to be honest. I mean yeah, they had a quickie wedding for convenience but even for that, their arrangements afterwards were too comfortable and quick, considering their circumstances. I wasn’t so sure, I knew I liked it, but still had my reservations about Olivia and Cole. But as the story progressed and as they both got to know each other, and I along with them, things fell into place. I liked how their enemies status turned into a a sort of camaraderie before turning into something sexier and sweeter.

I know the premise is common, but I thought the telling was not so much, in fact, it was nicer than I would’ve expected from this plot. Cole wasn’t the usual stone cold millionaire, he wasn’t the playful womanizer either, but he was somewhere in between which made him more relatable. And Olivia, while a little on the side of Phoebe from Friends, was still quite down to earth, so there was a more balanced contrast between the two. In the end, what started out as a good read actually ended up being a fun, sexy-there was never a shortage of sexual energy between Olivia and Cole, let me tell you- and very much enjoyable romance. A backwards romance where the couple first got married and then fell in love.

I’m adding four spoonfuls of this story into my hodgepodge.

A fun and quick read of enemies to lovers. This was a great start to a new series and I am looking forward to book two. This was my first read by this author and it won’t be the last.

Coleman Grant III is willing to do what he needs to in order to keep his family business. He is a great businessman and turned the family business around since he took over. Without fail Olivia is there every morning trying to get Cole to listen to her and help save some endangered bats on one of his properties. They both find the other attractive but would never act on it.

Out of town on a bachelor/bachelorette party things heat between the two. As they spend more time together they realize they have chemistry and like each other. Will they be able to pull off the rouse of the wedding and help Cole keep his company?

There were some funny moments and the flow of the story was perfect. If your looking for a fun light read this is for you. I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Black Tie Optional is the story of strong headed and fierce Olivia and the arrogant, tycoon Cole. Olivia, an environmental activist hates what Cole’s business is doing to the environment and is on his tail about changing his ways because animals are suffering because of what it does. However, despite all the animosity between them, they’re both attracted to one another and when Cole suggests they get married so that he can claim his inheritance, Olivia agrees. From there begins a game of cat and mouse and falling in love.
What I love about Olivia is her personality. She’s smart and fierce and independent. She’s not dazzled by Cole’s wealth or his larger than life attitude. Yes, she’s attracted to him and she admits that she is, but the whole thing is physical. It’s not because of his money or his stature. She’s loyal to a fault and isn’t afraid of speaking her mind. I like that about her a lot. She isn’t afraid to stand up to anybody if they question her and she does so unapologetically.
And then, there’s Cole. He comes off as arrogant and cruel, but there’s a whole other side to him that no one but his sister is privy to. He’s protective of her and he can go to any lengths to make sure that she’s fine and well. He drops everything at a moment’s notice for her.
When Cole and Olivia get married, this is the side of him that she sees and starts to fall for. Cole makes an effort, even if it’s for the cameras and soon their fake marriage is turning real when they start developing feelings for each other.
All in all, this story is a laugh out loud, sexy read that is breezy and quick. If you’ve got a couple hours on your hand, I’d recommend this book for you!

A fun, new, sexy read from a new-to-me author. It had two of my favorite tropes mixed in - fake relationship and opposites-attract.

The starting itself had me laughing and swooning.I loved being in Olivia and Cole's heads.I loved their thought processes and how they tried to (unsuccessfully) convince themselves about certain things.
Cole needs a wife before his 30th birthday to inherit the company else his grandmother mighy steal it away. Olivia wants to save the endangered species that is under threat due to one of his ventures. She's been trying to get him to stop it, but to no avail.

I admired Olivia's dedication and commitment to her cause. Neither like each other, but the attraction between them is really intense. She thinks he is stiff and an overbearing asshole. He finds her annoying and hippie-ish. There should be nothing that brings them together,but the intense chemistry and forced circumstances throw them in together. After an unforgettable night in Vegas, Cole presents Olivia with an unprecedented proposition that would benefit both of them.

I loved the way the author brought Olivia and Cole together! They might be opposites in everything but somewhere they just clicked.And the steam between them was like wooh.. *fans self* There was drama but it worked with this book and was balanced well by the humor, romance and steam.
I just would like to more about what happens later, especially with the grandmother?
But all in all it was a wonderful read that left me satisfied and grinning in the end.If you're looking for something fun and hot, this book is the one for you! :D

Opposites attract is definitely one of my favorite romance tropes. Olivia and Cole both start out a bit cardboard as far as characters go, almost too much of a caricature of the type they are supposed to be, but as the story progresses the characters really develop and the story becomes more and more realistic. This is the first book of Walker's that I have read and I find that I really enjoy her style and the way she uses humor in her books, so I do look forward to reading more stories by her.

I was immediately pulled into this story. The idea of a marriage arrangement isn't new, but all the supporting details make Olivia and Cole's relationship stand out. They are almost as different as two people can be, practically archenemies, but the sexual attraction is inescapable. Sparring off ends with epic bedroom hookups which leads to a frenemies with benefits situation and a fake marriage business arrangement. Nothing will stay in the correct lines with these two. Despite having totally opposite focuses in life, they can't deny the good in each other. The storyline is superb and the cast is fantastic. Black Tie Optional is smoking hot, funny, sweet and romantic. I truly enjoyed reading it, and I definitely recommend it.

I absolutely adore the opposites attract trope, there's just always so much potential with the character development. Well combine that with Ann Marie Walkers impeccable writing; the way her characters come to life, the pace of the plot and the amazing dialogue, and I found myself in reader heaven. In the very opening pages we witness Cole and Olivia in a daily encounter that's been going on for three months or so. Encounters Olivia necessitates in order to "influence" Cole about his company's lack of environmental policies. Olivia is tenacious and these interactions are contentious at best, but when they find themselves in Vegas attending the wedding of a mutual friend, things just happen and you know the saying.

But this isn't the case, what happens in Vegas follows them back to Chicago; the lone steamy night of passion that led to a hilarious Elvis style wedding, that leads to Cole and Olivia living together in harmony *snort*. The newlyweds co-habitate purely to satisfy the business deal they've made so that Cole can remain in control of his business and Olivia gets his backing on her conservation project. A simple business arrangement. pfffft. There is nothing is simple about it and that is what makes this a fun and delightful.

There are many challenges; assumptions made about each other, his rightly suspicious grandmother, and an ex that suddenly reappears, but they manage to find a way through and begin a tenuous friendship. The story is made in this intense connection. Their banter is spectacular and shows Cole's sweet and charming side, Olivia's smart and snarky reaction to him, and the slow burn of a fantastic twosome. Black Tie Optional is one of my favorite types of books to read. there's some angst but it's relatively low and it left me feeling light and happy. BTO is a definite 5 Star recommendation!

I've always wanted to read one of Ms. Walker's books (she's co-authored several and I now know I need to seek some out) so when this title came up for review, I jumped at the chance. I'm a total fan girl and can't wait for the next book in this series.

The cover of this book fits it so perfectly- equal parts romance and whimsy -at least in for this reviewer! Plus it's a touch old-school which I really really love (if that makes sense) and something I haven't found in my romances lately.

So, yes this is the first book in the Wild Wedding series. I love the setting Vegas and Chicago!

This book with it's enemies to lovers/ marriage of convenience plot lines could have gone so wrong but luckily and happily for us they don't!

Ms. Walker has written a sexy, witty, opposites attract romantic comedy (oh, yeah it totally is!).
The book is perfectly paced and easy to read- I found myself wanting to devour it in one sitting.

Olivia is a strong and sassy heroine- I really really loved her. Cole is a bit of an ass but I still loved him too! Their chemistry and banter was spot-on; meaning I found it both believable/realistic .

Another huge plus was not only the character development of Olivia and Cole, but some of the other players as well.

I highly recommend this novel.

After just finishing a thriller I was looking for an easy going and light read for a change of pace. After reading the description for Black Tie Optional I hoped it would be perfect. So what did I think...

Olivia is determined to save an endangered species and unfortunately Cole is standing in her way. It's a lot of fun to see how relentless Olivia is in her mission to get Cole to come around to her way of thinking. Cole could be arrogant at times but I liked how as the book went on his character mellowed and became more likeable. I loved the friction between Olivia and Cole their interactions were fiery and full of chemistry. They were completely different people but somehow they couldn't keep away from each other especially when
they decide to enter into a marriage of convenience.

This type of story has been done many times with varying degrees of success and I have to say on the whole this story works pretty good. Black Tie Optional manages to be both fun and flirty with lots of sparks flying between the two leads. The sparring between the characters is very entertaining and definitely a highlight of the book. Overall a fun story of enemies to lovers that asks the all important question of can opposites attract?

Plenty of light hearted moments and lots of sizzling chemistry!

With thanks to St. Martins Press & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is a fluffy and entertaining romance with two very cool characters in Cole and Olivia. Does anyone really still put clauses in wills about marriage by age 30? Would that even hold up? No matter, it makes for a good set up for these two to get together. I liked that Olivia was so committed to her causes. Walker has a nice breezy writing style that will have you turning the pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC, which made a rainy weekend much better.

4-4.5 Stars!

Black Tie Optional combined two of my favorite romance tropes - Enemies-to-love and a marriage of convenience. What could have been full of angst and drama, instead was relatively low on both. That made for a an adorably fun, light and compelling read. Ann Marie Walker did a great job on this romantic comedy and I will definitely come back for more.

The first chapter grabbed my attention and by the time I got to the third chapter, I was a huge fan. Snappy dialogue and genuinely likeable characters make this book impossible to put down. I'm glad I had a chance to be introduced to this author and I plan to put this book on my keep shelf.