Received free e-galley from Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

A quick-paced, light contemporary romance. I like the female character, Marley, and her positive can-do attitude. I did not enjoy that while she was willing to offer help to others who may have doormat issues, she was a "doormat" in her job - this seemed to go against *all* of the characteristics the author laid out for Marley. Still, I read the book in one go and recommend it.
I enjoyed the well-developed characters and the male lead, Luke, was nicely developed also. I expect to read more in the series.
I give a 3 1/2*.

Weddings are big business in picturesque Sweetheart, California, and Something Borrowed’s rent-a-bridesmaid service is thriving among the Hollywood elite. For the women who work there, a walk down the aisle is just a paycheck—until the right guy makes it priceless . . .

RULE #1: GROOMSMEN ARE STRICTLY OFF LIMITS

Marley Stevenson never imagined her stint as a rented Maid of Honor would practically become a career. Then again, nothing in her life has gone according to plan. At least the money’s good—and she needs it to pay off student loans and help out her mom. But the job has rules, which have never been an issue . . . until one encounter with a gorgeous best man—and his swoon-worthy Southern accent—sends Marley reeling.

Determined to get through the weekend with her professional reputation intact, Marley grits her teeth and sends out her best “unavailable” vibes, but Luke Jessup doesn’t give up that easy. A former Marine and a current SWAT team officer, his focus is legendary—and it’s on Marley. Jeopardizing her job is bad enough, and starting a relationship based on half-truths is worse—yet Marley is beginning to wonder if certain risks are worth taking, especially in the name of true love . . .

Marley works at Something Borrowed – a rent-a-bridesmaid service. She’s doing well and while she doesn’t love her work it pays the bills and lets her save money so that she can fulfill her dream of moving to New York and working for a large publishing house.

Marley meets Luke while he’s in town for his best friend’s wedding and she’s instantly attracted – until she finds out that he’s a groomsman in a wedding that she’s a hired bridesmaid. Members of the bridal parties are strictly off-limits to employees of Something Borrowed. Marley can’t tell Luke the truth and the she has to act like the bridezilla is a friend of hers when all she wants to do is smack her. Marley does her best to steer clear of Luke but she ends up giving in. She knows she might lose her job but she thinks she’s in love with him. Of course she can’t be with him as he lives in LA and she’s moving to New York.

This was a cute story. Gary does a great job at small town romance and this one hit that mark to a T. I love small towns so I always wonder what’s so horrible in them that the characters always want to move away. I guess if you grow up in one it becomes mundane. Luckily Marley finally saw her town of Sweetheart for the wonderful place it was – it just took her a little while.

The romance in the book was a cute one. It seemed to happen pretty quickly but it was hot and sexy. There was a tragedy in this story – no one got hurt – that Marley blames herself for but that all gets worked out. I liked the story and thought it was a good, entertaining read.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Don't Call Me Sweetheart is a charming and engaging story! Marley works for Something Borrowed which is a wedding planning service that includes being a bridesmaid for hire.  When a snobby starlet, Sonora, hired Marley to be her wedding planner and maid of honor, she knows its going to be a tough road.  But she's a professional and the commission alone is enough to help her reach her dreams of being a book editor outside of the sleepy town of Sweetheart where she's stuck.

Luke meets Marley and they instantly click.  He's definitely interested in getting to know her better and when he finds out she's the maid of honor, all the more better! But some things don't quite add up. Marley isn't in the same superficial friend league as Sonora.  How could she be her best friend?  He just doesn't see it, but since he wants to see her more, he doesn't question it and shoves those weird vibes aside.

When Marley finds out Luke is the best man in the wedding she's been hired for, she knows she must put on the brakes.  There's a confidentiality clause in the contract as well as mixing business with pleasure is a no no. But Luke's pull on her is real. She knows she's putting her job in jeopardy, but she can't stay away.

I loved the story and Marley and Luke's romance! The premise is great! Why not take some of the stress away from the bride and the bridal party by hiring a professional to do all the planning??  Great concept! Sonora was a class A b*tch and she needed to be dropped down a few pegs! I wanted Marley to let her have it quite a few times!  But with her dreams riding on this wedding, Marley has to stay the course!

Codi Gary writes a nice flowing story that gives us just the right amount of sweet and angst! There's surprises and high drama to boot! The supporting characters are presented well and I feel I could easily be friends with them! Don't Call Me Sweetheart gives the Something Borrowed series a great send off!  I look forward to future books in the series to see what everybody is up to!

reviewed by Deb

Don't Call Me Sweetheart is a charming and engaging story! Marley works for Something Borrowed which is a wedding planning service that includes being a bridesmaid for hire.  When a snobby starlet, Sonora, hired Marley to be her wedding planner and maid of honor, she knows its going to be a tough road.  But she's a professional and the commission alone is enough to help her reach her dreams of being a book editor outside of the sleepy town of Sweetheart where she's stuck.

Luke meets Marley and they instantly click.  He's definitely interested in getting to know her better and when he finds out she's the maid of honor, all the more better! But some things don't quite add up. Marley isn't in the same superficial friend league as Sonora.  How could she be her best friend?  He just doesn't see it, but since he wants to see her more, he doesn't question it and shoves those weird vibes aside.

When Marley finds out Luke is the best man in the wedding she's been hired for, she knows she must put on the brakes.  There's a confidentiality clause in the contract as well as mixing business with pleasure is a no no. But Luke's pull on her is real. She knows she's putting her job in jeopardy, but she can't stay away.

I loved the story and Marley and Luke's romance! The premise is great! Why not take some of the stress away from the bride and the bridal party by hiring a professional to do all the planning??  Great concept! Sonora was a class A b*tch and she needed to be dropped down a few pegs! I wanted Marley to let her have it quite a few times!  But with her dreams riding on this wedding, Marley has to stay the course! 

Codi Gary writes a nice flowing story that gives us just the right amount of sweet and angst! There's surprises and high drama to boot! The supporting characters are presented well and I feel I could easily be friends with them! Don't Call Me Sweetheart gives the Something Borrowed series a great send off!  I look forward to future books in the series to see what everybody is up to!

5 Stars/3 Flames

This book was gifted to me for an honest review.  The review and ratings are solely my opinions.

What I liked:

1. What's not to love about a town named Sweetheart? Of course it's going to specialize in weddings. I'll bet it does banging business for Valentine's Day! and it has it's very own ghost town, too. The whole small town vibe was well described.
2. Luke, the H, felt like a real, relatable person. I liked him a lot.
3. Kendall. Great character. See below reference.

What I didn't like:

1. Sonora. She was one-dimensional. Even villains have layers, motivations for the evil things they do. Nope, not Sonora. Apparently, she was a horrible, entitled b***h because... reasons. No one in the entire book liked her except her adoring parents who loved her to the exclusion of her sister, Kendall..At first, it was kind of fun to hate on her, but after a while, her screechy I-am-so-entitled behavior grated on my nerves and I started thinking 'enough, already. What drives her to be such a horrible person?' News flash, you're never going to find out.
2. The whole thing with not dating anyone in a wedding party didn't make sense. There was never a decent reason given. I think it was just there to create tension and conflict.
3. Gary employs a tired and overused trope, where Marley, the h, drives Luke away, blaming him for something that is clearly not his fault. He, of course, is confused and angry (again, rules of this trope). Kendall astutely points out that Marley is being a "giant a$$h%le." In the end, she admits that she was just afraid, yadda yadda.* We can all write the script. I wouldn't mind so much if this were done in a remotely believable way, but it isn't, other than Luke's reaction - THAT I believed.

Codi Gary was a new-to-me author, and I appreciated the opportunity to sample her work. Not sure whether I'll check out her other books or not. 3.5 stars for 'Sweetheart.'

* I don't think I'm giving away anything major here, as this is so commonly done in the romance genre

This was my first Codi Gary book and I found it a lovely read, really enjoyable​. It drew me into the story immediately from the first page and kept my attention throughout. I loved the little town of Sweetheart and the fact that weddings were big business around there.

The main characters were Marley and Luke. Marley worked for a wedding planning business and worked as a 'bridesmaid for hire', which I thought was a great idea for a story, very original. They worked for quite a few 'celebrities' who didn't have anyone to fill that position, or if they had been let down. The only trouble was there was a 'hands-off' policy between the fake bridesmaids and any of the wedding party who thought they were a real friend. So room for lots of misunderstandings.

I loved both Marley and Luke, they were such likeable characters. But Marley was the fake bridesmaid and Luke was the best man, so Marley couldn't explain that the bride wasn't actually her friend, and she had to stay away from Luke in order to make her (much-needed) commission, much as the chemistry was sizzling between them. The bride was an absolute nightmare and how her groom had even managed to propose and get to the point of marriage is completely beyond me - it's no wonder she had more than one maid of honor cancel on her.

Eventually everything came out in the open, great scene at the wedding! Unfortunately the bride turned out to be completely deranged and there were some not so good moments towards the end of the book, with Marley blaming herself for events that occurred. Of course everything was finally sorted out though, and I finished the book with a big smile on my face.

I really can't wait for more of this series now. This was such a feel-good book I can't wait to return to the utterly charming town of Sweetheart.

this was a good story. it was a lot of fun to read. the whole concept was different but led to many good happenings. New friendships and loves, who would have thought renting part of a bridal party was a great book idea?

I loved these characters and overall enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to like Marley, because there were many times that I would have liked to slap her. I liked Luke from the start, but hate how he was treated at times. In the end they all got their HEA.

I enjoyed this story. Marley works for a company that provides a maid of honor and/or bridesmaids for rent if you need one. Marley never thought her temporary job as a rented bridesmaid would become her career but it pays well & helps her be able to take care of her mother & help her when she moves to New York for her dream job as a book editor.

Her job has never been a problem nor has following the company rules of no fraternizing with groomsmen, until she has an encounter with groomsman Luke. Luke is a SWAT officer & is in California for his best friend's wedding & hits it off with Marley. However, the bride to be, Sonora, who is a total bridezilla demands Marley not have anything to do with Luke. Or her sister who goes there to be the photographer. Throughout the book Marley has to hold her tongue & even though she isn't supposed to spend time with Luke she does anyway.

This was a great story & I want to go back to Sweetheart California.

Luke and Marley were great characters, honest and cute together. This was a sweet, fun, and a little sexy read. With a crazy bride, and lots of weddings, this was a fun read! Great start to a new series!

This was a sweet and easy story to read that helped past the afternoon in a relaxing way thanks to some charming characters and a heartwarming plot that painted women in a positive light. The idea of ‘renting a bridal party’ was not something I had come across before and was definitely an interesting twist to standard wedding planning. By the time I got done it had me wishing I could visit Sweetheart, CA thanks to the way the author painted her settings.

For a Romance novel it was really good on the character development and creating a detailed, fleshed out storyline with realistic relationships and an easy pace. Gary has a way of writing in such a manner as to truly engage the reader.

Marley Stevenson helps brides special day go off without a hitch, sometimes being a stand in bridesmaid, and sometimes helping to plan the big day. Being a stand-in bridesmaid and wedding planner was never the plan, but it's her reality and it pays well so she embraces it the best she can, and holds out hope that her plan to move the big apple will come along someday. When a Hollywood starlet hires her to be a stand-in bridesmaid for her upcoming nuptials she realizes this could be the client that finally earns her enough money to finally say goodbye to the town of Sweetheart, but of course it doesn't come along without a whole host of complications. A certain sexy complication, one that is determined to win her attention and her heart!

The moment Marley wanders into Luke Jessup's life he is completely taken with her, he'd love nothing more than to be able to explore every inch of her, she on the other hand wants nothing to do with him. She is sending unavailable vibes his way, but that doesn't seem to deter him any, he is a dedicated man and when he wants something he always gets it!

What a charming and heartwarming read, the moment I met the folks of Sweetheart California I never wanted to leave them!! They pulled me into their little world, made me feel right at home, and wheedled their way right into my heart. The chemistry between Marley and Luke was undeniable from the start and their intense attraction to one another kept things consistently hot throughout the entire story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story, and also getting small glimpses of the other characters in the series, which I plan to acquaint myself with in the near future. The story line had a nice flow to it, and had just enough angst to keep me on the edge of my seat and continually flipping pages. Very engaging and entertaining read, I highly recommend it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

My first book by this author and I enjoyed it. It has a good plot.

[I received a free advance review copy in exchange for an honest review]
DNF @70%
The story was okay at first. I wasn't a big fan of Marley, to be honest. It pretty much felt like the protagonist was running in circles from the very beginning.

Don't Call Me Sweetheart is the first book by Codi Gary that I've read, and I definitely plan on picking up more of her books!

Marley works for Something Borrowed as a bridesmaid for hire in Sweetheart California. She is hired on to help the bride plan every part of her big day, and has been doing the job for years. She meets Luke and they really like each other, but she finds out he's the Best Man at the wedding she was just hired for.

Luke and Marley are great together, and there is a lot of humor and romance in their relationship. I liked, too, that Luke especially seemed to have a huge heart and cared so much about Marley and his friends.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

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

Loved this story, it was original and quirky and I quickly became invested in each of the characters stories. Hiring a maid of honor is something I had never heard of before and resulted in some very interesting situations.

loved this book

Another great series by Codi Gary! I always fall in love with her no nonsense heroines and Marley is definitely that! This woman has the patience of a saint and the energy of starburst candies and coffee can only bring lol. If only she can bring herself to slow down and make her own happy ending.

I normally do not read modern day romances, but I am glad I read this novel. It was an amazing read!! I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I loved how the author took what many women have gone through in their lives and incorporated it into a novel.
Marley Stevenson works for Something Borrowed as a rent a bridesmaid. This is not her dream job, which is to be a book editor, but it will help her start up in NY and help out her mom. She literally runs into Luke Jessup in the town of Sweetheart, CA and both are instantly attracted to one another. Luke is a SWAT police office and is in town for his best friend's wedding. Both Luke and Marley have tragedies in their pasts that they each have overcome in many ways.
When famous Sonora Star needs a maid of honor, Marley realizes this gig will allow her to leave Sweetheart. When she realizes Luke is the best man, she tries to stay away from him since she cannot break her contract or tell Luke the real reason why she is Sonora's MOH. For the next several weeks, Marley has to comply with everything Sonora demands, and it is difficult for Marley to hold her tongue, especially when Sonora treats people poorly. Luke cannot understand why his best friend, Brent, would still marry her knowing the way Sonora is. As the wedding approaches, Marley and Luke are constantly in each others company and cannot help spending time together with each other. As things begin to turn good for Marley, tragedy strikes. Marley blames herself and pushed Luke away, even though she cares deeply for him. Luke is angry with Marley and returns to L.A. Will Marley see the error she made? Will Luke be able to forgive Marley? When you know it is true love, there is nothing that would keep you away from your "sweetheart".