Jasmine Guillory could write books as part of the "Wedding Date" series for the rest of her life and I would read every single one. They are just fun, quick, enjoyable romances with great in-depth characters and happily ever afters. This is the third in the series and I think I loved this one the most.


Maddie and Theo hate each other. Which would be fine except they share a best friend, Alexa, and have both been asked to stand up in her wedding. After accidentally spending the night together, they both agree it was a one-time slip up that won’t be happening again. But they can’t seem to stop seeing each other, despite their mutual dislike for each other so they agree to keep their relationship causal and a secret until the wedding. What happens when the end is near and both are beginning to catch feelings? Can two opposites really fall in love?

Things I Liked:

I have discovered that I really enjoy the enemies to lover’s trope in romance novels and this is a great one. Sometimes the characters are so unlikable that it’s hard to believe that they would even have friends, let alone find a romantic partner. This isn’t the case for this book. Maddie and Theo are both nice people who had an unfortunate first meeting that led each to believe the other was a jerk. I had no trouble believing that they would fall for each other once their misunderstandings were fixed.

I really loved Theo and Maddie as characters. They were sure of who they are and confident as individuals but also willing to learn and grow as people. Their banter was really fun and playful and the evolution of their relationship was believable. I enjoyed seeing the glimpses of Alexa and Drew from “The Proposal.” They were in this book enough to make sure the story made sense but not enough to distract from Maddie and Theo’s story. I also appreciated the honesty in which Alexa and Maddie discussed how their relationship would change once Alexa was married. I think this is a very real issue friends have and it was refreshing to see it discussed in a romance novel.


Things I Didn’t Like:

I enjoyed everything about this book. My one complaint is minor and didn’t take away my enjoyment of the story. The time jumps in the beginning of the book were a little jarring. I understand their necessity but thought there could have been a more natural way to convey that time had moved forward.


Conclusion:

I really like Jasmine Guillory’s books because they are fun and easy to read, with minimal angst, and always a happily ever after (or for now.) I adore the friendships and that the main characters are adults who make mistakes but are always true to themselves. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a beach read or something fun and enjoyable to read on vacation.

Maddie and Theo don't have much in common. In fact, besides the fact that they're both best friends with Alexa Monroe (and are both about to be apart of her bridal party), the only other thing they have in common is the fact that they dislike each other.

But after attending Theo's birthday party, the pair somehow wind up in bed together. Then again a few months later, and again a few months after that until they come up with the idea that they just need to get this surprising attraction out of their systems. They agree to continue seeing each other until after Alexa's wedding. What happens along the way is Theo and Maddie unintentionally begin to have feelings for one another. Will they be able to get past their initial dislike of each other to give a relationship a chance?

I really liked how this story revolves around Alexa and the first book in the series The Wedding Date but not overshadowing this story. We kind of get to see a few brief differing perspectives on what happens in the first book, but what I loved was seeing the solid - and at first divided - friendship between Maddie, Alexa, and Theo.

I thought this particular entry in the series was sexier as far as all the interactions between Theo and Maddie went. I don't know if it's the fact that they're at first seeing each other under a cloak of secrecy or if it's that there's are quite a few steamy scenes as that's kinda how their relationship starts off before slowly building into something more. I don't know, but it's sexy.

Speaking of, I really loved the seamless way Maddie and Theo's relationship transitions from just sex to something more. How their preconceived ideas about each other don't show the full picture of who they are. You almost don't even realize the progression until you're right in the middle of it.

This idea of perception is something that you can see mirrored in both Maddie and Theo's professions, but I'd say mainly with Maddie in how she styles people to present their best selves for whatever situation they're in whether it's a job interview or a special event party. How the right look, or just the right clothes/style can not only put forth a picture of capability, but also has the power to give people confidence in themselves.

I think this has been my favorite of the series thus far, and I'm absolutely looking forward to Maddie's mother getting her own story with Royal Holiday. She was on the smaller side of a secondary character, but Vivian Forest really jumped off the page!

You definitely don't have to read the other books in the series to enjoy The Wedding Party, but Jasmine Guillory hit the literary scene running when she released The Wedding Date last year and it doesn't look like she's slowing down any time soon which is an extremely good thing. She's quickly become an author I can rely on. You won't be disappointed with The Wedding Party or this series.

This had the potential to be my favorite of the series because it was enemies-to-lovers but I didn't love it and I am SO SAD. I didn't really feel a ton of chemistry between the characters and the overall writing felt really.. stilted? Blah. This definitely wasn't a terrible book, but I think I set my expectations too high. Womp :(

This is a wonderful addition to Guillory's series. However, the main characters in this book weren't nearly as likable and their situation was as fun as in previous stories. Even with the drawbacks, I still greatly enjoyed reading this book.

If you’re looking for a fun summer read, this romcom structured book will be a good choice. Theo and Maddie are best friends of Alexa but hate each other. What will happen when they turn into friends with benefits but try to keep the whole thing a secret? Light and fun and a quick read.

I loved the Wedding Party! I couldn't get enough of it. Jasmine really needs to write Olivia's story next. I love how the Wedding Party is parallel to the Wedding Date and the Proposal. So fun. I just sighed thinking about how much I love her books. The food! I like how much food is talked about in the books. Another great read from Jasmine Guillory.

It was so nice to be back in Guillory's world! I love how all of these books weave together, so that you walk in already knowing so much about the other characters in the book. I love Guillory's fierce female characters, and the complex ways in which they have to come to figure out what they want. The dialogue is always delightful, the plot isn't too predictable, and I love me a happy ending.

Before I get in to why this book didn’t work for me, I want to mention something that did: Alexa and Maddie’s friendship, particularly the way Maddie processed how Alexa’s engagement and marriage could change their friendship. It is a big adjustment when your best friend gets involved with someone, especially if you’re not also in a serious relationship, and I liked how the story delved into this. It reminded me of conversations I had with my closest friends before they got married and really rang true. Plus, it’s just fun to see how Alexa and Maddie were there for one another, throughout the wedding preparations. Also, this book is going to make you want to eat all the pizza.

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes but the reason the characters are enemies has to make sense. It has to be more than finding the other person annoying after a brief conversation. Theo and Maddie had a simple misunderstanding where neither of them came across well but I did not see how it added up to the vitriol between them.

But we all react toward people in ways that don’t always make sense so I rolled with it. However, they both came across as incredibly immature as the book progressed. I did not understand their insistence on not telling Alexa what was happening, nor their willful belief that she’d never catch on. (COME ON.) They were incredibly mean to one another at various points, which did not do either any favor. More than anything, I simply became tired of their protests that they were just hooking up short-term when it was clear from the start something more was between them.

Additionally, <spoiler>I did not believe a protest against universal healthcare would be violent, much less than that there wouldn’t be parameters in place to prevent it from happening in the East Bay. There are protests and marches happening all the time. Granted, the author has lived in the Bay Area much longer than I did so I’ll defer to her but it did not match my experience living there. Maddie’s behavior during the TV show interview didn’t match my understanding of her character either. And while supposedly “bitchy Maddie” is a part of her, I never saw it up until that point and so her reaction didn’t make sense, especially when she made a point early on to say how that kind of show could be handled poorly.</spoiler>

In short, there was too much for me to suspend disbelief. Other people seem to be enjoying this one. For me, The Wedding Date remains the most successful of her novels but it still is romance novel-lite to me. If you don’t read much romance, Jasmine Guillory’s books will be enjoyable enough. But if you are a romance reader, you can’t help but see the ways they fall short and this one much more than the others.

CW: reference to racial microaggressions, fatshaming, <spoiler>protest violence, concussion, brief hospitalization</spoiler>

A solid offering, not unlike the other books in the series, though there was something very low-key creepy in the dialogue between the main characters. It was slightly stilted, but more than that, it occurred to me more than once that if these were real people they would likely be serial killers. I don't know, it was just a vibe, but it made me unlikely to root for them.

Both Maddie and Theo adored their mutual best friend, Alexa, but they only tolerated each other. Maddie thought Theo was a condescending mansplainer with a stick up his butt, while Theo though Maddie was a shallow party girl only interested in her appearance. The two, however, agreed that they were physically attracted to one another, and when a one night stand turned into more, no one was more surprised than they were.

I became an instant Guillory fan after reading The Wedding Date. I have no problem becoming attached to her characters, and her tales are always the perfect combination of fun, flirty, and fabulous. Once again, Guillory has gifted me with a story, that had me hooked and happy from beginning to end.

It was great being back in this world, and I loved how Guillory took me full circle. I got to see Drew & Alexa get together in The Wedding Date, get engaged in The Proposal, and now, I finally got to see them say "I do". I liked how they, and their romance, was the common thread in all three books, but I also absolutely adored seeing this couple find their HEA in The Wedding Party.

The beginning of the book starts with a few flashback-snapshots. These were moments from the previous books, where Maddie and Theo gave into their attraction. I thought it was fantastic the way Guillory took me back, and showed me where it all began.

But, there was so much more to Maddie and Theo than steamy hookups. It was easy to see they were falling for each other. There were all these small and sweet things they did for each other, as well as these bigger moments of need, where I saw how much they cared. I won't pretend that their insecurities about each other didn't drive me batty, but I accepted it, and was happy with the way it all played out.

I also really liked both Maddie and Theo. They, at first, seemed so mismatched, but they had much more in common than they anticipated. Both had some great ambitions, and they were working hard to make them come to fruition. They also shared a love of pizza, reality shows, and quiet nights at home. I had no problem embracing their homebody life, though, because it was in those quiet moments, that they revealed so much of themselves, and I fell in love with them both individually and as a couple.

I am definitely giving the author a round of applause for those final pages, as well. She made the wedding day and the conclusion to this romance a lot of fun. I smiled and laughed, and the whole thing was just perfect.

I really hope I get to attend Theo and Maddie's wedding, because I think they are my favorite of Guillory's couples.

Maddie and Theo are best friends with Alexa, but they are NOT friends with each other. That is until one night out changes everything. If you loved the first two Jasmine Guillory books, you'll love this one too!

I loved, loved, loved Guillory's previous books, The Wedding Date and The Proposal; fresh, fun, and smart, I nearly stayed up all night to finish them. So I was really looking forward to the final book in the trilogy. Unfortunately, it disappointed. The plot felt half-baked and sloppy; I didn't buy the conflict between the two protagonists, which felt underdeveloped at the beginning. There was barely any plot, and the prose just didn't sparkle the way it did in Guillory's previous books.

I still haven't read the first book in this series, however I did read the second book, The Proposal a while back.

I will say, I liked this book better than The Proposal.

I like Theo and Maddie right from the start, and I did like the snark between them, , though I think calling it an enemies is a bit of a stretch. They don't really know each other, and they say they hate each other, but it is not really that at all. But this could just be me.

You can't deny the attraction between them though. Spark fly, and clothes fly off whenever they are alone together.

I did roll my eyes a bit at them keeping things a secret - dudes, you are both best friends with the same person, they are going to know what it going on.

The pacing was a little off at times as well, it slowed right down in the middle with them doing the same ol same ol, then bam the end was really fast. We didn't really get to see the romance develop between our lovelies.

However, I am invested enough to keep going with the series, and I have the next book ready and waiting on my Kindle thanks to Berkeley and Netgalley!

“But, Theo, this doesn’t make sense. We don’t even like each other.”
He laughed as he traced her ear with his finger. “What does that matter? Did it matter the last time? Or the time before that?”

I am a sucker for any and very enemies to lovers trope -- it doesn’t take much for me to fall in love with the dynamic of two people that can’t stand to be around one another suddenly feeling very different, and the particular brand of nasty banter that comes along with it. I live for it. When I heard about the premise of The Wedding Party, I was already in. Yet, I could have never expected to fall so deeply in love with Maddie and Theo. This book has a beating heart that follows the characters on their journey together, always present. All-in-all, The Wedding Party is a tale about being being more than they seem, opening your heart to something new and different, and the ultimate downside to lying to your best friend about your secret romance.

In Guillory’s previous books, I’ve always liked one character more than the other. In The Wedding Date, it was easily Alexa: the self-assured career woman with a non-traditional body that looks like my own. In The Proposal, it was absolutely Carlos, who steals any reader’s heart based on his premise alone: a doctor that cooks? I’m in. But with The Wedding Date, both Maddie and Theo pull at your heart with their particular stories, different yet similar at once. Maddie, the young entrepreneur who’s confidence knows no bounds, and Theo, the nerdy PR guy who can dance. These two do not like each other -- where one sees a pretentious jerk, the other sees a vain party girl. Thrown together to plan Alexa’s wedding, they begin to see the cracks in their understandings of one another.

As always, Jasmine Guillroy’s writing is sharp, biting, and sexy. Guillroy has written us some very sexy love stories, but the tension of the enemies-to-lovers trope adds something distinct to the banter, which was equal points laugh-out-loud funny and lip-bitingly sexy. Guillroy does an excellent job of making a book that is, on its face, a fun romp, something a little more nuanced as Maddie and Theo get to know one another. This is the way that Guillroy lifts her stories above others, in the way that we can watch Maddie and Theo fall in love, but we can also see the ways that racial prejudice and a world that judges before it knows effects our two protagonists. This story is sexy, sweet, and sometimes serious, a perfect summer read.

Maddie and Theo have known and disliked each other for a long time - as long as they've had the same best friend, the newly engaged Alexa Munroe. When they end up hooking up after Alexa's engagement party, it was unexpected for both of them to say the least. They both end up in the wedding party, and they know they will be thrown together more often. When they find themselves unable to resist a second hook-up, they put some rules into place, the chief one being that they'd only hook up until the wedding and then they'd go their separate ways forever.

If you read that synopsis and thought that you knew exactly where this book is headed, then you are correct! This is a very straightforward romance. What you see is what you get. I was expecting a little more. I thought it would be a comedy or maybe there would be some political commentary since our leads are both people of color but neither of those things were present. That said, I actually found the straight-up nature of this read to be surprisingly refreshing. I knew exactly what I was going to get and I got it. I didn’t learn anything new, and some aspects of the story were frustrating (for example, they don’t hate each other so much as tolerate each other with mild annoyance) , but all was resolved by the end. It was a good palate cleanser, and next time I don’t know what I’m in the mood for, I may pick up a Guillory book.

To be completely honest, I don’t read a ton of romance (which is how I would classify this book, perhaps mistakenly). If you like contemporary romance, I see no reason that you wouldn’t like this one – its a sexy read with believable characters and scenarios. 3 stars. Despite myself, I ended up kind of liking it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley publishing for the advance copy which I got in exchange for an unbiased review. The Wedding Party will be available on 16 July, but you can put your copy on hold today!

Happy I got to read an ARC of this book! Love following up with characters we already know for their love story. I loved how this one went, and how time was skipped in order to give us Maddie and Theo's whole story, not all the details of every single day. Guillory continues to give her characters authentic POVs, which is part of the benefit of having a series from the perspective of all different characters.

I’m having a hard time deciding whether my “it was okay” feelings about this one are about the actual story or about the tropes within. I honestly just don’t love enemies-to-lovers or secret relationships in books and since those are the entire premise of this story, I couldn’t fall in love like I did with the first two books in the series. The thought of being physically intimate with someone I detest is so off-putting to me that the initial relationship between Maddie and Theo felt very inauthentic. And keeping a relationship secret past high school just seems.....WHY?

But all that aside, I loved continuing with characters from The Wedding Date and The Proposal and spending time with all of these characters who just LOVE to eat. Seriously, the amount of pizza consumed in this book should win an award! There are current issues addressed and I loved Maddie’s professional evolution throughout the book.

So, while this isn’t my favorite in the series due to the tropes, I’m still a massive Jasmine Guillory fan and can’t wait to read her holiday story coming out in October!! And I love that it’s a continuation of this world!

Jasmine Guillory really turned up the heat in her newest book! Maddie and Theo start out hating each other but can’t deny the passion that exists between them. I enjoyed reading a smart, funny, and engaging romance story centering two black characters. The supporting characters were also well developed. Can’t wait to read the next Guillory book!

Theo and Maddie might be my favorite of Guillory's couples so far. When I read Theo in The Wedding Date, I think I imagined a Steve Urkel (though that's not really fair) or a Richard Splett (more fair), but his character gets fleshed out oh-so-nicely in The Wedding Party. Theo and the fashion-savvy Maddie are both in Alexa's bridal ("brodal"?) party, and while they can't stand each other in general, chemistry dictates otherwise. The keep their flings a secret--will their chemistry fizzle if their friends find out? Thanks to Theo, we get more action at the Oakland mayor's office, and the tension ramps up with some scary violence. But there are also margaritas and Carlos' cooking, so rest easy. I can't wait for Royal Engagement!

While I did enjoy this one better than The Proposal, The enemies to lovers could have been done better. Guillory kept them constantly denying their feelings for each other and it got old. Along with that, I had a hard time believing the chemistry between these two. We really didn’t get a lot of banter between these two other than when they are eating pizza.

With a too tame romance and the weird time jumps, this book was just okay. I’m just starting to think that Guillory just isn’t for me.