Nicholas and Alex know one thing for sure: they want to spend their lives together, and now that they’re engaged, they can start planning their big day to make that happen. The only hitch? Both of them have very different ideas on what that means.

Nicholas has been all about a grand wedding since he was a teen, carefully planning every detail from floral arrangements to the perfect cake. He has big dreams and a bigger budget to make it happen. But Alex? Despite finding the love of his life, he’s still a little jaded, and he’d rather elope at the local courthouse, keeping the start of their married life low-key.

Can they set aside their different ideas on their big wedding and compromise to make it the wedding of their dreams, or will a major tragedy be the final blow after they struggle to see eye-to-eye? This is a book that once I picked up, it totally consumed me. I ended up reading it in one evening as I was so absorbed by what was in front of me and I had to see how everything was going to end!

This was a very fun and sweet book!

It's the second book of a series, going past the happily ever after of the two characters, Alex and Nich. I love seeing stories like this, to look past what we always see and knowing that the future isn't always perfect either. It's nice to glimpse into their future and how they are together.

I personally haven't read the first book but from reading this one, I love the author's humor, the characters are so much fun and the story was great!

Thank you to NetGalley and NineStar Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

Alex and Nicholas are a committed couple planning their wedding when disaster strikes. Their apartment catches fire when Alex, an admittedly terrible cook, gets distracted while trying to cook soup for Nicholas, who is sick. Because Alex had been ill before Nicholas, he’s still not smelling things too well, and the fire is raging in the kitchen before he senses the smoke.

Their apartment is a total loss, and it’s more than just a domicile. This was the first home in which Alex could be himself, and live a sully out life. And, Nicholas’ family heirlooms–including the massive wedding planning binder he and his dying mother had created–are mostly gone. All Alex was able to save was the handmade box of cherished recipes that Nicholas would be lost without.

Now, they live in a barren apartment, blocks form their former home and their best pals, who’d lived down the hall. It’s a huge adjustment, and not a little without resentment. Both Alex and Nicholas are feeling the strain, but Alex is definitely hit more acutely, as he feels majorly responsible for both Nicholas’ illness, and the fire. Plus, he’s struggling with the vastness of the wedding plans, which make what he wishes was an intimate and quiet affair into the lavish spectacle that Nicholas wants to spend his inheritance funding.

Can these guys come to terms with their inner issues, before they get more into turmoil they they want?

I really liked both Alex and Nicholas. They are good solid characters who are 100% invested in their love, even if they struggle with how they want to show it. I loved the differences between their backgrounds, and how this informed their conflict. Alex has always had to scrimp, and his family is small and cold–unaccepting of him and his sexuality. It’s a big reason Alex cringes at the cost of a one-day affair, like the wedding of Nicholas’ dreams. He has only their mutual friends to invite, anyway. Meanwhile Nicholas may not have his parents around anymore, but when he did they were loving and accepting of him–and they provided a lot of money to start him out in life. So, Nicholas’ desire is to shout to the rooftops his love for Alex, with a blow out wedding that will live in everyone’s memories. The stress is high. Add in the huge curveball to lose nearly your whole life’s possessions in and instant, and what might be minor issues, like not having a proper cake pan since it was ruined in the blaze, are suddenly constant irritations. It makes for rocky goings, but also allows for some true character growth as the new-love infatuation period gives way to brutally honest moments, and deep soul searching.

I had not read the first book in this series, but felt I could pick this one up and enjoy it on it’s own–with sufficient backstory to help me get into the flow without bogging the pace.

This is the second book in a series, following the exploits of Will and Nicholas. They are an engaged couple that finds themselves tested in a variety of ways on their road to the alter. Notably, they have very different ideas of what their wedding will entail (Nicholas wants the fantasy and Will wants the courthouse). It does make a reader wonder if this is a story of two people falling deeper in love or finding their new paths apart. This is good in many ways because it doesn't make the ending feel completely inevitable; there are plot points and character development to keep things moving. The opening and closing of the story have some strong visuals and hooks to keep you guessing. The mid-section does lag at times, but overall it's a good quick read.