2.5 stars

A public relations disaster has our main character Mariella fleeing to Magnolia, NC. I'm someone who loves books that take place in small towns, so this made me very happy. It definitely sounds like a town I'd love to live in. This was also the perfect setting while I read this during the summer. Mariella is trying to put her life back together when Alex shows up and this starts a little bit of a bumpy road. Their history definitely makes things a bit difficult.

Wedding Season is a pretty easy read and the cast of characters kept it interesting. Alex and Mariella keep getting pushed together in many ways and it's definitely interesting watching their relationship develop. That being said, for me a bit too much was going on all at once. I get that it's kind of a small town thing, but between that and the characters constantly stayed in their issues with their past. Maybe just a tad bit too much drama?

Some of the stories with side characters were heartwarming and Mariella and Alex were a couple you rooted for in the end.

Wedding season by Michelle Major is perfect combination of Romance, Drama and Heat between the characters. I Absolutely loved it and I think it's a very promising start for wonderful series.

A Five star read.

Wedding Season by Michelle Major takes place in Magnolia, North Carolina which ios the setting of Major’s Carolina Girls series. This five star is a guarantee that I will be visiting the other books in this series and, more likely than not, every other book she has written.

The heroine. Mariella Jacob, is by her own admission, a train wreck and, frankly, she is not far off the mark. Mariella is a refreshingly imperfect heroine. She is flawed which, to my eye, makes her all the more relatable and lovable. She has fierce friends in Emma - the owner of The Wildflower Inn and Angi - its chef and caterer who have her back. She is business partners with both. She has her own shop in town aptly named A Second Chance.

Mariella is giving herself a second chance after her life spectacularly imploded three years before.

"The Wedding Season is a heartfelt novel about love and second chances by Michelle Major. Readers will quickly become engrossed in Mariella and Alex’s story of healing and redemption, while also finding comfort in Josie’s journey to discovering her self-worth. With lyrical prose and well-developed characters, Michelle Major offers up an enchanting and romantic read. This book is perfect for those looking for a good-natured, slow burn romance that will leave you wanting more!"

Mariella and Alex have a history – and it isn’t a nice one. It might not have been so bad if they still lived in the big city, but somehow they both ended up in Magnolia, North Carolina, a small town, and it’s a lot harder to avoid each other. And not only can they not avoid each other, but somehow they end up working together on a project. A project that features part of their not-so-nice history.

This isn’t the only thing seeming to pull these two together. On every page, it seemed like fate was going to drag them into each other’s arms even if it killed them. And they may just need to figure out how to put the past behind them so they can both move on with their lives. Because along the way, they find out it isn’t just their lives they’re impacting anymore.

Mariella was a wounded character. Her past weighed very heavy on her shoulders, and it seemed to consume her every moment. While I understand the concern over her reputation coming back to hurt her new business and friends, she just wouldn’t let it go. Her struggle was very real but was too much of the main focus at times.

Alex has similar issues. And they really interfere with him running his company successfully – mainly because he refuses to take advice and hire Mariella to help. But he can’t seem to stop thinking about how hot Mariella is, and how attractive he suddenly finds her. It was a lot superficial at first. In the end, he learns she is a really great person though.

While I enjoyed a lot of the story, there was a little too much of the main characters hating on themselves for things in their past. Too much avoiding the issues. I think the best part of the story wasn’t the romance but wrapped up in a side character with unexpected connections.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

A public relations disaster that literally was splashed all over social media just proved to be the ruination of Mariella Jacob. Although a talented wedding dress designer, the fact that she had a complete meltdown that went viral on social media, her business is in the dumps. Headed to Magnolia, North Carolina with hopes of starting over with a new, smaller shop should go a long way to reestablish her business as well as her reputation.

There is a hitch in Mariella's plans to make a fresh start, and that hitch comes in the form of Alex Ralsten. Alex was to be the groom in a wedding that was called off when his almost wife not only cheated on him, but a huge public embarrassment was caused. Thing is, it was Mariella who brought the truth out. Therefore, it comes to no surprise that Alex is still angry with her. As this is an enemies to lovers romance it quickly becomes clear to readers that Alex and Mariella are more than drawn to one another.

While the pair work out their conflicts, other relationships come to play, making this book a well-balanced, multi-layered read, one that is enjoyable from start to finish. This third book in the Carolina Girls series can be read as a standalone novel, however, the first two books, Wildflower Season and Mistletoe Season, were very good reads and this third book is the cherry on top.

Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This is book three in the series, but it can be read as a stand alone book and the reader will be just fine! They will, however, want to go back and get the previous books because they will fall in love with the town, the residents, the Wildflower Inn and the characters of this book...just a heads up!

This book gives us Mariella, a former big city, big shot wedding dress designer who has had a fall from grace...she is one of the three partners in the Wildflower Inn and Alex, the man whose life she ruined in that fall from grace. They are both in the same town, trying to avoid each other whenever possible and then fate steps in...in the form of a young woman named Heather. We all have secrets, but some are bigger than others!

This book was fast moving, the plot was unique, the characters were fun and this reader wanted to become friends with them in real life! The author gives the reader just enough of what happened in the previous books to understand and enjoy this one. The reader zooms through the pages wanting to know what is going to happen next while at the same time not wanting the story to end.

Add this one and her others to your TBR list and move them to the top - they are must reads! They are fun, filled with drama and a bit predictable, but they are entertaining and leave the reader satisfied. A great addition to the series!

If you're looking for a cute romance novel to distract you during wedding season, Michelle Major's latest book is a great place to start. Mariella Jacob is a major bridal designer, but following a PR disaster that went viral, she's back in the tiny town of Magnolia, North Carolina. In an attempt to distract herself, Michelle has started working with her friend to turn the local Wildflower Inn into a wedding venue. The problem is, that PR disaster has followed her.; Alex Ralstern. Having accidentally ruining his wedding by announcing his fiancé was sleeping with hers, Mariella wants nothing more than to avoid him at all costs. The problem is, there's something growing between them and the last person she ever wanted to see again might be the person she wants to be with forever. Michelle Major's Wedding Season is an adorable romance of enemies to lovers and a excellent distraction in a world that feels like one PR post away from destruction.

Wedding Season is the 3rd book in the Carolina Girls series, which followed the Magnolia Sister trilogy. All of these books are set in small-town Magnolia, North Carolina. In this book we meet Mariella Jacob who was one of the world’s premier bridal designers, until she destroys her business. She had a habit of speaking her mind with no filter and caused clients to publicly tear her apart. She also found out her fiancé was sleeping with a shallow, narcissistic starlet. She moves to Magnolia to recover and help her friends with their new wedding venue. What she wasn't expecting was to meet up with Alex Ralsten, the fiancé of the cheating starlet, moving to Magnolia as well. Alex's family blames Mariella for the disastrous break up and the ruined wedding. As Alex and Mariella are forced to spend time together through a working relationship, they realize that perhaps they make a better couple than enemies.

This is an enemies to lovers romance, but there are other important threads in this story as well. Michelle Major writes interesting characters with great personalities, caring, helpful and deeper than they appear at first glance. Mariella is a woman trying to recover from disaster in both her business and personal life. Heading to Magnolia to lick her wounds and lay low, her friends are there waiting with open arms. We also meet Heather, Alex's assistant/secretary, who has secrets of her own. How do all these people fit together? This story is sweet and easy to read, but with themes of love, family, friendship, forgiveness, understanding, attraction, self-discovery, taking chances, and moving on. It is an emotional story with characters I would love to have as friends, ones I rooted for and smiled happily as the story ended. If you are looking for a HEA, in an entertaining, well written story with great, relatable characters, I recommend you pick up Wedding Season.

Wedding Season by Michelle Major is the third book in her popular Carolina Girls series. This heartwarming tale with an enemies-to-lovers trope has a bit of mystery too.

Mariella Jacob never thought she’d move back to Magnolia, North Carolina, but after her bridal dress design business went under, she returns to the small town to help her friends and their burgeoning wedding business at the Wildflower Inn. Embarrassed by the implosion of her high-end design business in New York City, she yearns to lay low, put her mistakes behind her and just help her friends back in Magnolia.

Alex Ralsten runs his athletic wear business from his offices in Magnolia. His recent almost wedding was ruined by Mariella when she exposed his fiance’s cheating in a very inelegant way and further embarrassed him and his family in a very public way. He’s not happy when he finds out he’s living in the same small town as Mariella, but she’s not happy about it either.

I did enjoy this heartwarming small-town romance. The enemies to lovers trope had me rooting for these two independent people to finally figure out they needed each other. The beginning of the book drew me in quickly, but it did slow down a bit in the middle. But, it picked up in the end with a satisfying conclusion.

Mariella has some wonderful friends who support her and help her on her journey. They are well-developed side characters who adds some spark and humor to the story.

One small disappointment is the way the author treated Mariella’s meltdown in New York. After an epic meltdown, caused by too much drink and drugs, Mariella returned to Magnolia. I thought the author could have included some counseling and drug and alcohol rehab for Maribella, instead of her just returning to her small town to cure her issues.
I recommend Wedding Season to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After being betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust Mariella didn’t handle it well and it left her professional life as wedding dress designer as well as her personal life in shambles. She has picked up the pieces and found a new beginning in Magnolia only to have Alex, who had a front row seat to the whole debacle, come back into her life.

Alex has plans to move his business to Magnolia, but Mariella was a surprise he didn’t see coming. She played a huge part in the most humiliating day of his life and all he wants is to leave it in the past. As they spend time together a romance between them develops but they soon find out that their shared past isn’t the only thing they will have to overcome.

This is a heartwarming story about learning from the past and surrounding yourself with people who will be there for you both through the good times and the challenging times. There is a great balance of humor, emotion and romance as Mariella learns a lot about herself and love.

4 1/2 STARS!

Magnolia always entertains! The third book in The Carolina Girls series takes us back to small town Magnolia and the ladies planning weddings at the Wildflower Inn. I enjoyed the setting, the humor is always spot on and the romance is so yummy. I’m looking forward to more to come from the town!

Mariella is hardnosed and bitter, but she really shined in her story once she let her guard down a bit and let her soul begin to heal.

Alex is a doll. He’s successful, he’s heartfelt and he found just the right spot for Mariella in his heart.

I recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a romance in a small town setting with tons of heart, chuckles galore and always such an endearing happily ever after.

I’ve been waiting for this story since the first book in The Carolina Girls series. I had a feeling there was more to the heroine, Mariella Jacob than met the eye and there was but it was something I never expected. That said, this book was every bit as intriguing and heartwarming as the first two in this series, but for me loads more emotional. That’s not a bad thing, but both characters have quite a bit of baggage and they had to unpack it, deal with it, and move on from it before they felt they could be together. It wasn’t pretty and it certainly wasn’t easy, but for two people who had a not so pleasant history it was easy to see that together they made one another very happy.

After a major meltdown at the wedding of an actress she designed a wedding dress for after finding out her fiancé had been having an affair with the actress, Mariella lost her career, her company, and her friends. A stint in rehab because yes she was drunk and high at the time, Mariella moved to the town of Magnolia, North Carolina determined to not draw attention to herself and not let anyone know who she was in her former life. Opening a vintage dress shop kept her busy and put her in touch with two women who she now counts as her best friends despite some rocky moments like when they realized she was a famed wedding dress designer. Now a partner in a wedding business, Mariella worried that her “fame” would hurt the business and after a runaway bride it seemed she was right, but her partners refuse to keep her in the background. To top it off Alex Ralsten, the man whose wedding she ruined with her meltdown has chosen Magnolia as the headquarters for his new business. Her old life is encroaching on her new life and Alex is only the beginning.

Mariella had quite a lot of surprises that popped up in this story and her go to defense is to run, but Alex was pretty steadfast and refused to let her hide. Mariella never really had someone in her life that put her first so Alex made her nervous and threw her for a loop, but that was the beauty of it because she had no idea what to make of him. He kept her on her toes and challenged her and that was exactly what she needed. Mariella also had to deal with someone else from her past showing up in Magnolia and her appearance gutted her. Luckily she had her friends and Alex to help her deal with the fallout and make peace with the situation.

I have loved this series because the women all come from very different walks of life, but their problems are problems that women every day deal with and author Michelle Major puts these characters through their paces but also offers hope that with work things can work out and life can be better.

Wedding Season was a wonderful and emotional story of life and love.

Quaint, hopeful, and absorbing!

Wedding Season is a heartwarming, uplifting tale that takes you back to Magnolia, North Carolina and into the life of the hardworking, designer extraordinaire Mariella Jacob, as she juggles a new boutique, a partnership in the Wildflower Inn, a past that still haunts, undeniable chemistry with the one man she humiliated and hoped to never see again, and a reunion she never dreamed would happen but will ultimately change her life forever.

The prose is light and tender. The characters are resilient, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is a charming mix of life, love, family, friendship, forgiveness, understanding, attraction, self-discovery, heartfelt moments, taking chances, and moving on.

Overall, Wedding Season is another sweet, engaging, emotional tale by Major with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten, satisfied, and wishing for more.

WEDDING SEASON – Michelle Major

The Carolina Girls, Book 3

HQN

ISBN: 978-1-335-48000-2

April 26, 2022

Contemporary Romance



Magnolia, North Carolina – Present Day



Mariella Jacob was once one of the best wedding dress designers in the world, but her career—and her company—came to a crashing halt after she upended a wedding by accusing the bride of sleeping with Mariella’s now ex-fiancé. It was all true, but the now jilted bride twisted the confrontation around to make it appear that Mariella was the bad person. Mariella retreated to a small coastal town in North Carolina, where she has helped a couple of new girlfriends build the Wildflower Inn into a wedding venue. But her past comes back to haunt her when she comes face to face with the groom from that wedding she crashed. Alex Ralsten makes it clear that Magnolia is not big enough for both.



Alex still burns from the public humiliation after Mariella told him in front of the wedding guests that his bride-to-be had cheated on him. He left Manhattan after that, taking a job in Magnolia to revitalize an athletic clothing wear company. Seeing that Mariella is also here infuriates him. But the more that they run into each other, the deeper a fascination for each other develops. Alex begins to see Mariella in a different light—that she was the victim and not the instigator. Their relationship soon develops into a friendship—then love. But when the woman who caused all their pain in the past shows up in Magnolia, will their relationship be tested?



Two people who are hoping to start over in Magnolia will soon begin to heal by leaning on each other in WEDDING SEASON. For Mariella, she had the perfect life—or so she thought—until it all ended after finding out her fiancé was cheating on her. It had her feeling out of control and going after the woman who caused her pain but doing it in front of a lot of people with their phone cameras running made her a viral sensation, which only got worse when she was branded the bad person. Even Alex blamed her for what happened, though inwardly felt he had been “saved” from marrying the wrong woman. Mariella feels bad for what Alex went through, but she will need to forgive herself first before she can move on. Her best friends in the wedding venture are helpful, but Alex might be the final piece to her self-forgiveness.



Alex is trying to run the company but the woman who founded the business is pressuring him to take on another partner—specifically Mariella because of her expertise in designing clothing that makes women look good. They can’t stop running into each other. He soon realizes that she is not only beautiful and smart, but she would offer great input in helping him make the company a success. As their romance progresses, Alex is going to have to trust the process of love, which is hard to do, especially with a woman who always seems to have bad luck in that department. Will Alex and Mariella overcome the odds to find happiness? What about the woman who betrayed them both? Will she try to come between them?



WEDDING SEASON is a beautiful tale that will tug at the heartstrings of readers. While I haven’t read the two prior books in The Carolina Girls series, I had no difficulty following along. You will sympathize with Mariella and Alex as a couple who deserve happiness and each other. Don’t miss this emotionally packed tale.



Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Wedding Season by Michelle Major is the 3rd book in her wonderful The Carolina Girls series. I have become a big fan of Michelle Major, having enjoyed her Magnolia Sisters series, and the first two books of her Carolina Girls. Wedding season continued this trend, as it was a wonderful story, with a terrific couple, and great secondary characters.

Mariella, our heroine in this book, is the third partner in the Wildflower Inn, as she helps design the dresses for upcoming weddings at the Inn; she also owns the Second Chance dress shop. In the previous books, we learned how Mariella left her job as a big shot wedding dress designer, and moving to Magnolia to avoid meeting anyone, after her fiasco when she drunkenly ruined her career. Now Mariella has made friends with her partners in the Inn (Emma and Anji) is happy being in Magnolia. But things will soon change.

Alex Ralsten, our hero, is the man who Mariella ruined at his wedding by exposing his cheating fiancee, and has opened a new business in Magnolia. They both are cordial, but try to avoid each other, and slowly they become friends. Alex hires a young assistant, Heather to help at work, who turns out to be Mariella’s daughter, whom she gave up at birth. Heather is not nice to Mariella, but with help from Alex, she begins to learn more about her biological mother, and in time the two of them will open up their hearts.

Alex recognizes that Mariella is not only a hard worker, who is loyal to her friends, but also smart, not to mention beautiful; as he begins to see her more often, he enjoys spending time with her. Mariella and Alex’s relationship begins to change, as they each have strong feelings for each other. At first, they try to avoid anything, until their sizzling chemistry becomes an affair that they keep a secret. I did love Alex and Mariella together, and also loved how Heather became closer to Mariella. It was great to see how close and loyal the ladies were to each other, going out of their way to help Mariella with her daughter, as well as with Alex. I really loved seeing Emma and Cam, Anji and Gabe.

What follows is a wonderful heartwarming romantic story with both Mariella and Alex dealing with their past issues; as well as Mariella coming to terms with the daughter she never knew. Michelle Major also created a wonderful group of secondary characters, as well as giving us a glimpse at the ladies we loved from the previous series. Wedding Season was written so very well by Michelle Major, with a great couple, and so many wonderful characters, many of the townsfolks, and the cute animals.

I've been curious to try Michelle Major's writing for awhile, and it turns out it's not entirely for me. I think I'm more in the mood for this kind of romance-women's-fic during the winter holiday season, and otherwise it just doesn't work that well for me, for whatever reason. This was fun enough and sweet enough, though, with enough aspirational/luxe descriptions to make it very escapist (for me at least, ha).

This is a really good book. I love anything that Michelle Major writes. The two main characters are Mariella and Alex. Mariella was previously engaged until she found out her fiancé was fooling around with Alex’s fiancé. So she went to Alex’s wedding and stopped it with the truth. Several years later they meet in a tow called Magnolia. There is an attraction. They have lots of issues from a daughter that Mariella gave up for adoption, Alex’s co-owner of his business quits, a movie comes to town with Alex’s ex-fiancé, trust issues, and itching powder. They fall in love.

Michelle Major’s latest book, Wedding Season, is a sheer delight, rife with warmth, heart, and subtle, yet wicked humor. The characters have depth and are authentic…with all of her idiosyncrasies, Mariella was an amalgamation of every woman’s insecurities. All the warmth of a genuine small town set the foundation for a story that remains dear to the heart long after the last page is turned; if only a visit to Magnolia, North Carolina were a possibility.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.