I love comedy and I really enjoyed this book! It was a great follow up to the first one. Once again, the grandmother stole the show for me! Funny and cute.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved Vivian and Mel’s bickering and fighting. They way it was very clear that their life events played a huge role in how they viewed themselves and relationships. I also enjoyed the texting back and forth, that is definitely a favorite addition of mine to any story. The pacing was a little slow for me and while I enjoyed reading it I didn’t love reading it.

MELVIN LEE. I wanted to wrap him up in a hug and never let go. I want to be Vivian's best friend and make her love me. These characters were so lovable and I was so happy with them and their story I wanted to keep reading forever.

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #thestandupgroomsman

This is the only book I can think of with two bisexual leads! Hilarious, emotional, one of my favorite books of the year.

Vivian might be gorgeous and successful, but Mel doesn’t understand why a skilled artist would commit to working as a banker. When he tells her so during their first meeting, Vivian doesn’t appreciate being judged. Nonetheless, she can’t help but continue to admire Mel, a comedian who has always made her feel represented and truly seen. Like Vivian, Mel is of East Asian descent and bisexual. And of course, it doesn’t help that she is very attracted to him.

Throughout the wedding festivities, Mel and Vivian get to know one another and form a friendship. When Vivian decides to hook up with Mel at the wedding, a long distance relationship soon follows. Things aren’t perfect right away, but these two make it work.

I loved Vivian and Mel’s own personal stories. Vivian, as the oldest daughter, struggles with a family who has high expectations for her and offers her little support in return. Mel is extremely close with his family, including his hilarious, karaoke-singing Popo, a woman not above setting her grandson up on blind dates for holidays, even on speed dates in hot pink limos. Ultimately, Vivian has to set boundaries with her family, and Mel continues to keep his boundaries in place by remaining distant with his father, who couldn’t accept his sexuality. Of course, I loved the representation of an East Asian hero and heroine, both of which are bisexual. Their relationship, though between a man and a woman, is blatantly and beautifully queer. I liked that Mel is bigger and Vivian is thin. So often in romance we see body positivity for women, with heroines in all shapes and sizes, but the men are always ripped. That’s just not representative, and frankly, it’s not what all of us are into. And finally, the happy ending was so unique and representative to many couples I know. Mel and Vivian are committed to a long term relationship, with marriage possibly in the future. But for now they are long distance, and they very well may stay that way forever while remaining committed to one another.

While I don’t think this read was perfect – I found Mel’s comedy to be subpar, but I’ll take his word for it that his delivery is what really sells it – this hit so many boxes for me, making it a true 5 star read.

Vivian and Mel meet in Donut Fall in Love, the first book in this series. I haven't read that one and felt that this read fine as a stand-alone.

The characters from the first book are getting married and Vivian and Mel are spending quite a bit of time together. Vivian had loved Mel's professional comedy (both stand-up and on a tv series) but was less than impressed with the real life person. At first.

This was a slow burn, enemies (sort of- more people that didn't really like each other) to lovers romance with some great diversity representation and wonderful side characters. Mel's matchmaking grandma certainly stole the show!

Vivian and Mel are both bisexual and I appreciated the sensitivity and vulnerability they shared when talking about their identities. Also, Vivian had some family expectations that had limited her view of what a good relationship could be like- I was rooting for her as she worked through some beliefs that weren't supporting her growth. She definitely got in her own way. Additionally, mental health was handled with care.

Overall, I liked this book the more I read. I appreciated that the author avoided miscommunication as a trope and focused on communication and growth. The humor was fun too.

I listened to the audiobook and the two narrators did a great job capturing the characters in alternating chapters.

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This was phenomenal representation of Queer People in a straight presenting relationship, as well as the struggles of dating as a whole ass adult. Highly reccomend

I read this before first in series and it can be read as a stand-alone, but you will be spoiled and miss some backstory from the first. I always enjoy a fun enemies to lovers read. The added parts of family dynamics added so much to the story.

I was so happy we got both points of view. Vivian and Melvin were both fun in their own ways. I really liked each of them, at some points I wished they would just give in, but then we wouldn’t have a book.

I definitely recommend reading the first in the series before this one, so you don’t miss any background. As a little side note I enjoyed seeing some of Mel’s stand up comedy sets, I found them hilarious.

I enjoyed Vivian and Mel in Donut Fall in Love and was curious how they would turn out. She fan girled over him and he was not what she thought.

They were opposites attract, enemies to lovers and grumpy + sunshine.

There was a lot of comedy work which is hard to tell in writing without the delivery and timing but I thought was funny. We listen to a lot of stand up.

They didn't have the best start and Mel had to make up for his bad first impression. The wedding planning was fun and it helped them get closer since they were both in the wedding party.

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This is my third book that revolves around a stand up comedian character and I think I can conclude that I’m just not a fan of this trope/character. I just don’t find reading about stand up comedy funny. This one just wasn’t for me!

I was SO excited when I saw that I had been given a copy of this book to read! Oops on my end for not actually posting this review until now, forgetfulness will be the death of me I swear...

However, for me this one just fell a little flat. The rom was fantastic but I have a deep-rooted gut feeling that it was the com that just didn't satisfy my full romcom needs.

Overall, enjoyed the book, but it could have used a few more light moments to make me appreciate what was going on throughout the story!

This was a very sweet Canadian rom-com. Though at times the humour felt a little forced, I enjoyed how the story focused on other issues in the character's lives and how that was impacting their relationship.

Vivian and Mel are forced to run in the same circle thanks to their best friends, who will soon be married. While the two get off on the wrong foot, there are endless opportunities to build a relationship that neither one of them have had before.

With that, the overall timeline of the story was slow and lacklustre. It was a challenge to build a connection with the main characters because their own connection was so delayed.

An interesting take on opposites attract, enemies to lovers and grumpy + sunshine tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the continuation of this series from Jackie Lau. Donut Fall in Love was one of my favorite books last year, so this one was greatly anticipated. The Stand-Up Groomsman was a fun romance with depth. I loved the relationship between Vivian and Mel. They were well rounded characters with flaws and insecurities. And I loved the bisexual representation in this book.

A bridesmaid and groomsman put their differences aside to get their best friends down the aisle in this opposites-attract steamy romantic comedy.

They say to never meet your heroes, but when Vivian Liao's roommate gets engaged to her favorite actor’s costar, she has no choice but to come face-to-face with Melvin Lee again. He's just as funny and handsome as he is on-screen...but he thinks she’s an ice queen and a corporate sellout. It's none of his business how she chooses to live her life, no matter how charismatic he is.

Mel is used to charming audiences as an actor and stand-up comedian, but he can't seem to thaw Vivian’s defenses. If she can ignore the simmering attraction below the surface, so can he. The only thing uniting them is their goal for their friends’ wedding to go off without a hitch.

As they collaborate on wedding cake and karaoke parties, Mel realizes he might have seriously misjudged this bridesmaid, while Vivian discovers the best man might just be as dazzling off-screen as he is on. With the wedding underway, maybe more than one happily ever after is in the future.

I really enjoyed this story but I loved the LGBTQA+ representation throughout the story. It was really cute and loved the opposites attract, enemies to lovers and grumpy+sunshine tropes. Loved the banter between the main characters.

Thank you to Berkely and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I'm not sure why. Maybe my brain wasn't in it but I was feeling the love interest that much HOWEVER I can see how my other friends would love this book. The pacing was a tad slow in some part but Vivian I loved with my whole heart and connected to immediately.

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and Jackie Lau for an advance copy of The Stand-Up Groomsman in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely ADORED Donut Fall in Love so I was so excited to read Mel and Vivians story. I enjoyed so many aspects of this story but I loved the LGBTQA+ representation throughout the story. It was fun and enjoyable to watch Vivian and Mels relationship blossom and grow as they learned more things about themselves while they built their relationship. This was a little steamy but nothing that would make you blush to bad. This is out now and would make the perfect Christmas gift for any rom com lover in your life.

I didn't think I would enjoy this book so much since the first book was just an okay read for me. I think what ultimately sold me on this one was Melvin. He was so not what I expected, especially after that first epic meeting he had with Vivian. A meet-cute it was not! Thankfully, as the story progressed and I got to know Melvin a little more I got to see the many layers that hid underneath that tough exterior he put out to the world.

Vivian was also an interesting character to get to know. I remember her from the first book and thought she came across as a bit cold and arrogant. But after reading her story, I understood better where she was coming from and why she had put those walls around her.

So of course, now that Lindsay and Ryan are getting, Vivian and Melvin find themselves spending time together since they're both members of the wedding party. In between cake tastings, Shania karaoke and other wedding planning events they both see each other in a new light. Ultimately, Vivian softens towards Melvin the more layers he sheds and while she lowers her guard, Melvin sneaks into her heart. I appreciated the author's efforts in building Melvin and Vivian's romance at a steady pace, which is why I found their romance adorable. Sure, there's plenty of lust and chemistry between these two, but there was also a lot more.

All in all, a well-rounded story with a sweet and rewarding romance.

After loving the first book, i was so excited to get my hands on this one! I was so sad with how their first meeting went and i really enjoyed getting to see more personal sides of these characters. this was super cute and i really enjoyed it!

This was an enjoyable opposites attract book. I liked watching the characters' relationship develop, and liked how they found an unconventional way to make their relationship work.