Phenomenal read!
This is my first book by Synithia Williams and it will not be my last! I loved the cover first but when I finally dove in I was like omg this is what I need.
The sense of community was something that I felt gave me a warm hug. It was exactly what I was needing. The romance def came in second to all of the developments, both internally and family wise, but I did not mind it.
All secondary characters were bright and vivid, I def laughed out loud so many times.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dr. Imani Kemp receives a text from her mom stating she is getting married. That’s really odd because from what Imani knows her mother isn’t even dating anyone. Imani is forced to take time off and return home to Peachtree Cove to talk some sense into her mother. After an impromptu meeting between mustard, corn dog, Imani and a handsome stranger’s shirt she is finally ready to talk to her mom. Cyril is here to have his fathers back and is determined to not let his father’s fiancé daughter break up their happily ever after.

This story was very cute starting from when Imani and Cyril meet. I ate this book up. This was my first read from Synithia Williams and it definitely won’t be the last. The mixture of funny moments and tear jerking moments made me hold this dear to my heart. Definitely worth the read. 4.25/5 stars

Thank you Hear Our Voices Tours, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Imani left her hometown years ago after a scandal and never planned to go back. However, she learns her mother is remarrying and she's concerned - she hasn't heard about the groom to be before and thinks its too soon for a wedding and goes home to stop the wedding. She soon learns that you can go back home again and starts to fit right back in with her old high school friends. Great character development, an entertaining storyline and a new romance in the works.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

This book had me laughing and crying and a full range of emotion in between. A real depiction of love, loss, grief and real life!

This book started out on the most entertaining foot when Dr. Imani Kemp, the most sought after OB-GYN in Tallahassee who wants change in the world and has put dating on the back burner to get where she is today, gets a invitation from her mother to attend her WEDDING back home in Georgia (to a man she just met on a dating app).

Craziness ensues when Imani meets Cyril, the new local bar owner in her hometown who just so happens to be the son of her future step-father. Imani is set out to do anything she can to stop this wedding and Cyril is doing anything he can to let it go on without a hitch! Only time will tell who will be triumphant and if the wedding will go on!


✨Big city vs. hometown✅
✨opposites attract ✅
✨relationship grief and trauma ✅
✨finding love in unexpected places ✅
✨Mature love ✅
✨Second-chances ✅
✨Love after loss ✅

The bonus story at the end was also such a fun surprise!!

Special thanks to @netgalley and @canarystreetpress an imprint of @htpbooks for the advanced copy of this book for my honest review!



4.25⭐️

Okay, I need to talk to Synithia Williams because I think that she must know someone from my hometown because why did MY momma also meet and get engaged to a man that I barely knew and got married quickly thereafter?? I won’t go into how that went, lol.
But The Secret to a Southern Wedding picks up with Dr. Imani Kemp – Doctor of the Year to be exact – finding out that her momma is getting married to a man that she’d only been dating for a few months and wants Imani to come home for the wedding. Mind you, Imani hasn’t been home in over a year because when she left Peachtree Cove, GA, she had zero intentions on returning except for quick visits to see her momma. Her family had an awful event that took place and small towns doing what small towns do – Imani and her momma found themselves the topic of much gossip. So she had no desire to be there longer than necessary.
Enter Cyril – the son of Imani’s mom’s betrothed. The two of them met just before they knew that they were soon to be connected by their parents and sparks flew – in good and bad ways, ha! However, they were essentially on opposite sides. Cyril was happy for his father because he had found love again and was very happy. Imani, on the other hand, was against the marriage and basically returned to town to stop the wedding. The two parents worked to make sure that the two spent time together and as they do, one thing led to another and it seems like momma/daughter and father/son might be finding love. But unfortunately, both of these families have a tragic past and when that came to light, everything came to a halt and these two couples had to really trust and have faith in one another and their love to get their HEA or HFN.
I enjoyed this! It was definitely insta-love which can be hit or miss for me depending on how the couple meet and what the nature of the relationship is. This was in the middle for me mostly because these two really hit it off and were infatuated with one another from the very start but through a series of unfortunate events involving a corn dog and a white shirt, they started off on a bad foot and it kind of went on from there. So they were at odds but underlying it all was their attraction and pull to one another. While the romance didn’t exactly do it for me in this one, I loved the other aspects from the small town (and all of its idiosyncrasies) as it attempts to progress and grow to the friends who will hold you down and also hold you accountable. There was also a lovely commentary on what it looks like to make a difference and defy expectations as a Black woman in America as well as how hard it is to allow yourself to trust again when your trust and heart have been broken.
So if you enjoy instalove, great friends, and some small town drama and antics alongside a nice underlying story of trust and healing, give this one a read! I’m rounding up to 4 stars.

Thank you to the Hear Our Voices tour, Netgalley, and Canary Street Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Hear our Voices Tour for this ARC

Tropes:
Family drama
Small town romance
Forced Proximity

We follow Imani who is a doctor in Tampa and she receives a text from her mom asking her to come home because she’s getting married in a month, when she goes back home to Peach Cove Georgia she meets Cyril who is the son of the man that Imanis mom is marrrying. Imani doesn’t want the wedding to happen and Cyril wants the wedding to happen because he feels his dad deserves a happily ever after. While Imani is back home she discovers that Peach Cove has changed from her childhood. It’s now becoming a flourishing small town. (Imani views Peach Cove bad due to the trauma she experienced there) and she realizes she has chemistry and is attracted to Cyril. Cyril is also realizing the same thing so now him and Imani have to decide if they will act on their attraction or push it away. This is for fans of small town romances with lots of scandal and family drama. Although I did enjoy the story I felt like it felt a little flat at time or I was just bored. Overall it’s a very cute fast paced emotional read.

I’ve read a couple of Synithia Williams’ books before and they are all so fantastic - each is really good and entertaining in very different ways. I definitely enjoyed The Secret to a Southern Wedding!

This one is sort of a double romance with Imani and Cyril having a very brief and embarrassing meet-cute at a food stand when she accidentally squirts mustard on the cute guy who was flirting with her, but being in a rush to get home to talk sense into her mother (who just announced she’s marrying the man she only just met), she’s trying to clean him up and get away.

Cyril is in disbelief when he gets home to meet his father’s new fiancée’s daughter … and it’s mustard girl - and now he has to spend time fighting feelings for this extremely impressive woman (truly great and compassionate OB-GYN, “doctor of the year” back in the big city), because their parents are together. But both sides have some big secrets that have to be shared - the question being when and how…

Such a great read and her usual fantastic writing - a great 4.5-star read! A definite recommendation from me. A really excellent diversity read from a really great BIPOC author. A beautiful small town, doctor, mixed up family relationship storyline!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (Canary Street Press), and this is my honest review.

"When you have a community in the city, anonymity goes away. Those people can hurt you as much as people in a small town can."

I really enjoy reading the secret to a Southern wedding by Synithia Williams. it's a Black romance story set in a fictional Georgia small-town. It follows a doctor named Imani Kemp who is under a lot of stress as the hospital's doctor of the year. she gets a text from her mother asking her to come home because she's getting married in a month. Imani heads back home to the small town of Peachtree Cove, Georgia where she meets Cyril Dash, a bar owner. She discovers he's the son of Preston, the man her mother is about to marry. Imami has some trauma associated with Peachtree Cove because of her father cheating on her mother.

Along the way they are unable to deny the obvious attraction they have, and the parents notice too, and Imami and Cyril work to plot for a second wedding. Secrets are revealed and love does happen. I'm looking forward to reading more of Williams' books.

Thank you Synthia Williams and Hear from our voices book tours for the opportunity to spotlight this beautiful Black Romance Story.

THE SECRET TO A SOUTHERN WEDDING – Synithia Williams
Peachtree Cove series
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-43053-3
August 15, 2023
Contemporary Romance

Peachtree Cove, Georgia – Present Day

Dr. Imani Kemp was born and raised in Peachtree Cove but left town shortly after she turned eighteen due to the scandal that happened after her mother nearly died at the hands of her father’s mistress. One day, Imani gets a text from her mother announcing that she is getting married in a few weeks—to a man Imani has never heard of. After arranging with the hospital for the care of her patients, she rushes to Georgia to do whatever it takes to stop the wedding. Her mother, Linda, can’t seriously be thinking of marrying a man she barely knows. Imani’s father put Linda through the wringer with his various misdeeds and Linda doesn’t even date. Is the new man about to take advantage of her mom?

Imani arrives in town driving a rental car and spots the local Dairy Bar. Hungry for a corndog, she stops. She spots a good-looking man, and she wonders who he is. While putting mustard on her corndog, someone taps her on the shoulder, and she whips around—and squirts the strange man with mustard! She apologizes but he insists that she doesn’t have to pay to clean the shirt. Heading on to her mother’s house, Imani arrives, where Linda is there with her fiancé, Preston Dash. A few minutes later, a man identified as Preston’s son arrives. It’s the mustard man from the Dairy Bar! Imani is attracted to her mother’s soon-to-be stepson, Cyril Dash.

Imani returns home with a plan to stop a wedding in THE SECRET TO A SOUTHERN WEDDING. She watched as a teenager as her mother was shot by her father’s mistress and supported her mother’s decision to divorce him. Imani is now a well-respected OB-GYN doctor in Tampa and was recently named “Doctor of the Year” at the hospital she works. But getting her mother’s life straightened out is her first priority, which means that while she tells her mother she is there to help plan the wedding, she’s really there to find dirt on the fiancé to expose him. If she’d met Cyril any other time Imani would be going out on dates with him. But he will be her future stepbrother and, in her mind, an adversary. There’s no denying the attraction she has for him, and he feels the same way. As it turns out, Linda and Preston are making excuses to throw Imani and Cyril together. It’s a plan for the two to get to know one another and become friends, but it’s leading them down a path of giving into their mutual desire! Meanwhile, Imani continues to try and find out more about Preston’s life before he came to Peachtree Cove a couple of years ago. What she finds out may surprise her. Turns out he was accused of murdering his wife! While he is innocent, what is the story and why did the police think he did it?

There is a lot going on in THE SECRET TO A SOUTHERN WEDDING and readers will enjoy the intriguing banter between the characters. Besides Imani, Cyril, Linda, and Preston, readers are also introduced to Imani’s best friends from childhood, Tracey and Halle. She will need them to lean on at times as she struggles with her feelings and thoughts about Cyril and their parents’ upcoming nuptials. Imani is also struggling with her job in Tampa as she feels like she is not being listened to. Readers will wonder if she decides to move back home to Peachtree Cove. What if the bonus is dating Cyril? Will the wedding happen between Linda and Preston?

An entertaining and enjoyable tale, be sure not to miss THE SECRET TO A SOUTHERN WEDDING.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I have read every single Synithia Williams series (Jackson Falls, Ghost brothers, etc) but this new series was so good. She never disappoints.
I love the aspect of two grown adults who are trying to interfere in their parents business. There was some funny partts but the two of them falling in love was hinted at from the jump. I cant wait for book two

This is another great book from Synithia Williams. We follow Imani who is an OBGYN currently living in Tampa, FL. She's under a lot of stress as the hospital's doctor of the year which is more of a figurehead position when she really wants to make change. At the same time she gets a text from her mother asking her to come home because she's getting married in a month. Imani heads back home to the small town of Peachtree Cove, Georgia where she meets Cyril Dash, a newcomer to town who owns a bar. She discovers he's the son of Preston, the man her mother is about to marry. Cyril is trying to convince her not to stop the wedding. Cyril while trying to be supportive of his father agrees to help get Imani on board with the wedding and they end up bonding after spending so much time together.

The town is cute but Imani has a some trauma associated with the town because of her father very publicly cheating on her mother. But the downtown area has changed recently and a lot of Imani's old friends and classmates have opened businesses. Cyril is a part of the business guild and he tries to show her the ways things have changed. Cyril, himself moved to Peachtree as a way to start over after his mother's death.

The community in this story is great, the relationship between Cyril and Imani has a lot of depth to it, and I also enjoyed the bonus story which is alluded to in the main story.

I’m loving these small town romance books. Imani, Cyril, and their parents are all such cute characters and even at the ages of 30+, their parents still put them in their places and I loved it!

The high school friends in “The Get Fresh Crew” was also heartwarming, and I love that they picked up right where they left off in their friendship, despite not seeing each other as much. It reminded me of my friendship with my bests.

When Imani came downstairs to see Preston I’m the kitchen making breakfast in a little robe, I immediately thought of Melvin on baby boy and dieeeeed. It was too funny!

If you love heartwarming books about small town romance, forbidden love, family drama, and bomb friendship, then this is the book for you!

"The Secret to a Southern Wedding," by Synithia Williams is an entertaining read.

We are introduced to heroine of the book in a fascinating way and the introduction of the other supporting characters are even more intriguing. Dr. Imani Kemp's is called by her mom to announce a speedy wedding throws Imani into a mad dash to stop her mother's imprompt to marriage to a man she did not know was amusing.

On her way to save the day she encounters a very handsome and arrogant man (Cyril) who just so happen be the son of the man who is going to marry her mother. Something funny happens and they become automatic enemies. Until the realize they will have to work together to stop the wedding.

Along the way they are unable to deny the obvious attraction they have and the parents notice too and they work to plot for a second wedding. Secrets are uncovered and love does happen...but the question is...who?

This was an interesting read, but was a little longer than needed in some places and felt rushed in the end for me. Overall it is a good read. I was really impressed with the unconventional plot of this story as most books follow a the small plot line when dealing with contemporary stories. Ms. Williams is surely a genius to method.

✨️✨️The bonus story in my ARC was phenomenal. Devante & Joanne's story was a truly good read. It drew me in and I wasn't ready for it to end!!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and Netgalley for my advance copy of this ARC for my most honest and humble opinion.

An absolutely fun (and sometimes tear-jerking) take on healing from trauma and finding love again!

THOUGHTS:
- I loved Imani's character. She's exactly the strong #womeninSTEM heroine I love to read about. She's an obstetrician and doctor of the year - which is all I ever want for my heroines in the medical field because they deserve it!
- I feel like even though Cyril is the main love interest - I couldn't help but also love the idea of his dad Preston! Both were such gentlemen, and even though they were from Maryland - I feel like they both truly embodied that Southern gentleman's vibes. I also love their backstory because it sounds so real. I love when people are starting over, and things go well for them in a new place. We'd all like to have that kind of community - so this part of William's story was heartwarming to read.
- I also knew this book was full of Southerners because everyone called everyone Mr. & Ms. So&So. As a Southern gal myself - I don't think I could handle just calling someone their first name!!

**The extra story at the end where Devante and Joanne get their happy ever after!!! I'm ALWAYS here for an age-gap romance situation!! It's forever one of my favorite tropes!!

NOTES:
- LGBTQ+ themes
- Will be a great audiobook as well! Perfect for a romance lover's morning commute!
- LOVED this cover!! It's so pretty, and I want Imani's dress.

**Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press and NetGalley provided an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

The Secret to a Southern Wedding was an enjoyable Black romance story set in a fictional small town in Georgia. The secret that leads to the pivotal conflict is a doozy; one I’ve never seen it in another romance story. I applaud the author’s inventiveness, but I do think the story could have been trimmed a bit to improve pacing.

Dr. Imani Kemp is a successful, single, OB-GYN in Tallahassee. But when her mother calls to say she is getting to married to someone she has only known for a short time it is enough to take a leave and return home to Peachtree Cove, Georgia. Her goal is to get the wedding called off. What she doesn’t expect is to catch the attention of hot bar owner Cyril Dash. To make matters worse he is the son of the future groom. This isn’t icky. They aren’t related. But they both have things they don’t want to share. Imani is concerned that her mother is impulsively wedding as she has just heard that Imani’s dad is marrying a woman younger than herself. Cyril is concerned that his dad hasn’t been honest than he was once suspected in the death of Cyril’s mother. Of course this is all going to cause complications.

The story itself is easier to follow than my description. There is low to mid range heat with everyone is getting adult activities. Imani is very likable. I don’t love the parents pushing them together to do things like cake testing. It’s been overused and her mom is a florist and surely knows and has contacts for what she wants. I enjoyed this contemporary romance. My copy also included a nice bonus story about Devante and Joanne that who are side characters in the main novel. (3.5 Stars)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

The Secret to a Southern Wedding was what the doctor ordered. This book was what I needed and more. The character development was beyond amazing. The plot was chef's kiss. I cant wait to read more by this author.