This was such a cute book and the main character was definitely relatable and I think most people can relate

Oh my gosh, this audiobook was such a breath of fresh air! It was fun, witty, and adorable, and I did not want to put this one down!

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗵 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 is a super cute and fun read! Sariah Wilson's writing and sense of humor are always on point. Everly Aprile is a character you can’t help rooting for. She's an aspiring event planner with a stalled career and love life, and she's been obsessed with the Monterran royals forever. When a wealthy client requests a sweet-sixteen party fit for an American princess, Everly immerses herself in all things Monterran. Enter Max Colby, a handsome and charismatic transplant from Monterra. They strike a deal: Everly will be his New York City guide, and he'll teach her Monterran customs for her party. Their chemistry is fabulous! It's a slow-burn romance at first, but the sparks eventually fly. Besides Max and Everly, the highlight for me was Everly’s best friend and roommate, Vella. Her sass and sarcasm are delightful, making her a wonderfully loyal and quirky friend. I’d love to see her get her own story. Overall, I enjoyed this closed-door romance filled with great chemistry, delightful characters, an engaging storyline, and a very happy ending. Highly recommended!

I had a really hard time getting into this one, I found the authors writing style overly loquacious and it really watered down what otherwise felt like an interesting plot.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio!!

What a great book! I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. A great story line. Writing style is great! I loved the characters and they had such good chemistry! Such a fun and easy read!!

Something I always enjoy in a book by Sariah Wilson is the way her main characters have such palpable chemistry and Party Favors was no exception. I really liked the connection and chemistry between Everly and Max that was prominent right from the very sweet meet cute. Wilson was able to build up the romantic tension so well between Everly and Max, I couldn't wait for all those little touches and moment(s) they kissed.
Told in single POV, Everly is a bit insecure with herself. She's incredible at party planning, but a long-time unrequited crush on her boss has led her to lack confidence in herself. I liked the journey she took in this book. She definitely struggled with self-doubt and insecurity, but I think it made her relatable, though there were a few times I wanted to intervene and tell her not to back pedal. Max was so good for her, though I liked the twist with him. I kept expecting something, but did not predict what it ended up being. It was fun to have the connections to Wilson's Monterran Royal's books which I really enjoyed. I imagined Everly's obsession much like that of Americans to the current British royal family.
I listened to the audiobook of this novel. I thought Bailey Carr did a good job portraying Everly and with the dialogue in the book. She was easy to listen to and follow along. I liked the audiobook version quite a bit and recommend that format.
I received an advance listening copy of this novel from Netgalley and Brilliance Audio. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content: some innuendo, heavy make-outs, closed-door.

Party Favors is the kind of book that just has you smiling the whole way through. It’s light & happy, the story of a girl with a crush (or rather, crushes).

⭐️ rating: 4/5
😘 spice: some kissing, suggestive comments

💭 overall thoughts:
This was a low-stakes, easy, feel-good read.
It’s romantic in a cheesy way, and sometimes that sort of escape just feels good 🥰

Everly is young & inexperienced with love/men, crushing on her older, taken boss. She’s his assistant, and he pretty much takes advantage of her, relying on her to do his work and not giving her the promotion she deserves.

When she meets Max at a bar, this man is like a dream. Attractive, kind, and wants to get to know her. She immediately puts him in the friend zone, before he can do the same.

They become friends, and Everly has a ton of growth, mostly because of this relationship. She begins to see what love truly can be, and how she’s worth so much more than she’s been made to believe.

This definitely had me wanting to go back and read Sariah’s Royals of Monterra series - while it’s not at all necessary to enjoy this book, Everly’s obsession with them had me intrigued.

🤍side characters:
Obsessed with Vella, Everly’s roommate & best friend - she’s the perfect black cat/snarky character with hilarious one-liners!

🎙️ audio thoughts:
The audio was perfect, I felt like Bailey Carr totally embodied the sweetness of Everly, and really fit her character!

tropes + topics:
🌻 strangers to friends to lovers
🗒️ event planner fmc
💙 he falls first
🤍 virgin fmc
🐢 slow burn
💖 single 1st person pov

Thank you to Sariah Wilson, Montlake & Brilliance Publishing for advanced ebook & audio copies. All opinions are my own.

A party planner obsessed with Monterran royalty can't believe her luck when she meets a Monterran local who has recently moved to her city. When he agrees to show her more of his culture, Everly is thrilled. 

This was just an okay romance for me. I felt the royalty aspect dominated a lot of the storyline and I didn't like how insecure Everly was about herself, constantly putting herself down. On both these fronts, I struggled to feel the chemistry between our two main characters. I love reading Sariah's books though and will still eagerly look out for her next book.

I read and listened to this story, and it really resonated with me. The heroine was often grumpy and naive, which could be frustrating. I found myself wishing she’d gain a bit more insight and maturity.

The main male character was incredibly sweet and cautious. He was always thinking of others but seemed to lack the confidence and assertiveness I wanted to see from him. It felt like he needed a push to step up and take charge of his own life.

Their journey from friends to lovers was a highlight. They supported each other through their flaws and challenges, growing together in a way that felt authentic and deeply satisfying. Watching their relationship evolve, with both characters helping each other overcome personal hurdles, was genuinely touching.

The story was engaging and kept me hooked with its emotional depth and character development. Despite its imperfections, it was an uplifting experience that stayed with me long after I finished.

Overall, for the most part, I enjoyed it. I did like that this book coincided with her others and the Royals of Monterra series and characters.

I definitely think that this book was a little too overly cheesy for me. I don’t know if I’ve changed in my romances, but this one was just a little too fluffy.

I did enjoy the characters, the storyline, and the overall plot throughout the whole book. But in the end, it was just too cheesy for me.

Specific to the audiobook, I liked and disliked the narrator. I’m not sure her voice was the right choice for this character. And regarding her character, specifically, she was just so insecure and standoffish with the fact that he liked her and she just couldn’t believe it. Just not enjoyable in that aspect

Everly, an NYC party planner with a crush on her oblivious and recently engaged boss falls for Max, a mysterious man she thinks is from the European country of "Monterra" she adores. Sweet and swoony with a great friend sidekick, this was a very entertaining read perfect for fans of authors like Lindsey Kelk or Jenny Holiday and great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Bailey Carr. Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for an early audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only