This book. Seriously. This was probably the wrong romance read for me with everything going on in the US election right now where you have the hero grabbing and kissing the heroine without permission mere minutes after they met and being all hey do you want to bone? He doesn't communicate his past or anything that he really wants with the heroine besides let's have sex. He gets angry if she asks any questions about a thing. Oh and he is just generally a jerk and refers to her either as assistant wedding planner or the name of her apartment. I am assuming the author meant that to be hot/cute but it wasn't. It just shows how little he really does think of the woman he supposedly fell in love with. And the ending....oh boy. That was not a happily ever after. That was a, so you are both dumb and I guess good for you? Okay, good for you. Golf clap.

Heather Fowler is an assistant wedding planner. So when she finally gets her big shot to plan a high profile wedding she is all over it. She means this wedding to be the one that has her promoted to wedding planner full stop by her boss Alexis. However, due to being woken in the middle of the night by her jerk of a neighbor (Josh Tanner), Heather starts to have the boy next door on her mind, a lot.

Heather was weak willed to the point that I was just confused by this character a lot. She talks a good game about being independent, never in love, wanting to move to NYC, making her dream of becoming a wedding planner a reality, etc. However, I saw none of that besides some words said here and there.

Actually we barely see Heather planning this once in a million wedding. We just know that she's handling the whole thing because the bride is being hands off (which is weird) and oh yeah, the bride used to date Josh (of course she did) and Heather is choosing things she would, if it was her wedding. You would think there would be some conflict there, but nope. In fact, this whole book was pretty boring from beginning to end. There was some sort of snafu that should/could have ruined things for the Belles, but it got done away with due to the too ridiculous to be believed ending.

And Josh is terrible. Even with his backstory, he is terrible. He acts like a jerk throughout the book to Heather. I didn't see one redeeming thing about the guy besides hey he's good in bed. I can't even say he's an alpha type dude since I think in most alpha romance stories you still get some development (most of the time) between the two main leads. At the end of this story the only thing I got is that Heather and Josh like pancakes, and Josh likes banana bread. I don't have an idea besides that what they believe or think about kids, marriage, religion, favorite movies, etc.

Also the age of these two would imply some maturity, but they both do really dumb things to make the other jealous and I just sighed for this book to get over quickly.

The secondary characters in this book are not really there. We have some friends/family of Josh and Heather's mother and the Belles. At least in this one there were more scenes/interaction with all of the Belles and we can already tell how book #3 is going to go with the commentary around Logan and Alexis.

The writing was good (one of the reasons why I kept this as a 2 star review) and the flow was actually okay. I just think that if the author had changed up the hero a bit, and actually show two people getting to know each other, or just didn't go with the ending she did the book would have resonated more with me. And honestly, I would have liked it more if Heather had been the one to realize she didn't need this crap from Josh. It was so surreal to see her falling for a guy who barely tolerated her asking questions. I think readers are supposed to get that Josh is falling for Heather by his checking his cell phone messages (way later in the story) but that can be read so many different ways.

Anyway, onto book #3! ( )

ARC Review: For Better or Worse (The Wedding Belles) by Lauren Layne

It's not very often that I can picture the characters as actors in a live movie. With Heather and Josh I totally could. Josh has had a hard road and been faced with some tough choices but the uncertainty and adversity has made him aware of his inner strength and allowed him to gain new appreciation for his surroundings. Heather balances out the seriousness with her quirky yet charming personality. I entered this story dreading the serious subject matter and exited applauding the excellent way it was handled. For Better or Worse mixes drama with charisma and ended up surprising me. ( )

I truly enjoyed this story as Heather Fowler, a small town girl finally is promoted from an assistant the elite status of Wedding Belles wedding planner. I loved the enter action between Heather and her next door neighbor, Josh Tanner as bells ring out when she stomps to his door when his music awakens her. I Liked Josh's take charge attitude when he kicked cancer and amended his playboy ways and devoted himself to his music but one look at Heather's workaholic ways, he hoped that he could slow her down even to smell the roses! ( )

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying the Wedding Belles series. I've mention before that this series reminds me of a TV show I liked, can't remember the name right now and I'm kind of too lazy to look it up but believe me when I say, it's like that show.

So far this series has been a lot of fun. With For Better or Worse you get a little bit more serious subject matter. Before I started it the title should have been a giveaway but...what can I say, I'm not that bright.

I really loved Heather. You met her in the prior book, I can't remember if she was in the novella but I'm pretty sure she was. Heather works so hard to prove herself. I both liked that about her and felt sorry for her at the same time.

Now Josh I wasn't sure about. yes I liked him but I didn't like how the author kept throwing women at him. I understood it, and like Heather, had to learn to trust him. It was so sweet how he tried so hard to not have a personal relationship with Heather yet couldn't stop being with her.

Men!

I really think you'll love how Josh helps her with the wedding she's doing and how neither of them realize just how close they are getting to each other. This is the perfect addition to the series. I really can't wait for To Love and to Cherish which is out on Oct 18th.

This is a wonderfully written fun series that will leave you wanting more and more. Plus maybe some banana bread after reading For Better or Worse. But you want to know why, well you'll have to read it to find out.

Reviewed for Romancing the Readers Blog:
http://romancingthereaders.blogspot.com/2016/09/review-giveaway-for-better-or-wo...

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ARC received for a honest review ( )

When Heather was a child, she made a plan to leave her small town of Merryville, Michigan and go to Manhattan New York, and that she did!...well via Brooklyn Heights, but now she was in her own little apartment just east of Central Park and working her dream job of being an Assistant Wedding Planner to one of the exclusive wedding planning services in New York! And Heather is working hard towards her dream of being a full wedding planner! If only should could get a full night sleep!

Josh Tanner was an ex Trust fund Manager, musician and… well, he doesn't know what he is planning to do! That is until the gorgeous new tenant from 4C bashed on his door, to yell at him to stop his band playing! But Josh was blown away by this sassy little this with her perfect ass! But Heather seems less than thrilled with Josh, but that doesn't stop him from flirting with her. But Heather is extremely focused on her job and when she lands a wedding of a socialite and ex-girlfriend of Josh's, she recruits his into helping her plan a wedding, that the bride seems to have no interest.

Heather is more taken with Josh, but doesn't want him to know it! Even if that means kissing his friend Trevor, just to make him jealous and it works! And their relationship turns into a friend's with benefits.

But Heather realizes she is in love with Josh. But Josh is hiding a huge secret, that stops him from even considering having a relationship with anyone, even if that means his heart breaks.

I loved the first book in the Wedding Belles series, But if you have IT DOSEN'T MATTER as For Better or Worse can totally be read as a standalone novel.

You cannot help but love Josh and his flirty behavior! And your heart goes out for everything he has gone through. I will also say that I LOVE Sue (Josh's Mom) and I wish I had her for a Mom. Heather is awesome and she is everything I wish I was.

The chemistry between them Josh and Heather is fantastic, the plot is divine and you and help but get sucked in their story and get a little hot under the collar when it gets to the steamy parts. The writing is superb and everything I have come to associate with a Lauren Layne book!

I give For Better or Worse 5 stars!
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