A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

 

“Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.”  - taken from Goodreads.

This book was a Regency-inspired story set in a fantasy world where Niamh is a talented seamstress that can infuse memories and emotions into her creations. Her ability is also the reason that her life will be short-lived as is killing herself the more she uses her powers. Being named as the seamstress for the prince’s upcoming nuptials is an opportunity that her family cannot pass up. What Niamh doesn’t expect is to uncover palace secrets and to fall for the prince himself. Prince Christopher or Kit is infuriating to most everyone and is particularly unhappy to be marrying a woman he has no interest in but to be a good political match. As Niamh works on the wedding wardrobe, her and Kit’s feelings for one another get in the way. Can forbidden love win in the end?

Visit Allison Saft’s website.

We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon

 

“Quinn Berkowitz and Tarek Mansour’s families have been in business together for years: Quinn’s parents are wedding planners, and Tarek’s own a catering company. At the end of last summer, Quinn confessed her crush on him in the form of a rambling email—and then he left for college without a response.

Quinn has been dreading seeing him again almost as much as she dreads another summer playing the harp for her parents’ weddings. When he shows up at the first wedding of the summer, looking cuter than ever after a year apart, they clash immediately. Tarek’s always loved the grand gestures in weddings—the flashier, the better—while Quinn can’t see them as anything but fake. Even as they can’t seem to have one civil conversation, Quinn’s thrown together with Tarek wedding after wedding, from performing a daring cake rescue to filling in for a missing bridesmaid and groomsman.

Quinn can’t deny her feelings for him are still there, especially after she learns the truth about his silence, opens up about her own fears, and begins learning the art of harp-making from an enigmatic teacher.

Maybe love isn’t the enemy after all—and maybe allowing herself to fall is the most honest thing Quinn’s ever done.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Quinn and Tarek cross paths every summer during the wedding season. Quinn's parents are wedding planners while Tarek's are caterers. After things don't end well between the two of them, Quinn confesses her feelings for Tarek in an email but he never responds. What happens the following summer when they meet at the first wedding of the year starts a journey of recovery and reconciliation between the two of them, another enjoyable romance by this author.

Visit Rachel Lynn Solomon’s website.

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

“Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was another super sweet rom-com from Sarah Dessen. Louna is still heartbroken over the tragic ending of her first love/relationship. It doesn’t help that she works for her wedding planner mother who has also disillusioned herself with the idea of happily ever after. When Ambrose joins Natalie Barrett weddings for the summer, Louna discovers that maybe she can open her heart up again. 

Visit Sarah Dessen’s website.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

“Charlie Grant's older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can't wait for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.

The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster. There's the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won't stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.

There are the relatives who aren't speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo. Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner's nephew is unexpectedly, distractedly cute.

Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she'll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book is completely different from any other Morgan Matson book I read before. Don't go in expecting a cute Romance. The story of the grant family takes place over three very hectic and chaotic days. Charlie, the youngest of the five Grant children, is excited for her family to be together for one last weekend at her older sister's wedding and her mother's retirement before their house is sold. Mrs. Grant is a famous cartoon has to strip is based on her family.

What makes this book great is the fact that everything that could go wrong does, and how the Grant family weathers the impending storms.

Visit Morgan Matson’s website.

Smoke in the Sun by Renee Adhieh (Flame in the Mist book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Flame in the Mist, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

“For weeks, seventeen-year-old Mariko pretended to be a boy to infiltrate the notorious Black Clan and bring her would-be murderer to justice. She didn't expect to find a place for herself among the group of fighters—a life of usefulness—and she certainly didn't expect to fall in love. Now she heads to the imperial castle to resume a life she never wanted to save the boy she loves.

Ōkami has been captured, and his execution is a certainty. Mariko will do what she must to ensure his survival—even marry the sovereign's brother, saying goodbye to a life with Ōkami forever.

As Mariko settles into her days at court—making both friends and enemies—and attempting Ōkami's rescue at night, the secrets of the royal court begin to unravel as competing agendas collide. One arrow sets into motion a series of deadly events even the most powerful magic cannot contain. Mariko and Ōkami risk everything to right past wrongs and restore the honor of a kingdom thrown into chaos by a sudden war, hoping against hope that when the dust settles, they will find a way to be together.

Set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, Smoke in the Sun is the breathless, romantic, not-to-be-missed fiery conclusion to a spell-binding adventure.” taken from Goodreads.com

Picking up immediately where the first book left off, Mariko and Okami find themselves in the clutches of Emperor Roku. Mariko is desperate to free Okami, even if it means giving up her own chance at happiness. Finding herself in a rapidly escalating power struggle, she finds that sticking to her principles wins over the one person that matters. I did feel like the ending was wrapped up a little too neatly, but this is still an enjoyable read.

There are also two enovellas available that take place between the two books, Okami and Yumi that give a bit of insight into both of these characters’ minds between books one and two. 

Visit Renee Adhieh’s website.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

“Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?”

Seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan would like nothing more than to not be heading to London to attend her father’s wedding to a woman she has never met. Forced to go and be a bridesmaid by her mother, Hadley is still a bit bitter about her father’s move to England and the subsequent divorce between her parents. She is just four minutes late to board her plane and is left behind. Now she is going to be three hours later getting to the wedding and will just barely arrive in time. Hadley thinks everyone is going to blame her for missing her flight. Claustrophobic, Hadley is now even more stressed because she fought with her mother before leaving. The last thing she expects to happen is to catch the attention of the cute boy who turns out to be on the same flight she is now on.

Oliver, a Yale student heading home to London for an event, offers to watch Hadley’s suitcase when an older woman next to her refuses. He notices her struggling with her things and offers to help. They soon strike up a conversation that lasts all night through their flight to London. As the two of them depart from the plane, they realize they will be separated at customs. As Hadley aches from having to say good-bye, Oliver pulls her close for a kiss, they promise to meet up in the baggage claim but she cannot find him before leaving for the wedding.

With Hadley’s thoughts never straying from Oliver, will they be able to find each other again in London? Is it possible to fall in love at first sight? Can Hadley find it in herself to forgive her father? And what will Hadley do when she realizes the reason Oliver came home? This story of fate, destiny and love will be hard to put down.