From This Day Forward by Lauren Layne

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Title: From This Day Forward
Author: Lauren Layne
Series: The Wedding Belles #0.5
Published by: Pocket Books
Release Date: June 6, 2016
Format: eARC
Pages: 99
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Source: NetGalley
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:

Blurb:

Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in this prequel to USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne’s The Wedding Belles series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding—but their own.
Up-and-coming wedding photographer Leah McHale’s career is on the rise–thanks in no small part to the Wedding Belles, the elite New York wedding planning agency that always throws top-tier business Leah’s way. So when one of the Belles asks Leah to fill in at the former First Daughter's wedding, Leah is overjoyed to say yes–until she finds out who she’ll be working with.
Jason Rhodes is the one man who was able to capture Leah’s heart and, once he had it, promptly stepped all over it and left her broken. Now he’s working side-by-side with her at the biggest wedding of the season and Leah is determined to give him the cold shoulder. Despite his persistence, she is not going to fall for his charming, impish ways again. Not even if he still has that killer, irresistible smile...

My Review:

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3.5 stars — This little novella was a great set up for the new series, and I enjoyed the glimpses of the characters we’re soon to meet — particularly Heather, she seems like a hoot!  And I’m a lover of weddings, a romantic at heart, so the setting seems perfect.

Leah and Jason’s story, however, just didn’t quite float my boat.  I know the miscommunication trope is super common, and I’m about 50/50 on whether it will bother me or not.  The problem in this one is that I didn’t feel like the extenuating circumstances were enough to give the characters a pass on their behavior.  And the miscommunication occurred in the past and pervaded the whole story.  I guess I could forgive them for the initial miscommunication, and even get over what made them let it persist (his pride, her fear).  But when they encounter each other again and Jason has a perfect opportunity to clear it up, he chooses not to, even though he wants to pursue Leah again in some form.  *sigh*  It’s not that I can’t see people doing it, it just doesn’t make for very likeable characters.  And it wasn’t one or the other, they both had their faults and behaved kind of childishly.  And I get that they totally acknowledged that in their heads, but it just wasn’t enough for me.  It’s hard to love a romance when you mostly just want to smack both MCs.

Good chemistry and heat between them.  But again, my heart just wasn’t with them both.

So yeah.  Solid romance, but just wasn’t in the mood for the miscommunication trope this time around.  But I am definitely intrigued by the series and looking forward to seeing what comes next.