The Wedding Date, by Jasmine Guillory, is a delightful romcom that doesn’t shy away from some of the tough work involved in interracial relationships. Alexa calls Drew on his privilege many times in the book, and Drew demonstrates that he’s learning. These issues come up throughout the book, but not in a preachy way – in a way that shows a relationship growing and trust developing.
Briefly, Alexa and Drew ‘meet cute’ in an elevator, which sets the stage for a fake relationship. Their chemistry is real, however, and eventually real dates ensue. Alexa is the chief of staff to the mayor of Oakland and Drew is a pediatric surgeon in Los Angeles, so they wrestle with a long-distance relationship, commitment questions, work-life balance, and other challenges. Drew is a commitment-phobe (although the roots of his inability to commit aren’t entirely clear) and Alexa is a work-a-holic who steers clear of dating. They both have some great friend, who are given a bit of short shrift, but they round out the main characters nicely. There are steamy sections, too, though the author tends to cut-away; the scene in Golden Gate Park, however, provides a scrumptious combination of food porn and sexy times.
Both characters grow during the course of the book – independently, as well as with each other – so I was more invested in the characters as people than I often am in romance novels. Although the book progresses predictably, the characters and the richness of their lives buoyed me along.
An aside: the cover art is gorgeous!
