I was trying to remember my reactions to this novel, and then started wondering if I had already reviewed this. As it turns out, certain parts of my reaction to this novel were similar to my reactions to The Bride Test, which was also a follow on to a very popular and widely discussed romance novel.
After Nik’s casual boyfriend (she’s mostly just using him for sex because he’s pretty) decides to publicly propose to her at a Dodgers game, she is in a bit of a situation. First, the man obviously is an idiot since he didn’t make sure they were on the same page about their relationship and then he chose an approach and venue that was basically the opposite of anything she would have wanted. Second, she is on a jumbo-tron at the stadium, and everyone is about to see her turn this guy down – who didn’t even spell her name right in the message.
Fortunately, Carlos, a doctor introduced in The Wedding Date, is nearby and he and his sister decide to step in and help her get out of the situation. This leads to Carlos and Nik keeping in touch, and eventually going on a few dates which involve enjoying lots of different foods in LA.
The rest of the novel tracks as their relationship develops and they deal with past baggage. Carlos hasn’t quite handled his father’s death, and the ten year anniversary is approaching. As a result, he is very protective of his family members and avoids his annual physicals. Nik is a writer who had an asshole boyfriend – not the one that proposed – and is very much avoiding anything too intimate that might interfere with her priorities.
This is the part that is similar to my reaction to The Bride Test – Alexa and Drew in The Wedding Date did some stupid things and dealt with things in bad ways on occasion rather than talking it out; in some ways I like the lack of crazy, fabricated drama more but in other ways, it made for a slightly bland if sweet novel. It was a nice switch up to have the woman be the one more resistant to the relationship, although they slip into a relationship so easily it takes Nik a few months in to start resisting/realize it might actually be something. So basically, it’s a good read but not a memorable one.
I really liked the way this one started, but it ended on a whimper for me.
That is kind of a perfect description. There really isn’t much conflict; they slip into a relationship, Nik gets cold feet, and then she gets over herself. I got so frustrated with Drew and Alexa at times about their communication skills and her tendency to read too much into things, and yet they are just more memorable.