Series:
Love Unveiled (Book 1)
When did her longtime best friend
Become the perfect groom?
Everly England is a bridal-advice columnist. A guru. And
unfortunately, a jilted bride! Her ruined reputation and wedding only get more
disastrous when her bestie Henry Aston's sympathetic kiss ignites a desire she
never knew possible. Henry knows the glamorous city girl is terrified romance
will ruin their friendship. But this stand-in groom plans to win her “I do”
after all!
This was a terrific friends-to-lovers romance complicated
by a surprise pregnancy. The book opens as Everly is reeling from being jilted
at the altar. This is devastating to her personally and professionally, as she
is an advice columnist for the wedding magazine Veil. She's holed up in the
honeymoon suite at the hotel when her best friend and man of honor, Henry,
shows up to check on her. She and Henry have been best friends since college,
and he knows precisely where to find her - sitting on the bathroom floor eating
crackers and canned cheese. Giving her a shoulder to cry on results in an
unexpected blaze of passion and an unforgettable night.
Unfortunately, Everly wants nothing more than to forget
it happened. She is terrified that it will destroy their friendship, so she gets
extreme in her denial the next morning. At the same time, Henry realizes that
he feels far more than friendship for his bestie and wants to see where it
goes. But Henry, a well-known travel writer, is on his way out of the country
for six weeks, and though he feels he should stay, he has no choice. He goes no
contact, giving Everly the space she needs to face what happened.
The book is a roller coaster of emotions as Henry
realizes his feelings for Everly and decides to work to win her heart. Everly's
fears and insecurities get in the way of accepting her feelings for Henry. I
loved Henry's way of demonstrating his love for her without going too far and
scaring her away. There are sweet scenes where his love shines through, funny
ones where that same love gets her out of trouble, and heartbreaking ones where
she pushes him away.
Everly's confusion as she deals with her changing
emotions and unexpected pregnancy is realistic. I loved watching her begin to
open her heart and believe in a future with Henry until a chance encounter with
her ex-fiancé brings her insecurities roaring back. I wanted to shake her for
allowing him to get into her head that way and pushing Henry away rather than
talking to him about it.
I loved the ending and the unexpected help they received
in finding their way back together. Their methods were creative and emotional
and perfect for who they were.
Supporting characters are Holly Golightly, an adorable
puppy whose entry into Everly's life is a hilarious episode in the book. We
also have Addison and Daphne, Everly's sister and friend, working with her at Veil.
They are there when she needs them for support or a kick in the pants,
depending on the situation. I love their "fashion closet" code. There
is a sneak peek into the next book in the series, featuring Daphne, which looks
like another winner.
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