Marry and Bright - Teri Wilson (HSE #3021 - Dec 2023)

Series: Love Unveiled (Book 3)
 
Mixing business with weddings
 
Both up for the editor-in-chief position at Veil magazine, Addison England and Carter Payne are fierce adversaries. But despite their bickering, the pair has to work together and prove themselves before the magazine's Christmas deadline. Stepping in to pose as the bride and groom for a wedding shoot starts the unexpected change from rivalry to romance…until they discover the “fake” vow exchange was entirely legal. Now the newlyweds have to decide if power really is their ultimate endgame.
 
Terrific conclusion to the series. Addison has been working her tail off for years to earn the editor-in-chief job when her boss, Colette, retires. She's so close now she can practically taste it. So, imagine her shock when Colette's nephew, Carter, shows up in New York, also ready to take the helm. Carter is also stunned, as he had been promised the job years earlier.
 
I definitely got the impression that Colette had ulterior motives for setting up a competition between Addison and Carter. They start with sharing an office, which grinds on their nerves. They are given competing assignments, which Colette will judge. It was fun to see how much alike Addison and Carter were, with their laser-like focus on work, lack of social lives, and disinterest in romantic relationships, though neither could see it at first. Underneath the antagonism were sparks of attraction that they tried to ignore.
 
I loved watching their relationship develop. They got off to a rough start with an awkward meeting that set the stage for some of Addison's anger at Carter. But as the days passed, Addison couldn't deny that Carter was good at his job. I had a good chuckle at Carter's bemusement over his attraction to her, and at the same time, he was trying to beat her for the job. Addison also tried denying it to herself and others. I liked watching their antagonism turn more towards teasing and snark as they grew to appreciate each other's abilities.
 
As the competition deadline grew closer, Carter and Addison had one more hurdle to overcome - whose idea would come out on top for the magazine's main spread? Both had fantastic visions, and it was easy to see how each idea was a winner. I liked how Collette had both follow through with their ideas. It was heartwarming to see how Addison helped Carter with his. But things get complicated when he shows up the next day to help with her photo shoot. Thanks to a blizzard, he and Addison have to become the models. The effect on each of them was undeniable, and it became harder to resist their growing feelings. Trapped together by the weather, they give in.
 
Imagine their shock when they discover that the fake wedding ceremony they went through for the photo shoot was all too real. Now, they are faced with the dilemma of whether to stay married. What effect will Colette's decision have on that question? I did not see Colette's plan coming, though Addison's reaction didn't surprise me. The twists and turns of the final resolution were fun to follow and were the perfect ending.
 
The secondary characters were terrific. Addison's besties, Daphne and Everly, were fantastic in their support roles. I loved how they were TeamAddison all the way, though that didn't stop them from commenting on Carter's looks and abilities. They could see what was happening before she did and had no trouble pointing it out. I laughed out loud when Everly gave Sabrina the dog to Addison. Despite Addison's insistence that she wouldn't keep her, it was easy to see the writing on the wall. It was hilarious to see Sabrina's reaction to Carter. I liked getting to know Colette a little better and seeing a more personal side of her. My favorite secondary character was Joe, the man at the marriage license bureau. His commentary was great, and I'm pretty sure he played a significant role in their fake marriage that wasn't fake. 

Faking a Fairy Tale - Teri Wilson (HSE #3002 - Sept 2023)

Series: Love Unveiled (Book 2)
 
She always dreamed of being Cinderella…
Just not with him
 
Bridal editor Daphne Ballantyne despises her handsome yet infuriating colleague Jack King. In fact, their workplace feud is legendary. But when a juicy magazine assignment requires going undercover as a blissfully engaged couple, both Daphne and Jack say I do. Fake affection soon leads to very real kisses, authentic emotions…and undeniable attraction. But will their high-profile marriage charade lead to a new romantic beginning for Veil's most combative employees?
 
Fun enemies to lovers story. Daphne and Jack have been at loggerheads since he started his job as the magazine's fact-checker. It seems that he annihilates every article she writes with his red pen. She gets even by messing up the items on his desk - he's a little OCD about their arrangement. Everyone on staff has noticed the tension between them, and they are all holding their breath for when their boss catches wind of it.
 
Daphne is afraid that the day has come when she is called to Colette's office and finds Jack there, too. It's a great relief that she seems unaware of their feud until she assigns them to work together on an undercover story by pretending to be an engaged couple. They are horrified by the idea, and Jack refuses by claiming he has other commitments. But when his mother tries to rope him into her society galas, suddenly working with Daphne doesn't seem so bad.
 
Watching the relationship develop between these two totally different people was so much fun. Jack is a planner, always in control of his life and emotions, and a by-the-book guy. Daphne is spontaneous, bubbly, and over-the-top in fashion. Neither expects the sparks of attraction that flare between them as they pretend to be in love. For two people who seem to dislike each other intensely, it was intriguing to note that they knew each other very well. I loved seeing them realize there was more to each other than they previously suspected. I enjoyed seeing how their differing approaches to writing the required articles blended to make something stronger than either could do individually.
 
Matters become more complicated when Jack and Daphne encounter his former fiancée in their undercover class. The next thing they know, Jack's parents know about their "engagement" and pull out all the stops to celebrate. I loved Jack's growing protectiveness toward Daphne as he began to understand her insecurities. There is also a sweet scene where Daphne comes to Jack's rescue when he has a family emergency. At this point, each realizes that their relationship no longer feels fake, and neither knows what to do with those feelings.
 
I loved the ending and seeing how each one found a similar way to let the other know how they felt. It was fun to see the boss lady, Colette, show a more human side than before. 
 
I loved the secondary characters. Daphne's besties, Everly and Addison, do a terrific job supporting her, whether listening to her, advising her, or calling her out when she's lying to herself. The whole "fashion closet" routine is a riot. I also adored little Olivia and her effect on Jack's life. 

Her Man of Honor - Teri Wilson (HSE #2972 - Apr 2023)

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.