About the Books
Book: Always a Wedding Planner
Author: RL Ashly, Leeann Betts, Toni Shiloh, Davalynn Spencer
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release date: June 1, 2021
This collection features four stories of wedding planners who are partners at Weddings by Design, located in Loveland, Colorado. Each novella will be about 30,000 words.
Can four contemporary wedding planners break the jinx of singledom, or are they destined to witness the weddings of others?
Business partners Felicity Edwards, Kiki Bell, Cassie Blackthorn, and another who has yet to be named are best of friends in Loveland, Colorado—a romantic wedding destination for many couples—and they work together to make every bride’s special day the most important of their lives.
But each of the women hides a secret from the others, one that threatens their business, their friendship, and their happiness.
Can they work out their differences, build on their strengths, and trust each other—and God—with their futures?
Click here to purchase your copy!
My Thoughts:
This is the first time I’ve read any of these authors, though Toni Shiloh books are in my TBR list. I love the concept of this novella collection. Four best friends running a wedding planning business together means lots of romance before the main characters’ romance even starts! The first and last stories, Finally a Sweetheart by Toni Shiloh and Taste and See by Davalynn Spencer were my favorites of the group, but all of them were enjoyable stories.
Finally a Sweetheart introduces readers to Weddings By Design and focuses on Felicity, the company cake designer. When her high school crush walks back into her life, Felicity begins to wonder if this isn’t her time to leave singleness behind. Of course, hidden baggage means misunderstandings and a rocky road to romance. One of my favorite scenes is the mini-golf scene. It is so funny! Most might read it thinking nothing that humiliating could ever happen, but as a woman who struggles with being a klutz, I can totally believe it. In fact, I want to know if it is based on a true situation.
Hemmed In focuses on Kiki the seamstress of the group. Raising her niece and nephew while trying to fix up the house she inherited and designing and creating wedding dresses is hard enough. When a fire brings code issues to the attention of the fire department (no matter how cute the man is) and an unexpected hire at Weddings By Design, things get even trickier without adding in the prospect of romance.
The Worst-Kept Secret showcases Cassie the wedding coordinator. She’s an introvert in an extrovert’s job, and it takes a toll on her. Pressure to keep from letting her friends down is strong. Her attraction to the limo driver the company uses only stresses her out more. She feel he’s a bad choice for her and comes to believe he’s bad for the business too. A lot of truth is needed for Cassie at Weddings By and also for any hope for her happily ever after.
This cute quartet of sweet romances is finished with Taste and See. Saffron is the company chef. There’s just one problem, she can’t taste her food anymore. The cute handyman who is helping her around the house makes a perfect helper without having to disclose her secret and putting her job at risk. But protecting her secret from friends and the man she’s coming to care for has a price that could away everything she cares about.
I’ll be candid. I did not like one of the secondary characters whose horrible ways were so awful and her reasonings for being that way so mild in comparison to her actions, that I was disappointed a bit in the inclusion of her in the stories. Though she apologizes at one point, she continues being horrid to everyone and no one does anything about it. And I have a bit of issue with one of the characters who seems very quick to jump to conclusions and hold it against people without trying to find the truth.
However, these two matters don’t keep the stories from being enjoyable romances I’d recommend to others. The way the friends care for and support one another is wonderful, the romances full of sweet moments, and the stories are packed with fun. I give Always a Wedding Planner four out of five stars.
About the Authors
Leeann Betts writes contemporary romantic suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical romantic suspense. Together she and Donna have published more than 30 novellas and full-length novels.
R.L. ASHLY is a master seamstress with a Master of Arts degree in Literature (May, 2019). S, who is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Literature. A mother and grandmother, she is active in her local writing community, never says never to a home improvement task, and strives to one day write the Great American Novel.
RL Ashly writes on the run. She enjoys a good mystery with a complicated plot. Iced tea is her beverage of choice. Hemmed In is her first traditionally published novel.
DAVALYNN SPENCER is a Publisher’s Weekly and ECPA bestselling author with novellas in three Barbour collections, The 12 Brides of Christmas, The 12 Brides of Summer, and The Cowboy’s Bride. She won the Will Rogers Gold Medallion for Inspirational Western Fiction and is the author of ten additional titles, both contemporary and historical. She blogs monthly for Christian Authors Network, Heroes, Heroines & History, contributes to the American Christian Fiction blog, and writes her own weekly inspirational blog. She appears on an area radio broadcast, Write Time Radio, and teaches writing workshops when not wrangling Blue the Cowdog and mouse detectors Annie and Oakley.
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 3
Inklings and notions, September 4
By The Book, September 4
For Him and My Family, September 5
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 5
The Meanderings of a Bookworm, September 6
Kayem Reads, September 6
Texas Book-aholic, September 7
lakesidelivingsite, September 8
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 8
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 9
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, September 10
She Lives To Read, September 10
Mypreciousbitsandmusings, September 11
deb’s Book Review, September 11
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 12
Labor Not in Vain, September 13
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 13
Splashes of Joy, September 14
Through the Fire Blogs, September 14
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 15
Pause for Tales, September 15
Simple Harvest Reads, September 16 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Giveaway
To celebrate their tour, R.L., Toni, Leann and Davalynn are giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a print copy of the book (US only)!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/116b7/always-a-wedding-planner-celebration-tour-giveaway
The Conversation
Thank you for being part of the tour. And though I’m klutzy, I’ve never been in Felicity’s situation. I’ll have to tell you about my other sports fails some other time though. 😉
I could see it so vividly! I was certain it was real life in fiction form. Maybe it’s because when my kids were little, I managed to embarrass myself and hit a ball out into a busy intersection while we were on vacation.
This sounds like a grwat read!!!! I love revisiting states I have lived in through books!
It was a fun read. And it was a great twist on the love theme having the girls helping others find their happily ever afters while struggling to find their own.
I’m definitely checking this out! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by!
This sounds like a great read.
It is definitely enjoyable.
Thanks for hosting us!
I enjoyed the stories and am happy I got to share about them with others.