The Wedding Date is Jasmine Guillory’s debut novel. I actually read her second book The Proposal last summer, its a companion book not a direct sequel. But it featured some of the same characters,however this did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. I have no idea why I put off reading this for so long, but am glad that I finally picked it up. This was an adorable romance, with a fake dating trope.
From the beginning this book was so much fun. It starts out with our main characters being stuck in an elevator. After some quick banter, and flirting, Drew asks Alexis to be his date to his ex-girlfriends wedding. You all know this is a romance book, so you all know where this is going. Fake dating to real relationship, and it was so adorable. This is told is dual perspectives, so we get to see things from Alexis and Drew.
Alexis – She is a lawyer, and now Berkley’s mayor’s chief of staff, black, she’s working hard on a project that will help at-risk teens, and is doing everything it can for the project to get the green light.
Drew – He is a Pediatric Doctor from Los Angeles, and from the mentions of it he is a pretty good one, he is one of the groomsmen is his ex-girlfriends weeding who is marrying his friend.
Charlos – He is Drew’s best friend, he is so sweet and immediately accepting of Alexis, the companion book The Proposal actually follows his story.
“White men hated it when you reminded them of their privilege”
Of course like any romance novel, they encounter some bumps in the road. Both characters are scared to take the leap to actual be in a real relationship with each other. Having been hurt in the past, they don’t want to risk there hearts again. This is where I lowered my rating a little. This plot point is really over used in the romance genre, I understand wanting to protect yourself, but not every character has to be afraid to jump in. They are both adults, and yet there lack of communication was frustrating. I mean not every adult has everything figured out but they could have at least talked openly about there past relationships, and there feelings for each other.
I appreciated the way that the author inserted different conversations regarding race. Alexis shines on spotlight on what its like to be black how how white people need to check there privilege. Drew soon realizes how he is sometimes given on free pass, and different opportunities based on the color of his skin. This book has so much good in it.
Overall, this was a really fun sweet wedding romance. Is it my new favorite? no, but I do enjoy Jasmine’s writing and will continue to read her work. I recommend if your looking for a cute, diverse story.
Trigger and content warnings sexual content, for racist comments
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