Publisher: Berkley
How did you get the book: e-ARC from publisher
Release date: May 6th
SHE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO SAY “I DO”
After a humiliating end to her engagement, investment banker Sidney Sinclair is done with commitment-phobic men. But when her sister winds up engaged after a whirlwind courtship, she’s thrown in to close contact with exactly the kind of sexy playboy she wants to avoid—the gorgeous best man. She’s stuck with him, for better or worse, until her sister walks down the aisle, but that doesn’t mean she has to give in to his smooth advances, no matter how tempting they are…
BUT HE MAKES IT HARD TO SAY “I DON’T”
Special Agent Vaughn Roberts always gets his man on the job and his woman in bed. So Sidney’s refusal to fall for his charms only makes him more determined to win over the cool and confident redhead. Only what starts out as a battle of wills ends up as a serious play for her heart. Because the one woman who refuses to be caught may be the only one Vaughn can’t live without…
*blurb taken from Goodreads*
Lou: Julie James became an auto-buy author for me many years ago. Her FBI/US Attorney series is one of my favourite contemporary series, and It Happened One Wedding didn’t disappoint. I admit I had some doubts about the heroine but shame on me for doubting Julie James because all came awesomely right in the end. Sidney, I believe, is probably the most bluntest and sharpest heroine in this series. She was quite abrupt and sometimes standoffish towards Vaughn, and I worried that this would be the only side of her personality. The more we got to know–and understand her–I finally clicked with her character and I really enjoyed the romance. I loved Vaughn because he was so pragmatic about what he wanted in life–and blunt–and I did enjoy the banter he had with Sidney, especially teaching her the ways of single guy players.
MinnChica: Like Lou, I’ve loved Julie James since I picked up her first book years ago. I read every single thing she writes and usually end up squeeing over it for days. My girl crush knows no bounds. 🙂 I couldn’t wait to see who would bring Vaughn to his knees, especially since I’ve adored him since he first became a part of the FBI/US Attorney series. Unlike Lou, I loved Sidney right away. She had spunk and she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go for exactly what she thought would make her happy. I loved that about her, and thought she and Vaughn were so great together!
Lou: It took me a while to warm up to Sidney but the way she and Vaughn butted heads was funny. I think the issue I had was that it took over half the novel for them to come to some sort relationship that wasn’t quite so combative. I adored Vaughn’s brother, Simon. The scene in the club was hilarious. Julie James does great bromances in her books, and it was funny seeing Cade and Vaughn’s partner, Huxley, tease Vaughn about his distraction for Sidney.
But my heart hurt for Sidney when it’s explained just how callous her ex-fiance was in his cheating. I kinda wanted him to see his up-commence in some way, but Sidney falling in love with a sexy FBI agent and having smoking hot sex with him was probably the best revenge of all.
MinnChica: I adored all the secondary characters in this book, both the ones we’ve met and the ones that were new. I loved the side romance between Simon and Isabelle, and thought it was the perfect way to kind of off-set the sexual tension between Sidney and Vaughn, whose relationship was extremely slow to develop, and started more as a friendship than anything else. But I liked the way James took her time with these two. Sidney had been burned, and Vaughn was so determined to stay in playboy status, that their frenemies to friends to lovers relationship really worked for me. I thought it was perfect!
Lou: There’s something about James’ writing that makes these high-flying career characters of hers so relatable. There was a difference in Sidney and Vaughn’s upbringings. Despite Sidney’s privileged lifestyle, she’s fits easily into the lazier way of life out of the city when they visit Vaughn and Simon’s parents. The “little lie” Isabelle concocted to try and fool Simon’s parents and Vaughn was adorable and funny. It was adorably funny because it was obvious to everyone but them. The sex in this novel is smoking hawt, and there’s a little down and dirty grinding going on! Sidney and Vaughn try and tell themselves that what they have going on can be easily finished and they both know what they are doing. Poor Vaughn, getting his heart and head all in a little twist when Sidney goes on dates. I was like, dude, go and GET her. But Vaughn in his stubborn playboy ways had to learn the hard way. Similar to Sidney. But they both get their HEA and it was very satisfying.
So despite my initial shaky start, It Happened One Wedding became another must read in the FBI/Attorney series. Now the wait for one my year beings for the next novel!
I give It Happened One Wedding a B.
MinnChica: All in all, I think this is probably my new favorite book in the series. I thought Vaughn and Sidney’s relationship was perfect, and I loved every moment of the slow burn. James really took the sexy up a notch with this book, and I appreciated that as well. 🙂 The secondary characters were great, the romance was so much fun, and there was little about this story that I didn’t just absolutely fall in love with. I can’t wait to see what James has in store for the series next, and I’m anxious to read more. I seriously wish she wrote faster!!
I give It Happened One Wedding an A
I really like a blunt heroine who doesn’t give in easily. Looking forward to trying this book. Can they all be read as stand alones?