Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Wedding Date With The Best Man (Girls’ Weekend in Vegas #4) by Melissa McClone
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Romance 14 Sep 2010

I’m a romance reader who will travel all over the map (just kisses to smokin’ hot lovin’!), but there has been nothing more gratifying to me of late than discovering the Harlequin Romance line.  Something about these “just kisses” and “behind closed doors” stories has flipped my switch, and flipped it hard.  It could be the emphasis on sexual tension over, well, just sex.  Or maybe it’s that I’ve been really good at picking out stories with interesting, contemporary, and just flat-out nice characters.  This one from Melissa McClone is no exception.

Jayne Cavendish thought her fiance’ Rich was The One.  That is until she went to his apartment and was greeted by woman wearing sexy black lingerie.  To nurse her wounded pride, her three BFFs took her to Vegas for a “girls weekend.”  They all found men and happily ever afters.  Jayne found a new haircut.  She’s now back home in San Diego.  Alone.  And that’s where Tristan MacGregor finds her.

Tristan is Rich’s BFF and was going to be the best man at the wedding.  He met Jayne through Rich and immediately fell hook, line and sinker.  But she was his friend’s fiance’, so that means all look, no touch.  To compensate Tristan did his best to remain aloof, leading Jayne to think that he didn’t “like” her.  So she’s a little surprised to see him at her front door.

What follows is Tristan getting Jayne to break out of her shell (and her funk) and Jayne turning Tristan’s head around.  They spend time together.  They laugh.  They learn about each other.  Enough to know how truly opposite they are.  Jayne wants home, hearth, stability, and 2.5 kids.  Tristan loves travel, adventure, and when he’s not working as a photojournalist, he’s living in hotels.  Tristan teaches Jayne how to loosen up without throwing the baby out with the bath water, and Jayne teaches Tristan that “home” isn’t a four-letter word.

The obstacles to the happily-ever-after, besides the We Want Different Things conflict, is a Big Secret that Tristan is keeping from Jayne.  And once she finds out, it could ruin everything.  Especially tricky since he’s falling in love with her.

What I loved about this story was that the characters and plot were believable.  I could see this sort of thing happening in real life, especially the Big Secret element.  The opposites attract angle is also handled with a deft touch, with both characters coming to realizations and making compromises – which I loved!  I did feel at times that the three BFFs brought in a wee bit of series-itis with them, but the author keeps these scenes light, and blessedly brief, so they don’t overwhelm this romance.

I really enjoyed this story a lot.  The author uses the San Diego and Las Vegas settings to great effect, displaying a familiarity with both.  Jayne is a nice girl who I wouldn’t mind being BFFs with. Tristan is sexy and loyal, and towards the end embodies the very definition of the word hero.  If you’re looking for a quick contemporary read with plenty of sexual tension?  Yeah, look no further.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Determined not to be knocked back by her ex-fiance jilting her, Jane Cavendish went on a fabulous girls’ weekend in Vegas with her three best friends. she returned home refreshed, relaxed…and with a “no man” rule!

Except now she’s in danger of falling at the first hurdle!  Tristan MacGregor, her ex’s best friend and almost their best man, is back in town. Jayne is surprised when he makes a beeline for her. But he seems determined to put the sunny smile permanently back on her face…and it’s working!
Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: