Review: From This Day Forward

Book review: From This Day Forward, by Lauren Layne. 2 stars

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Up-and-coming wedding photographer Leah McHale’s career is on the rise–thanks in no small part to the Wedding Belles, the elite New York wedding planning agency that always throws top-tier business Leah’s way. So when one of the Belles asks Leah to fill in at the former First Daughter's wedding, Leah is overjoyed to say yes–until she finds out who she’ll be working with. Jason Rhodes is the one man who was able to capture Leah’s heart and, once he had it, promptly stepped all over it and left her broken. Now he’s working side-by-side with her at the biggest wedding of the season and Leah is determined to give him the cold shoulder. Despite his persistence, she is not going to fall for his charming, impish ways again. Not even if he still has that killer, irresistible smile...

Genre: contemporary romance

Publication date: June 2016

Mature content: yes

Review: I picked up From This Day Forward because I'd read all the other Wedding Belles' books before and it made sense to read this one too. As short romance stories go, I don't think this one is that good, though.

In the past, Leah and Jason were romantically involved. One day she found another woman in his house and she just turned her back and ran, never returned his calls and never saw him again. Until a work commitment brings them together once more.

A few pages into the story I had already guessed who the intruding woman was, so zero suspense there. What I didn't understand was why Jason and Leah couldn't handle that situation as adults instead of moody teenagers. Even Leah screaming and demanding an explanation would have made more sense than just running. And then when they meet again Jason has a million opportunities (ok, exaggerating a bit here) to tell her the truth, but he doesn't because he really prefers for her to believe in him without him having to explain it. Hello? Adults are not supposed to run from problems and talking is the best way to clear things up - at least that's what I keep telling my children, so I really tend to dislike books that pass on the wrong messages as if running and closing up and expecting others to magically understand you were normal attitudes to be endorsed. That they both behave the way they do and still get the happily ever after seems more like a coincidence than anything else.

Besides Leah running (twice), Jason either brooding or trying to seduce her and a few hot sex scenes, there's almost nothing else in this book. The other books in the Wedding Belles series were either hit or miss for me and sadly, this one is a miss.

Happy readings,

the book worm, book blog

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