Alward takes readers on an adventure. Molly and Eric are the perfect tour guides. Beautiful sights, heartstopping romance and a hint of risk, spell the perfect vacation. The beauty is there is no airfare required. All that's needed is an open heart, a sense of humor and a wicked imagination. The perfect way to travel.

Harper felt it was odd being the person in front of the camera instead of behind. She was used to being the wedding photographer . Adele was harper’s best friend and it was Adele’s wedding day. Harper was the only bridesmaid and Drew stood up with his brother Dan. Harper was no good at flirting and even worse when it came to personal space and touching. She never quite knew where to put her hands or where to look.  Harper was not confident when it came to men especially good looking ones who said the right things without trying. They had a habit of just turning around and walking away just when you thought it was safe enough to believe . to trust. Drew told harper her would like to get to know her better but Harper said no. He did also say her nature pictures were great and why didn’t she decide to devote herself to them. Harper told him the wedding and other occasions photography paid the bills so she could do some nature photography. Adele had cancer at a young age and couldn’t have children of her own. Harper told her she would be her surrogate and carry a baby for her. She had just taken a pregnancy test and she was pregnant. Adele and dan would have their child. Adele had made Harper feel like she had a home and some roots. Drew didn’t stay in one place for very long cause when he did he got itchy to be on his way again. But Adele was hovering over harper a little too much but harper didn’t want to hurt Adele and didn’t say anything. Than Drew showed up when Harper was at dans and Adeles and dan told Drew about the baby and all harper was doing for them. He told harper she was doing something amazing but at first he wondered what she was getting out of it. Harper was attracted to Drew but knew it would go nowhere. Drew was going with Harper the next morning why she went looking for nature pictures to take. Drew was normally up this early to have some time to hike in nature before he had to be to work. Today he would be with Harper. He knew he couldn’t be interested in her romantically as she was the surrogate carrying his brothers baby- his niece or nephew. But he liked her, he had since the wedding. She challenged him even when she was sweet and unassuming. Drew made his fortune and was a millionaire as owner of Aspen Outfitters and always liked to move around and not settle in one place. Drew had heard his parents arguing when he had been young and his father had given up his dreams for his family. Drew had feared settling down every since.

I did really enjoy this book. I loved Drew and Harper together and how they interacted with each other. I also loved there was a slow build up to their romance. I loved Adele’s and Harper's friendship. I loved that Harper was willing to carry Adele and Dan’s child even knowing it would be painful to give the baby up when it was born. I also loved the relationship Harper had with Jumy her employee at the shop. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly  recommend it.                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

Her secret regret has become a life sized reality. Alward has a way of turning heartbreaking moments into humorous tales of courage. Best Man for the Wedding Planner is a laugh out loud, don't forget your tissues, irresistible find. For every pond of tears, there's a rainbow waiting to be born. Alward shoots straight from the heart and helps us find that rainbow.

3.75 stars

Donna Alward is a favorite of mine, so picking this up was a no-brainer. I read The Playboy Prince and the Nanny and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading Raoul’s story. While I didn’t like him as much as younger brother, Diego, he slowly grew on me. Stephani I liked from the get go, but I wondered why she put of with some of Raoul’s nonsense.

Stephani is the Crown Prince’s PA, and she’s worked for him for ten years. Raoul was married to Stephani’s cousin, Ceci, and when she died tragically in a car accident, both she and Raoul were broken hearted. Raoul hasn’t moved on yet, and believes that inviting another woman into his life and the lives of his children would be disrespectful. He’s just not ready for another relationship, even though his family is pressuring him to move on with his life and find happiness again.

Stephani has been secretly in love with Raoul for years, even when Ceci was still alive. She carefully kept this secret, and never gave any indication that she had feelings for the Crown Prince. When he has too much to drink and kisses her, she’s hopeful that maybe he has some feelings for her, too. But when Raoul pretends that nothing happened between them, she realizes that she’s living a pipedream thinking that they could be a couple.

While I did enjoy this romance, it features one of my least favorite tropes. The sneaking around trope. I hate that. Literally hate it. I think it’s demeaning to both parties, and don’t see the need for it, unless one of the parties is cheating on someone else. (Okay, that would be my absolute most hated trope – cheating on your partner. Ugh.) I didn’t really see the need for it here. The power inequity between Raoul and Stephani didn’t sit well with me, but since she was looking for employment elsewhere, it didn’t bother me as much as the sneaking around. This worked better for me in the previous book.

The other niggle – Raoul was so wishy-washy. Yes, we have a chemistry and are attracted to each other and we should explore our feelings. No, it’s a mistake and I can’t have a relationship yet. Think of the kids. Ugh. Man up, dude, or just stop. Stop playing with poor Stephani’s feelings and making her think there is something there when you are too emotionally conflicted to see if there could be something there. After being so preachy with Diego, you’d think Raoul would have acted more like an adult here. It was fun to see Diego finally able to set him straight.

This is a quick read, with a low steam level. I read it on our recent vacation to Disney, and found it perfect for relaxing after spending all day wandering around the parks.

Grade: 3.75 stars