BLACK TIE OPTIONAL
Series: Wild Wedding #1
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy
Author: Ann Marie Walker
Release Date: May 30, 2017![]()

The Proposal meets Two Weeks Notice in Ann Marie Walker’s new standalone romantic comedy, Black Tie Optional, which New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst calls, “a fun, sexy romp that will keep every reader entertained!”
Everything about Coleman Grant III oozes power and sex. And not the perfunctory kind either, but the sheet clawing, heart stopping, gasping for air after you’ve screamed so loud you can’t breathe kind. From his dark wavy hair that stands in an artfully rumpled mess, to the blue eyes that sear your skin, to his full, sensual lips – on the surface he’s pure perfection.
Too bad he’s an asshole. An arrogant, uptight corporate raider hell bent on destroying the environment one species at a time.
Everything about Olivia Ramsey screams hippie humanitarian. From her blond hair tied in a sloppy bun, to her faded jeans with the Bonnaroo patch sewn on the thigh, to her combat boots still splattered with mud from the previous day’s site visit.
So it makes perfect sense that they would get married. In Vegas. Stone-cold sober.
Cole needs a wife. Olivia needs to save an endangered species. But what starts as a marriage of convenience soon turns into a battle of wills and sexual tension. Love is a game, and Olivia and Cole are ready to win.
What do you want, Olivia?” he’d asked.
“Everything,” she whispered.
Well, hello there, new series to obsess over. It’s nice to read ya. Ha! See what I did there? OK, that was totally cheesy so just ignore me. But seriously though, Ann Marie Walker has a super fun new series in the works and this was a great way to start it! Black Tie Optional was cute, sexy, and fun. If there’s one thing this author can do, it’s write one heck of an intense alpha and may did she strike gold with the grumpy, cynical billionaire Coleman Grant III. #Yum
Now I love me a good marriage of convenience trope and man did this book bring it. The opposites attract force was strong with this one. Here you have a tree loving, animal saving, vegetarian activist meet brooding alpha billionaire and boy do the spars fly. I loved the banter between Cole and Olivia and Olivia definitely wasn’t shy about telling him what she thinks of him. #Winning
Cole has a problem; he needs to get married in less than a week to get ownership of his father’s company that he helped build into the success that it is now. His viper grandmother brings everything but the warm and fuzzies in her bid to make sure that he doesn’t. What’s a guy to do? Propose marriage to a woman that’s been driving him nuts for month in her Save The Bats campaign. So what if they accidentally had one of the most sizzling one night stands while in Vegas. This is all business now. If only he can continue to keep his hands off her and his grandmother wasn’t determined to prove their marriage for the shame that it is.
You drive me fucking crazy,” he growled before once again claiming her mouth in an unforgiving kiss. A battle he was destined to lose waged inside him. He’d sworn to himself that what happened in Vegas was nothing more than a drunken lapse in judgment. A one-time event never to be repeated. But even though a part of him already knew he’d regret it later, all he could think about was how much he wanted her.
“Really?” she rasped. “’Cause I don’t give you a second thought.”
I seriously enjoyed this book! A LOT! So you’re probably wondering why the 3.5 rating. This is entirely a reader preference thing, so do take this with a grain of salt; but the heroine didn’t quite work for me. Keep your tomatoes to yourself now! I fully admit it’s a me thing. I’m just not a fan of the tree hugging save the world types. *cringes* Oh man, that sounds terrible doesn’t it? But I can’t help it. There were just certain aspects of her personality that slightly grated on me. Cole was simply delicious and made up for almost all of it. I also really loved Livvie’s family. This would have been a solid 4 star read for me if not for the ending. I couldn’t help feeling like it was very abrupt. I wanted more closure with the grandmother. More details. It felt somewhat rushed and I just wanted….more.
Aside from my few quibbles, this was still a fabulous read and I can’t wait for the next in the series.



What do you want, Olivia?” he’d asked.
THE SCANDAL OF IT ALL


This was my first book by this author and I’m an instant fan! The Scandal Of It All was wickedly delicious and sinfully swoony. Not having read the first book in this series (quit side eyeing me, OCD police), I wasn’t sure how smoothly I’d be able to jump into the story. Turns out, I had no problem at all. The heroine of this book is the step mother of the Duke of Autenberry, who had a very big secondary character role in the previous book. And while you can definitely see the happenings of the previous book carried over into this one, the author gives plenty of background that a new reader wouldn’t be even remotely lost.
WHEN I NEED YOU

Do you see that pile of utterly satisfied good over there in the corner, shuddering with happiness? Yep. That would be me. Because this book? ALL. OF. THE. SWOONS.
Between the rest of the Lund family, Rowan’s adorable son, and the swoony romance, I had a goofy smile on my face the entire time reading this book. I fell harder and harder for Jensen with every page. I’m telling you, guys, it just doesn’t get more perfect than this man and his patience of a saint when it came to Rowan and her (justifiable) fears and insecurities.

SAY YES



When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it’s half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it’s been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn’t writing…well, that’s not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.
THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET



How do you even begin to review a book that touched you on such a visceral level that you don’t think you’ll ever forget it? How do you put those feelings into words that can even begin to do a book the justice it so deserves? How do you attempt to relay everything that this book was without giving anything away? You don’t. Because it’s impossible.


























What if you had everything in the world you wanted…except the man you’d left behind? 

THE DUKE MEETS HIS MATCH

Chloe has a past that no one knows about, except the Duke of Cameron. She is determined to put her past behind her and marry a title because she knows what it is like to go without money or food, and she is determined to never live like that again. The Duke is in her way of getting what she wants. Chloe is a strong-willed character with a hint of innocence, but she does not go quietly. I loved how determined she was through the whole book to go after what she wants.
GLAMOUR


Jessica. We meet Jessica in The King. She is a single mom who has had shit handed to her, but she is just trying to make the most of it. She was sold as a young girl to the mafia and we can only guess what she went through. This short story begins when she is pulled over at the side of the road and she meets the sheriff. Jessica has the ability to look on the bright side despite what she has been through, but she still has trust issues.
WRECKED



It’s official, I’m totally and completely wrecked. Ruined. My heart hurts because the book almost crushed it with its incredibly powerful and emotional story. My eyes hurt because I cried hysterically through the entire last third. I’m moved down to the marrow of my bones. YES. It was THAT good.
I expected a ton of angst with this book but that’s not what I got at all. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not exactly a light read but it’s also not filled with anything extra to take away from the character driven story. You really get to know Aden and Sawyer and what makes them tick. You get to see them be there for each other during some of the most difficult parts of their lives. You get to see them hold each other up and slowly fall in love. It was beautiful and touching, emotional and sweet.
Wrecked is very appropriately titled. Both of these characters were anything if not a little broken but in completely different ways. It wasn’t dark or full of drama. It wasn’t angsty or full of gratuitous sex scenes. It was just two broken people learning to make themselves whole together. It was a beautiful and memorable romance that I won’t forget for a long, long while, and a book I can’t recommend enough.
BLACKMAILING THE BAD GIRL
I was immediately hooked on this series when I first met the “bad girls” in 
















