FROM THIS DAY FORWARD
Series: The Wedding Belles #0.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lauren Layne
Release Date: June 6, 2016![]()
Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in this prequel to USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne’s The Wedding Belles series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding—but their own.
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…
Contrary to the delusions in your head, you’re not every woman’s fantasy.”
“I never wanted to be every woman’s fantasy. Just yours.”
I have no idea why I thought this novella would be a prequel, so don’t ask me. But boy was I pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be a fully finished romance with a HEA that perfectly kicked off a series that I already know I’m going to love! It’s rare that I’d read a novella that’s under 100 pages that would leave me this satisfied and have such fantastic character development, and I’m not surprised that it came from the fabulous Lauren Layne
Nothing had burned hotter than him and Leah together. And nothing had been quite so cold as the year that followed, when Leah had iced him out of her life entirely.
From This Day Forward is a sweet and sexy second chance romance. Leah McHale and Jason Rhodes had a blossoming relationship a year ago, until Jason broke Leah’s heart and caused her to run.
Her heart had gotten tangled in it, and what had started as a dangerous knot had turned into a noose that had nearly strangled her. It had taken a year to get over him.
Leah and Jason are both photographers, and when a mutual friend that owns a successful wedding planning business gives them the chance of a lifetime to work the wedding of the daughter of the former president of the US, neither can turn it down…even if it means working together.
Neither Jason nor Leah ever got over the other, but a misunderstanding and stubbornness on both their sides stops them from confronting their issues. Typically this would bother me a lot in books, but because of the short length of this one, it worked. I absolutely loved Jason, and Leah was a fantastic heroine as well. The sparks between them are instant and only burn hotter as the story progresses.
Sweetheart, by the time I’m done with you, sleep will be the last thing on your mind. I guarantee it.”
This was the perfect little taste to set the tone of the series and I loved it to pieces. It had just the right amount of romance, steam and story to make for one ridiculously satisfying read. It introduced a few secondary characters that I can’t wait to get the story for and I simply can’t wait for the rest of this series.
THE SERIES
FROM THIS DAY FORWARD (The Wedding Belles #0.5)
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD (The Wedding Belles #1)
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE (The Wedding Belles #2)
TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH (The Wedding Belles #3)




Contrary to the delusions in your head, you’re not every woman’s fantasy.”





I’ve been sitting on my rating for several days now and if I’m being perfectly honest, I still have no idea how to rate this fairly. On the one hand, I absolutely loved the writing style and the premise of the story. I loved the emotion, the feeling, the vividness with which Mia Sheridan wrote the characters. I’m a sucker for the revenge plot and a second chance love story and this book had it in spades. It was written with plenty of emotion to grip the reader and make the characters’ struggles their own. On the other hand there were some things about the story and the direction some things took and decisions made that left me conflicted and frustrated. This is really one of those times where I NEED a half star, because while this book wasn’t exactly a three star, it just wasn’t quite a solid four for me either.



*pause for dirty thoughts about Killian*
The chemistry between these two is so hot, it practically sizzles. What a refreshing change of pace to get a rockstar that doesn’t want to manwhore his way around town. Killian realizes what he wants early on and he’s not shy about going about it. I loved the way he was with Libby. He’s patient and sweet and yet there’s always an edge to him to with his dirty talking ways






As a long time fan of all things Lara Adrian, when I saw she’s releasing an erotic romance trilogy, I was all over it. I’ve been obsessed with her 






God. GOD. This book. This heartbreaking, incredibly written, gut wrenching book. If it had any more of my favorite elements in it, I’d feel like it was custom written for me. I don’t remember the last time I read a book that gripped me the way this one did. To the point that I felt it on a visceral level. To the point that now days later after finishing it, I still can’t stop thinking about it. This was easily one of my top favorite reads this year. I picked it up and read it straight through because I couldn’t bear to put it down for even a second. I was an ugly crying, sniveling, raging mess the entire time and loved every painful second of it.
If
Nicole Jacquelyn has a true gift with words because her characters are so incredibly compelling, you don’t just read about them, you experience them. There is not an ounce of telling in this book. Everything is shown, including the character descriptions. Yeah. I was blown away to say the least.
You may be asking yourself if it’s possible to write a book with a dead spouse and not make the heroine feel like a consolation prize prize. And to you I say, abso-freaking-lutely.
Everything about this story is brilliant; from the feelings it will wrench from your very soul to the emotional mess it will leave you at the end of it. Shane and Kate’s story is not an easy one. It’s filled with pain and heart break but it’s also beautiful in its own right. You don’t read the characters’ journey, you experience it. Everything from the fundamental changes in their relationship to their feelings and everything in between.
If you’re questioning picking this up, don’t! If you’re a fellow angst-whore like me, if there’s one book I can recommend you read, it’s this one! Grab some tissues and some alcohol and prepare to read the whole night through because I guarantee this book will own every piece of you by the time you’re finished.






Hubida hubida *fans self*
Gemma plays up her bad girl image not to let anyone in. But one boy ten years ago stole past her defenses and she’s never forgotten him. But nothing prepares her for the potency of the man that he is right now.



If steamy, feel-good rom coms that are light on the angst and heavy on the swoons are your thing, then B.J. Harvey’s Game series is your holy grail.
Zach was a refreshing change of pace for me that I absolutely adored. It’s not often you read about a man that actually wants a relationship. Everything that came out of his mouth had me swooning like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Swear to god. The man was utter perfection.




I have been sitting here for days trying to figure out how to rate this book. I adore Samantha Towle’s books. 




If there’s one thing I know when I pick up a new book by Elizabeth Finn, it’s that angst and a punch straight to the feels is guaranteed. There’s a damn good reason why she’s become my go-to when I’m craving an addicting combination of angst and feelings and she’ll deliver on the promise 100% of the time. Reading the synopsis I knew I was in for one heck of a read and I was not wrong. It’s everything I hoped it would be; seductive, emotional, angsty and hot enough to burn.





Ladies, guard your ovaries, because the Queen of Dirty Talk is back at it with her brand new series featuring the four Clarkson siblings and their journey to a HEA.
















