Review: ★From This Day Forward★ by Lauren Layne

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…

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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)