“This page-turner has it all: fantastic characters, witty banter, and sizzling chemistry. I absolutely loved it!”—GINA L. MAXWELL, USA Today bestselling author of the Playboys in Love series for May the Best Man WinFake relationship. Real feelings. Big problems.Brody O’Donnel doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters—at least, not for himself. But he wants the best for his vivacious, beautiful … for himself. But he wants the best for his vivacious, beautiful friend Gwen Danes, and he’s tired of watching her pine for a clueless man. Figuring a little bit of jealousy will motivate the guy, Brody proposes a fake relationship. It’s an outrageous plan, but Gwen figures there’s no harm in it—until they share a passionate kiss she never saw coming.
Suddenly, Gwen’s fighting a growing attraction to a man she knows she can’t have. After all, he’s just faking it…isn’t he?
The Wedding Date Series:
May the Best Man Win (Book 1)
The Wedding Date Bargain (Book 2)
Just this Once (Book 3)
The Decoy Date (Book 4)
What People Are Saying About Mira Lyn Kelly:
“Outstanding…Kelly proves that she’s an author to watch.”—Kirkus Reviews for May the Best Man Win
“The perfect balance between sweet and sexy.”—RT Book Reviews for The Wedding Date Bargain, 4 Stars
“Delightfully frothy.”—Heroes & Heartbreakers for The Wedding Date Bargain
“A perfect light and very romantic read.”—Booklist for The Wedding Date Bargain
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So yeah, I feel like I’ve been kicked in the feels. Hard. A few times.
“It’s like now that I’ve been with him, I finally know what it feels like to be whole. And when I’m not with him, it feels like something vital is missing inside me.”
I had every intention of only reading a couple of chapters after what’s been a hard day, but I couldn’t stop until I was finished with this book.
Yes. It’s THAT good.
If you’ve ever read a Mira Lyn Kelly book, you know it reels you in. It’s not only about the love story and the connection – it’s about creating a world around it, one that is made of a story and of friends who share a special connection. Tonight, I feel like I was part of it.
“Sooner or later, she would’ve fallen. Because with a man like him, how could she not?”
So yeah, Brody. Brody is pretty damned perfect. He has the body, the looks, the talk, he’s a nice guy, he keeps in touch and is friendly with his exes. And beneath all the muscle and the lumberjack build, he’s a sweetheart. And he’s seen every one of his friends find their happily ever after without being jealous, because he doesn’t think it’s out there for him anyway.
Also… “Brody checked that sexy, oversize beast of a watch, and Gwen was momentarily distracted by how hot it was that he didn’t pull out his phone for the time.”… How hot is this?
“It was too soon for promises. His. Hers. But with that warm whiskey gaze still tangled up with his, promises were all he could think about.”
Gwen is caught up on a guy who has been her friend for as long as she can remember and who has not been shy about dating others, while keeping her there, waiting. She is the girl who waited. But what happens when she realizes she wasn’t waiting for the right guy after all? Or maybe she was, but the guy is not the one she thought he was?
One small note for Ted. F*cking Ted. I wish I could punch him in the face a few times myself.
“After sharing in so many other happily ever afters…his was walking down the aisle, gorgeous in her white fitted gown, the kind of love in her eyes that promised forever.”
This is a slow-burn romance, and it’s also very sexy and hot – would you expect anything else from Ms. Kelly? It’s a story about finding what real love is, about turning the page and realizing what it really feels like to have butterflies in your stomach and to really want someone. Desperately. To know when someone feels like home.
To say I recommend this book, and this series, is the understatement of the year. I so wish I had known about Mira’s books when this series came out. Can’t help but feel I somehow missed out on the excitement. 5/5.
I read this book in less than a day — every time I tried to put it down, my brain would whisper, “Just one more chapter…” until it was suddenly 2 a.m. and I was giddy with happiness. I LOVED these characters!
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) This is the fourth book in this series and I really implore for you to start from the beginning you just get so much more added spice. I am sad to see this series go, but I have to say I enjoyed every bit and this last installment we had Brody and Gwen and unfortunately Ted. I was rooting and cheering and hoping so please grab a copy and enjoy, because I sure did.
Book four in The Wedding Date series a well written story that held my interest until the end. I enjoyed reading Gwen Danes and Brody’s a friend to lovers story. That poor guy did not see what was right in front of his face, but one kiss is all it took for him. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love this entire series, but this might be my fave of them all – so delightful and heart-stoppingly romantic!
This was a good read! The writing flowed well, and I really loved Brody and Gwen together! Brody was a great guy, and I thought he was a really good hero. Gwen was good with Brody, but I really wish she would have stood up for herself and her relationship with Brody a lot sooner. She let Ted manipulate her, and it was annoying. Ted was a straight up jerk, and he only cared about what he wanted. You don’t parade yourself around with other women, claiming to love a different one. Brody should have had a conversation with Gwen and all of their mess could have been cleared up sooner. Even though it took a while, I was very happy to see these 2 get their HEA!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
Brody has had enough of his friend Gwen mooning over some dumbass guy who can’t see the forest for the trees. In other words, can’t see how amazing Gwen is. So he comes up with a plan to get Gwen the guy. Of course we all know how these plans go – horribly! And that’s exactly what happens when Gwen and Brody start their fake relationship. They catch feelings and of course then the dumbass guy realizes how amazing Gwen really is, and mucks up Gwen and Brody’s newfound relationship. Roll eyes. Not at the story because it’s pretty adorable, but at human nature, and roll eyes at Ted, the dumbass guy. Because, although Brody and Gwen insisted that Ted is really a great guy, even at the end, I never saw him that way and I hated that Gwen wasted all her time on such an idiot. An idiot who wasn’t worthy of her, ever. Not in the past, and not in the present. He was icky if you ask me. Thank God Brody got his head out of his ass and went and got his woman back!
I’ve only read one other book in this series, Just This Once, and I’m pleased to find that I liked Decoy Date much better. It’s sweet and sexy, and Brody and Gwen are absolutely adorable! I don’t know if there’s more to come in this series, but I hope so, because this one is pretty great.
Cute
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Friends to lovers
Part of a series: The Wedding Date
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
This book was wonderful! The best was saved for last. Brody was everyone’s buddy and this time he got his own happy ever after. Brody owns the bar that everyone hangs out at and that is where he met Gwen. Gwen came in all the time and was trying to be subtle in her crush on her friend Ted. Brody offers his help to Gwen in getting Ted to notice her and want to go out with her. Of course in doing this Brody falls for Gwen and vice versa. But neither tells the other and then misunderstandings happen. When Gwen can finally get what she thought she always wanted she is torn because she realizes that her feelings have changed.
It was great seeing Brody’s friends again especially Molly and Sean. Gwen became really good friends with Molly and she will be connected to them for a long time. I loved Brody and Gwen was perfect for him. I liked how they became friends before they fell for each other. And they were a super hot couple when they got together. I would definitely tell people to read this book. I could totally see myself reading this book again it was so good!
My first read of the series and I’m hooked! The banter between the characters had me laughing out loud at work. Such a clever friends to lovers story, I’m definitely reading the rest of the books immediately!
Nice addition to the Wedding Date series. An easy reading cute romance. Story flowed nicely without feeling rushed. Loved watching relationship between Gwen and Brody evolve.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC
I always enjoy a good fake-relationship story and The Decoy Date certainly delivered. With wonderful dialogue – especially when Brody turns on the charm, and great characters, it was easy to get caught up in this story.
I absolutely loved Brody. He has a reputation of being a flirt and maybe a bit of a player, but he’s really just a great guy. I wasn’t too sure about Gwen at first, but she did grow on me, especially when she finally stood up for herself when it came to Ted. There was definitely some great chemistry between these two, so it was no wonder that the “fake” relationship turned into more – it was just too bad it took so long for both Brody and Gwen to let each other know, especially since I’m not a huge fan of too much angst, and there was definitely quite a bit that played out towards the end to get Brody and Gwen to their happy ever after. I really did enjoy watching their fake relationship evolve, especially how Brody would narrate it – it would be hard for any girl not to fall for Brody after hearing the things he was saying!
One thing I did miss was not getting to spend a lot of time with the other characters from the series. Since Gwen is from a different friend group they didn’t have a chance to offer much of a supporting role until near the end, which, let me just say Molly was awesome and I loved how that all played out, but I did miss the fun banter that happens whenever the group gets together.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. This was an easy read with a lot of great dialogue and a cast of characters that were easy to relate to. This is the fourth book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone, but I have read the others in the series and would encourage anyone to start at the beginning and enjoy getting to know all the characters in this series. This book, author, and series would look good on anyone’s TBR shelf!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book I received from the publisher from NetGalley.
LOVED this friends to lovers story!! I enjoyed the interaction between Brody and Gwen as they begin their fake relationship in the hopes Gwen’s long time crush will finally sit up and take notice. Problem is it works too well. About the same time Brody realizes his feelings for Gwen are changing, Teddy (the crush) seems to be realizing the same thing. Now Gwen has a serious decision to make!
This is the fourth book in the Wedding Date series and it can easily be read standalone. Do yourself a favor though, read them all! I’m certain you’ll love all these characters as much as I do.
This is the first book I’ve read by Mira Lyn Kelly and I’ve decided to check out her other books. Really like her writing style!
Brody, the story’s hero, is tired of seeing his friend Gwen pine after Ted. To Brody, it looks like Ted is just using Gwen to fill in the gaps between girlfriends. He doesn’t realize that Gwen’s and Ted’s families have been friends forever, and that they spend holidays, vacations, etc. together. He does realize that Gwen yearns for Ted to look at her like a serious girlfriend, not just as a “friend with benefit.’
Against his better judgement (because Brody feels that Ted is a ‘dickweed,’) Brody suggests to Gwen that they become a couple to make Ted jealous. As he tells Gwen, she’s just been Ted’s ‘protective blanket,’ and it is time to take the blanket away.
Gwen quickly learns that Brody has all the moves and words to make a woman swoon! He’s the perfect potential boyfriend who mixes charm with sexiness. And his actions work–Ted suddenly begins to feel jealous and possessive about Gwen.
As they work together to make Ted jealous, Brody and Gwen begin to realize that they have feelings for each other. Before long, Gwen realizes that her mind is preoccupied with thoughts of Brody.
But tragedy strikes her family, and Gwen needs to return to her hometown to help her mother cope. Of course, Ted is there, too, because he’s a long-time family friend. Suddenly, Brody realizes not only his strong feelings for Gwen, but the fact that he may not have a chance to build a life with her because Ted is firmly entrenched into her family. And he isn’t sure how if Gwen has strong feelings for him.
Will Gwen land up with Ted or Brody? I guess you will have to read the book to find out!
The author has a very unique writing style that’s easy and fun to read. Lighthearted and funny where it needs to be in the story; more serious and sombre when the scene calls for it. I can’t wait to read more of her books!
This is the fourth and final book in the series and is the story of Brody and Gwen. A little love triangle of sorts between Brody, Gwen and Ted who’s clueless. A fake love interest that maybe turns real (no spoiler). This was a great book and Brody and Gwen were wonderful characters that were hard not to love. Entertaining and fun to read. I read a reader copy via Net Galley and voluntarily chose to review.
The Decoy Date is the fourth (and alas, last) in Mira Lyn Kelly’s The Wedding Date series. This is Brody O’Donnel and Gwen Danes’s story, one where a kind of fake relationship between friends kickstarts an all too real connection of hearts and minds.
I love the fake-relationship trope, and Ms Kelly does a terrific job with this one. The Decoy Date is fun, funny, and gives you all the feels. Brody and Gwen don’t expect their game of pretend to lead the two of them to find a happily-ever-after, at least not with each other. But Ms Kelly shows us vividly why what they share is exactly what they’ve been looking for, just not with the other.
While this is most definitely Brody and Gwen’s story, glimpses of the rest of the gang from the previous stories give us a peek at after-the-HEA for those couples.
All in all, a VERY satisfying read to close out a VERY satisfying series. I only wish there were more books to come 😉 Guess I’ll have to be happy to re-reading!