The bridesmaid, the best man… A Christmas wedding they’ll never forget! A year after being jilted, Ava Keller finds herself forced back up the aisle — as bridesmaid at a beautiful Cape Town wedding. Best man — and Ava’s first crush — Noah Giles is the perfect distraction from her painful memories. But their flirtation turns serious when Ava’s feelings for him resurface! Hurt when Noah left … Hurt when Noah left after their kiss years before, will Ava give their chemistry a second chance?
“United by Their Royal Baby by Therese Beharrie opens up with the most beautiful yet climatic prologue I’ve read from a Harlequin Romance in a long time. The sweet, poignant emotions swirling between Prince Xavier and Princess Leyna is off the charts! I was mesmerized by their journey and couldn’t get enough of their story.” Goodreads
“Such a beautiful tale of conquering your past, maintaining your loyalty and learning to trust and to love again…. A truly emotional and uplifting journey set against a stunning backdrop.” Goodreads on Falling for His Convenient Queen
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On the short side, and sweet, and just the thing you might want to read to take a break during the holidays.
Ava and Noah knew each other growing up. Noah is Jaden’s best friend and Ava is Jaden’s younger sister. They did have a mutual attraction when they were younger but they were kids. I enjoyed seeing the flashbacks and felt it helped me connect to the characters more. After a forbidden kiss Noah and Ava don’t speak or see each other for seven long years. A lot has happened during that time and neither character are the same.
Noah and Ava have some baggage from past relationships. My heart really broke for Ava in this book because you can tell her being jilted at the altar really did a number on her and she was too focused on pretending to be okay for her parents sake. I also found it very tacky that her brother and future sister in law would plan their wedding around the same time she was jilted a bride. Ava was WAY better than me because I don’t think I would have attended, let alone been a bridesmaid. Noah has some MAJOR trust issues and I can’t say that I blamed him in this story. When you read the story you will see and I see why he guarded his heart in this book.
This was my first time reading this author and I only wanted to read it since it was Christmas related. I have to say it was a good read but I felt the ending was a bit rushed. After it was all said and done I would have rather seen the relationship play out than be told. The story was well written and held my attention but I just wanted more couple time between the characters at the end.
4 1/2 STARS!
A delightful read! Full of emotion, this fast paced story is a great read about reconnection, family drama and self development. Each character has a past that has scarred them, yet they each care too much about each other not to want to reach out and grab on to what they’re feeling. One of my favorites by this author for sure!
Ava Keller can’t say that she’s excited for her brother’s upcoming wedding. She adores him and his fiancee, but this wedding is a year almost to the day that she was jilted at the altar herself, so it’s bringing up a lot of unresolved feelings. She’s not sure how she’s going to make it through it all, especially having to walk down that aisle to stand up with them.
Noah Giles comes back into Ava’s life by happenstance, but it’s at just the right time for him to be a buffer between her and the drudgery of all that this wedding entails in her mind. Can they pick up with the attraction they worked so hard to push aside all of those years ago or will he just be a friend in the right place at the right time?