Nice Day For A White Wedding

Alex & Cindy Both Stand To Gain From Their Fake Fiancée Arrangement, But As Time Goes By And Cindy Finds Herself Falling For Alex, She Wonders If It Is Worth The Price Of A Broken Heart!

This standalone is part of the Crave Me romance collection that includes the stories of four best friends. The set includes:

• Submitting to the Billionaire: Star’s story
• Redemption: Raven’s story
• The Heir: Rosa’s story
• Nice Day for a White Wedding: Cindy’s story

This is also a spin-off of Nanny & the Beast, which is where Yuri Volkov and April Winters find love. Yuri’s best friend from childhood, Alexander, gets his own story here.

ABOUT THE CRAVE ME ROMANCE COLLECTION:

Star, Raven, Rosa, and Cindy had been best friends since youth. They each had dreams. Star pictured herself as a writer one day. Raven had hopes of becoming a doctor. Rosa wanted to become a fashion industry insider. And Cindy dreamed of becoming successful in the business world. Their friendships had become strained once Star found love at an early age. She and Raven had a falling out roughly around the time Star married Nigel, leaving Rosa and Cindy somewhere in the middle. Cindy had gotten busy with getting her degree. Rosa spent some time in America doing an internship at Cosmo. And Raven gave up her education once her sister became sick. As their stories unfold, they rely on one another and discover that their friendships really can stand the test of time.

For those that pay attention to details, the timelines within the series and the individual books do not always add up. Submitting to the Billionaire primarily takes place during two weeks in June. Redemption takes place during the summer while Star’s relationship with Nikolai is still fresh. Star had been twenty-two; Raven is twenty-three. It is conceivable that Redemption takes place the following summer, but the way it reads it probably takes place during the same summer. However, The Heir takes place during the summer of Nikolai and Star’s wedding, which is two years after the summer they fall in love. At the time of the wedding, Raven is pregnant. Assuming she is very pregnant, it makes sense that Raven’s story took place one year after Star’s. Rosa is twenty-six in The Heir, which again does not add up. It is presumed the girls are all roughly the same age, but Star would be twenty-four at her wedding, two years younger than Rosa. Cindy’s story takes place in June, probably two years following Rosa’s story. Rosa had been twenty-six, and in Cindy’s story she is twenty-eight (nearly twenty-nine).

Note that Cindy’s friends Star, Raven, and Rosa, have small appearances in this story. However, there are some facts that don’t mesh well with earlier stories. It would appear that Star is no longer writing, as only charitable work is mentioned. Raven is not living in London, which is not inconceivable but it is not explained either. Finally, it states Rosa is living in London, but by now she would be living with Dante in Avanti. It feels like Rosa and Raven have been mixed up.

NICE DAY FOR A WHITE WEDDING:

Cindy Forrester, twenty-eight, is a proud working class girl. Daughter of a construction worker and a house cleaner, she had gone on to receive a degree in business. She is devoted to her career, so much so that she hasn’t been with a man in over a year. She began working at The Macau, a small London casino owned by the reclusive Lord Alstree, right out of college. Cindy loves working at The Macau. She worked her way up the ladder until becoming manager four years ago. She is good at her job. She routinely deals with difficult customers with ease. Her charm and keen ability to read people give her the advantage in any situation. She always gets her way.

For now, Cindy is working on increasing her savings. The flat Star gifted her certainly helps her to put some money aside, but she doesn’t want to be a charity case. She is perfectly capable of working and supporting herself. Star offered even more after marrying Nikolai, her billionaire husband, but Cindy won’t accept it. Despite her workaholic tendencies, she isn’t opposed to taking risks from time to time. Even though she hasn’t had much opportunity, she understands that life is about experiences. One day, perhaps, she will be in a better position financially to have some adventures of her own.

Alexander Obolensky is a Russian businessman than reeks of danger and intrigue. His dark and stormy personality intimidates. He owns casinos and clubs around the world, though his management methods are rather unconventional. He is cold and closed off, and he is completely without charm. He emanates such power and control, though, that he commands any room he enters. His magnetic eyes captivate. The tattoos that peak out of his designer suits hint to an unspoken past. His eye-catching good looks stand in contrast to his hardened personality.

Born to privilege and raised in opulence, Alex is practically Russian royalty. In his youth, he had rejected everything that was handed to him in favor of making his own way in a violent world. His parents had died when he was fourteen, and though his great aunt had continued raising him, he had built walls around himself in his grief. He was lost and unable to deal with his emotions in a constructive way. Alex followed his best friend Yuri Volkov, who had joined the Russian bratva. He became second in command to Yuri, who had eventually risen to be a Russian crime boss.

Eventually he and Yuri had pulled away from their life of crime. Yuri found love with April. And Alex decided to go legit. He uses his skill at reading people and negotiating deals to buy new businesses and increase his investment portfolio. He looks for companies with excellent management – ones that will run themselves with little of his time or energy required. That leads him to The Macau and to Cindy Forrester. While quietly observing the casino and its manager, he cannot help but notice that Cindy is the perfect woman for a job he has been trying to fill. His aunt will expect a beautiful fireball, a woman deeply in love with him and capable of charming his aunt. And he needs someone capable of standing up to the rest of his family.

When Cindy lays eyes on the arrogant cheat raking in cash at the craps table, she isn’t prepared for the incredible chemistry she feels. And when he makes her a most unusual proposition, she can hardly trust herself to make a sane decision. When Alex finally meets Cindy, he knows he is in trouble. He hadn’t counted on being so attracted to her when he had made his plans. But the clock is ticking. He proposes a business arrangement, unconnected to her job. It is simple. Cindy agrees to be his fake fiancée for a few weeks so that he can make his great aunt happy with the knowledge that he found a good woman. In return, he promises to give Cindy fifty percent ownership of The Macau with an option to buy the rest in five years’ time. He promises to be respectful, and that their relationship will remain entirely professional.

Alex and Cindy’s instant lust romance has lots of heat and flirty banter. Despite that, the characters try to walk the line and not cross over. Alex, in particular, is determined not to make things too confusing. He isn’t good with showing emotions, and that hasn’t played out well with the women in his past. Babushka’s happiness is at risk if his plan fails, so he knows his best bet is to hire someone and keep feelings out of the equation. He is used to being in control, yet when Cindy occasionally tries to take the reins he cannot help but be thrilled at the sight – and he sometimes lets her get her way. Cindy cannot help her attraction to the brute, but is surprised to see a second side of the man when he introduces her to Babushka, his affectionate name for his great aunt. His sincere love for the old woman confounds her as she tries to reconcile the two sides of the enigmatic man. As the couple spends time with Babushka, they also grow closer together. Fighting the undeniable chemistry they share proves more and more difficult. But at the same time, there are challenges involved with living at Winter House. Strange happenings and haughty attitudes interfere with an otherwise gorgeous setting. The couple eventually finds a happy ending.

Alex and Cindy’s steamy fake fiancé story is about trust, family, and making amends. It is a power struggle between two strong figures. The suspense builds as Cindy agrees to put her trust in Alex, a man she just met. He is cold with a dangerous past, but his caring side confuses her image of the man. She doesn’t know which side is real. They both stand to gain from the unorthodox arrangement they agreed to, but as time goes by and Cindy finds herself falling for Alex, she wonders if it is worth the price of a broken heart. The story is plot-driven. It is written in first person. The POV alternates between Alex and Cindy. I rate this book four stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

How to find happiness when you are not looking for something real. Alex picked Cindy to be his fake girlfriend because she was exactly what he was looking for without even knowing it. They were strangers but he knew all about her. He offered her a deal she couldn’t refuse to convince his family they were in love. I enjoyed the characters and the beautiful descriptions of the Russian estate. Lots of angst and drama as these find their happiness.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book.

Characters = 5/5
Plot = 4/5
Romance = 4/5
Mystery = 2/5
Action = 3/5
Darkness = 1/5
Humor = 0/5
Stars = 4
Would I recommend this book = Yes
Would I read future books by this author = Yes

Georgia Le Carre is by far one of my favorite authors. All of her novels are fantastic. Full of great characters, spice, and drama.

I absoutely love the characters in this story. Cindy and Alex have such great chemistry together even though it seems to be an act. Their banter is awesome! Also, the steam between them is hot!

The plot was good too. I am always down for drama or action in a book. I think it makes a great novel better. I could have used more of it. I wish the drama between the family were more intense. The two plotting cousins, Petra and Anastasia, could have been more dangerous to spice things up. I also wish Babushka had something more up her sleeves too. Just wait for the slight plot twists in the end. Yes, there are a couple.

Overall, it was a great read. I sat down and read it in one sitting. The characters definitely drew me in from the very beginning.

P.S. love the cover!