Can two men keep a childhood promise for marital bliss?Wyatt is overwhelmed after his grandfather dies, leaving him to take over the cattle ranch. The Triple J is floundering, vandals are targeting him, and his first and only love is finally within reach–and still holding a grudge. Wyatt has wanted to marry Diego since they made a childhood pact, but Diego isn’t back for their second chance.When … second chance.
When a funeral calls Diego back to Texas, he comes face-to-face with the cowboy who broke his heart. Resentment has burned inside him for years, but his anger wavers as he realizes just how much Wyatt is struggling to keep his head above water. The man he once loved is lonely and burdened, and Diego feels compelled to help him rediscover the strong, capable rancher he knows him to be.
Hostility gives way to passion, then friendship as they fall into a rhythm of work and sex. Wyatt has renewed hope he might wrangle the man he wants to be his groom. But Diego has a life waiting for him one thousand miles away, and love may not be enough to prevent history from repeating itself.
Wrangling a Groom is Book 2 of the Marital Bliss series, but it can be read as a standalone. It’s approximately 85,000 words.
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Two inseparable childhood best friends make a marriage pact, fall in love, but then… life intervenes… what seems like a betrayal and six years apart takes on a different meaning for Wyatt and Diego when they’re given a second chance to come together and be friends and lovers again… but it’s just temporary… or could it be more? Will Wyatt lay his heart bare only to watch Diego walk away again?
This second installment in the Marital Bliss series is an immersion in Texas ranch life — cowboys, cattle, ranch hands, sex in the barn… and a wedding or two! The heat and the feels here are turned up to high… everything is bigger in Texas, of course! Highly recommended.
I enjoyed it. Characters made sense, and I like it when everybody is an imperfect, lovable, trying-to-be-better human.
I totally enjoyed this romantic, mushy, love story. I needed this kind of book to ameliorate the murder, spy, detective books that are my common fodder.
I have read a number of this author’s books/series, and enjoy both the gentle yet passionate relationships and the low-key mysteries that propel the plots. The crossover of characters between books in a series is nicely done, and it delightful to get insights into those continuing stories.
I love love DJ Jamison’s work, and definitely loved Wrangling a Groom. The two men in this book are so loveable and the world that DJ has created was breathtakingly beautiful. One of my favorite reads of 2020, and I still think of it to this day.
Not my favourite of the series but still an interesting mix of characters and second chance at love.
This is the second book in the Marital Bliss series – a series with overlapping characters and theme of weddings and wedding venues. I read the first book in the series on Kindle and loved it, and was eager to for the next book, especially when I realized it was going to feature Diego.
Diego was first introduced as the caustic bartender that Julian was friends within book one. In “Wrangling a Groom,” we finally get the background on what caused Diego to be so biting and suspicious: six years ago his heart was broken by his best friend and first love, Wyatt. It’s a hurt Diego’s carried with him despite Wyatt’s attempts to reach out and make amends. It’s not until a funeral brings Diego back to Wyatt’s family ranch that any type of reconciliation can happen.
The emotions between Diego and Wyatt are intense and come crashing down like waves against rocks – strong, overwhelming, and undeniable. Six years may have passed, but Diego and Wyatt still love and lust after each other. This passion and the complications that result of Diego and Wyatt trying to come to terms with what it means and how to move forward, makes the book enthralling. I really enjoyed watching how these two men figure out their issues which made the journey to their happy ever after very satisfying. Plus, the sex scenes were hot and delicious.
Wyatt Baker narrates the audiobook and does a fantastic job. The characters were well voiced and were distinct and consistent which made it very easy for me to follow along in the story without having to refer back to the book. Overall, a very well done production.
This is a second chance romance that starts out with a lot of hurt and anger. I really loved how the two main characters put these to good use with hot and heavy times. Those scenes are so well written with lots of passion which eventually turns back to love.
Wyatt is the more sympathetic of the two at the start. He’s had a trying time of family politics and trying to keep a ranch going, and wears his heart on his sleeve. Diego takes a longer time to forgive past mistakes and to realise he made mistakes too. I love the underlying theme of a bond made as small boys eventually coming true.
I always find it takes a while to ease into Wyatt Baker’s narration. It is different to lots of others, but not in a bad way. He is very clear and pacing is excellent, but sometimes his voice is quite monotone. Nevertheless, I greatly enjoyed his interpretations of the different characters.
What a roller-coaster! From friends to lovers to enemies and then lovers again. Add to the mix all the family drama and my God my poor heart. I loved this book to pieces and I was really rooting for Diego and Wyatt to finally get the happy ending they deserved. Fantastic book, well written, with wonderful characters and a great plot.
When I received this book as an ARC I knew the author because I had read some books written by her before but this series was new to me. The story caught me immediately, starting with the marriage pact Wyatt and Diego made in their childhood, how they fell in love, lost contact and then how they got a second chance to get at last their HEA. The plot made me cry a lot, laugh a lot and at the end the amazing epilogue was the cherry on top. Of course, I got the first book asap to know more about Caleb and Julien who appeared in the story. Amazing reading!! Lot of angst situations but with a happy ending ensured.
This is my honest opinion.
Star crossed lovers too stubborn for their own good. A brief summary of the plot that will make your head spin with the explosive zero to sixty turns of emotions and tempers.
A brilliant story and characters you want to hug… or kick into gear. Repeatedly.
Second chances and hot cowboys, can there be anything better?
DJ Jamison’s writing is always entertaining and catching and this story kept me glued to my kindle. I am really loving this series so much!
All the unresolved issues and past anger and hurt in Diego and Wyatt’s story fade day after day as theyr bond grows back stronger than when they were kids.
I loved the Texas cattle ranch setting, it really did it for me!
I really enjoyed this second chance romance. Wyatt and Diego have quite a history. There’s a lot of anger and hurt feelings these two need to work out.
The love that they have for each is still there and they need to work things out in order to have the future together that they always dreamed of.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
Diego and Wyatt are childhood bestfriends who fall in love. However, their love is not allowed and Diego leaves. But returns when Wyatt’s grandfather dies. They are forced to face the hurt of breaking up 6 years ago, rekindle their friendship and face reality of what they really mean to each other Wyatt and Diego break your heart in their journey to rediscover what they had lost and find love again. But it’s a journey worth taking…filled with love, a few tears, hot sexiness, and HEA
I loved this book. The prologue was so so cute!!!This is a second chance romance with best friends turned loved. It can be read as a standalone even though it’s the second in the series.
Most of the book I felt really bad for Wyatt. Agreeing to be friends with benefits with your ex? Congratulations, you’ve reached a new height of stupidity! Like, Wyatt, you’re already hurting!!
He’d loved Diego so much, for so long, that it seemed impossible.
I loved Diego and Wyatt. Yes, there’s was a lot of anger and resentment between them but I’m really glad they work it out. I just wish Diego came to his senses a bit earlier. I was really glad to meet Julien and Caleb from the first book. The epilogue was beautiful and I’m looking forward to new books in the series.
*ARC provided by the author via Signal Boost Promotions in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
6 years old Diego and Wyatt promised that they would marry each other when they reached the age of 25. Can you imagine how cute they must of been? Now,fast forward 19 years,they are both 25,and not so cute anymore. On the contrary, they’re all grown up and with so much hurt and resentment between them.
gives them the possibility to work things off. And what better way to start than some good ol’ angry sex? Because,of course, they can’t really stay away from one another. Dealing with what their hearts want is another affair altogether. Both Diego and Wyatt are headstrong and I’ve had fun seeing how each day, each passionate moment together, brought to the front what,all things considered, is more important to have as a priority: their love, their family and home.
Another great book by DJ Jamison.
Edited 3/25/20 to add my comments on the audiobook.
Overall 5
Performance 4.5 rounded up
Story 5
A good friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story.
I read Wrangling a Groom when it was first released in October 2019. I liked the story a lot when I read it and I enjoyed listening to the audio performed by Wyatt Baker. He did a good job with another of DJ’s audiobooks, All I Want is You, and I also enjoyed his performance of Wrangling a Groom.
Below is a copy of my review from when I read the book:
A good friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story.
Second chance stories, along with friends-to-lovers, are among my favorite romance tropes. In Wrangling a Groom, we not only get a second chance story but we also get a good enemies-to-lovers one.
Wyatt and Diego grew up together on Wyatt’s family’s ranch. His grandfather was the family patriarch and ruled the roost. Diego’s father has worked on the ranch for many years and is now foreman.
As teenagers Wyatt and Diego realized that their relationship was more than just friends. Unfortunately, Wyatt’s grandfather threatened to disinherit Wyatt, and not leave him the ranch that he was raised to run, if he continued a romantic relationship with Diego. When Wyatt refused to come out, and have an open relationship with Diego, Diego left in anger and broke off all contact with Wyatt.
Six years later Diego returns for the funeral of Wyatt’s grandfather. This sets the stage for Wyatt to try and win Diego back. There are some really hot scenes for these two; they just about melted my ereader.
I enjoyed this story a lot. The rebuilding of Wyatt’s and Diego’s relationship was well crafted and kept me entertained. The ranch is having some financial difficulties and Wyatt has good ideas for other sources of income. We get to revisit Bliss Island from book one in the series, Surprise Groom, but you don’t have to have read it to enjoy Wrangling a Groom.
There were some interesting secondary characters that I hope we might read more about in the future. While this book didn’t quite make it to 5 stars for me, DJ Jamison remains firmly seated on my list of favorite MM authors and I look forward to reading her next book.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
This book is great, but only for those who are secure in their sexuality. It’s pretty much a love affair between two very confused men on a down-and-out ranch. Very descriptive on what happens between them, but there is some love on tap here.
Walls & Promises
I enjoyed seeing some old friends and making new ones. “Whatever you need, you come first.” I am crazy about Wyatt and Diego. Their connection, love and friendship danced away with my heart. Reliving their memories and watching them make new ones was everything. “Just you…In whatever way I can have you.” Wyatt and Diego may be an explosion waiting to happen but if so, I want to get burned by them. They are intense, fiery, lovable, delightful, and they made me smile all the way through this book even, especially, when they were stubborn. A wonderful, romantic second-chance romance that will make you want a cowboy of your own.
Wrangling a Groom is the second book of the Marital Bliss series by DJ Jamison. This is a sweet and steamy second chance romance that had me feeling emotional and rooting for Diego and Wyatt. Angsty, emotional, steamy and a touch of sweetness. Loved it!