Wedding Date

WEDDING DATE is the sixth and final instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, adult erotic, romance DATING series focusing on a tight knit group of friends. This is thirty-three year old, investment manager Theo Crawford, and twenty-seven year old PA Kelsey Phillips’ story line. WEDDING DATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Several characters from the previous instalments cross over for familiarity. Told from dual first person perspectives (Kelsey and Theo) WEDDING DATE follows the friends to lovers relationship between thirty-three year old, investment manager Theo Crawford, and twenty-seven year old PA Kelsey Phillips. Several months earlier, Theo and Kelsey were set up on blind dates only to have their respective matches fall in love with one another. Having just discovered his fiancé in bed with his cousin Craig, Theo struggled in the aftermath but found himself in a friendly relationship with our story line heroine. An invitation to his cousin Craig’s wedding to his former fiancé Jess, means Theo needs a plus one in an effort to prove he has moved on with someone else. Enter Kelsey Phillips, the woman with whom Theo will fall in love. What ensues is the fake boyfriend/girlfriend relationship between Kelsey and Theo that quickly turns into something more, and the potential fall-out as Kelsey has a secret that is about to be revealed. Kelsey Phillips is a strong-willed, confident and sexy heroine who doesn’t do relationships and refuses to acknowledge the proverbial elephant in the room-her attraction to our hero Theo Crawford but when Theo struggles with the invite to his ex-fiance’s wedding, Kelsey steps up to make sure Theo has her support including the benefit of a girlfriend to his cousin’s wedding. Theo Crawford was quickly falling in love with Kelsey, and knew she was the woman that called to his heart but Kelsey was keeping a secret that was going to destroy any semblance of a happily ever after, and in this, Theo struggled with perceived betrayal, and the potential loss of the woman he loved. The relationship between Kelsey and Theo is a friends to lovers, fake boyfriend /girlfriend relationship in which our couple are quick to fall in love. Kelsey is the one to push Theo into accepting his ex-fiance’s wedding invitation, and in this Kelsey is going to ensure Theo has moved beyond his heart break and pain. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters most of whom we have me in previous story lines. We are introduced to Theo’s siblings: Max, Mason, Camden and Ali, as well as their parents Patricia and Jim. I am hoping the author has plans for a Crawford siblings series. WEDDING DATE is a story of friendships, relationships, family and love. The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is flirty and seductive; the characters are energetic and fun. I will add I thought the ending was rather abrupt-I am thinking there are more stories to tell !

I have to say while I adored Theo I didn’t really warm up to Kelsey. While I did sympathise with her predicament of being constantly judged for her looks and the objectification she endured; topped by a childhood of beauty pageants and a shallow parental figure. I did feel as if it was a little repetitive in its delivery. As well as the whole will they, won’t they plot where both Theo and Kelsey veer between friendship and more but are risk adverse at best. Theo and Kelsey meet in a very unusual way during Rate a Date, and bond over the disastrous dating world they find themselves in. They rely on each other and push aside their attraction in favour of friendship. But fake dating to boost Theo’s standing within his family and prove he is well and truly over his cheating ex, lead to both Theo and Kelsey having to face the chemistry brewing below the surface. It is obvious that Theo and Kelsey are meant to be together, they balance each other and support each other through good and bad. The perfect partnership. Although there are some angsty moments where Kelsey struggles to make herself vulnerable, Theo remains patient and calm. I adored Theo’s family and the banter he has with his siblings. Although not my favourite of the series, Wedding Date does round out the series nicely.

What do you do when you’ve sworn off men cuz they are terrible? Agree to be the wingman to Theo, who was burned when his girlfriend cheated on him with his cousin. I had so much fun with Theo and Kelsey. I liked that they were friends and were in the same boat together, hence the fake that grows into maybe more and a good dose of sizzle. Well done. Recommend.