The Wedding Date

by Jasmine Guillory

Overview

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in this fun and flirty multicultural romance debut by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory—author of the Resse Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick The Proposal.

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER
#5 LibraryReads Pick

“A swoony rom-com brimming with humor and charm.”—Entertainment Weekly (The Must List)

“What a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel....One of the best books I've read in a while.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Hunger

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend....

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other....

They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century—or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want....

One of...
Entertainment Weekly’s “12 Romances for V-Day” • Cosmopolitan’s “2018 Anticipated Reads” • Elle’s “2018 Must Reads” • Harpers Bazaar’s “New January Must Reads” • The Fug Girls’ “Best Books of the Year” • Elle UK’s “Books to Get You Through 2018” • Nylon’s “January Must Reads” • Hello Giggles’ “New Release Recs” • Electric Lit’s “Books by WoC to Read in 2018” • Bitch Media’s “2018 Must Reads” • BookBub’s “2018 Romance Must Reads” • Bookriot’s “Must Read 2018 January Releases” • RetailMeNot’s “2018 Must Reads”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399587665
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/30/2018
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	53,695
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.24(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jasmine Guillory is a lawyer, a graduate of Wellesley College and Stanford Law School, and a Bay Area native who lives in Oakland, California. She has been published in The Toast and The Hairpin, has towering stacks of books in her living room, a cake for every occasion, and upward of fifty lipsticks. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Wedding Party, and Royal Holiday. Visit her online at jasmineguillory.com and twitter.com/thebestjasmine.

Read an Excerpt

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Excerpted from "The Wedding Date"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Jasmine Guillory.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Reading Group Guide

Reader's Guide
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Questions for Discussion

1. Would you be able to choose your career over a possible long-term relationship, much like Alexa did?

2. Was there a time when you were incredibly passionate about a project, whether at work or at home, and felt stymied about getting it through? What were you able to do to finish it?

3. Theo is Alexa’s work husband—he’s there for her, encourages her, and is all-around her closest confidante at work. How impor-tant is it to have a work bestie? Do you have one?

4. When was there a time you knew a relationship wasn’t going to work out, much like Drew’s situation? You weren’t in love with the other person, and you knew it was best to end the relationship. How difficult was it? Talk about your experience.

5. There are several instances of racism throughout the novel, both subtle and obvious. Have you observed racist behavior in your life, and if so, how were you affected by it? Did it cause you to act? Why or why not?

6. Drew doesn’t see himself as a “player,” even though many of his ex-girlfriends do. Do you think he is one, or does he just have a different understanding of what defines a “player”?

7. Communication is important in relationships. With all the dif-ferent ways of communicating that technology now offers, have you ever had a text or email exchange that was misinterpreted and that led to conflict?

8. Alexa has a lot of guilt about her past with her sister. Do you think she’s right or wrong to feel guilty about her past behavior? Have you done something that you still feel guilty about, even if the other people affected have forgiven you and moved on?

9. Alexa and Drew bond over a mutual love of food. How impor-tant a role does food play in your own relationships?

Editorial Reviews

01/22/2018
In Guillory’s flat debut, a stalled elevator sparks a fake date that leads to muddled emotions. After Drew Nichols, a sexy pediatrician from Los Angeles, and Alexa Monroe, the Berkeley mayor’s chief of staff, are stuck in an elevator together, he inexplicably asks her to be his date at his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. The charade develops into a long-distance relationship stifled by doubts and overthinking as the two protagonists attempt to reconcile their emotions and questions about each other’s feelings. There are some awkward, sweet, and sexy moments between the newly acquainted characters, but the story wanes as Alexa and Drew attempt a real relationship; complications aren’t developed, and the constant overthinking diminishes the strengths of the characters. Mundane details and stilted dialogue add little complexity to the plot or characters, slowing the narrative pace. The protagonists have some amusing quirks and habits that reveal their flaws, but overuse destroys their charm. The lack of exposition and rushed narrative make it difficult to fully identify with the characters or stay engaged with the story, in spite of some sensual episodes. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Wedding Date

“A swoony rom-com brimming with humor and charm.”—Entertainment Weekly
 
“Guillory’s debut is as enchanting as her characters—bright, bold, warm and wonderful. Even better, there’s a proposal to rival any commercial that Madison Avenue can deliver.”—WashingtonPost.com
 
“This novel reads like a truly contemporary contemporary romance in that the hero and heroine grapple with issues anyone dating today will relate to.”—NPR.com
 
“Kudos to Guillory, whose lively dialogue is matched by her multifaceted characters.”—Essence Magazine
 
“The novel is a light-hearted and quick read with fully drawn characters.”—Associated Press
 
“A romance novel that will make you believe in happily ever afters.”—Nylon.com 

“What a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel. I couldn’t put The Wedding Date down. I love a good romance and this delivered from the first page to the last...One of the best books I’ve read in a while.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Hunger

“This much-needed dose of escapism charts an unexpected bond between two strangers brought together by a fateful elevator encounter.”—Harper's Bazaar

“This romance novel promises to be the perfect beach read: rich, charming characters and a love story with substance. We recommend getting this one ASAP.”—Apartment Therapy

“Three cheers for an interracial relationship.”—HelloGiggles

"Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date is able to pull you in and keep you reading all the way to the end.”—Culturess

“Will charm rom-com fans.”—Kirkus Reviews 

“The Wedding Date brims with personality. It's funny, deeply honest, and above all, truly swoony—the kind of all-consuming romance where you hold your breath with delight as two wonderful people start to find each other, like the best possible version of real life. We can't wait to read more from Jasmine Guillory.”—Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, bestselling authors of The Royal We

“It has been a long time since a romance novel written by a Black woman that centers a Black heroine took my collective breath away, stopped me in our tracks, and helped me remember that Black women can fall in love outside of the pages of novels...The Wedding Date ends that unnecessary drought.”—Bitch Media

From the Publisher

2017-11-13
A fake romance starts becoming surprisingly real.Alexa is a lawyer-turned-chief of staff for the mayor of Berkeley. Drew is a pediatric surgeon from LA in town for his ex-girlfriend's wedding. When the two get stuck in an elevator in a San Francisco hotel, they unexpectedly hit it off, and Drew convinces Alexa to be his plus-one at the wedding, leading to a whole fake-relationship scheme. The relationship may be fake, but Alexa and Drew are very clearly interested in each other. As a one-night stand becomes a two-night stand becomes weekend trips between Berkeley and LA, both are in denial about how important they are to each other. As they face ups and downs, ultimately they must decide if they want to try to make a real relationship work. The writing is fast-paced, jumping between Alexa's and Drew's points of view. The two leads are charming, and both have quirky friends who add flavor to the story. The issue of race comes up since Alexa is black and Drew is white; Alexa is more aware of situations that may turn ugly, and Drew becomes more mindful of his privilege, a timely lesson that adds depth to the story. The book is also unexpectedly raunchy, since Alexa and Drew's connection starts as a purely physical one and they only later develop deeper feelings. The characters never find a situation that doesn't turn them on at least a little bit.Guillory's debut is a mix of romance and raunch that will charm rom-com fans.

Kirkus Reviews

Listeners will enjoy hearing this cute yet cheeky performance by Janina Edwards. Career-driven Alexa gets locked in an elevator with good-looking Dr. Drew when the power goes out. Immediately, they hit it off, and Alexa agrees to be Drew’s last minute plus-one at a wedding. But what was a fake date could possibly turn into a real relationship. Edwards fully expresses all the sassiness, boldness, and romance of this story. Her interpretations of the characters’ antics are paired with heartfelt moments and saucy scenes that are not overly explicit. This performance is sure to reach a wide audience of romance and chick lit fans. G.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2019 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2018 - AudioFile

Listeners will enjoy hearing this cute yet cheeky performance by Janina Edwards. Career-driven Alexa gets locked in an elevator with good-looking Dr. Drew when the power goes out. Immediately, they hit it off, and Alexa agrees to be Drew’s last minute plus-one at a wedding. But what was a fake date could possibly turn into a real relationship. Edwards fully expresses all the sassiness, boldness, and romance of this story. Her interpretations of the characters’ antics are paired with heartfelt moments and saucy scenes that are not overly explicit. This performance is sure to reach a wide audience of romance and chick lit fans. G.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2019 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2018 - AudioFile