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
Publishers Weekly
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.)
From the Publisher
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
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
Kirkus Reviews
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.
