The Wedding Gift

Four Weddings and a Fiasco #1

by Lucy Kevin

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B007BVNF4O

After Julie Delgado’s restaurant closes, she temporarily takes over the catering position at the Rose Chalet, a full-service San Francisco wedding venue. She plans to dazzle the bride and groom so the Chalet’s owner will keep her around, but fate has other plans for her when the bride’s brother shows up for the first food tasting.

Andrew Kyle is not only the Cuisine Channel’s Edgy Eats host and chef, but his recent review of Julie’s restaurant was the final nail in its coffin. Once he meets Julie at the Rose Chalet, he’s certain she’s playing it safe. And he wants nothing more than to be the one to break her guarded passions loose.

But despite the undeniable sparks between Julie and Andrew — and the fact that he seems to believe in her when no one else does — can she afford to be taking risks with her cooking, with her career… or with her heart?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Ebooks, Amazon

180 pages, ebook

First published February 21, 2012

Reviews

[Alp · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

The Wedding Gift is the first book in Four Weddings And Fiasco series. It is a fun, lovely, and sweet short story. Although it contains no steamy scenes, I enjoyed the story and have fallen in love with this series already. I always love Bella Andre's writing style (Lucy Kevin is her 'Sweet Romance' pen-name.) and her male characters. This is another one of her wonderful books which I recommend to anyone who loves to read very sweet romances.
(Sorry I’ve used the word SWEET too many times in this review, I couldn't help it, this book is just really SWEET!!!)

**It's free on Amazon Kindle now!

[LaFleurBleue · Rating 2 out of 5]

That book is the perfect illustration that a wrong timeline can break a book and make it all seem inconsistent and unrealistic.
Outside the epilogue, the whole story took place over about 10 days. Moreover the male lead-character behaved like an overbearing know-it-all imposing his take on anything to anyone around him without ever listening to the others' point of view. Frankly it was so bad I was even thinking that guy had everything in store to turn into a major abuser and certainly someone contributing to destroy the self-confidence of weakened persons around him. And the heroine was indeed weakened by several failures... So it left me very uncomfortable about their whole relationship.
Last thing, there were a few things in the plot that really did not make sense, like inventing a menu for a wedding without having any clue of what the bride and groom looked for, like the host changing the concept of a TV show while the filming just started and no one stopped it or even complained, etc.
Frankly that's disappointing. The writing was adequate, the editing fine, the characters had a good individual basis. But it wasn't properly developed.
I'll stop there with this author and the series.

[Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed so much participating in Anna's Read All the Books Challenge. I'm trying to read all of Bella Andre's novels (written under any of her pen names). I've at least liked all the books I've read so far (29), but not every book is a win. The Wedding Gift was a let down, and I had so many issues with it.

The Wedding Gift is about chef Julie Delgado. It starts off with Julie's restaurant receiving a very negative review written by Andrew Kyle who is a successful chef and restaurant review. It was a very depressing way to start the novel. Then the story jumps a little ahead, and Julie's restaurant had to close, and she now lives with her aunt and is temporarily working as the caterer for The Rose Chalet, a wedding venue. She's meeting with a client to set up the meal for the wedding, but instead of the client, the client's brother shows up. Who just so happens to be Andrew.

I did not read the blurb very clearly, and when I realized that the hero of the story was Andrew, and it didn't sit well with me. While I did like Julie and Andrew their relationship just did not work for me. Andrew is a successful chef, who is now starring in a TV show about cooking. He has an absolute passion for food. And he's definitely attracted to Julie. But he's so successful, and he continues to criticize Julie's cooking, although not harshly. He also kept pushing her to be more creative in her cooking, and not sticking to the recipe, and it just felt off. Especially since it was the man telling the woman how it was "supposed to be." It messed with the power in their relationship and it made me so uncomfortable.

On top of that, some of the logistics didn't seem right. Like Julie making samples for weddings without ever talking to the clients first to see what they wanted. I mean, that doesn't make sense. And how things went on the TV show that Andrew is filming also seems unrealistic.

I just could not like this book. In large part because it felt like Andrew had a lot of power over Julie. I really love Bella Andre's books, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books, but the Wedding Gift was a let down.This review was originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vikki's Musings

This is the second book I have read by Lucy Kevin, who is actually Bella Andre, and I enjoyed The Wedding Gift a great deal. At this time, the book is free and the audio is available for $1.99, a great deal. This is the first book in the “Four Weddings and a Fiasco” series.

Julie Delgado’s restaurant fails and she starts a job at Rose Chalet, a wedding planning and venue company. Unfortunately, the first wedding she must prepare the food for happens to be the brother of the celebrity chef who wrote a scathing review that helps shut the door on her fledgling restaurant.

Andrew Kyle is pleased to see Julie again. He remembers her and had seen her brilliance as a chef. However, she is too cautious and needs to allow her full creative genius out in her food preparation. He wants to help unleash her potential.

Can Julie put aside her hurt and see what he wants for her? Can they move beyond the differences and see they are actually made for each other?

I was actually amazed at the character development in this novella. I got a true sense of what made both of them tick. Also, the plot has a new twist that made this a highly enjoyable love story. My only suggestion be would a stronger ending. It felt a bit rushed to me. It has a “happily for now” ending. Of course, since this is the first book in this series, I suspect Ms. Kevin will have this couple’s relationship grow in the next book.

Julie Delgado is a great heroine. She is vulnerable but has determined to succeed even though she suffers a lot of disappointments. There is a surprising amount of depth to her character, considering the length of this book.

I fell in love with Andrew Kyle's character. At first, I wasn't sure about him because the first scene in the book does not show him in a favorable light, but once his motives unfold, then it makes sense. He wants Julie to find the full extent of her creative side.

I listened to the audio version, and as always, I thoroughly enjoyed Eva Kaminsky’s performance. She reads with a great deal of emotion and does a credible job on giving each character a distinct voice.

If you are looking for a light-hearted read with a unique plot and engaging characters, then you will enjoy The Wedding Gift as much as I did. I look forward to reading/listening to the other books in this delightful series. Happy reading!

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Imagine the scene. An up and coming author striving to make her big break in the cutthroat world of publishing, reads a professional literary critic's preview of her latest novel.

A review so bad, so cuttingly 'kind' and patronising that her publisher tears up her contract and sends her on her way - no b0ok, no contract, not even somewhere to live (imagine she gave up work and mortgaged the house while she was writing 'The' book.

Do you really imagine that same author would even contemplate being in the same room as aforementioned critic, let alone want to kiss him? Nah.

So why on EARTH did Julie Delgado fall all smooch-moochy-kissy-kissy for Andrew Kyle, the critic who destroyed her restaurant business? I am tired of reading about women who fall in love with men who have hurt them like that. Are there no strong women out there? She came over as a simpering sissy.

There is no vengeance like a woman scorned or mocked.

I dnf'd when they started having a food fight. Yawn.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hero was too pompous for my liking. I know he's supposed to come across as supportive with the way he challenges the heroine, but the whole time I was thinking "give her a break, dude!" He challenged her at the risk of her job which to me is not charming or anything of the like. At the same time, the heroine took offense at every little thing. And yes, the hero deserved some of what came to him... jilted woman and all that. But who wants to be in a relationship like that?!

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. I thought the story was great. It involved two chefs who fall in love. Julie Delgado and Andrew Kyle first meet at a tasting for Andrew’s brother’s wedding and Julie is preparing the menu. Julie was a chef who never tries anything new, she sticks to traditional ways of making food and Andrew is a chef who cares after the creativity and passion behind making the food. He likes to take risks. Out of both characters, I found Andrew was more confident because he always followed his passion for food. For Julie, it was a learning curve, she has to lose something in order to find her passion. I thought they made a cute couple. I can’t wait to read Patrick and Phoebe’s story. The ending was sweet. Overall, a great read.

[Gamruk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyaz dizi romanlar gibiydi. Sevdim.
Bu aralar içinde yemek yapılan aşk romanlari okuyup duruyorum ya hadi hayırlısı. 😂

[Ceren Ünlü · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arkadya Yayınları'ndan okurken baş ucunuzdan ayırmayıp bitirdiğinizde yüzünüzde tebessümle kitaplığınızda saklayacak bir kitap daha...
Dört düğün bir fiyasko serisinin ilk kitabı ''Düğün Hediyesi'' hafif ve sevimli bir kitaptı. Ben kitabı iki saatte okudum, bitirdim. Eee kitap sürükleyici, karakterlerde sıcacık olunca sonucu da bu oluyor. =))

Andrew Kyle... Kendine biraz fazla güvenen, burnu havada Andrew... Julie gibi beni de kendine hayran ettiği an tamam dedim. Bu yazarı tuttum. Okuyorum, okuyorum yoruluyorum köşeye koyuyorum. Haydaa bende bir merak. Geri alıyorum elime =)) Böyle bitirdim kitabı. Bakıyorum eşime, sende bana yemek yapsana diyorum. Adam aşçı değil bişi değil. =)) Fakat kitapta bir paragraf vardı, beni çok etkiledi;

''Yemek yapmak çok kişisel, çok samimi bir deneyimdi. Mutfağın verdiği stres çok acımasızken aynı zamanda bir büyüyü de içinde barındırıyordu. İnsanları tanımak için yemekten daha iyi bir şey ve yakınlaşmak için birisini besleyip beslememekten daha iyi bir yol yoktu.''

Nasıl? Harika bir alıntı değil mi? Kitap mükemmel olunca. =))

Bir de ben yazarın insanları iyi gözlemlediğine inanıyorum çünkü çok başarılı bir şekilde karakterlerin ruh hallerini kaleme almış. Okuduğun karakter ne hissediyorsa hem bunu doğru bir şekilde farkına varıyorsun hemde sende o duyguyu yaşıyorsun. Ve karakterler ile olay örgüsü de başarılı bir şekilde harmanlanmış. Konusuna gelirsek; Julie ve Andrew iki aşçıdır. Julie kendine güvenmeyen, klasik tarifleri uygulayan ve Andrew'in sayesinde restoranı iflas etmiş güzel bir kadındır. [Güzel olmasa şaşarım =))] Andrew ise tam tersine kendine güvenen, değişik tarifler uygulayan, işine tutkusunu katmış, ah! en önemlisi de Julie'dan etkilenen yine de yaptığı eleştirilerle restoranının kapanmasına neden olan ünlü bir şeftir. Andrew'in tek isteği Julie'nin kalbine ördüğü zırhı kaldırmaktır. Bunu da çok başarılı bir şekilde beceriyor ki okurken tadına doyamıyorsunuz. =)) Julie ise hem aşkı yaşamayı göze alıyor hemde güvensizliğini bir rafa kaldırıp, yaptığı yemeklere de bir tutam tutku katıyor.

Şimdi kendinize bir sorun. Bu kitap okunmaz mı? Kitap güzel. Kapak güzel. Çevirisi güzel. Daha ne istiyorsun be kardeşim. Al benden de sana tavsiye; bu kitap okunur! =))=))

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was the one giving my brother a gift by helping put the wedding menu together. Little did I know I was the one getting the best wedding gift of all: You.”

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Lucy Kevin's (Bella Andre's alter, sweeter, ego) first novel in the Wedding series, we meet Julie Delgado on the day she meets and has her restaurant reviewed by celebrity chef Andrew Kyle. His negative review put the final nail in her coffin, and months later, Julie's restaurant had closed and she was back to living with her Aunt Evie and looking for another job.
When Julie gets the opportunity to temporarily take over for her aunt as head chef at wedding venue The Rose Chalet, Julie jumps at the chance, but of course her first couple is related to none other than Andrew Kyle, who has put himself in charge of the food. When he once again pans her food, Julie is at a loss of what to do. She needs this job, and she really, really wants to kill Andrew.
Andrew, of course, sees that her food is good, but lacks passion, which is the theme in this fluffy story. Passion. Passion for food, for cooking and for love. Of course, this being a romance, Andrew and Julie fall in love, but with love comes complications. But sadly, as much as passion was shoved down our throats in this novel, I didn't feel it. I know Bella Andre is a great writer, but her alter ego is not. I did not read or feel the passion between these two characters, between the characters and the food they cooked, and passion about anything in general. Like her other books, this novel ends with the beginning of the next book in the series, so this story doesn't have proper closure, which, frankly, is getting old. Wrap up one story line before you start another. Especially if your readers have absolutely no interest in continuing on in the journey to the next book, where the characters will undoubtedly show up again in some small capacity.
If you like fluff, then this book is for you, but I've read (and eaten) better fluff, so my advice is to skip this and read something else.

[HippieWitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Julie Delgado's restaurant closes, she temporarily takes over the catering position at the Rose Chalet, a full-service San Francisco wedding venue. She plans to dazzle the bride and groom so the Chalet's owner will keep her around, but fate has other plans for her when the bride's brother shows up for the first food tasting.

Andrew Kyle is not only the Cuisine Channel's Edgy Eats host and chef, but his recent review of Julie's restaurant was the final nail in its coffin. Once he meets Julie at the Rose Chalet, he's certain she's playing it safe. And he wants nothing more than to be the one to break her guarded passions loose.

But despite the undeniable sparks between Julie and Andrew -and the fact that he seems to believe in her when no one else does-can she afford to be taking risks with her cooking, with her career...or with her heart?

[Reading Rediscovered · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, light-hearted romance, that had some depth to it.

Julie had a restaurant. But due to a scathing review, it failed, which as left her with a temporary job working for her Aunt's old job, but then that falls apart too. And there's one thing in common - Andrew Kyle. But slowly Julie comes to the realization that her failures aren't because of Andrew, and she comes to understand how she can pick herself up and try again. It doesn't hurt that Andrew is there to help her along the way as the two fall in love.

I found this to be a very sweet, nice romance. The characters were multi-faceted enough that they weren't boring, and they had more to them than just romance and relationship.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short read and look forward to sampling more of Mrs. Kevin's works. While this piece was completely in the romance department, I liked the stress on self-discovery and being true to ones beliefs (once you've figured them out). There were a few time gaps I felt were a little unexplained, in this length of a piece, I can understand the jumps. This is an excellent read for a relaxing afternoon, perfect for the poolside or beach.

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A minha experiência anterior com Lucy Kevin foi negativa, mas este pequeno "The Wedding Gift" é outra coisa. Um pequeno romance adorável. Gostei muito de Julie, com a sua vulnerabilidade por saber que é aquele tipo de pessoa que, se quiser mudar alguma coisa, lhe vai correr mal. Já Andrew é o contrário, tudo o que faz corre bem. No início achei-o o típico chef pretensioso, mas depois mostrou ser mais que isso.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/19/2019)! 🎁

[Sassafrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, if I didn't know that Lucy Kevin was a pen name for Bella Andre, this book would have me convinced. The writing style is very similar although this books are cleaner (Bella Andre isn't the dirtiest romance writer or anything but she can get steamy).

Anyway, I liked this one, it reminded me a lot of the Sullivans and the fact the Eva Kaminsky was narrating the audiobook didn't do much to quell that reminder.

I will continue on with the series, I have fun with this one.

[Alida Arabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it was a good and light read . I really enjoued it. The writing is also really good. And yes the food. Yummm. Loved the chef concept.
But im more excited about Roses and R js development. So im looking forward to the last book.

[Kinna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it as a quick short read.

[Eesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasently surprized by many of the things in this book.

You know, I was expecting this book to be bad. I was expecting to hate it or be really pissed off by it. I can't say for sure why but I think it was because of the name and the fact that last book (most of the books, really) that I read of this type (and yes, there is a type), pissed me off.

Happy to say that this book did not. I don't think it's the best book ever and there are still things I disgree with but it was a good read and, in the end, that one of the things that matter most.

The book was well written and the characters were likable. The story was good and so was the pacing, considering this was just a novella. I also loved the fact that I didn't hate the female protagonist.

It's become a thing where romance novel protagonist make me, someone who doesn't like violence, wish someone would stab them. Not all of them but some of the "strong, imdependend women who don't need no man", which is basically just a euphemism for fucking rude!

But all that aside, I liked Julie. She had a habit of mixing her personal and proffessional life and acted a little too impulsively, but she realized that and became better. That's more character development than half the full length novels.

I also suprisingly like Andrew. I don't have any thing about hating male protagonist of romance novels since they're often too busy chasing or pining or being pathetic to get much hate. Andrew, though, was a great guy. He was very supportive of Julie, he was straight-forward, nice and, unlike Julie, didn't mix personal and professional lives. Such a sweet and honest guy.

The things I didn't were:

1. The "love" part: They met like five times and not always for long durations. How could they fall in love so quickly? I didn't didn't buy it. It was rushed and I understand that, since this was a novella, that can happen. But it doesn't mean I liked it. Besides, you don't have to profess your undying love.

2. Andrew's attitude towards jobs: I like that Andrew though very highly of Julie and though she deserved better. But sometimes, it felt like he was looking down on other, smaller jobs. I mean, has never heard the phrase "No work is too small"? He was also a bit rushy. Again, main reason is probably the novella thing but it was a problem.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I recommend checking it out. It's short, sweet and funny. What more could you ask for?

[ɑƨħŵɑɡ ♥Team Magnus Damora FOREVER♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not as interesting as I thought it is. I love wedding-themed romances especially since there's food involved and the MCs are chefs. However, this was such a stiff story.

Julie, being her emotionally closed-off self, made me not able to feel her character more. I also didn't think Andrew Kyle was her "one and only true love". He comes off as an arrogant guy throughout the story. That did not made me like him. He kept asking Julie to go with her passion knowing what she lost and even after she lost the current job she had because again she listened to him (which I don't know why) he doesn't even sound remorse. It's true that she should be pursuing her passion but she is the one who's go to do it not on some guy's command.

Overall, the end was cute and all but the overall story could have been better.

[Sassy Beta Reading & Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

For s short read it wasn't bad.

I started out reading this book like I watched horror movies when I was younger....Yelling..Don't Go in there!!!! Don't Trust him!!! OH you idiot!!! By the time I got half way through, it wasn't half bad.


I am trying to decide it I would want to purchase the next books in the series at 2.99 a pop. I will probably eventually break down and purchase but for now I think I will have to pass. Maybe by then I will have forgotten this one (which probably will not be too hard) and will be able to spend my money on something else.

[Buse Güler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitabın içinde bolca yemek geçtiği için yorumumu ona göre yapayım :) Kitap tam anlamıyla tadımlık bir kitaptı. Zaten öyle beklentileri çok yüksek tutmaya gerek yok bence. 152 sayfalık bir kitap okuyoruz sonuçta. Ama bu kötü oldugu anlamına gelmez. Bir kerede okunuyor. Gayet akıcı bir dili var. Ayrıca kapağı ve sayfalarının güzelliğini çok beğendim. Sayfalar kalındı. Kapak çok hoştu :) Dinlenmek amacıyla belki de okunacak bir kitap olabilir. Bir yolculuk esnasında, yazın deniz kenarında :) Beklentileri yüksek tutmayın derim. Yinede hoş bir kitaptı.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick & super cute, The Wedding Gift is a nice package. Julie & Andrew are both chefs, but with very different backgrounds & philosophies. I love how food plays a major role in both their lives, and even tho their methods differ, they each learn something from the other - not only in the kitchen!

:)

[Burçak Kılıç Sultanoğlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gayet hoş bir aşk hikayesiydi :)
Julie bir aşçıdır ve restoranı Andrew'in eleştiri yazısı sonrası çöker. Daha sonra çalıştığı düğün evinde de Andrew'in olumsuz yorumlarıyla karşılaşır ve aralarındaki sürtüşme aşka dönüşür :D
Konu da güzel kitapta.. Zaten 150 sayfacık bişi hemen okuyabilirsiniz öneririm :D

[Mary McFarlane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was short and sweet but I wish there was more then just the 2 pages of drama about him, her and the restaurant. I mean that's the main reason they met in the first place. I do like the set up for book 2 however, looking forward to that

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my loved the book kept my attention was sad when it was over. It is about romance nice clean love story.

[Cori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pure fluff, but can't complain too much - only took about 2 hours of my life to read!

[Cindy Marchant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short sweet romance. The ending did seem a bit rushed but the author also spent some time setting up the next book in the series. I can see myself tryng another in the series.

[Melinda Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute short story that I enjoyed. It made me want to read the rest of the series.