It's My Party

Seven Brides for Seven Mothers #3

by Whitney Dineen

High off her success of playing matchmaker for both of her sons, lodge owner Ruby Cavanaugh decides to try her hand pairing other eligible singles--starting with her executive chef and her new event coordinator.

Party planner Claire Choate has a cheating boyfriend who also happens to be her boss. After visiting Oregon for her brother's wedding--which didn't even happen--Claire is offered a job that gets her out of LA for good. How can she pass up an opportunity like that?

Even though he has little time for a social life, executive chef Geoffrey Bere loves his job. After a past complication left him gun shy about workplace entanglements, he lives by a strict, "no dating co-workers" policy. But when Claire Choate arrives on the scene, he finds himself ready to break his own rule.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Humor, Fiction, Audiobook, Royalty

1 pages, Audio CD

First published March 16, 2021

About the author

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.

She's a USA Today Bestselling & multi-award-winning author of romantic comedies, non-fiction humor, thrillers, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016, 2019.


Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017, 2019

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards and Top Shelf Book Awards, 2017

Reviews

[Racheli Zusiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

הספר השלישי בסדרת "שבע כלות לשבע אמהות" המתרחשת בעיר ספרטן באורגון. קראתי ואהבתי את שני הקודמים בסדרה, "Love is a Battlefield", "Ain't She Sweet".
אחרי שרובי סיימה לשדך כלות לבניה ברוגן וג'יימס, היא מפנה את מאמציה לעבר ג'פרי, השף של בית ההארחה שלה. היא מנסה לשדך לו את קלייר, מנהלת האירועים החדשה של בית ההארחה, אך ג'פרי מסתיר סודות על חייו שמפריעים לשניים להתחבר, למרות המשיכה ההדדית...
ספר כיפי ומשעשע ביותר. נהניתי מאוד ומחכה כבר לספר הרביעי שיצא באוגוסט.

[Charissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire has just broken up with her long-term boyfriend whom she caught cheating. She now moves to a small town in Oregon to get away from the limelight her famous family always garners. She meets Geoffrey, a chef at the lodge she works at, but tries to fight her feelings for him. But her famous mom comes to visit her and keeps meddling in the picture. Geoffrey has a secret no one else knows, and it is one that keeps him from wanting to play with Claire’s feelings because he knows the end result would be heartbreak for her. But fate has other plans for the two. This is a fun story with fun characters. Tooty and Sharon, Claire’s mom, are pretty hilarious. It’s a prince falling for a commoner type story, with all that angst and drama that comes with that. Good book.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Whitney Dineen's writing - it's witty and funny and the words just flow - so I am always happy to pick up one of her books. This one did not work as well for me. The characters were flat and a tad annoying; their romance didn't feel real to me. It look me so long to finish this one because I just couldn't connect with Claire or Geoffrey. Also Sharon and Tooty annoyed me and while I found their lyrics funny, I found their viewpoints unnecessary and took away from the story. As usual, though, I enjoyed the royals and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, the blurb seemed like it would be right up my alley, but unfortunately not.

Claire is fresh off a break up with someone who cheated on her. She's moved to Oregon for a fresh start, only to find herself falling for a Chef who seems to be holding something back. Geoffrey is a chef who doesn't want to start something new, he's leaving the country soon due to familial obligations (Being coworkers is not the reason he's afraid to date Claire, like the blurb says).

Let's start with the things I did like:
- I enjoyed Geoffrey's perspective a lot.
-I enjoyed the last like 20% where they were kind of together, the ending is what saved this book.

And now for the things that I didn't like so much (there may be slight spoilers here):
- There was a lot of telling in this book, almost all of the exposition was just the characters stating facts.
- This book was trying really hard to be funny, but it felt like watching a sitcom without the laugh track.
- All of the characters except the main two, seemed more like caricatures than actual people.
- The songs that Sharon comes up with seem like things that someone who hasn't actually listened to country music in the last 25 years would think was country music.
- Geoffrey and Claire behave like children. They have no communication skills and instead just snipe at each other like siblings.

I'm giving this 3 Stars, because like I said, the ending of this book did save it. The attempts at being funny went away, the main characters learned to communicate, and I enjoyed the last part of this book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC

[Janet Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading this book, I didn't want to put it down. I did because I didn't think reading until 3 am was an appropriate thing to do. Claire and Geoffrey's romance is precious. I'm so glad they found their way to each other. This book made me laugh and cry. One of the best lines, "Honey, you haven't lived until you've teased your bangs up a solid six inches and then cemented them in place with half a can of Aqua Net." As a teenager in the 80's this resonated with me soooo much.

I've always loved Whitney's books.

[Sally Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the characters in this series. They’re quirky and fun. There is carry over from the previous books in the series but each can be read as a stand alone as well. Whitney writes humorous lines like she “watches me like she’s witnessing a cockroach crawl toward her dinner. Flattering.” These books are an easy light read which is perfect for a relaxing evening after a long day at work or a busy day with the kids. I’m looking forwards to the adventures of Claire’s sister Lu, hoping she might be in the next book.

[Rochelle Hamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Imagine a story with country music royalty, song titles like "Cheatin' Makes Your Dong Fall Off," a prince in disguise and a master chef and party planner for whom sparks fly! Do you want a good laugh? Read this book! Do you want a sweet, steamy romance? Read this book! Do you want to be completely entertained for a day? Pick up ANYTHING by Whitney Dineen! But for a story you can't put down (and you'll be glad you can't!) buy and read It's My Party!!

[Anna Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book but I haven’t read a book Whitney Dineen has written that I haven’t liked . I didn’t want to put it down the characters were great ya just couldn’t wait to see what would happen next

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my tastes this barely scores 3 stars, but everyone likes different things so what had me rolling my eyes and cringing might be something you enjoy. I forced myself to finish this because I wanted to see how the author resolved the storyline, but oh my the cheese factor was WAY too high for me to enjoy this book.

I love country music and the lyrics that the main character’s mother comes up with aren’t country...they are pure cheese and downright man bashing to the extreme.

The emotional antics between Claire and Geoffrey could give you whiplash. She doesn’t want a relationship, but he isn’t interested in one either she’s hurt. Then when she’s not interested in him, he all of sudden is obsessed with her...even though he doesn’t want a relationship. This cycles through so many times I lost count.

If you are looking for a cheesy, romantic comedy then this might be exactly what want. The author kept me reading/skimming to the end, I was just annoyed and frustrated with the craziness of the characters.

I received an ARC and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kami Happel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Match Making at it's finest! This is a great story for romance readers that want a happy ending but not without some fun and laughter along the way. Who can't relate to adamantly trying to convince yourself you are just "friends" with your romantic interest? Conflicting emotions complete with some family and workplace drama, speed dating and hilarious country song titles! Whitney Dineen has a fantastic sense of humor that makes her books so enjoyable that you can't wait for the next one to be released. I have found a new favorite author in Ms. Dineen and quickly become engrossed in her stories and characters! Her series are binge worthy and I would suggest you read them all and TRY to pick a favorite!

I was given an ARC copy for my honest review.

[Brandy Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby is at again in this charming, sweet, and fun romantic comedy. Things don't go quite according to plan as she plays matchmaker to Claire and Geoffrey. This entertaining read has drama, twists and turns and many laugh out loud moments. The characters are engaging, quirky and entertaining. This is a really great read and I am looking forward to the next one.

I received an advance copy of this book from Hidden Gem Books and I'm voluntarily leaving my review.

[Etta (Chonky Books Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the success of lodge owner, Ruby Cavanaugh, setting up her sons, Brogan with Addison (Book #1) and James with Tara (Book #2), she has her sights set on continuing to use her matchmaking skills. It’s My Party now focuses on Ruby’s newest employee and the lodge’s chef. Similar to the other novels, this one can technically be read as a standalone. The series features a new potential couple each time as their mothers or bosses set them up. The characters are always a joy to read about and the stories are extremely sweet. They are excellent escapist novels that make you want to move to a nice cozy small town.

Claire is a 29-year-old who is fresh off her break-up with her boyfriend in Los Angeles after he cheated on her. She has accepted a job as the event coordinator at Willamette Valley Lodge in Spartan, Oregon. She is ready for this change from the bustling city to the quiet rural life away from her previous life. In addition to her love life being in shambles, she has an identity crisis trying to separate herself from her music royalty family. Her family are either famous singers or songwriters and Claire has no interest in the music industry. She wants people to like her for her and not for her connections to her family.

Geoffrey is the head chef at the lodge and he has a secret that he can no longer hide as he is two months away from his 30th birthday. He made an agreement years ago, that ends on his 30th birthday and time is now ticking away. No one at the lodge knows his true self and he would like to keep it that way for as long as possible. To the reader, this “secret” is stated extremely early in the novel, but to the characters, Geoffrey prefers to keep them in the dark for as long as he can. The story features his inner turmoil about this once he meets Claire, after an initial meeting in Book 2. Now that Ruby and Claire’s mom, Sharon, have their sights set on setting up Geoffrey and Claire, Geoffrey now has to struggle with his want of Claire and the secret he is trying to hide.

The story is fairly fast-paced as the two characters work together on various events at the lodge. They also end up living close to each other, meaning that there are more opportunities for the “mothers” to meddle in their love lives. The two characters have great banter and chemistry and it is a roller coaster experiencing their will-they-won’t-they as there are reasons for each of them why pursing a relationship would not work. Instead, they try to be friends to satisfy those that tried to set them up and the fact that they like being around each other. The reader can feel Claire’s frustration as Geoffrey keeps his main secret from her yet he wants them to be together. It also does not help that some members of his family is pushing him to go for it while others are telling him not to.

The two characters guess early on that everyone is trying to set them up, so it was nice to see that they worked on a plan together to satisfy all parties involved, as much as possible. The only problem is that they both have many of their own issues that they are working with on top of their attraction to each other. It can get frustrating why these two characters cannot just open up to each other and openly discuss everything. This way they can make an informed decision together rather than speculate what the other will think. It is common in stories of this genre, so I do not think of this as a negative trait and instead enjoy that it was done well as you can read about the inner thoughts of both characters.

I cannot wait to read the fourth featuring Claire’s sister, Lu, and her potential love match in Geoffrey’s brother, Allister. Not only do these two seem like they will be a fun couple to feature, but also I hope to learn more about Malquar. This series has a lot of humor and heart mixed together to make enjoyable tales. The characters all interact in a natural way as almost all of them work together at the same lodge. I greatly enjoy reading this novel and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

**I give a special thank you to Giselle with Xpresso Book Tours for the opportunity to participate in the book blitz with this excellent novel with author, Whitney Dineen. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book three of the Seven Brides for Seven Mothers series and the main character is Claire Choate, who has quit her job in L.A., after catching her boss, who was also her boyfriend, cheating on her with young starlets. She has taken a position as an event co-ordinator at Willamette Valley Lodge in Spartan, Oregon, where her brother Romaine’s wedding was supposed to take place last year, but was cancelled at the last minute. His ex-fiancée Tara Heinz still works there as a pastry chef and is a former supermodel who got fed up with that lifestyle. The boss of the lodge is Ruby Cavanaugh and she has plans for Claire and her executive chef Geoffrey Bere, having been successful with pairing up other eligible singletons, including her two sons. But Geoffrey has a strict no dating employees rule after a bit of a disaster in the past, not that he has much time for a social life. He also has a secret and his parents only allowed him to have his own career and to do what he wanted, until he turns thirty, which is in just a few short months. His parents are coming to the lodge to celebrate his birthday and they will expect him to return home with them! So definitely not a good idea to even start a romance.
He knows that Ruby is quite happy to meddle with people’s love lives and to try to fix people up, but he tries to warn her off, with little effect! He met Claire three times when she was at the lodge for her brother’s wedding and he didn’t exactly like what he saw and she certainly wasn’t his type. Claire’s mother Sharon drove up to Spartan with her and they have rooms at the Lodge until all her furniture arrives. Ruby has arranged to have dinner with Claire, Sharon and Tara, the evening that she arrives and also asked Geoffrey to come out and serve them with their entrees. It turns out that quite a few secrets are revealed by Sharon’s questioning of Geoffrey and even Ruby didn’t know where he was actually from! That secret is one that will be blown out of the water, when his parents turn up. When Sharon mentions having been to Malquar and who her sister is, her family’s musical talents are clear, unfortunately something that missed Claire out completely. Her mother can’t believe how unadventurous Claire has turned out to be, as Sharon herself is up for any adventure and is even learning how to fly, so she can fly and visit her children and friends all over.
Matters aren’t helped when Sharon has the same idea as Ruby, about setting up Claire and Geoffrey. Ruby even gets the idea for some single dating night events be organised for the singletons in the local and neighbouring towns, to be held at the Lodge and then she could hold the engagement parties and weddings there as well! The two are being pushed together, but Claire would be on a rebound and Geoffrey has family issues to be concerned about which severely limit his actions. They think they can act as friends to fool their boss and her mother, but there is a strong attraction between the two of them and spending time together is making matters worse. A family emergency pulls Geoffrey back home unexpectedly and reminds him of everything he is missing, but also some of the restrictions that go along with it, which will affect his choices for the future. He gets back to the lodge with a slight air of rebellion, but also of jealousy. He and Claire need to prepare for a busy weekend, with a new single night, a birthday celebration and even a wedding. Add in the interference of Ruby and Sharon, as well as own mother, and matters may take a huge change of direction! A pleasing read with a complicated chance at romance and a fight against expectations and tradition. I received an ARC copy of this read from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[R Huiszoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whitney Dineen, ‘It’s My Party’.
Seven Brides for Seven Mothers, book 3.

As an ARC reader I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily promised an honest review. Here it is.

Rating: 4 (of 5 stars).

In general: Love in spite of irritating matchmakers.

Main characters:
- Sharon Choate.
A song writer for her sister, a famous country singer.
- Claire Choate.
Sharon’s daughter, who just broke up with her boyfriend, Jack, a film
producer and her (ex)boss. So she quit her job in Hollywood to work as an
event planner at the Willamette Valley Lodge in rural Oregon.
- Ruby.
Boss of the lodge. Widow after her husband Tom died a year before. Her
hobby: matchmaking. Her last success, Tara Heinz, ex model in LA (and ex
fiancee of Claire’s brother Romaine) and now Ruby’s sous-chef and the
girlfriend of her son James. Her next object: coupling Claire to her chef
George.
- George Bere Hale.
Chef at the lodge. Cooking is his passion. He looks very good and many
women admire him. But he’s not interested for he promised his family in
Europe that he’ll return home when he reached his 30th birthday. That’s
within two months.

With some help from Ruby and Sharon, George and Claire decide that they want to be friends when Claire starts her new job. Both actually want more, but are afraid of damaged feelings, knowing that George will leave within a few months.
The author, Whitney Dineen, then describes how they nevertheless build a love relationship. It’s not easy: George’s family obligations, Claire’s fear for another painful disappointment and the constant and sometimes very irritating matchmaking efforts of Ruby and Sharon embarrass the lovers during their way to a HEA. The author creates a funny story with sassy dialogues, nice descriptions of how to manage important lodge events and she adds a lot of interesting, wonderful additional characters who made the book a page turner which was a pleasure to read and to review. Only Ruby sometimes texting with her late husband was for me a small discord.

R. Huiszoon.

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming, sweet romance with a royal touch!

The writing effortlessly transports you to a cozy small town in Oregon, where the charming Willamette Valley Lodge stands as the center of all the action. Ruby is high on her success in finding matches for her two sons, so she sets her sights on fixing up her chef, Geoffrey, with her new event planner, Claire.

Claire is on the rebound and is definitely not ready to trust men again, while Geoffrey has a pocketful of secrets and obligations that keep him from being able to venture past friendship - OK, maybe just a few kisses - with the ever-tempting Claire. His time is limited and he's trying to be as straightforward as he is free to be, but there are some things that can't be understood until they're brilliantly revealed.

I adored Geoffrey's family and how they came through for him on his birthday. I hope the author has planned for many more stories in Malquar - we're certainly set up for many more adventures. I loved the speed-dating events and how that helped the characters to sort through their conflicting feelings. The side romance of Geoffrey's sister, Chéri, was pure joy on all fronts.

This is a fast-paced rom-com with an assortment of colorful characters, plenty of witty dialogue and situational humor, and vividly-described local scenery that can't be beat. The author has a knack for writing intense, steamy scenes that focus on the emotional depth and passion without being explicit. You can feel the heat between them even though they never do more than kiss. I wasn't as thrilled with the campy, stereotypical portrayals of the country music industry; I know the genre to be far more sophisticated and innovative than it was depicted here.

If your mother isn't actively working to arrange your perfect match, this book will either make you extremely grateful she's not or prompt you to give her a call and see what she's got. I highly recommend this book as a stellar addition to a wonderful series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Chick Lit Central (www.chicklitcentral.com)

As with the majority of Whitney Dineen’s books, I enjoy it immensely when I get to see the continuation of a story. Having read the first two books in her Seven Brides for Seven Mothers series, I couldn’t wait to find out what Ruby had in store for yet another employee she works with. This time, it involved her executive chef Geoffrey and the new event coordinator, Claire. I’d gotten to know Claire a bit in part 2 of the Seven Brides series, Ain’t She Sweet, and quickly learned how appearances can often be deceiving. The same can be said for Geoffrey, a man who lives by more than just his “no dating coworkers” policy. He has a couple of hidden secrets under his belt that not even Ruby knows about!

That secretive thread slips through and into any sort of potential relationship that Geoffrey might have with anyone else, specifically Claire. Claire isn’t the type to get involved in any sort of fling, and Geoffrey operates under that same code of conduct. Which makes taking things to another level even harder to do. Undercurrent to all of the love angst are the secondary characters who only elevate the complications: Ruby; Sharon, Claire’s famous songwriter mom; Tootie, Claire’s famous country music star aunt; every single member of Geoffrey’s family. It makes it hard to believe that Ruby will come through and make it happen in the matchmaking business, and I really wasn’t sure on how it would end for Geoffrey and Claire.

As always, I loved the backdrop to It’s My Party! Set in fictional town Spartan, Oregon--I couldn’t help but wonder if the town of Spartan is actually based on the city of Sublimity. There were references to waterfalls that made me think of Silver Falls, which is located in Sublimity, and of course, this born and raised Oregonian has to question which real-life city fictional Spartan is based on. I always feel like I’m revisiting my home state with this series, along with everything else that makes It’s My Party the five-star read that it is!

[Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Cavanaugh is at it again…or at least trying! After her success in setting up her two sons with her matchmaking skills, she tries to get her new event coordinator (Claire) paired up with her executive chef (Geoffrey). In my opinion, she CAN see potential between two people but her delivery is a wee bit lacking. But she means well and tries hard!

There are lots of tie-ins to the previous books but this can be read as a standalone. There are characters in previous books and I always enjoy that. I won’t tell you a lot about the plot of the book but I will say what I liked about the story and the characters.

First, I loved Geoffrey. The guy is between a rock and a hard place with getting involved with Claire but he is truly smitten; it’s safe to say probably at first sight. His “story” is definitely something you need to read but it’s funny how he handles his big “secret”. And his family…OMG. They made me laugh! It was wonderful to read how much he adores each and every member of his family.

Claire. She has had a bad run, that’s for sure. And her confidence in who SHE is truly is in a ditch. To put it simply, she comes from a musical family, country music and rock legends, and she feels as if she is someone who is unseen and unappreciated. She is recently single as well, having had issues with a previous relationship. (Again, read it for yourself, as the book tells it better.) She was a bit too angsty for me however she did have good reason to be. And her family cracked me up! There are some song lyrics that will play over and over in your head…

Claire and Geoffrey have a very curvy, potholed, hilly road to an HEA but if anyone is gonna make it work, they will. Good story!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new favorite! "It's My Party" is as hilarious as it is sweet!

Claire's family is country music royalty, but all she wants is to be seen, and appreciated, for who she is. To meet people and have genuine relationships that aren't fueled by the ulterior motives of others. When Claire finds out that her boyfriend of two years is cheating on her she decides that it's time to step away from her family's limelight. Accepting a job as event coordinator in rural Oregon provides the perfect opportunity to spread her wings and start fresh. Well, sort of - Claire's brother had nearly gotten married while at the lodge where Claire is now employed and during her previous visit there she and the lodge's chef didn't get off to the best start. Now they'll be working together and initially neither is too keen on that.

Enter their meddlesome boss, Ruby, Claire's mother Sharon, and Claire's would've-been sister in law, Tara. All of whom think Chef Geoffrey and Claire would make a great couple - despite their protestations! Soon Claire and Geoff are each eyeing other and swearing they'll just be friends. After Claire's recent breakup she swears she is taking a break from dating and all Geoffrey will say is that he is unable to get into a relationship right now. Claire is longing to know why that is, but won't press him.

Geoff is feeling all sorts of conflicting emotions. Obligation, resentment, homesickness, lust, affection, the need to keep Claire at arm's length while simultaneously wanting to hold on tight. No one would ever suspect that Chef Geoffrey is His Royal Highness Geoffrey Hale of Malquar. A Prince! Claire is as clueless about her friend/dating partner/boyfriend as the rest of those in Geoff's American life have been. While she is trying to figure out his hot and cold mood swings he's trying determine whether he is willing to turn his back on his contractual obligation to his family in order to pursue a future relationship with Claire. This makes for a lot of confusion, hurt feelings, and inevitable misunderstandings but everyone is pulling for those two no matter what. (And you will be too!)

In the end they may just get their happily ever after. Who knows?

Disclaimer: The author provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review which I give happily! Thank you for the opportunity!

[Ashley Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, author Whitney Dineen, and Independently Published for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
While this book is the third in this series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
This book follows party planner Claire Choate and executive chef Geoffrey Bere. Claire Choate finds her boyfriend/boss cheating on her with another woman. After visiting Oregon for her brother's wedding, she decides to move out of LA and start fresh in Oregon.
Geoffrey Bere, is not willing to date anymore coworkers after a past entanglement, but he might be willing to change his policy when Claire Choate starting working with him. Will Claire and Geoffrey be able to set aside their fears and reservations in order to give into the chemistry simmering under the surface?
This book had a great premise and while I had not read the first two books in this series, I wanted to read this one. The characters were so engaging, especially Ruby and Sharon! Claire and Geoffrey were a little annoying at times. They allowed others and circumstances to drive them to make decisions rather than do what they really wanted. The pacing dragged in places throughout this book. The last 20% of the book was the best part of the book. The royal family was so much fun! Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the other books within this series as well as by this author!

[Jessica Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whitney’s books are just so much fun! Her newest addition “It’s My Party,” to the Seven Brides for Seven Mother’s series has been a super fun read. I just finished it and this book was just super fun, it had a great couple at the forefront and the supporting characters were hilarious.

“It’s My Party” follows Claire Choate as she starts fresh in her new position as Event Coordinator in a new town in Oregon. She’s set on starting over after a difficult breakup but she wasn’t prepared to be interested in someone so soon after. She has her eyes set on her coworker Geoffrey Bere, the Head Chef at the Willamette Valley Lodge. Although he keeps to himself, he finds that he can’t stay away from Claire. Their relationship seems doomed from the start but royal dilemmas and country songs go on to make positive changes in their lives.

I love reading Whitney’s books. I’ve not come across two books that are alike. For a series, she’s able to make each couple have their own special relationship. I really enjoyed Claire and Geoffrey’s romance but I especially loved the supporting characters’ like their families. They really helped Claire and Geoffrey loosen up and they were all just super snarky and fun. I’d easily recommend this. It’s clean, wholesome, romantic, we all love a bit of royal drama, and I’ll say it again, it was fun!

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Kay's Pallet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read from this author. I hated The Plan, so I came into this with a lot of negativity, but an open mind. Unfortunately, this book was almost as bad as The Plan. This reads like the author has never interacted with another human before or seen other humans interact outside of tv. I'm sorry if that's harsh.

The writing was just bad. Grammar errors and over the top metaphors and similes aside, the pov switches at the beginning of each chapter are both distracting and unnecessary. Each chapter is either in Claire's or Geoffrey's pov, with a couple pages of either Sharon's or Ruby's pov (respectively) in the beginning. It distracts from the romance between the two characters and literally doesn't add anything to the story.

On top of bad writing, there were sexist ideals towards both men ("The male species as a whole tends to give into their animal instincts when it comes to members of the opposite sex.") and women ("...we women can be so pathetic at times." this is not said sarcastically), problematic views on sex, promoting people that cross boundaries, and terrible unlikeable characters. Claire is the absolute worst, with Geoffrey and Sharon tying for a very close second.

2 stars because while I hated this book so much it felt physical at times, I can see how other people could enjoy it. It's an interesting premise.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Dineen never fails to entertain and make me laugh with her fun and amazing stories and equally fun and amazing characters. They are the perfect stories to look forward to when you want to relax and settle down after a long day. This is the third book in the Seven Brides for Seven Mothers series. In this story, Ruby continues her matchmaking skills with her new employee and the lodge's chef. Claire is the new event coordinator at the lodge. She's from LA and glad for the break from the bustling city to a nice quieter rural life. There are a lot of things in the city she wants to leave behind. Geoffrey is the head chef at the lodge. He has a big secret he is keeping and as his 30th birthday is approaching he is running out of time. As he gets closer to Claire, he struggles with his feelings for her and this secret he's been keeping and trying to hide. This is a charming and cozy story with a delightful cast of characters and it was easy to get lost in all the witty banter, humor and fun. I adored the characters and story and appreciated the intensity of the passionate scenes and their steam, without being explicit. A wonderful addition to the series. Definitely recommend!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Orazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a secret Prince romantic comedy. This is a wonderful series of books. The characters have depth and are relatable. The stories are engaging, sweet and sometimes sexy and heartwarming.

Claire has just quit her job in LA when she caught her boyfriend/boss cheating on her and has been hired as the event planner at the Willamette Valley Lodge in Oregon. Her family is filled with high profile singers, musicians and songwriters. Her mother Sharon accompanies her and decides to stay for a month.
Geoffrey is the executive chef at the lodge. He is also a Prince living anonymously in the US until he turns 30 when he is supposed to return home to take up his royal duties and get married.
Ruby, the owner of the lodge, decides to match make by getting Geoffrey and Claire paired together. Sharon works with Ruby to help. Though Geoffrey insists he cannot get into a relationship because he has to leave in a few months, the attraction between him and Claire is too strong. They start as friends and travel a rocky road to become more. The eventually get the royals' blessing to be together and get their HEA.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness I am enjoying this series. I love Ruby and her relationship with her deceased husband... connecting through computer scrabble... and all the clues he was giving her - that made sense to the reader, but not her. In this edition we have Claire who has come to town to start fresh. After discovering her boyfriend of two years had been cheating on her, she decided she needed to get away from La La Land and try party planning somewhere more quiet. Geoffrey is head chef at the resort where she will be working. There are sparks between the two - but not in a good way. He is escaping his own life and expectations, especially with the approach of his 30th birthday where he promised to return and fulfill his royal obligations. Problem is, no one knows his true identity, and while that has served him well over the years, he's finding it more and more challenging as he gets to know Claire better. Whitney Dineen has a way of writing that leaves me laughing out loud at times, and others reaching for a tissue. Love the characters she weaves into her stories. Looking forward to seeing who she's going to write about next!

[Margery Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great addition to the series
When Claire finds out that her boyfriend for two years has been cheating, she decides to leave the limelight of her current life and start a new one. She finds a job as an event coordinator in Oregon and heads out to the lodge where her brother almost got married. Although she didn’t get along with the chef at first they worked it out. Ruby (her boss), her mother Sharon, and Tara (her almost sister-in-law) think she and Geoffrey (the chef) would make a terrific couple. He is really a prince, and while she has been trying to figure out his mood swings from hot to cold and vice versa, he has been trying how to have a relationship with her. Confusion, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings are part of their daily lives while he tries to find a way to void his contractual obligations to his family. This is an easy book to get drawn into.
This book was so good I’ve got to read the first two in this series!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Joyce Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A Delightful Novel To Read And To Review! - 5 Stars *****

This novel was like reading a breath of fresh air, the story was beyond delightful. This is definitely a story I can see myself re-reading when I wanted to be have my spirits uplifted. I must admit that in my spots I found myself laughing out loud at some of the antics of the characters. There is so much warmth and heart to all the characters involved in the telling of this tale. There are so many secondary characters involved and yet each one is clearly discernible and distinctly different from the others. It is easy to see where more novels will take off and given life to more shenanigans. Excellent: story, characterizations, dialogue, shenanigans, comedy and romance. Sigh ... if you are a romance reader or even those who currently read other genres, take the time out to read this novel; you will not be disappointed. Very Good Stuff!!

I voluntarily received an advance review copy of this novel via Booksprout and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review. I have no affiliation to this author.

[Narci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Ruby Cavanaugh continued to do her match making magic, after she successfully matched her sons, LOVED IT! I do have to confess I did kind of see this book coming after reading Tara and James story (I had secretly hoped she would get Claire and Geoffrey together) Geoffrey and Claire start off very rocky, after finding out what Geoffrey’s boss and Claire’s mom are up to they decide to have some fun. Soon after the lines are blurred, however the secret that Geoffrey hides can destroy any future either desire. Geoffrey is torn between what he desires and what he must do, duty calls so he is reluctant to start something that may hurt Claire and himself. Claire is confused, frustrated and torn between what Geoffrey says and does, yet she can’t seem to help not desire him. This is a cute, funny, sweet, romantic, sexy, adorable, frustrating, full blown drama story. There is so much going on at the Lodge, so many surprises, so many twists and turns, and funny moments that kept me hook. I love Whitney’s stories and can’t wait to read “You’re So Vain” BRILLIANT!!

[lf · Rating 4 out of 5]

They are each different types of "Royalty" but with the same issues...can they overcome together?

It's My Party is the third book in the Seven Brides for Seven Mothers series and is a very fun addition to the series. The story is about Claire Choate and Geoffrey Bere. He is the executive chef who works for Ruby Cavanaugh. Claire is the newly hired event coordinator at the Williamette Lodge that Ruby owns and runs. As Ruby had such success in playing matchmaker for her two sons, the first two books in this series, she decides to see if her streak continues by matching Geoffrey and Claire.
This is an at times laugh out loud funny story with a whole host of characters that interfere with sometimes wildly different results than intended. I like this series as it is a light, fun, charming and very entertaining.

I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.

[Cathy P · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Claire was a mess

I enjoyed the story line and most of the characters. I would have given this of 4 1⁄2 stars except for I didn't care for the female lead. Claire was a emotional hot mess that flip flopped back and forth on her feelings, thoughts and how she treated Geoffrey. She was just a little too over the top. There was no reason for Geoffrey to like her. Other than possibly her looks. I liked Geoffrey who had a huge secret. His situation caused a few issues as well ad her distrust of men.
Not sure I am going to continue with the series. After reading the Summary of the next book, I was a little excited about it. Now after meeting Lu at the end of this book, she seems less likeable even, than Claire. Shame, as Alistair seems fun.
Standalone, but has some of the same characters throughout entire series. No cheating and no cliffhanger. Get a HFN. No steam, no language, some kissing. Told fro! !multiple character's POVs.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

💘Light, breezy, sweet romance: have matchmakers will travel and meddle!

I found this an easy, cute read. Matchmaking widow Ruby, having found mates for her sons earlier in the series, works her skills to find the perfect woman for her resort's head chef. Ruby is confident her dead husband is still communicating with her from the other side! 👻She's joined by Sharon and Tooty, two country western legends who corner the zany factor in the book.

Chef Geoffrey has a HUGE secret which just keeps complicating his life and makes for the main conflict in the plot. I really liked him. He's so upright and devoted to not disappointing his family, even when family obligations get in the way of romance and his personal happiness.

Enjoyable read with some really lovable characters. I read a complimentary advance copy. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.