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Reality Show #1
The Wedding Game
Cannon James has a plan: Sign on as a contestant for his father’s new reality show, marry a blonde hand-picked by the producers, and walk away two million dollars richer. It’s all been arranged. Easy. Clean. No regrets. Until Ellie McAllister ruins everything by winning the viewer’s vote. Now he has to convince America that he’s head over heels in love with her. Not easy to do since she’s a walking disaster. Ellie McAllister has her own problems. She needs money, and she needs it now. Despite her parent’s objections and her belief that marriage is sacred, she signs on to The Wedding Game…and wins. Now she’s married to a guy she can’t stand, and if she wants her hands on the money, she has six months to make voters believe she loves him. Not easy to do since he’s the most arrogant man in America. It doesn’t take long for Ellie and Cannon to realize they’ve made a mess of things…even less time for their feelings for one another to change. But is it too late for them? More importantly, can the worst decision they've ever made actually become one of the best?
280 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2013
120 people are currently reading
730 people want to read
About the author
Amy Matayo
26 books503 followersAmy Matayo is an award winning author of The Wedding Game, Love Gone Wild, Sway, In Tune With Love, A Painted Summer, and The End of the World. She graduated with barely passing grades from John Brown University with a degree in Journalism. But don't feel sorry for her--she's super proud of that degree and all the ways she hasn't put it to good use.
She laughs often, cries easily, feels deeply, and loves hard. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and four kids and is working on her next novel.
www.amymatayo
Twitter: @amymatayo
Instagram: @amymatayo.author
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amymatayo
She laughs often, cries easily, feels deeply, and loves hard. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and four kids and is working on her next novel.
www.amymatayo
Twitter: @amymatayo
Instagram: @amymatayo.author
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amymatayo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
January 10, 2016
4.5
I ended up really liking this one. The book starts with Ellie and Cannon winning a reality show in which they have to get married. Apparently 25 girls and 25 guys participated and the audience chose from those who would marry for six months. Their marriage would air as a reality TV show and in the end the couple would get two million dollars each. The problem is they can't stand each other. Ellie is a normal girl from Arkansas while Cannon is a pretty rich boy from Beverly Hills. They have nothing in common. They have some fun fights in the beginning. I was hoping it wouldn't be resolved too quickly and after awhile I was also hoping the fighting wouldn't last too long. It ended up balancing out. Their progression from hate to love was believable. I did think they were a tad mean at times, especially considering they were being filmed all the time. Despite the fact that they are on a reality TV show, after awhile it didn't feel like the cameras were there.
I liked Ellie and Cannon, especially as their relationship became more real. I like tension, but I liked when they started liking each other and treating each other better. I thought the plot was fun and how their families played an interesting role in everything.
Overall, it was really cute. I loved that it was clean, but still had good tension. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Rom-Com. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Matayo!
Content: Clean, PG. Mostly kissing everything else is behind closed doors.
I ended up really liking this one. The book starts with Ellie and Cannon winning a reality show in which they have to get married. Apparently 25 girls and 25 guys participated and the audience chose from those who would marry for six months. Their marriage would air as a reality TV show and in the end the couple would get two million dollars each. The problem is they can't stand each other. Ellie is a normal girl from Arkansas while Cannon is a pretty rich boy from Beverly Hills. They have nothing in common. They have some fun fights in the beginning. I was hoping it wouldn't be resolved too quickly and after awhile I was also hoping the fighting wouldn't last too long. It ended up balancing out. Their progression from hate to love was believable. I did think they were a tad mean at times, especially considering they were being filmed all the time. Despite the fact that they are on a reality TV show, after awhile it didn't feel like the cameras were there.
I liked Ellie and Cannon, especially as their relationship became more real. I like tension, but I liked when they started liking each other and treating each other better. I thought the plot was fun and how their families played an interesting role in everything.
Overall, it was really cute. I loved that it was clean, but still had good tension. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Rom-Com. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Matayo!
Content: Clean, PG. Mostly kissing everything else is behind closed doors.
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November 7, 2016If you are (or have been) a fan of reality TV...YOU WILL LOVE THE WEDDING GAME!
I read this book in less than a day! It had me laughing, swooning, and sitting on the edge of my seat!
Cannon and Ellie are doomed from the start. Their relationship is one that you love to watch, yet would HATE to live! There are tense moments, happy moments, embarrassing moments, and plenty of stomach-flipping-grinning-till-my-face-hurts moments :)
Amy Matayo is a very talented romance writer who seems to have an endless supply of wit! Oh my! The woman knows how to write dialogue. No doubt about it. The banter and tension in this book are through the roof, as are the endearing moments that will cause your heart to clench and your throat to go dry.
What a fun, unique story. Will read this author again and again!
Highly recommend!
I read this book in less than a day! It had me laughing, swooning, and sitting on the edge of my seat!
Cannon and Ellie are doomed from the start. Their relationship is one that you love to watch, yet would HATE to live! There are tense moments, happy moments, embarrassing moments, and plenty of stomach-flipping-grinning-till-my-face-hurts moments :)
Amy Matayo is a very talented romance writer who seems to have an endless supply of wit! Oh my! The woman knows how to write dialogue. No doubt about it. The banter and tension in this book are through the roof, as are the endearing moments that will cause your heart to clench and your throat to go dry.
What a fun, unique story. Will read this author again and again!
Highly recommend!
June 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The chemistry between the characters was unique, beginning with utter loathing on both sides that becomes a sort of companionable loathing. It was great to see both of them grow and change and become the team they needed to be against the world of fakeness around them that they joined in attempt to improve their lives in acts of desperation. It's also refreshing to see a klutzy heroine who actually struggles with that fact instead of having the hero find it instantly endearing, because how realistic is that? Plus, it's definitely A+ for banter.
Review first published on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies.blogspo...
Review first published on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies.blogspo...
July 3, 2025
This was my first read of Amy Matayo's and I'm glad I took a chance on her. This was such a cute book. It was like The Bachelor, Christian style.
May 28, 2020
You know I gave this book very little chance. A friend recommended it but I just didn't think I would like it. I am glad I gave it a chance. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars because it was good but had a couple issues. I liked the characters. I don't think I have ever read a hero character I hated at the beginning and really after reading his first scene almost put this book down because you can't recover from that kind of crappy behavior. He really did grow on me, I actually liked the guy by the end of the book. Weird. I liked the heroin too but even some of her behavior, I wanted to shake her and tell her to walk away or not talk to him. They were good for each other and created a good story together. It was fun to read and really hooked me. This is a Christian story but it was odd. It was like the author wrote the book and then found a christian publisher that said if she added God they could publish it so she just went threw and added a prayer here and there or a reminder that oh ya this is about people who believe in God. It was odd. There is a bit of lusting that is happening in this book. Mentions of sex but I would let my older teen read this.
March 30, 2014
How did this book get such good reviews? I was super disappointed with the whole thing! The characters were super unbelievable and the premise was so shallow that I just scoffed at almost every page. Honestly I don't know why I even picked this one up in the first place but it was a struggle to get through and I can think of a whole slew of other books I would recommend before this one. On the up side it was a clean romance and any author that gives that a go deserves a least two stars from me.
November 24, 2018
Sometimes I order books from the library solely on recommendations and then it takes so long for the library to fulfill my request that I can't remember who recommended it or why I thought I would like it. There are three options with this one.
1. Someone recommended it because of the "marriage of convenience" trope.
2. Someone recommended it because of characters with great banter.
3. Someone recommend it because it's clean while still on the steamy side.
Any of those three options would've compelled me to order this book, and they all fit the bill in this novel! It was fun, but had its serious moments, parts of it were predictable, but there were other plot twists that I didn't figure out ahead of time. I was even impressed that despite what appears to be self-publishing (or at least Indie), the entire book was remarkably devoid of spelling and/or grammatical errors! My only beef with the book is its categorization as Christian fiction. Yes it was clean, the characters admit to having faith in God, and they each throw up a couple of prayers when they're desperate. But despite really bad choices early on, there is never any repentance. It just fell a bit short for me in that respect.
That said, I recently signed up for Kindle Unlimited, and am excited to read more by this author without having to wait months for the library to fulfill my request!
1. Someone recommended it because of the "marriage of convenience" trope.
2. Someone recommended it because of characters with great banter.
3. Someone recommend it because it's clean while still on the steamy side.
Any of those three options would've compelled me to order this book, and they all fit the bill in this novel! It was fun, but had its serious moments, parts of it were predictable, but there were other plot twists that I didn't figure out ahead of time. I was even impressed that despite what appears to be self-publishing (or at least Indie), the entire book was remarkably devoid of spelling and/or grammatical errors! My only beef with the book is its categorization as Christian fiction. Yes it was clean, the characters admit to having faith in God, and they each throw up a couple of prayers when they're desperate. But despite really bad choices early on, there is never any repentance. It just fell a bit short for me in that respect.
That said, I recently signed up for Kindle Unlimited, and am excited to read more by this author without having to wait months for the library to fulfill my request!
December 3, 2017
Overall, I enjoyed this debut novel. I got a bit bored with it at some points because of repetitiveness.
I'm not into reality TV, but can understand why Ellie chose to be a part of The Wedding Game. She and Cannon were both likeable.
The novel got stronger in the second half. I look forward to reading other novels by the author.
I'm not into reality TV, but can understand why Ellie chose to be a part of The Wedding Game. She and Cannon were both likeable.
The novel got stronger in the second half. I look forward to reading other novels by the author.
February 2, 2017
If you're ever in the mood for a headache, I recommend this book to you. It worked for me, maybe it will for you as well...
If I had to sum this book up in one word, the word I'd use would be "awkward".
Almost every single aspect of this book was awkward. The plot was kinda ridiculous. The game show, voting, other people, the whole shebang was ridiculous. I probably wouldn't even have read the book if I hadn't misinterpreted th synopsis and if it wasn't part of a reading challenge.
The pace, to begin with, was not good at all. Not in the sense that it moved slow or fast but more that the scenes ended when something important might be about to happen and in the next scene, it's two days later. It happened so many times that I began to doubt if we would ever get something that wasn't trivial.
The characters I didn't like at all. Cannon was underdeveloped and so deliberately shallow about the Arkansas thing that his dislike for the place seemed fake and exaggerrated.
Also, at the risk of sounding incredibly insensitive, I think that the effect his sister's death had on him was also overplayed. He was only nine at the time and he knew the girl for three weeks, I couldn't buy it. If the book had paid more attention to his relationship with his father growing up, that might have given the character more substance.
Ellie, I hated. She was annoying, stupid, whiny, ill-tempered and so fucking rude! She spent the entire book crying over the fact that she enetered the show, yelling and getting mad for no reason and never, even once, listening to anyone! She was constantly walking away or interrupting whenever someone tried to talk to her. I wanted to stab her in the neck.
Actually, I wanted some masked stranger to stab her in the neck then run away so that the rest of the book could be spend finding the murderer.
The relationship between Ellie and Connon was awful. They had no chemistry and most of the conversations between them were just pointless, random arguments that contributed nothing to the story. I didn't buy it for a second.
What's left? Oh yeah, why I didn't give this book one star. There are two reasons:
1. I have this rule about not giving a book one star unless everything about the book was terrible. Here the writing was not terrible. It was okay. It was what the writing was about that didn't work.
2. There were some things in the book that were kinda okay. I only remember one of them and it's a spoiler so I can't say. Just that there were the rare moments that made you feel as if the book could be saved. It wasn't, though.
I've already said to whom I recommend this book in the beginning and expressed my dislike for the book so that a warp. On to another, and hopefully better, book...
If I had to sum this book up in one word, the word I'd use would be "awkward".
Almost every single aspect of this book was awkward. The plot was kinda ridiculous. The game show, voting, other people, the whole shebang was ridiculous. I probably wouldn't even have read the book if I hadn't misinterpreted th synopsis and if it wasn't part of a reading challenge.
The pace, to begin with, was not good at all. Not in the sense that it moved slow or fast but more that the scenes ended when something important might be about to happen and in the next scene, it's two days later. It happened so many times that I began to doubt if we would ever get something that wasn't trivial.
The characters I didn't like at all. Cannon was underdeveloped and so deliberately shallow about the Arkansas thing that his dislike for the place seemed fake and exaggerrated.
Also, at the risk of sounding incredibly insensitive, I think that the effect his sister's death had on him was also overplayed. He was only nine at the time and he knew the girl for three weeks, I couldn't buy it. If the book had paid more attention to his relationship with his father growing up, that might have given the character more substance.
Ellie, I hated. She was annoying, stupid, whiny, ill-tempered and so fucking rude! She spent the entire book crying over the fact that she enetered the show, yelling and getting mad for no reason and never, even once, listening to anyone! She was constantly walking away or interrupting whenever someone tried to talk to her. I wanted to stab her in the neck.
Actually, I wanted some masked stranger to stab her in the neck then run away so that the rest of the book could be spend finding the murderer.
The relationship between Ellie and Connon was awful. They had no chemistry and most of the conversations between them were just pointless, random arguments that contributed nothing to the story. I didn't buy it for a second.
What's left? Oh yeah, why I didn't give this book one star. There are two reasons:
1. I have this rule about not giving a book one star unless everything about the book was terrible. Here the writing was not terrible. It was okay. It was what the writing was about that didn't work.
2. There were some things in the book that were kinda okay. I only remember one of them and it's a spoiler so I can't say. Just that there were the rare moments that made you feel as if the book could be saved. It wasn't, though.
I've already said to whom I recommend this book in the beginning and expressed my dislike for the book so that a warp. On to another, and hopefully better, book...
November 22, 2013
I LOVED The Wedding Game! It was so good; such a fresh, interesting, and unique romance that swept me off my feet!
From the beginning I automatically loved Ellie! As he I learned more about her sarcasm, humor, and passion that came out through her actions she quickly became an easy character to relate too! Some of the things she did were hilarious and had me rolling with laughter, but tearing up in others! Cannon I was not quite so fond of, but by the end he was a good guy who had my "vote"! However, throughout the book it was definitely easy to see he was a man in the way he begun to feel for Ellie. I appreciated that the author made him a real character that struggled with real urges, desires, and temptations (even if some of them made me slightly uncomfortable in it's description at times). The cool thing is he never acted upon any of the temptations which ultimately led me to respect him as well as enjoy his wittiness!
The growth of the characters and depth that takes place in what Ellie calls a "sham of a marriage" really took me by surprise. Their marriage journey definitely started in the most unexpected way I could imagine, but it lead to a true love for one another that the Bible describes in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
One thing I want to quickly mention is that I really liked how the chapters were fairly short! It really helped to hold my interest and keep the novel flowing at a good pace that didn't feel rushed!
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel by Amy Matayo! She delivered so many pleasant surprises through this beautiful romance that kept me wanting to read more (if it wasn't for my husband I would have stayed up all night to read Ellie and Cannon's story)! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars!
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed my own and was not required to write a positive review!*
From the beginning I automatically loved Ellie! As he I learned more about her sarcasm, humor, and passion that came out through her actions she quickly became an easy character to relate too! Some of the things she did were hilarious and had me rolling with laughter, but tearing up in others! Cannon I was not quite so fond of, but by the end he was a good guy who had my "vote"! However, throughout the book it was definitely easy to see he was a man in the way he begun to feel for Ellie. I appreciated that the author made him a real character that struggled with real urges, desires, and temptations (even if some of them made me slightly uncomfortable in it's description at times). The cool thing is he never acted upon any of the temptations which ultimately led me to respect him as well as enjoy his wittiness!
The growth of the characters and depth that takes place in what Ellie calls a "sham of a marriage" really took me by surprise. Their marriage journey definitely started in the most unexpected way I could imagine, but it lead to a true love for one another that the Bible describes in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
One thing I want to quickly mention is that I really liked how the chapters were fairly short! It really helped to hold my interest and keep the novel flowing at a good pace that didn't feel rushed!
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel by Amy Matayo! She delivered so many pleasant surprises through this beautiful romance that kept me wanting to read more (if it wasn't for my husband I would have stayed up all night to read Ellie and Cannon's story)! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars!
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed my own and was not required to write a positive review!*
December 18, 2013
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. My one big issue was how Cannon kept making fun of the name Ellie. I was totally insulted since our oldest beautiful daughter's name is Ellie! :) If he referred to her name to be a cow's name one more time...
Okay seriously now, I really enjoyed both Cannon and Ellie. I loved how Ellie didn't just roll over and take any snarky comments. Their back and forth was hilarious at times. The funny part for me was how much I enjoyed it and yet it is so opposite from my marriage. I guess I enjoy reading it but have no interest in it for my real life. :) They both captured my heart and I was really rooting for them. I thought they had good chemistry and I liked the fact that their relationship was built and not just "love at first sight."
On a different note, Cannon's Dad made my stomach turn! He was horrible to his Son and cared nothing about him or his life. It was all about money. Blah!
The only thing I really didn't like was how wordy it was. I really would skim pages at times because I was starting to lose interest. If the author would of kept to more dialogue and had the pages of inner dialogue left to a minimum it probably would of been closer to a five star book.
I enjoyed it!
Okay seriously now, I really enjoyed both Cannon and Ellie. I loved how Ellie didn't just roll over and take any snarky comments. Their back and forth was hilarious at times. The funny part for me was how much I enjoyed it and yet it is so opposite from my marriage. I guess I enjoy reading it but have no interest in it for my real life. :) They both captured my heart and I was really rooting for them. I thought they had good chemistry and I liked the fact that their relationship was built and not just "love at first sight."
On a different note, Cannon's Dad made my stomach turn! He was horrible to his Son and cared nothing about him or his life. It was all about money. Blah!
The only thing I really didn't like was how wordy it was. I really would skim pages at times because I was starting to lose interest. If the author would of kept to more dialogue and had the pages of inner dialogue left to a minimum it probably would of been closer to a five star book.
I enjoyed it!
January 8, 2014
An interesting "behind the scenes" look at a wedding reality TV show. I know it was fictional, but it felt real. I'm sure much of "reality" TV is fake. I liked the realistic feel of the story, and I liked the character growth. Eventually, I liked the romance. Ellie and Cannon were a great couple (once you got more than halfway through the story). I liked their banter, but sometimes their arguments went too far. I felt like they were being degrading and cruel towards one another, and would never want to be in a relationship like that. I loved them when they finally did respect one another, but it was an uncomfortable start for me, and hindered my love for the book. That being said, I really liked it, just more towards the end :)
July 13, 2014
I am truly baffled by all the glowing reviews. Cannon is self-absorbed (yes, I get that he has Daddy issues, but that was beat to death, and other angles of his character were sorely neglected) and Ellie is a klutz who slings sarcastic barbs constantly, and supposedly has a deep faith, but we're never SHOWN that.
The relationship between these two never felt believable, and the ridiculous scenarios were annoying rather than humorous.
Writing itself was OK for a self-published book, but it drug on far too long.
The relationship between these two never felt believable, and the ridiculous scenarios were annoying rather than humorous.
Writing itself was OK for a self-published book, but it drug on far too long.
March 4, 2016
Mixed feeling about this one. It started off cute and I thought I was going to love it, but then the characters just got so frustrating! However, the ending and last 25% of the book was much better and redeemed the story somewhat for me. I liked the "inside look" of "reality" TV and I could definitely see it being the way this book portrays.
August 30, 2019
Reality
Sometimes books just aren’t for you. I have loved some of the authors other books, however this one was just ok. I didn’t connect with the characters like I did in previous readings of her work. At the end instead of feeling all the fun love and romance I was expecting I just felt a little meh. Overall I just think I was needing something different than what I got and that’s ok. It was still a good book that I think many other people will love.
Sometimes books just aren’t for you. I have loved some of the authors other books, however this one was just ok. I didn’t connect with the characters like I did in previous readings of her work. At the end instead of feeling all the fun love and romance I was expecting I just felt a little meh. Overall I just think I was needing something different than what I got and that’s ok. It was still a good book that I think many other people will love.
April 18, 2014
I can't remember how I ran across this author, but I'm really glad that I did! She is a great new voice in Adult/Inspirational Romance! There is plenty of romantic tension, but she keeps it clean and I really appreciate that!
If you love watching The Bachelor or any run-off shows then this is the book for you!! I actually don't watch those, but I have read a slue of those types of books. They are rather fun because it puts these characters in difficult, but interesting settings. They're in a commercial setting, but spending that much time with someone and leaving without ever learning to care for them would be really hard to do. It's rather comical how Cannon and Ellie start of their relationship. Cannon is excessively rude and Ellie doesn't lay down, but shoves it right back at him. They pretty much hate each other at the beginning of their marriage, which is definitely not the way to go.
I really loved quite a bit of the banter between Cannon and Ellie. Cannon was really quite arrogant and rude and it took me a while to like him. He eventually comes around and redeems himself, but he definitely takes awhile. Although, I did enjoy seeing how he matured and changed. Ellie, I loved! I loved how much she challenged him and just her personality overall. She's this sassy, smart, gorgeous gal with a great work ethic and a fabulous family that she loves.
I was pulled into the story right away and never lost interest. Even at points when I thought everything was going to work out and the tension was low, there would be a twist or something would happen and conflict would rise right back up. One thing I think this author does really well is connecting her characters with readers. I felt emotional about Ellie and the situation. The story just pulled me in and I felt all the highs and lows and got behind these two. I really wanted things to turn out well. I also loved how Ellie's faith in things and God affected her actions.
I would definitely recommend The Wedding Game to those who enjoy those type of Bachelor shows and reading romance.
Content: Clean (There is quite a bit of innuendo and some closed-door scenes - they are married - but I would definitely consider this clean for the genre.)
Source: Purchased
If you love watching The Bachelor or any run-off shows then this is the book for you!! I actually don't watch those, but I have read a slue of those types of books. They are rather fun because it puts these characters in difficult, but interesting settings. They're in a commercial setting, but spending that much time with someone and leaving without ever learning to care for them would be really hard to do. It's rather comical how Cannon and Ellie start of their relationship. Cannon is excessively rude and Ellie doesn't lay down, but shoves it right back at him. They pretty much hate each other at the beginning of their marriage, which is definitely not the way to go.
I really loved quite a bit of the banter between Cannon and Ellie. Cannon was really quite arrogant and rude and it took me a while to like him. He eventually comes around and redeems himself, but he definitely takes awhile. Although, I did enjoy seeing how he matured and changed. Ellie, I loved! I loved how much she challenged him and just her personality overall. She's this sassy, smart, gorgeous gal with a great work ethic and a fabulous family that she loves.
I was pulled into the story right away and never lost interest. Even at points when I thought everything was going to work out and the tension was low, there would be a twist or something would happen and conflict would rise right back up. One thing I think this author does really well is connecting her characters with readers. I felt emotional about Ellie and the situation. The story just pulled me in and I felt all the highs and lows and got behind these two. I really wanted things to turn out well. I also loved how Ellie's faith in things and God affected her actions.
I would definitely recommend The Wedding Game to those who enjoy those type of Bachelor shows and reading romance.
Content: Clean (There is quite a bit of innuendo and some closed-door scenes - they are married - but I would definitely consider this clean for the genre.)
Source: Purchased
February 7, 2022
(3.5 stars) - TV star crossed lovers
Ellie & Cannon have nothing but scorn for each other, so when events force them into a reality marriage, it's a level of challenging that they're not prepared to handle.
It's an entertaining story, for the most part, but there's a little too much enemies before they transition to lovers, & it started to pall. I also had a hard time seeing the catalyst for Cannon's family woes as being very believable. Or as a springboard to the point where things begin to change between them.
So the rocky road to romance runs a little long, but otherwise the story is fun. I'll be trying the next to see if it's just a matter of the author getting settled into her build.
*Romance level: passionate kisses, fade out intimacy between marrieds, nothing graphic
*Religion: a few references but with a very light hand
Ellie & Cannon have nothing but scorn for each other, so when events force them into a reality marriage, it's a level of challenging that they're not prepared to handle.
It's an entertaining story, for the most part, but there's a little too much enemies before they transition to lovers, & it started to pall. I also had a hard time seeing the catalyst for Cannon's family woes as being very believable. Or as a springboard to the point where things begin to change between them.
So the rocky road to romance runs a little long, but otherwise the story is fun. I'll be trying the next to see if it's just a matter of the author getting settled into her build.
*Romance level: passionate kisses, fade out intimacy between marrieds, nothing graphic
*Religion: a few references but with a very light hand
April 7, 2014
I seem to go through streaks where I keep finding books that don't hold my interest, and then I hit a streak where I love every book I read! Right now I am on a great streak of finding books I love! The Wedding Game is a fun, clean read!
Cannon and Ellie are the winners of The Wedding Game (a new reality TV show where a winner is picked among 25 men and another winner is picked among 25 women and they marry each other for 6 months -- then if they can convince everyone they are in love 6 months later, they each win $2 million). The problem: they can't stand each other. He thinks she's a hick from Arkansas, and she thinks he's an arrogant jerk.
They are both keeping secrets from each other. Cannon is doing this for his dad - a dad that cares more about making more money than he does about his own son. Ellie is doing this for her brother, Jared. We don't learn more about him until later in the book and why this is so important to her! I love how they have to both rely on each other to get through the ugly stunts that Cannon's dad keeps pulling. It was fun watching them learn more about each other and realizing that they had more in common than they ever realized. Even though he was the arrogant jerk, I felt like Cannon was working harder to make it work at first than she was. I love Ellie's mom... she doesn't let Ellie play the victim and blame game, but makes her take responsibility for her part in the deception.
Content: Clean, Some innuendo (between the married couple)
Cannon and Ellie are the winners of The Wedding Game (a new reality TV show where a winner is picked among 25 men and another winner is picked among 25 women and they marry each other for 6 months -- then if they can convince everyone they are in love 6 months later, they each win $2 million). The problem: they can't stand each other. He thinks she's a hick from Arkansas, and she thinks he's an arrogant jerk.
They are both keeping secrets from each other. Cannon is doing this for his dad - a dad that cares more about making more money than he does about his own son. Ellie is doing this for her brother, Jared. We don't learn more about him until later in the book and why this is so important to her! I love how they have to both rely on each other to get through the ugly stunts that Cannon's dad keeps pulling. It was fun watching them learn more about each other and realizing that they had more in common than they ever realized. Even though he was the arrogant jerk, I felt like Cannon was working harder to make it work at first than she was. I love Ellie's mom... she doesn't let Ellie play the victim and blame game, but makes her take responsibility for her part in the deception.
Content: Clean, Some innuendo (between the married couple)
December 30, 2013
As a long-time fan of the Bachelor/ette franchise, I was eager to read a book that takes place behind the scenes of a similar show. And it incorporates something I've long thought should be a part of the franchise (because we all know it's pretty fake, anyway!): the viewer vote.
When the viewers pick Ellie to be Cannon's bride instead the woman the producers wanted, the producers change the game. Now Ellie and Cannon have to convince the world they're truly in love if they want to win the money.
While The Wedding Game is ostensibly a look at reality TV, it's basically just the story of two people falling in love. And it's a pretty entertaining story at that! It does suffer from the same problem that's found in many romance novels: the conflict between the hero and heroine could be cleared up with a simple conversation—yet it's a conversation that doesn't happen until the end of the book. If Ellie and Cannon had just been honest with each other about their motives for marriage, their lives would have been easier ... and the book would have been much shorter!
That said, The Wedding Game is highly entertaining, and I stayed up far too late reading it. I will definitely be watching for Matayo's next book!
When the viewers pick Ellie to be Cannon's bride instead the woman the producers wanted, the producers change the game. Now Ellie and Cannon have to convince the world they're truly in love if they want to win the money.
While The Wedding Game is ostensibly a look at reality TV, it's basically just the story of two people falling in love. And it's a pretty entertaining story at that! It does suffer from the same problem that's found in many romance novels: the conflict between the hero and heroine could be cleared up with a simple conversation—yet it's a conversation that doesn't happen until the end of the book. If Ellie and Cannon had just been honest with each other about their motives for marriage, their lives would have been easier ... and the book would have been much shorter!
That said, The Wedding Game is highly entertaining, and I stayed up far too late reading it. I will definitely be watching for Matayo's next book!
March 4, 2014
I don't watch a lot of TV. I really don't like reality TV for the purposes that this author points out: it's not really reality. I thought the plot itself was good. But a few things kept me from loving it.
The fighting in the first half was a little much for me. They sounded like teenage siblings with the name calling and rudeness, rather than mature adults in their mid/late twenties. I had read that there was a lot of meanness from other reviews, I guess I didn't expect it to bother me like it did.
In the second half, I couldn't figure out why they didn't talk to each other about why they were really doing the show. They fell in love (which was nice) and they are spending all day every day together. I think some deeper conversations would have come about.
And there was a lot of talk about sex. So I would say this was for adults. I liked how she handled the sex, behind closed doors, but I like my books pretty squeaky clean so some of the sex talk was a little too much for me.
But I appreciated the messages the author was trying to put out there. Marriage is sacred, trust in God, and don't believe everything you see or hear on tv. I would try this author again.
The fighting in the first half was a little much for me. They sounded like teenage siblings with the name calling and rudeness, rather than mature adults in their mid/late twenties. I had read that there was a lot of meanness from other reviews, I guess I didn't expect it to bother me like it did.
In the second half, I couldn't figure out why they didn't talk to each other about why they were really doing the show. They fell in love (which was nice) and they are spending all day every day together. I think some deeper conversations would have come about.
And there was a lot of talk about sex. So I would say this was for adults. I liked how she handled the sex, behind closed doors, but I like my books pretty squeaky clean so some of the sex talk was a little too much for me.
But I appreciated the messages the author was trying to put out there. Marriage is sacred, trust in God, and don't believe everything you see or hear on tv. I would try this author again.
December 2, 2013
Sarcasm oozed off the pages. My eyes were in a race to reach the next chapter; I just had to know what was going to happen next. In a romantic comedy, one can typically foresee what is going to take place, but The Wedding Game kept me on my toes.
The characters were so full of personality and playful banter that it was easy to form an instant connection with them. The language was very clean and the sexual content was mild. If you enjoy humor, romance, or have ever been caught watching a reality TV show, this book is for you!
I devoured this book in less than twenty-four hours, so it's safe to say I loved it!
Ms. Mayato has earned a spot on my bookshelf,and I'll be saving room for her next book too
meganbesing.blogspot.com
February 19, 2015
I bought this book based on the review of a friend. I also am in the process of writing my own Hollywood based book, so I was curious to see how she wrote the main hero. I wasn't disappointed. The characters were funny and likable. I thought they were well matched from the beginning, even with the fighting. I enjoyed the journey of watching them grow to like each other and later fall in love. It was a fun romance.
This is a LIGHT read. This is not a deep spiritual book. I enjoyed laughing through most the book. I think the author has a great sense of humor and it showed. I look forward to reading more by this author.
This is a LIGHT read. This is not a deep spiritual book. I enjoyed laughing through most the book. I think the author has a great sense of humor and it showed. I look forward to reading more by this author.
September 15, 2015
Had a hard time liking the characters.
This book was well written, however, the first half was filled with so much arguing and insults by the main characters, I found it hard to read. I expected Cannon to be arrogant and rude, but I was hoping for more grace from Ellie. It was disappointing to see her lower herself to that level of hatred. Once they started getting along, the story flowed better, but it was almost too little, too late. It was interesting reading the author's take on reality television. I'm sure much of it is strategically planned for ratings as she pointed out in this book.
This book was well written, however, the first half was filled with so much arguing and insults by the main characters, I found it hard to read. I expected Cannon to be arrogant and rude, but I was hoping for more grace from Ellie. It was disappointing to see her lower herself to that level of hatred. Once they started getting along, the story flowed better, but it was almost too little, too late. It was interesting reading the author's take on reality television. I'm sure much of it is strategically planned for ratings as she pointed out in this book.
September 7, 2016
I read "Love Gone Wild" and thought I would check this one out. I have to say it was a 2.5 star book for me. The two main characters grow on you but I just couldn't really love them.
Ellie seemed like she was made to be more of a klutz than she really should have been. For a lady who ran a special needs facility it seemed unlike her character to be burning things down, passing out all the time, unable to cook or do laundry, it seemed a little too much for me.
Cannon's character put me off from the beginning and even at the end I still struggled some with him.
Ellie seemed like she was made to be more of a klutz than she really should have been. For a lady who ran a special needs facility it seemed unlike her character to be burning things down, passing out all the time, unable to cook or do laundry, it seemed a little too much for me.
Cannon's character put me off from the beginning and even at the end I still struggled some with him.
November 24, 2013
Like frozen coffees from Quick Trip, The Wedding Game is liquid crack! All work, exercise, personal hygiene halted until I finished this book. Thank you, Ms. Matayo, for a major case of the Catholic guilts--I promise, God, I'll go to work tomorrow. I wore my thumb out burning through the pages on my Nook. Every scene was so tense, I thought my head would explode by the completion of the book. But the ending touched down gently, perfectly. Ahh.
August 1, 2014
Such a GREAT book, loved it from start to finish!! Lots of humor, misunderstandings, and television show complications that turn two people who are NOT suited for one another into the perfect couple. So enjoyed reading their transformation and how they one up each other constantly, this book totally exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t put it down! Great clean romantic read with lots of twists, this book is definitely a winner.
December 9, 2015
This is my first time reading a book by Amy Matayo and it won't be my last. ;) I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Cannon and Ellie, two people competing on a wedding game show for very different reasons that pretty much despise each other but are thrown together and must pretend to like each other for the cameras. It's a crazy reality show journey, and I loved seeing each of the characters dislike for the other change over the course of the story. A very entertaining read.
January 12, 2014
I enjoyed reading this book. You are thrown into a story without knowing much but the back story unfolds while the current one is being played out. It was good stuff. Feelings evolve and change but the sparks are always there. I'm a sucker for a HEA ending and I got a good one. :)
April 4, 2014
Fun!!
Content: Clean for an adult (no language, implied sex between a married couple but you didn't even enter the bedroom, plenty of innuendo but it was between a married couple...)
Content: Clean for an adult (no language, implied sex between a married couple but you didn't even enter the bedroom, plenty of innuendo but it was between a married couple...)
October 14, 2015
DNF. I detest books about people who are at each other's throats the entire book. Worse when one of them is supposed to be a person of 'faith'.
Badly done.
Badly done.
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