Wedding Disaster

Costa Crime Family #2

by B.B. Hamel

Marrying my player boss was not part of the plan.

Conlan Costa screwed up again. He’s rich, gorgeous, powerful, charming, and the man can’t keep it in his pants. When he bangs the wrong girl and gets in deep trouble, he turns to me for help. I’ve been Con’s personal assistant for three years, and I’ve seen the worst of vain, greedy, self-destructive, and worse. Yes, he’s got abs like a brick wall and a face that would make a Renaissance painter swoon, but he’s everything I despise in a man. All he wants is a casual marriage to help soothe some bruised egos. In exchange, he’ll pay off my debt and leave me with an enormous chunk of cash. I plan on running the first chance I get, except I start to see the man underneath all those cocky passionate, caring, devoted to his family. When he touches my wrist and whispers in my ear, my body lights on fire in a way I’ve never felt before. My new fake husband is a walking red flag. And if I were smart, I wouldn’t crawl into his bed at night seeking the safety of his arms, definitely wouldn’t kiss him when I wake up in the morning, and sure as heck wouldn’t let his hands roam places I should never let him touch.

Genres: Mafia Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Marriage Of Convenience, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Billionaires

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2023

About the author

I'm a long time reader, writer, and lover of Romance! Writing is my dream and my passion, and I want to share my stories with you.

I live in the Philadelphia area with my husband and two dogs.

Website: http://www.bbhamel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bbhamelwriter

Check out my mailing list for updates, giveaways, and more! http://bbhamel.com/signup

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel Flax should really quit her job, Conlan Costa is a train wreck of destruction. He sleeps with any woman who glances his way and now he is in trouble for taking the wrong girl home. Now Conlan has to fix the mess that could ruin his whole family and comes up with a plan for a pretend wife to help cover up his mistake. Problem is the only woman he trusts is Isabel. Now she is reluctantly married to a man who she loves to hate, feelings are getting involved and she does not know what Conlan's endgame is. Can she follow her heart or will Conlan destroy it?

I really enjoyed this one. I think Conlan is a bit of a hot mess but when he starts falling for Isabel everything shifts. Great couple, fantastic story and I hope we get books from the other two brothers.

[Giorgia Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst BB stories.
Both hero and heroine were messed up. Hero because of his woe is me, let me fuck every woman on the planet attitude and the heroine for being pathetic while maintaining that she wasn't. She was panting after a pig, and pretending moral high ground. They deserved each other.

[thespicybooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wedding Disaster brings us the next Costa brother and his assistant who, due to Conlan's one night stand with the daughter of a General, have to get married for show and essentially "babysit" said daughter for a month. I really enjoyed Conlin and Isabel's banter and chemistry, however the way Isabel treats him later on was not appealing. The General's daughter (Allison), to see her growth throughout, as well as Conlin's were my favorite parts of the story. Conlin redemption plus Allison and Isabel's friendship are the redeeming qualities in this book for me.

[Jesmin Nawaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted more from this story. Started off with promise but, even with the drama that came up, it was kind of boring. I get Conlan withheld some important information from Isabel but the way she treated him after - keeping him hanging - was messed up. Even after he tells her how he feels she still can't decide. She won't be with him in some form, but she'll take his money, ok with him stalking her, will have movie dates, and phone sex. But can't define the relationship. I ended up more interested in Allison and her back story more than the HEA for the main couple.

[Luna ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

»Just know that I'm thinking about you, and I'm waiting for you to come home.«

★ ★

❥ 𝑰𝒔𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒍
She was not my cup of tea. Her character felt flat and boring.

❥ 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒂𝒏
A big no for me. Although he improves throughout the book but I don‘t like these big manwhore type of book men. Like why?

✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
First of all: I really like the author and her ideas. The writing style from B.B Hamel is amazing and fluent.
This book was all together not what I expected and not what I hoped for. The story felt messy and my biggest problem was that I kinda disliked the main characters.
Isabel and Conlan both were not relatable and their relationship was strange. I didn‘t felt any tension between them and the whole marriage thing comes way too early in the book. We get too less time to connect with both of them before „shit is going down“, if you understand what I mean.
Overall this book was nothing for me.

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
No.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓
plot: 2/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 3/5
couple/tension: 3/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
possessive and protective hero, crime family, rich x poor, boss romance, marriage for convenience, dislike to love, light mafia, manwhore MC, fake marriage, workplace romance, opposites attract

𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: both in their late twenties I think
cheating: no, but he is a manwhore before her
sharing: no
kinks: no

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Twisted Wedding ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Wedding Disaster ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[SANDRA · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have DNF!

Firstly, this is NOT a mafia romance.

Secondly, the author ruined the Conlan character.

Thirdly, I hated the female lead and her sanctimonious attitude. She literally was everything that she accused Conlan of being.

Lastly, this story would have been so much better if the author paired Conlan with Allison.

[Alaina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.

I love this author but I skimmed this book because I hate H who are manwhore’s. Moving on to the next book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wedding Disaster is the second book in the Costa Crime Family series. A full-length standalone novel with no cheating or cliffhanger and complete with a happily-ever-after. A brilliantly written story with extraordinary characters and a fascinating storyline that captures your attention from the start and keeps you enthralled and turning the pages until the end. This Conlan and Isabel story. A fast paced, addictive, explosive romance read. This was absolutely amazing and I devoured every morsel of it. I great addition to the series, the ups and downs kept me captivated till the end. A masterful storyteller B. B. Hamel gives her audience what they want in a bewitching style.
A fake marriage of convenience, boss-employee/ forbidden vibes relationship, workplace romance, billionaire romance, hate-to-love vibes story, forced proximity, organize crime story, contemporary romance, humor,
dark mafia romance, stalking, second chance romance, spicy/angst vibes, witty banter, opposite attracts, emotional moments, alpha mafisoi, with passion, power and control, secrets, family issues, anger, acceptance, deception, lust, deception, lie by omission, revelations, slow burn, forgiveness, and love.
Conlan Costa is a mob boss, Costa Crime Family as well as the baby, he's also the owner and CEO of the Lancaster hotel in Southern California. He's playboy, a wisea$$, goregous with an aversion for having or being in a relationship. His preferred method is wham bam thank you ma'am/one night stands. Conlan a.k.a. Con consistently goes through women on a nightly basis leaving is assistant Isabel to clean up his mess.
Isabel Flax as worked for Conlan for the past three and not only is Conlan personal assistant but also acts as his cleaner, like someone in the mafia after a hit, cleaning up all his disasters. Isabel is a lifesaver and he doesn't know what he would do without her Con recent blunder is going to come back and blowup in his face as well as cause a scandal to Costa Crime Family and he knows that his brother Don Alder will get involved to possible diffuse the situation. Con had a one night stand Allison Leyland. When they meet she told him that she was twenty-four years old only to find out that she actually nineteen years old and her. Allison dad is a former five-star General in the military and a Presidential candidate hopeful trying to get to the White House. Allison is a bratty, promblematic, wild child who loves party girl and constantly cause trouble for her father. As a potential Presidential hopeful they're people who's constantly looking for dirty on him to destroy his candidacy.
After years of taking care of his mess Isabel as developed deep feelings for Conlan, but she's scared of giving him a chance after the years of witnessing the way how he treats women and she having to be the cleaner for his disasters day after day. General Leyland summon Conlan to come see him and when he got there he wanted to know about some pictures that he had received of him and Allison coming out of hotel splash across the front page of a magazine. He told him that he was helping her. The General told him to take her with him her one month to help him to see if it would help would change her behavior. Conlan was in trouble with Don Alder and needed to clean up the mess that is behavior has caused the family. Isabel suggested to Conlan that he should consider getting a fake marriage with someone to help him get out of trouble with his brother. She told him that she will not be his fake bride.
But Isabel as a lot of financial problems and if she help out Conlan it coud beneficial for her. So she went to him and tells him that she would be his fake wife, he was skeptical at first because he knows how she felt about him but after awhile accepted her help. They flew out to Vegas to meet with his brother to discuss his latest debacle. Isabel was guarded and very nasty towards Conlan even though it was her idea of being with him. After spending quality time with Con she realize that he was a very intelligent, loyal, ruthless businessman who hides his true feelings behind his humor, and banter. There was a push and pull between the two. The passion was sensual. However, when Isabel found a a secret that Conlan had been keeping from her she left him, and just like his brother Adler he didn't mind resorting to stalking in order to get his woman back.

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

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75stars-WEDDING DISASTER by BB Hamel is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic, romance story line focusing on hotelier and mobster Conlan Costa, and his personal assistant Isabel Flax.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Conlan and Isabel) WEDDING DISASTER focuses on the fake marriage between our story line couple. Conlan Costa is a manwh*re, and his latest one-night stand is not whom or what he expected, and Conlan finds himself in a political quandary when reputations and careers are at stake. In an effort to appease the man in charge, Conlan is forced to assume the role of a married man but the only woman he trusts is the same woman who is disgusted by his proverbial ‘revolving door’ of women. Enter Conlan’s embittered assistant Isabel Flax, the woman with whom Conlan will fall in love. What ensues is the building but acrimonious relationship and fake marriage between Isabel and Conlan, and the potential fall-out when Isabel discovers a secret that would have changed the course of their future together.

The world building focuses on Isabel’s struggle with Conlan Costa. Any number of women come in and out of Conlan’s life, and Isabel must always bear witness to the morning after walk of shame.Disgusted by her boss’ actions and attitude Isabella battles between head and heart but our heroine is desperate for money, and Conlan’s hazard pay helps to pay the bills. Conlan Costa is caught between a rock and a hard place. Not only does he have to change the direction of his personal life but finds himself at odds with his attraction to the woman with whom he will fall in love.

The relationship between Conlan and Isabel is employee and boss turned fake marriage of convenience in an effort to appease the powerful elite. Isabel struggles with everything about Conlan and their ‘pretend marriage’, a struggle that will push Isabel to walk away from the man with whom she has fallen in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Conlan’s brothers Adler (Twisted Wedding) and Erick, party girl Allison Leyland, and security chief Damon Rambo.

WEDDING DISASTER is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, obsession and attraction, forgiveness, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic and intense but the Mafia content is virtually non-existent; the romance struggles in the face of issues of trust; the characters are desperate and charismatic but Isabel’s attitude throughout was disconcerting.

Copy supplied for review

Www.thereadingcafe.com

[Linda Whitacre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Boy Falls Hard
I enjoyed this story. Conlan Costa is a gorgeous hunk of manwhore. Just one night is all that he’s interested in. He’s a workaholic who runs the Costa Crime Family interests in California. Conlan does enjoy riling Isabel, his assistant. For three years she has been an angel helping keep him sane and organized. Isabel is the best Assistant he’s ever had and the most beautiful.
Whoops! Conlan’s latest one-night stand is going to be major trouble, for him and the Costa Crime Family. This is a wild comical story. Conlan screwed up big time, sleeping with nineteen-year-old Allison Leyland (she said she was 24) whose daddy is General Leyland, a future Presidential candidate. Someone wants to smear the General and they are going to use the outrageous actions of his daughter…AND… dragging Conlan into the scandal makes it even more perfect. Photographers are outside his door when he boots Allison out after spending a wild night together. Poor Isabel is drawn into this mess. Conlan forces her to go with him to the East Coast to explain the scandal to his brother Adler, the Don of the Costa Family. The best solution is for Conlan to marry…Isabel and act like they were just keeping drunk Allison safe where she could sleep it off. Allison is a spoiled teen who causes nothing but trouble. Conlan can’t handle much without Isabel because he's a helpless Winnie manchild. Isabel has feelings for him and is afraid of being hurt. I enjoyed how Conlan changed and turned into a caring loving man. This story is so funny with a great bunch of characters. I received a free advanced copy of this story from Booksprout and these are my thoughts. Linda

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful 2nd story in the Costa Crime Family Series where we get to discover the journey Conlan “Con” takes to finding love with Isabel, his assistant. Con is in charge of their holdings in CA. Isabel is not surprised when Con finds himself in hot water after sleeping with Allison, 19 years old. The General her father requests a meeting on the East Coast so Isabel, Con and the Don, Adler find a way to appease him by agreeing to Con babysitting Allison for a month along with Con and Isabel fake marrying to take the heat off. Isabel and Con find their relationship move from professional to personal with struggles and rewards along with seeing Con softened towards Isabel. When Allison gives them trouble she really shows her immaturity so when Isabel realizes she needs purpose Allison’s given a job at the hotel. They both have broken hearts from their past and once they open up and share their relationship becomes more, Real! Con withholds information from Isabel and she finds out from Allison and their relationship that was ready to take off falls apart. It’s beautiful to see how Con becomes a changed man but getting his girl will not be easy and how he goes about it allows Isabel the opportunity to come to terms with her past and ends up becoming a “sister” to Allison after all their previous struggles. What a beautiful love story! I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Reasons to Change -
Isabel was fed up with dealing with her boss, Conlan’s philandering behaviour and having to clean up after him, but she never expected she would be roped into a marriage of convenience to save him from the disaster he found himself in. The agreement was meant to on the basis of a platonic relationship, but spending time together led their attraction for each other provide them with the opportunity to engage in steamy encounters.

Unfortunately, just as they found their way into making their relationship real, Isabel discovered Conlan had been keeping a secret from her, which led her to seek time apart from him. However, Conlan realised he couldn’t live without Isabel, so he pulled out all the stop so he could convince Isabel to give him another chance. As luck would have it, everyone wanted to see them happy together, so they all joined in to help get them back on track towards their happily ever after.

This story was so much more than you regular mafia romance, as it dealt with some deeply emotional issues and intimate panty melting moments. I found myself truly captivated with the storyline and couldn’t stop reading until the end. This is a definite must read book, that I am happy to recommend to any avid romance reader looking for a weekend treat.

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

[Claudia, Cmarie927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this one, Isabel, a personal assistant to a playboy mafia boss, gets caught up in an inescapable situation when Conlan sleeps with the wrong woman.

Just like Twisted Wedding (the first book in the Costa Crime family collection), the second book is equally entertaining. For a seamless flow of the storyline, I highly recommend enjoying that story before delving into this one. Not a have to, just my opinion. Isabel is an excellent PA for Conlan, adept at resolving many of his conflicts. But now, the only way to fix his most current problem is to marry him, and that is a problem.

I enjoyed the chemistry between these two, and the lengths Conlan went to, to show his devotion to Isabel. Granted, stalker behavior is not always a good thing, but it seems to be in the DNA of the Costa brothers. It works for them, and I loved how it enhanced their relationship. The super hot connection and steamy scenes were so good, I could not stop turning the pages.

This author consistently writes stories that are full of dangerous men, strong women and sizzling attractions that I enjoy. I found this tough to stop reading once I began and eagerly await her next new release.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conlan Costa, known for his excesses with women and his dangerous family, regretted only one thing in his life and now he had crossed the line he had drawn for himself. That was very bad for him. Forced to take action on his actions, he becomes compromised, alarmed by his feelings and willing to do whatever was necessary. But he didn't count on the fact that he was going to be shaken by the plan to follow. The man turned out to be dramatic. Isobel had her own issues which she had not yet been able to overcome. With fear of not being enough, of not living up to what had to be done, Isobel doubted herself and refused to accept what she was offered. These two characters struck me as a little dysfunctional, to say the least, but in need of each other. The plot was interesting, and I was intrigued by the addition of the rebellious teenager, and I think the outcome of what we already knew was going to happen dragged a little. I was entertained by the ups and downs in Isobel and Conlan's relationship, I liked the change that Con underwent, Isobel having left the past behind and her new vision of a future with Con. A lot of emotions were involved, romance and passion.

[🫶🏼 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I picked this one up as soon as I finished the first. And going in, I had high expectations because I enjoyed the first one so much.
And I’m happy to say, this didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed Isabel’s character. She didn’t take any of Con’s shit and wasn’t a whiny helpless FMC. I liked her a lot. Con..he was alright. I didn’t hate him, but I didn’t LOVE him. Honestly, I liked him the most in the last few chapters when he was grovelling. 😅
Con sleeping with Allison in the beginning of the books and Isabel having to deal with the consequences of that decision was such a shit move from Con’s side lol. But Isabel didn’t shy away, she dealt with it and took charge.
(Allison being a move involved character later in the book was unexpected but not unwanted.) I honestly didn’t mind Allison. Sure, she was annoying in the beginning..and her and Con’s situation was a little awkward, but in the end she was okay.
Once again, I can say that throughout this whole book I was intrigued and wanting to know what happens next.

FINAL RATING: 4/5 🌟
SMUT RATING: 3/5 🌶️🌶️
DAYS IT TOOK TO READ: 1

[CherylB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book about the Costa Crime Family. It features Conlan “Con” Costa. He is in charge of the family holdings on the west coast. He is an unrepentant philanderer and playboy. Isabel Flax is his beleaguered assistant for the last three years. She is disgusted with his lifestyle and is very tired of cleaning up his messes. But this latest one is a doozy. Sleeping with a former 5 star general’s nineteen year old daughter is a step too far. Even he realizes this. Sure he was tricked into believing she was twenty four. But the retired general is making a run for office and the scandal will tank those ambitions. Somehow Isabel steps in to do her job. She marries her boss to muddy the media waters. But they also get saddled with babysitting this nineteen year old until the whole mess blows over. The zing of attraction between these two throws their hearts into the mess. Can they find a way to work this closely together? Can they keep their charge under wraps? This is a fast paced, steamy story with lots of surprises. I can’t wait to see which Costa brother is next to fall.

[Grinning Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

MMC/FMC- Conlan and Isabel
POV- 1st person dual
Genre- Contemporary Romance
Sub Genre- A little Mafia on the side
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋☄️(1🌋=2☄️). They do the thing, visit Australia, and use the P word.
Series? Y
Safety: He’s a player before they get together, but no cheating or s. violence. No cliffhanger. HEA.
Triggers- There are fruity drinks with umbrellas in them. Straight up, if there’s an umbrella in my drink, it had better be raining. Oh, and there’s explicit erotic content, too.
Tropes- Fake Marriage, Workplace Romance/Boss Romance, Reformed Rake, Opposites Attract, Do-Si-Do with the Mafioso.
What I liked- the chemistry between the main characters, and the heat of the zexytime. I also like a good redemption arc. I liked Allison’s growth, and her parties (except for the bit about the drinks).
What I didn’t like- the last few chapters dragged. Growing their relationship was important to the story, but it could have been condensed a bit. I did like the ending though. And overall, I enjoyed the book.

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

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series and gobble them up the second the next is out. This is a compelling read. It’s a nice long story that pulls you in and keeps you turning pages. I love when you are able to be co summed by a book to the point where reading happens naturally and you almost feel as though you are there. I find BB’s books do that for me. I loved the last series and now I’m really enjoying the Costa Crime Family series. This is book 2 in the series. The story revolves around Conlan aka Con and Isabel. Con is in charge of the family’s west coast. This guy has playboy written all over him and not in a cute or fun sort of way. He’s just a terrible man in many regards and doesn’t feel a bit bad about it. . Isabel is his assistant for the last three years. She recognizes what he does and doesn’t think much of him for the way he uses women. But, this is where the story starts and it was a pleasure reading how the author made her readers fall in love with this guy and,root hard for this couple.

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

[Brandi-Lynn Weiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to think going in at first. Conlan & his assistant Isabel agree to a fake marriage to avoid scandal after he unknowingly sleeps w/a 19 year old girl.
I thought there’d be a lot of OW drama, especially when Conlan is now tasked w/“babysitting” the 19 year old girl so she stays out of trouble for a month.
I loved Conlan, he showed a lot of character growth by the end. He totally changed his ways & was all in w/his marriage to Isabel. So when he found out the agreement he made to babysit Allison was going to end sooner than expected he doesn’t tell Isabel.
I liked Isabel, until she found out he didn’t tell her about the agreement ending. How she reacted was ott & messed up. She just wanted to hurt him. He did so much for her & proved himself, so to lead him on for months & months knowing they both had feelings for each other, it was wrong & made me not like her in the end.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the next Costa brother, Conlan's, story. Conlan is a player who moves from one woman to the next. Isabel has been his assistant for three years, tolerating his player ways. When he hooks up with the young (19 yo) daughter of a general who has political aspirations, the press gets a hold of it. In order to put off the story, Isabel agrees to marry Conlan in a fake wedding in exchange for a fee. Feelings are realized and when the situation is resolved, Conlan hides it from Isabel in order to keep her close. She finds out and pushes him away and it is up to him to rebuild the trust. This is a slow burn romance and takes a while to heat up and once it does, it burns out when he deceives her and takes a while to build back up again. Not the usual action packed book but the characters are well developed and there are some LOL funny parts due to the snark.

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

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Conlan "Con" Costa's story who while a member of the powerful and not always legal Costa family is mainly known for being a playboy whose penis seems to be constantly getting him into unfortunate circumstances. The latest situation that his longtime, long-suffering assistant, Isabel Flax finds him in is where he has bedded the 19-year-old daughter of a retired General who has political aspirations. Somehow, Isabel and Conlan find themselves in a fake marriage that slowly becomes a relationship with true feelings on both sides but because of his past, she is reluctant to give him her trust. I mention in my title that hopefully this isn't the end to this great series because there are two other Costa brothers and a little Easter Egg hint that another story is in the works. I can only HOPE and keep my fingers crossed!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest and totally voluntary review.

[DesN2004 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute boss and assistant love story...
This was a good read that holds your attention and makes you root for the couple. The characters are great, and I liked the push/pull between them. There are some misplaced words in a couple spots, but it didn't take me out of the story. I enjoyed the steamy moments and how their relationship played out. I didn't like a description of the OW assets in the beginning, I feel it was unnecessary, especially as she is a character throughout the book, no cheating though. I don't like to many details on OW in any romance, even if they aren't together yet, therfore it got knocked down a star. This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it. This family is really growing on me. Can be read as a stand alone, you do see characters from the previous book.

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

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant - Loved it!!

Isabel is assistant to playboy billionaire Conlan. She doesn’t know why she puts up with shirt-less, arrogant, with another female needing-kicking-out mess. Well, it’s the amazing pay.

When the last overnighter is a teen (19, but ick - she lied) with a politically powerful father, the you-know-what hits the fan. Conlan needs to be seen to be in a relationship, or better yet married.

Conlan can barely tolerate anyone, but Isabel might sign up for the right price. She is an emphatic “no”, until the politically powerful man is rude, then she jumps in and tells of the plan to marry - oh, what has she done?

Emotional, heart-wrenching, heart-warming and romantic. One of my favorite tropes, from one of my favorite authors, and the combination is heavenly.

***** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book *****

[lf · Rating 4 out of 5]

He causes more trouble than she can clean up

Wedding Disaster is the second book in the Costa Crime Family and it is a fun read with a wildly out of control MMC, Conlan Costa. He is the man you would run very fast away from as he does not make excuses or apologize for his playboy/manwhore ways. After all he is rich, powerful, runs the family's west coast operations and has women throwing themselves at him. But then there is his sweet and smart assistant of three years, Isabel Flax. She may want to bathe in Lysol because of the way Con lives his life but she needs the job and he pays her really well. So she shuts her mouth, cleans up after him and gets him out of all sorts of trouble. But that changes with the last very young escapade. The only way to get him out of this latest mess is to get married and then the fun really begins.

[Debbie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conlan Costa has been my boss for the last three years. I'm so tired of cleaning up his messes, then I go and defend him, offer to marry him for a year. A captivating story as Conlan and Isabele, his assistant-wife can't help the pull and attraction between them. Conlan's one night stand with a general's daughter is the last straw for his playboy days are an inconvenience for the Costa mafia business and his brother Adler is on the warpath to fix the problem. Get a wife quick is his solution. I love these two Conlan loves to torment her, he knows she's attracted to him, and he tries to take every advantage he can to get his wife into his bed. She wants nothing to do with the playboy. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ms. Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel Flax has been Conlan Costa’s assistant for 3 years. Conlan runs multiple hotels on the West Coast. His older brother Adler runs the rest of the business from the East Coast. Isabel knows that not all of the business is legal. Conlan ends up sleeping with Allison Leyland who is only 19 years old and her father is a General with political ambitions.

To get everyone out of trouble, Conlan needs Isabel to marry him. He asks her to stay with him for a year and then he will divorce her and give her a big settlement.

Will they be able to convince everyone that the relationship is real? Will it become real?

I liked Isabel and how she keeps Conlan on his toes.

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

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The banter throughout the story is really the best part of the whole thing. Love it. It takes one big misstep for Conlan to give up his womanizing ways and embrace his fake marriage to Isabel. Neither knows how to have a relationship. I really like his take on it that he shares with Allison during the stalking—about Isabel’s doubts and views. He really truly understands how her mind works and he patiently does his thing and hides his time. I like watching Allison grow up. She is pretty good with the advice. The story is relatively slow burn.

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

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Isabel and Conlon’s unexpected yet fated romance!
You can easily hate Conlon as Isabel has to deal with his devil may care attitude towards life and work! Yet when his latest escapade disrupts a General’s political campaign with his wayward daughter, Isabel continues to step in and fix the problem. As the two navigate their new circumstances, it’s inevitable that the two will heat up the sheets! Add in the complications of Conlon not wanting their time to end, the General’s daughter’s antics and Conlon’s family dynamics and you won’t want to put the book down until you turn the last page!

[K. Smock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Conti mafia series, and it does not disappoint. Isabel is Conlan assistant and is constantly getting him out of hot water. When he mistakenly sleeps with a nineteen-year-old who is also a five-star general's daughter, he needs more than a little help. Isabel has worked for him for more than three years and is his longest assistant. There is just something about her that helps him. When she agrees to fake marry him to save his ass, will it change everything? This is a different sort of mafia / fake marriage romance and a good read.

I voluntarily wrote this review from reading an advanced copy of this book.

[Sarah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t care for this book. Conlan was supremely unlikeable in the beginning, a real douchebag. But he changed his ways and fell for Isabel. Isabel on the other hand was just annoying, she continually rehashed the same feelings throughout the book and got irrationally mad at Conlan for a fairly minor misstep considering how poorly he treated her for most of the book. Then came MONTHS of her stringing him along, always taking and never giving. The characters were never really fleshed out and the HEA was just a big dud. All of a sudden they’re happy and she’s pregnant. These characters stirred absolutely nothing in me beyond annoyance.