Combat

The Four Groomsmen of the Wedpocalypse #3

by Lilian Monroe

The Four Groomsmen of the Wedpocalypse series continues, and war is on the horizon...

Lucy needs muscle for her upcoming appearance at the local Wedding Expo, but she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for when she hires an overprotective bodyguard in Cormac. This small town is about to get some big action.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Smut

328 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2024

About the author

Lilian Monroe lives in a luxurious jungle treehouse surrounded by lush greenery, with an army of scantily-clad men with rippling abdominal muscles ready to attend to her every need.

No, wait. That's not true.

Lilian Monroe spends her days dangling her feet into her pool, while a scantily-clad pool boy with rippling abdominal muscles feeds her chocolate-covered strawberries and massages her back.

Okay, okay. You got me. That's not true, either. Let's try again.

Lilian Monroe lives at home with her two children, three dogs, and twelve chickens. Her husband likes to work shirtless in the back yard. His sweaty, gleaming abdominal muscles ripple with every movement and he—

I'm sorry. I have to stop. Fine, I'll admit it. That one isn't true either.

How about this: Lilian Monroe loves thinking about men with rippling abdominal muscles serving her hand and foot, and she wants you to think about them too! She is an avid reader, writer, and lover of all things romance.

She loves everything from bad boys to billionaires. Her books are packed with sizzling-hot heat, action, suspense, and everything from second chances to single dads. She hates cheating and loves a good happily ever after (and rippling abs).

Reviews

[Jen ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

I'm not sure how to rate this honestly, because while I think that the MCs chemistry is off the charts, I feel like they went from being acquaintances to lovers in a flash. Also, the main problem here was just a big misunderstanding because the villain is a doofus. 🥴 I liked the MCs relationship, but as for the other side plot, not so much, hence why I'm torn between 3 and 4.
 
The tension between Lucy and Cormac is so thick, but they've rarely interacted in the past (prior books). I get that their best friends are married, and that's how they got to be around one another, but there's nothing significant that's happened between them in all the years they've known each other. Their situation only changed when Lucy hired Cormac's security agency because of the threats she's receiving, and he decided to be her personal bodyguard.
 
I think the whole timeline of the story was three weeks, and in that short amount of time, they fell in love and realized they wanted to be together forever. It was just way too fast, at least to me, to see how their relationship progressed. I guess the forced proximity was an added factor. Cormac ordered Lucy to live with him for awhile when someone planted a bomb in her car. Since they don't know who the suspect is and her safety is at risk, this is the solution he thought would protect her.
 
The suspense was okay, but it was anticlimactic because the reason she's been harassed for years was only because of a huge misunderstanding. There's no word enough to describe how stupid the villain wannabe was. I didn't even know what happened to him when he got caught, the ending was kind of rushed.
 
Anyway, I still enjoyed it, despite the fact that this was written in third-person POV. I honestly struggled in the beginning, but I wanted to know how this would pan out. I'm still glad I pushed through. This is way better than the prior book, imo. 😂


Book info:
- Romantic suspense
- Bodyguard romance
- Forced proximity
- Violence (a bit)
- No cheating, opd, breakup
- Mid-30s MCs
- Grumpy-sunshine
- HEA ( married)

[Angela Malek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the first 2 books, this one was so blah.

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quickish Review

This book: Cormac and Lucy’s story was my fave. The main mystery/drama, while ridiculous, does make sense in the end. The family for each of the MCs aren’t perfect but they do love them and I enjoyed that. Definitely the most solid storytelling of the series.

Overall series: individual romances featuring two friend groups yet the books, for the most part, are pretty insulated. Work? Mentioned in passing but they don’t do much of it. Hang out with friends? The female MCs yes, the guys not so much. It’s implied they’re good friends but I barely see it. All in all, best for those who want very couple-centric romance and don’t mind repetitive inner monologues.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 66% I skimmed through most up to this point as there is very little character dialogue, which I hate. No one wants to read internal monologues, much less repetitive musings. The hook up became cringe, especially the pillow talk. No bueno 😣 2 solid stars!!!!

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why I keep reading this series I don’t enjoy these books the timelines just don’t seem to work for me

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, where do I even begin?

The plot itself was just bad, and the main conflict of the story was incredibly far-fetched. The villians of the story seesawed from harmless to very dangerous in a weird and confusing way. Honestly, they felt too much like villainous caricatures to really be realistic and interesting.

Also, the whole story hinges on them assuming she is in the counterfeiting business just like them because she knows her craft??? Huh??? That makes no sense! She is supposed to know a lot about paper and printing, she owns a stationary business for fuck's sake!

With that said, I would like to say that there was a lot of build-up for basically no real payoff. The final action scene before everything fades to the epilogue was underwhelming, rushed, and quite frankly not worth reading the whole book to reach.

That aside, the families just getting way too involved in both the main characters' love lives as well as the "danger" of the story felt weird and unnatural. They were annoying, but what really got me was how forced they and their relationship with each other felt. They barely know each other, and now they are just one big happy family? I think not!

Now, for my thoughts on the romance, I thought it was cute, and the couple was well suited. I liked both main characters a lot and thought they were pretty well written. However, they moved way too fast for me to feel like it was a fully developed relationship with a solid foundation. It felt like some Love is Blind, or one of those other dating shows, BS. They said I love you after being together for two and a half weeks! I know they knew each other before the story, but they were not close, nor would I say they were actually friends at the beginning of the book. They just had mutual friends, and everyone would hang out together sometimes. A relationship like that does not just morph into a fully committed and deep romance in literally a few days. At least not with how this author went about it.

Finally, the writing just made me cringe. There were multiple points throughout the audiobook where I had to keep myself from laughing at how dumb something sounded (I'm looking at you Cormac fighting the goons at the villain's stationary store scene). There were also multiple points where I just started skipping through scenes to get to the end because I genuinely just didn't care anymore. It was less than 300 pages, but omg, did it feel so much longer than that.

I'm happy so many people loved this book, and I really wish I had at least liked it, but I very much did not. While the other books in the series sound kind of interesting, I will not be reading any of them because, wow, this book was a rough read.

[Teresa Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combat: A Bodyguard Romance (The Four Groomsmen of the Wedpocalypse Book 3) is a romantic suspense novel by Lillian Monroe. Lucy was attending her friend Camilla's wedding when she approached Cormac, the groom's co-worker at a security agency, to see if he could help her with an upcoming event she needed to attend. Lucy is stalked and threatened by another Wedding Stationary store owner in their town. Lucy has no idea why, but the threats are escalating, so she needs protection. Cormac agrees to accompany her to a big wedding expo she is attending with one other security worker. When Lucy's car is blown up, the situation gets sticky with Cormac moving Lucy into his secure penthouse. There is a romance with spice aplenty to heat your Kindles. The shenanigans and interference from Lucy's and Cormac's families render comic relief. It's such a fun book with a serious side since there is a mystery about why her competitor has targeted Lucy. Nothing is as it appears to be on the surface. The next book in the series continues with more omg, what is happening? Lillian Monroe's books are always a sure good read regardless of the romance genre.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the previous books in the series and have loved them all. All the characters are engaging and who wouldn't want to be friends with them? I love the dynamics of the friend group and how they are there for each other.

Lucy wants to hire Cormac's security company protect her at a wedding expo (of all places). It is hard to believe there would be that much competition between stationers. Because Cormac is attracted to Lucy, he takes on the assignment himself. All is going well until Lucy's car explodes and the protective side of Cormac comes out and he moves her into his house. He tries to fight his growing feelings, but of course doesn't succeed in the end. The reason for the competitor coming after Lucy comes to light and it is funny why he thinks she is horning in on his business. He's crazy, but that doesn't stop the action from happening to prevent her success in her business. I liked how Cormac and Lucy bring out the best in each other. I also liked her parents and his mom and sister banding together to investigate. Of course, we get our HEA, as we deserve. I cannot wait for the next one in the series to see what is going on with Scarlett and Archer.

[melveen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know where to start…

I read Amelia and Leo’s story and it was good! Very cute with likable characters. But then Camille and Marlon felt like the same storyline as the previous book. And the fact that they didn’t want to make things messy by becoming roommates yet still fantasized about each other ON THE FIRST NIGHT!? Gimme a break {and some self-control} You’re literally within 5 feet of each other and he washes your feet after being roommates for 5 minutes..Y U C K

So I start to read Cormac and Lucy’s story and this also feels like the first book in the series with the insta-love on Lucy’s part. Thank goodness Cormac took a few chapters before noticing things about Lucy 😒 and the added mystery of why she is being threatened. Got 46% done with the book before the corniness and clichés finally choked me to death and I skipped to the epilogue

I can’t bring myself to read Scarlett and what’s his face’s story but I will be skipping to the end, as I have previously done with books 2-3, because I need to see these couples living in their that’s my husband/wife era cause I deserve this as a consolation prize for tolerating this series

[Anna-Marie Buchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I thoroughly am enjoying these reads. The Four Groomsmen of the Wedpocalypse has totally taken me by surprise. It's amusing to see big burly, over protective, possessive men fall hard for the women in their lives. Cormac and Lucy's book did not disappoint. Lucy's big career disaster crippled her more or less and she had an aversion to crowds or people making her the center of attention. But little by little and with the support of Cormac she somewhat came out of it. She was tired of not stepping up to the plate when she was needed because she was afraid. Cute read well if you like suspense and action. The stationary man I would have never guessed was the son of Mrs. Brown (Mrs. Gordon) from Leo and Amelia's book. Interesting plot there. Still wished Cormac didn't let her go. He could have gotten the info he needed and called for back up. Oh well maybe she pops up in the next book. Calamity which is Archer's and Scarlett's read. Can't wait for this one.

[Sarah Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, it’s been maybe a week since I read this book and when will I ever learn that if I don’t write my review at the time I will forget details about the book so I’m gonna give this my best shot. I rated it two star and I still stand behind that, what I don’t like about book series is when they’re allegedly standalone, but they’re really not so I started reading this book only to find out that the two main characters had already met in a previous book so I didn’t get to see any of that and I like the mystery element to it but I think overall I was just kind of like Not impressed. The writing was fine. I don’t remember the writing really being awful, but it was definitely kind of an Insta love and I thought it was a little far-fetched that it was about a woman who makes wedding invitations and she needed to hire a bodyguard I just thought that was a little too far-fetched, but Whatever I guess I have to stick with the theme and you have a theme like that or you’re trying to make your hook. It paints you into a corner anyway whatever so yeah we’ve got this grumpy quiet guy, who of course has muscles for days but he has a sweet tooth and he eats his donuts and then we’ve got this cute girl. Who’s really kind of quiet doesn’t like being the center of attention because her previous job she crashed and burned and failed spectacularly. It was just I mean I don’t know there wasn’t a lot of substance and I didn’t really connect with either character.

[Tamara Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy heck, Lucy and Cormac bring the steamy tension and some pretty awesome sexual chemistry. The kissing and making out Monroe brings to these characters is truly inspiring. Oh to have my own Cormac to practice on! ::blush::

This was a fun and intriguing read as a third installment to the 4-part series and I can hardly wait for the 4th book. There was fun and laughter and brooding and second-guessing and intrigue. The 4th installment will, I hope, bring closure to the ever-s0-evasive criminal ring. Can't wait to see how Monroe wraps it all up in a nice little bow. Otherwise, the story line was sealed up nicely and didn't leave any gaps that needed to be addressed. Well-written and worth the read. Enjoy the laughs and the steam~ Favorite quote: "I want you to watch what I do to you" page 162. Ooo-la-laaaah!

[Ana Gimenes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me one day to read this book and two days to write a review probably because I wasn't sure what to write to explain how amazing this book is. Let's start with one word- wow. Just wow. This is the best book of this series. Easy to read and so addictive. Lucy and Cormac's story is a good one.

Lucy is an entrepreneur and she's started her business from scratch. She creates stationary for weddings and her business is doing well. And then, a competitor. A threat. An expo and she had to hire a bodyguard. Cormac is a co-owner of a security company. He is the kind of guy who all protective of the people he loves and cares about, and suddenly Lucy needs his help. One day job. An agreement. But, out of the blue, everything is out of control.

Will be Lucy able to tear the walls around Cormac's heart down? And Cormac? Can he be Lucy's rock when she needs more? Lucy and Cormac have no idea how her life will be turned upside down.

Realistic characters.Family and friends. A cat.Romance. Funny scenes. A lot of action. A must-read. I am glad to receive a free ARC of this book and I leave my honest review. An incredible story.

[Amy Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!

This book is awesome and I loved it! This time it’s Lucy and Cormac’s story and it’s a doozy! Their tale begins at the wedding of their friends Morgan and Camilla. Lucy wants to hire Cormac’s security firm to protect her at the upcoming Wedding Expo. She’s been threatened by another invitation seller and she wants back up. He will agree and all bets are off as they start off on their crazy adventure! Their journey will take them on a bumpy ride to find out why Lucy is being threatened and what they find will shock them all as there is more to it than anyone ever imagined! Full of great friends, crazy family, a traitorous cat and quite a bit of danger, this book is an absolute must read!

I read an ARC copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combat is the third book in the Wedpocalypse series. You can enjoy it as a standalone or read the series in order, they are connected so previous characters do show up in this book. I absolutely loved Lucy and Cormac's story. He's protective, caring, thoughtful, and good looking, the kind of guy a lot of women would love to have. Lucy hires him to protect her while she's at the wedding expo. Lucy is an introvert, all she wants is to build her business but the threats against her keep escalating and for the life of her she can't figure out why she's being targeted. Their story is a steamy, fun read guaranteed to give you all the feels. I couldn't stop turning the pages. Can't wait to read Scarlett’s story! I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review.

[Nicole Polson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when the characters just make each other better!!!

Lucy had a ton of self-doubt. She had previously crumbled under pressure and just didn''t trust herself anymore. Cormac exudes confide nce, but it all stems from his fear of not protecting the oneshe loves. This book has some action, a little suspense, but an excellent plot. there were a few laugh out loud moments.

If you enjoyed the hooks that came before this in the series, you'll love this one as well. I read this series with the mindset that they are a fictional light read and not intended to depict accurate descriptions of the professions.

This is a fast paced book with a majority of intimacy of the "fade to black" closed door variety.

[chemistryreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is what I would expect from a bodyguard romance. It has the classic macho man who needs to defend anyone he loves (very few people) and the sweet woman who makes wedding stationary that needs protecting. How the wedding stationary business got so dangerous is all of their guesses but the mystery slowly unravels throughout the book. I really loved the two families in this book; they added some great humor and really showed the personalities of the main characters much more. I kinda expected more spice from a bodyguard romance, but this had a tasteful amount. It was overly cheesy at several moments and was a very quick romance. Overall, it was entertaining, but not groundbreaking. 3.5⭐️, 2🌶

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this series the Four Groomsmen of the wedpocalypse and this particular book is called Combat. These are standalone stories but with continuing characters. Cormac and Lucy are our couple in this book. Cormac runs a security service and Lucy has a wedding card business. They are both friends of the previous couple book, Craving, but they are not a couple at the beginning. What I really enjoyed about this story was what brought them together. This is a grumpy/sunshine trope at its best. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery as well as the romance. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

She needs a bodyguard to protect her at a wedding expo and he works in security. They share the same friend group but have limited interaction. Each remains guarded for different reasons, but their mutual attraction is undeniable. He loves her feisty side while she craves his protective nature. Until they each realize their fears have stopped them from enjoying a full life. When Cormac and Lucy learn to rely on each other, they learn that being vulnerable in front of the other is both scary and thrilling simultaneously. The sparks fly when this alpha protector does whatever it takes to keep feisty Lucy safe from a deranged stationary competitor.

[Vicki Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combat is the third book in The Four Groomsmen of the Wedpocalypse which features Lucy, a wedding stationery developer, who hires Cormac as a bodyguard from his security firm to protect her and her wedding supplies from her business nemesis, Aaron, during the Wedding Expo. When her life is placed in danger Cormac takes over her life to keep her safe. This fun but intriguing book has well developed characters, witty banter, humorous family members, suspense, mystery, plot twists, emotional trauma, and a steamy romance. I highly recommend this well written book by Lilian Monroe.
I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Things are escalating” is a line that is repeated a lot throughout this book and I feel the same is true for the series. This book was a lot more intense than the last two. From early on, I was on the edge of my seat and struggled to put this down. I had to keep reading to see if Lucy would escape this war with the Stirling Stationery Man alive. It became clear early on that this wasn’t just about stationery, but we were left trying to figure out what was really going on for almost the entire book. It should be clear by now that I love romantic suspense novels, but I particularly enjoyed this one. This is my favorite in the series so far.

[Chris Cantu saldana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overprotective

How can you complain when a handsome bodyguard becomes an overprotective guardian. Lucy is a business owner who makes beautiful invitations but she starts getting harassed by a competitor which is getting more serious. She comes to the point that she hires a handsome bodyguard who is friends with her best friend’s spouses. They go through the ups and downs of navigating who is trying to sabotage her career and hurt her in that process. You will have a blast with these two characters who will take you on an adventure of cat and mouse and the crazy events they must endure to get to their HEA. Enjoy!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not read any of the other books in this series before jumping into this one, but I had no problem getting caught up. I loved the premise and Cormac and Lucy's chemistry was off the charts. But, the author should have watched more 80s TV and let that sexual tension ride a little longer because the story became way less interesting as soon as they jumped into bed, which happened very quickly. I was ready to give this book 4-5 stars, until 50% in when I started to roll my eyes at the talk of "my woman" and "forever" after a couple days. And all the side plot/ family stuff felt like slapstick. I skimmed to the end disappointed.
3/5 stars (4/5 for the first half 2/5 for the last half)

[Judy25 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Barlow is being harassed by a stationery store owner competitor for reasons unknown. She contacts Cormac McKenna, an acquaintance of hers who owns a security company, to act as her bodyguard at a wedding expo. She received a threat not to attend. After her car explodes in the parking lot after the expo, Cormac takes her to his house to ensure her safety. A mutual attraction exists and is acted upon. It is a great book with several unexpected twists and some really funny parts. In the end, Lucy gets her HEA.

[Angela Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mistaken identity

A sweet feel good romance, Cormac and Lucy were inevitable, this is their crazy story. I love the humour Lilian always brings to her stories and this one made me giggle a few times. Her characters always seem so down to earth and I can really relate to them.
The plot line seems ridiculous but it just works here, with Cormac and Lucy thrown into close proximity and their mutual attraction exploding.
Another great book in this fun series where we catch up with previous characters m so good.

[Nonna 2K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low Key

Cormac and Lucy were acquaintances due to their friends. Lucy approaches Cormac at Marlon & Camilla’s wedding to hire him as backup when she attends the Wedding Expo. His protective instincts focus on her when things begin to happen. Their families, crazy as they are, barge into situations with no thought, which is hilarious at times. There is an HEA with no third act breakup.

The story itself was low key. There wasn’t an immediate and overwhelming chemistry between the characters. Their attraction was just there.

[PelicanFreak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a small business owner has never been so dangerous! What a fun read that packs action, angst, drama, small town vibes, suspense, heat, and of course, laughter, because Monroe is hilarious.


Set in New England.
Protector romance.
Both leads own small businesses.
Small town.
Crime ring.
Violence, attempted unalivings.
Scandal, corruption.
Cozy mystery.
Slow-burn romance.


As seems to be the norm for this author, character development is expertly executed with lots of personal growth, making it thought-provoking. Very well done!!

Overall: 4 stars.


🎧 Audio:
Great! Excellent narrators, perfect performances and overall: high quality.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet

I loved the first one. Second one got ay repetitive. She brought it back around with this one. Showing that a real relationship doesn't fix you because the other person does all the work at patching you up. It instead gives you the safe space and reminder that you can do it on your own and they are there to support you. I love that this protector type man gives her the tools to save herself. Much more suspenseful than the last two books combined. And I love how she has connected them all flawlessly. Can't wait for the next one!

[Andrea V · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I’ve ended up forcing myself to finish this book and the series. Unfortunately my rating for each book just keeps going down.
Starting this book I instantly disliked that Lucy was written as a completely alternate character to any mention of her in the previous books. It was annoying and felt forced.
I also couldn’t get past the idea that these guys have had so much time interacting as a group and then Insta-love happens after a good couple of years just because she asked him one question for help.
Everything just felt fake.

[Sue Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author, and I'm willingly leaving an honest review.
I loved Cormac and Lucy's thrilling story.
Lucy is being stalked by someone who thinks she is trying to run him out of business.
Lucy asks Elite Security to help her at the upcoming Wedding Expo to make sure no one destroys her pitch!
But things start to escalate and don't go according to plan!
Brilliant storyline with wonderful characters and absolutely loved the HEA.