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Belize Dreams #2
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters
A hospitality pro reluctantly agrees to plan her mom’s beach wedding with help from her crush-worthy high school bully in this witty, spicy enemies-to-lovers romance.
Sun, sea, sand…and her high school nemesis.
This destination wedding is about to take a detour.
There are millions of men in Los Angeles, and somehow Julia Stone’s mother just got engaged to the worst possible option. Not that there’s anything wrong with her future stepfather. It’s his son who’s the problem. Event planner Carson Miller is six-plus feet of lean muscle and irresistible charm, and ten years ago he made Julia’s life hell.
Paired with Carson to organize the last-minute Belize wedding, Julia doesn’t intend to let him off the hook for past bad behavior. If only there weren’t surprising new feelings in the mix, like undeniable heat…
Carson claims he made mistakes; he’s a different person than he was back then. Julia’s response: prove it. Now, in between wedding planning, zip-lining and exploring waterfalls, they’re having fun falling hard and wondering if this paradise can last once the party’s over…
From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don’t miss any of these other fun titles…
From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don’t miss any of these other fun titles…
Belize Dreams
Book 1: Romancing Miss Stone
Book 2: Destination Weddings and Other Disasters
Sun, sea, sand…and her high school nemesis.
This destination wedding is about to take a detour.
There are millions of men in Los Angeles, and somehow Julia Stone’s mother just got engaged to the worst possible option. Not that there’s anything wrong with her future stepfather. It’s his son who’s the problem. Event planner Carson Miller is six-plus feet of lean muscle and irresistible charm, and ten years ago he made Julia’s life hell.
Paired with Carson to organize the last-minute Belize wedding, Julia doesn’t intend to let him off the hook for past bad behavior. If only there weren’t surprising new feelings in the mix, like undeniable heat…
Carson claims he made mistakes; he’s a different person than he was back then. Julia’s response: prove it. Now, in between wedding planning, zip-lining and exploring waterfalls, they’re having fun falling hard and wondering if this paradise can last once the party’s over…
From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don’t miss any of these other fun titles…
From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don’t miss any of these other fun titles…
Belize Dreams
Book 1: Romancing Miss Stone
Book 2: Destination Weddings and Other Disasters
288 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2025
12 people are currently reading
4893 people want to read
About the author
M.C. Vaughan
10 books56 followersM.C. Vaughan is a Baltimore-based author of contemporary romance riddled with humor and local flavor. So, if you want to giggle throughout your sexy stories, welcome! You’ll root for her characters as they fall for their perfect people...and you’ll simultaneously shake your head as they stumble along the way.
She grew up in a house crowded with family, friends, books, music, and the occasional ghost. After graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in English literature (and an unofficial major in student-run theatre), she worked in sports marketing, higher education, toy production, and software development.
Currently, she lives in Maryland with her husband and three delightful kids.
She grew up in a house crowded with family, friends, books, music, and the occasional ghost. After graduating from Georgetown University with a degree in English literature (and an unofficial major in student-run theatre), she worked in sports marketing, higher education, toy production, and software development.
Currently, she lives in Maryland with her husband and three delightful kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
November 15, 2025
Cute. Quick. Spicy.
This is the second book in a series of interconnected standalone, but you definitely don’t need to read the first to enjoy! It’s my first by the author but I’ll be keeping an eye out for books from them in the future!
Conceptually this book is a wild ride. Julia and Carson had unrequited crushes on each other in high school. Carson was the hot headed jock and Julia his tutor, fast forward to the present these too are soon to be step-siblings planning their parents destination wedding in Belize (in less than a week)!
What’s to love…
- Second Chance, high school crush
- Strong confident FMC
- golden retriever MMC and reformed bad boy/asshole
- lots of LOL moments
- spectacular tension + well executed spice!
- travel/tropical setting
- excellent character growth and development for such a short book!
- Only one room (I mean not quite as good as one bed but still good!)
What I didn’t love…
- I didn’t jive well with the prose at first, but if you’ve been following my reviews at all you’ve probably noticed I’m rather picky with my prose. It’s actually a running joke among my bookish friends. But I digress… Once I switched to the audio format the prose became a non issue.
*A Note about the step-sibling aspect. This is much less taboo than it seems. Their parent’s romance is whirlwind and they see each other again (since high school) for the first time right before being whisked off to Belize to plan the wedding. Don’t let the step-sibling situation scare you off, it’s actually a rather fun quirky “what if” aspect.
🌶️- 16, 19 Explicit, on page & very sexy! I may have missed some, I mostly listened and I’l terrible at bookmarking when reading via audio.
3.75⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
This is the second book in a series of interconnected standalone, but you definitely don’t need to read the first to enjoy! It’s my first by the author but I’ll be keeping an eye out for books from them in the future!
Conceptually this book is a wild ride. Julia and Carson had unrequited crushes on each other in high school. Carson was the hot headed jock and Julia his tutor, fast forward to the present these too are soon to be step-siblings planning their parents destination wedding in Belize (in less than a week)!
What’s to love…
- Second Chance, high school crush
- Strong confident FMC
- golden retriever MMC and reformed bad boy/asshole
- lots of LOL moments
- spectacular tension + well executed spice!
- travel/tropical setting
- excellent character growth and development for such a short book!
- Only one room (I mean not quite as good as one bed but still good!)
What I didn’t love…
- I didn’t jive well with the prose at first, but if you’ve been following my reviews at all you’ve probably noticed I’m rather picky with my prose. It’s actually a running joke among my bookish friends. But I digress… Once I switched to the audio format the prose became a non issue.
*A Note about the step-sibling aspect. This is much less taboo than it seems. Their parent’s romance is whirlwind and they see each other again (since high school) for the first time right before being whisked off to Belize to plan the wedding. Don’t let the step-sibling situation scare you off, it’s actually a rather fun quirky “what if” aspect.
🌶️- 16, 19 Explicit, on page & very sexy! I may have missed some, I mostly listened and I’l terrible at bookmarking when reading via audio.
3.75⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
June 11, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
First, let me say I didn’t know this was a book two in a series when I requested it. While I feel like this can be read as a standalone, I definitely want to read this first one. But this was a super cute and sweet enemies to lovers. Julia and Carson are about to be step siblings and have been forced together to plan the wedding of their parents. He was a jerk to her in high school and she definitely has not forgotten it. But he says he’s changed and feelings start to develop between the two. 3.5 stars rounded up.
First, let me say I didn’t know this was a book two in a series when I requested it. While I feel like this can be read as a standalone, I definitely want to read this first one. But this was a super cute and sweet enemies to lovers. Julia and Carson are about to be step siblings and have been forced together to plan the wedding of their parents. He was a jerk to her in high school and she definitely has not forgotten it. But he says he’s changed and feelings start to develop between the two. 3.5 stars rounded up.
April 14, 2025
Rating: 3.75, upgraded to 4.
This was very sweet—a super cute palate cleanser after a couple of duds that left me irritated.
Julia and Carson are soon-to-be step-siblings who knew each other from high school. As per usual, high school boys are the worst, and Carson was a real jerk to Julia back in the day. After they're thrust back into each other's lives, they're tasked with planning their parents’ destination wedding in Belize.
I really liked that they both worked in similar fields—hospitality and event planning—but neither character’s past successes outshined the other. They both used their expertise and gave each other credit. I also appreciated that Carson didn’t expect forgiveness from Julia. He knew he treated her poorly, apologized, and offered some perspective. She chose to forgive him on her own terms.
I've never been to Belize, but it's clear the author either has personal experience or did impeccable research. The cultural details were spot-on and deeply appreciated. I felt like I got a true sense of the music, cuisine, and geography of Belize.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the advanced copy.
This was very sweet—a super cute palate cleanser after a couple of duds that left me irritated.
Julia and Carson are soon-to-be step-siblings who knew each other from high school. As per usual, high school boys are the worst, and Carson was a real jerk to Julia back in the day. After they're thrust back into each other's lives, they're tasked with planning their parents’ destination wedding in Belize.
I really liked that they both worked in similar fields—hospitality and event planning—but neither character’s past successes outshined the other. They both used their expertise and gave each other credit. I also appreciated that Carson didn’t expect forgiveness from Julia. He knew he treated her poorly, apologized, and offered some perspective. She chose to forgive him on her own terms.
I've never been to Belize, but it's clear the author either has personal experience or did impeccable research. The cultural details were spot-on and deeply appreciated. I felt like I got a true sense of the music, cuisine, and geography of Belize.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the advanced copy.
April 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This is a 3.5, rounded to 4 stars for me. It was a clean, cute, palate cleanser read. The MMC is golden retriever energy (as mentioned in the book) and he’s adorable! I enjoyed the FMC as well but was team MMC. The story, plot, characters, location were all refreshing and good! I felt like I was on a summer vacation and want to book a trip to Belize ASAP! The banter between the characters was also good and well written. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an easy and well written book.
June 25, 2025
3.5 stars, liked it but didn't love it. This is the second in a series: Julia is Alex's sister from "Romancing Miss Stone." (Quite frankly, I think the author missed a golden opportunity to call this book "Julia in Denial," in keeping with the movie title theme she started with the first book.) This is a quick read with a nice amount of humor, with contrasting dual 3rd-person POVS. I enjoyed the first book better, and while I enjoyed parts of this one I never fully clicked with it. I think that's mainly because I'm not a huge fan of the "falling for your former bully" trope. Julia's struggles to resolve her feelings about that felt genuine and relatable. I had a hard time at first with Carson and his current-day ex-jock, ex-frat bro vibe didn't endear him to me initially, although it was an improvement over high school-era insecure a-hole Carson. He got more likable as the book went on and I was able to buy in to Julia and Carson as a couple a bit more in the second half of the book. It did help that adult Carson seemed genuinely remorseful. I found the blended family vs. mutual attraction issue to be a bit distracting, especially in the first half of the book. If this book was a drinking game and I had to take a drink every time Julia or Carson referenced the step-sibling issue, I'd be too drunk to finish a chapter. I get that it was another emotional hurdle for them but it got to the point where each reference yanked me out of the story's flow. Like I said, this is the second in a series, and while characters from the first book are present in this one, I think you could read it as a standalone and not be lost. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers second chance romances in tropical settings with high steam, then this is the book for you. Publishes July 1, 2025. This review was based on a complimentary eARC of the book, all opinions are my own.
July 19, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio and MC Vaughan for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5⭐️ I like it. It was a pretty quick and easy read (listen). It’s book #2 in a series but I didn’t read the first and don’t feel like I missed anything.
Julia is attending her mom’s engagement party and finds out her mom is engaged to the father of a boy who made high school difficult. Julia had tutored Carson and things had not gone well. There was a lot of miscommunication and pressure; Carson was a dummy and was a big jerk resulting in Julia having panic attacks and protecting herself moving forward from hurt.
Fast forward 10yrs and Julia is not pleased to see him, and especially unhappy to be partnered with him to plan this wedding in less than 2 weeks.
I liked the healing and growth shown by Julia, Alex, their mom and Carson.
The step sibling thing wasn’t an issue for me. Yes, it is still a step sibling but they’re grown adults and not being raised as siblings so I’m glad it wasn’t made into a big deal.
I listened to the audio and like the narrator except for the voice she used for Julia’s mom - that one drove me up the wall so I was happy she wasn’t a bigger character.
3.5⭐️ I like it. It was a pretty quick and easy read (listen). It’s book #2 in a series but I didn’t read the first and don’t feel like I missed anything.
Julia is attending her mom’s engagement party and finds out her mom is engaged to the father of a boy who made high school difficult. Julia had tutored Carson and things had not gone well. There was a lot of miscommunication and pressure; Carson was a dummy and was a big jerk resulting in Julia having panic attacks and protecting herself moving forward from hurt.
Fast forward 10yrs and Julia is not pleased to see him, and especially unhappy to be partnered with him to plan this wedding in less than 2 weeks.
I liked the healing and growth shown by Julia, Alex, their mom and Carson.
The step sibling thing wasn’t an issue for me. Yes, it is still a step sibling but they’re grown adults and not being raised as siblings so I’m glad it wasn’t made into a big deal.
I listened to the audio and like the narrator except for the voice she used for Julia’s mom - that one drove me up the wall so I was happy she wasn’t a bigger character.
July 8, 2025
⭐ 4
🌶️ 1
🥵 Spicy chapters: 16, 19
📚 Tropes/Themes: step siblings, hate to love, enemies to lovers, it's always been you, forced proximity, opposites attract, golden retriever MMC, second chance
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
💔 Triggers: mentions of: parental death, toxic parents and parental abandonment
💬This was a cute enemies to lovers/second chance romance that actually had a believable ETL plot IMO. Most of the time they seem more like hate to love than enemies but this one was realistic.
I enjoyed the low angst drama and I'm secretly a sucker for the high school bully has always been in love with her trope, and the added layer of them being future step siblings was enjoyable. Plus, it's just a really fun idea for a plot line.
I also enjoyed following up with Alex and Bo, the MCs from the first book. Technically, this book is a standalone and you won't be too lost if you don't read Romancing Miss Stone first, but it does enhance your understanding of Julia and especially her mom.
I wasn't real thrilled with everything that happened with Julia's mom though (and I felt this way in the first book too). She is a low-key narcissist, or at least that's how she's painted in the book. I didn't really understand or like how they kept placating her.
Annnnddddd I really hope Julia gets therapy 😅
🌶️ 1
🥵 Spicy chapters: 16, 19
📚 Tropes/Themes: step siblings, hate to love, enemies to lovers, it's always been you, forced proximity, opposites attract, golden retriever MMC, second chance
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
💔 Triggers: mentions of: parental death, toxic parents and parental abandonment
💬This was a cute enemies to lovers/second chance romance that actually had a believable ETL plot IMO. Most of the time they seem more like hate to love than enemies but this one was realistic.
I enjoyed the low angst drama and I'm secretly a sucker for the high school bully has always been in love with her trope, and the added layer of them being future step siblings was enjoyable. Plus, it's just a really fun idea for a plot line.
I also enjoyed following up with Alex and Bo, the MCs from the first book. Technically, this book is a standalone and you won't be too lost if you don't read Romancing Miss Stone first, but it does enhance your understanding of Julia and especially her mom.
I wasn't real thrilled with everything that happened with Julia's mom though (and I felt this way in the first book too). She is a low-key narcissist, or at least that's how she's painted in the book. I didn't really understand or like how they kept placating her.
Annnnddddd I really hope Julia gets therapy 😅
May 24, 2025
Thank you Harlequin Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
This wasn’t a hit for me, unfortunately. I loved the concept and it had a lot of potential. But the execution flopped. I didn’t understand the author’s choice of starting the book off from Carson’s pov, and immediately letting us know how much of a crush he has on the FMC. I think the whole purpose of the rivals to lovers trope is letting that tension build, and that revelation right at the beginning basically defeated the whole purpose of the trope. Combined with the fact that Julia, after her initial rejection of Carson, proceeds to spend the next 3/4 of the book lusting over him… by the time they got together it just wasn’t that exciting.
I also just think the premise was weak. Carson wasn’t really a bully, sorry. He teased her and flirted with her. And she did the same! It just didn’t really make sense.
And the choice to be 3rd person pov didn’t really work for me. So much of the book is the characters inner monologue … it actually would have worked better being first person.
I did love the descriptions of Belize - it was enticing and the author clearly did her homework there. I just think the story could have been better.
This wasn’t a hit for me, unfortunately. I loved the concept and it had a lot of potential. But the execution flopped. I didn’t understand the author’s choice of starting the book off from Carson’s pov, and immediately letting us know how much of a crush he has on the FMC. I think the whole purpose of the rivals to lovers trope is letting that tension build, and that revelation right at the beginning basically defeated the whole purpose of the trope. Combined with the fact that Julia, after her initial rejection of Carson, proceeds to spend the next 3/4 of the book lusting over him… by the time they got together it just wasn’t that exciting.
I also just think the premise was weak. Carson wasn’t really a bully, sorry. He teased her and flirted with her. And she did the same! It just didn’t really make sense.
And the choice to be 3rd person pov didn’t really work for me. So much of the book is the characters inner monologue … it actually would have worked better being first person.
I did love the descriptions of Belize - it was enticing and the author clearly did her homework there. I just think the story could have been better.
July 3, 2025
Julia, the people pleaser and helper, always soothes everyone’s problems. Now, she has to plan a destination wedding for her mother alongside her high school bully, Carson—the man who taunted her, made fun of her looks, and called her names. You might think, "Oh, huge red flag! I can’t imagine ever liking him." But the man has changed. After ten years, he has learned to be better and has acknowledged his past mistakes.
The romance was cute, and I enjoyed the yearning immensely. However, I felt that there wasn’t the chemistry I was looking for—perhaps because I love banter and sarcasm, which we didn't have here. I appreciated that we explored more than just romance; family issues were heavily discussed.
I honestly did not like Julia’s mother or her sister. There was so much that was not addressed regarding their constant controlling behavior and how they ignored her. It felt as though the author introduced the conflict purely for the plot and then quickly dismissed it. There were also other aspects that I found confusing and that were left unaddressed; a lot was ignored in favor of the romance.
Thanks to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin I received a ARC for an honest review !
The romance was cute, and I enjoyed the yearning immensely. However, I felt that there wasn’t the chemistry I was looking for—perhaps because I love banter and sarcasm, which we didn't have here. I appreciated that we explored more than just romance; family issues were heavily discussed.
I honestly did not like Julia’s mother or her sister. There was so much that was not addressed regarding their constant controlling behavior and how they ignored her. It felt as though the author introduced the conflict purely for the plot and then quickly dismissed it. There were also other aspects that I found confusing and that were left unaddressed; a lot was ignored in favor of the romance.
Thanks to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin I received a ARC for an honest review !
June 20, 2025
Julia Stone's mother is getting married. For a 4th time. This time, to the father of a guy who teased her mercilessly in high school, Carson Miller. Carson has a big secret, though, and it's that he had the biggest crush on Julia, but when things went sideways, he lashed out. Therapy and a decade of growth has helped him. But now, both hospitality professionals, they need to plan their parents' destination wedding in Belize, in under two weeks.
I loved the first book in this series, Romancing Miss Stone, but I was really hesitant to pick up the second because falling for the high school bully isn't a thing I typically enjoy. But MC Vaughan does a great job at making Carson's growth believable and showing the possibility of Julia falling in love with him. It works because he falls first and fast and hard, and the years of therapy (and a life changing event) have really paid off. But really, this works well because the tone of the book is whimsical and fun.
Thank you to Harlequin for an eARC and ALC. Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is out 7/1/25.
I loved the first book in this series, Romancing Miss Stone, but I was really hesitant to pick up the second because falling for the high school bully isn't a thing I typically enjoy. But MC Vaughan does a great job at making Carson's growth believable and showing the possibility of Julia falling in love with him. It works because he falls first and fast and hard, and the years of therapy (and a life changing event) have really paid off. But really, this works well because the tone of the book is whimsical and fun.
Thank you to Harlequin for an eARC and ALC. Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is out 7/1/25.
August 9, 2025
3.5
Thanks to Netgalley and Afterglow for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was fairly cute but I was definitely a little more frustrated with these characters than book 1's.
Our MMC had previously bullied our FMC when they were in high school and ultimately was part of the reasoning our FMC has anxiety and used to have anxiety attacks. I think that it was really difficult for me to get past that to really get into their relationship. The MMC POV definitely did showcase his regret and dislike over his past actions and did apologize on multiple ocassions to our FMC and proved he had changed but again, that is just a major point of her traumatic past. For our FMC, I was frustrated with how she couldn't seem to talk to her sister but from the outside looking in, and knowing the sister's story, that was kinda annoying. Not a major annoyance but was just a little ugh!
I loved being back in Belize though and did enjoy MC Vaughan's writing as a whole so I will look forward to what comes next. I just don't think this couple worked for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Afterglow for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was fairly cute but I was definitely a little more frustrated with these characters than book 1's.
Our MMC had previously bullied our FMC when they were in high school and ultimately was part of the reasoning our FMC has anxiety and used to have anxiety attacks. I think that it was really difficult for me to get past that to really get into their relationship. The MMC POV definitely did showcase his regret and dislike over his past actions and did apologize on multiple ocassions to our FMC and proved he had changed but again, that is just a major point of her traumatic past. For our FMC, I was frustrated with how she couldn't seem to talk to her sister but from the outside looking in, and knowing the sister's story, that was kinda annoying. Not a major annoyance but was just a little ugh!
I loved being back in Belize though and did enjoy MC Vaughan's writing as a whole so I will look forward to what comes next. I just don't think this couple worked for me.
July 15, 2025
Thank you to M.C. Vaughan, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
If you're in search of a light, engaging read to accompany a sunny beach day, this rom-com may be just the ticket. The story follows Julia and Carson as they reconnect in an unexpected way—soon to be step-siblings—at their parents’ destination wedding.
The setting was vividly described and perfectly captured the ease and beauty of a tropical getaway. The romance, while low-stakes, offered well-executed chemistry and tasteful spice that felt natural and never overdone. With an easy-to-follow plot and a strong sense of place, it delivers a breezy, vacation-ready experience.
While the storyline didn’t fully resonate with me on a deeper level, I still appreciated the atmosphere, pacing, and escapist charm. It’s an enjoyable, summery read that would make a great addition to any holiday reading list.
If you're in search of a light, engaging read to accompany a sunny beach day, this rom-com may be just the ticket. The story follows Julia and Carson as they reconnect in an unexpected way—soon to be step-siblings—at their parents’ destination wedding.
The setting was vividly described and perfectly captured the ease and beauty of a tropical getaway. The romance, while low-stakes, offered well-executed chemistry and tasteful spice that felt natural and never overdone. With an easy-to-follow plot and a strong sense of place, it delivers a breezy, vacation-ready experience.
While the storyline didn’t fully resonate with me on a deeper level, I still appreciated the atmosphere, pacing, and escapist charm. It’s an enjoyable, summery read that would make a great addition to any holiday reading list.
July 1, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio & author M.C. Vaughan for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
It’s official! I have a new GO TO AUTHOR for romance reads!! Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is book 2 in the Belize Dreams Series. This was my first MC Vaughan book, and it read fantastic as a stand-alone (though I will 100% be backtracking to Book 1!!).
As our story opens, Julia finds out at her Mother’s engagement party that her former high school bully is about to be her new step-brother. Not only that, but their parents spring the surprise of a destination wedding in under 2 weeks. With Julia’s Hospitality degree from Cornell, and Carson owning an event planning business, they are charged with planning the event.
I found the read to have great dialogue, chemistry, character growth and humor. Our narrator Meg Sylvan brought the personalities of each character to life. The pacing felt natural keeping me fully immersed throughout.
This book would resonate with readers who enjoy the works of Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry. This was a fantastic 4.25/5⭐️ star read for me. I can be very picky about romance reads, but this one is a highly recommend!
It’s official! I have a new GO TO AUTHOR for romance reads!! Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is book 2 in the Belize Dreams Series. This was my first MC Vaughan book, and it read fantastic as a stand-alone (though I will 100% be backtracking to Book 1!!).
As our story opens, Julia finds out at her Mother’s engagement party that her former high school bully is about to be her new step-brother. Not only that, but their parents spring the surprise of a destination wedding in under 2 weeks. With Julia’s Hospitality degree from Cornell, and Carson owning an event planning business, they are charged with planning the event.
I found the read to have great dialogue, chemistry, character growth and humor. Our narrator Meg Sylvan brought the personalities of each character to life. The pacing felt natural keeping me fully immersed throughout.
This book would resonate with readers who enjoy the works of Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry. This was a fantastic 4.25/5⭐️ star read for me. I can be very picky about romance reads, but this one is a highly recommend!
June 30, 2025
3.5 stars ✨
I read and listened to this simultaneously since I had the eARC and ALC. overall, I enjoyed the story and romance between Carson and Julia. My biggest qualm was that some of the word choices and phrases used during the steamy scenes gave me the ICK 🥴 and the narrators attempt at a male voice during those scenes honestly added to the cringe 😅
Overall not a bad story, it’s just the cringe I experienced kind of took me out of the story, but I did like the MC’s and was rooting for them to get over themselves and make things work.
I read and listened to this simultaneously since I had the eARC and ALC. overall, I enjoyed the story and romance between Carson and Julia. My biggest qualm was that some of the word choices and phrases used during the steamy scenes gave me the ICK 🥴 and the narrators attempt at a male voice during those scenes honestly added to the cringe 😅
Overall not a bad story, it’s just the cringe I experienced kind of took me out of the story, but I did like the MC’s and was rooting for them to get over themselves and make things work.
July 6, 2025
Enemies to lovers destination wedding planning snafus as the adult children have to help plan their parents wedding in Belize on very little notice. This had tons of family drama, a redemption arc for the MMC who fell first when they were kids but made a stupid mistake. There's spice and some cameos from the first book in the series but it can definitely be read as a standalone and was good on audio. A fun summer beach read romance! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 rounded up
3.5 rounded up
October 17, 2025
A nice change of enemies to lovers. 💍💒
Liked this one a lot. Many LOL moments for me. I love enemies to lovers tropes and this one ticked all my boxes. This was my first read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last.
If you like family drama, spice, and an international setting this book is for you. It’s definitely one to read this summer.
Liked this one a lot. Many LOL moments for me. I love enemies to lovers tropes and this one ticked all my boxes. This was my first read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last.
If you like family drama, spice, and an international setting this book is for you. It’s definitely one to read this summer.
August 26, 2025
Thank you @NetGalley and @Harlequin Audio for the ALC. I enjoyed this audio, the narrators were really good. I did not read the first book in the series, but it read like a stand alone. I enjoyed the book. Carson and Julia's parents are getting married and they have to plan the wedding abroad. Yet they can not stand each other. Disaster and love await.
August 29, 2025
Funny and witty! I enjoyed this second chance, enemies to lovers romcom.
August 17, 2025
A fabulous follow up to the first book, Romancing Miss Stone, I really enjoyed the way this book took the complicated family dynamics touched on in the first book and said, "let's dive into that." Destination Weddings examines motherhood and sisterhood with a breadth that I don't think I've seen very often in recent contemporary romances. These relationships are allowed to be explored without ultimately taking over the relationship because it's Julia's mom's wedding taking place on Belize that puts all of our characters into the same place again.
Meanwhile the romance between Julia and Carson was so interesting. Julia tutored Carson in high school and he randomly started being really awful to her and made her life rather awful. When they're reintroduced because he's the son of the man her mom's about to marry, Carson immediately seeks to make amends. I really liked the way that he handled himself and the way that Julia would check him when he would almost over-compensate for being an ass in the past and think he could fix things for her in the future without asking.
I listened to this on audio and I would definitely recommend! I had a great time listening to this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audio review copy!
Meanwhile the romance between Julia and Carson was so interesting. Julia tutored Carson in high school and he randomly started being really awful to her and made her life rather awful. When they're reintroduced because he's the son of the man her mom's about to marry, Carson immediately seeks to make amends. I really liked the way that he handled himself and the way that Julia would check him when he would almost over-compensate for being an ass in the past and think he could fix things for her in the future without asking.
I listened to this on audio and I would definitely recommend! I had a great time listening to this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audio review copy!
January 4, 2026
3.5⭐️ Type-A personality, Julia Stone’s mother is getting married… To her high school nemesis’s father! Now she’s paired up with Carson to organize a last-minute destination wedding in Belize.
All the while Carson has had a major crush on Julia since high school and this is his time to finally let her see that he’s not the stupid jock he was back then… as long as she’ll give him the time of day to let him prove it!
Julia Stone is your classic character who pushes back on everyone and has to prove herself at every turn. She refuses to take assistance when offered or give people a second chance until it’s forced upon her. I found it hard feeling for her when she sets up her own heartache and distress by being a prickly bear at every moment.
Person on the other hand is loveable try hard who really wants to prove he’s changed and goes above and beyond at all times. He does go a little hard and also Mrs. in some spots, but you can tell his heart is in it.
I listened to the audio narrated by Meg Sylvan and thought she did a good job voicing Julia‘s character. She got all the facets right and brought her to life. I would’ve enjoyed a dual narration with a male counterpart for Carson, but Meg did a good job with her voice differentiation on Carson along with the other characters as well.
If you’re looking for a hard to like heroin, who finally puts down her armour and enjoy tropical locations, this book is for you!
All the while Carson has had a major crush on Julia since high school and this is his time to finally let her see that he’s not the stupid jock he was back then… as long as she’ll give him the time of day to let him prove it!
Julia Stone is your classic character who pushes back on everyone and has to prove herself at every turn. She refuses to take assistance when offered or give people a second chance until it’s forced upon her. I found it hard feeling for her when she sets up her own heartache and distress by being a prickly bear at every moment.
Person on the other hand is loveable try hard who really wants to prove he’s changed and goes above and beyond at all times. He does go a little hard and also Mrs. in some spots, but you can tell his heart is in it.
I listened to the audio narrated by Meg Sylvan and thought she did a good job voicing Julia‘s character. She got all the facets right and brought her to life. I would’ve enjoyed a dual narration with a male counterpart for Carson, but Meg did a good job with her voice differentiation on Carson along with the other characters as well.
If you’re looking for a hard to like heroin, who finally puts down her armour and enjoy tropical locations, this book is for you!
July 2, 2025
2.5
thank you Net Galley & Harlequin Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review
Unfortunately this was a miss for me. It was a perfectly pleasant listen for work, but it was also perfectly boring. The plot and conflicts felt too manufactured and I just found there was nothing compelling to cling to. The mom was the most objectively interesting part of the story, and she was annoying af.
I think there's a large audience for this love story, I unfortunately am not a part of it.
thank you Net Galley & Harlequin Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review
Unfortunately this was a miss for me. It was a perfectly pleasant listen for work, but it was also perfectly boring. The plot and conflicts felt too manufactured and I just found there was nothing compelling to cling to. The mom was the most objectively interesting part of the story, and she was annoying af.
I think there's a large audience for this love story, I unfortunately am not a part of it.
July 10, 2025
🎧 Title: Destination Weddings and Other Disasters-Belize Dreams #2
✍🏾 Author: M.C. Vaughan-new to me author
📅Publication date: 7/1/25| Read: 7/9/25
🗣️Narrator: Meg Sylvan voices all the characters with standouts from Julia, Carson, and Michelle. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.
🏃🏾♀️➡️Run Time: 8:58
Genre:
*Contemporary Romance
* Adult Fic
Tropes:
* destination wedding
* enemies to lovers/rivals
* high school bully/tutor
* same room
* forced proximity
* family drama
👆🏾POV: 3rd person
⚠️TW: death of a parent, bullying, grief, car accident-past, toxic parent
🌎 Setting: LA, NY, to Belize
Summary: After her mother Michelle announces her 4th marriage, Julia is tasked with planning the last-minute wedding in Belize. Her new stepfather Jim just happens to be the father of her high school tormentor Carson. Ten years ago, she tutored him in English, and he made her life a living hell spreading rumors about her. He claims to be a changed man and volunteers to join with Julia to make their parents' wedding memorable. Will he prove his metamorphosis or is he the same selfish intimidator?
👩🏾 Heroine: Julia Stone-26-just finished graduate school in hospitality management, looking for a job
👨🏾 Hero: Carson Miller-28, CEO of Limitless Events-an events planning business.
🎭 Other Characters:
* Michelle-Julia's mother, a personal shopper
* Jim-Carson's father-construction renovations
* Alexandra/Alex + Bo-Julia's older sister + her fiancé, runs a resort and tours in Belize
* Roberto-Julia's ex-boyfriend
*Carson's mother-a sports agent, only took interest in Carson because he was a great baseball player
*Xavier- Julia's father, died 3 years ago
🤔 My Thoughts: There were some unresolved issues between the main characters and their parents. Julia, Alex, and Michelle dealt with their father's death and their mother's multiple marriages. Carson had issues with his mother who only had time for him as a baseballer with a chance to go to the MLB. Julia and Carson needed to make amends with the past and their unrequited crushes. Carson was the popular athlete with money, while Julia was the poor, shy, little girl. It took Carson losing his MLB dreams and his friends to change. Julia learned about the new man he was and fell for him.
-FYI: I didn't read Romancing Miss Stone but I didn't feel lost. Alex and Bo fit right into this story.
Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 4/5 🌶️open door, explicit sex
🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and M.C. Vaughan for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.
✍🏾 Author: M.C. Vaughan-new to me author
📅Publication date: 7/1/25| Read: 7/9/25
🗣️Narrator: Meg Sylvan voices all the characters with standouts from Julia, Carson, and Michelle. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.
🏃🏾♀️➡️Run Time: 8:58
Genre:
*Contemporary Romance
* Adult Fic
Tropes:
* destination wedding
* enemies to lovers/rivals
* high school bully/tutor
* same room
* forced proximity
* family drama
👆🏾POV: 3rd person
⚠️TW: death of a parent, bullying, grief, car accident-past, toxic parent
🌎 Setting: LA, NY, to Belize
Summary: After her mother Michelle announces her 4th marriage, Julia is tasked with planning the last-minute wedding in Belize. Her new stepfather Jim just happens to be the father of her high school tormentor Carson. Ten years ago, she tutored him in English, and he made her life a living hell spreading rumors about her. He claims to be a changed man and volunteers to join with Julia to make their parents' wedding memorable. Will he prove his metamorphosis or is he the same selfish intimidator?
👩🏾 Heroine: Julia Stone-26-just finished graduate school in hospitality management, looking for a job
👨🏾 Hero: Carson Miller-28, CEO of Limitless Events-an events planning business.
🎭 Other Characters:
* Michelle-Julia's mother, a personal shopper
* Jim-Carson's father-construction renovations
* Alexandra/Alex + Bo-Julia's older sister + her fiancé, runs a resort and tours in Belize
* Roberto-Julia's ex-boyfriend
*Carson's mother-a sports agent, only took interest in Carson because he was a great baseball player
*Xavier- Julia's father, died 3 years ago
🤔 My Thoughts: There were some unresolved issues between the main characters and their parents. Julia, Alex, and Michelle dealt with their father's death and their mother's multiple marriages. Carson had issues with his mother who only had time for him as a baseballer with a chance to go to the MLB. Julia and Carson needed to make amends with the past and their unrequited crushes. Carson was the popular athlete with money, while Julia was the poor, shy, little girl. It took Carson losing his MLB dreams and his friends to change. Julia learned about the new man he was and fell for him.
-FYI: I didn't read Romancing Miss Stone but I didn't feel lost. Alex and Bo fit right into this story.
Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 4/5 🌶️open door, explicit sex
🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and M.C. Vaughan for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.
April 19, 2025
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters was such a sweet, satisfying surprise. It was a perfect palate cleanser after a couple of recent disappointments that I have had. M.C. Vaughan delivers a light, heartwarming enemies to lovers romance with a tropical twist and just enough spice to keep things interesting.
Julia and Carson are soon to be step siblings who share a messy high school past, where Carson was (in typical teenage boy fashion) an absolute jerk. Fast forward to adulthood, and fate throws them together to plan their parents' destination wedding in stunning Belize. What I loved most was how grounded this story felt despite the breezy, vacation like setting. Both leads work in similar industries like hospitality and event planning, and their dynamic felt like a genuine partnership. Neither character’s success eclipsed the other’s, which made their slow burn reconnection really worth the payoff.
Carson’s growth was particularly refreshing. He didn’t excuse or minimize his past behavior, but he owned it, apologized sincerely, and let Julia decide how and when to forgive. And she didn’t rush into it either. That element of emotional maturity made the romance even more rewarding.
I’ve never been to Belize but M.C. Vaughan painted such a vivid, immersive picture and now I really want to go. From the cuisine and music to the natural beauty and cultural nuances, it felt like a love letter to the country. You could tell the author either has deep personal experience or did some seriously thoughtful research, which I appreciate. Her details were spot on and sometimes, authors throw this stuff in but then it doesn’t sound right or come off right because they didn’t actually know about the country or its culture.
All in all, this book was exactly what I needed. It was fun, flirty, and full of charm. If you’re into enemies to lovers with heart, destination weddings, and a splash of tropical spice, this one’s for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, M.C. Vaughan, Harlequin for the eARC of this book.
Julia and Carson are soon to be step siblings who share a messy high school past, where Carson was (in typical teenage boy fashion) an absolute jerk. Fast forward to adulthood, and fate throws them together to plan their parents' destination wedding in stunning Belize. What I loved most was how grounded this story felt despite the breezy, vacation like setting. Both leads work in similar industries like hospitality and event planning, and their dynamic felt like a genuine partnership. Neither character’s success eclipsed the other’s, which made their slow burn reconnection really worth the payoff.
Carson’s growth was particularly refreshing. He didn’t excuse or minimize his past behavior, but he owned it, apologized sincerely, and let Julia decide how and when to forgive. And she didn’t rush into it either. That element of emotional maturity made the romance even more rewarding.
I’ve never been to Belize but M.C. Vaughan painted such a vivid, immersive picture and now I really want to go. From the cuisine and music to the natural beauty and cultural nuances, it felt like a love letter to the country. You could tell the author either has deep personal experience or did some seriously thoughtful research, which I appreciate. Her details were spot on and sometimes, authors throw this stuff in but then it doesn’t sound right or come off right because they didn’t actually know about the country or its culture.
All in all, this book was exactly what I needed. It was fun, flirty, and full of charm. If you’re into enemies to lovers with heart, destination weddings, and a splash of tropical spice, this one’s for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, M.C. Vaughan, Harlequin for the eARC of this book.
June 14, 2025
Title: Destination Weddings and Other Disasters
Series: Belize Dream Book #2
Author: M.C. Vaughan
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Meg Sylvan
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Genre: Romance
Pub Date: July 1, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages 288
Julia Stone’s mother Michelle just got engaged and Julia is not all that happy ~ true there is anything wrong with her future stepfather Jim Miller ~ It is his son Carson an Event Planner who is the problem.
Julia and Carson are about to be step siblings and have been forced to plan the wedding in Belize of their parents.
Ten years ago Julia and Carson were High School classmates; Carson was a BMOC and Julia was the intelligent bright student –in fact, Julia tutored Carson. However, he was a big jerk to her and she has not forgotten it.
Present Day: He tells her he has changed.
The story was kind of fun but there is a however . . . .
I am a big psychological thriller fan and not really a romance fan but every once in a while I like to read a nice sweet cozy romance - I just finished a story that was very gruesome and this cover and blurb got my attention .
However, it wasn’t a sweet cozy romance. As it had more foul language and was spicier than I expected ~ which got in the way of me really enjoying this story.
This was my first read by this author and finally looked her up
~ M.C. Vaughan is a Baltimore-based author of contemporary romance riddled with humor and local flavor. So, if you want to giggle throughout your sexy stories, Welcome!
You’ll root for her characters as they fall for their perfect people...and you’ll simultaneously shake your head as they stumble along the way.
No giggles but Yes! I was shaking my head -thinking this was not working for me
However. . .
The descriptions of Belize and the ending did save it from the 2.5 rating I was planning!
Want do want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for granting me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 1, 2025.
Series: Belize Dream Book #2
Author: M.C. Vaughan
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Meg Sylvan
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Genre: Romance
Pub Date: July 1, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages 288
Julia Stone’s mother Michelle just got engaged and Julia is not all that happy ~ true there is anything wrong with her future stepfather Jim Miller ~ It is his son Carson an Event Planner who is the problem.
Julia and Carson are about to be step siblings and have been forced to plan the wedding in Belize of their parents.
Ten years ago Julia and Carson were High School classmates; Carson was a BMOC and Julia was the intelligent bright student –in fact, Julia tutored Carson. However, he was a big jerk to her and she has not forgotten it.
Present Day: He tells her he has changed.
The story was kind of fun but there is a however . . . .
I am a big psychological thriller fan and not really a romance fan but every once in a while I like to read a nice sweet cozy romance - I just finished a story that was very gruesome and this cover and blurb got my attention .
However, it wasn’t a sweet cozy romance. As it had more foul language and was spicier than I expected ~ which got in the way of me really enjoying this story.
This was my first read by this author and finally looked her up
~ M.C. Vaughan is a Baltimore-based author of contemporary romance riddled with humor and local flavor. So, if you want to giggle throughout your sexy stories, Welcome!
You’ll root for her characters as they fall for their perfect people...and you’ll simultaneously shake your head as they stumble along the way.
No giggles but Yes! I was shaking my head -thinking this was not working for me
However. . .
The descriptions of Belize and the ending did save it from the 2.5 rating I was planning!
Want do want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for granting me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 1, 2025.
June 22, 2025
𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:
I really enjoyed this one. I’m in truly in my destination romances era right now! I went to Belize back in March and it was so fun to revisit and see it again through these characters eyes. I loved the characters backstory and how they have to team up to make their parent’s dream come true. Such a fun read with all the tropical vibes. Meg nailed this audio I completely forgot it was only one person reading this, it was just seamless and amazing.
𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Julia recently graduated with a masters in hospitality and is having a hard time finding a job. Her sister who inherited her dad’s adventure business in Belize won’t hire her until she has some real life experience. So when Julia’s mom surprises them at their engagement party with the news she wants to get married on a beach in Belize next week, Julia hops into action.
Carson dad is getting married and he realized his new step sister is the girl who tutored him in high school and he wasn’t very nice to her. It’s been ten years maybe she can accept his apology and move on. But things are never that easy and now they will be forced to work together in Belize.
Planning a wedding in less than a week is not easy feet but Julia use to live in Belize and knows all the spots and has the hookups. Carson is impressed with her skills and can’t deny the crush he’s had on her for years. From food tastings, to concerts on the beach, to exploring local caves and waterfalls this week together will change them both. Maybe they can even pull off a wedding!
𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:
“Something he’d gotten right when he was eighteen—Julia Stone was endgame.”
𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:
* Enemies-to-Lovers
* Forced to Plan Parent’s Wedding Together
* She Has a Masters in Hospitality
* He Owns an Event Planning Business
* He Was Her High School Bully & She Tutored Him in English
* Soon to be Step Siblings
* Destination Wedding - Belize 🇧🇿
* Loss of Parent to Cancer
* Dual POV
🇧🇿💍🏝️🩵🇧🇿💍🏝️🩵 🇧🇿💍🏝️🩵
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLLjUBlyV...
I really enjoyed this one. I’m in truly in my destination romances era right now! I went to Belize back in March and it was so fun to revisit and see it again through these characters eyes. I loved the characters backstory and how they have to team up to make their parent’s dream come true. Such a fun read with all the tropical vibes. Meg nailed this audio I completely forgot it was only one person reading this, it was just seamless and amazing.
𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Julia recently graduated with a masters in hospitality and is having a hard time finding a job. Her sister who inherited her dad’s adventure business in Belize won’t hire her until she has some real life experience. So when Julia’s mom surprises them at their engagement party with the news she wants to get married on a beach in Belize next week, Julia hops into action.
Carson dad is getting married and he realized his new step sister is the girl who tutored him in high school and he wasn’t very nice to her. It’s been ten years maybe she can accept his apology and move on. But things are never that easy and now they will be forced to work together in Belize.
Planning a wedding in less than a week is not easy feet but Julia use to live in Belize and knows all the spots and has the hookups. Carson is impressed with her skills and can’t deny the crush he’s had on her for years. From food tastings, to concerts on the beach, to exploring local caves and waterfalls this week together will change them both. Maybe they can even pull off a wedding!
𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:
“Something he’d gotten right when he was eighteen—Julia Stone was endgame.”
𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:
* Enemies-to-Lovers
* Forced to Plan Parent’s Wedding Together
* She Has a Masters in Hospitality
* He Owns an Event Planning Business
* He Was Her High School Bully & She Tutored Him in English
* Soon to be Step Siblings
* Destination Wedding - Belize 🇧🇿
* Loss of Parent to Cancer
* Dual POV
🇧🇿💍🏝️🩵🇧🇿💍🏝️🩵 🇧🇿💍🏝️🩵
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLLjUBlyV...
September 18, 2025
I think I’ve heard this song before. I think I’ve seen this film.
Gotta be honest here, it feels so overdone. This puts me in a weird place with M. C. Vaughan’s Destination Weddings and Other Disasters, because I can’t tell if my overall very MEH feelings about the book are due to the comparison to other media of a similar plot point—which I hated, by the way (cue massive side eye—looking at you, Anyone But You)—or because the book was simply…very MEH.
And perhaps it’s worth commenting on the fact that I seem to have a much harder time loving your typical, bad rom com in book format than I do loving bad rom coms in film; I still hate Anyone But You and I do not ironically find it amusing, by the way, but I do genuinely unironically adore Love Hard. But I just couldn’t help being incredibly bored through near every page of this book.
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters feels like a fill in the template book for rom com with love interests who hurt each other by being stupid as teenagers and are now meeting each other again via a wedding connection. The blanks are the names, the jobs, the original fight, and—kill me—the miscommunication in the third act that will ultimately cause unnecessary drama and conflict that we didn’t need. Now, don’t get me wrong: sometimes the manufactured conflict can work well in a novel and I think there’s something to be said for the fact that this can sometimes be a “pick your poison” kind of situation. However, we should also look at the fact that there’s a reason why this sort of thing has started to annoy a ton of readers.
Anyway, point being—I found this book dull, extremely predictable, and too comparable to contrived plots that I’ve both read and watched in the past. But does that make it bad?
Honestly, I just think it depends on who you ask.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Gotta be honest here, it feels so overdone. This puts me in a weird place with M. C. Vaughan’s Destination Weddings and Other Disasters, because I can’t tell if my overall very MEH feelings about the book are due to the comparison to other media of a similar plot point—which I hated, by the way (cue massive side eye—looking at you, Anyone But You)—or because the book was simply…very MEH.
And perhaps it’s worth commenting on the fact that I seem to have a much harder time loving your typical, bad rom com in book format than I do loving bad rom coms in film; I still hate Anyone But You and I do not ironically find it amusing, by the way, but I do genuinely unironically adore Love Hard. But I just couldn’t help being incredibly bored through near every page of this book.
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters feels like a fill in the template book for rom com with love interests who hurt each other by being stupid as teenagers and are now meeting each other again via a wedding connection. The blanks are the names, the jobs, the original fight, and—kill me—the miscommunication in the third act that will ultimately cause unnecessary drama and conflict that we didn’t need. Now, don’t get me wrong: sometimes the manufactured conflict can work well in a novel and I think there’s something to be said for the fact that this can sometimes be a “pick your poison” kind of situation. However, we should also look at the fact that there’s a reason why this sort of thing has started to annoy a ton of readers.
Anyway, point being—I found this book dull, extremely predictable, and too comparable to contrived plots that I’ve both read and watched in the past. But does that make it bad?
Honestly, I just think it depends on who you ask.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2025
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters by M.C. Vaughan
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️
Thank you to Harlequin - Romance, Afterglow Books by Harlequin, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is a super fun read with lots of adventure, character development, and romance throughout!
Julia Stone’s mother just got engaged to the man whose son, Carson Miller, made her life horrible ten years ago when they were in high school. Julia, a hospitality pro, reluctantly agrees to help plan her mom’s beach wedding with Carson’s help, even though he was terrible to her in high school. Julia doesn’t intend to let him off the hook for past bad behavior, however some surprising new feelings enter the mix, like undeniable attraction, and she finds herself unsure what to do about it. Carson, on the other hand, says he made mistakes and he’s different now. Julia wants him to prove it. What ensues is chaotic wedding planning, zip-lining, exploring waterfalls, and lots of fun falling hard for each other in paradise.
First, the Belize setting is wonderfully described. From the cuisine to the culture to the nature, readers are truly immersed in the setting fully, which makes the story even more interesting.
Carson’s growth was particularly impressive. He owned his past behavior, apologized, and let Julia decide how she wants to proceed. And Julia thoughtfully considered various approaches and didn’t rush into it. There was certainly emotional maturity in this one that made the story even better.
Overall, Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is a slow-burn, heartfelt romance about venturing into the unknown, family, second chances, and being yourself. The adventure throughout is chaotic, hilarious, and so much fun. Such a wonderful read for summer!
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️
Thank you to Harlequin - Romance, Afterglow Books by Harlequin, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is a super fun read with lots of adventure, character development, and romance throughout!
Julia Stone’s mother just got engaged to the man whose son, Carson Miller, made her life horrible ten years ago when they were in high school. Julia, a hospitality pro, reluctantly agrees to help plan her mom’s beach wedding with Carson’s help, even though he was terrible to her in high school. Julia doesn’t intend to let him off the hook for past bad behavior, however some surprising new feelings enter the mix, like undeniable attraction, and she finds herself unsure what to do about it. Carson, on the other hand, says he made mistakes and he’s different now. Julia wants him to prove it. What ensues is chaotic wedding planning, zip-lining, exploring waterfalls, and lots of fun falling hard for each other in paradise.
First, the Belize setting is wonderfully described. From the cuisine to the culture to the nature, readers are truly immersed in the setting fully, which makes the story even more interesting.
Carson’s growth was particularly impressive. He owned his past behavior, apologized, and let Julia decide how she wants to proceed. And Julia thoughtfully considered various approaches and didn’t rush into it. There was certainly emotional maturity in this one that made the story even better.
Overall, Destination Weddings and Other Disasters is a slow-burn, heartfelt romance about venturing into the unknown, family, second chances, and being yourself. The adventure throughout is chaotic, hilarious, and so much fun. Such a wonderful read for summer!
June 29, 2025
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.
Carson is an event planner, and he’s good at his job. So when his dad tells him he’s getting remarried, and him and the new wife want an “easy breezy” wedding on the beach… in Belize… Carson is determined to make everything perfect for them. Especially since his father’s wife’s daughter is Julia. The same Julia whose life he made a living hell back in high school. Julia didn’t know that her mother’s soon-to-be-husband’s son is her high school bully, and when she learns she’ll have to work with him in order to give her mom the perfect wedding she wants, she grudingly agrees. But Carson isn’t the same person he was ten years ago, and as Julia works with him, she begins to realize that all of those feelings she had years ago are still there, simmering beneath the surface. Carson never stopped holding a torch for Julia, and as they explore Belize, he knows there will never be anyone else for him except for her.
THIS. WAS. AMAZING. Plot wise, this was adorable. You have the two of them working together to give their parents the wedding they want, despite all of the complications involved in planning a super quick and “easy” wedding on the beach in a foreign country. And watching the two of them not only do what they set out to do but also have fun and letting loose as they go and explore and enjoy themselves was so fun. The characters were great, I loved Carson and Julia, though her little meltdown towards the end annoyed me but I could also see where she was coming from. The romance was great, a little spicy but mostly steamy. I was honesetly rooting for the two of them from the very beginning and was so happy with how it ended. Overall, this was a really fun, really cute, super sweet read and I would definitely recommend it.
Carson is an event planner, and he’s good at his job. So when his dad tells him he’s getting remarried, and him and the new wife want an “easy breezy” wedding on the beach… in Belize… Carson is determined to make everything perfect for them. Especially since his father’s wife’s daughter is Julia. The same Julia whose life he made a living hell back in high school. Julia didn’t know that her mother’s soon-to-be-husband’s son is her high school bully, and when she learns she’ll have to work with him in order to give her mom the perfect wedding she wants, she grudingly agrees. But Carson isn’t the same person he was ten years ago, and as Julia works with him, she begins to realize that all of those feelings she had years ago are still there, simmering beneath the surface. Carson never stopped holding a torch for Julia, and as they explore Belize, he knows there will never be anyone else for him except for her.
THIS. WAS. AMAZING. Plot wise, this was adorable. You have the two of them working together to give their parents the wedding they want, despite all of the complications involved in planning a super quick and “easy” wedding on the beach in a foreign country. And watching the two of them not only do what they set out to do but also have fun and letting loose as they go and explore and enjoy themselves was so fun. The characters were great, I loved Carson and Julia, though her little meltdown towards the end annoyed me but I could also see where she was coming from. The romance was great, a little spicy but mostly steamy. I was honesetly rooting for the two of them from the very beginning and was so happy with how it ended. Overall, this was a really fun, really cute, super sweet read and I would definitely recommend it.
July 17, 2025
Julia and Carson had a big falling out in high school. When their parents get engaged, the soon-to-be step-siblings get roped into planning the destination wedding. As sparks fly, will their past bad blood and future as a family get in the way?
Step siblings in a common taboo to play with in dark romance so it was unexpected to see it in the contemporary genre. Vaughan leaves a few breadcrumbs to indicate a drama but she leaves us in suspense until the very end.
Vaughan spelled out why women love romance novels. Carson says he wants to prove to Julia she is worth the effort. She says knowing the little things are important to her. He listens and learns the important little things (the food she likes, how she takes her coffee etc). I’ll probably do a post highlighting the key points in a separate post. They were that instructional.
At one point, Julia’s mom has a speech about prioritizing her happiness. Ending a failing marriage is reasonable. Prioritizing your happiness and dating life over the well being of your children is not. Your kids didn’t ask to get born. Strike a balance as they get older but if they don’t feel like they can trust or rely on you, you failed as a parent.
I get the intention of showing Julia needs to prioritize her own happiness for once, stop worrying about everyone else, do what’s best for her etc. However, the speech coming from the person who made her this way was not a smart choice. As the child of a narcissist, this left the very bitter taste of hypocrisy in my mouth.
Over all, I enjoyed this. The location added a lot of fun. The spicy scenes were good and flowed nicely with the plot. I was hovering between 3.5-4 stars but I opted to round up. Vaughan had some important messages a lot of women need to hear. Your happiness matters. You are worth the effort. Never forget that. 4/5
Step siblings in a common taboo to play with in dark romance so it was unexpected to see it in the contemporary genre. Vaughan leaves a few breadcrumbs to indicate a drama but she leaves us in suspense until the very end.
Vaughan spelled out why women love romance novels. Carson says he wants to prove to Julia she is worth the effort. She says knowing the little things are important to her. He listens and learns the important little things (the food she likes, how she takes her coffee etc). I’ll probably do a post highlighting the key points in a separate post. They were that instructional.
At one point, Julia’s mom has a speech about prioritizing her happiness. Ending a failing marriage is reasonable. Prioritizing your happiness and dating life over the well being of your children is not. Your kids didn’t ask to get born. Strike a balance as they get older but if they don’t feel like they can trust or rely on you, you failed as a parent.
I get the intention of showing Julia needs to prioritize her own happiness for once, stop worrying about everyone else, do what’s best for her etc. However, the speech coming from the person who made her this way was not a smart choice. As the child of a narcissist, this left the very bitter taste of hypocrisy in my mouth.
Over all, I enjoyed this. The location added a lot of fun. The spicy scenes were good and flowed nicely with the plot. I was hovering between 3.5-4 stars but I opted to round up. Vaughan had some important messages a lot of women need to hear. Your happiness matters. You are worth the effort. Never forget that. 4/5
June 26, 2025
Such a good book, friends!
Julia is a perfectionist, type A, who has a dream of success in hospitality post-grad. Her Mother, a serial romantic/marriage lady of leisure, is getting married for the 4th time. She isn't just getting married to anyone; she is getting married to the Father of the guy who teased her so traumatically in school that she still holds onto the aftereffects.
Carson, now a very successful business owner and developer in the hospitality industry, knows that he was quite the piece of work in school. He is now a changed man, and his Father is marrying Julia's Mother. Julia - the victim of his behavior in school. Despite his actions in school, he always harbored a crush on Julia, who was his tutor.
Their parents decide that they want a last-minute destination wedding in Belize (Julia's former home, and the home of her deceased Father).
There is so much witty banter. I laughed out loud several times. We also get a classic enemies-to-lovers.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, witty banter, chemistry for days, coming home, character growth, and family growth.
The plot is well structured, and the pace is quick.
The characters are well-developed, relatable, and engaging.
I did not realize this was the second book in a series. I read this as a standalone, and it was great. I didn't feel that I was missing out on anything or any important information that was pertinent to this plot. However, I did enjoy the book so much that I plan to now go read the first book!
This was a perfect summer read.
Add this to your TBR!!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Happy Reading!
Julia is a perfectionist, type A, who has a dream of success in hospitality post-grad. Her Mother, a serial romantic/marriage lady of leisure, is getting married for the 4th time. She isn't just getting married to anyone; she is getting married to the Father of the guy who teased her so traumatically in school that she still holds onto the aftereffects.
Carson, now a very successful business owner and developer in the hospitality industry, knows that he was quite the piece of work in school. He is now a changed man, and his Father is marrying Julia's Mother. Julia - the victim of his behavior in school. Despite his actions in school, he always harbored a crush on Julia, who was his tutor.
Their parents decide that they want a last-minute destination wedding in Belize (Julia's former home, and the home of her deceased Father).
There is so much witty banter. I laughed out loud several times. We also get a classic enemies-to-lovers.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, witty banter, chemistry for days, coming home, character growth, and family growth.
The plot is well structured, and the pace is quick.
The characters are well-developed, relatable, and engaging.
I did not realize this was the second book in a series. I read this as a standalone, and it was great. I didn't feel that I was missing out on anything or any important information that was pertinent to this plot. However, I did enjoy the book so much that I plan to now go read the first book!
This was a perfect summer read.
Add this to your TBR!!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Happy Reading!
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