The Wedding Promise

by Kelli Storm

A marriage of convenience to her celebrity crush…?

Who wouldn’t say “I do”!

Isabella Rossi is desperate to start over, so she takes a job as a live-in nanny for a mysterious family. She’s shocked to learn her new employer is none other than boy band legend—and Izzy’s secret celebrity crush—Zan Chen! Only, after Zan was widowed, he moved his family to a small town and shut down his heart. So Izzy knows when he proposes marriage, it’s strictly an arrangement to protect his family. Walking down the aisle to Zan’s waiting arms is a fantasy she’s had forever…but is living a dream enough if it can never be real?

From Harlequin Special  Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Challenge Accepted

Book 1: His Small-Town Challenge
Book 2: The Fake Dating Dare
Book 3: First Comes Marriage
Book 4: The Wedding Promise

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2026

About the author

When the 2008 recession hit, KELLI STORM found herself without a job and with too much time on her hands. To fill the void, she began writing fan fiction. She soon developed a following, and her readers encouraged her to write an original story. Kelli’s debut book, HIS SMALL-TOWN CHALLENGE (Harlequin Special Edition, 2025), is an ode to her love of boy bands.

Kelli earned her bachelor’s from Grand Valley State University. She’s the author of the Challenge Accepted series for Harlequin Special Edition and the young adult fantasy series, The Assembly Hearts, which includes DESOLATE (Tiny Fox Press, 2025). She lives in the Great Lake State with three rescue dogs and a fifteen-year-old fish named Henry O’Malley.

Reviews

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the Challenge Accepted series, in which fine artist Isabella Rossi is fed up being a hostess in her family's restaurant. She wants her own life and her own goal of running an art gallery. To reach her goal requires her to leave her job, which her family doesn't want, so she applies for and starts a new job as nanny to singer Zan Chen's two children. He's still grieving the loss of his wife, but he needs Izzy for his children and (though he refuses to admit it) himself.

Soon it's clear that Izzy loves Zan but he insists on marrying her to protect his children from the in-laws who want to take them away from him. Not because he loves her, something he says he'll never do. Too bad he has to experience his daughter running away before he comes to terms with his real feelings for Izzy. Will they stay together? Read to find out.

[Page Passion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel immensely! I'm a big K-pop fan, and when I read the blurb with the pop star MMC, I thought this would be a story that appealed to the fangirl in me. The Wedding Promise far exceeded my expectations. Seriously, I could hardly put it down. The chemistry between the characters kept the pages turning along with the drama of their family memebers. sabella and Zan were mismatched at the beginning but the way their love developed was some of the best scenes in the novel. With plenty of heart and humorous moments, this could have been a rom com.

The spice is minimal here and though its part of a series, you never feel lost while reading.

I'd like a Zan of my own (or real life kpop star Jung Kook). A sweet novel with great characters and I can't reccomend enough to readers of small town romances.