The Summer Wedding

Married in Malibu #2

by Lucy Kevin, Bella Andre

THE SUMMER WEDDING is the second book in the fun and romantic “Married in Malibu” series — a spin-off of Lucy Kevin’s New York Times bestselling “Four Weddings and a Fiasco” series.

Jenn Fairhurst wants her Married in Malibu wedding cakes to be legendary. Her job baking sweet treats at the Southern California wedding venue means everything to her―even if she’s not sure that she’ll ever be able to love, or trust a man, again after going through a terrible divorce.

Daniel Brooker is an award-winning photojournalist who gave up his globetrotting career to become a wedding photographer after his wife passed away, leaving him as the sole parent to his son and daughter. After such a tragic loss, he never thought he’d be able to love again. Until he met Jenn.

Soon, Daniel is falling head over heels for Jenn and wants to show her what true love really is. But right when it looks like she might finally be ready to give love another try, her past comes back to haunt her. Will she be able to risk her heart again?

Lucy Kevin is the "sweet" pen-name of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Bella Andre (who writes the #1 bestselling series about The Sullivans). Lucy Kevin books are fun, flirty and romantic―without the steamy scenes. 

“Married in Malibu” Series
Book 1: The Beach Wedding (Liz & Jason)
Book 2: The Summer Wedding (Jenn & Daniel)
~ more books coming soon! ~

"Four Weddings and a Fiasco" Series 
Book 1: The Wedding Gift 
Book 2: The Wedding Dance 
Book 3: The Wedding Song 
Book 4: The Wedding Dress 
Book 5: The Wedding Kiss 

"Walker Island Romance" Series 
Book 1: Be My Love 
Book 2: No Other Love
Book 3: When It's Love 
Book 4: All For Love 
Book 5: Forever In Love 

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LUCY’S BOOKS…
“I loved this book. It reminded me of Nora Roberts' wedding series." Review for The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin 

"Another winner from Lucy Kevin. I have enjoyed all of the books in the 4 Wedding Series. If you are looking for a fun series that is just a feel good kind of book, check out the Four Weddings and a Fiasco series." ~ Jenfyr, Review for THE WEDDING DRESS 

"Awesome book from start to finish. I could not wait for the book to come out and it was great. The anticipation of what direction the story line was going to take surprised me, but at the same time kept me intrigued." ~ Fay, Review for THE WEDDING DRESS 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lucy Kevin released her first novel, SEATTLE GIRL, it became an instant bestseller. All of her subsequent sweet contemporary romances have been hits with readers as well, including WHEN IT’S LOVE (A Walker Island Romance) which debuted at #1. Having been called “One of the top writers in America” by The Washington Post, she recently launched the very romantic Married in Malibu series. Lucy also writes contemporary romances as Bella Andre and her incredibly popular series about The Sullivans have been #1 bestsellers around the world, with 5 million books sold so far! If not behind her computer, you can find her swimming, hiking or laughing with her husband and two children.  

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Amazon, Novella, Fiction

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 11, 2017

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet story. I loved getting to know Jenn & Daniel! I've always dreamed of being a cake decorator so I loved hearing about her designs. I can't wait for more weddings at Married in Malibu.

[Kay Pflueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Lucy Kevin's Four Weddings series and was excited to be given an advance copy of this book to read and review. A new wedding venue has opened in Malibu (an extension of the Rose Chalet venue in the Four Weddings series) and Jenn is the master creator of wonderful and amazing wedding cakes for the venue.

Jenn is nursing a broken heart after a messy divorce and has sworn off men. But she cannot deny the tingles and the sparks she feels whenever Daniel, the photographer at the venue, walks into the room. Daniel is a widower with two children and he never expected to fall in love again. But he too feels the chemistry between him and Jenn.

When Jenn is chosen to bake cakes for a photo spread for Brides magazine, Daniel volunteers to help photograph her creations as well as chronicle(in photos) the process she goes through to create them. This puts them in close proximity to each other and means that they will be working closely with each other.

Can Daniel break down Jenn's barriers and get her to let him into her life? Will Jenn finally put her failed marriage behind her and move on? You will have to read the book to find out.

This is a quick read... once you start you will not want to put it down until you find out if Daniel and Jenn find their HEA. Looking forward to the next installment!

[Liz D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book. Jenn bakes cakes for Married in Malibu and Daniel is the photographer. She just got a divorce and he is a widower with two great kids. Their chemistry is clear from the start and the book takes you on a fun ride on how they get a second chance at love. If you love second chances, this book it's definitely for you.
*I received an ARC for an honest review.

[Helene · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all believe in second chances don't we? For Jenn it was hard based. Her past. Daniel was hoping for a second chance with Jenn. Because he also believed in love at first sight.

The Summer Wedding takes you Daniel and Jenn's journey for a forever kind of love.

Lucy Kevin(aka Bella Andre) does it once again by showing us that we all deserve a second chance.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a sweet, second chance at love romance, this is the book for you. Lucy Kevin is a master at writing the quick, clean romances that connect well with the readers. Jen was in a marriage where she was supposed to support her husband 100% but he didn't support her at all. When she found him in bed with another woman, it was the last straw. She managed to find a job baking wedding cakes for Married in Malibu, her dream job.

Daniel is a well known photographer that gave up his traveling & dangerous career when his wife died. He had to consider the fact that he was now the sole parent for his two kids. He is as good with wedding photography as he was in his past career. He's been watching Jen & is ready to make a move when her past comes back to interfere.

This writer does an excellent job of setting the scene & developing a cast of characters that are supportive of each other & resemble a family. Her books prove that a family does not have to be made up of blood relatives. I like how supportive Daniel is of Jen & how his kids love her. Jen is so humble in regards to her decorating talent & it was great to see her confidence grow as the story goes on. While this is book two of a series, it really can be read as a stand alone. Your understanding of the characters just grows with each book.

[Anne Blyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book in return for my honest review.

As usual, this sweet read by Lucy Kevin did not disappoint. It is a well written story about second chances and following your heart with your chosen career. The interactions of the characters and their unfailing support for each other provides a glimpse of what life should be like for everyone. I personally love that she has used two names that have personal meaning to me. Daniel, the hero (my son) and Tamara the Coffee a Shop owner (my daughter-in-law), insignificant to most readers but special to me. I love mixing Lucy Kevin sweet reads with my Bella Andre and other grittier stories, it rounds off my reading pleasure

[Ellen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUMMER WEDDING is the 2nd book in the "Married in Malibu" Series by Bella Andre, and Lucy Kevin. We meet Jenn who does wedding cakes, and her goal is wanting to make them legendary. Daniel is a photographer, who makes her cakes the beautiful creation they are. Truth is a key importance for him, and knowing about Jenn's ex, he applauded her for leaving. Also, her ex was a personal trainer, and didn't understand someone wanting to make cakes. Daniel and his 2 children love cupcakes, can he get Jenn to give them a chance. Every time he sees her, he loves her more. A delightful read, everyone will enjoy another story by Bella and Lucy.
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jen is divorced and is the cake baker at Married in Malibu. She caught her husband in bed with another woman in their home, and to top it off her husband didn’t think that was a problem! Daniel is a well known photographer that lost his wife a few years ago, so he quit his job traveling around the world taking pictures of war sites and such. He has two children, a boy and a girl, that he wants to concentrate his life on. He didn’t think he would ever find another woman he could love like his wife until he met Jen. You need to read the book to see what happens.

Jen’s husband never built her up in any ways, so Jen does not have a lot of self confidence. She is worried that if she got involved with another man, she may not see the signs that he isn’t good for her. She makes beautiful cakes for weddings and everyone loves her. I felt bad that she was such a wonderful person, but couldn’t see that in herself. Daniel is the kind of man you would want for a husband. He is dedicated to his children and does a great job of taking care of them. He can tell that Jen is still skittish about getting into a relationship, so he wants to take it slow. I really like Daniel. Jen’s ex-husband Oliver was a piece of work. He was so in to himself, that he couldn’t see beyond that. It was a good, clean book that I encourage you to read. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book.

[Cali Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very Sweet Second Chance at Love Romance proving that sometimes people are lucky enough to find it more than once in a lifetime. Both are so in their own little worlds just trying to move on and get by they don't even see the other coming. I love the way the author takes you into this destination wedding location and makes the people involved come alive. Very fun and entertaining read. Looking forward to visiting for the next wedding.

[Micheale Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. Well written,with wonderful character development. So engaging that I made it a point to carve it extra time in my day to read more. I was able to finish this book in one day, and as a result of reading this one book,I will most definitely be gettjng the other books in this series!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SUMMER WEDDING is the second book in the Married in Malibu series by Lucy Kevin. If you don’t know, Lucy Kevin is the sweeter pen name of Bella Andre. This series is a spin off of Four Weddings and a Fiasco series but I don’t think you need to read that in order to enjoy this one.

This book is fairly simple in design. And it’s a story about second chances, which I love. Jenn Fairhurst is a baker, and she’s a damn good one as well. She and photographer, Daniel Brooker have been working together and hiding their feelings for one another for quite some time now. However, now is the time that they are finally going to do something about it.

When Jenn offers to help Daniel’s kids bake cupcakes for their bake sale, Daniel can’t help but notice how good she is with his kids. After going through a particularly bad divorce, he knows Jenn is fragile but Daniel thinks he might have what it takes to mend her heart.

Sweet and soulful, this book is a very quick read. I think I read it within an hour and that’s mainly due to Kevin’s eloquent writing style and beautiful backdrop of Southern California. If you haven’t read Lucy Kevin before and are wondering what’s the main difference between these books and Bella Andre’s books, it’s just that they don’t include the steamy sex scenes. These books are far more clean cut, but not boring. Sometimes it’s nice just to focus on the romance and emotion rather than the sex so I like that this author offers that option to her readers.

As this is my first time reading a book in this series, I am definitely looking forward to exploring more of Lucy Kevin’s writing in the near future.

[litljen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** I received an advanced copy and chose to review it ***

The Summer Wedding is the second book in the Married in Malibu series and is best read after reading book 1 (The Beach Wedding) to best follow all of the characters. It is a sweet friends-to-lovers romance where both characters finally have a second chance at love. Daniel, the photographer at Married in Malibu, is a single dad to two adorable kids whose wife passed away. Jenn, divorced from a husband who cheated on her, is the baker at the same venue. The two work closely together and have a mutual attraction that they've hidden since the first time they met. As the two are brought together to work on a huge project, they grow closer as they spend more and more time together. Daniel is the first to make the move and jump in by telling Jenn how he feels but it takes Jenn a little longer to get to the same point as she struggles with issues stemming from her previous relationship. Eventually, these two characters find their HEA and readers will be left feeling satisfied and content.

What I love about Lucy Kevin's books is that they rely more on the deeper connection of the characters rather than the sexy heat that other authors focus on. Her stories are sweeter and more romantic in nature. While I love a good steamy story, every now and then I love to read a book that is more about romance and all heart rather than filled with heat and sex. Lucy Kevin always fits the bill perfectly. The Summer Wedding is short, sweet and all heart.

[Emilie Bergeron · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
This is a very sweet second chance love story. At 107 pages, it's a quick feel good read. Maybe a little too quick for my taste though.
Jenn and Daniel are great characters and their relationship blossoms while they work together at Married in Malibu. I really enjoyed the scenes with Daniel's kids; they made the story that much sweeter for the mommy heart in me!
Although this is the second in the series and I haven't read the first book, it was very easy to follow along and not get lost in the characters.

[Dirty Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a sweet happily ever after feel good about your life book. this book is about strength, beauty , overcoming grief and betrayal and mostly it's about how "sweet" happily ever after truly can be.

I would say this book would even appeal to people with high morale/standards/Christian ethics because our characters fall in love without even kissing and get married shortly after their first kiss.

[Marybeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy Kevin really knows how to write a very sweet romance!! She has yet to disappoint me! This is another story set at the Married in Malibu wedding planning company and is a second chance at love for both our hero and heroine. Daniel is a widower with two children under age 10, Kayla and Adam, and he is the photographer. Jenn is a sweetheart and divorced from her cheating ex and she is the baker. They have been friends since they started working together there but Daniel now finds himself in love with Jenn. He never thought he could feel this way again. He is afraid to scare her off though because of her past relationship so he keeps it to himself for a while. Jenn has feelings for Daniel too, but she is afraid to give in to what she is feeling because she does not want to get hurt again. So they tiptoe around their attraction for a while, which is a great buildup.
Daniel is so kind, sweet and supportive of her and her creative abilities with the wedding cakes she makes. They make a great team at work.
Jenn’s ex was not the least bit supportive of her baking at all. He was so full of himself and a real tool.
Daniel is also a wonderful father and that is a huge attraction for Jenn. His children really like her and the feeling is mutual. She is so good with them.
The kids try their hand at matchmaking and it was definitely successful!
So I highly recommend this book, because sometimes you just want a nice, sweet, emotional, romantic love story without all the heat.

[Tracy Flick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Summer Wedding is a fun, quick, romantic read. Daniel and Jenn both have suffered losses in love. Jenn, by finding her husband in bed with another woman and Daniel, by losing his wife and the mother of his children in an accident. Daniel and Jenn both feel the attraction between them but they are both shy about pursuing a relationship. Daniel finally confesses his feelings to Jenn and patiently waits for her to express her feeling towards him. I love how Daniel is patient and encouraging towards Jenn, something she had never experienced. The Summer Wedding was such an enjoyable read and I cannot wait until the next book in the series.

[Lisa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel and Jenn were simply too people afraid to share their heart again, but for different reasons. Daniel lost his first wife, leaving him as a single dad of two children and broken-hearted. Jenn married a man who tried to control her and not allow her to be herself. Also he was a cheater. Both Daniel and Jenn ended up working at Malibu Marriages. Jenn ad a baker and Daniel as a photographer. All the love in the air lead to one thing. Good read.

[Denise Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was quite short and didn’t really go into a lot of character detail. I miss that. A really good book will develop the character of its protagonist and antagonist over time. This one didn’t. I couldn’t really empathize with Jenn or Daniel so that’s why I only gave it two stars. Perhaps if one reads the entire series, one gets a better feel for the principal actors.

[Radd Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another really short book, so it was hard to really get invested in the characters. It wasn’t ok read

[Cheryl Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story.

Heartbreak and bullying are hard to overcome but love can heal and this cute story has so much tenderness you may need a tissue.

[Penny Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SUMMER WEDDING (Married in Malibu #2)
AUTHOR: BELLA ANDRE

THE SUMMER WEDDING is the second book in Bella Andre’s “Married in Malibu” series. I am a forever fan of everything Bella writes. When Bella writes…..I read. THE SUMMER WEDDING has everything I love in a great book: sweet romance, humor, charming characters, true love, and a wedding. No-one does sweet romance quite like Bella Andre. Her books always leave you with a good feeling and wanting more.
Jenn Fairhurst bakes wedding cakes for the Southern California Wedding Venues. It is a great passion of hers and she hopes that someday her wedding cakes will become famous. Unfortunately, she caught her husband cheating and went through and extremely ugly divorce. Unable to trust men, she wonders if she will ever be able to open up again and have a healthy relationship.
Daniel Booker’s wife passed away recently, leaving him to solely raise his son and daughter. He gave up his traveling career as a successful photographer and took a photographer job at Southern California Wedding Venues so he could spend more time with his children. He has no idea that this new job is about to change his life – for the better.
As Jenn and Daniel work and spend more time together, their attraction grows. Daniel is aware that Jenn isn’t quite ready to start a relationship so soon after having her heart broken, so he takes his time, and lets her know that he is waiting patiently. Their charming relationship is heartwarming. They are perfect for each other.
If you are already a fan of Bella Andre, you will definitely love this series. If not, start here and you will become an instant fan.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenn and Daniel

Married in Malibu has so much more to offer than just Jenn's cakes. There’s the beach, the security Travis offers, Nate’s technical ingenuity, Kate’s flowers, Margaret’s designs, Liz’s organizational skills—and, best of all, Daniel's incredible photos. However, Jenn is having a hard time still trying to believe how truly blessed she is for doing something she truly loves doing. After her divorce from Oliver, after finding him in bed with another woman, she has a hard time getting his voice out of her head at times telling her that her cakes are horrible. Well Liz hired her to make amazing cakes for the weddings they book and she's going to do the best she can! When an amazing opportunity comes and Liz puts Daniel and her together to work she's a little nervous. She has had a little crush on him since she was hired! However, he has two adorable children and takes his responsibility of them seriously since his wife died in a car accident. So Jenn is extremely careful not to let him know of her feelings. However, life has a way of sneaking up on you. Not only is Oliver pestering her for some reason out of the blue,but Daniel's kids want to spend time with her! What is Jenn to do? What happens when things come to a head? Only one way to find out, read this great story by Bella Andre!

[Ebella · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It didn’t matter that the cake had collapsed. Life, as they both knew so well, was often messy. Sometimes you were able to laugh about it, other times you needed a good cry.”

Bella Andre is one of the most talented writers I know and I enjoy every single book that she has written. She gives her characters depth and a real personality with flaws and hick ups. Through words alone she can create a whole new world. In this world you can feel all the emotions, you can see every minute detail on the faces of the characters as if you were part of the story. It’s as if you are not only reading it, but that you are living it. This is such a gift and it makes all of her books magnificent.
The only problem I had with The Summer Wedding is that this extraordinary story ended too soon. I could have read on and on about the wonderful people of Married in Malibu. Luckily for us there are a few books more to come!

8 stars: I missed some of the hot sparks and interactions between Jenn and Daniel in The Summer Wedding. But maybe when you have suffered such a lost, you’re searching for some security that warms all the cold places of your heart. And that is what she wrote so beautifully and why it will speak to you through every word you read.

[Dorothea Müller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenn Fairhurst möchte die Hochzeitstorten vom Married in Malibu zu Legenden machen. Sie liebt ihren Job und ist froh, dass sie ihr nicht nur ihren Traumjob bekommen hat. Hier hat sie Freunde gefunden. Außerdem fühlt sie sich von Daniel Brooker angezogen. Doch ihr Vertrauen in Männer ist erschüttert. Denn Ihr Ex, war kein netter Mann. Daniel hat sich in Jenn Hals über Kopf verliebt. 

Süße Liebesgeschichte über die Liebe. Ja, ich weiß eine Liebesgeschichte über die Liebe. Aber genau das habe ich beim Lesen gefühlt. Beim Lesen hätte ich außerdem gerne die Torten gegessen. Die klangen so lecker. Diese Geschichte hatte keine Überraschungen, aber eine tolle Geschichte mit Happy End. Das braucht man auch ab und zu. Jenn ist eine starke Frau, die sich endlich ausleben darf. Gleichzeitig auf endlich selbst merkt wie stark sie eigentlich ist. Daniel ist ein Mann von dem viele Frauen träumen. Obwohl er auch einen kleinen Dämpfer bekommt. Ich mag die Reihe, denn hier bekomme ich wohlfühlen Liebesgeschichten, die mich glücklich machen. 

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SUMMER WEDDING is the second book in the Married in Malibu series by Lucy Kevin. If you don’t know, Lucy Kevin is the sweeter pen name of Bella Andre. This series is a spin off of Four Weddings and a Fiasco series but I don’t think you need to read that in order to enjoy this one.

This book is fairly simple in design. And it’s a story about second chances, which I love. Jenn Fairhurst is a baker, and she’s a damn good one as well. She and photographer, Daniel Brooker have been working together and hiding their feelings for one another for quite some time now. However, now is the time that they are finally going to do something about it.

When Jenn offers to help Daniel’s kids bake cupcakes for their bake sale, Daniel can’t help but notice how good she is with his kids. After going through a particularly bad divorce, he knows Jenn is fragile but Daniel thinks he might have what it takes to mend her heart.

Sweet and soulful, this book is a very quick read. I think I read it within an hour and that’s mainly due to Kevin’s eloquent writing style and beautiful backdrop of Southern California. If you haven’t read Lucy Kevin before and are wondering what’s the main difference between these books and Bella Andre’s books, it’s just that they don’t include the steamy sex scenes. These books are far more clean cut, but not boring. Sometimes it’s nice just to focus on the romance and emotion rather than the sex so I like that this author offers that option to her readers.

As this is my first time reading a book in this series, I am definitely looking forward to exploring more of Lucy Kevin’s writing in the near future.

*ARC provided by author
Reviewed by Ann

❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

[Sharon in SF · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet romance about a second chance at love. Our heroine, Jenn, the cake baker for the wedding venue, Married in Malibu, is divorced from a cheating husband who used to stifle her. Our Hero, Daniel, MinM's resident wedding photographer, is a widower with two young children. The two end up working closely together on a special project, and because the book is written from a dual point of view, we get to eavesdrop on their thoughts about whether a relationship is possible in their workplace. There are strong supporting cast members, like Liz (star of the first book in the series), and Tamara, the coffee shop owner, who play important sounding boards for this inevitable couple! Interesting little twist at the end that serves as the catalyst for clarity...

[Debs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Kevin/Bella Andre writes beautiful romances that melt the heart. "The Summer Wedding" is one of those great reads. The story left me with such a warm feeling, that I read it in one sitting. Jenn and Daniel, along with his two children, was such an enriched story for a novella, that the words seemed to just fly off the page. The connections between all of the people in the story had me feeling like I was peeking into their lives as well as their family and friends lives. What more could you ask for in a well written romance with a HEA? Recommend for all romance lovers!! I would like to thank Lucy Kevin/Bella Andre for gifting me with "The Summer Wedding" and asking for my honest review. This is mine. 5 Stars!!

[Sandra Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenn möchte gerne ihre Torten für Married in Malibu auf der ganzen Welt berühmt machen.Denn obwohl sie Hochzeiten liebt, weiß sie nicht ob jsie jemals wieder einem Mann vertrauen kann, nachdem sie eine schreckliche Scheidung hinter sich hat.Und Daniel, früher Profifotograf musste seine Karriere nach dem Tod seiner Frau aufgeben, um für seine beiden Kinder da zu sein.Also ist es auch für ihn nicht einfach, sein Herz zu öffnen..Bis die Beiden sich über den Weg laufen und für eine Fotostrecke über ihre Torten zusammenarbeiten müssen und sich dabei noch besser kennenlernen.Bei den Kindern hat Jenn ja schnell einen Stein im Brett und Daniel schafft es auch langsam, seine Gefühle zuzulassen und es gibt wieder ein HappyEnd

[Beverly S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer and Daniel work for the Malibu wedding shop. Jen is a cake baker extraordinaire. Daniel is all things photography. Jen and Daniel work closely together in her kitchen while she bakes cakes. Daniel likes to hang out there because he loves any with chocolate..... Their energy together brings out the best in them. sparks fly....when they accidentally touch. Their eyes meet too many times over Jen's craftsmanship...Can these two find true love for the second time? Or will Jen's past come back to ruin everything?

[Blender · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the days when you just need a good pick me up! A sweet story of finding yourself and love again after a heartbreak. Jenn was betrayed and belittled during her marriage but learns to stand on her own and make a career out of baking Wedding cakes and in doing so finds true love with widowed Daniel and his two young children. This is such a good series, love the close group of friends.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.