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The Wedding Date
What could possibly go wrong with pretending to date your straight best friend? As if walking in on his boyfriend cheating on him wasn’t bad enough, Caleb finds himself facing the prospect of attending his sister’s Hawaiian destination wedding alone--unless he accepts Ethan’s offer to go with him and pretend to be the boyfriend he deserves. Ethan might be straight, but he’s charming, sensible, and looks good in a suit. Caleb knows that it’s the kind of plan that’s likely to come back and bite him, but it’s better than having to admit to his family that his love life is a disaster.Besides, he can keep his secret crush on Ethan just as secret while they’re on vacation. Can’t he?Things get complicated when Ethan realises he might not be as straight as he thought he was, and takes the opportunity to experiment with Caleb while they’re away--after all, they’re pretending to be dating anyway. Adding a few kisses and a little more affection into the mix can’t hurt.It soon becomes obvious to both men that they want more from each other than they first thought--but actually admitting that and risking their friendship over it seems impossible.Between the cold feet, wedding drama, fistfights, fear, and confusion, can Ethan and Caleb find a way to tell each other how they feel? Or will it really all be over once they get home? The Wedding Date is a standalone gay romance with a happily ever after ending and no cliffhanger. It does, however, contain hand-holding, ziplining, explicit sex scenes, sunburn, and, eventually, a wedding.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2016
176 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Sean Ashcroft
44 books460 followersSean Ashcroft likes rainy days, white hot chocolates (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!) and boys kissing in books. He currently resides in Australia, all the way down at the bottom of the mainland in a sleepy little seaside town.
He writes sweet, hot books about sweet, hot boys who absolutely deserve each other.
He writes sweet, hot books about sweet, hot boys who absolutely deserve each other.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
December 4, 2016
Though I wasn't wholly convinced that these two were best friends (after 5 years of friendship, how did Caleb not know that Ethan was afraid of flying? Why was most of their conversation so stilted?!), The Wedding Date was a cute story. And that ending was like being smacked in the face by a rainbow of good feelings and puppies. So, while I wasn't blown away by this, I'll definitely be reading more by this author when I need something easy breezy.
August 23, 2017
2.5*
Is cute and sweet but the angst in the story is very forced and has not very much sense :/
Is cute and sweet but the angst in the story is very forced and has not very much sense :/
Want to read
June 9, 2017And here's another wonderful gift. This time from Not your Secret Elf. Thanks ever so much!!
March 30, 2022
Loved, loved this. Is it pure fluff? Absolutely.
December 5, 2016
This one just wasn't for me.
These two guys did not come across as besties to me at all. The inner dialogue made me feel like they didn't know each other at all. They came across as strangers.
I think maybe if this had been a co-worker helping another co-worker out it may have been better but it wasn't and I just didn't feel their relationship.
These two guys did not come across as besties to me at all. The inner dialogue made me feel like they didn't know each other at all. They came across as strangers.
I think maybe if this had been a co-worker helping another co-worker out it may have been better but it wasn't and I just didn't feel their relationship.
January 13, 2017
Cute find from KU for the win! This was a gay for you, or really more of an out for you, as Ethan mentions attractions and small crushes on other men.
Caleb has been crushing on Ethan for years, but Ethan is straight. But he agrees to take Ethan to his sister's wedding as his pretend boyfriend, and they both end up liking it a bit too much. It was sweet, but the lack of communication was frustrating. Another story where both guys want more, but both of them are too afraid to admit it to the other, for fear of pushing them away totally. Another "I'll take what I can get" deal.
I was never sure why Caleb and Ethan both had such low self esteem. Ethan never finds the right girl, and Caleb chooses jerks, because both think they can't get better, but both are seemingly very nice, cute guys.
I was also a bit confused by Ethan's level of sexual experience. It seems to be implied that he's never gotten a blowjob before, but he has experience with rimming? Not sure if I got that, or if I just missed something.
I think I noticed an instance or two of name mix ups, Caleb stroking Caleb, but nothing too huge. All in all, a fairly cute, but middle of the road story, but pretty good, for a KU offering.
Caleb has been crushing on Ethan for years, but Ethan is straight. But he agrees to take Ethan to his sister's wedding as his pretend boyfriend, and they both end up liking it a bit too much. It was sweet, but the lack of communication was frustrating. Another story where both guys want more, but both of them are too afraid to admit it to the other, for fear of pushing them away totally. Another "I'll take what I can get" deal.
I was never sure why Caleb and Ethan both had such low self esteem. Ethan never finds the right girl, and Caleb chooses jerks, because both think they can't get better, but both are seemingly very nice, cute guys.
I was also a bit confused by Ethan's level of sexual experience. It seems to be implied that he's never gotten a blowjob before, but he has experience with rimming? Not sure if I got that, or if I just missed something.
I think I noticed an instance or two of name mix ups, Caleb stroking Caleb, but nothing too huge. All in all, a fairly cute, but middle of the road story, but pretty good, for a KU offering.
December 9, 2016
3.75 stars
The plot is totally predictable but somehow it isn't boring. It's quite entertaining and tho it has bits that make you eye roll, it's a fun read... in two words this book is...
The plot is totally predictable but somehow it isn't boring. It's quite entertaining and tho it has bits that make you eye roll, it's a fun read... in two words this book is...
May 19, 2025
4 stars✨
💘 bi-awakening
🫶🏻 best friends to lovers
🌺 fake dating
If people had friendship soulmates, Caleb was Ethan’s.
Fuck off, this was so cute!! I was in the mood for a bi-awakening, researched, picked the first book suggested, and binged the hell out of this. I pulled an all nighter and read like 70% of this damn book.
Ethan is such a fucking sweetheart and, tbh, a dream man. Which is exactly what Caleb deserved after so many shitbag boyfriends. I love them so much🥹
💘 bi-awakening
🫶🏻 best friends to lovers
🌺 fake dating
If people had friendship soulmates, Caleb was Ethan’s.
Fuck off, this was so cute!! I was in the mood for a bi-awakening, researched, picked the first book suggested, and binged the hell out of this. I pulled an all nighter and read like 70% of this damn book.
Ethan is such a fucking sweetheart and, tbh, a dream man. Which is exactly what Caleb deserved after so many shitbag boyfriends. I love them so much🥹
January 13, 2022
More like 2.5 Stars
Cute story but way too much miscommunication for my liking, and too many plot points that were convenient to move the story along but not developed enough to make them believable.
Cute story but way too much miscommunication for my liking, and too many plot points that were convenient to move the story along but not developed enough to make them believable.
March 20, 2021
2⭐
Cliché, cortita y meh... Pero entretenida.
Cliché, cortita y meh... Pero entretenida.
April 12, 2017
3.5 stars
February 28, 2017
Well, I can't resist the fake boyfriends trope, or friends-to-lovers, but it's nice when there's actually some relationship development and characterization to go with it. I knew nothing about these guys, and what we were told kept changing every other chapter when the author needed something new for the plot. It felt like a lot of it was just made up on the spot, and any inconsistencies were explained away in one sentence. Basically, lazy writing.
The one redeeming thing that made me keep reading was the "straight" friend's thought process about his sexuality. He looked back on his past crushes and realized that he had been attracted to men before but that he'd felt pressured to forget about them, or that he'd convinced himself that it wasn't really attraction. That's real! I often can't identify with a lot of stories about a character discovering their sexuality, but this one had echoes of my own experiences. Unfortunately, all of this was ruined when that character concluded towards the end of the story that "maybe it wasn't even men in general he was attracted to. Maybe it was just Caleb. He'd had tiny, fledgling crushes on other men before, but they were so small that he'd been able to brush them off and tell himself that he just thought they were cool, that he wanted to be more like them."
:|
This is then followed up with some biphobia from the other character, who concludes that his friend will go back to "being straight - or appearing to be straight" when they got back from vacation, because that was "much easier than the alternative."
Honestly, fuck biphobia and gay-for-you in the m/m genre. I'm so sick of it.
The one redeeming thing that made me keep reading was the "straight" friend's thought process about his sexuality. He looked back on his past crushes and realized that he had been attracted to men before but that he'd felt pressured to forget about them, or that he'd convinced himself that it wasn't really attraction. That's real! I often can't identify with a lot of stories about a character discovering their sexuality, but this one had echoes of my own experiences. Unfortunately, all of this was ruined when that character concluded towards the end of the story that "maybe it wasn't even men in general he was attracted to. Maybe it was just Caleb. He'd had tiny, fledgling crushes on other men before, but they were so small that he'd been able to brush them off and tell himself that he just thought they were cool, that he wanted to be more like them."
:|
This is then followed up with some biphobia from the other character, who concludes that his friend will go back to "being straight - or appearing to be straight" when they got back from vacation, because that was "much easier than the alternative."
Honestly, fuck biphobia and gay-for-you in the m/m genre. I'm so sick of it.
June 26, 2017
This was a sweet, fun and light M/M romance and just what I was looking for. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by Sean Ashcroft. It was a quick read with some lighthearted moments and sweet characters.
January 13, 2022
Low angst and lovely with the perfect amount of heat, this friends-to-lovers story is absolutely what I needed today.
July 20, 2017
Loved this ~ light and sweet
The Wedding Date was a light and sweet read about Caleb and Ethan, who are best buddies; Caleb is gay, Ethan is straight. The two wind up in Hawaii for Caleb's sister's wedding with Ethan taking on the role of Caleb's date. That's what best friends do for one another, right? I liked how the author put plenty of thought into Ethan's confusion and awe with his new found feelings towards his best friend.
This book was well-written with likable characters, although the author could have made me like Olivia, Caleb's sister, if we knew a little bit more about her and her fiancé's relationship woes.
All in all, The Wedding Date was just the light read I was looking for. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.
The Wedding Date was a light and sweet read about Caleb and Ethan, who are best buddies; Caleb is gay, Ethan is straight. The two wind up in Hawaii for Caleb's sister's wedding with Ethan taking on the role of Caleb's date. That's what best friends do for one another, right? I liked how the author put plenty of thought into Ethan's confusion and awe with his new found feelings towards his best friend.
This book was well-written with likable characters, although the author could have made me like Olivia, Caleb's sister, if we knew a little bit more about her and her fiancé's relationship woes.
All in all, The Wedding Date was just the light read I was looking for. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.
December 5, 2021
Enjoyed
I really never read these type of books. I took a chance and I loved reading it. I loved their story. Caleb couldn’t find the right one. His best friend wanted to experience. He did and he realized he’s not straight.
I really never read these type of books. I took a chance and I loved reading it. I loved their story. Caleb couldn’t find the right one. His best friend wanted to experience. He did and he realized he’s not straight.
February 10, 2024
Such a sweet story
Two best friends find the happiness and love they have both longed for and deserved for years. I am so happy with how this author brought these two men together despite their insecurities. Has a wonderful happy ending. Highly recommended.
Two best friends find the happiness and love they have both longed for and deserved for years. I am so happy with how this author brought these two men together despite their insecurities. Has a wonderful happy ending. Highly recommended.
March 12, 2017
Cute fun read. After the last book and all the dark and angst a good fluffy read was exactly what I needed and this fit the bill. Nothing spectacular,but enjoyable.
March 27, 2017
Rating: 3.5 stars
I enjoyed this story and wanted to know how everything would fall into place. It was easy to read and I loved Ethan. But, the over-the-top HEA took away from it. Every time I thought the story was over, another layer of "forced" happiness was added.
Overall, it's a great story for fans of traditional trope romance and it's worth reading. Just, a bit too sweet.
I enjoyed this story and wanted to know how everything would fall into place. It was easy to read and I loved Ethan. But, the over-the-top HEA took away from it. Every time I thought the story was over, another layer of "forced" happiness was added.
Overall, it's a great story for fans of traditional trope romance and it's worth reading. Just, a bit too sweet.
December 26, 2016
Very sweet...
February 1, 2017
Despite the cheesy cover and the slightly unoriginal title(sorry), I was absolutely delighted by this book!
Going in I was braced for hastily written smut, but was pleasantly surprised.
I found it very well written, with likable characters and a sound plot. There's plenty of sex scattered throughout but it was fairly realistic and reasonably timed.
I enjoyed Caleb and Ethen's relationship, and was happy to find they really were good friends throughout the book. very sweet!
On another note, it's m/m romance written by a man, a curiously rare thing which deserves more recognition.
Going in I was braced for hastily written smut, but was pleasantly surprised.
I found it very well written, with likable characters and a sound plot. There's plenty of sex scattered throughout but it was fairly realistic and reasonably timed.
I enjoyed Caleb and Ethen's relationship, and was happy to find they really were good friends throughout the book. very sweet!
On another note, it's m/m romance written by a man, a curiously rare thing which deserves more recognition.
December 4, 2016
Note to self,
Things I liked:
- the holding hands when they are scared thing
- Dual POV
- Ethan (it was cute how he admitted he loved Caleb but so sad when Caleb brushed him off and didnt believe him).
Things I didn't like:
- The pretend boyfriend thing
- The expiration date of the "experimenting"
- Ethans denial (He seems okay with the being gay thing and experimenting with Caleb but not in actually wanting to be with Caleb. Makes no sense.)
- the proposal was lame
Things I liked:
- the holding hands when they are scared thing
- Dual POV
- Ethan (it was cute how he admitted he loved Caleb but so sad when Caleb brushed him off and didnt believe him).
Things I didn't like:
- The pretend boyfriend thing
- The expiration date of the "experimenting"
- Ethans denial (He seems okay with the being gay thing and experimenting with Caleb but not in actually wanting to be with Caleb. Makes no sense.)
- the proposal was lame
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2016
Loved it
No one does sweet friends to lovers like Sean Ashcroft. Loved, loved, loved this book. So sweet, low drama, just wonderful
No one does sweet friends to lovers like Sean Ashcroft. Loved, loved, loved this book. So sweet, low drama, just wonderful
December 20, 2016
3.5 Stars. Sweet story.
December 30, 2016
Sweet
Ethan and Caleb are cute together but there was so much "he's not into me like that" I wanted to shake them.
Ethan and Caleb are cute together but there was so much "he's not into me like that" I wanted to shake them.
January 5, 2017
An adorable venture into fake-boyfriend/best-friend to lovers. No the bonus scene for signing up for the author's newsletter was all the warm and fluffy I could ask for :-)
January 12, 2017
Sweet, quick read of friends to lovers. Perfect for a rainy day
January 2, 2026
3⭐️ yo soy fan del trope best friends to lovers MM. Es súper bonito ver cómo dos amigos se dan cuenta que es posible que el cariño que tanto se tenían era realmente amor. Acompañarlos en ese descubrimiento. Más cuando es solo uno quien está enamorado del otro y eso hace que se vuelva el drama más presente y fuerte dentro de la historia.
En este libro en particular al principio no quedaba tan claro si habían sentimientos, uno pensaba que solo era atracción física pero a medida que empieza el trato se entiende que todo se complejiza.
Hay algunas cosas que sentí que faltó indagar nada. Puedo entender que es un libro corto pero una buena historia de mejores amigos necesita una cuenta de dependencia entre ambos y contexto de su amistad. Siento que me faltó sentir su química. También me faltó que el clímax del libro fuera más potente. Que me dejara expectante y con ganas de seguir leyendo, pero no fue así.
Quizá fue porque acababa de leer un Friends to lovers 5⭐️ pero dejó mucho que desear.
En este libro en particular al principio no quedaba tan claro si habían sentimientos, uno pensaba que solo era atracción física pero a medida que empieza el trato se entiende que todo se complejiza.
Hay algunas cosas que sentí que faltó indagar nada. Puedo entender que es un libro corto pero una buena historia de mejores amigos necesita una cuenta de dependencia entre ambos y contexto de su amistad. Siento que me faltó sentir su química. También me faltó que el clímax del libro fuera más potente. Que me dejara expectante y con ganas de seguir leyendo, pero no fue así.
Quizá fue porque acababa de leer un Friends to lovers 5⭐️ pero dejó mucho que desear.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews