Wedding Date is the perfect way to end the Dating series- it is sweet, hopeful, sexy, and SWOONY. This series has been a fast favorite of mine- it is just SO charming- the right balance of humor, sweetness, and steam, and the finale is everything you’ve come to love about this series...with what might be my favorite couple of the entire series!
Feisty and outgoing Kelsey is on a man-hiatus after a string of less than enjoyable dates. The only good thing that has come out of her disastrous blind date luck was meeting her new bestie, Theo- a man set up on a double blind date with her friend in Rate a Date. Theo has had even worse luck with dating than Kelsey- he’s spent the last few months as a sad puppy- broken hearted after he caught his fiancé cheating...with his cousin. YIKES. Even worse? Now he has to go to their wedding, but his adventurous bestie Kelsey decides a little revenge is in order for the happy bride- as she devises a plan to play Theo’s hot new girlfriend. Of course - this is a disaster waiting to happen since this opens up the window to explore the repressed attraction they have for each other. And things get HOT...but also messy...very quickly in this friends to lovers story.
Given the glimpses we’d already seen of Kelsey in prior books, I knew she would be a fun and different heroine- and I just ADORED her. On the surface, she’s the life of the party- open, flirty, fiery vivacious. But there is SO much to her- she’s got so many layers to uncover, so much depth. She ends up being a character full of beautiful contradictions- strong but vulnerable, sassy but sweet, demanding but incredibly loving and compassionate. I just LOVED her nuances. AND THEO? SWOOOOOOON. He’s the dreamiest of all the dating men, and I call dibs! He’s the perfect mix of sweet, chivalrous gentleman in the streets, HOT alpha in the sheets. He’s just an awesome guy- he’s charming, reliable, witty, and compassionate- a doting, generous, and loyal friend to Kelsey. But MAN is savagely sexy in the bedroom. LORD. I feel so hard for him. And the way he treats Kelsey and falls for her- UGH, my heart exploded. Both Theo and Kelsey on the surface have a lot going for them- Theo has a hugely successful career and has recovered from his heartbreak while Kelsey is building her own career and excuses confidence and self-assurance. But both bring this charming vulnerability and insecurity to their attraction to each other- Theo worried that the smokeshow Kelsey is out of his league and his average life, and Kelsey has encased her heart with walls- her fear of abandonment. Of course, what makes their relationship special is they see and understand each other- they are deeply connected, and it happened authentically, platonically even….and neither wants to lose that, but they can’t deny the chemistry.
What I have loved MOST about this amazing series is the character chemistry Monica creates. Love and dating- that SPARK? It’s chemistry, so I love that Monica has so carefully built it in each story. And oh my, this is some of her best. It is also different than some of the others because these two are already good friends- so we’re building on a strong connection that already exists, even though we don’t yet KNOW them- but Monica helps us see it, she creates the foundation, and then she gives them this really sexy, intense physical draw and combines it with the emotional vulnerability they share- the comfort and safety they give each other. And the sexy scenes?! HOLY HOTNESS- the hottest in the series, hands down! But it is their tender sweetness, the emotional intimacy these two share that really captured my heart. They are just SO adorable- I could not get enough of them. And, it is so lovely to see that the nice guy doesn’t always finish last.
Monica also treats us to some GREAT girl time with the delightful ladies that have made this series so special- just the icing on the delicious wedding cake. It is so great to check in on all our favorites, and see how their HEAs are working out...not to mention, they play a fabulous role in helping Kelsey find her chosen family, which added extra magic to her character arc.
I have LOVED this series and I hate to see it go- the perfect sweet and swoony romances with just a small dash of drama and radiating heartfelt charm that just makes my heart happy. Wedding Date was the perfect conclusion to a series that reminds that all it takes is ONE moment- one spark, that one person to find her HEA, even if it takes lots of dates to get there. The Dating series is full of hope and tenderness about the possibilities of love- how when you are least looking, where you least expect it, you’ll find it. And once you do, all you have to do is just lean into it- go for it, and everything else will work out. SWOON!!