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Where You Left Me, Vol. 1
No groom? No problem.
Jasmine Fairchild has been left at the altar. Literally. With the bouquet still in her hands, she’s determined not to let her cheating ex have all the fun. She was going on her honeymoon to The Bahamas. All she needed was a ‘groom.’
Fortunately, she found a mysterious cutie in the crowd willing to partake in a fake wedding and go on an all-expenses-paid cruise with her. In less than 24 hours, she’d be far away from her failures and the embarrassment of being left at the altar.
The only hiccup is she can’t keep her hands off her pretend husband. Not that he appears to mind. He can’t seem to resist her either.
Is he playing for keeps or toying with her heart?
Will Jasmine be able to avoid rebounding with a perfect stranger or will desire win the day? Find out in this red-hot contemporary romance novella, Where You Left Me, Vol. 1.
Jasmine Fairchild has been left at the altar. Literally. With the bouquet still in her hands, she’s determined not to let her cheating ex have all the fun. She was going on her honeymoon to The Bahamas. All she needed was a ‘groom.’
Fortunately, she found a mysterious cutie in the crowd willing to partake in a fake wedding and go on an all-expenses-paid cruise with her. In less than 24 hours, she’d be far away from her failures and the embarrassment of being left at the altar.
The only hiccup is she can’t keep her hands off her pretend husband. Not that he appears to mind. He can’t seem to resist her either.
Is he playing for keeps or toying with her heart?
Will Jasmine be able to avoid rebounding with a perfect stranger or will desire win the day? Find out in this red-hot contemporary romance novella, Where You Left Me, Vol. 1.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2022
34 people are currently reading
823 people want to read
About the author
Dani Bannister
13 books32 followersDani Bannister who also writes as Danielle Bannister is a best-selling author who lives with her two children in Midcoast Maine along with her precious peppermint mocha creamer. She holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Southern Maine and her Masters in Literary Education from the University of Orono. When she's not on the stage, or on the page, you'll find her binge-watching Marvel Movies. As one does.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 7, 2022
Funny and quirky and so much fun to read. I can't wait for the next.
January 30, 2022
This isn't your classic left at the alter story. Not really. Sure, it starts out that way, but how it ends...
The more we got to know Shawn, the more I loved him. And the chemistry between him and Jasmine is off the charts. I also enjoyed the complexity of Jasmine's character. She isn't a Mary Sue. Her issues run deep and they creep up at the worst times. I can't wait for the honeymoon!
The more we got to know Shawn, the more I loved him. And the chemistry between him and Jasmine is off the charts. I also enjoyed the complexity of Jasmine's character. She isn't a Mary Sue. Her issues run deep and they creep up at the worst times. I can't wait for the honeymoon!
February 6, 2022
This was my first read by Dani Bannister and it definitely won't be the last!!! What a ride!
I was hooked within the first pages of the story and when I reached the end, I wanted to immediately start reading Volume 2!!! Sadly, I will have to wait in anticipation until it's released. You don't want to miss out on this spunky and spicy story!!! I absolutely loved it!
I was hooked within the first pages of the story and when I reached the end, I wanted to immediately start reading Volume 2!!! Sadly, I will have to wait in anticipation until it's released. You don't want to miss out on this spunky and spicy story!!! I absolutely loved it!
January 11, 2022
I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy for an honest review... Jasmine just got left at the alter while her fiance ran away with a bridesmaid.... total cliche.... but when Jasmine decides to make lemonade out of lemons the adventure starts. What starts as an insane plea turns into an adventure with a complete stranger..... oh my Danielle Bannister has me on my toes... one minute laughing, one minute crying, one minute hotter than hades from the fire between these two strangers. Can't wait for the next book in the series to see what happens next!!!
February 1, 2022
Where You Left Me, Vol. 1 was a great read by Dani Bannister. Before I say anything else, I have to say I absolutely loved reading this book. I loved Jasmine’s story and seriously can’t wait to find out what happens next. Jasmine Fairchild was left at the altar. But she’s determined to not let her cheating ex ruin everything. She is going on her honeymoon to the Bahamas, but the only thing she was missing was the groom. But there was a mysterious cute man in the crown that was willing to go through with a fake wedding. It doesn’t hurt that he will be going on an all expenses paid cruise. She never thought that she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off her fake husband. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved reading this book and can’t wait to read more in this series.
February 8, 2022
I had the wonderful opportunity of reading the ARC and all I can say is WOW.
As always a story woven together with simplicity full of human emotions and such passion in the writing. Dani outdoes herself once again.
I’m not going to give the story away coz every detail is so important but I’ll say this, please read this. You will love it.
Looking forward to part 2 already. So can’t wait.
As always a story woven together with simplicity full of human emotions and such passion in the writing. Dani outdoes herself once again.
I’m not going to give the story away coz every detail is so important but I’ll say this, please read this. You will love it.
Looking forward to part 2 already. So can’t wait.
April 9, 2024
Jasmine Fairchild just got left at the altar while her cheating hubbie-to-be, Dwayne, legged it down the aisle with one of the bridesmaids.
But, having paid an arm and a leg for the day Jasmine decides to proceed full steam ahead.
All she needs is a man!
Complete stranger Shawn Maven (he'd just popped into the church for a bit of peace and quiet) offers to fill the vacant space.
And, heaven's to Betsy, he's cute!
Wedding ceremony (not legal but paid for!), photographs, wedding reception, and a handjob in the taxi on the way to the hotel (yep!)
From a male point of view this is a 'marriage ' with definite possibilities.
All that remains is the honeymoon – Jasmine's dream cruise vacation to the Bahamas.
There is one slight problem … Jasmine is completely insecure, only agreed to marry Dwayne because she figured settling for boring was better than nothing, and is convinced that Shawn, despite his protestations to the contrary, is going to dump her asap.
“Where You Left Me, Vol. 1”, is a novella-length intro to a story which is told over at least five books.
I read 1-4 in one sitting and this review covers all of them.
It soon becomes apparent that Shawn, far from being perfect, has problems of his own. Truth be told, his are more serious than hers but, for a long time, Jasmine prefers to wallow in misery whenever an opportunity presents itself (and, given the nature of the series, that's quite a lot).
Shawn, on the other hand, when faced with personal problems has a habit of running for the hills.
Is attraction and great sex enough to turn a fake marriage into something permanent?
Every time that it seems it will something comes up to prevent a resolution.
The only thing is – the readers already knows where it will end, no matter how many roadblocks are in the way.
The first book in particular needed better proofreading:-
“I do love adventure, that is true, but there is something more about this. It’s guttural somehow. Almost like I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
It may be many things but 'guttural' isn't one of them.
“A safe, white-picked fence, and two-point-five kids and a dog kind of life.”
'Picket', probably!
There's a couple of problems with the overall story arc. Divided into mini-books, it is actually at least twice as long as it should be.
I can fully appreciate an author hoping to maximise income from dividing a novel into pieces, but it needs proper plotting to carry it off.
The series is told from Jasmine's point of view but Shawn is a one-dimensional character.
Ending each novella with an OMG moment may seem like a good idea, but it isn't.
Even the author agrees that books two, three and four make no sense unless you are reading the series in order.
“Where You Left Me” isn't bad, but it turns out that it isn't particularly good either.
There's a fifth episode – I won't be reading it.
2 Stars – it is an overall rating.
But, having paid an arm and a leg for the day Jasmine decides to proceed full steam ahead.
All she needs is a man!
Complete stranger Shawn Maven (he'd just popped into the church for a bit of peace and quiet) offers to fill the vacant space.
And, heaven's to Betsy, he's cute!
Wedding ceremony (not legal but paid for!), photographs, wedding reception, and a handjob in the taxi on the way to the hotel (yep!)
From a male point of view this is a 'marriage ' with definite possibilities.
All that remains is the honeymoon – Jasmine's dream cruise vacation to the Bahamas.
There is one slight problem … Jasmine is completely insecure, only agreed to marry Dwayne because she figured settling for boring was better than nothing, and is convinced that Shawn, despite his protestations to the contrary, is going to dump her asap.
“Where You Left Me, Vol. 1”, is a novella-length intro to a story which is told over at least five books.
I read 1-4 in one sitting and this review covers all of them.
It soon becomes apparent that Shawn, far from being perfect, has problems of his own. Truth be told, his are more serious than hers but, for a long time, Jasmine prefers to wallow in misery whenever an opportunity presents itself (and, given the nature of the series, that's quite a lot).
Shawn, on the other hand, when faced with personal problems has a habit of running for the hills.
Is attraction and great sex enough to turn a fake marriage into something permanent?
Every time that it seems it will something comes up to prevent a resolution.
The only thing is – the readers already knows where it will end, no matter how many roadblocks are in the way.
The first book in particular needed better proofreading:-
“I do love adventure, that is true, but there is something more about this. It’s guttural somehow. Almost like I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
It may be many things but 'guttural' isn't one of them.
“A safe, white-picked fence, and two-point-five kids and a dog kind of life.”
'Picket', probably!
There's a couple of problems with the overall story arc. Divided into mini-books, it is actually at least twice as long as it should be.
I can fully appreciate an author hoping to maximise income from dividing a novel into pieces, but it needs proper plotting to carry it off.
The series is told from Jasmine's point of view but Shawn is a one-dimensional character.
Ending each novella with an OMG moment may seem like a good idea, but it isn't.
Even the author agrees that books two, three and four make no sense unless you are reading the series in order.
“Where You Left Me” isn't bad, but it turns out that it isn't particularly good either.
There's a fifth episode – I won't be reading it.
2 Stars – it is an overall rating.
April 18, 2022
What’s a bride to do when her fiancé gets caught cheating right before the walk down the aisle? Jasmine slaved to organize the perfect wedding and honeymoon. Never mind she paid for most of the week, and she doesn’t plan to miss out on the trip of a lifetime. So, when she stands at the front of the church to announce she’s looking for a volunteer fake husband to go on her honeymoon…
The perfect man stepped into the church to look around, not realizing he interrupted a wedding. Turns out he interrupted a breakup. So, what possessed him volunteer to be a pinch-hitter groom on a honeymoon? And how did he plan to get through a week in the tropics with a scantily-clad, fake wife who takes his breath away, without falling in lust?
A hilarious and equally poignant first-meet, lust-and-love-at-first-sight, secrets galore, explosive, romantic journey that you won’t want to miss. I can’t wait for book two in this series.
The perfect man stepped into the church to look around, not realizing he interrupted a wedding. Turns out he interrupted a breakup. So, what possessed him volunteer to be a pinch-hitter groom on a honeymoon? And how did he plan to get through a week in the tropics with a scantily-clad, fake wife who takes his breath away, without falling in lust?
A hilarious and equally poignant first-meet, lust-and-love-at-first-sight, secrets galore, explosive, romantic journey that you won’t want to miss. I can’t wait for book two in this series.
Read
February 6, 2022Okay, I read the first chapter a few weeks ago before I signed up for an ARC. I follow this author and read the chapter in her newsletter. Anyway, I preordered the book right away after reading that first chapter and was anxiously waiting for the release date only to discover the ARC opportunity. I had to sign up to get to read it sooner, right?! Of course I’m right. LOL Soooo, here I am reading this book - which does not disappoint… I doubt Shawn disappoints either! LOL Chapters 1, 6, and 12 are my favorites… read it and find out why. Buy the book, e-book and paperback, and follow (you know - stalk) the author because everything she writes is gold. 10 stars! Oh, almost forget - book 2 is gonna be EPIC. I read the first chapter, I think dreams really might come true.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 11, 2022
Jazz, left at the altar when her groom ran away with a bridesmaid, decides to salvage her day by "marrying" Shawn, random guy in the church. They get to know each other at the reception and the first night of the honeymoon. As they're headed for Florida for the cruise... Cliffhanger! I love these two together, as they try to navigate this "marriage" not having met previously. The first chapter of the next book is at the end, and I'm already hooked! This is my first read from this author, and I'm impressed. The book is well-written with a unique story and likable characters. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 19, 2022
I'm not 100% how I felt about this book. From the blurb and arc notes I expected a complete story, this is part 1 of 3 and I was expecting a serious book. This is filled with funny scenes and much more light hearted than I thought, that's the good part of my stars. The limo and shuttle scenes were off putting. The scenario was OTT and there was little depth or description past her rack and his lack of underwear, which is great if that's what you wanted.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 12, 2022
When I started reading this book, I thought oh god another ‘left at the alter story’ but after reading the first 3-4 chapters I was hooked!...I quickly had to look for and pre-order the next book in the series!!
I love the chemistry between Jasmine and Shawn and the way author makes their journey funny, passionate and emotional…I had several lol moments!
Looking forward to reading about their Cruise and finding out what the next part of their journey entails!
I love the chemistry between Jasmine and Shawn and the way author makes their journey funny, passionate and emotional…I had several lol moments!
Looking forward to reading about their Cruise and finding out what the next part of their journey entails!
May 19, 2022
**Some Spoilers in this review**
**Also, I swore a little. Sorry if I offended anyone, including my mother who will probably end up seeing this review on her feel. Sorry mom.
The only reason this is two stars is because I liked that it was a quick and easy read and I liked the author's writing style. It was simple and not overly described or drawn out like some of the books I have been reading lately. Otherwise it would have been a 1 star for me.
Dislikes:
-I could not picture what the characters looked like. If I can't picture what they look like, then I have a hard time relating to the book.
-The plotline was very unbelievable. I get that it's a book and not everything needs to be realistic. This just seemed a little too far fetched.
-Shawn seemed shady. He's hiding something. IDK what, but I just got a weird vibe. Who can just like pack up their whole life without notice and go on a vacation. Is he a billionaire? Maybe? Is he jobless? More likely (or at least in real life that would be the case).
-The "sex scenes" (aka handjobs in public places) were weird. The part where they were in the shuttle to go to the airport and the driver leaves to go to the bathroom and she gives him a handy in the shuttle.... that's weird. Kids sit in those seats man. Gross.
-Dwayne is a dick. Fuck that guy. Following his pecker to greener pastures but then tries to steal Jasmine's vaca. Go home, you loser. He was probably one of the worst characters I have come across in my readings.
I never leave bad reviews and I'm sorry to the author if you see this. There were a few pro's to your book at least. Don't hate me. :-( Just being honest.
**Also, I swore a little. Sorry if I offended anyone, including my mother who will probably end up seeing this review on her feel. Sorry mom.
The only reason this is two stars is because I liked that it was a quick and easy read and I liked the author's writing style. It was simple and not overly described or drawn out like some of the books I have been reading lately. Otherwise it would have been a 1 star for me.
Dislikes:
-I could not picture what the characters looked like. If I can't picture what they look like, then I have a hard time relating to the book.
-The plotline was very unbelievable. I get that it's a book and not everything needs to be realistic. This just seemed a little too far fetched.
-Shawn seemed shady. He's hiding something. IDK what, but I just got a weird vibe. Who can just like pack up their whole life without notice and go on a vacation. Is he a billionaire? Maybe? Is he jobless? More likely (or at least in real life that would be the case).
-The "sex scenes" (aka handjobs in public places) were weird. The part where they were in the shuttle to go to the airport and the driver leaves to go to the bathroom and she gives him a handy in the shuttle.... that's weird. Kids sit in those seats man. Gross.
-Dwayne is a dick. Fuck that guy. Following his pecker to greener pastures but then tries to steal Jasmine's vaca. Go home, you loser. He was probably one of the worst characters I have come across in my readings.
I never leave bad reviews and I'm sorry to the author if you see this. There were a few pro's to your book at least. Don't hate me. :-( Just being honest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2022
The first book in the Where You Left Me series and just when it is getting really good it ends on a carry over to the next book., which I want to read. I want to know if Jasmine and Shawn get their happy ending. This is a new Author to me. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 6, 2023
cute but needs more depth
If I remember correctly, this was a novella first and then released as a book. It’s a cute idea, adorable characters, and there’s lots of fun. I assume the following 4 parts are going to finish it up but I would really have liked more depth and just overall no are story in this book. It’s cute and has great potential.
If I remember correctly, this was a novella first and then released as a book. It’s a cute idea, adorable characters, and there’s lots of fun. I assume the following 4 parts are going to finish it up but I would really have liked more depth and just overall no are story in this book. It’s cute and has great potential.
June 4, 2024
HEA
What a great job of developing characters.Who knew being jilted at the alter would lead to the right person for you.Two days seems incredible to find yourself in love with someone you never knew before that fateful moment
What a great job of developing characters.Who knew being jilted at the alter would lead to the right person for you.Two days seems incredible to find yourself in love with someone you never knew before that fateful moment
April 16, 2022
This is a short, fun, spicy read! I'm ready to see what adventures await in volume 2.
June 1, 2023
Spice is 4/5. Definitely need to get the second volume to find out how the vacation goes
August 28, 2024
Cute and unexpected
Not your typical love story, but still steamy, and with self reflection and growth. Book 1 was good, bring on Book 2.
Not your typical love story, but still steamy, and with self reflection and growth. Book 1 was good, bring on Book 2.
Read
August 14, 2022When Jasmine gets home from her honeymoon she didn't expect to have to deal with two exes. Not only that but she has a surprise in the way. Will she be able to convince Shawn that she wants to be with him?
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews