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Donut Fall in Love #2
The Stand-Up Groomsman
A bridesmaid and groomsman put their differences aside to get their friends down the aisle in this opposites-attract steamy romantic comedy.
They say to never meet your heroes, but when Vivian Liao's roommate gets engaged to her favorite actor's costar, she has no choice but to come face-to-face with Melvin Lee again. He's just as funny and handsome as he is on-screen...but thinks she is a snob and a sellout. It's none of his business how she chooses to live her life, no matter how charismatic he is.
Mel is used to charming audiences as an actor and stand-up comedian but can't connect to Vivian. She's a smart, talented artist--which is why he thinks she's wasting her life as a corporate finance drone. The only thing uniting them is their goal for the wedding to go off without a hitch.
As they collaborate on wedding cake and karaoke parties, Mel realizes he might have seriously misjudged this bridesmaid, while Vivian discovers the best man might just be as dazzling off-screen as he is on. With the wedding underway, maybe more than one happily ever after is in the future.
They say to never meet your heroes, but when Vivian Liao's roommate gets engaged to her favorite actor's costar, she has no choice but to come face-to-face with Melvin Lee again. He's just as funny and handsome as he is on-screen...but thinks she is a snob and a sellout. It's none of his business how she chooses to live her life, no matter how charismatic he is.
Mel is used to charming audiences as an actor and stand-up comedian but can't connect to Vivian. She's a smart, talented artist--which is why he thinks she's wasting her life as a corporate finance drone. The only thing uniting them is their goal for the wedding to go off without a hitch.
As they collaborate on wedding cake and karaoke parties, Mel realizes he might have seriously misjudged this bridesmaid, while Vivian discovers the best man might just be as dazzling off-screen as he is on. With the wedding underway, maybe more than one happily ever after is in the future.
343 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2022
99 people are currently reading
11342 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Lau
39 books866 followersJackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between writing “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 420 reviews
June 14, 2022
okay, i'm gonna be real with you. the reason i was initially drawn to this book was that mel, the male lead, reminded me (on the cover) of my fave character from one of my fave shows ever (kimchee from kim's convenience, who is played by andrew phung, who owns my whole heart and body). and honestly, i loved mel a lot. he's great, fantastic, abrasive and loud sometimes but also always lovable? his stand up comedy is 90/10, his relationship with his po po is 100/10, his sense of fashion is 110/10, i'm a fan.
but vivian. vivian is my girl. she's one of my fave characters ever. i just LOVE HER. i felt so much for her. i want to marry her and i want to be her best friend and i want to text with her. vivian, VIVIAAANN.
okay, let's rewind. this book is the follow up to donut fall in love, but you don't need to have read the first book. basically, the premise is that vivian (a banker) and mel (a comedian) met because their friends are getting married, did NOT hit it off (MEET UGLY FOR THE WIN), want to murder each other, but they have to keep on interacting because of their friends' wedding. that would be bad for anyone, but it's even worse in this specific situation bc mel is famous and vivian used to be a huge fan of his--not just because she loved his comedy, but also because he is an openly bi asian movie star, and he played an important role in vivian's journey to accepting her own bisexuality (this book deals with the complexities of not only being bi, but also the intersection being bi AND asian, and it does it masterfully and in way that's really eye opening).
vivian is such a compelling lead, because she has a complicated family history that has led her to develop very solid boundaries about her own life, and what she wants from it. i LOVED THAT SO MUCH. she comes across as cold and inflexible and aloof, but the truth is that she's shy and she's trying to protect a lot of stuff that she has worked very hard to earn, and i adored that about her. it's actually really fun to watch mel fall in love with her, because he goes from thinking that she's an ice princess who's wasting her time and her creative potential to really understanding her choices and wanting to help her feel good about herself, to being WILDLY IN LOVE WITH HER! and vivian and mel are such different characters: she hates being in the center of attention and he's the opposite, so he "saves" her in many social situations in which she's feeling uncomfortable, and i was SWOONING THE WHOLE TIME, i mean, a man who rescues you from having to sing in public? YES, PLEASE, I'LL TAKE FIVE.
Anyway: such a beautiful love story, with beautiful, well rounded leads who truly understand and respect each other's boundaries, deliciously steamy sex scenes, and an amazing cast of side characters (loooved the story with Amanda, btw, I'm a sucker for sisters relationships). super highly recommended.
Disclosure: Received an ARC from the publisher, Berkley, who's also MY publisher.
but vivian. vivian is my girl. she's one of my fave characters ever. i just LOVE HER. i felt so much for her. i want to marry her and i want to be her best friend and i want to text with her. vivian, VIVIAAANN.
okay, let's rewind. this book is the follow up to donut fall in love, but you don't need to have read the first book. basically, the premise is that vivian (a banker) and mel (a comedian) met because their friends are getting married, did NOT hit it off (MEET UGLY FOR THE WIN), want to murder each other, but they have to keep on interacting because of their friends' wedding. that would be bad for anyone, but it's even worse in this specific situation bc mel is famous and vivian used to be a huge fan of his--not just because she loved his comedy, but also because he is an openly bi asian movie star, and he played an important role in vivian's journey to accepting her own bisexuality (this book deals with the complexities of not only being bi, but also the intersection being bi AND asian, and it does it masterfully and in way that's really eye opening).
vivian is such a compelling lead, because she has a complicated family history that has led her to develop very solid boundaries about her own life, and what she wants from it. i LOVED THAT SO MUCH. she comes across as cold and inflexible and aloof, but the truth is that she's shy and she's trying to protect a lot of stuff that she has worked very hard to earn, and i adored that about her. it's actually really fun to watch mel fall in love with her, because he goes from thinking that she's an ice princess who's wasting her time and her creative potential to really understanding her choices and wanting to help her feel good about herself, to being WILDLY IN LOVE WITH HER! and vivian and mel are such different characters: she hates being in the center of attention and he's the opposite, so he "saves" her in many social situations in which she's feeling uncomfortable, and i was SWOONING THE WHOLE TIME, i mean, a man who rescues you from having to sing in public? YES, PLEASE, I'LL TAKE FIVE.
Anyway: such a beautiful love story, with beautiful, well rounded leads who truly understand and respect each other's boundaries, deliciously steamy sex scenes, and an amazing cast of side characters (loooved the story with Amanda, btw, I'm a sucker for sisters relationships). super highly recommended.
Disclosure: Received an ARC from the publisher, Berkley, who's also MY publisher.
October 30, 2022
Wow! I think I want to give my tightest bear hug to Melvin Lee: the gold hearted, smart, caring hero who is not afraid of showing his sensitive side!
I wasn’t expecting to love this book more than Donut Fall in love! But I truly did! Both books take place at the same fictional, cuddling, soft-sweet-swoon universe.
At the first book we already met with Vivian Liao: Lindsay’s smart, artsy, introvert roommate who doesn’t like to attach with people, scaring of crowds and we also met Melvin Lee as sidekick of Ryan Kwok who became famous with his mouth watering abs and baking skills.
Vivian was a great fan of unforgettable axed sitcom that Ryan and Melvin played. When she has chance to meet Melvin in person, she feels like starstruck at first. She even draw the fanfiction portrait of Melvin’s character. But when Mel pushed her too hard about her life choices by telling her why she chose to work in bank instead of chasing her dreams to become an artist in front of her friends, she built her walls, hating him with every fiber of her being.
Now Lindsay and Ryan are getting married and Vivian is chosen to be bridesmaid as Melvin becomes best man which means they have to spend more time, attending cake tasting, karaoke nights, bachelor parties and millions of stuff involved in pre-marriage arrangement.
As they spend time, Vivian realizes Mel is not the arrogant guy as she’s thought. He suffers from insecurities: not being funny enough or being accepted by his own father who abandoned him 18 years ago. He’s overthinking, depressive, suffering from insomnia, trying to be a successful comedian. He’s bia, over weighted, Asian, fighting against the biased people who is highly criticizing him.
And Lindsay is so exhausted to put her family’s needs before her. She has her own anxiety issues, keeping other people at arm’s length because her family literally stole her childhood by forcing her parenting her own siblings and now she barely connects with her own her sister without resenting her. She’s so doubtful about people’s intentions because she thinks everyone wants a piece of her and she barely let anyone in till Mel destroys the barriers she’s built, achieving to get under her skin.
I liked the author’s sensitive approach to mental health issues and dysfunctional family patterns.
As a supportive character, Po Po is adorable grandma who arranges speed dates to Mel with pink limo.
Overall: this sweet and thought provoking romcom/ drama deserved my five shining stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
I wasn’t expecting to love this book more than Donut Fall in love! But I truly did! Both books take place at the same fictional, cuddling, soft-sweet-swoon universe.
At the first book we already met with Vivian Liao: Lindsay’s smart, artsy, introvert roommate who doesn’t like to attach with people, scaring of crowds and we also met Melvin Lee as sidekick of Ryan Kwok who became famous with his mouth watering abs and baking skills.
Vivian was a great fan of unforgettable axed sitcom that Ryan and Melvin played. When she has chance to meet Melvin in person, she feels like starstruck at first. She even draw the fanfiction portrait of Melvin’s character. But when Mel pushed her too hard about her life choices by telling her why she chose to work in bank instead of chasing her dreams to become an artist in front of her friends, she built her walls, hating him with every fiber of her being.
Now Lindsay and Ryan are getting married and Vivian is chosen to be bridesmaid as Melvin becomes best man which means they have to spend more time, attending cake tasting, karaoke nights, bachelor parties and millions of stuff involved in pre-marriage arrangement.
As they spend time, Vivian realizes Mel is not the arrogant guy as she’s thought. He suffers from insecurities: not being funny enough or being accepted by his own father who abandoned him 18 years ago. He’s overthinking, depressive, suffering from insomnia, trying to be a successful comedian. He’s bia, over weighted, Asian, fighting against the biased people who is highly criticizing him.
And Lindsay is so exhausted to put her family’s needs before her. She has her own anxiety issues, keeping other people at arm’s length because her family literally stole her childhood by forcing her parenting her own siblings and now she barely connects with her own her sister without resenting her. She’s so doubtful about people’s intentions because she thinks everyone wants a piece of her and she barely let anyone in till Mel destroys the barriers she’s built, achieving to get under her skin.
I liked the author’s sensitive approach to mental health issues and dysfunctional family patterns.
As a supportive character, Po Po is adorable grandma who arranges speed dates to Mel with pink limo.
Overall: this sweet and thought provoking romcom/ drama deserved my five shining stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
December 27, 2022
welcome to a rom com in which i liked the rom but not the com.
it's honestly soooo risky to make a book's main character a standup comedian and then also include huge chunks of his standup in said book.
it was a high risk low reward sitch...and there was no reward, if you catch my drift...
but i thought this romance was nice and i liked the characters' family storylines and generally i enjoyed this so whatever. i can try manual memory deletion of the other stuff.
bottom line: 50% enjoyment isn't bad! if you're me.
----------------
tbr review
i need a good romance. like, medically need
(thank you to netgalley)
it's honestly soooo risky to make a book's main character a standup comedian and then also include huge chunks of his standup in said book.
it was a high risk low reward sitch...and there was no reward, if you catch my drift...
but i thought this romance was nice and i liked the characters' family storylines and generally i enjoyed this so whatever. i can try manual memory deletion of the other stuff.
bottom line: 50% enjoyment isn't bad! if you're me.
----------------
tbr review
i need a good romance. like, medically need
(thank you to netgalley)
Read
October 27, 2022An opposites attract story. Mel is a stand-up comedian: loud, show-offy, class clown, wears ridiculous shirts. He's also blighted by anxiety and insomnia and insecurity, and struggles with self esteem, but does his best not to dump those things on other people. Vivian is an uptight banker who doesn't laugh much and socialises less and wears blazers, and is still carrying profound damage from being parentified throughout her childhood.
It would be possible not to like these leads: the book doesn't shy away from helping us see how annoying Mel can be with the joking (he does the "pretend to have lost the rings at the rehearsal dinner" schtick oh god) and how Vivian pushes people away, sometimes literally and definitely hurtfully. But both of them are better than that and their relationship slowly develops, allowing Vivian to start to embrace life and open up, and Mel to be an actual solid, serious support to her. They are better together, in large part because Mel is a decent man who accepts Vivian's wants about, eg, not having children and living her life. Which ought not be a high bar to clear but you know, and is everything to Vivian, struggling under the twin weights of culture and upbringing. He's clearly very good for her. Vivian is...more difficult, because she's a lot less willing to give than Mel is. Having spent so much of her life being expected to give everything of herself, in an effort to course-correct she's veered too far the other way into something quite close to self-centredness, and the relationship is very much him making the running for a long time. We can absolutely see why, but it's tough on Mel. On the other hand, how often do you see a m/f romance where the man is doing 90% of the emotional labour?
Speaking of rarities in romance, both leads are bi, and Mel is a non-tall, non-lean, non-muscular romance hero. (He's Vivian's height and definitely chunky, both on page and, pleasingly, on the cover.)
I really liked this story and both leads, in all their awkwardness and difficulty. Flawed characters finding a way to fit together is pretty much my jam, and Jackie Lau writes them very well indeed.
It would be possible not to like these leads: the book doesn't shy away from helping us see how annoying Mel can be with the joking (he does the "pretend to have lost the rings at the rehearsal dinner" schtick oh god) and how Vivian pushes people away, sometimes literally and definitely hurtfully. But both of them are better than that and their relationship slowly develops, allowing Vivian to start to embrace life and open up, and Mel to be an actual solid, serious support to her. They are better together, in large part because Mel is a decent man who accepts Vivian's wants about, eg, not having children and living her life. Which ought not be a high bar to clear but you know, and is everything to Vivian, struggling under the twin weights of culture and upbringing. He's clearly very good for her. Vivian is...more difficult, because she's a lot less willing to give than Mel is. Having spent so much of her life being expected to give everything of herself, in an effort to course-correct she's veered too far the other way into something quite close to self-centredness, and the relationship is very much him making the running for a long time. We can absolutely see why, but it's tough on Mel. On the other hand, how often do you see a m/f romance where the man is doing 90% of the emotional labour?
Speaking of rarities in romance, both leads are bi, and Mel is a non-tall, non-lean, non-muscular romance hero. (He's Vivian's height and definitely chunky, both on page and, pleasingly, on the cover.)
I really liked this story and both leads, in all their awkwardness and difficulty. Flawed characters finding a way to fit together is pretty much my jam, and Jackie Lau writes them very well indeed.
November 23, 2022
I liked the first book so much better.
Review to come this week.
Review to come this week.
January 6, 2023
✨He never had fantasies about vanilla cake before, but things were different now.✨
1. Thank you for the vanilla cake appreciation. Girls who get it get it.
2. I loved their relationship so much but there were so many small things about this story that really resonated with me and made me very smiley and this a fantastic read.
**Potential spoilers ahead**
- I really appreciated how not everything was perfect with Vivian’s relationship to her family (mainly mother and brother) at the end. I think there’s always the need to wrap such things up with a bow when it doesn’t quite fit the rest of the book. She set boundaries and knew how she wanted to be treated and I really respected her. They were working on the relationship, but it wasn’t magically solved so the book could end.
- This is also one of the only contemporary romances where I’ve seen the two end up in a long distance relationship (at least for now)! Again, they’re making it work and making sacrifices, but neither had to sacrifice everything (which happens a lot of the time). Thank god she didn’t randomly change careers or something like that because it would’ve felt so disingenuous to her character.
- I loved that since neither wanted kids, THEY ALWAYS WORE A CONDOM. There was no funny business! Thank you! I did think she was pregnant at one point but it was just the stomach flu thank the lord. I also thought her reasoning behind not wanting kids was so interesting and it was actually one of my favorite dynamics in the book. (She’d watched her siblings so much growing up that she never got to have a childhood.)
- There was a sick scene!!! The above point is why the sick scene worked so well!! She was hesitant to accept his help at first but my GOD it was so sweet. He is such a love muffin please 😭
- I also didn’t expect the amount of steam we got! There were 3-4 shorter scenes with explicit language and fun settings/positions. I didn’t expect to be sweating while listening to this during work! I didn’t read the summary and even if I had I probably wouldn’t have trusted the “steamy” buzzword. I mean it’s not the steamiest book ever and there were a few more closed door scenes than I’d have liked, but I was so pleasantly surprised.
- On the topic of sex, I also really loved how assertive Vivian was in the bedroom for her own pleasure! The line about her being a grown ass woman and understanding how to make herself come was so good. Basically, she doesn’t come from penetration and her past lovers had tried to “fix her” but Mel just accepted it and asked what else he could do/what she liked. Basically, he was like bet and ate her out.
- As for the audiobook, Mel’s narrator wasn’t my favorite but he was still tolerable. Vivian’s narrator was great until the sex scenes. She didn’t seem to put much emotion or passion behind them so the scenes sounded rather stiff and abrupt.
Overall, this was so charming and fun. The stand-up bits were a nice pause in the story and I liked how they became entwined with their little relationship milestones. I’ll definitely be reading more by Jackie Lau!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Thank you so much PRHaudio for a complimentary audiobook copy. All opinions are honest and my own.
Thank you so much to the publisher for an advanced copy via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
1. Thank you for the vanilla cake appreciation. Girls who get it get it.
2. I loved their relationship so much but there were so many small things about this story that really resonated with me and made me very smiley and this a fantastic read.
**Potential spoilers ahead**
- I really appreciated how not everything was perfect with Vivian’s relationship to her family (mainly mother and brother) at the end. I think there’s always the need to wrap such things up with a bow when it doesn’t quite fit the rest of the book. She set boundaries and knew how she wanted to be treated and I really respected her. They were working on the relationship, but it wasn’t magically solved so the book could end.
- This is also one of the only contemporary romances where I’ve seen the two end up in a long distance relationship (at least for now)! Again, they’re making it work and making sacrifices, but neither had to sacrifice everything (which happens a lot of the time). Thank god she didn’t randomly change careers or something like that because it would’ve felt so disingenuous to her character.
- I loved that since neither wanted kids, THEY ALWAYS WORE A CONDOM. There was no funny business! Thank you! I did think she was pregnant at one point but it was just the stomach flu thank the lord. I also thought her reasoning behind not wanting kids was so interesting and it was actually one of my favorite dynamics in the book. (She’d watched her siblings so much growing up that she never got to have a childhood.)
- There was a sick scene!!! The above point is why the sick scene worked so well!! She was hesitant to accept his help at first but my GOD it was so sweet. He is such a love muffin please 😭
- I also didn’t expect the amount of steam we got! There were 3-4 shorter scenes with explicit language and fun settings/positions. I didn’t expect to be sweating while listening to this during work! I didn’t read the summary and even if I had I probably wouldn’t have trusted the “steamy” buzzword. I mean it’s not the steamiest book ever and there were a few more closed door scenes than I’d have liked, but I was so pleasantly surprised.
- On the topic of sex, I also really loved how assertive Vivian was in the bedroom for her own pleasure! The line about her being a grown ass woman and understanding how to make herself come was so good. Basically, she doesn’t come from penetration and her past lovers had tried to “fix her” but Mel just accepted it and asked what else he could do/what she liked. Basically, he was like bet and ate her out.
- As for the audiobook, Mel’s narrator wasn’t my favorite but he was still tolerable. Vivian’s narrator was great until the sex scenes. She didn’t seem to put much emotion or passion behind them so the scenes sounded rather stiff and abrupt.
Overall, this was so charming and fun. The stand-up bits were a nice pause in the story and I liked how they became entwined with their little relationship milestones. I’ll definitely be reading more by Jackie Lau!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Thank you so much PRHaudio for a complimentary audiobook copy. All opinions are honest and my own.
Thank you so much to the publisher for an advanced copy via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
Read
March 2, 2024Can’t believe I’m both MC’s. I’m having a breakdown over a romance book.
October 30, 2022
I was very excited for the bi representation in this book (both leads are bisexual) and I wanted to love this story, but instead I found myself gritting my teeth to get to the end. For one thing, I found the male narrator’s voice grating, especially whenever he was speaking from the point of view of any “funny” character. Considering the male lead is a comedian, that covers most of the book. I also didn’t find his stand-up routines funny, and we see lot of them in the text. Furthermore, I didn’t really like spending time with either of the main characters. The male lead, Melvin, is the kind of person who enjoys annoying people for fun, a trait he proudly announces several times. The female lead, Vivian, is so brittle, prickly and closed off that I had a hard time believing in her supposed connection to Melvin. She doesn’t really grow much, either, over the course of the book. She needs a lot of therapy before I’ll believe she’s capable of sustaining a healthy long-term romantic relationship. Ultimately, this story did not work for me on multiple levels.
June 29, 2022
This one was so so good!! Jackie Lau’s books have a special way of packing both heat and heart. The Stand-Up Groomsman is no exception! Readers will devour this scrumptious, sexy, and dazzling romance.
October 28, 2022
Opposites attract, enemies become lovers... this sweet, funny follow-up to Donut Fall in Love features great characters, silly settings, flirty texts, and even karaoke! Light entertainment with some touching sentiment at its core.
June 26, 2022
3.75 stars rounded up
February 8, 2023
For most of this book, i thought I'd be rating this 3 or 3.5, but the last couple of chapters were so well done I had to give it a 4. I really enjoyed that the female main character didn't change herself or beliefs to stay with a man and still had a happily ever after. I also loved that this book took place, in part, in Toronto. Always love to see a Canadian author write stories that are set in Canada
December 7, 2022
4.5 stars, absolutely loved this one. Mel is a short, chubby comedian hero (hooray for body diversity!), he was hilarious and such a sweetheart. Vivian was really prickly, especially at first, but I appreciated that she knew what she wanted. I didn’t love the dark moment but really appreciated the discussion of identity and being able to define what relationship works for you.
November 24, 2022
This book was exhausting. If a block of ice and Pee Wee Herman had a romance novel, this would be it. I didn’t like Vivian but did like Mel. The “stand up comedy” wasn’t funny. The book dragged. Mel’s grandma saved anything positive in this book.
October 13, 2022
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau is the second book in her popular Donut Fall in Love series but can be easily read as a stand-alone. This romantic comedy is laugh-out-loud funny with an endearing romance.
Story Recap:
Vivian Liao’s roommate just got engaged and has asked Vivian to be her bridesmaid. Vivian is excited until she finds out that Melvin Lee will be the best man. Vivian doesn’t know Mel well, but when they met, Mel made derisive remarks about Vivian’s career in finance. She loves his comic routine and watches videos of him online, and has gone to his shows when he is in Toronto, but she knows he’s a self-centered know it all.
Melvin Lee is a stand-up comic and he’s intrigued with Vivian, but he can’t get past her cold exterior. When they are forced together to do wedding stuff for their best friends, they start to get to know each other better.
My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and laughed a lot at the jokes. Just like at a comedy club, not all the jokes hit a home run for me, but most of them were funny in my opinion. Also, just like at a comedy club, there was a lot of bad language, however, I did not find it gratuitous, but it was obvious. I also believe it was authentic as most stand-up comedians I watch use a fair amount of bad language so I thought it fit the character.
Mel is such a wonderful character. He is loud, abrasive, and likes to be the center of attention, but deep down inside he has a heart of gold. He’s funny, endearing, and authentic. Vivian is shy, aloof, and well-controlled. Vivian has had a tough upbringing and has her reasons for wanting to be alone and keep her life neat and tidy. And although she becomes attracted to Mel, his chaos does not fit her lifestyle.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Stand Up Groomsman to anyone who enjoys romantic comedy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau is the second book in her popular Donut Fall in Love series but can be easily read as a stand-alone. This romantic comedy is laugh-out-loud funny with an endearing romance.
Story Recap:
Vivian Liao’s roommate just got engaged and has asked Vivian to be her bridesmaid. Vivian is excited until she finds out that Melvin Lee will be the best man. Vivian doesn’t know Mel well, but when they met, Mel made derisive remarks about Vivian’s career in finance. She loves his comic routine and watches videos of him online, and has gone to his shows when he is in Toronto, but she knows he’s a self-centered know it all.
Melvin Lee is a stand-up comic and he’s intrigued with Vivian, but he can’t get past her cold exterior. When they are forced together to do wedding stuff for their best friends, they start to get to know each other better.
My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and laughed a lot at the jokes. Just like at a comedy club, not all the jokes hit a home run for me, but most of them were funny in my opinion. Also, just like at a comedy club, there was a lot of bad language, however, I did not find it gratuitous, but it was obvious. I also believe it was authentic as most stand-up comedians I watch use a fair amount of bad language so I thought it fit the character.
Mel is such a wonderful character. He is loud, abrasive, and likes to be the center of attention, but deep down inside he has a heart of gold. He’s funny, endearing, and authentic. Vivian is shy, aloof, and well-controlled. Vivian has had a tough upbringing and has her reasons for wanting to be alone and keep her life neat and tidy. And although she becomes attracted to Mel, his chaos does not fit her lifestyle.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Stand Up Groomsman to anyone who enjoys romantic comedy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
November 18, 2022
review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2022/1...
*3.5 Stars*
The Stand-Up Groomsman is lovely heartwarming romcom that focuses on Vivian Liao and the famous comedian, Melvin Lee, who had the opposite of meet-cute first meet a year ago that created bad impression making both keep their distance but now it's Linsay and Ryan's wedding and as best man and bridesmaid they are required to see each other more that help them overcome their misunderstanding and misjudgment.
The story is about standing up for yourself, getting over the past and misjudgment, upbringing and how that shapes a person, family, relationships, friendship, and love.
Both Mel and Vivian are bi and asian. It was amazing to see that represented through Mel's Stand-Up comedy shows. I agree with Vivian, Mel's act weren't exactly hilarious but it was his delivery that made him famous, but some still made me smile and laugh but they are not exactly hilarious. There is wedding in the first half of the book and all wedding preparations, Bachlorette and Bachlore party, and wedding day games made the story entertainin
Romance is slow burn with strangers-to-dislike-to-friends-to lovers arc. It's slow burn and both Vivian abd Mel took their time to getting to know and each other and connect through Lidsay and Ryan's wedding. There are many lovely and sexy moments.
Climax was good but for me it came too late wasn't that impressive. I loved how Vivian could face her family and could reconsile with her sister in the end and I liked how everything worked out for Mel and Vivian. I liked that last big gesture by Vivian.
Why 3.5 stars-
Confrontations and drama with Vivian's family came too late and Vivian not giving Mel and their relationship a chance because of past experience and her family didn't feel solid reason and I also wasn't impressed the way she realised her mistake.
Romance is steamy and all but I didn't feel the chemistry and all the lovely feeling the way I felt in Donut Fall in Love.
Overall, The Stand-Up Groomsman is entertaining, heartwarming and lovely romcom with excellent bi and asian representation but it's not as amazing as its prequel.
*3.5 Stars*
The Stand-Up Groomsman is lovely heartwarming romcom that focuses on Vivian Liao and the famous comedian, Melvin Lee, who had the opposite of meet-cute first meet a year ago that created bad impression making both keep their distance but now it's Linsay and Ryan's wedding and as best man and bridesmaid they are required to see each other more that help them overcome their misunderstanding and misjudgment.
The story is about standing up for yourself, getting over the past and misjudgment, upbringing and how that shapes a person, family, relationships, friendship, and love.
Both Mel and Vivian are bi and asian. It was amazing to see that represented through Mel's Stand-Up comedy shows. I agree with Vivian, Mel's act weren't exactly hilarious but it was his delivery that made him famous, but some still made me smile and laugh but they are not exactly hilarious. There is wedding in the first half of the book and all wedding preparations, Bachlorette and Bachlore party, and wedding day games made the story entertainin
Romance is slow burn with strangers-to-dislike-to-friends-to lovers arc. It's slow burn and both Vivian abd Mel took their time to getting to know and each other and connect through Lidsay and Ryan's wedding. There are many lovely and sexy moments.
Climax was good but for me it came too late wasn't that impressive. I loved how Vivian could face her family and could reconsile with her sister in the end and I liked how everything worked out for Mel and Vivian. I liked that last big gesture by Vivian.
Why 3.5 stars-
Confrontations and drama with Vivian's family came too late and Vivian not giving Mel and their relationship a chance because of past experience and her family didn't feel solid reason and I also wasn't impressed the way she realised her mistake.
Romance is steamy and all but I didn't feel the chemistry and all the lovely feeling the way I felt in Donut Fall in Love.
Overall, The Stand-Up Groomsman is entertaining, heartwarming and lovely romcom with excellent bi and asian representation but it's not as amazing as its prequel.
November 3, 2022
My first thought - a little too long.
I did enjoy this book. The family pressure, cultural references, pressure to have children, have a mainstream relationship. I thought the author did a great job showing a different path. As a person with her own struggles, I enjoyed seeing a couple not move in together. They made their relationship work around their lives. And I loved it.
I also loved the many references to those who make people laugh are often the most depressed in the room. I often use humor to deflect, especially the chaos and issues of my life. It really resonated with me. And I loved Robin Williams. There are many of his quotes around saying the same thing.
The characters' sexuality didn't disappear - I loved the reality of yes they still check out people, even those of the same gender.
And the sex - holy hot! Yes! A man who doesn't commit to proving he can make his partner orgasm in a way she clearly state doesn't work for her.
I felt this was a great realistic rom com.
I did enjoy this book. The family pressure, cultural references, pressure to have children, have a mainstream relationship. I thought the author did a great job showing a different path. As a person with her own struggles, I enjoyed seeing a couple not move in together. They made their relationship work around their lives. And I loved it.
I also loved the many references to those who make people laugh are often the most depressed in the room. I often use humor to deflect, especially the chaos and issues of my life. It really resonated with me. And I loved Robin Williams. There are many of his quotes around saying the same thing.
The characters' sexuality didn't disappear - I loved the reality of yes they still check out people, even those of the same gender.
And the sex - holy hot! Yes! A man who doesn't commit to proving he can make his partner orgasm in a way she clearly state doesn't work for her.
I felt this was a great realistic rom com.
June 9, 2022
Donut Fall In Love was one of my recent favourite romance reads, so I'm very happy I got to read this one already! I really liked these characters in Donut Fall In Love, so I was excited for them to have their own book! And it was great!!
It's a queer m/f book, which I always love, as not even just one but BOTH of our main characters are bi! They're both really different people, which made for a really interesting chemistry, and I thought they worked really well together.
I also love that we got to see quite a lot of our previous main characters!
I have to say Mel's stand-up material didn't always work super well for me, because it just didn't really make me laugh. I think that's because you're reading it and not hearing and seeing it performed. This didn't annoy me though.
It's a queer m/f book, which I always love, as not even just one but BOTH of our main characters are bi! They're both really different people, which made for a really interesting chemistry, and I thought they worked really well together.
I also love that we got to see quite a lot of our previous main characters!
I have to say Mel's stand-up material didn't always work super well for me, because it just didn't really make me laugh. I think that's because you're reading it and not hearing and seeing it performed. This didn't annoy me though.
dnf
February 10, 2023DNF at 46%
It breaks my heart but nothing is happening. I know the second half is probably better but I can’t keep trying. One chapter takes me half an hour because I keep picking up my phone, or doing literally anything else. I was super excited for this but I’m not risking a slump…
It breaks my heart but nothing is happening. I know the second half is probably better but I can’t keep trying. One chapter takes me half an hour because I keep picking up my phone, or doing literally anything else. I was super excited for this but I’m not risking a slump…
November 8, 2022
It was good but I often found the pacing to be a bit too slow. A lot of the time it just felt as if the story was dragging on
January 13, 2023
Hard to get through. I didn’t connect with either character and the writing felt stilted.
May 8, 2023
DNF at 20%. The main guy’s stand up is cringe and awful. Nope.
January 20, 2023
I'm a fan of this author and was definitely up for reading Vivian and Mel's story, especially after having been introduced to Vivian in Donut Fall in Love. They both have some issues (truth be told, all the characters in Jackie's books do) - Vivian was a surrogate parent to her younger sibling Amanda and has never been appreciated by her family for all she gave up for them, and Mel is a comedian who has insomnia and occasional bouts of depression. They're definitely an opposites attract couple who don't strike a good note together when they first meet (Mel thinks her job sucks and tells her so, something he later regrets and apologizes for). But somehow, upon repeated exposure to each other (since their good friends get married and they are in the wedding party) they get to know each other better and Vivian finds herself attracted to Mel. This initiates a long distance relationship between them. I loved how they work through their issues, communicate with each other (though on Vivian's side it takes her longer to open up) and their family dynamics are quite different, making for other challenges. There's always a funny Po-Po around though! (Mel's grandmother is a hoot). The ending is a happy one that suits this unique couple.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
February 1, 2023
I enjoyed this book. With the work I do for Fat Girls in Ficiton I am often asked about books with fat representation for man and for whatever reason that representation is even harder to find than representation with women. I'm glad to have another one to recommend to people when they ask. I really enjoyed his character. It was also a good romance, I was able to see why the characters made the choices they did and it was a good read.
November 9, 2022
3.5 stars, this was a cute read! I really enjoyed how unique the main characters were, but it did seem to drag in some parts. I found the voices to be a touch montone as I listened, but overall a good choice.
October 25, 2022
Opposites Attract
+ Girl-Grump
+ Enemies to Lovers
= 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡
Mel and Vivian start as enemies, after a disastrous first encounter, but reading these two finally come together was a freaking delight! I love an Opposites Attract when the reader just sees exactly how these two puzzle pieces need each other and actually fit together perfectly and 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡 did it perfectly!
Vivian is the "grump" of this relationship and I loved her buttoned-up pant suits and laser focus. And this girl loves relationship boundaries and I love to see it! She is likable, even while a bit rigid. But Mel...MEL, people. He is heart-meltingly whimsical and warm and funny! I adored him and his wild karaoke singing. And if you love a dad-bod in your romance heroes, you will love Mel!
One of the best parts of 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡 is an ending that is unexpected and unusual, but perfectly Mel and Vivian. So much of this love story is about compromise in relationships, and I love how it played out at the end of this book.
I took off one star from my rating, because the first half of this book was pretty slow for me. There are A LOT of pages dedicated just to Mel's stand-up routines and it really made the story drag, especially in the first half. I almost put this put down a few times but I'm glad I kept going (mostly based on my friends' glowing reviews of it here on Goodreads).
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡 was a great book that is totally worth pushing through a sometimes slow beginning. Consider this your glowing review to help you if you also find the first half a bit slow. I ended up loving it!
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 1-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: past parent abandonment
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
👇🏻𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
+ Girl-Grump
+ Enemies to Lovers
= 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡
Mel and Vivian start as enemies, after a disastrous first encounter, but reading these two finally come together was a freaking delight! I love an Opposites Attract when the reader just sees exactly how these two puzzle pieces need each other and actually fit together perfectly and 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡 did it perfectly!
Vivian is the "grump" of this relationship and I loved her buttoned-up pant suits and laser focus. And this girl loves relationship boundaries and I love to see it! She is likable, even while a bit rigid. But Mel...MEL, people. He is heart-meltingly whimsical and warm and funny! I adored him and his wild karaoke singing. And if you love a dad-bod in your romance heroes, you will love Mel!
One of the best parts of 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡 is an ending that is unexpected and unusual, but perfectly Mel and Vivian. So much of this love story is about compromise in relationships, and I love how it played out at the end of this book.
I took off one star from my rating, because the first half of this book was pretty slow for me. There are A LOT of pages dedicated just to Mel's stand-up routines and it really made the story drag, especially in the first half. I almost put this put down a few times but I'm glad I kept going (mostly based on my friends' glowing reviews of it here on Goodreads).
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗-𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡 was a great book that is totally worth pushing through a sometimes slow beginning. Consider this your glowing review to help you if you also find the first half a bit slow. I ended up loving it!
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 1-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: past parent abandonment
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
👇🏻𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
November 11, 2022
Jackie Lau writes a great story.
Vivian and Mel had met in the previous book and both have had a very negative impression of the other. Then I found out that they were the next couple, I thought, “how do you make that work?” It did work.
Mel is an actor and does stand-up comedy, and I take my hat off to Lau’s cleverness. Because we are not watching the hero do his act, there is a very important part of the person being real and his body doing a part in the comedy. We are missing the visual effect and yet the actor is funny. And he is watching his audience and he sometimes watches when his jokes are not great and the audience is not as responsive. Making people laugh is harder than making people cry, and her writing is brilliant because she delivers that.
Great read.
Vivian and Mel had met in the previous book and both have had a very negative impression of the other. Then I found out that they were the next couple, I thought, “how do you make that work?” It did work.
Mel is an actor and does stand-up comedy, and I take my hat off to Lau’s cleverness. Because we are not watching the hero do his act, there is a very important part of the person being real and his body doing a part in the comedy. We are missing the visual effect and yet the actor is funny. And he is watching his audience and he sometimes watches when his jokes are not great and the audience is not as responsive. Making people laugh is harder than making people cry, and her writing is brilliant because she delivers that.
Great read.
April 15, 2023
I should’ve put this down…
October 7, 2022
This is the first book I've read by Jackie Lau and I am impressed! I didn't think it would be that steamy but this one had a good amount of steam. I enjoyed seeing representation in this book - Asian American cultures and queer characters on the page are two identities we need to see more of on the page.
Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
I received a complimentary audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio.
Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
I received a complimentary audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio.
January 29, 2023
Jackie Lau is not a comedian and I could have completely done without the many, many, many pages of standup routines that were not funny. Also, a throwaway line from the non-comedian MC thinking "If I was reading this, it wouldn't be funny but the delivery made it funny" did not endear me to the possibility that the standup was funny in some scenarios.
I liked the characters, but every few pages was more standup (one section was EIGHT PAGES) and I couldn't do it anymore.
I liked the characters, but every few pages was more standup (one section was EIGHT PAGES) and I couldn't do it anymore.
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