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Summer Weddings #1
Expecting the Earl's Baby
Claiming his heir!
It was the most incredible night of her life, but Daisy Huntingdon-Cross never expected to see her Valentine fling again. Except six weeks later Daisy's world is turned upside down—she's pregnant! She just needs to tell the father…
Yet the man she knew as "Seb" has a few revelations of his own. He's Sebastian Beresford, Earl of Holgate—he doesn't just work at Hawksley Castle, where they met, he owns it! And with Daisy's news, Seb's determined to claim his heir…starting with a wedding!,
It was the most incredible night of her life, but Daisy Huntingdon-Cross never expected to see her Valentine fling again. Except six weeks later Daisy's world is turned upside down—she's pregnant! She just needs to tell the father…
Yet the man she knew as "Seb" has a few revelations of his own. He's Sebastian Beresford, Earl of Holgate—he doesn't just work at Hawksley Castle, where they met, he owns it! And with Daisy's news, Seb's determined to claim his heir…starting with a wedding!,
252 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2015
8 people are currently reading
521 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Gilmore
271 books88 followersAfter several very happy years as a bookseller, Jessica Gilmore moved into the charity sector and now works in the Arts. Married with one daughter and two dogs, she lives in the beautiful Chilterns where she can usually be found with her nose in a book. A lover of a happy-ever-after, Jessica loves to write emotional romance with a hint of humour and a splash of sunshine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 29, 2022
Daisy Huntingdon-Cross, a wedding photographer, is shooting a wedding on Valentine's day. She has just wrapped up at the castle where the wedding was held. It began to snow and her car was stuck in the car park. Seb, an employee of the castle-she thinks-saves her that night and she ends up spending it in his arms. She is not a one-night-stand kind of girl but they really clicked and had too much champagne. They were both very taken with each other but she never heard from him so she didn't try and reach him either, figuring it was a one-off...until six weeks later when her pregnancy test gave up a positive result.
She knows the right thing to do is tell Seb he's going to be a father so she heads to the castle and manages to see and talk to him. He offers her marriage but with certain stipulations, restrictions if you will. She would need to understand and abide by them. Top of the list was no love or emotion between them. They could bestow it on the baby, just not each other. Seb had horrible parents and he wanted to avoid the turmoil his parents were in until they died in a plane crash. But can a wedding photog who has planned her very own wedding since she was a young girl give up on her own dreams, longings and ideas of love, raw emotion, romance, and a marriage as beautiful as her parents have? Will living together in a monogamous marriage without love or emotional involvement between spouses be enough? It certainly is quite the opposite of Daisy's dream is. You see, she had great parents. They had married within forty-eight hours of meeting and had been deeply in love for thirty years. Her mother is/was a supermodel and her dad a rock star legend (the family is considered Rock Royalty) who still toured after thirty years. There were never scandals, cheating or betrayal in their marriage and they were both so head over heels for each other it was an honor to read.
I was troubled more than a few times by the way Seb treated Daisy, looking down at her as though she was so below his station...and not very bright...as her image had been painted years ago by the paparazzi. He was horrified to find out who she really was. He wanted/needed a quiet life. It couldn't be good for his academia career. See, Daisy and her sisters were always hounded by the paps and their whole life had been exposed so when Daisy was asked to leave the private school she was attending at the age of sixteen because a group of friends sneaked out and went to a bar, well, she has never lived that down. She is still known as 'The Wild Child' many years after the fact because of that one incident. She wasn't as academic as her two sisters but she definitely had a flair as an artsy type person. Because she wasn't one to pull down good grades she was thought of as less than, or not too bright, a slacker if you will and was treated as such...even by her family although it was not done maliciously. Seb was demeaning and hurt her multiple times. His self-talk about his true feelings towards her, that she would not have been who he would have chosen for a wife, and her lack of academia was a downer for this reader as well as our heroine. But saying that I still really enjoyed it.
This was a very good book and I didn't put it down until I was finished reading it. I highly recommend. I really like both main characters and it was sweet to watch the ups and downs of their relationship. There are two other books in this series each one featuring a sister (3). I definitely recommend them.
She knows the right thing to do is tell Seb he's going to be a father so she heads to the castle and manages to see and talk to him. He offers her marriage but with certain stipulations, restrictions if you will. She would need to understand and abide by them. Top of the list was no love or emotion between them. They could bestow it on the baby, just not each other. Seb had horrible parents and he wanted to avoid the turmoil his parents were in until they died in a plane crash. But can a wedding photog who has planned her very own wedding since she was a young girl give up on her own dreams, longings and ideas of love, raw emotion, romance, and a marriage as beautiful as her parents have? Will living together in a monogamous marriage without love or emotional involvement between spouses be enough? It certainly is quite the opposite of Daisy's dream is. You see, she had great parents. They had married within forty-eight hours of meeting and had been deeply in love for thirty years. Her mother is/was a supermodel and her dad a rock star legend (the family is considered Rock Royalty) who still toured after thirty years. There were never scandals, cheating or betrayal in their marriage and they were both so head over heels for each other it was an honor to read.
I was troubled more than a few times by the way Seb treated Daisy, looking down at her as though she was so below his station...and not very bright...as her image had been painted years ago by the paparazzi. He was horrified to find out who she really was. He wanted/needed a quiet life. It couldn't be good for his academia career. See, Daisy and her sisters were always hounded by the paps and their whole life had been exposed so when Daisy was asked to leave the private school she was attending at the age of sixteen because a group of friends sneaked out and went to a bar, well, she has never lived that down. She is still known as 'The Wild Child' many years after the fact because of that one incident. She wasn't as academic as her two sisters but she definitely had a flair as an artsy type person. Because she wasn't one to pull down good grades she was thought of as less than, or not too bright, a slacker if you will and was treated as such...even by her family although it was not done maliciously. Seb was demeaning and hurt her multiple times. His self-talk about his true feelings towards her, that she would not have been who he would have chosen for a wife, and her lack of academia was a downer for this reader as well as our heroine. But saying that I still really enjoyed it.
This was a very good book and I didn't put it down until I was finished reading it. I highly recommend. I really like both main characters and it was sweet to watch the ups and downs of their relationship. There are two other books in this series each one featuring a sister (3). I definitely recommend them.
October 6, 2019
Daisy Huntingdon-Cross tidak menyangka hasil hubungan semalamnya dgn Seb (yg sempat dikiranya seorang tukang) membuatnya hamil. Daisy merasa berkewajiban memberitahukannya pd Seb. Yg tidak diketahuinya adalah Seb ternyata Sebastian Beresford, Earl of Holgate dan berniat menikahinya.
Sejak mereka memberitahukan bhw mereka akan menikah di kastil milik Seb, mereka pun diberondong segala persiapan pernikahan dadakan mereka sebulan yg akan datang. Masalahnya, Seb tidak suka kastilnya diinvasi oleh ibu Daisy. Ironisnya kastil ini lebih membutuhkan pendapatan krn biaya pemeliharaannya sudah membuat pusing Seb. Tetapi saat Daisy mengusulkan ide, mengapa Seb merasa Daisy mengeksploitasi kehidupannya?
Novel ini bagus dlm penjelasan ttg sejarah kastil dan segala tetek bengek utk pernikahan. Sayangnya chemistry Seb dan Daisy terasa seperti baru perkenalan. Mereka memang memulai segalanya secara terbalik. Hamidun baru menikah, bahkan Daisy menyarankan mereka pura-pura saling jatuh cinta di hadapan keluarganya. Keluarga Daisy yg terbuka dan santapan empuk pers membuat Seb tidak nyaman. Daisy sudah terbiasa mendapat cap paling bodoh di keluarganya dan perasaan minder ini terus bercokol di hatinya. Sebenarnya ini isu penting dan bagus utk digali, sayangnya author tidak bisa memanfaatkan ini utk membuat Seb percaya dan kagum bhw Daisy tidak bodoh dan pekerja keras. Jadinya mereka saling jatuh cinta atas dasar apa juga kurang meyakinkan saya. So so sajalah novel ini.
Sejak mereka memberitahukan bhw mereka akan menikah di kastil milik Seb, mereka pun diberondong segala persiapan pernikahan dadakan mereka sebulan yg akan datang. Masalahnya, Seb tidak suka kastilnya diinvasi oleh ibu Daisy. Ironisnya kastil ini lebih membutuhkan pendapatan krn biaya pemeliharaannya sudah membuat pusing Seb. Tetapi saat Daisy mengusulkan ide, mengapa Seb merasa Daisy mengeksploitasi kehidupannya?
Novel ini bagus dlm penjelasan ttg sejarah kastil dan segala tetek bengek utk pernikahan. Sayangnya chemistry Seb dan Daisy terasa seperti baru perkenalan. Mereka memang memulai segalanya secara terbalik. Hamidun baru menikah, bahkan Daisy menyarankan mereka pura-pura saling jatuh cinta di hadapan keluarganya. Keluarga Daisy yg terbuka dan santapan empuk pers membuat Seb tidak nyaman. Daisy sudah terbiasa mendapat cap paling bodoh di keluarganya dan perasaan minder ini terus bercokol di hatinya. Sebenarnya ini isu penting dan bagus utk digali, sayangnya author tidak bisa memanfaatkan ini utk membuat Seb percaya dan kagum bhw Daisy tidak bodoh dan pekerja keras. Jadinya mereka saling jatuh cinta atas dasar apa juga kurang meyakinkan saya. So so sajalah novel ini.
July 29, 2015
Gilmore's début, THE RETURN OF MRS. JONES, is a much stronger romance novel than this one. But there were things I liked about this one too: like making the "cross-class" conflict not about class, but a difference in education. The hero, Seb, the "earl," is an Oxford historian, with books and a chair to his name. The heroine, Daisy, is practically a drop-out, no matter her successful business. Her lack of confidence and his closed heart make for some interesting navigation in this marriage-of-convenience tale. Overall, however, their romance's intensity is interrupted by other threads and secondary characters and, frankly, the descriptions of Daisy's castle redecorating are tedious. If you'd like to read a more extensive review, please follow the link:
http://missbatesreadsromance.com/2015...
I received an e-ARC, via Netgalley.
http://missbatesreadsromance.com/2015...
I received an e-ARC, via Netgalley.
August 22, 2015
A sweet romance that evolves after a one-night-stand results in pregnancy. The two main characters are engaging and interesting, and the way they work their way through to the HEA is generally low-key, not melodramatic. For those that care, the sex is behind closed doors.
September 18, 2018
When I first started this book, I was definitely like "ooh, interesting", but by the end it was just "eh, this is alright, I guess." Expecting the Earl's Baby is the definition of average at best and it plateaus at that.
The plot fails to live up to the expectation it presents. You're expecting some sort of conflict, but it's mostly just Daisy and Seb repeatedly thinking about if they're doing the right thing by getting married for their baby and not really doing anything about it. When they do """fight""" near the end, it's over and done with so quickly that it's just sort of a blimp. The secondary plot of restoring the property was just sort of flavour to bulk it up so the whole thing wasn't only 100 pages long, but like the rest of it, it was wrapped up in a neat little bow with only a small bump in the road leading up to it.
I don't even know how I feel about the leads. Daisy was bland. She would kind of stand up for herself, which was cool, I guess, but then she'd also be wishy-washy. She was just one of those female leads who was just there. Seb was alright since he wasn't the raging douchebag romance heroes like being, though he would show signs of being a jerkwad.
They're the only two who really matter because no one really does anything besides Daisy's mother, Sherry. Sherry is... eh. I could tell she was supposed to be one of those super cool hip moms you as a reader is supposed to like, but she's just obnoxious and annoying. Actually, having to read about how utterly perfect, loving and romantic her parents' marriage is is super annoying. Why do romance leads either have the worst parents alive (or dead, like Seb's) or parents who are in the greatest relationship of all time? Why doesn't anyone have normal parents in these books?
Speaking of parents, Daisy mentions she's been to tons of rock concerts by age eight. If her dad really is the king of rock and roll, his concerts aren't the sort of things small children should be brought to. Guess he's a shitty parent after all, no matter how much he loves sucking face with her overbearing mother.
Overall, I found this book had potential but fell short. Could have been great, but ultimately a bit on the boring side.
The plot fails to live up to the expectation it presents. You're expecting some sort of conflict, but it's mostly just Daisy and Seb repeatedly thinking about if they're doing the right thing by getting married for their baby and not really doing anything about it. When they do """fight""" near the end, it's over and done with so quickly that it's just sort of a blimp. The secondary plot of restoring the property was just sort of flavour to bulk it up so the whole thing wasn't only 100 pages long, but like the rest of it, it was wrapped up in a neat little bow with only a small bump in the road leading up to it.
I don't even know how I feel about the leads. Daisy was bland. She would kind of stand up for herself, which was cool, I guess, but then she'd also be wishy-washy. She was just one of those female leads who was just there. Seb was alright since he wasn't the raging douchebag romance heroes like being, though he would show signs of being a jerkwad.
They're the only two who really matter because no one really does anything besides Daisy's mother, Sherry. Sherry is... eh. I could tell she was supposed to be one of those super cool hip moms you as a reader is supposed to like, but she's just obnoxious and annoying. Actually, having to read about how utterly perfect, loving and romantic her parents' marriage is is super annoying. Why do romance leads either have the worst parents alive (or dead, like Seb's) or parents who are in the greatest relationship of all time? Why doesn't anyone have normal parents in these books?
Speaking of parents, Daisy mentions she's been to tons of rock concerts by age eight. If her dad really is the king of rock and roll, his concerts aren't the sort of things small children should be brought to. Guess he's a shitty parent after all, no matter how much he loves sucking face with her overbearing mother.
Overall, I found this book had potential but fell short. Could have been great, but ultimately a bit on the boring side.
February 17, 2022
❤❤❤❤❤
A perfect romance by Jessica Gilmore.
An instant attraction between a famous historian and a photographer sets both their lives on a completely new path. Can they both come to terms with their past and their own self's to forge a new happy future for them both to be together ?
💕
The castle setting was lovely and romantic. The instant attraction between hero and heroine was hot, though intimate sexy moments were behind closed doors. The pace of the story was well written and the ending was perfectly romantic and hit your warm emotion button.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A perfect romance by Jessica Gilmore.
An instant attraction between a famous historian and a photographer sets both their lives on a completely new path. Can they both come to terms with their past and their own self's to forge a new happy future for them both to be together ?
💕
The castle setting was lovely and romantic. The instant attraction between hero and heroine was hot, though intimate sexy moments were behind closed doors. The pace of the story was well written and the ending was perfectly romantic and hit your warm emotion button.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
July 28, 2019
Garing n bikin ngantuk. Dari sinopsisnya, kirain cerita akan dititik beratkan di kehidupan after married mereka, tapi perasaan malah tetek bengek sebelum wedding yang dijabarkan. Yang urusan gaunlah, gedung pernikahanlah, saling pengenalan karakter-lah, dan bla bla lainnya (saya gak tamat bacanya sih). Dan sepertinya kok gak ada scene hot-nya yah?
April 29, 2025
Me encantó. Uno de esos descubrimientos que hacía mucho no lograba tener. Una historia corta y concisa sin una dosis exagerada de drama. El escenario se presta para que la historia se desarrolle y ambos personajes tienen una personalidad encantadora. 10/10
September 29, 2017
Membosankan nyaris tanpa konflik
January 10, 2018
Extra 1/4 star
June 10, 2018
Great read.
August 4, 2018
una moderna favola d'amore
February 21, 2022
Why put a book up to read iff it's not available for purchase. Ridiculous. Not happy
February 6, 2023
Great book Jessica. Loved the storyline and characters of Seb and Daisy. Putting in my reread pile with the others of this series.
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May 22, 2015As always first and foremost a thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing us with a copy of this book so that we could bring you this review.
Ok to me this was a modern day English aristocrat love story. Two people have one of the most passionate nights of their lives only to part the next morning. Only thing is that life had decided to give them a little surprise to remember their time together. And like any good man of honor Sebastian knows he needs to step up and take care of his responsibility. Now to get it to work nicely and not get all messy with emotions. But we all know nothing ever works out the way we think its going to. One problem is that Daisy doesn’t want to get married out of obligation, but because of her own past she is willing to put her child’s needs before her own desire of love. She knows what is best for her and her baby, and that is to marry the Earl, even if all he sees their relationship as is a contract of sorts.
See but that is the thing, you can never just be with someone and not develop feelings for them. You can’t just have passion with out more being behind it… Well at least that is what Sebastian learns in the time it takes for them to put the wedding together.
I really enjoyed this book, the only hiccup I found in it is that because it does take place in England some of the words and ways of speaking felt wrong to me. Not saying they were, very much the opposite, they were very right for the setting… Just to my American brain they felt strange.
I give this book 4 very sweet kisses…
Happy Reading… Adri
Ok to me this was a modern day English aristocrat love story. Two people have one of the most passionate nights of their lives only to part the next morning. Only thing is that life had decided to give them a little surprise to remember their time together. And like any good man of honor Sebastian knows he needs to step up and take care of his responsibility. Now to get it to work nicely and not get all messy with emotions. But we all know nothing ever works out the way we think its going to. One problem is that Daisy doesn’t want to get married out of obligation, but because of her own past she is willing to put her child’s needs before her own desire of love. She knows what is best for her and her baby, and that is to marry the Earl, even if all he sees their relationship as is a contract of sorts.
See but that is the thing, you can never just be with someone and not develop feelings for them. You can’t just have passion with out more being behind it… Well at least that is what Sebastian learns in the time it takes for them to put the wedding together.
I really enjoyed this book, the only hiccup I found in it is that because it does take place in England some of the words and ways of speaking felt wrong to me. Not saying they were, very much the opposite, they were very right for the setting… Just to my American brain they felt strange.
I give this book 4 very sweet kisses…
Happy Reading… Adri
February 26, 2015
Daisy is an engagement/wedding photographer who is great at her work and gets a great deal of work. She is the youngest daughter of a rock star and retired runway model. A daughter who has had her time in the spotlight and not in a great way who meets Seb, a young Earl who lives alone in his family's castle. They meet when she is photographing a wedding being held at the castle and sparks fly in so many ways. Daisy is pregnant and this kicks off a great story about how a stuffy young professor who wants to claim his heir comes together with a former wildchild who wants her her independence. I received an early e-Arc from Netgalley. For the most part this is a clean, romantic read. It doesn't take long to get into the story or like the characters, even a grumpy earl that is only excited when he is lecturing in front of students or discussing history, especially the history of his family. Daisy has created space between herself and her close-knit family. She is a bit more down on herself than anyone is because of her former wildchild days and very sensitive to other's impressions of her. Her mom is a storm unto herself and jumps in with both feet to help them even when Seb is ready to shove her out the door. This all culminates in an enjoyable story with interesting, quirky characters.
April 2, 2015
****Copy From NetGalley in return for an honest review****
This is a contemporary romance - despite what you may expect from the world "Earl" in the title! And actually it's a very fun and sweet romance, where the main characters wear their privilege very lightly - although the reader know's he's an earl from the title, it's only mentioned part way through that' the heroine is the daughter of a rock star and a model.
I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, but if they'll all as light and frothy as this, then I may need to dig out some more. And that's despite the fact that accidentally pregnant is one of my least favourite romance tropes.
This is very chaste - no bedroom action scenes, but there is a bit of kissing - so I'd imagine this would appeal to a wide range of people. I usually like a bit more action in my romances, but the characters were so interesting and well drawn that it didn't actually bother me at all.
I'll be looking out for more Jessica Gilmore - and keeping a weather eye for the other two books in this series.
This is a contemporary romance - despite what you may expect from the world "Earl" in the title! And actually it's a very fun and sweet romance, where the main characters wear their privilege very lightly - although the reader know's he's an earl from the title, it's only mentioned part way through that' the heroine is the daughter of a rock star and a model.
I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, but if they'll all as light and frothy as this, then I may need to dig out some more. And that's despite the fact that accidentally pregnant is one of my least favourite romance tropes.
This is very chaste - no bedroom action scenes, but there is a bit of kissing - so I'd imagine this would appeal to a wide range of people. I usually like a bit more action in my romances, but the characters were so interesting and well drawn that it didn't actually bother me at all.
I'll be looking out for more Jessica Gilmore - and keeping a weather eye for the other two books in this series.
May 17, 2015
"4 out of 5 stars! About six weeks after they first meet Daisy is back at Hawksley Castle in hopes of seeing Seb (Sebastian) and informing him that she's pregnant with his baby. After the shock wears off Seb surprises Daisy by asking her to marry him for the baby's sake. From that point on, they realize that what they both thought they needed in their lives in terms of a relationship and love was an illusion. Yet while they start to find happiness in each other will they be able to get around their defenses in order to see what they truly want is right in front of them?
This was an incredibly sweet novel about finding love in unexpected places."
Read more of this review and TWO TEASERS here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2015/05/feasted-on-summer-weddings-series-book-1.html
This was an incredibly sweet novel about finding love in unexpected places."
Read more of this review and TWO TEASERS here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2015/05/feasted-on-summer-weddings-series-book-1.html
May 20, 2015
Daisy had her own business as a wedding photographer. She lavished care and attention to detail on her clients and her business was doing well in. Spite of the long hours that she worked.
Daisy found herself snowed in at Hawksley Hall after a wedding shoot. Seb, a man she believed to be a handy man came out to help but they ended up inside and in bed.
Six weeks later Daisy returned to the castle to talk with Seb about the fact that she was pregnant. Daisy wanted nothing from him but felt as the father that he should know.
Daisy was surprised to learn that he was actually the Earl. When Seb learned she was pregnant, he offered marriage to make the child legitimate. However, this was only the simple part of the story. Every thing after this was a uphill journey.
Daisy found herself snowed in at Hawksley Hall after a wedding shoot. Seb, a man she believed to be a handy man came out to help but they ended up inside and in bed.
Six weeks later Daisy returned to the castle to talk with Seb about the fact that she was pregnant. Daisy wanted nothing from him but felt as the father that he should know.
Daisy was surprised to learn that he was actually the Earl. When Seb learned she was pregnant, he offered marriage to make the child legitimate. However, this was only the simple part of the story. Every thing after this was a uphill journey.
April 2, 2015
Daisy is a photographer and works mostly on weddings and engagemets, but she loves her job and belives that her life is now dull enough that the papparazzi will forget about her. Her parents are famous, a rock star and a former model made things difficult for her growing up.But I liked the way she handled meeting Seb and getting pregnant,
I thought this was such a cute romance and really liked this couple. Seb was a nice guy and managed to make all the right choices, plus he's very normal and trying so hard to change his life and save the house his family left in a inheritance. It was so nice seeing this couple finding their way into married life and a new family.
I thought this was such a cute romance and really liked this couple. Seb was a nice guy and managed to make all the right choices, plus he's very normal and trying so hard to change his life and save the house his family left in a inheritance. It was so nice seeing this couple finding their way into married life and a new family.
April 6, 2015
Daisy and Seb are drawn to each other from the moment they meet. She is a photographer that is working a wedding at his castle. What Daisy does not know is that Seb is an Earl. Being the child of a rocker and a former runway model was not always easy and Daisy is trying to stay out of the spotlight. That may not be possible when she discovers who he really is and that she is pregnant. Received this book for an honest review and I loved this story. Daisy had a lot of insecurities that she had to overcome and Seb had some of his own. I thought this was a cute and whimsical fairytale.
July 30, 2015
Sweetly written
This story was very well done by the author. I feel like there were times when Seb's character was a little off putting but you still learn to love him. Daisy is more than loveable and relatable. What woman doesn't imagine her wedding day and plot it out? She's such a lucky girl to have the family she does to stand by her.
This story was very well done by the author. I feel like there were times when Seb's character was a little off putting but you still learn to love him. Daisy is more than loveable and relatable. What woman doesn't imagine her wedding day and plot it out? She's such a lucky girl to have the family she does to stand by her.
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January 12, 2016Miniseries: Summer Weddings
April 7, 2015
A fresh and lovely romance.
July 23, 2015
This was a predictable, short , lite read that I could not finish.. Although I tried .
September 29, 2015
I absolutely loved this story, it was really sweet and total caught my attention from the beginning, I didn't want it to end!!!
May 24, 2016
My favorite -- but only by a smidge! -- of the Summer Weddings trilogy. Loved these two!
December 12, 2016
This is a sweet romance that I would recommend for a lovely Sunday afternoon read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews