Review by Veronica

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. His heart hammered as she appeared to recover from the shock of seeing him, unfreezing and walking toward him. His eyes snagged on her shiny dark hair. An overwhelming temptation surfaced as he imagined lifting a hand and coiling his fingers into her ringlets while looking into the sultry spectacle of her eyes, then pulling her head back to bite the long line of her neck. He resisted the temptation–barely–as his fingers twitched at his side, dying to follow through on the idea. 

The Wedding Engagement is a fun and charming friends-to-lovers rom-com. 

Scottish schoolteacher Liv Holland has a secret. She’s been carrying a torch for Arran Adebayo,

her brother’s best friend, for years. A blind date gone wrong cements in Liv’s mind that Arran has no romantic interest in her whatsoever. But then, with her brother set to marry her own best friend, she and Arran are enlisted to help plan the festivities…

After being left at the altar by his ex, single father Arran is having trouble managing his growing feelings towards the woman who is both his best friend’s sister and his son’s teacher: Liv. Then his mind is blown when fate thrusts them together for an unexpected blind date, but he messes up his chance to tell her how he feels.
 
As the big day approaches and Liv and Arran’s connection intensifies, their chemistry chafes against their checkered romantic histories. Risking everything for love could mean losing each other forever . . . or being the next ones to find their happy ever after. 

If you’re a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, this book is a must-read. Zoe has masterfully captured the essence of this beloved trope, infusing it with fun, heartfelt moments, and a dash of spice. The story is a delightful escape, with entertaining plot twists, spot-on banter, and a romance that will leave you swooning. 

One of the things that stood out for me was the strong friendship among the characters in this book. This is a tight-knit group, and I adored how supportive they were of each other. I also loved the fun banter-y teasing that went on among the friends. This story has lots of light, fluffy, and laugh-out-loud moments, which makes for such an enjoyable read. But this book isn’t just fluff; Zoe tackles some pretty challenging topics, like a toxic parent and toxic past relationships. Zoe handled these topics with care and thought and did a great job at weaving them into her story in a realistic and relatable manner. 

The characters in this book were wonderful! Zoe really is a likeable character. She is smart and funny, and I couldn’t help but root for her. She is crushing hard for Arran, her brother’s best friend. Zoe and Arran have grown closer over the years and now consider each other close friends. Even though it looks like Zoe has her life together, she struggles when it comes to romantic relationships. Her toxic relationship with her father has made it difficult for her to get close to another man romantically. She believes in love and HEA, but not for herself. Arran is a real sweetheart of a hero. He is funny and charming and is also crushing on Zoe. But Arran has a lot on his plate. He is co-raising his son with his ex-fiancé, who doesn’t seem as interested in parenting. Arran has some emotional baggage from his ex-fiance leaving him, and it’s been difficult to move on when his ex is still in his life. As the story progresses, both MCs really need to focus on internal health and growth. It is something that they do independently and with each other’s support. Their journey to getting their HEA is full of miscommunications and pinning.

I love a romance that is chock full of witty banter. Zoe and Arran really are perfect for each other. I loved, loved, loved their banter. It is flirty and nerdy. I devoured every exchange between these two. Besides all the fun banter, there was some real depth to Zoe and Arran’s relationship that comes from two characters that have known each other for a long time. These two have supported each other over the years and have stood by each other through thick and thin. They are a team that works so well together. The only real miscommunication that exists between them is connected to their romantic feelings, which is pretty understandable, given their past and friendship. You will love this book if you are a fan of friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, slow burn, pinning, miscommunications, and fun, flirty banter. 

The Wedding Engagement is a fun, flirty friends-to-lovers rom-com that is sure to please any romance bookworm. 

Thank you, Berkley Publishing and Rachel Random Resources, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.