The Unexpected Wedding Guest
Aimee Carson

Genre:
Contemporary
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating:

"Surprised to see me?"

Getting caught in her wedding dress by her drop-dead-gorgeous ex-husband is Reese Michael's worst nightmare. Especially when her perfect-on-paper fiancé then cancels their wedding!

Reese has spent years trying to forget how her marriage to Mason Hicks crashed and burned—yes, their chemistry was incredible, but a girl can't live on lust alone! And what's a jilted bride supposed to do when the one man she could never forget is back in her life, as irresistible as ever? Mason might be her own personal brand of Kryptonite, but surely life is meant to be lived a little dangerously…?

Look out for the second book in The Wedding Season quartet, Girl Least Likely to Marry

Review

The premise for The Unexpected Wedding Guest hooked me and reeled me in. Unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to my expectations of it.

Reese and Mason were married once. At that time, Reese was a junior in college and Mason was a Marine. Their marriage lasts one year before she divorces him. Ten years later, he shows up days before her marriage to someone else.

Mason has been suffering from insomnia and crippling migraines after nearly being killed when an IED exploded. His diagnosis is traumatic brain injury and the shrink he’s been seeing basically orders him to reach out to the people he’s pushed out of his life over the years. His ex-wife, Reese, being one of them. That’s why he tracks her down.

Days after I finished this book, I tried to pin down what aspect of the story didn’t work for me because, overall it’s a decent read. I realized, I found it difficult to completely buy into their reunion and the actions of Mason, Reese and Dylan, who is Reese’s fiancé.

When Dylan shows up and meets Mason, a more understanding fiancé could not be found on the face of the earth. He tells Reese he sensed something was off with her and magnanimously postpones the wedding so she can make up her mind about who she really wants to be with. He believes she’s not over her ex. He’s right but when he says it, Reese hasn’t come to terms with her own feelings.

Dylan is really too good to be true. Wonderful and kind to Mason, singing him praises about his decorated military career and urging Reese to hear him out, find out why he’s sought her out. I got the feeling that Dylan was the one looking for an out.

Mason, in almost the same vein, doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by the thought of his ex-wife getting married to someone else. The book took place over a short time period, which means he falls in love with her again over a very short time. And then for reasons which still aren’t clear to me, Mason is forced to stay at the same estate Reese is staying and where the wedding was supposed to be held. I know one day it’s because he passed out with a vicious migraine but I’m not sure why after that.

I guess the story just fell flat to me. I wanted to Mason to be more ardent toward Reese. I found his thoughts and actions to be lukewarm. At one point he urges her to marry Dylan. I wanted their relationship to be more passionate. More emotions zinging between them. Even at the end, Reese has to chase him. At almost every point in the book, he’s willing to let her go. That’s why I had a hard time buying into him falling in love with her again in one short week.

I wanted a hero more worthy for Reese. She deserved someone to feel that deeply about her that he was willing to take the risks without her having to do all the work to get him there.

I gave this book 3 stars because of Reese. She is a wonderful heroine and I hope that in the three connecting books in The Wedding Season serires, Mason will finally prove himself worthy of her.    

Reviewed by Tammy