Reviews

Four Weddings to Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

leia_13's review

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

somewherelostinbooks's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 Four Weddings to Fall in Love really hit for me. I really like the plot of Kim and Max, after their one night stand at a wedding, discovering they're attending three more. This book had a combination of an awkward and unsatisfying first time and then getting sexy and dirtier as the story went along. Max with his shy nature is the perfect foil for Kim. Each character was well fleshed out with Max's quiet but steady calm and Kim and her family issues. While initially not interested in dating, I really liked seeing the little moments with Kim and Max together. The cast of both families was fascinating and diverse and I especially liked Max's mother. Events in this book set up what is clearly the next one about one of Max's brothers. This book hit the sweat spot of being adorable, sexy, and romantic. 

cakt1991's review

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 I received an ARC from the author  and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

I’ve had varied opinions about the many books I’ve read from Jackie Lau,  Four Weddings to Fall in Love is the first to make me feel utterly conflicted as to how I feel.

It’s a competent story, and there’s a lot to praise on an objective level, but I didn’t come away with romance feels, even though it is by definition a romance. 

First, the good: I really like how it puts a spin on some popular tropes. The female lead being the one with relationship baggage isn’t new, neither is pairing her with a “relationship” guy (even if the guy being  the commitment-phobic one is far more common), but I liked the way this one played out. Max doesn't perform at his best during their initial one-night stand, which made a much better impression on me as a reader after myriad sex-god heroes. And the way his and Kim’s relationship persevered in spite of that initial awkwardness was great, eventually evolving into a relationship. 

I also appreciated their realness with each other about issues like birth control, abortion, and whether they want children. While Jackie Lau is Canadian, I respect her acknowledgment of US readers and the issues we’re dealing with at the moment, as well as pushing back on the  very pro-life stance that has persisted in romance for decades. And while Max and Kim are not 100% aligned on all issues, they are closely aligned enough that there’s mutual respect for each other’s values and choices.

But while I like them together theoretically, I had trouble really investing. There was no emotional response when the characters would come to realize their feelings, because I didn’t feel like there had been enough development to make me care. Sure, their values aren’t misaligned, but they spent most of the book having sex, even when they were in an actual relationship, and I wanted a bit more emotional connection than what was there. They support each other, yes, and sex is clearly very important to them. But that’s not all there is. 

This isn’t a bad book, as it has a lot going for it. But it’s just not my personal preference. But if you enjoy romances with emphasis on the physical relationship (albeit not in a super-explicit sense), I recommend giving it a try, especially as I did enjoy those positive elements.