A review by ratetheromance
The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau

funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Opposites Attract 
+ Girl-Grump 
+ Enemies to Lovers
= π—§π—›π—˜ 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗑𝗗-𝗨𝗣 π—šπ—₯𝗒𝗒𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗑

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 π—§π—›π—˜ 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗑𝗗-𝗨𝗣 π—šπ—₯𝗒𝗒𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗑 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 π—§π—›π—˜ 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗑𝗗-𝗨𝗣 π—šπ—₯𝗒𝗒𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗑 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). 

π—§π—›π—˜ 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗑𝗗-𝗨𝗣 π—šπ—₯𝗒𝗒𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗑 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!

π—₯π—”π—§π—œπ—‘π—š: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
π—¦π—§π—˜π—”π—  π—Ÿπ—˜π—©π—˜π—Ÿ: Rated R / 1-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language. 
𝗧π—₯π—œπ—šπ—šπ—˜π—₯𝗦: past parent abandonment 
π—™π—˜π—˜π—Ÿπ—¦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read