To Me I Wed

March 20, 2017
The second in Jackson’s Unconventional Brides series (after Insert Groom Here) is a charmingly sketched contemporary romp set on Long Island, N.Y. In-demand event planner Lily Perry is concerned with everyone else’s happily-ever-after—and never her own—until she reads about another single woman throwing a wedding for herself and decides that marrying herself sounds like a life-affirming choice. Vincent Caro is still captivated by the erotic interlude he had with Lily at a friend’s wedding. He’s terrified of commitment; he’s busy trying to get his fledgling restaurant off the ground; and when he hears Lily’s marry-herself idea, he thinks it’s ridiculous. But none of that stops him from pursuing a romance with her. Feisty Lily and her even feistier grandmother, Mama Dee, endear themselves to readers from page one, and Vin’s fear and the reasons behind it are achingly real. The author keeps things lively and fresh until the surprising, satisfying conclusion. This engaging (no pun intended) romance will leave readers clamoring for more. Agent: Rachel Brooks, L. Perkins Agency.

March 15, 2017
Events planner Lily Perry hooks up with sexy chef Vin Caro at her sister's wedding but is determined not to fall under his spell; he's disappointed her before, and she knows the time is right to focus on herself and her growing business, no matter how tempting he might be.Months ago Lily met Vin, made out with him under the stars, gave him her number--and never heard from him. Now she meets up with him again, makes out with him again, then slams the door on the next step. However, when she realizes his up-and-coming restaurant would be perfect for some events, she opens up professional lines of communication that lead to an affair. Lily and Vin are both adamant they don't want anything beyond a physical relationship, yet they each begin to feel much more attached to the other than they want to admit. Meanwhile Lily's decided to throw a wedding--for herself, promising to love and support herself forever, goaded mostly by her family's relentless disappointment at her lack of a mate. Vin doesn't understand her need for such a public display of self-love, which Lily interprets as a lack of support and which complicates their relationship, especially since she's throwing the party at his venue. Navigating his and her family's initial skepticism causes her to question her idea, but when her grandmother lands in the hospital, she is forced to step back, breathe, and work through her emotions, admitting to herself that what she truly wants, she must decide to embrace, including fierce love from her family and from a good, worthy man. Jackson revisits a community of successful women of color making their marks on the world and finding their soul mates along the way. While the premise is cute and promising, it never quite reaches its potential for emotional intensity, hindered by inflated conflict around things that don't matter and a lack of heartfelt resolution between Vin and Lily around things that do. Fun and flirty despite its flaws.

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April 1, 2017
Lily is tired of questions from relatives about when she is going to get married. She decides to declare her contentment with her single state by wedding herself. After seeing an article, she thinks the new concept will also help her event-planning business. Her family doesn't understand her but tries to support her celebration. Chef Vin knows he could fall hard for the independent beauty he has kissed twice, but he has been reluctant to take steps to actually launch a relationship. He wants to focus on building the restaurant that was his late mother's dream. When Lily hires his restaurant for her wedding, their paths cross again, and they start seeing each other. Neither thinks that they want to commit in any way, though they try to make each other happy. Jackson (Insert Groom Here, 2017) is a rising voice in contemporary romance, writing novels that feature smart women and unique situations. The ending here avoids cliche yet will satisfy readers. Fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips may also enjoy Jackson's clever Unconventional Brides series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)