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Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes
and
anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott
request the pleasure of your company for
their disaster of a courtship
Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she's not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she's asked to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love, it doesn't matter that the show's videographer happens to be a recent—and heartbreaking—one-night stand.
Bennett Westcott admits he didn't handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile—and great body—through a camera lens every day? He can't be faulted for suggesting they have some no-strings fun.
The more time they spend together, the more Ben realizes Ivy isn't the wedding-crazed bridezilla he'd imagined. But if he doesn't trust himself to make a relationship last, how can he convince Ivy to give him another chance?
97,000 words
Ivy Rhodes lay sprawled at the bottom of the stone steps, feet tangled in the straps of a large black duffel bag. Everything hurt and, to top it off, she thought she'd heard her dress rip. At the very least, the pale pink satin had to be smudged from her ungraceful slide down the sweep of old stones dominating the foyer of the Great Hall at Café Brauer. Worst of all, the round lens of a video camera bobbled less than an inch from her nose.
"Are you kidding me? You're filming this?" Ivy's voice rose to a high squeak on the last word. Her famous, unflappable composure threatened to crack. Because who wouldn't be flustered when their humiliating clumsiness got recorded for posterity on a wedding video? She dropped her cheek back to the cool stones and waited for a wave of dizziness to subside. Hopefully, if any of the caterers needed to walk by her to finish setting up the ballroom, they'd avoid stepping on anything important, like her dress or her head.
"Ollie, you idiot! Get out of the way." The deep, baritone voice issuing the command buzzed with almost as much annoyance as Ivy felt.
A pair of highly polished dress shoes entered her limited field of vision, replacing the scuffed loafers belonging to the cameraman. Hoping this indicated the camera was gone, Ivy lifted her head once more. Not only had the camera disappeared, but an incredibly handsome man now crouched in front of her.
Although it was true almost every man looked good in a tux, this one in particular was downright yummy. Broad shoulders filled out his jacket. Impeccable tailoring emphasized the vee shape of his torso. His chin had a movie-star cleft deep enough to anchor a small boat. A streaky thicket of blond hair set off piercing blue eyes. Combined with his unusual-for-April-in-Chicago tan, it gave him a bit of a surfer look.
"Are you okay? Here, let me help you up," he said, without waiting for an answer. Strong arms lifted her off the floor, cradling her against a very firm chest. Her long dress, albeit possibly streaked and torn, cascaded down to his knees. It was like a scene out of a movie: the formalwear, the romantic pose, the Prince Charming look-alike carrying her. Or, to be perfectly honest, one of several favorite fantasies she mentally thumbed through instead of counting sheep. Ivy's heart did a quick flip flop. These things never, ever happened to her. This moment was well worth a few scrapes and bruises.
"Not that I'm complaining, but where are we going?" she asked.
"To find you a chair. We need to assess your injuries before you try to stand."
What a strangely technical thing for him to say. Not at all the warm, charming words she'd hoped to come out of his lips. "Are you a paramedic?"
"Nope. But I am certified in advanced first aid. I just don't want you to sue me."
"What?" Ivy craned her neck around to meet his eyes. "You're being nice to me to sidestep litigation?" And with that, her personal ocean of humiliation snaked out a riptide, sucking her even deeper. Prince Charm-less was more like it. "Put me down right now," she demanded.
"As soon as I find a damn chair!" He turned left into the Great Hall. Early afternoon sunlight beamed in through the wide windows, casting a golden haze across the top of the enormous room.
Ivy waved her hand at two hundred gilt Chivari chairs framing the round banquet tables in perfect arcs. "Take your pick."
Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
Planning for Love is the first book I’ve read by Christi Barth. I am SOOOO glad this book is part of a series. This will so NOT be the last book by Christi I will read.
Ivy Rhodes is a twenty-nine year old wedding planner and co-owner of Chicago’s Aisle Bound, a wedding consulting company, with her best friend Daphne Lovell. Ivy is a hopeless romantic and believes in happily ever after, long-lasting love. Her parents have been happily married to each other for forty years.
Ben Westcott is a cynic who doesn’t believe in marriages lasting past the “I Do’s”. Bennett’s entire family is full of un-happy ever afters. He believes his family has been cursed by his great-great-grandmother a hundred years ago. Interestingly enough, Ben is the cameraman for a wedding reality tv show.
When I started reading this book, I actually found the author on Twitter and asked if I was supposed to be laughing as I was reading it. I was expecting a romance, but I wasn’t expecting to find myself laughing at the characters. This was one of those rare books where I actually liked ALL of the supporting characters. By the end of the book, Ben and I both realized that this statement was true, “Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”
I loved that the book started each chapter off with an advice quote like, “Life is what happens to us while we’re busy making other plans. - John Lennon” or “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing. - Goethe”. Yes, I’m a planner and a hopeless romantic as well.
This isn’t one of those books that’s going to make you cry. But it is one of those books which will make you go, “Awwww.” Ernest Hemingway said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” To that I can say, Ivy and Ben do realize that they love each other and Ben is finally willing to put down roots and take a chance on love and the elusive happy ending that his family has never had. The journey that this book takes you on to get there is the magical part of romance that I love.
Did I mention that I was doing the happy dance, when I found out that this was part of a series? I can’t wait for the next book, A Fine Romance.
Source: Net Galley
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 25, 2013
The book has over six hundred pages. I found that it was too long and became boring. I skipped pages because there were too many repetitions and even then I couldn't finish the book. I did not connect with the characters and the story was not believable.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 9, 2013
This book dragged on and on. I love to read but this one took me forever to get through. Def would not recommend.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Planning for Love is a light flaky pastry with heavy cream inside. Ivy and Ben are at the opposite ends of the marriage spectrum. She’s all about weddings and romance and love; he wants nothing to do with any of that, especially the love part. Ivy is wedding planner extraordinaire and just happens to end up featured on “Wild Wedding Smackdown”, a reality TV show about bad weddings, the worse the better, because of one of her brides. Ben happens to be behind the camera for it. After the wedding, Ben and Ivy burn up the night only for Ben to walk away.
Now Ivy is being featured on a new reality TV show “Planning for Love” and is working toward her dream shop. Without warning, Ben is thrown back into her life as the stand in cameraman for her new show. Though hurt by Ben’s previous actions, Ivy can’t stop herself from falling in love all over again.
But Ben has some skeletons in his closet – a family curse, a ruined career, and a whole lot of pride. Ben’s angsty brooding is more than a match for Ivy’s sweetness. It is this tug of war that keeps Planning for Love from becoming overly saccharine and too light and airy. Ben and Ivy complement each other very well. Along the way, we meet a set of secondary characters all of whom could easily be protagonists in their own books. They are as well crafted and finely drawn as Ivy and Ben.
RATING: 4
REVIEWED BY: Monique Neaves,My Book Addiction Reviews
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 1, 2013
Loved it
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 12, 2013
Good story line, a nice read for travel, vacation or destressing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 12, 2013
Enjoy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 7, 2013
Loved the story.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 24, 2013
I liked that the premise of the book was centered around reality tv. That made the story seem very current and relevant. However, it seemed to drag in places and i didn't like that it promotes the idea that people will change for love. In my experience, adults dont change dramatically and it is unfair to expect them to. If you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, it should be someone who is already a good match for you. Dont expect someone to become your perfect match just because they love you. That may work temporarily but you will probably be disappointed in the long run.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 21, 2013
This is a very sweet, well written story. I liked the characters and the plot was fun. If you are looking for sex scenes, this book isn't for you.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.lucky42368
Posted March 19, 2013
I absolutely adored this book!!! I love the razzing between friends! I loved how they all helped out...especially in the end.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 27, 2013
Great characters. Looking forward to the next book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved almost everything about the book Planning for Love. The characters—both main and supporting—were fun and quirky, and the dialogue and situations had me laughing out loud more than once. I absolutely didn't want to put this one down. Even though Ivy was so put together and organized (and skinny, even though she daily brought he co-workers bakery items and BBQ—how is this possible? Oh, right; fiction) as to make me feel woefully inadequate, I couldn't help but love her. How can you dislike a character who loves B&J's Phish Food? I know, it's just not possible. Plus, she did have to put up with bridezillas galore and MOBs (mothers-of-the-bride) from hell literally daily as a wedding planner, so I guess she deserved the rest of it. And Ben…perfect blend of hotness, gallantry, and snark. Sigh. 99% of the book was totally unputdownable. I only had two little issues with this book. First—I'm fine with a jaded commitment-phobe who sees failed marriages everywhere and therefore doesn't believe in love. Totally believable. But an otherwise rational guy who honestly believes in a family cursed by a gypsy? A bit of a stretch. Second—the resolution of the story was reached just a bit too quickly and easily (though Ivy probably wouldn't agree, for the reader it comes off as pretty badda-boom, done). Neither really detracted from my ultimate enjoyment of the story, though—I will definitely be looking for more from this author as well as the next book in the series.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 1, 2013
This book didn't catch my attention at first, but when ben and ivy first meet, that all changed. During the book I wanted to smack ben but in the end it was all for the best. The author did a wonderful job with this book. Can't wait to read more!
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Posted April 6, 2013
I loved this book immensely and i already want to reread it again. Christ barth is an awesome romance author and i want to read the other books in the Aisle Bound romance series!
Anonymous
Posted April 5, 2013
You here
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 3, 2013
Hi everyone!
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 3, 2013
I shall be watching ;) ..not like a creeper lol
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 3, 2013
I got it ! A chocolate fountain :) im on sweet things right now for spme reason
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 3, 2013
U should. R u b or g?
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes
and
anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott
request the pleasure of your company for
their disaster of a courtship
Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she's not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she's asked to star in the reality ...