From This Day Forward

Lauren Layne

Jun 2016 · Wedding Belles Book 4 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in this prequel to USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne’s The Wedding Belles series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding—but their own.

Up-and-coming wedding photographer Leah McHale’s career is on the rise–thanks in no small part to the Wedding Belles, the elite New York wedding planning agency that always throws top-tier business Leah’s way. So when one of the Belles asks Leah to fill in at the former First Daughter’s wedding, Leah is overjoyed to say yes—until she finds out who she’ll be working with.

Jason Rhodes is the one man who was able to capture Leah’s heart and, once he had it, promptly stepped all over it and left her broken. Now he’s working side-by-side with her at the biggest wedding of the season and Leah is determined to give him the cold shoulder. Despite his persistence, she is not going to fall for his charming, impish ways again. Not even if he still has that killer, irresistible smile...

Ratings and reviews

Fans of Lauren Layne won't be disappointed by the new Wedding Belles series. Sassy heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, entertaining banter and steam are the customary elements in the author's books, and this novella has them all. A nice second-chance romance and ideal weekend read, From This Day Forward focuses on two freelance photographers who sometimes work for the Wedding Belles agency. Both Leah and Jason are summoned at the very last minute to work for the Belles in a very important, exclusive ceremony that could potentially boost their careers. The only problem is... Leah and Jason sort of hate each other after they dated a year ago and, because of a misunderstanding, they both got their hearts broken. A weekend together is going to be tough, especially since neither has stopped feeling the strong attraction for the other. Seeing as I loved The Wedding Planner movie and dreamed of being a wedding planner myself, I very much enjoyed the premise of the series, the NY setting and the wedding-related plots. Like I said, the story is a nice second-chance romance, without any major drama or angst. The chemistry between the two characters is just as high as their dislike (or pretend dislike) for each other, so the fun part in the book is reading how Leah pretends to hate the sight of Jason while having dirty thoughts about him, remembering what it was like when they were together. Jason, on the other hand, is super sweet, while he tries to win Leah's heart back with his funny comebacks and swoon-worthy attitude. Just like in all the previous books by the authors, you can expect steam - lots of it, when the two finally surrender to their feelings. Although it was just a little bit too steamy and detailed for my liking, the rest of the book made up for it with a very entertaining and captivating plot. I'm sure this series is going to be just another hit. *** I received a complimentary NetGalley copy in exchange for an honest review***

ARC Review: From this Day Forward (The Wedding Belles) by Lauren Layne Lauren Layne is a real asset to the world of romance. Her stories are delightful and explore so many avenues. From relationships between lovers, to facing family issues, even tackling self esteem. With each novel the core objective is being true to one's self. Such a positive message in an tantalizing yet irresistible package. From This Day Forward centers around love and weddings. Weddings are associated with happiness and magic, but for Leah it's a way of life. Her career as a photographer allows her to capture moments of beauty. However, she knows in her heart that love is based more in fantasy than reality. The opportunity of a lifetime may boost her career but a blast from the past could cause more damage to her already fragile heart. Comparing The Wedding Belles series to Sex and the City or The Wedding Planner is a huge injustice. I was one of the few and far between that could not stand The Wedding Planner and hated Sex in the City. Yet I loved this.

Short, sweet, and a perfect introduction to what should be a great new series from this author. I loved this story and I'm excited to read about the "Wedding Belles" in the upcoming books. This one is a second chance story when two wedding photographers, Leah McHale and Jason Rhodes, find themselves working together at the biggest wedding of the year. Leah was pulled in by Jason's charm and devilish smile once but never again. He stole her heart and then broke it to bits so no second chances for him. He's not about to give up that easily though. He's never forgotten Leah and he plans to make up for his past mistakes! You definitely want to grab this quick read. I highly recommend it.

About the author

Lauren Layne is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than three dozen romantic comedies. Her books have sold over a million copies worldwide. Lauren’s work has been featured in Publishers Weekly, Glamour, The Wall Street Journal, and Inside Edition. She is based in New York City.