Layla Bailey finds herself attending her former sister-in-law’s destination wedding in Paris. Never mind that Paris is the same city where she honeymooned with her ex-husband. She’s determined to be the bigger person and show everyone that she has no hard feelings about the divorce. Her plan is to keep a low profile, get through the wedding festivities, and avoid any drama. But when a conversation with the bride accidentally plants seeds of doubt in her mind, Griffin, the best man, decides that he and Layla need to team up to save the wedding.
This was another solid three-star read for me. I didn’t find the main characters particularly interesting, and at times, I had a hard time staying invested in their story. Griffin was especially off-putting at the beginning. He was rude in a way that didn’t quite work for me, and not in a fun, grumpy-sunshine kind of way. It was clear that he had some emotional baggage in his past, but I struggled to find anything particularly appealing about him early on.
There were quite a few characters in this book, and they all had something to contribute to the story. In fact, I sometimes found the side characters more interesting than Layla and Griffin. I did enjoy learning more about the main characters’ histories, though. There was a lot of depth to their backstories, and I appreciated the time spent exploring what had shaped them into the people they were.
On the other hand, there were so many secrets and so much baggage packed into this story that it started to drag. We spend a long time waiting to find out why Layla and her ex-husband divorced and what happened in Griffin’s past. There are plenty of hints along the way, but by the time the secrets finally come to light, the reveals felt a little anticlimactic. Even so, the story took me on a real emotional journey, and I appreciated the moments when everything finally came together.
One thing I absolutely loved was the setting. Paris is practically a character in this book. From walks through the city to visits to the Rodin Museum, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Louvre, the descriptions really brought Paris to life. And don’t even get me started on all the pastries. I was practically hungry just reading about them! I also had to laugh at the descriptions of the tiny coffees. Apparently, what counts as a coffee in Paris is a very different thing from what we’re used to in the U.S.
This book was an enjoyable enough read, but it wasn’t one that completely won me over.
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