A Small Town Wedding

by Melinda Curtis

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Fans of Hallmark movies set in small towns with quirky characters will enjoy this fake date, sweet romance.

He needs a fake girlfriend.

Although they dated for only a month, Harley O’Hannigan agreed to be Vince Torino's plus-one at his brother’s Harmony Valley wedding. Big mistake, given her feelings for the tall, dark, unavailable bachelor.

But things quickly get complicated.

Vince never told her about his prickly relationship with his brothers or his bad boy past. Not that Harley has been forthcoming about her submarined career either. But secrets have a way of coming to light when you’re sharing a tiny room with twin beds, making Harley wonder if they’re both due for a fresh start…together?

Fans of fake relationship romance and movies like Can’t Buy Me Love and The Wedding Date will love this fun, heartwarming, clean romance with a happily ever after.

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Book Details

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Subgenre

Small Town

Series

Love in Harmony Valley • Book 13

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

June 24, 2024

Language Versions

English

Narration Type

Digital

Fiction Form

Novel

Sensitive Themes

Child abuse/endangerment, Depression or anxiety, Grief or loss of a loved one, Pregnancy/childbirth on-page, Self-harm or suicide

Editorial Reviews

"The story...is filled with a rollercoaster of emotions, secrets revealed and family issues resolved as well as a beautiful love story that will have you cheering them on until the very last page. The quirky, unique and lovable secondary characters add just the right amount of levity and humanity to bring this town to life." Amazon Reviewer, 5 Stars

Emotional Story About Secrets

This story packed an emotional punch for me! I could feel the emotions of all the characters involved! Their pasts intersected with their presents in very real ways and threatened their futures. Joe was getting married and of course, invited his two brothers to be at the wedding. One of those brothers, Vince, hasn't been back home to Harmony Valley since he left years ago. The brothers' growing up years were very complicated and messy, especially Vince's, and he has kept a lot of secrets from his brothers. He doesn't really want to go back for Joe's wedding because those secrets might come out and he's not ready for them to! He also doesn't want to bring a "plus-one" but eventually does both - goes to the wedding and brings Harley, a girl he only dated for a month. Harley has her own secrets! I love going back to Harmony Valley anytime I can. Love all those characters! It was fun to see Joe, his fiancée and his daughter again too! As secrets come out, the brothers will have to deal with things they never knew and Vince will have to change his perception of himself and maybe even make a life with Harley? However, he vowed to never get married or have a family so that just might be impossible!I received a copy of this book from the author but wasn't obligated to review it. These are my opinions.

A match made in Heaven

Another great visit to HV is had, this time with one of those bad boy Torinos and his ex-girlfriend. It'll be brutal in HV, with the whole town eyeing their every move, but better with than without her. At least Vince's brothers should leave him alone. They don't need to know he's sworn off love, marriage and kids. Good thing fate has better sense than him, putting everything he needs right in front of him. He just has to be brave enough to grab hold and never let go.Vince holds so much pain and guilt inside from his childhood. He never shared any of that with his brothers. Harley feels like a failure due to misbegotten actions that were not her own. But she's determined to persevere. Two souls who aren't where they want to be in their lives, one afraid to love, the other with arms open wide to receive it. A rocky road will be taken to their HEA, but they will get there, tears wiped away with sweet kisses and hugs.The residents of HV bring their wonderful personalities to the party as always. Mildred and Old Man Takata? Motorcycling Irwin and speed-racer Rose? The elders are grabbing life by the horns almost as much as the youngsters. Eldest Torino Gabe is a delightful goofball, but protective of his niece Sam. Young Brad had best be leery. A dad and two uncles have him in their sights. Joe and Brit are blissfully happy, their nuptials the talk of the town, at least until Vince comes home and acts a fool. He and Harley kept the phone tree hopping, everyone in HV rooting for them to be together. Small-town living at its finest.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Enjoyed it

I enjoyed this visit back to Harmony Valley for a second chance, fake relationship romance. It was a lovely romance with plenty of entertaining interference from both family and the (mostly senior) residents of the town. Vince had endured a difficult youth with a mentally ill father and a mother who walked out. He had convinced himself that he couldn’t, and shouldn’t, ever marry or have children. Holding himself at a distance from his brothers, he lied and said he had a girlfriend. Called back to his home town for his brother’s wedding, he convinced his ex-girlfriend Harley to join him and pretend they were together. Harley had her own baggage after her architecture career had been derailed. Back in Harmony Valley, memories, secrets, and new surprises warred with Vince and Harley’s unresolved, and still growing, feelings for each other. There were many serious topics focused on in the story, but the Harmony Valley senior citizens added a light layer to it. It was fun to see characters from previous books again, especially Vince’s family. The main characters were engaging and their romance was interesting with a fairly recent history and many layers. This book is part of a long series and there is a lot of carryover, but the story can be read as a standalone. There were elements in this story that involved mental illness (specifically schizophrenia and depression), suicide, self-harm, physical assault, death, grief, and parental abandonment. This is a closed door romance with the characters having had intimate relations before the story. There is mild innuendo and no harsh language.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sweet story

A lovely story of a young man with a rough childhood who finds a woman who makes him believe in love again.

Wonderful series

This series keeps getting better with each story . Weddings have a way to bring families back together, secrets to be revealed and new beginnings. This story has all that and more .