Review: "I've been planning for love my whole life. Now it's time to put that plan into action."
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 22, 2012
Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is unflappable, even when her current bride neglects to inform her that the wedding and all participants (which unfortunately includes Ivy) is about to be featured on a trashy reality TV show called WILD WEDDING SMACKDOWN. Everything is caught on camera by delicious videographer Bennett Westcott. Ivy and Ben share an incredible 24 hours together until things come to a screeching halt when Ben realizes that Ivy is a forever type of gal. Months later, Ivy is approached by a TV exec to star in a brand new show entitled PLANNING FOR LOVE where viewers get to see behind the scenes of a Wedding Planner. Ivy needs the cash influx it would grant, and Ben comes back to town to tape it all.Ivy is a "glass half-full" type of gal, but isn't a Pollyanna. That was a hard thing to pull off, and I think the author did a good job of doing it. Ben is a "glass half-empty" type of guy. Watch the explosions as these two collide!I enjoyed watching Ivy and Ben circle each other as their relationship progressed and developed. Ben doesn't do relationships, so Ivy just doesn't tell him they are in one. It really was funny to see them do all the couple things and relationship things and Ben being totally clueless to that. I enjoyed their interactions and their banter.***"You're Batman," said Ben. "You've got this crazy, whiz-bang, souped-up tool kit and a costume that shows off that rocking body. You're constantly helping the innocent out of jams. Seriously. Tell me one way you're different than Batman.""He wears a codpiece."***Ivy has a fun group of friends she has surrounded herself with, and I loved watching this group enfold Ben inside the circle. Ben has been a loner for so long he doesn't really know what to do about this. These friends did more than just fill out the background of the story, but added dimension to both Ivy and Ben's character.As much as I enjoyed the story, I felt the ending happened too fast. Ivy didn't seem to need to change or develop at all. She was pretty much the same from the beginning to the end. It just didn't seem fair that Ben needed to do all the changing. And when he did, it seemed to happen too fast and all the sudden. Even with this gripe, I did smile as I closed this book.Aisle Bound TrilogyPlanning For Love