arc received by netgalley
the wedding date by jj knight follows ensley and drew who basically go on three dates because drew (broody playboy guy) has a one-date rule that ensley is trying to break.
soooo this was a such a cute book omg!! it's brother's childhood bestfriend and grumpy/sunshine which i love, and its dual pov. they meet again at a wedding which is always a cute setting for romance books (i'll never get bored with it, it screams fun romance book to me. i need more authors to incorporate this)
it was fun to read about the characters, theyre complex but not unnecessary complex and the smut was great, not too much but a good amount
i liked the fact that there werent unnecessary characters or plots solely added to make the story longer so id consider this a quick fun read if you want to get out of a slump. its not revolutionnary but it does the job and it follows the usual rules of romance books with the miscommunication trope.
the growling was cringy tho and the writing and plot was kinda boring at some point

When Ensley James is kicked out of the wedding of her best friend, only to find herself stranded in the rain, she should be dejected. Except that her long-time crush Drew Daniels, comes to her rescue. Drew is moody yet sexy and when they must wait out the storm in cosy shed, they reveal some of their secrets. Drew confesses that he is strictly a one-nighter, so Ensley dares him to give her three date nights and see where it goes. Drew is able to express his feelings to the animals in his care as a veterinarian, but he is has his reasons for his rules about women: no true feelings, just flings. Yet when he is with Ensley, he feels happy. However, he also can’t ignore his growing feelings for her as they spend time together. Yet Ensley fears that after their three dates, she will be a similar statistic in Drew’s life.
This was an easy read with some fairly intense moments between Ensley and Drew, starting in the shed, and continued as she begins to work for him at his vet practice. Ensley wears her heart on her sleeve, which was so sweet. From the moment she stands up to her best-friend’s evil stepmother and for her friends. Whilst Drew appears to be quite grumpy and at times, unnecessarily, his reasons for being reluctant to start a relationship with Ensley, is gradually revealed as the story progresses. Whilst Drew grew on me, Ensley shone through as a courageous woman, who Drew was lucky to have in his life.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A playful, cute story. Ensley grew up with nothing and Is fiercely loyal to her family. She’s also had the hots forever for Drew, but he is slow to figure this out.
I loved what Ensley did at Ronnie’s wedding.
One of my favorites parts of the book was Drew’s interaction with his kitty, Sasha.
I also liked how real and down to earth the situations were, easy to read and also relate.

Like in JJ Knight's true fashion, she comes with a witty, fun and sweet rom-com. Having read the Pickles series (not sure if that's the correct title), I knew what to expect from the author and she totally made the reading worthwhile. I really enjoyed reading this entertaining and funny story.

In this delightful read, we meet Ensley, a captivating and lively protagonist, and Drew, a rather grumpy male lead. The story kicks off at a wedding taken over by a self-serving stepmother, where Ensley swoops in to save the day but ends up getting kicked out. That's when she unexpectedly reunites with her childhood crush, Drew, and embarks on a challenge to make him see her as more than just a casual fling.

Now, Drew has his own veterinary practice located three hours away from Ensley's home. He's fantastic with animals but could use some improvement in his people skills. When Ensley pays him a visit, he mistakenly assumes she's seeking a job, which leads to chaos in her life. It was intriguing to witness the comical struggle between them, leaving me undecided on who was the more foolish in that moment - Drew for making assumptions or Ensley for not clarifying her intentions.

As Ensley breaks down Drew's emotional barriers, he realizes he has no desire to rebuild them. It's a journey filled with warmth and genuine connection as two people who have known each other for years finally discover the happiness they've deserved all along. As a romance enthusiast, this is precisely the kind of heartwarming tale I adore!

3.5 stars!

"The Wedding Confession" by JJ Knight is a short, quick, slightly steamy, romantic comedy where Ensley, who has been in love with Drew since they were younger, might finally get her chance to go all the way with the grump. Drew is a very serious veterinarian who also happens to be a huge player. He doesn't do relationships, only first dates (aka one night stands), but Ensley may be the one woman to change all that. Unfortunately, a pretty major miscommunication ensues and threatens their budding relationship.

What this book lacks in an intriguing, new premise, it makes up for with its characters. We get to know Ensley and Drew rather fast because they are thrust together right at the beginning of the story, but we learn the details of their life as we go along the story. I really enjoyed watching Drew go from being a playboy to realizing he has real feelings for Ensley. He is SUCH a grumpy character, almost to the point of it being a turnoff. We learn more about Drew's feelings for Ensley and just how far they go until the last 10% of the book. Ensley is the one making the most of the effort for most of the book. She might come off as a little try-hard, but I thought she was a fine character. The steaminess isn't anything special, but I like that this wasn't a closed door romance. Like I said, this book flies by quickly and is a page turner, so it doesn't take a lot of effort to fall in love with this story!

Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake, and JJ Knight for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

What a cute story! It captures your attention and has you rooting for Ensley and Drew. I needed this story, I have not been feeling well and it gave me a great escape. I absolutely loved their meet cute, how it all worked out but also nothing worked at all. One of my favorite moments is when he adopts the cute little kitty, but also when he comes to see Ensley at her job. There are so many cute moments, but also times you just want them to communicate with each other. The story has a great mix of comedy and romance. I love that Ensley works hard for what she wants and does not want anything handed to her. Oh my, the ending is so amazing! I can't say enough, you have to read this book. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Happy Pub day!

This book was exactly what I needed to get out of my slum. I love Ensley!!!! The whole character line up in this book was funny as hell. So Ensley gets kicked out of her best friend’s wedding after literally ruining her step mothers dress, she was a horrible person trying to outshine her own step daughter on her wedding day. Anyway, she bumps into Drew who is by her side trying to get back into the wedding, these two have history. Drew was her brother’s best friend, and she had the biggest crush on him, and they spent quiet a time confessing things to each other, among other things.

I will say this, these two characters are so damn funny, Drew is a grump, doesn’t believe in more than one date and Ensley is going to change that. I loved their chemistry, which was steamy as hell, being a Vet sealed the deal for me. But he sure is tyrant, and it was cute to see him unravel and get all caught up in Ensley’s sunshine. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Loved Drew and Ensley, and of course we cant forget the star of the book an adorable kitten who loves to cause mischief.

What an absolutely gorgeous book, fast paced with all the feels!
I loved the emotions and realness that jumps from the pages as the story unfolds!
The main characters seem a bit lost as they show a brave face, it’s almost like Ensley and James don’t realise how good they’d be together!
I was so impressed by the writing style and character development, strong sexy characters that have a softer side and a vulnerability!
A wedding is sure to bring plenty of excitement and drama, if only emotion and angst didn’t bring the walls up!

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This slow-burn romance will sweep you off your feet from the first moment you start reading! I LOVED IT!
Ensley and Drew's sassy, sarcastic banter with each other was witty and hilarious. The chemistry was undeniable and their passion was off-the-charts! This was a great story with a sweet Happily-Ever-After!

*4.5

This was such a cute book. I loved seeing Drew open up and not even realize that he's doing it. He doesn't understand why Ensley makes him feel different and it's adorable.

I received an arc through netgalley.

When Ensley James gets kicked out of her best friends country club wedding, Drew also leaves so that she is not alone. Stuck in a shed during a downpour with her childhood crush seems like 12 year old Ensleys dream come true. A few hot messages, late night chats lead to her taking leave from her job so that she can help Drew when he is in a bind. Only Drew doesn’t know this is a temporary solution.
This was a charming read. There was humor, heat and heart, making it a very entertaining read. The author is pretty new to me and I look forward to reading more by her.

Grumpy vs sunshine dreams are given in this omfg. This was a short and quick read. This is a great read to pick up in between heavier reads. I really liked the whole idea of the challenge to have 3 dates. Ensley was cute, and Drew was an interesting MMC but very, very angry. But I loved the opposites attract, I loved the flirting, and overall the vibes of this book was great.

I wanted to love this story but I didn't care for the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ensley James was a bridesmaid at her best friend Ronnie wedding. Ronnie stepmother who was in a white wedding dress told her she would be walking her down the aisle as her father leg was bothering him. Ensley went to help Ronnie by tripping and spilling wine on the stepmother. Her stepmother had Ensley throwing out of the country club.
While being removed from the country club she runs into Drew Daniels one of her brother friends, who she had a crush on since she was twelve. Drew goes and waits outside with her; they go to return inside, and the doors are locked. They walk around the place, but the doors are locked. As they walk around it starts to rain and they spot a building and head towards it.
The building is not big, but they are out of the rain. They are soaked, and he looks around for something and find overall. Her dress is soaked and see thru and has falling down where Drew can see everything. While they are waiting for the rain to stop, they talk about old times and what they are doing.
Drew lives in another state not far from where one of her sister lives. Drew says he only has one date with the women he meets. Ensley wants to know if the feelings for Drew still exist. She takes her vacation from her job and goes to visit her sister She texts back and forth with Drew and makes him an offer for three dates. Will these three dates work out and what did Drew not confess to Ensley.

this book was fun , quirky and all in between , i love everything about this book and i cant wait to read book 2 . since pages one i was laughing and thank god is not 3rd Pov barbecue that would be a no for me. i finish this book in a day as is such a easy reading , you wont even notice you are reading . the character feel real and i got a feeling i want a book for every single person in that family. a single parent love story for the second sister ? that a book i would defenelity read !!

Thanks to Netgalley for a an advanced copy. A nice, light read. Ensley meets Drew at a wedding. He was her brothers best friend when they were children and has a reputation with women. They are drawn to each other that night and the story starts there. It is quite cute, a little predictable but a nice easy read.

This was such a quick read with lovable characters. I really liked Endsleys character and that may be in part to the fact that I've worked in banking for 10 years and I related to her a lot. And Drew being a sexy, grumpy veterinarian with a soft heart of gold was an instant book boyfriend crush for me! If you are looking for a slow burn, dual POV, contemporary romance look no further.

4 star rating. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for an advanced copy for my honest review.

Ensley had a crush on Drew when she was a kid- he was her older brother's friend- and now they've met again as adults. They spend a wedding they're meant to be attending in a shed talking but Drew isn't interested in commitment. When he heads back to his vet office in Atlanta, Ensley thinks for a bit and then follows, ostensibly to help her sister but really to see if she can get Drew to spend more time with her. It's trope-y as can be (second chance, grumpy-happy, animals) but it's a sweet read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good for a rainy afternoon.