I was really drawn in, I love a good friends to lovers and single dad trope. The Scottish setting was truly charming and I was really rooting for Liv (she's crush on Arran for years, the trouble is he also happens to be her twin brothers best friend)
I enjoyed this but for me personally the slow burn was too slow.
Thank you NetGalley, Zoe Allison and HQ for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

The Wedding Engagement is a fun and charming friends-to-lovers rom-com.

If you're a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, this book is a must-read. Zoe has masterfully captured the essence of this beloved trope, infusing it with fun, heartfelt moments, and a dash of spice. The story is a delightful escape, with entertaining plot twists, spot-on banter, and a romance that will leave you swooning.

One of the things that stood out for me was the strong friendship among the characters in this book. This is a tight-knit group, and I adored how supportive they were of each other. I also loved the fun banter-y teasing that went on among the friends. This story has lots of light, fluffy, and laugh-out-loud moments, which makes for such an enjoyable read. But this book isn't just fluff; Zoe tackles some pretty challenging topics, like a toxic parent and toxic past relationships. Zoe handled these topics with care and thought and did a great job at weaving them into her story in a realistic and relatable manner.

The characters in this book were wonderful! Zoe really is a likeable character. She is smart and funny, and I couldn't help but root for her. She is crushing hard for Arran, her brother's best friend. Zoe and Arran have grown closer over the years and now consider each other close friends. Even though it looks like Zoe has her life together, she struggles when it comes to romantic relationships. Her toxic relationship with her father has made it difficult for her to get close to another man romantically. She believes in love and HEA, but not for herself. Arran is a real sweetheart of a hero. He is funny and charming and is also crushing on Zoe. But Arran has a lot on his plate. He is co-raising his son with his ex-fiancé, who doesn't seem as interested in parenting. Arran has some emotional baggage from his ex-fiance leaving him, and it's been difficult to move on when his ex is still in his life. As the story progresses, both MCs really need to focus on internal health and growth. It is something that they do independently and with each other's support. Their journey to getting their HEA is full of miscommunications and pinning.

I love a romance that is chalked full of witty banter. Zoe and Arran really are perfect for each other. I loved, loved, loved their banter. It is flirty and nerdy. I devoured every exchange between these two. Besides all the fun banter, there was some real depth to Zoe and Arran's relationship that comes from two characters that have known each other for a long time. These two have supported each other over the years and have stood by each other through thick and thin. They are a team that works so well together. The only real miscommunication that exists between them is connected to their romantic feelings, which is pretty understandable, given their past and friendship. You will love this book if you are a fan of friends to lovers, brother's best friend, slow burn, pinning, miscommunications, and fun, flirty banter.

The Wedding Engagement is a fun, flirty friends-to-lovers rom-com that is sure to please any romance bookworm.

This was a lovely romantic read about Liv and Arran who are friends who have developed feelings for each other. There is plenty of sexual tension between them but frustratingly things keep preventing them from getting together (no spoilers)

I have read Zoe’s previous novel The Ex-Mas Holidays and loved the fact that we got to hear more about Sam and Maya and follow their next chapter.

This was a great romantic read with hidden depths and a perfect ending.

Thanks to NetGalley, Zoe Allison and HQ for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Oh my, Zoe Allison, what spice!
I was thrilled to read The Wedding Engagement and to learn what happened to Liv and Arran, whom I had already met in her previous book, The Ex-Mas Holidays.
Liv and Arran have known each other since childhood. Arran is Liv's twin brother's best friend, and she's been holding somewhat of a candle for him for a while.
Arran has not long got out of a relationship, with a broken engagement, and a gorgeous little boy, Jayce, in his life.
There is chemistry between these characters, though they both have their reasons for not taking the first step towards admitting any attraction. Then they get thrown together to help arrange the Sten do for Liv's brother, Sam, and her best friend, Maya.
The sizzle starts and can be felt intensely, coming to an (ahem) climax in the second half of the book.
A typical friends-to-lovers story filled with slow-burn chemistry that a reader can really feel! I raced through this book in a couple of sittings and LOVED it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an ARC.

3.5 stars

I initially struggled to get into this book, slow burns aren't my fave and also I got a bit frustrated at both of them for liking each other but not wanting to risk their friendship

However when things started to happen I thought it was really cute and I love how supportive they are of each other

The friendship group in this book/series is so lovely I love all the characters

- friends to lovers
- slow burn
- single dad
- brothers best friend

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for the ARC - all opinions are my own

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved this book by Zoe Allison.

The story was sweet, the characters relatable and the setting was beautiful.

Cannot wait to see what the author brings out next.

I highly recommend this book.

The romantic gestures over a number of days that Arran arranged were so romantic and thoughtful. And one of my favourite parts in the book.
There was some spice, but it was not too spicy. ( just the perfect amount to engage a reader😅) The few scenes were tasteful and well done. I didn't find it to be a slow burn, I enjoyed the build-up and the development in their relationship.

The way Liv loves Jase, Arran's son was so special, I loved the bond. I think finding love after a breakup, especially if there are children involved, can be so difficult, and I'm so glad he found someone who adores his son as if he were her own. That alone made my heart swell.

I loved the eavesdropping old ladies at the tea room. They were hilarious with their advice for the younger generations.
Men pretending not to know how to do something I could totally relate to that🙄
Titanic art scene so hot, and sweet and all feelsy words.

I really enjoyed this 2nd book in the Glenavie series. It can be read as a standalone, but why? When you can enjoy the characters in both books!

Tropes:
Mixed race couple
Single dad/jilted before the wedding dad
Sort of interfering ex
She fell first-( in childhood )
Friends to lovers
Family drama

This was a very interesting book. I did enjoy parts of it and the friends to lovers aspect was really good. I just felt like it was a little to long and would have been better if it was shorter as the story dragged on a bit.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Thanks for a copy of this book! I liked this book but didn't love it. It was a little bit too slow off the mark for me but was a fun Autumn read overall

I did enjoy parts of this book and found myself laughing at some of the antics but also found it too slow a burner some times and wanted it to get going,lots of characters to get to know and a lovely setting did add pluses to the book but for me it just needed to develop the plot just that bit quicker,,the writing was good and would read another book by this author 3.5 stars

omg i loved this!! such a good book with a really decent storyline. I loved the supporting characters and i really feel like they help you understand Arran and Liv better. I love the comedic element and romantic spicy stuff too which really makes it an easy read 😊 The book is comprehensive throughout and i love the way it’s written! I guess i knew what we was going to happen from the start hence why the 4/5 stars, a few twists and turns would have deffo been cool but nonetheless a great read!

A story about Liv who is in love with her friend’s brother and is now helping him to plan his sister’s wedding.
A found this book slow in parts but it has some amusing banter and a few interesting characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book and I enjoyed the relationship between Arran and Liv. I didn't enjoy it as much as Sam and Maya's book but it was still a lovely read.

Jayce was an added bonus and I'm glad that Jess wasn't used as a villain for a plot point.

I do feel this book was about 100 pages longer than it needed to be and I did skim read a lot towards the end as it seemed to drag out a bit longer than I thought it should have.

I am looking forward to Elise and Nico's book, however.

Such a lovely read.
First book I have read by Zoe Allison. Living in Scotland I loved the Scottish settings.

3🌟
Liv and Arran's relationship was predictable from the get go, and to be honest I wasn't really rooting for their relationship to work. They were sweet generally but it felt like a real slow burn romance and ended up being dragged out a little too long. The concept of them planning parts of the wedding was fair enough and seemed it might work, but to be honest I found it hard to stay focused on reading the book and didn't find myself flying through it like normal.

There are quite a lot of characters in the Wedding Engagement, who are a close knit bunch of friends.

Liv Holland has had a crush on Arran Adebayo, her twin brother’s best friend, forever. Arran is a trying very hard to co-parent his young son Jayce, with his ex who is quite frankly taking liberties, and Liv steps into help take care of him when Arran has to work. Her twin Sam is getting married to one of her best friends, and all the friends come together to help make plans as the wedding a success. Zoe and Arran get paired up together to sort out music for the wedding, and it is quite apparent to everyone around them that they both have feelings for each other but neither has wanted to take it further from fear of upsetting Sam, or breaking the guy code of dating your best friends sister.

All the characters are likeable especially little Jayce. I found myself laughing aloud whilst reading the book and thinking how lovely it would be to be in such a close group of friends, who always have each others backs. This is the first book I have ready by Zoe Allison but it won't be the last, I really enjoyed her writing style and humour in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Zoe Allison for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Wedding Engagement is a romance novel by Zoe Allison.
I absolutely loved Zoe's last book, The Ex-Mas Holidays and The Wedding Engagement certainly didn't disappoint. It was such a cute read. I loved everything about this book. The story and the settings in the book were sweet and were easy to follow. I loved Maya and Sam's slow burn romance and wanted them to get together. Overall, a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers.
💖The Wedding Engagement is released on 7th October.
💓 Thank you to netgalley, the publisher, HQ and the author, Zoe Allison for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolutely beautiful book. I LOVED THIS. The characters are so perfect and adorable. The story itself kept me hooked, its really enjoyed. I will definitely be recommending this book.

Thank you to HQ Digital and Zoe Allison for gifting me a digital ARC of The Wedding Engagement in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I couldn't wait to get my mitts on The Wedding Engagement after loving Zoe Allison's book last year. Finally, we have Arran and Liz's story in our hands! Arran was my favourite character from The Ex-Mas Holiday, so I've been dying ever since to read his love story and wasn't disappointed.

Zoe Allison has written a book full of passionate longing, unrequited love, and dysfunctional family ties. It's a pot of boiling emotions, fears, and slow-burn romance. The writing is a gorgeous, beguiling, and aching love story about two friends who long to be more to one another but deny it out of fear of ruining the precious friendship that underpins their lives. The pacing is a bit chopping as the intensity of the longing and desires ebbs and flows with Arran and Liv's fears and denial holding them back. I loved the scenic descriptions of the places in Scotland that were visited in the story. Zoe Allison has a talent for vividly bringing the awe of the Scottish landscape to life in the reader's imagination.

The romance is a very slow burn (a little frustrating at times). Still, you have to appreciate the demons both Liz and Aaron are battling. Ultimately, I was grateful for how Zoe Allison staged and set up the pacing for their journey to falling in love as it brought the characters to life as compelling, 3-dimensional people who overcame their obstacles and doubts with healthy communication, respect, and giving each other time and support. Heightening their affection and love for me as they proved they could go the distance with each other no matter what challenges might be thrown their way during a relationship.

There is a tiny flicker of a miscommunication trope – but it focuses on the things unsaid between Arran and Liv that drive distance between them. Both are afraid of crossing the line between friendship and love due to their internal wounds, as the thought of losing their friendship stops them in their tracks. I'm not a fan of miscommunication usually – but I think The Wedding Engagement cleverly uses it to compliment Arran and Liv's character arcs to push them out of their comfort zones on their journey of self-discovery to allow them to embrace their deep-rooted feelings for one another.

The Wedding Engagement is a fun, cute read with a swoony-friends-to-lover romance story at its velvety core full of found family vibes, sweet, intimate moments, and some hot-damn spicy scenes. I devoured this book in a matter of hours – I loved seeing how Sam and Maya's relationship has grown from the last book and the big moment of seeing Arran and Liv come together.