extremely sweet and romantic addition to the romance world!
Read full review in the sitelinkSeptember issue of InDtale Magazine, Being an event planner if more than a career it is Ivys calling, She believes in fairy tales, happy ever afters and that her and her prince are destined to meet, She doesnt expect that he will be
the cameraman sent to record the wedding she is planning or that what she believes is the beginning he believes will end after their night together.
When it comes to romance and love Ben couldnt be more different than Ivy, He likes to keep his interactions with women casual and he thought the same would hold true for Ivy, After their night together he finds out that they will have to work together for the next three months but he never thought the biggest challenge would be denying his feelings for her.
When it comes to Ivy appearances are deceiving as she is a woman who knows what she wants and isnt about to accept any less as she slowly breaks through Bens walls and shows him how wonderful love and life can be with the right person.
I DNF'd this one around, I found it really slow and the dialogue not realistic,
Also had a hard time finding Ben sexy, I'll try to be more specific When they first kiss
She puckered up and planted a soft kiss, And then Ben quite expertly elbowed his way back into the driver's seat, . . Under the spell of the spring night, she'd yearned for nothing more than a touch, a quiet kiss, She'd wanted a sip of water to slake her lustful thirst,
then "You really are like cotton candy, Every layer I find is pink and soft and melts in my mouth, "
I don't know these phrases stuck out at me and made it hard for me to get into the sexy scenes, Would someone really say that cotton candy line
Also expected Ben's dark secret to be something bigger when it was revealed, Slick's review posted on sitelinkGuilty Pleasures
I have to admit that I get a little “thrill” every time I read a new to me author.
Its kind of like meeting a new person and wondering if youll be able to be friends with them or if its better to stick them in the “acquaintance” corner.
Im pretty excited that after reading Planning for Love, I plan to put Christi Barth into the friends column, Planning for Love is an intriguing tale of a wedding planner, Ivy Rhodes, who not only believes in happily she promotes it day in and day out and Bennett Westcott, a journalist/cameraman, who doesnt believe in romance or marriage.
Yes, these two are on opposite ends of the spectrum and watching them is one fun, sexy, and rewarding task,
Right off the bat I fell in love with these characters, both completely locked in to only seeing things their way but instant attraction that cant be denied.
Ivy is shocked to learn one of her brides has agreed to be on a reality show Wild Wedding Smackdown and while shed love to kill the bearer of that news, Bennett Ben she knows its not his fault.
She manages to get through the day with her ever present grace and charm and then Ben manages to charm her panties right off, Ivy although completely likeable seems to be a bit naïve when it comes to men and relationships, but Im guessing it might come with the profession.
When you are around happy couples and weddings all the time, its probably a safe bet that you sometimes see what you want, After spending a night and a day with Ben, he starts to pull back and while he thinks he did the right thing by walking away, Ivy is crushed.
When Ben returns for work purposes, it becomes even more evident the chemistry is still there but so is the hurt and uncertainty, Both Ivy and Ben, being professionals, manage to come to agreement about their past not interfering with their working relationship, Soon Ben, whether he realizes it or wants to admit it, is romancing Ivy, Ivy of course picks up on it and decides to try and win Bens affections once and for all, With the help of her crazy and nutty staff she starts planning her mission, Ben on the other hand whos been a loner most of his adult life finds himself with an odd assortment of friends friends who not only figure out his professional shame, but sympathize with him because of it.
Ben and Ivy spend a lot of time together and really get to know each other well but they never end up back in bed.
That is something Ivy has decided against and Ben although not totally on board with the decision, respects it, Ivys feelings continue to grow and she admits to herself shes fallen in love with Ben, she of course doesnt tell Ben because she knows it will flip him out.
We know Ben feels something for Ivy but hes so closed off and so anti love that its hard to know what hes thinking or feeling,
This is a romance pure and simple but this story is about all kinds of relationships and that makes it special, The story line is amazingly complex and interesting, the dialog moves at a good pace and its funny when appropriate and serious when it needs to be, but its the entire cast of characters that makes this book so intriguing.
This is absolutely a group of people that I would like to know and spend time with, Planning for Love is the first book in The Aisle Bound Trilogy and I am already anticipating the next release, This book have two characters with different belief and each holding tightly to their belief, Ivy is a strong believer of love and romance hence her career as a wedding planner and Ben who believed that his generation is cursed from love.
The attraction between them is so strong that Ivy strived to prove to Ben that he is capable of love and the mission of Planning for love was being cultivated.
I find the story progressed rather slowly, and at times, i begin to feel bored reading it, The book only hit its momentum when i reaches almost the end of the book where both Ivy and Ben confronted each other about their future at Ivy's parent wedding annisversary.
At the beginning of this story, I was pretty certain that Ivy Rhodes, all pink and girly and glass waaaaay half full, was going to eventually get on my nerves.
She is in love with love and is committed to having her brides get the most perfect experience on their wedding days, But, it eventually became clear that, while she seemed a bit starryeyed and simplistic, Ivy lives what she speaks, Behind all that froth is a woman who is extraordinary at what she does because she believes in herself and would do anything to have her brides' days be perfection.
Ben Westcott has plenty of reason to be cynical and his pairing with Ivy at first seemed headed for eventual disaster, But, even he couldn't resist her pull as she was a real force to be reckoned with, Eventually, he could see the grit and determination of Ivy underneath the girly exterior and you had to admire how she was a stand for her beliefs.
Their group of friends, all somewhat connected to the business, added comic relief as well as intrigue for coming stories,
I couldn't believe that Ivy had won me over in the end and she will you if look closely and see what really lies beneath.
She handled Ben and his cynicism about love and romance, their banter being one of the highlights of the story, I enjoyed the story, the romance and being slain by Ivy, Planning for Love by Christi Barth
ISBN:
Ivy Rhodes is the wedding planner and no mishaps ever occur at them, as per her order and calm.
The bride won the contest where the Wild Wedding Smackdown was to film her wedding, When Ivy falls down a few steps Bennett Westcott from True Life Productions rescues her and hopes she won't sue them as it was his camera bag she had stumbled over.
As the day goes on he dwells into how she can remain so calm throughout all the mishaps that occur and she tells and explains how she is able to do the whole thing without any visible signals to her other staff.
He loves the behind the scenes information from her,
After hot steamy sex that they connect on all levels she takes him out for the day and they thoroughly enjoy themselves and learn more about one another.
He leaves in a hurry as he knows it's only a one night deal,
Love the scenery and landmarks that are highlighted of Chicago,
The TV company does track her down with an offer to follow her around the tape the weddings she plans for others, It will give her enough to fund her store which she already has ideas for, It's a gamble and even her associates think it's a good one,
She is more than surprised when she finds that Ben and his assistant will be the ones to tape the show, Her assistant has to step in and inform her that she needs to stop wanting to go to bed with Ben and concentrate on the weddings,
He is there to see how problems are handled and he asks later how she does it and she tells him, She does not want to have a replay of his earlier one night stand, she says he's a player and she doesn't want to be played,
Ben tries to out run his problem, and then the manager finds him trying to outrun his problems and he's not a runner, Talking to the manager helps a bit but he can't get her out of his mind,
Love how there are essentially just the two of them and a handful of other workers in this book, very easy to keep track of who's who.
Love all the marriage quotes from famous people at the start of every chapter,
Potential disaster from the TV show and now the wedding, she can't take much more but Ben has something up his sleeve, . .
He tells her about the family curse and she kinda thinks it not believable at all, . .
Twohaiku review:
She's wedding planner
He films reality show
Do sparks ever fly!
Didn't love the start
Then finally got better
Nice happy ending Contemporary, Chicago
Ivy Rhodes is a hopeless romantic and the best wedding planner in the business.
She isnt going to let anything get in the way of getting ahead and most certainly not a personal problem, She isnt about to let a heartbreaking and recent onenight stand get in the way when she is asked to star in the reality show Planning for Love.
Bennett Westcott is a videographer that didnt handle his encounter with Ivy well at all, Watching her smile and great body through the camera every day makes him want to try for some no strings attached fun with her,
The more time they spend together shows Ben that Ivy isnt at all what he imagined her to be namely a weddingcrazed bridezilla, He has never trusted himself to make a relationship work let alone last, Now he has to try and convince Ivy to give him another chance,
This is a romance that takes the reader on a very fun ride, The situations at times are comical and seeing how the character react makes for a very enjoyable read, It is also interesting to see how the characters overcome their respective pasts to get the future that they find that they really want to have with each other.
This story kicks off a series that if they rest live up to this one should prove to be a wonderful series to read and enjoy, It also gives a fun spin to both weddings and reality shows,
A charming and enjoyable contemporary romance that pits together two polar opposites who find themselves falling head over heels in love, Planning for Love is an utterly delightful read by Christi Barth.
As a wedding planner, romance is Ivy Rhodes bread and butter, She loves her job and adores making other peoples romantic dreams an absolute reality, Her career means absolutely everything to her and nothing makes her happier than tulle, confetti and wedding cake, However, when a reality television crew appears during one of her weddings and proceeds to film the whole ceremony, she is immediately on her guard, Ivy is not about to let anyone ruin the happiness of one of her couples, but her initial reserve and prickliness crumbles when she claps eyes on handsome, laidback and oh so sexy videographer, Bennett Westcott.
Sparks begin to fly from the moment they meet and pretty soon they find themselves tangling up the sheets and having the night of their lives
Bennetts thriving news career had come to a sudden end after a scandal had almost destroyed him.
Since then, the videographer spends his days filming catfights and bridezillas for reality TV, Love and romance might not usually be high up on Bennetts priority list, but wedding planner Ivy soon proves impossible to resist, Bennett is the kind of man who has never had any qualms about sharing his bed its just his heart that is the problem, Bennett likes to keep his relationship short, sweet and casual, so when Ivy begins to get a little bit too serious for his liking, he is not exactly overjoyed and immediately realizes that he simply cannot give the beautiful wedding planner what she needs, so he bolts.
Ivy is heartbroken at Bennetts rejection, but things seem to be looking up when she is given her own reality show, Planning for Love, Only her joy gives way to dismay when she finds out that she is going to be spending the next few months with the man who shattered her heart into tiny little pieces: Bennett.
Keeping him at arms length soon proves to be absolutely impossible, but with the flame of desire that refuses to be extinguished sizzling between them, will Bennett and Ivy keep their relationship strictly professional Or will they realize that they should not squander this second chance at happiness
Christi Barths contemporary romances are a mustread for fans of the genre.
Sparkling with heat, wit, charm, pathos and heart, Planning for Love is a book that will entertain readers with a riveting blend of sizzling chemistry, hilarious repartee and compelling emotional drama and will have them falling in love with Ivy and Bennett, two brilliantly nuanced and wonderfully written protagonists.
A terrific romance guaranteed to make readers smile, Planning for Love is a heartwarming and uplifting tale readers will find themselves completely enchanted by!,
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Christi Barth