Bridal Favors (The Wedding Planner Book 2)

3.75 Stars - Sweet and entertaining book. Some witty repartee. ** SPOILERS ** At 15 yrs old Evelyn sees Justin Powell leaving a married woman's bedchamber. Justin strikes a deal, that if she won't say anything about him, he will be indebted to her and will return the favor. Ten years later Evelyn breaks into Justin's home and explains that she's standing in for her aunt as a wedding planner and the current clients want to have the wedding at Justin's estate. He refuses so she shows him the voucher. That's when he realizes she's the girl he met 10 years ago. Now she dresses plainly in serviceable dresses knowing how plain she is after being compared to her beautiful sister for years. He lets her have the wedding there on the condition that he can be there as well because as a well known bird watcher, that is the time that he wants to see the habits of a bird he discovered there. What Evelyn doesn't know is that Justin is really a top spy for the government that hides behind a facade of disheveled looks, eccentricity, cleverness, unflappableness and obliviousness. While looking for possible spies that's looking for a crate he's going to receive, he pretends to be bird watching while Evelyn makes over his home for the wedding but it's getting harder and harder for him to resist her. She's interested in him but knows that he would never go for someone like her. Even though there are kisses and more, she writes it off as him being randy and she's the only woman available. When he makes it clear that he truly desires her, they make love, but the next day Justin tells her that he's a spy because he just realized that he'd been setup and that his superiors have made it look that Evelyn is also a spy. So with a wedding going on they find out who the spy is and trap him into revealing himself but the spy gets aways to tell the enemy that Justin and Evelyn are spies. Once a spy is known they can no longer be used and must retire thus keeping Evelyn and Justin safe. After the wedding disaster, Justin proclaims that he loves her and after much convincing she admits she loves him too.

As much as I like Brockway, I wasn't 'loveswept' by this one. There were elements of humor and wit here and there and the H and h were okay, though nothing to write home about.I'm sure it's just me...others have really liked this. I never saw any real connection between the H and the h. I often felt as if I were reading a cross between Victorian and contemporary. The storyline was choppy and it drifted. It was as if the author tried to do too much...a spy story with an oh, by the way, romance...oh, and don't forget to throw in some humor here and there. Sometimes the 'humor' worked, sometimes it didn't. Then there was the obligatory sex scene that seemed just that...obligatory. I didn't see any big buildup of emotion leading to it. At least there was no abduction in the story.

I like a humorous romance every now and then. And this book was humor in spades!I loved Evelyn "Evie" and Justin. Evie is so convinced that she is a golem, that she becomes an overachiever to compensate for her supposed ugliness. She thinks since she isn't pretty that being accomplished will make up for the lack to the man she marries. She has taken over her Aunt's wedding planning business and has been a total failure. When the opportunity arises to redeem herself she calls in a decade old favor to Justin Powell to host the wedding at his country estate.Ten years ago she caught Justin I what she thought was a compromising position at her sister's coming out house party. To keep her quiet, Justin let's her believe what she wants and promises her a future favor for her silence.From the very beginning, you feel the chemistry between these two. Their banter is at times laugh out loud funny. And while Evie's belief that she is a golem never really changes - she doesn't harp on it and doesn't feel sorry for herself. She is a vertigo! The wedding reception scene is priceless!!While this book was a "spy" story - it was more Austin Powers than James Bond. The romance was subtle, but never in doubt. It wasn't as steamy as other books I have read by Ms. Brockway, but this story didn't suffer from the lack.While this is book two in the Bridal Favors series - it is totally stand alone. The characters from the first book are not even mentioned in this book (other than the still missing Aunt Agatha).My only complaint - no epilogue - I wanted more! I wanted to know what happened with Evie and Justin - at the very least see them marry!!

I just read "Bridal Favors" back to back with "McClairen's Isle: The Passionate One" - and frankly, I am amazed that the same person wrote them both. McClairen's Isle was so dark and intense; Bridal Favors is full of light and air and cheer. Brockway writes both sorts with, apparently, equal aplomb.I totally adored Justin and Evelyn. They both stand out as individuals; Justin's glib tongue is endlessly amusing and Evelyn's determination and practicality are so poignantly woven in with her desire to please and vulnerability. They're both fundamentally good people, too, also independent and responsible.The ensemble is just delightful. Beverly the butler, Merry the dressmaker, Stow the spymaster...there's so much quirk and wit and froth, but at the same time, the plot is never thin and Justin is a pretty believable spy.This was a *fun* read - I smiled and laughed all through. I have to say, I am quite impressed by Brockway. I think I'm going to have to read all her other books now, too.