The wedding of your nightmares…

Synopsis

Take one lavish holiday wedding. Add one evil ex and his bridezilla. And toss in a smoking-hot chef from the past. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Victoria Blackwood has spent years trying to redeem herself after falling victim to a blackmail scheme that cost her father thousands. So, when he insists she coordinate a big Christmas wedding at her family’s winery, she can’t say no. Even if the groom is her ex, and the caterer just quit.

For Rafael Sanchez, a last-minute call to cater a huge society wedding is a golden opportunity. If he can prove he’s up to the challenge, his brothers might entrust him with more responsibility in the family catering business. But when he meets Victoria, he can’t believe his eyes. Five years ago, they had a passionate fling that rocked his world. Until she left him with only a fake name to remember her by.

To pull off the perfect wedding, Victoria and Rafael can’t afford to get caught up in the past. But keeping things professional won’t be easy, not when the attraction between them burns hotter than Christmas in July.

My review

Victoria Blackwood is used to coordinate big events at her family’s winery, Blackwood Cellars. But the latest event surely is the most challenging one. First of all, this is a way to redeem herself after a mistake she made n the past, costing her father lots of money. And it’s her father that demands that she organizes everything for this Christmas wedding. Second, the groom is her ex – fiancé, marrying the woman that he got pregnant after cheating on Victoria. And yes, it can get even worse, because the wedding is actual the wedding Victoria had organized for herself. And to make it even more worse, the bride is a real Bridezilla, causing the caterer to quit last minute.
The last option is to hire Tres Hermanos. But of all the things Victoria expected, it wasn’t meeting Rafael Sanchez again, the man she had the most amazing fling with five years ago and to only ghost him afterwards.
Can they keep things professional? Or will that old spark and attraction reignite?  

Having read the previous parts of this trilogy, and absolutely loved them both, I was very curious about Victoria’s story. And who her counterpart would be.
And did I get everything wanted from her tale? Yes!
Could the story have been better? Absolutely not! 

Before I started to get to know Victoria better, I thought she was a woman focused on her career, and a rather stoic woman.
But the more I got to know he better, the more I saw that in fact, yes, she is a determined woman, but she is also a hurt woman, still carrying a burden that is way too heavy for her.
She once made a mistake in her life, and let’s be honest, don’t we all screw up once in a while, but her father won’t let her forget about it.
And the debt she has, won’t allow her to spread her wings and do what she truly wants to do. 

And the meeting with Rafael… pfew…
Of course we all know that some of the passion they once had, would resurface when meeting. But it’s not only that that made me love this book.
Rafael (and the rest of his family) wants that the wedding will be a success, and not only because it would be a huge step forward for their business, but also just because they are such amazing people.

Even if I loved our main characters and their attempt to resist each other, I never despised so many people in a book…
Victoria’s father is hideous, terrible and I admire/ pity his family that have to endure him. His every word is law, and woe to those who dare to contradict him!
And the groom… just YUK!!! I was glad that Victoria ended things with him, because I saw someone so self-centred, obnoxious, horrible man! 

But being surrounded by despicable men, made Victoria find the courage to stand up to them, and take them down a few notches.
And I nearly applauded when Victoria found her strong voice to do so! 

This was a romantic story, I don’t contradict it. But I saw it more as a story about a woman who has endured too much from the men in her life, and decided that it’s time to say ‘enough’. Thanks with the people around, who truly love and care about her, she is able to take the (small) steps to become independent, but also the strong woman she without a doubt is. And doing what someone is good as, but also has the passion for it, and not being used as a puppet for someone’s else whim, is what everyone deserves.
And while on your search for freedom, you can also find love, it’s a double win! 

Again this author managed to surprise me with a wonderful story, lovely characters (and a few nasty ones), filled with strength, determination, love and courage.
I loved ready every bit of this story, part of a magnificent trilogy, but reaching the end saddened me because it means it was the end of a wonderful journey I was able to participle together with the most amazing members of the Blackwood family…