No Weddings by Kat BastionMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
No Weddings by Kat and Stone Bastion
This was my first Kat and Stone Bastion book, it is the first in a series called No Weddings that centers on two people who have been damaged by the ones they thought they would spend forever with.
The book is so much more than the title and synopsis suggests.
If you are looking for a sex filled, love at first sight whirlwind romance kind of book this is not the one for you. If you are looking for a book that will take you on journey of two individuals as they explore a male/female friendship and learn to love and trust again while trying to repair their damaged hearts, then I recommend this book whole heartedly.
Cade Michaelson is a successful business man starting up a new business with his three sisters. The relationship he has with his sisters is really fantastic. I loved the banter, I loved the witty comments they throw at each other. You can totally see the love and support behind the sarcasm and pranks.
The story is told from Cade's point of view which I truly enjoyed, I don't get to read books that are completely in the male POV very often. It was a refreshing change. In the beginning of the book Cade comes off like a total player, he sleeps around for sex only encounters whenever and however he likes. If the women don't understand the score he cuts them loose. He's been burned by a woman and he doesn't plan on getting burned again. Until he meets Hannah, at first sight he is completely in lust and is definitely physically attracted to her. She immediately gives him the cold shoulder and he dubs her the Ice Queen. When they meet again months later and Cade is put in charge of the task of getting Hannah to be the exclusive baker for his and his sisters new party planning business Invitation Only (cool name) sparks fly. Cade is challenged by her icy demeanor and wants to break down her icy walls to discover the warm soft woman beneath. He promised his sisters that Hannah was hands off, since he must keep it business only he decides to just invade her life by becoming a continued presence at her bakery shop. Doling out invaluable business advice, eating her delicious baked goods and shamelessly flirting with her at every chance. He’ll do anything just to be around her.
In the beginning I was not a fan of the slow pace of the book. I liked Hannah but I wasn’t sure about these two as a couple. The friendship forms, but slowly, about half way in the business, friendship turns to a much more flirty friendship. This is when I could not put the book down. I was intrigued by Cade's take as a man building a friendship with a woman with no promise of sex or anything physical. I thought the progression of the relationship into something more was very well written. I liked how they seemed to learn a little more about each other every time they were together. Throwing in the flirty comments, and hot looks made for a really fun read. The background characters added an extra element of fun too, Cade was able to see Hannah through his friends and sister’s eye’s which only seemed to make him fall for her more. Most romance novels I read I expect the hero and heroine to fall in love at first sight and have this whirlwind one to two week romance and live happily ever after. I was pleasantly surprised by this book because I actually was fascinated by the budding romance. When these two damaged people start to open up to each other it just broke my heart. Their heartbreaking stories one more tragic than the other. When Cade realizes that he cares for Hannah more than he ever thought he would anyone again I just melted.
Though they don't even kiss until the end of this installment the sexual chemistry is definitely there. If you like a series and you like the slow progression of a real relationship you will enjoy this book.
I am looking forward to the next installment, I can't wait to see what the future holds for Cade and Hannah.
I received and ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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