'Don't Kiss the Bride' by Carian Cole is a heartwarming story about Skylar Timmons, an 18-year-old high school student living in difficult circumstances, and Jude Lucky Lucketti, a kind-hearted hero who offers her a helping hand. Their unlikely friendship evolves into a beautiful love story as they navigate through age gap, friendship, and the challenges of their pasts. The writing style captures the emotions and struggles of the characters, drawing readers into a rollercoaster of feelings and a journey towards a heartwarming happy ending.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with the female lead being a determined teen facing hardships, while the male lead is an emotionally scarred older man. Their relationship highlights their vulnerabilities and personal growth.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is engaging and emotional, effectively capturing the characters' experiences with a mix of humor and seriousness while remaining accessible.

Plot/Storyline:

The story involves an age gap romance centered around a marriage of convenience, where the main female character faces dire circumstances that require medical insurance, leading to an evolution of friendship and love amidst emotional challenges.

Setting:

The setting is contemporary, reflecting the main character's difficult home life, with a job site serving as a key meeting point for the characters.

Pacing:

The pacing is a slow build towards romance, featuring emotional ups and downs, though some readers noted moments of circular storytelling at the conclusion.

“You need anything before I head outta here?” Kyle asks, glancing over the blueprints that are spread out on a table in the middle of the framed-in addition. We’ve known each other since high school, ...

Notes:

The main characters are Lucky, a 34-year-old construction worker, and Skylar, an 18-year-old high school senior.

The book features themes of friendship turning into love, fitting the marriage of convenience trope.

Skylar's home life is very difficult; she lives with a hoarder that affects her health.

Lucky proposes marriage to Skylar primarily to provide her with health insurance for medical treatment.

Both characters face significant personal struggles, making their relationship relatable and heartfelt.

The book has a slow-burn romance and contains elements of angst due to the age gap and personal issues.

The story includes a bathtub scene that has been highlighted by readers as particularly intimate and memorable.

There are trigger warnings in the book for eating disorders and parental neglect, making it a sensitive read for some.

Carian Cole is known for her ability to depict deep emotions and the journey of healing in relationships.

The book ends with a happy romantic conclusion, which is a hallmark of Cole's writing.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include family neglect, mental health struggles, and eating disorders that the characters navigate.

Has Romance?

The book contains a strong romantic subplot woven throughout the characters' journeys.

explicit steam level

From The Publisher:

I guess you could say I was a damsel in distress, and he was my knight in shining armor.

But more accurately, I was a girl with a lot of bad luck, and he was a guy with a lot of muscles and tattoos.

Jude "Lucky" Lucketti wasn't just a sexy, brooding construction worker. He was my own personal hero who seemed to be in all the right places at the right times. Like when my car broke down and I needed a ride home, and when I face planted on the sidewalk right in front of him and had to be taken to the emergency room.

Those weren't exactly my best moments, but they were his.

We became friends, and it didn't matter that he was sixteen years older than me. We had a lot in common-like our love of old rock music and vintage fast cars, and our aversion to relationships.

When he approached me with a crazy idea to help me out, I couldn't say no.

The arrangement was supposed to be temporary. A marriage on paper and nothing else.

It should've been easy, but it wasn't.

Because here I am, eighteen years-old, still in high school, and married to a man I was never supposed to fall in love with.

We had just one rule-no kissing the bride.

But we broke that rule, and it sealed our fate forever. more

Ratings (31)

Incredible (4)
Loved It (11)
Liked It (10)
It Was OK (5)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (67):

Read It (35)
Want To Read (24)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (7)

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Don't Kiss the Bride

Carian Cole