The One You Want - Jennifer Ryan

Book Synopsis: Sometimes weddings bring the worst surprises...Growing up, Rose fled her family home--and a dangerous father--vowing never to return. But Rose is back in Carmel, California, with two goals: to joyfully act as maid of honor for her best-friend-forever Maggie and to reunite and rebuild her relationships with her mother and sister. And she can't wait to finally meet the groom-to-be.

But when Maggie excitedly introduces her to Marc, Rose is horrified. He's the man Rose spent one lust-fueled but disastrous night with a year ago. Rose and Maggie have shared every secret...but Rose isn't sure she can reveal this one. To complicate the situation, Rose makes an instant connection with Gray, Marc's best man and cousin.

And as the big day approaches, the secret weighs heavy upon Rose. It was a whirlwind courtship, but Maggie seems so sure she's found the one she wants. Now Rose faces the biggest dilemma of her life: Should she tell Maggie and Gray the truth and risk losing them? What if it's best to leave things alone? Then again, what if her friend is making the biggest mistake of her life?

---

TW: Physical Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Cheating.

What would you do if you knew that your best friend was about to possibly make the biggest mistake of their life?

Going into this book, I didn't know what to expect, I've never read any of this author's books before, but I was curious to read it. Based on the synopsis, I was drawn in, the drama, the secrets, and I wanted to see how it would all end. I'm so happy with the direction the author took with the conclusion of this book. Without giving anything away, everyone gets their happily-ever-after. This wasn't entirely a romance book, more like a women's fiction story with the theme of love and friendship.

The dynamic of Gray and Rose's relationship was kind of annoying, I like that she was able to find love but I disliked the fact that their attraction was based on insta-love. It makes me wish that there was more time for them to fall for each other.

I'd recommend this book to people who like wedding stories, women's fiction, and are not so sensitive to the trigger warnings I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, while I did enjoy reading some parts of the story, I didn't think it was amazing, or that I'd read it again.

Rating: 3/5 Stars ★★★☆☆