One Old, One New: Meghan Quinn Edition

One Old, One New features two books - one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today, I am sharing two books by Meghan Quinn.

The Wedding Game 
Meghan Quinn
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Montlake
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn’s latest bauble is the charming story of a crafting queen battling a jaded divorce lawyer on a wedding reality show.

Luna Rossi is a veritable crafting genius—she can bedazzle and bead so hard her Etsy site is one of the hottest in the world. So it’s only natural that Luna would convince her brother and his husband-to-be to compete on The Wedding Game, a “do-it-yourself” TV show, for the title of Top DIY Wedding Expert.

As a jaded divorce lawyer, Alec Baxter scoffs at weddings and romance. But when his recently engaged brother begs him to participate in The Wedding Game, Alec grudgingly picks up a glue gun and prepares for some family bonding.

Both fierce competitors, Luna and Alec clash on national TV as harsh words and glitter fly with abandon. But as they bicker over color swatches and mood boards, they find themselves fighting something else: their growing mutual attraction. While Luna is torn between family loyalty and her own feelings, Alec wonders if he might have been wrong about love and marriage all along…

Luna, a crafting queen, jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Wedding Game. She was determined to help her brother have the best wedding ever no matter what. Alec wanted no part of it, but reluctantly agreed to help his younger brother create a the wedding of his dreams. When friction turns into frisson between Alec and Luna, a more-than-friends friendship takes root, but will it survive their families and the world of reality TV?

Once again, Quinn had me in stitches. From fumbling through crafts to over the top characters, I had so much fun playing The Wedding Game. The challenges were pure comedy gold, and smiles and laughs ensued. I was always waiting to see what they would do next and was never disappointed. 

But it wasn't all fun and games. Both Luna and Alec were struggling a bit. Luna sort of bulldozed her brother into the game, and though she meant well, she probably pushed him a bit too hard when it came to certain things. Alec was his brother's hero growing up, but abandoned him at one point. This was his chance to rebuild that relationship, and also, figure work though some of his own issues regarding the institution of marriage. 

It was the change in Alec that was more dramatic and satisfying for me. Having grown up in a home that was lacking much warmth and love, he had a very grim perception about love and marriage. Some of his confessionals moments were pure heartbreak, and it was difficult watching him suffer some painful moments. I was glad he had Luna on his side. She really brought out the best in him, and I loved watching them together. Their interactions and banter was so fun and flirty, but there were also a lot of sweet and tender moments. You could say they were super easy to ship. 

I am known to always cry at weddings, and I shed some happy tears at the end of this book. Seeing so much romantic and familial love on the page delighted me and filled my heart to brim. 

The Romantic Pact
Meghan Quinn
Series: Kings of Football, #2
Age/Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Hot-Lanta Publishing LLC
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I haven't seen her in three years.

I haven't talked to her since the kiss.

So why am I on a plane, flying across the world to spend a week with her in Germany?

One word: Pops.

My life’s a mess.
My possible football career is hanging on by a thread.
I'm driving the roads of Germany in honor of Pops with the one girl I can never have.
And I’m sharing a bed with her, the girl I've measured everyone else up to, while desperately trying to not to touch her.

We made a pact growing up, never to get romantic with each other - never fall in love.

And I'm about to break that pact. For good.

It was time for an intervention. The future Crew had previously seen for himself was now unclear. His final season was a disaster, and he was struggling with the loss of his beloved grandfather. Good thing Pops had planned for this. Before his death, Pops had organized Crew's rite-of-passage trip to Germany. Pops and his wife had taken the trip, Crew's parents had taken the trip, and now, Crew would take this trip. It seemed Pops had some surprises in store for Crew though, starting with an unexpected reunion between Crew and his best friend Hazel with many more along the way.  

Quinn is one of my go-tos for laughs, but she also knows how to tug at my heartstrings. Crew was in such a bad place at the beginning of this book. He wasn't just grieving the loss of his grandfather, he was also dealing with a lot of guilt. He was thinking about how long it had been since he spent time with Pops and how many visits he had skipped. Add that to feeling like he missed out on that time with his grandfather for no reason, and you have a very sad Crew. 

I loved the idea of this trip being the remedy for his situation. There was so much love and thought that went into the planning, and Pops picked the perfect travel companion for Crew. It had been years since Crew and Hazel spent time together. They fell out of touch when the summer visits to the farm stopped, but they had so many years of friendship to fall back on. Before long, that camaraderie they once shared was restored, and thanks to Pops, it grew into more as he played matchmaker from beyond the grave. 

Touring Germany with these two was a lot of fun. I thought Quinn took us to some fantastic places on the Romantic Road, but it was the letters that owned me. Along the way, Crew and Hazel received letters from Pops. They were often quite amusing, but very touching as well. He often poured his heart out, taking this opportunity to remind these two of how much he loved them, while also giving them life advice. I am getting a little worked up as I write this, because they were just so special and beautiful. 

Overall: I had a great time on my German adventure, and I love that Pops was playing matchmaker from beyond the grave. His letters were a highlight for me. They made me equally laugh and cry, and also made me wish he wasn't gone. There were lots of beautiful family moments, some great bromantic stuff, and I will forever be trash seeing life long friends becoming lovers.

Do you like to craft?
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