Stella Baldwin thought her life couldn’t get worse. Being left at the altar was bad enough, and the drunken rant she posted to her social media followers in the aftermath was the cherry on top. But having to show up at her cousin’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas barely two weeks later feels like a cruel joke.
Thomas Maxwell-Brown is just looking for a good time. With his family’s expectations pressing down, his career as a Formula 1 driver threatened by fresh talent, and a new reputation making him the most hated man on the grid, he needs a break to clear his head. And what better way to decompress than with a stag party in Vegas?
Stella isn’t the woman Thomas expects to meet that night. And Thomas isn’t the man Stella expects to wake up next to in the morning—with a ring on her finger. Staying married might be the perfect solution to all their problems, even if it is a little wild. Sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t need to stay there. . . .
If you’re looking for a madcap feel good rom com then look no further than this five star gem! Ride With Me by Simone Soltani follows Thomas and Stella, two strangers who meet across a crowded (and loud) party bus. It’s a mixed bachelor/bachelorette party. Stella’s cousin is marrying his brother’s best friend. They make the best of a situation neither of them particularly want to be in. Both are trying to get away from a very hurtful time in their lives and an escape from everything is just what’s in order.
Just a few short weeks ago Stella’s fiance leaves her stranded at the altar with all her family and friends in attendance. She spirals fast as a video of her drunken rant against all men and her fiance goes viral. Not a good look for a woman who is a successful entrepreneur of an expanding baking empire. She agrees to get out her own way and join her cousins for a fun, carefree weekend.
The saying that be careful what you say because every mic is live really hit home for Thomas. His careless remarks about a fellow driver were posted on the internet. He becomes a persona non grata overnight. He decides to accept his friend’s invitation to come to his party in Las Vegas. It just may be the perfect opportunity to lay low for a few days.
It turns out neither want to really be there. As the night progresses, they decide to be each other’s plus one to keep hangers on at bay. Thomas finds this beautiful Black woman very attractive. Stella finds him to be very easy on the eyes, too. Somehow they find themselves MARRIED when they wake up the next day. Now what? An annulment sems in order and lawyers are engaged but somehow it gets out that they are married and so begins a farce to appease his family and her family.
Throughout their attraction continues to build and they struggle with keeping each other at arm's length and to be just friends. At one point, they decide to make it official. His family decides to throw them a big wedding. Stella hesitates because though she has feelings for Thomas she is afraid it will all come crashing down around her again. When, in fact, everyone around them can see they are meant for each other.
The author kept me on tinder hooks until the very end and made me earn this HEA! I suspect her other books are equally as well written. It seems I now have a backlist to happily invest in.
Readers, how do you feel about the accidentally married trope? (I love it!)
Have you read Simone Soltani?
Are you a F1 fan?
One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, May 23 will receive a print copy of Ride With Me.
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
I believe the accidentally married trope must be written absolutely perfectly to be appealing. I like stories which are well written - so the trope is not end all for me. I am not a fan of F-1 - the noise is too much. On the other hand there were a couple of rather cheesy films which I loved for the cast. James Garner !!!!! This is a new to me author. So, I need to look into her stories. Fun is fun no matter the setting. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a racing fan either. I don't think accudental marriage tropes are easy to pull off. Happily, this book proved me wrong!
DeleteLaurie Gommermann
ReplyDeleteI ‘m not very familiar with the accidentally married trope. I’ve read a couple of stories set in Vegas.
ReplyDeleteI don’t follow F1 racing.
I do like to try new authors.
Thanks for your review.
New authors can bring in a breath fresh air! Enjoy!
ReplyDelete