REVIEW: Wedding Date With Her Best Friend by Susan Carlisle

Wedding Date With Her Best Friend by Susan Carlisle: Anesthesiologist Val works at a large children’s hospital in Atlanta. She has never gotten married or had children after a longtime romantic relationship ended badly. She has developed a strong friendship with fellow doctor and colleague Owen. Owen is a widower who still seems to grieve his wife’s death after several years. Val understands his feelings, although she has had a secret crush on him for quite a while.

Owen makes an unusual request of Val. He is supposed to attend a family wedding in the near future. He asks Val to be his plus one for the lavish event. He says his family has been hounding him for quite a while about getting out on dates again. Val says yes only if they get to know each other on a deeper level so they can be viewed as a real couple.

The wedding location is gorgeous and Owen’s family welcome Val. The only problem is their accommodations include only one large bed. Owen, ever the gentleman, chooses to sofa. That’s fine until they get carried away with all the need to seem realistic and a sizzling kiss melts some of their agreed upon boundaries. Once the sparks fly will the two them be able to come back to their former selves?

I am familiar with the Atlanta area setting as I have lived most of my adult life around it. My beautiful grown daughter has worked for a children’s hospital for many years.

Author Susan Carlisle has followed a new trend that has the hero and heroine being a bit more mature and I am thrilled to see this. Young love is well and good, but I think many romance readers are ready for a variety of ages and cultures to be represented. Susan has been a writer noted for her excellent medical romances that blend caring of patients and those others close around.

This novel is the second in a series, but works fine on its own. You will want to read all the novels in this series as well as other past works by this talented author. As with most romance authors, she is one of the kindest and most down to earth ladies that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with at several book conventions.

Book Info:

Publication: August 22, 2023 | Harlequin Medical Romance | Atlanta Children’s Hospital #2

In the latest Harlequin Medical Romance story from Susan Carlisle, an anesthesiologist agrees to be her best friend’s wedding date. The only complication? She’s secretly harbored feelings for him for years!

Who knew a second chance…

was right in front of them!

Anesthesiologist Val agrees to be the wedding date for her best friend, widower Owen, to stop his overprotective family fussing. It should be a breeze—except Val has long harbored a secret crush on Owen! As long as she maintains some boundaries, she should be fine, right? Yet when fake dates lead to an unexpected kiss, Val knows they’ve crossed a line…but will they want to go back?