Iris Sampson is in a bit of a fug. Her ex-boyfriend is marrying someone else and he has asked her to be his best woman. Unfortunately, she can’t say no to him, something that he takes advantage of. Iris is working out how to handle him (does he still have feelings for her? does she still want him?) as well as her next career move. 

Abe Ramos is back in town after eleven years. He’s got the tattoos and the gauges, a precocious daughter Hallie, a new business and is building bridges with his family. What he doesn’t have is a partner. Even though he’s quite a bit older, he’s perfect, and perfectly happy, to be Iris’ plus-one at her ex’s wedding. 

Sharon M Peterson is deft at mixing visual comedy with emotional depth in a way that respects the character’s feelings and makes the reader laugh. The run up to the wedding is hilarious as the ex’s bride clearly loathes Iris. So clever! 

Apart from her job at the local diner, Iris also volunteers at the local long term care facility where her best friend Gloria lives. Gloria is 87 and feisty, and cheats at poker, but gives Iris the honest friendship she needs. She also knows a thing or two about style, so when Iris and Hallie take on the mean girls and enter a local pageant, Gloria gives them all the help they need – and so does Abe.

There’s a thirteen-year age gap between Iris and Abe, and this sets their families against their relationship. I love the tension between them, as he tries to do the right thing by everyone, including himself. It’s closed door, with all the chemistry and yearning there for the reader to see. The pacing makes it all work so well, as they wrestle with their feelings in a countdown to the pageant and Iris still deciding if she is going to leave for graduate school. 

The Wedding Favor is a romcom, and a breezy, quick read that contains thoughtful observation on bullying, and fat shaming, and being yourself. Fans of Katherine Center’s romances will love this and I recommend it wholeheartedly. 

Thank you Sharon M Peterson and Bookouture for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Laura Black is a romance editor, reader and reviewer based in Queensland, Australia. You can visit me on Instagram @laura_black_reads