An absolutely hilarious and uplifting romantic comedy
From the publisher:
Who could have predicted this? Being at the same wedding. In Ireland. There’s a reason one-night stands are one-night stands. You’re not supposed to see each other again, especially not when you’re the maid of honor, and he’s the groom’s brother…
Sarah Anderson has never been more excited about anything in her life. She’s going to her best friend’s wedding. And not just any wedding. An Irish wedding. Goodbye New York, hello rolling green hills and men with beautiful accents and twinkling eyes.
But Sarah should have known that not all guests are fairy-tale princes…
There’s the chinless Uncle Trevor, whose idea of small talk is to claim climate change is a conspiracy.
Then there’s Great Aunt Eileen, who doesn’t talk at all (she’s too busy replacing the hotel cutlery with her own set).
Worst of all, there’s Declan Murphy. Best man. Brother of the groom. And the man Sarah last saw naked.
Is there anything more mortifying than bumping into a one-night stand halfway across the world? Especially as Declan seems determined to embarrass Sarah at every turn. At least when the wedding’s over she’ll never have to see him again.
But, back in New York, Sarah finds the more she tries to forget Declan, the more she can’t shake the thought of that infuriatingly charming smile and the way he wears a tux…
Was he really just for one night only, or might Declan Murphy be The One?
Prepare to laugh until you cry with this perfect feel-good romantic comedy about taking a chance on love. Fans of Sophie Ranald, Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes won’t be able to put this down!
The premise here isn’t new, but it works. Sarah has some history that she is determined not to repeat. For starters, her mother had an affair and took off, leaving her father brokenhearted for years. Then Sarah met Josh, and they dated for a year until she told him she was in love with him. Then he dumped her. So Sarah decides relationships just aren’t for her, but she has needs so she sticks to one night stands. Meet a guy, sleep with him, then say goodbye; clean and neat and bloodless.
Sarah’s favorite neighborhood bar is a great place to pick up men. She brings home this gorgeous man, but when she wakes up, he’s still there and doesn’t seem like he wants to leave. He’s talking breakfast, possibly more sex, but Sarah panics and kicks him out, none too gently. She has to get to work and she’s done.
Work is no picnic lately and Sarah is happy to have this vacation coming up. Her best friend is getting married in Ireland, and she can’t wait to escape. There are a week’s worth of pre-wedding activities, and as maid of honor, Sarah will be kept busy. The first night is a welcome dinner, where she is seated with some odd relatives and the groom’s brother, Declan. Who turns out to be the one night stand. And whose mother is doing a little matchmaking and trying to push them together.
Obviously, there is attraction there or she wouldn’t have brought him home to begin with, but one and done means she is not interested. But Declan is, and he pursues Sarah regardless. She is starting to enjoy spending time with him, and ends up sleeping with him again. But that’s it, two and done.
Back in New York, Sarah finds out Declan owns her favorite bar and he’s been noticing her for a while. She is trying to keep her distance but she can’t control her thoughts, or her dreams. Plus she keeps bumping into him and enjoying the time they spend together. But Sarah is very skittish, to say the least. It’s going to take a lot for Declan to earn her trust.
Eventually, they reach their happy ending but not without a lot of back and forth and hurdles for both of them. This was a fun read with a lot of laughs but there is also surprising emotional depth here. There are a lot of characters, probably too many to get to know them all at least minimally, but the main characters are interesting and definitely worth spending time with. I enjoyed this and recommend.
7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
ONE NIGHT ONLY by Catherine Walsh. Bookouture (July 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-1800195653. 398 pages.
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