Brooke Williams' based-on-The-Bachelor romantic comedy series concludes with After the Final Dandelion.After Renee Lockhart appeared on the local TV dating show "Accept this Dandelion" and found the love of her life, she thought she was done with TV. But when she hears that the entire city has bets on how soon she and her fiancé will break up, she is determined to show that their love is meant to last. When Mike, the KETO producer, approaches her about airing the wedding live, she jumps at the chance. Once she is set up with a famous wedding coordinator, plans take a turn for the worse and the simple wedding they wanted becomes the event of the year.
In the meantime, Eva Merida is dealing with her own life changing opportunity. Though she’s in love with her boyfriend, who she met on the second season of the dating show, she can’t turn down the chance to investigate a Hollywood TV show when offered a position. When she runs into an old flame, she questions the stability of her current relationship.
Will Renee be able to prove her love for Ben to the city before her wedding falls apart? Who will Eva choose on her own emotional roller coaster? Hilarity ensues as the wedding of the decade melts into the disaster of the year. Because everyone knows weeds take over every garden…
Just as in Bachelor world we have "After the Final Rose" to check in on the *cough* happy *cough* couple, After the Final Dandelion is a check-in with the couples from the first two books in Brooke Williams' dandelion series: Ben & Renee from Accept this Dandelion and Eva & Brian from Dandelions on the Road. Much of the novel centers around the preparations for Renee and Ben's to-be-televised wedding. While Renee is initially hesitant to allow her wedding to be televised, she becomes convinced once she learns that people all over the city have placed bets on how long her relationship with Ben will last. Somehow, Renee believes that if everyone watches her get married, the public's doubts about her relationship will disappear. She even gives her wedding planner free reign over nearly every single detail—so the wedding becomes a complete spectacle and not at all representative of Renee and Ben.
While the novel is full of Williams' trademark humor, I struggled to enjoy portions of the book simply because I was so frustrated with Renee. I could understand her giving the wedding planner carte blanche when it came to the wedding decisions (because Renee really just wanted to be married to Ben—she didn't care so much about the details), but I couldn't understand her reasoning that a televised wedding would prove to the world that she and Ben would last—especially a televised wedding that in no way represented who she and Ben were as individuals or as a couple. Every time wedding planner Lavender presented a new, outrageous idea, Renee reminded herself that it was all worth it to prove that she and Ben were meant to be. But in what world does a televised wedding mean lasting love?
That said, I did care about Renee and Ben's journey to the altar, and the wedding was hands down the funniest and most enjoyable part of the novel. I also enjoyed finding out what happened next with Eva and Brian. I wouldn't say that the two are a match made in heaven (at least in my mind), but I did appreciate the resolution to their story.
I wish I could wholeheartedly recommend this novel, and while I think you should read it if you enjoyed the first two books in the series, it just didn't have the same spark as Accept This Dandelion. It was enjoyable, but it also wasn't as memorable as the books that preceded it. 3 stars.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Accept This Dandelion (4 stars) and Dandelions on the Road (3-1/2 stars), Wrong Place, Right Time (3-1/2 stars), and Mamarazzi (4 stars).
Brooke Williams writes in a sleep-deprived state while her daughters nap. Her romantic comedy is best read in the same state. Brooke has twelve years of radio in her background, both behind the scenes and on the air. She was also a television traffic reporter for a short time despite the fact that she could care less about hair and make-up. Today, Brooke stays at home with her daughters and works as a freelance writer for a variety of companies. Brooke is also the author of " Mamarazzi," "Accept this Dandelion," "Dandelions on the Road," “Wrong Place, Right Time,” “Someone Always Loved You,” and “Beyond the Bars.” She even has children's books on the market, such as "Shower in the Rain" and looks forward to releasing “Baby Sheep Gets a Haircut” in June 2016 with Wee Creek Press. Brooke and her husband Sean have been married since 2002 and have two beautiful daughters, Kaelyn (6) and Sadie (2).Connect with Brooke:
Website
Blog
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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