Title and Link: Other People’s Weddings
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher URL: JCP Books
Genre: Contemporary M/M
Length: novelette (12.4K words, 48 pages)
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
THE BLURB
Planning wealthy socialite Mallory Dalrymple’s wedding is the coup of the year—maybe of Griffin Skerry’s entire career. If only Mallory wasn’t marrying Griffin’s ex. And if only Joe wasn’t messing with Griffin’s mind by sending all these mixed signals.
Of course, it could always be worse—and before long, it is.
Much worse.
THE REVIEW
Before I review Other People’s Weddings I should tell you that this is one of a series of 5 books written by Jordan Castillo Price and Josh Lanyon. The stories can be read and enjoyed in any order and I will be reviewing them on consecutive days. Now on to Other People’s Weddings ……
Griffin Skerry is a wedding planner and co-owner of Venetian Bridal Gowns. His most recent client is Mallory Dalrymple, a bridezilla if ever there was one. Griff wasn’t quite sure why he was hired to plan the Dalrymple-Palmer wedding since Mallory’s family was the wealthiest in their little town in North Dakota and Griff’s business, while thriving, was certainly not one that catered to people at the top of the social ladder. His other concern was that the groom-to-be was his former lover Joe, which could be a complication if Mallory ever found out, and this wedding was already proving to be the job from hell. At times Griff thought that Mallory knew about his affair with Joe which ended 6 months ago when the engagement was announced, and that she had selected him as the wedding planner to twist the knife in his heart. Joe hadn’t wanted him to take the job but Griff could not afford to turn it down because, like everyone else, he had bills to pay.
Griff was still in love with Joe whose engagement announcement had been an unpleasant surprise. Although Joe was in the closet and Griff knew he would never publicly acknowledge him as his partner, he never expected to be dumped for a woman, even one as wealthy as Mallory. Joe was still hanging around, although Griff had refused his offer of one last tryst before the big day. When Griff arrived home after a particularly rotten day Joe was waiting for him – apparently he had never given back his key to Griff’s house. Griff was not strong enough to turn him down again and they had one for the road which was bittersweet, and when Joe left Griff accepted at last that things was really over between them.
I thought this story was kind of sad even though Griffin was a positive person. He had lived in a small town all his life, giving up his dream of leaving and becoming a fashion maven in a big city like New York. Growing up gay in any small town is no picnic and Griff had been the object of ridicule by the other kids; the only person who came to his defense was Hammer Sorenson, with whom he had been best friends since childhood. But things changed between them in high school when he told Hammer he was gay.
I thought that Griff’s and Mallory’s characterization was stereotypical but it worked. In terms of the plot, I never realized how difficult the field of wedding planning was until I read this book, which was a real eye opener; Josh Lanyon must have done a lot of research on this topic to make Griff’s character so realistic in Other People’s Weddings. Mallory did everything possible to ensure that her wedding was the best ever, by being as difficult and nasty as possible about the smallest details. Griff’s job was to give Mallory whatever she wanted, no matter how unreasonable it seemed, so that she could achieve her dream wedding especially since money was no object. Poor Griff – what a career choice – planning dream weddings even though he could never get married! If this wedding were not difficult enough for Griff, his life became impossible when someone is murdered at the rehearsal dinner and he is the prime suspect. The Sheriff is none other than his former friend Hammer whose promising career as a professional football player had been cut short by an accident before it began. Strangely, Hammer seemed to be on his side when he was brought in for questioning, despite others pointing to his supposed guilt. Would Griff and Hammer renew their friendship and could there be a future for them with love on the horizon?
If you’re looking for an unusual story I would definitely recommend Other People’s Weddings. As always, Josh Lanyon’s stories are more about the characters and the romance is usually incidental, so readers should not expect a lot of action between the sheets. I enjoyed this story because I thought the characters were a wonderful and varied collection of people, from Mallory the bridezilla and her ugly family, to Griff a nice man who was just trying to make a living in a tough profession. The supporting characters didn’t have much face time because the story was so short, but there is one character that you will meet again. I liked Griffin who dealt with life’s adversities by being positive whenever he was hit by yet another blow and even though his career was not the one he had pictured, he was successful in his own little pond and was actually quite funny. Recommended!
Loading ...
I really enjoyed this one. You are quite right that it’s a rather sad story with a very positive character. I actually think the premise is dangerously (too) familiar (gay wedding planner with a closeted groom). but Josh’s characterisation just made it fresh and interesting.
I am still reading the rest of the Petit Morts, it’s turning out to be quite an addictive series already. And I LOVED the cover.
Hi Eve
I loved Griff – the only thing I didn’t like was the goodbye f**k. I would have kicked Joe out before he had dropped his pants.
*
Parts of the story were stereotypical in terms of the characterizations but I loved it regardless.
*
I’m on book No. 3 so I should compete my reviews by the weekend.
If ever a bobbit moment was, that was it. Joe is such a scumbag.
I rated it a 4 on Amazon because of this and the ‘sudden’ resolution for the murder.
Hey Wave,
-
Great review. Re: the goodbye f**k — that’s a little bit of a Josh trademark, I think. I’ve certainly read it in more than one of his stories. I can see why Griff didn’t kick Joe out, even though he probably wanted to. I thought it made him very human.
-
As aerie says, this is turning into an addictive little series! Looking forward to the rest of your reviews.
-
L
Hi Leslie
I would have wanted to kick Joe where it hurt the most, but that’s just me.
You’re quite right about Josh’s little trademarks. Maybe he’s writing from experience.
*
Those little stories have a twist and there’s one recurring character but I can’t say anything because I don’t want to spoil the series for the readers.
This was my favorite from the series!
Hi Chris
So far (and I’ve only read 3 of the 5 books) this one is my favourite. I chose it as the first one to read because I was intrigued about how Josh would handle a wedding plenner.
*gasp* You didn’t read them in order?!
Chris
I was told that I could read the books in any order – this one is actually No. 4. Am I going to get my reviewer’s licence rescinded now. 
There is no order.
I read them all Saturday evening (in order, no surprise there). I thought that #1 actually had a few tidbits that helped clarify a few things about that recurring character…
I guess I’ll have to go read #1 now…LOL. I’ve read 2 and 4 (the two stories by Josh). I’m looking forward to the others since I’ve never read anything by Jordan Price.
-
L
Chris
I read No. 4 and 5 first – now I’m reading No. 2 but I promise when I’m finished with No. 2 I’ll read Hue, Tint and Shade – No. 1. You can probably tell that I will never be OCD.
I read them out of order too, and believe that #1 was my favorite of the series just because of the little extra provided. Though all the stories of the series were really good.
There’s a down side to reading the stories written by two of your favorite characters – you always expect a lot, much more than from the other writers. While I generally enjoyed the stories (especially this one and JCP’s Hue, Tint and Shade), I can’t help but think that the connecting element (Chance and his store) should have been stronger. So little was revealed about him when he should have been enticing enough to make you want come back for more. Individually, the stories were good just like anything these two writers come up with, but as a series – I wanted more.
~
As for this story, I liked Griff. He made the best out of his life in those circumstances and that is always something to admire. Especially in the midst of the job from hell. ^^
LadyM
I think these stories were meant to be light hearted fun, with a bit of dark thrown in. Since the books are very short there is not a lot of serious plotting that any reader can expect.
*
The covers convey the impression that the stories are mostly light and fluffy so my expectations for the series were not for heavy duty murders or serious dramas. I expected mayhem and I think that’s what the writers delivered.
But is there an HEA or HFN at least? Did Griff get his man or any man (I’m not that particular
)??
It has an opening… the connection was made and the possibility is there though we don’t get to see the full extent. It is implied.
I love this series and really enjoyed this story. But, since it was just a short story, I got the feeling pushing the murder suspicion angle to further the connection was a bit rushed or unfinished… like it could have been more.
*
In most of the stories where/when Josh has used the goodbye f*ck, there is an emotional connection the reader feels… I guess if we’d had more time with Joe, we might have felt it okay. But the fact he springs the engagement, feels it’s okay to use Griff — uses Griff’s feelings against him and to further Joe’s once wants, it doesn’t endear him to the reader at all. So, this time the trademark doesn’t feel the same.
Merith
The problem with these short stories is that there is never enough time to complete the loop. I believe I have mentioned many times that although I really love short stories I recognize their limitations.
*
Re the goodbye f**k, I didn’t like Joe’s character before this happened since I thought he was a manipulative bastard. Using Griff’s love in this way made the scene and Joe seem sleazy to me. I wouldn’t have liked anything he did, except maybe if he had just apologized for treating Griff the way he did.
Oh and then to throw Griff to the wolves (police)! He really is a scumbag. I think he got what he deserved – Mallory! I can’t imagine his life getting any better… and since the story ended the way it did, I can dream about Joe seeing Griff all happy and in love after that, while he’s miserable, not in love, and not getting what he wants most.
Merith: right. And then when Joe has his mid-life crisis in his early 40s and leaves Mallory and finally comes out and goes back to Griff and begs forgiveness…Griff can tell him to take a long walk on a short pier (although there probably aren’t any piers in North Dakota). And Griff can go home to his loving partner and who knows, maybe by then same-sex marriage will be legal in more than 5 states in the US and Griff will actually have a husband.
-
See, it does have a HEA ending. LOL.
-
L
Leslie
I love that ending! I think that Joe really got his comeuppance with Mallory – may they live unhappily ever after.
I can see why you’re a writer and we’re not.
[...] Here’s the blurb for the first book that was reviewed here, Other People’s Weddings - [...]