Wedding Favors

Title: Wedding Favors
Author: Anne Tenino
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: April 13, 2015
Genre(s): Contemporary
Page Count: 325
Reviewed by: Jewel
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Lucas Wilder’s best friend is a traitor. First, Audrey moved back to their hick-infested hometown, Bluewater Bay, and now she’s marrying a local. His own brother, in fact. And as her Man of Honor, Lucas gets coerced into returning for an extended stay. Although, between his unfaithful ex-boyfriend and his artist’s block, going home isn’t the worst thing that could happen. Even if the Best Man is Gabriel Savage, Lucas’s first crush, first hookup, and first heartbreak.

The only reason Gabe hasn’t been waiting for Lucas to return to Bluewater Bay is because he never thought it’d happen. Not that it matters now that Lucas is back—Gabe’s still a logger who’s never been anywhere (Canada doesn’t count), and Lucas is now a famous sculptor who’s been everywhere twice. Plus, there’s that shared past.

When Audrey asks Lucas to make her wedding favors, the only place to set up a kiln is at Gabe’s tree farm. Soon, they pick up where they left off twelve years before, then blow past it, discovering why neither of them forgot the other. Now they have to choose how much of their history they’ll repeat, and what future they’ll make together.

Wedding Favors is the first novel by Anne Tenino that I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it! I did read the short story Helping Hand from Lights, Camera, Cupid that led into this book, first, though, in case it would give me some insight into the characters – and I really think it did. I don’t think you have to read that short story first, but I do think you will get a better picture of Lucas, especially, if you do.

Lucas Wilder grew up in Bluewater Bay and he could not wait to get out. Once he graduated high school, he left to go to art school and he has only come back to visit occasionally, pretty much when he couldn’t get out of it. Before he left the first time, though, he and Gabe Savage had a sexual encounter that ended badly – because Gabe pushed Lucas away before his heart could get broken. They were young and Gabe knew that Lucas was meant for bigger things than Bluewater Bay, so he pushed Lucas away.

Twelve years later, Lucas has to go back to Bluewater Bay because his best friend is marrying his brother. And Gabe is the best man. Let the fun begin! Lucas and Gabe have unfinished business, and maybe, just maybe Gabe can have a bit of his cake and eat it, too.

And so Gabe and Lucas start seeing each other. And Gabe turns out to be a really sentimental guy, but he doesn’t want to talk much about his feelings. He avoids talking to Lucas about the possibility of staying. And Lucas is so completely focused on leaving Bluewater Bay after the wedding, he doesn’t see what is right in front of him. In fact, his art knows his heart before he does himself. He really is a bit too self absorbed, I think. Lucas, you should work on that, k? Trust me on this one.

Together, Lucas and Gabe are perfect and hot. Gabe is dominant in all the right ways and Lucas eats that up with a spoon. In fact, my only complaint about them is that they completely avoided talking about a possible future because they each were too busy second guessing the other and neither of them would come out and say what they were feeling, until they just about repeated history.

I loved loved loved the ending. It was perfect and sweet, and very satisfying.

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