Wedding Season (The Carolina Girls #3) (2024)

Let's head on back to Magnolia, NC and catch up with our friends from books 1 and 2 at the Wildflower Inn. This book highlights Mariella. She had been one of the premier wedding dress designers but after a major meltdown that was recorded and watched over and over on social media, her business died and she fled to Magnolia to try to get her life back in order and to hide from the media. She has a small shop in Magnolia and helps her friends plan weddings at the Wildflower Inn. Just as her life is starting to feel more normal, Alex shows up in town to open a new business. Alex was the groom to be at the wedding where she had her meltdown and they dislike each other intensely. The more time that they work around each other, the more their feelings for each other begin to change. Can they forget the past and move forward to the future together?

Along with the drama between Mariella and Alex, there is also a very interesting relationship between the former wedding gown designer and Heather, Alex's office manager. This book is more than a typical romance and offers the reader a unique plot with several major things going on at the same time. There were times that I liked Mariella and times that I just wanted to shake her but dealing with a public fall from grace would make someone very wary of other people. This new book is an interesting romance with well written characters, a fast moving plot and a beautiful setting in North Carolina. NOTE: This is book 3 in the Carolina Girls series. It can be read as a standalone with no confusion. However, the series is so good that you should start with book 1 and read them in order.

A public relations disaster that literally was splashed all over social media just proved to be the ruination of Mariella Jacob. Although a talented wedding dress designer, the fact that she had a complete meltdown that went viral on social media, her business is in the dumps. Headed to Magnolia, North Carolina with hopes of starting over with a new, smaller shop should go a long way to reestablish her business as well as her reputation.

There is a hitch in Mariella's plans to make a fresh start, and that hitch comes in the form of Alex Ralsten. Alex was to be the groom in a wedding that was called off when his almost wife not only cheated on him, but a huge public embarrassment was caused. Thing is, it was Mariella who brought the truth out. Therefore, it comes to no surprise that Alex is still angry with her. As this is an enemies to lovers romance it quickly becomes clear to readers that Alex and Mariella are more than drawn to one another.

While the pair work out their conflicts, other relationships come to play, making this book a well-balanced, multi-layered read, one that is enjoyable from start to finish. This third book in the Carolina Girls series can be read as a standalone novel, however, the first two books, Wildflower Season and Mistletoe Season, were very good reads and this third book is the cherry on top.

Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I’ve been waiting for this story since the first book in The Carolina Girls series. I had a feeling there was more to the heroine, Mariella Jacob than met the eye and there was but it was something I never expected. That said, this book was every bit as intriguing and heartwarming as the first two in this series, but for me loads more emotional. That’s not a bad thing, but both characters have quite a bit of baggage and they had to unpack it, deal with it, and move on from it before they felt they could be together. It wasn’t pretty and it certainly wasn’t easy, but for two people who had a not so pleasant history it was easy to see that together they made one another very happy.

After a major meltdown at the wedding of an actress she designed a wedding dress for after finding out her fiancé had been having an affair with the actress, Mariella lost her career, her company, and her friends. A stint in rehab because yes she was drunk and high at the time, Mariella moved to the town of Magnolia, North Carolina determined to not draw attention to herself and not let anyone know who she was in her former life. Opening a vintage dress shop kept her busy and put her in touch with two women who she now counts as her best friends despite some rocky moments like when they realized she was a famed wedding dress designer. Now a partner in a wedding business, Mariella worried that her “fame” would hurt the business and after a runaway bride it seemed she was right, but her partners refuse to keep her in the background. To top it off Alex Ralsten, the man whose wedding she ruined with her meltdown has chosen Magnolia as the headquarters for his new business. Her old life is encroaching on her new life and Alex is only the beginning.

Mariella had quite a lot of surprises that popped up in this story and her go to defense is to run, but Alex was pretty steadfast and refused to let her hide. Mariella never really had someone in her life that put her first so Alex made her nervous and threw her for a loop, but that was the beauty of it because she had no idea what to make of him. He kept her on her toes and challenged her and that was exactly what she needed. Mariella also had to deal with someone else from her past showing up in Magnolia and her appearance gutted her. Luckily she had her friends and Alex to help her deal with the fallout and make peace with the situation.

I have loved this series because the women all come from very different walks of life, but their problems are problems that women every day deal with and author Michelle Major puts these characters through their paces but also offers hope that with work things can work out and life can be better.

Wedding Season was a wonderful and emotional story of life and love.

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.

Wedding Season by Michelle Major is the third book in her popular Carolina Girls series. This heartwarming tale with an enemies-to-lovers trope has a bit of mystery too.

Mariella Jacob never thought she’d move back to Magnolia, North Carolina, but after her bridal dress design business went under, she returns to the small town to help her friends and their burgeoning wedding business at the Wildflower Inn. Embarrassed by the implosion of her high-end design business in New York City, she yearns to lay low, put her mistakes behind her and just help her friends back in Magnolia.

Alex Ralsten runs his athletic wear business from his offices in Magnolia. His recent almost wedding was ruined by Mariella when she exposed his fiance’s cheating in a very inelegant way and further embarrassed him and his family in a very public way. He’s not happy when he finds out he’s living in the same small town as Mariella, but she’s not happy about it either.

I did enjoy this heartwarming small-town romance. The enemies to lovers trope had me rooting for these two independent people to finally figure out they needed each other. The beginning of the book drew me in quickly, but it did slow down a bit in the middle. But, it picked up in the end with a satisfying conclusion.

Mariella has some wonderful friends who support her and help her on her journey. They are well-developed side characters who adds some spark and humor to the story.

One small disappointment is the way the author treated Mariella’s meltdown in New York. After an epic meltdown, caused by too much drink and drugs, Mariella returned to Magnolia. I thought the author could have included some counseling and drug and alcohol rehab for Maribella, instead of her just returning to her small town to cure her issues.
I recommend Wedding Season to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wedding Season is the third book in The Carolina Girls series written by Michelle Major. I have loved each one of these books, I would love to live in a small town like Magnolia. The friendship between the three women in these books has built over the course of the series. I found this to be an emotional read, and one that could be read as a stand-alone. I definitely would recommend this book to everyone.

I received an ARC from the author and publisher and am under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Quaint, hopeful, and absorbing!

Wedding Season is a heartwarming, uplifting tale that takes you back to Magnolia, North Carolina and into the life of the hardworking, designer extraordinaire Mariella Jacob, as she juggles a new boutique, a partnership in the Wildflower Inn, a past that still haunts, undeniable chemistry with the one man she humiliated and hoped to never see again, and a reunion she never dreamed would happen but will ultimately change her life forever.

The prose is light and tender. The characters are resilient, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is a charming mix of life, love, family, friendship, forgiveness, understanding, attraction, self-discovery, heartfelt moments, taking chances, and moving on.

Overall, Wedding Season is another sweet, engaging, emotional tale by Major with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten, satisfied, and wishing for more.

Thank you to Kaye Publicity for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is book three in the series, but it can be read as a stand alone book and the reader will be just fine! They will, however, want to go back and get the previous books because they will fall in love with the town, the residents, the Wildflower Inn and the characters of this book...just a heads up!

This book gives us Mariella, a former big city, big shot wedding dress designer who has had a fall from grace...she is one of the three partners in the Wildflower Inn and Alex, the man whose life she ruined in that fall from grace. They are both in the same town, trying to avoid each other whenever possible and then fate steps in...in the form of a young woman named Heather. We all have secrets, but some are bigger than others!

This book was fast moving, the plot was unique, the characters were fun and this reader wanted to become friends with them in real life! The author gives the reader just enough of what happened in the previous books to understand and enjoy this one. The reader zooms through the pages wanting to know what is going to happen next while at the same time not wanting the story to end.

Add this one and her others to your TBR list and move them to the top - they are must reads! They are fun, filled with drama and a bit predictable, but they are entertaining and leave the reader satisfied. A great addition to the series!

**Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng**

After being betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust Mariella didn’t handle it well and it left her professional life as wedding dress designer as well as her personal life in shambles. She has picked up the pieces and found a new beginning in Magnolia only to have Alex, who had a front row seat to the whole debacle, come back into her life.

Alex has plans to move his business to Magnolia, but Mariella was a surprise he didn’t see coming. She played a huge part in the most humiliating day of his life and all he wants is to leave it in the past. As they spend time together a romance between them develops but they soon find out that their shared past isn’t the only thing they will have to overcome.

This is a heartwarming story about learning from the past and surrounding yourself with people who will be there for you both through the good times and the challenging times. There is a great balance of humor, emotion and romance as Mariella learns a lot about herself and love.

For fans of Sweet Magnolias and Debbie Macomber, Wedding Season is the 3rd novel in a series set in Magnolia, North Carolina.

I love a small town romance, especially one set in the south. Michelle Major does an excellent job of making the reader feel as though you were sitting in the bakery listening to the conversations happening or a fly on the wall in the Wildflower Inn as a wedding is being planned.

I would suggest reading these in order because there was definitely some information and inside jokes that I was missing, not having read the first two. That said, my enjoyment for this book wasn’t at all diminished. In fact I now want to go back and read the other two in the series.

Thank you to Michelle Major and TLC Book Tours for a gifted copy of the book and Harper Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Mariella arrived in Magnolia, NC to start over after imploding her career as a wedding dress designer in a very public way. And who shows up in Magnolia, but Alex Ralston - the man who's bride was having an affair with Mariella's fiance, whom Mariella denounced in a drunken, drugged out fashion. Now, all Mariella want's to do is her work, but her old love - wedding dress design, keeps calling. But her past keeps catching up with her, when Alex's ex-fiancee comes to Magnolia to do a movie. And has her sights set again on Alex. It seems as if everyone has moved on except Mariella.

I love visiting Magnolia and visiting with old friends and this was no exception. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite troupes. Loved the journey of Mariella and Alex to reach their HEA. Both with pasts that they need to overcome.

Loved the relationship building Of Mariella and Heather, it touched my heart watching them grow together from the unknown to so much more.

This is a book that I read in one day, it was so hard to put down. This book has everything from friendships to romance and the life of a small town. This book is part of series but can be read as a stand alone.

Mariella is finding her way in Magnolia but Alex makes her want to run.she ruined his and essentially he life on his wedding d. Is Magnolia big enough for the both of them?

That is not the only thing making Mariella want to run.

Alex wants to hate Mariella but when they are close he feels things for her he shouldn't!

When they are continually thrown together can they break through each others defenses?

The pain for both at different times was palpable and leapt from the page.

A must read! You are you going to love this story!

Wedding Season by Michelle Major is the 3rd book in her wonderful The Carolina Girls series. I have become a big fan of Michelle Major, having enjoyed her Magnolia Sisters series, and the first two books of her Carolina Girls. Wedding season continued this trend, as it was a wonderful story, with a terrific couple, and great secondary characters.

Mariella, our heroine in this book, is the third partner in the Wildflower Inn, as she helps design the dresses for upcoming weddings at the Inn; she also owns the Second Chance dress shop. In the previous books, we learned how Mariella left her job as a big shot wedding dress designer, and moving to Magnolia to avoid meeting anyone, after her fiasco when she drunkenly ruined her career. Now Mariella has made friends with her partners in the Inn (Emma and Anji) is happy being in Magnolia. But things will soon change.

Alex Ralsten, our hero, is the man who Mariella ruined at his wedding by exposing his cheating fiancee, and has opened a new business in Magnolia. They both are cordial, but try to avoid each other, and slowly they become friends. Alex hires a young assistant, Heather to help at work, who turns out to be Mariella’s daughter, whom she gave up at birth. Heather is not nice to Mariella, but with help from Alex, she begins to learn more about her biological mother, and in time the two of them will open up their hearts.

Alex recognizes that Mariella is not only a hard worker, who is loyal to her friends, but also smart, not to mention beautiful; as he begins to see her more often, he enjoys spending time with her. Mariella and Alex’s relationship begins to change, as they each have strong feelings for each other. At first, they try to avoid anything, until their sizzling chemistry becomes an affair that they keep a secret. I did love Alex and Mariella together, and also loved how Heather became closer to Mariella. It was great to see how close and loyal the ladies were to each other, going out of their way to help Mariella with her daughter, as well as with Alex. I really loved seeing Emma and Cam, Anji and Gabe.

What follows is a wonderful heartwarming romantic story with both Mariella and Alex dealing with their past issues; as well as Mariella coming to terms with the daughter she never knew. Michelle Major also created a wonderful group of secondary characters, as well as giving us a glimpse at the ladies we loved from the previous series. Wedding Season was written so very well by Michelle Major, with a great couple, and so many wonderful characters, many of the townsfolks, and the cute animals.

Barb
The Reading Cafe

Wedding Season is the 3rd book in the Carolina Girls series, which followed the Magnolia Sister trilogy. All of these books are set in small-town Magnolia, North Carolina. In this book we meet Mariella Jacob who was one of the world’s premier bridal designers, until she destroys her business. She had a habit of speaking her mind with no filter and caused clients to publicly tear her apart. She also found out her fiancé was sleeping with a shallow, narcissistic starlet. She moves to Magnolia to recover and help her friends with their new wedding venue. What she wasn't expecting was to meet up with Alex Ralsten, the fiancé of the cheating starlet, moving to Magnolia as well. Alex's family blames Mariella for the disastrous break up and the ruined wedding. As Alex and Mariella are forced to spend time together through a working relationship, they realize that perhaps they make a better couple than enemies.

This is an enemies to lovers romance, but there are other important threads in this story as well. Michelle Major writes interesting characters with great personalities, caring, helpful and deeper than they appear at first glance. Mariella is a woman trying to recover from disaster in both her business and personal life. Heading to Magnolia to lick her wounds and lay low, her friends are there waiting with open arms. We also meet Heather, Alex's assistant/secretary, who has secrets of her own. How do all these people fit together? This story is sweet and easy to read, but with themes of love, family, friendship, forgiveness, understanding, attraction, self-discovery, taking chances, and moving on. It is an emotional story with characters I would love to have as friends, ones I rooted for and smiled happily as the story ended. If you are looking for a HEA, in an entertaining, well written story with great, relatable characters, I recommend you pick up Wedding Season. Carly Robins narrates this wonderful audiobook. She is a narrator I have listened to before and I have enjoyed her performances. Ms. Robins does a wonderful job with this story. Her voices were very distinguishable and it was easy to identify who was speaking. The pacing, inflection and expression were right on. Doing a read/listen, I can definitely recommend either format.

Can Hallmark hurry up and adapt a Carolina Girls’ series for us? Please? Wedding Season is Michelle Major’s latest installment in the Carolina Girls series and it’s another fun, heartwarming contemporary romance—this time focusing on enemies (to lovers?) Mariella and Alex. This book fits nicely into the series but also easily reads as a stand alone.

One thing I love about the Carolina Girls is Magnolia. Major creates a rich, believable community and the everyday hustle and bustle of it is easy to picture and plays out cinematically. You feel like you’re enjoying a cup of coffee at Mary Ellen’s watching things play out as a community member yourself. This stays true in Wedding Season and if anything, this book further cements how much I enjoy my time in Magnolia. I kind of want to live there.

I was excited to read Wedding Season because I was wildly curious about Mariella from the previous books and was waiting for her story. She’s complex and complicated and we spend a lot of time with her in this book as she works on self love, forgiveness and giving herself a little grace. Alex is another complicated character and with their crazy shared past, you knew going in that their intersecting plot lines were sure to be a major crash (explosion). Despite their flaws, both characters (as with all characters in the series really) are likable. You cheer them on and hope for their happy ending as they navigate all the distractions and obstacles that come their way. I’m a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope and this was definitely a fun one. I enjoyed getting both Alex and Mariella’s perspective and just how on the same page they were despite keeping each other in the dark about their true feelings.

This is another enjoyable romance with a great blend of sweetness and sizzle. I like Major’s romance style because it isn’t too cheesy and she gives us characters with grit and sass. There are great friendships and a few good chuckles as well. My favorite installment of the Girls to date, grab this one for a heartwarming spring/summer read.

Thank you to Kaye Publicity and HQN Books for an arc of this book

I've been loving the series by Major and have to say I couldn't wait for Wedding Season. The whole idea of her ruining not only her business but someone else's wedding intrigued me. I really liked to have a female character that's a mess and has to repair her job. Don't get me wrong what was done to her was unfair and she lost everything because of it even though she wasn't the one who went behind her back to do something wrong.

Mariella has worked really hard to become the person she wants to be. She's living a quiet life. That perfect life is now in jeopardy with the one man in the world that hates her more than she even hates herself.

When Alex comes to town her really treats Mariella badly. I know that what she did truly embarrassed him, but she also saved him a life of misery. Plus, she might have acted out badly and handled it all wrong, but she wasn't the one doing the bad thing as it kind of pissed me off that he refused as first to recognize that.

I was easier to blame someone else for what was his own failings.

You'll enjoy watching these two works out their past and realize how much they care for each other and how perfect they are together. The road for them isn't easy and it takes a bit for Alex to admit to himself that Mariella might have opened the can of worms but didn't cause it and shouldn't be blamed. By the time you finish the story you'll be so happy for Mariella. She really did deserve a happy ending.

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Mariella and Alex have a history – and it isn’t a nice one. It might not have been so bad if they still lived in the big city, but somehow they both ended up in Magnolia, North Carolina, a small town, and it’s a lot harder to avoid each other. And not only can they not avoid each other, but somehow they end up working together on a project. A project that features part of their not-so-nice history.

This isn’t the only thing seeming to pull these two together. On every page, it seemed like fate was going to drag them into each other’s arms even if it killed them. And they may just need to figure out how to put the past behind them so they can both move on with their lives. Because along the way, they find out it isn’t just their lives they’re impacting anymore.

Mariella was a wounded character. Her past weighed very heavy on her shoulders, and it seemed to consume her every moment. While I understand the concern over her reputation coming back to hurt her new business and friends, she just wouldn’t let it go. Her struggle was very real but was too much of the main focus at times.

Alex has similar issues. And they really interfere with him running his company successfully – mainly because he refuses to take advice and hire Mariella to help. But he can’t seem to stop thinking about how hot Mariella is, and how attractive he suddenly finds her. It was a lot superficial at first. In the end, he learns she is a really great person though.

While I enjoyed a lot of the story, there was a little too much of the main characters hating on themselves for things in their past. Too much avoiding the issues. I think the best part of the story wasn’t the romance but wrapped up in a side character with unexpected connections.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

WEDDING SEASON is an engaging and emotional women's fiction read with elements of enemies-to-lovers and nontraditional families. Mariella was an up-and-coming wedding designer when her fiancé was having an affair with the bride for the high-profile wedding she was working with. She lost herself in a very public way and made an enemy out of the groom, as well as the world at large thanks to social media. She moved to Magnolia, where she found friends who became her family, and became sober. She is not the same person she was then.

Alex is surprised to run into Mariella, the woman who started his troubled spiral when she stopped his wedding, when he is starting up a company in Magnolia. As they keep running into each other, they will need to work their way through their history, but as they do so, they find that they share an unexpected attraction. At the same time, Mariella's life is changing due to a decision she made at 16 that is arriving back in her life, making her reevaluate her past and find new ways to move forward.

This was much less romance than I expected, but it ended up being a moving women's fiction read about personal growth, family, and discovering what is most important in life. Mariella's past seems to be coming up all the other the place, disrupting how she has settled her life in Magnolia. There are a lot of stumbles along the way, but Mariella handles them with grace and ultimately continues to grow throughout the story. The romance was definitely backseat, but I loved their story and the way that forgiveness and maturity plays into their HEA.

Overall, WEDDING SEASON was a heartfelt and emotional women's fiction read that I really enjoyed. Recommend checking this one out! Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

I love all the books in this series, but I think so far this has to be my fav. In reading the other books in this series, I knew Mariella’s book was going to full of drama and surprises. We knew from the other books that she and Alex Ralston would be adversaries in some way, but only find out why. Is the town of Magnolia big enough for the both of them after it’s reveled that Mariella Jacobs was the women who had a meltdown at Alex’s wedding and told everyone that her Finance’ was having an affair with the women Alex was going to marry. Mariella also designed the wedding dress for the bride. It was the shot heard around the world and it resulted in a ruined career for Mirella and the loss of the brand she created. She moves to this small town to start a new life. One that does not put her in the public eye. Little did she know that when she partnered up with her two new friends in the Wildflower Inn that Alex would once again would somehow be involved with her name being in the stoplight again. Also, that another person from her past would bring more surprises for her.

I love small towns, and Magnolia, SC is in my top 10 of fictional small towns. It has wonderful characters who we have come to know in the wonderful books in this series. The chemistry between Alex and Mariella is wonderful in that the more they try to avoid each other, the residents of the town and fate, keeping putting them together. When they can’t fight it anymore, life gets more interesting for the two of them and maybe, just maybe they can both see a future together. There are lots of plot twist and turns to this outcome that made for a wonderful read. This book for me was a 5 Star read.

Thank you, Michelle Major, for the opportunity to read and review this book and give my honest review.

Wedding Season is a small-town romance that is a joy to read, especially for fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope. I can always count on Michelle Major for a cute and engaging read.

Mariella is starting over in Magnolia, NC. She was a well-known bridal designer but after a viral video catastrophe, she felt like an outcast. That's why she sought out a small town to help bring more wedding ideas to a magical town. Her life is starting to look up and then Alex, the man's life she 'ruined' in her viral video, shows up in town.

Alex is a tough but caring businessman. He is looking to start a new venture in Magnolia and once he finds out Mariella is in town he wants to make sure he gives her hell every time they see each other.

Then, they end up seeing each other more and working closely and start to realize how much they might actually like each other. Once they share a kiss, there is no more denying their attraction. But because both of them have been burned in their past relationships they agree to a non-committal fling. No having to worry about defining the relationship or worry about real feelings being involved. Well, that's what they thought.

As the story goes on, there is a major plot twist that I wasn't expecting. It added a bit of drama and allowed readers to see a softer side to both Alex and Mariella.

I give Wedding Season 4 stars. It is a romantic story with charming characters. I think it's more than just your normal HEA romance. It's about love, forgiveness, and hope. Beautiful story and another great addition to 'The Carolina Girls' series.

Another in the Carolina Girls series in which Mariella James, a designer of bridal wear, is hoping to eventually get her reputation back after halting a client's wedding in the worst possible public way. She moves to little Magnolia, NC and runs a secondhand store in addition to helping the occasional bride have her beautiful day. What throws her--again--is encountering the groom whose wedding she had ruined.

Alex Ralston is now the CEO and prime mover and shaker of a clothing company that caters to athletes and sports-minded persons. He, too, is trying to forget what happened in NYC, but everytime he sees Mariella, he is forced to acknowledge that he doesn't still feel anger toward her. Something else is bothering him about her, and just about the time they both acknowledge that little "something," his ex-fiancee shows up and threatens everything and everyone Mariella holds dear--including the girl, now a teenager, she gave up for adoption 18 years earlier. How that nightmare is going to end is guaranteed to keep the reader glued to every word until the last page.

WEDDING SEASON by Michelle Major, book 3 of the Carolina Girls. Includes a Bonus novella: SPRINTIME IN CAROLINA.

Enemies-to-lover troupe, and boy, the sparks are flying off the pages between Mariella Jacob and Alex Raisten along with a few startling surprises along the way. Mitchell Major’s creation of small towns’ romances and in-depth characters are unique, and she brings a perfect balance of romance, heat, and drama. Her bonus novella, SPRINGTIME IN CAROLINA, is about another couple in love. I received this copy from the author, and this is my honest review.

SPRINGTIME IN CAROLINA, bonus novella in WEDDING SEASON by Michelle Major. Who say you’re too old to find love? Josie Trumbull has known Stuart Madison for years, but lately Stuart has been distance. Can she overcome her fears and trust to love? SPRINTIME IN CAROLINA is a short but sweet and tender tale about two friends wanting more than just friendship.

The town of Magnolia was a small, sleepy town, that is until Mariella hides here to reinvent herself after the worst incident of her life. She left New York after the highly publicized scandal. In Magnolia, she has started a better life, even made a few great friends. Then her past comes back to haunt her.
Alex Ralston has been laying low after his wedding was called off, which was good for him since his fiance is no stranger to cheating. When he decides to put all his money into a new business with Luann, he chooses his headquarters right in the center of the sleepy town.
This book was such a great romance told from both Mariella's and Alex point of view. It was also an inspiration to those needing to start over after past mistakes. The enemies to lovers vibe worked exceptionally well. I couldn't believe that I hadn't read Michelle's other books. I'll be fixing that soon.

Wedding Season by Michelle Major takes place in Magnolia, North Carolina which ios the setting of Major’s Carolina Girls series. This five star is a guarantee that I will be visiting the other books in this series and, more likely than not, every other book she has written.

The heroine. Mariella Jacob, is by her own admission, a train wreck and, frankly, she is not far off the mark. Mariella is a refreshingly imperfect heroine. She is flawed which, to my eye, makes her all the more relatable and lovable. She has fierce friends in Emma - the owner of The Wildflower Inn and Angi - its chef and caterer who have her back. She is business partners with both. She has her own shop in town aptly named A Second Chance.

Mariella is giving herself a second chance after her life spectacularly imploded three years before.

Sparks fly in this enemies to lovers romance! It was so fun to return to Magnolia, NC to read this story, visiting old friends and making new ones. Mariella has been through some tough times but pulled herself together to start a new life. With her two new friends by her side, things are looking up until Alex moves to town. Alex is trying to start anew as well but seeing Mariella in the small town is the last thing he thinks he wants. I loved watching both of these characters change and grow, overcoming the past and determining what they want. But the past isn't done with them yet. The emotional depth to the story, the moments of laughter, and witty dialogue in a small town setting are only some of the reasons I love this series! I highly recommend!

4 1/2 STARS!

Magnolia always entertains! The third book in The Carolina Girls series takes us back to small town Magnolia and the ladies planning weddings at the Wildflower Inn. I enjoyed the setting, the humor is always spot on and the romance is so yummy. I'm looking forward to more to come from the town!

Mariella is hardnosed and bitter, but she really shined in her story once she let her guard down a bit and let her soul begin to heal.

Alex is a doll. He's successful, he's heartfelt and he found just the right spot for Mariella in his heart.

I recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a romance in a small town setting with tons of heart, chuckles galore and always such an endearing happily ever after.

Mariella Jacob used to be a disaster waiting to happen. Following her now famous incident where she exposed her fiancee's infidelity at the wedding of the woman he cheated with, she has finally found a place to call home. Enter Alex, who happens to be the groom of the woman who was cheating not only on Alex but with Mariella's ex. He isn't to happy that Mariella happens to live in Magnolia where he recently moved to. Fate has a way of bring two people who need someone to love them flaws and all. This is a tale of two people who haven't had the best of luck in life or love who somehow find their way together.

A Direct Hit To The Heart!

Michelle Major delivers an absolutely DELIGHTFUL read that is FULL of heart AND soul. I was mesmerized by this beautiful and emotional tale. I fell head over heels in love with this story and the people in it. Magnolia is my FAVORITE fictional place to be. I love getting lost in this special town and the magnificent characters in it. They feel so very REAL.

Wedding Season is an ENDURING read that will have you believing in the PERFECT happily ever after. I was COMPLETELY smitten.

This is one of my most LOVED series EVER. This is one of the first series I always recommend to my friends. Don’t miss out! Let The California Girls run away with your heart.

Michelle Major’s latest book, Wedding Season, is a sheer delight, rife with warmth, heart, and subtle, yet wicked humor. The characters have depth and are authentic…with all of her idiosyncrasies, Mariella was an amalgamation of every woman’s insecurities. All the warmth of a genuine small town set the foundation for a story that remains dear to the heart long after the last page is turned; if only a visit to Magnolia, North Carolina were a possibility.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Marielle came to Magnolia to start over when a video of her confronting her fiancé's lover at the woman's wedding went viral. Now she's starting over - but her past catches up with her when Alex, the guy who was supposed to marry the woman shows up in town bringing his new business. And also one of his employees is seeking out Marielle because of how she knew her in the past. There are a lot of moving pieces in this puzzle but the end up resolving well.

This wasn't the strongest story in this series, but overall it was nice to have a window into this small town I'm growing to love.