Review: The Unexpected Wedding Guest by Aimee Carson

Reese Michaels’ unexpected wedding guest is her ex-husband Mason Hicks. He’s under his doctor’s orders to get back in her life to heal. Their divorce came shortly after his return from duty in Afghanistan and his diagnosis of PTSD. The former Marine doesn’t mean to spoil her special day, but sparks continue to fly between them. Her fiancé, Dylan, notices and decides to postpone the wedding, leaving Reese and Mason alone. The wedding is off, but the party lives on. All the guests’ travel plans are set, food ordered, and a DJ playing music. Reese, with Mason’s help, redoes the venue. The reception is bringing together Reese’s former college roommates. This book is in a series called The Wedding Season. Each one has her own story. Mason believes he’s done too much damage to her relationship with Dylan and leaves. Reese hauls after him, confesses she only loves him, and wants to start over. He gives her his dog tags and whole heartedly agrees.

This story treats Mason’s PTSD seriously. He has blinding migraines and severe memory loss. He sees himself as a burden to Reese which is why he left her. She has been seen as a spoiled princess with wealthy parents. She has leaned on them for advice and money. They also chose Dylan for her. Part of her character’s growth is accepting her shortcomings and being open to Mason’s illness. Ten years ago, she filed for divorce. Now, she’s stepping up to help him. True love conquers all.

I liked Mason. It’s interesting in books exes are so much better than current partners. He has health issues and doesn’t complain about them. He does love Reese and has never stopped. He tries to do the right thing and steer her back to Dylan. He sees him as a better match for Reese and more acceptable to her family. He has a loner vibe, a wounded warrior looking to cure others. His feelings are deep and hard for him to express, but real.

Reese is a piece of work. She lacks self-awareness. Dylan never expresses love, but gives the impression she’ll do fine as a wife. She relies on her parents’ approval and disapproval to gauge her love life. Her college friends tagged her as the Park Avenue Princess. She married Mason on a whim, but never took the time to know or understand him. By the end of the story, she’s confronted with her selfish behavior and decides to change.

This is a quick and enjoyable read. The best scene is the defacing of the ice sculpture swans. The idea of making a bad situation into a fun idea sustains the book.

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