Weddings, Willows & Revised Expectations // Book Review

I had to use an image of a willow tree of course!

Hello darlings!

I ended up taking a little break from reading romance and any fiction in general, with the exception of a few books that I really needed to read, like this one (since the review was due by October).
So this past week I read Weddings, Willows and Revised Expectations and now I am here to give you my thoughts!

I was introduced to this author through Lindsey at Books for Christian Girls and then became acquainted with V. Joy Palmer through Instagram.
Last month I read Love, Lace and Minor Alterations by V. Joy Palmer and really enjoyed it. I couldn't wait to dive into this book.
Sadly, I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped I would. To me, it didn't quite live up to the previous book.
But I will do my best to explain my thoughts to you in this review!



Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis
"Seventeen years after being orphaned, Apryl Burns and her twin sister Courtney have their own expectations for life.
While Courtney continues to shine at everything, Apryl holds fast to the mantra that as long as her potato chip stash remains intact, then she'll be fine.
 But when their beloved grandmother ends up injured and unable to manage her struggling antique store, Courtney makes it their mission to revamp the business and save what's left of their family legacy.
Despite rampant doubts in her abilities, Apryl finds herself trapped under the weight of family loyalty as they transition to a wedding venue decorating service. Soon she's forced to ask (translation: blackmail) their grandmother's renter/handyman, Chance McFarland, for help, and arrangement  that is made even worse by the fact that Chance is her former (ahem, and current) crush.

Chance knows a few dozen things about family loyalty, which is why he begrudgingly agrees to  Apryl's insane plan. While Apryl claims they're archenemies, the girl Chance only glimpsed in their teens starts to emerge, stealing what remains of his heart.
But expectations are a powerful thing. Amidst the glamorous weddings and swaying willows, can those old expectations be revised into something new?"

The Pros
First off, I have to say that I love the covers and titles for both of Palmer's books! They're perfectly fitted to the wedding settings in both books.
The titles may not make much sense to someone who hasn't read them, but as you read the stories, you begin to see how the titles perfectly fit the book's contents.

I loved getting to see Izze & Miles from Love, Lace and Minor Alterations again!
Other things I liked about this book were all the fun weddings that Apryl decorated. There was a ritzy Roaring Twenties wedding, a vintage travel themed wedding, and my favourite, the Anne of Green Gables one! This was fun aspect of the whole book that I enjoyed reading about.
I loved the cute romantic things that Apryl and Chance did together, like splashing in the ocean together. I also liked the fact that Apryl and Chance knew each other in high school so there was no insta-love.

One thing I enjoyed about reading this as an eBook was that I could highlight certain lines, and not feel guilty about ruining a real book.
These were some of my favourite quotes!

"All the bookworms I know tend to suffer from an overactive imagination."

"Apryl blushed, something Chance rather liked."

"You've reached the voicemail of Apryl Burns. You can leave me a message or try texting me, but I recommend showing up on person with a pan of brownies." (Great mind Apryl!)

"I had no idea that the tiles on the floor made a pattern." "Yes, it's amazing what you can find when you clean."

We not only get to see Apryl & Chance's romance but also Courtney's own love story. So it's like a two in one package. This felt out of place and confused me a little at first but then it all fell into palce and it was nice.

I have read a few books set in the wedding business and I quite like it as a setting for a story. (Reminding myself I still have a bunch of Janice Thompson books to read! A lot of hers are centred around wedding businesses.)
I do recommend reading these books in order, even though they can be read as standalones, everything will just make more sense and be more fun if you read LLAMA first.

One other funny thing is that in my neighbourhood, there's a guy who resembles Palmer's description of Chance and so that is how I pictured him!


The Cons
Now about the characters, I 'fell in love' with the little family introduced in the previous book and really liked Izze and Miles as a couple.
Apryl, Courtney and Chance however, I found harder to like and relate to.
I also found Apryl and Chance's sarcastic and pretty hurtful comments got a bit too much. In the words of Chance himself, "Sarcasm does not become you, Apryl." Sarcasm is so popular nowadays and I do think sometimes it is funny, but I also think we've go to be aware that it can hurt people's feelings. A lot.
That was the main thing that put me off. But also just the fact that the characters didn't agree with me as much as the characters from LLAMA.

There were a LOT of references to movies and other fandoms in this book, mostly relating to Batman, which I have know clue about! But there were a few Downton Abbey references that made my DA fan smile!
The witty comments were laughable, but not as much as in LLAMA (can you tell that I really liked the first book?).


I am not saying this book is bad, it just do for me what Palmer's first book did, which was make me laugh, giggle, swoon and smile at her characters and the message of waiting for the right one and being content in singleness.

If you want a nice, clean, contemporary book with a good Christian message, then this book might be for you. Also if you are Batman or potato chip fan, you will get along splendidly with our main girl, Apryl!


I also recommend you read Love, Lace and Minor Alterations!


keep blooming,

xo, Hannah