Emma is a true hard core romantic but is thrown for a loop when that man she finds herself wanting this romance with, is a close family friend. Emma works with her four best friends in their wedding planning business. She is the bubbly, lovely type that always has a date but never seems to stick to one. She romanticizes everything which does help in her work since she handles all the flowers. Emma dreams of a love like her parents. A windswept romantic one that will last the test of time. Ever since she was a child, she had the dream of finding the man she loved and dancing the Waltz with him in the beautiful garden at The Brown Mansion in the moonlight. She reveals in this dream long into adulthood.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
She and the others head into the spring months of the year and have their schedules booked with consults, weddings, more planning as one of the four, Mac, is now engaged and planning to be married the following year. While living her personal life, Emma heads to a party where she plays matchmaker with a third cousin and the man she has been casually seeing but has no interest in. After her car breaks down and she is saved by an old family friend, Jack. They share a moment which ends with them almost kissing and sends both of their heads spinning. Not too long later, that moment leads them to another where they kiss for the first time and, as Emma puts it, blew the top off the spark-o-meter. After time to think and some sexy emails back and forth, the two end up dating, which causes some conflict between jack and his best fried Del. Del is one of the fours' brother and honorary brother to all the others; including Emma, and is shaken and betrayed that jack would go about it in the way he did. But things are smoothed over.
More weddings and consults go by until early May hits and Emma's family has their annual Cinco de Mayo party, where Jack and Emma learn more of each other and Jack's jealousy shows through. After spending the night for the first time at Jack's, Emma feels out of place, and awkward to leave anything of hers behind. Jack ends up sweeping Emma of her feet date after date, and after a huge one, Emma decides to surprise him with a homemade dinner at his place and some new potted plants on his deck. This ends horribly after he gets home from a terrible day and Emma and he fight since she feels unwanted and as though she has crossed a line by being in his space. In the midst of the fight Emma reveals that she loves Jack but won't let him say a thing before she rushes out. Emma throws herself into her work while she takes time to think. Jack tries to reach out to her but is blocked by the other girls who won't let him near Emma, since they know she couldn't handle it then. After some talks with both of their friends, Jack is finally let back in and says everything he has wanted to say to her, ending with him dancing with her in a waltz in the garden in the moonlight, akin her to marry him. Finally living her dream, Emma, of course, says yes.
Best part of story, including ending:
Out of all four books in the series, this book was my least favorite because it drew too much on the romantic side of things for my taste. but was still written very well and a great read.
Best scene in story:
I actually really love the scene where Emma and Jack fight for the first time and she pours all of herself out. It is pure and heartfelt and makes you want to cry for the pain you feel for her.
Opinion about the main character:
I personally dislike how romanticized Emma sees things but love how she makes that work in all aspects of her life.
