Maybe I Do by Nicole McLaughlin

Maybe I Do was my first book by Nicole McLaughlin and I readily admit that it was the gorgeous cover that drew my attention. I am a sucker for a wedding dress. I was hopeful that the book (and eventually the series) would turn out to be much like Nora Robert's wedding planner series, and yet I am happy to report that it's really not. I love that it's surrounding the MEN at the wedding location, and all of them are quite appealing.

Here's the summary from Amazon:

She doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s married to his job. Maybe whiskey is the secret ingredient that will bring them together―and give true love a shot?

Wedding photographer Charlotte Linley loves her work―even though she hates weddings. Sure, she still holds a grudge after being left at the altar by her high-school sweetheart. But today Charlotte is just happy to have complete control over her career, which is flourishing. Especially since she joined forces with one of the three gorgeous owners of The Stag, a boutique distillery that has become Kansas City’s hottest wedding venue.

Dean Troyer, bitter after the end of his own marriage, knows that Charlotte is the real deal―beautiful, talented, and successful. He may flirt with her every time she comes to The Stag but Dean is determined to keep his professional distance. . .particularly now that she’s helping him with his own sister’s wedding. The only problem? The more time Dean spends with Charlotte, the deeper their connection grows. Is this a rom-com cliché or could it be that these two jaded souls in the wedding business have finally found their real-life happily ever after?

This was a really charming story. I love the wedding setting (or really any work setting- restaurant, wedding planners, hotel, etc.) Charlotte and Dean have been flirting for ages, and both assume the other isn't really interested. They have a 12 year age difference, and while this bothers Charlotte not one tiny bit, it bothers Dean quite a lot. They address this issue head on, along with the surrounding issues to being a decade older, and I feel like it is resolved really well.  The tension between them (always my favorite part) is outstanding, and that alone makes me want to read the next in the series.  There's a lot of stuff going on in the plot- Charlotte's ex, Dean's sister's upcoming wedding, a co-worker with pregnancy complications- and somehow none of it feels awkward.  I admit, I stopped reading for a while about 3/4 through when I could see a big horrible thing playing out, something that many authors handle poorly, and was very pleased to see it handled like mature adults.

If you're looking for a new author, with a strong sexy story, I think you won't go wrong here.