Sep 28

Giveaway & Review: All An Act by Melissa Wardwell

About the Book

Book: All an Act

Author: Melissa Wardwell

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 27, 2024

Not all weddings end in marriage. Not all hurting hearts remain broken.

In the year since Something Suamalie started, the dynamic trio Kiana, Lulu, and Meilani have accumulated a glowing reputation at home and abroad for brides and their wedding day dreams. But when a triple-booked weekend forces Lulu to manage the wedding of the Onirique events coordinator by herself, panic sets in. Her lack of confidence and ADHD, not to mention the return of a devilishly handsome man, could easily spell disaster.

When André left the Suamalie Islands to pursue a career in Paris, he never dreamed of returning. The islands hold a treasure chest of memories he wishes to keep locked away, but recent changes in his life force him to face those very things. And a choice for his future that will break more than one heart.

With neither of them able to talk about their feelings, how will Lulu and André be able to set aside their pasts and move on?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

4 Stars

Melissa Wardwell writes a sweet reunion romance full of forgiveness.

I loved the way the author threw Lulu and Andre together after not seeing each other for years. Since Lulu was a wedding planner and Andre was the groom, I wasn’t quite sure how the story would unfold. The author surprised me with how she wove the complex relationships together.

The author also described Lulu’s ADHD in detail, helping readers learn more about living with it or being close to someone who has.

I enjoyed the story and growth of both main characters and the role their faith played. Though the end felt abrupt to me, and I would have liked to see one more scene to solidify their relationship, I still loved seeing how the two came together.

Having read An Unexpected Gift about Beau and Kiana, I really enjoyed reading about their wedding planning. Even if you haven’t read the previous book, you’ll be able to follow along with this one. (Though I highly recommend it too).

Fans of squeaky-clean romance with strong Christian themes will enjoy this sweet romance.

Romance: Squeaky clean. Light mention of attraction. Hand holding only.

Faith: Andre recently came to a saving faith and tries to live out his new belief. Lulu learned to grow in hers too.

I received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of the publisher through Celebrate Lit Tours. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Melissa Wardwell resides in Owosso, Michigan with her husband and three teen-aged children.

She doesn’t mind alternating between the world of writing and the reality of being a mother, but she would rather sit with a good book or a good friend and a cup of coffee.

When she isn’t penning works of fiction, she is busy reviewing books for her blog, Back Porch Reads.

More from Melissa

All An Act is probably the most honest form of self-representation this author has ever created.

How could I say such a thing if I put my heart and soul into every single story I create? It’s a pretty straightforward statement when I have kept most of myself out of the stories. I tried to tell stories about the people I admire around me —my best friend in high school, my first boyfriend, or the men and women who serve our country both at home and abroad. These are the kind of people I typically write about. But when I developed Lulu’s character and found the picture that you see on the cover, my first thought was, “I bet she’s just like me… a little scattered, a lot wounded, and putting on a mask to hide that she fears that no one would like her.”

One of my beta readers, who was a teacher when I was in high school, picked up in the first two chapters that Lulu had undiagnosed ADHD. I know some people don’t like to put labels on themselves that make them have unusual behaviors, but like myself, being able to put a label on it gives Lulu a little clarity. Lulu and I both understand that it doesn’t give us the OK to get away with certain things or to use them as excuses. However, it shines a light on why we do those things (like knowing fine details from high school, but you can’t find your A5 binder that you just saw the day before).

It’s not just forgetfulness that is an issue; sometimes, we mask how we feel through anger or frustration because those emotions are more accessible for the rest of the world to understand. Again, that doesn’t mean that it’s OK.

Like Lulu, I went through a season of holding onto unforgiveness that lasted 15 years. You can imagine that that unforgiveness quickly turned into bitterness. My bitterness wasn’t towards a man but instead revolved around church hurt. Learning to forgive and let go of the things that hurt me took a long time. Lulu and I both discovered that forgiveness is like peeling an onion. There are a lot of layers to it, depending on how many years you’ve held on.

Lulu also deals with a lot of thoughts in this book. Many of them revolve around her feelings of being inadequate compared to her friends. I’m sure many of us can identify with that. Eventually, she learns that she brings her own kind of knowledge to the Something Suamalie team. This is what makes this trio work – they each bring their own traits to the table to make this wedding planning business top-notch in the islands.

Like An Unexpected Gift, All An Act is loosely based on another one of my favorite romcoms—The Wedding Planner, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. I wonder if you will be able to see it. Let me know if you do.

I hope you enjoy this one. It really was a joy to write, even when I was faced with some of my own issues.