A Perfect Wedding by Zoe Dawson
Book #7: Hope Parish Series
Source: ARC from author
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that I was going to adore this book when I got it in my hot little hands. I’ve read it three times now and those Outlaw boys just slay me. If you have been reading my reviews – and I sincerely hope you have – then it is kind of pointless for me to once again tell you how much I love the Outlaws and their world. So, for this review, I thought I would hit you with some of my favorite scenes from A Perfect Wedding.

1) First up has to be the Outlaw boys and their dumbass idea to drunk box! I laughed so hard at this scene but I laughed even harder when they got busted by River Pearl and Boone, drunk off his a%$ begs her not to call Verity. Too bad, Boone, the Outlaw women stick together just like the Outlaw men do. Never fear, this scene isn’t just a gratuitous scene with drinking and fighting but is really a means to an end. Booker is having some serious issues with Aubree and the only way his brothers can get him to open up and deal with some of the mess is with moonshine and little good old fashioned dirty boxing.

2) The Outlaws love being together but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Booker being home is awesome but after a few days, even he realizes he needs a new project. After Braxton threatens to hurt him for realsies, Booker makes the trek over to his mom’s house where he finds the old Outlaw journals, the very same journals River Pearl used to clear the family’s name. It doesn’t take Booker long to figure out those journals are full of rich and wonderful detail that he alone can turn into one seriously good read. For days on end, Booker alternates between reading and writing and the end result is a beautiful historical fiction his editor is all kinds of excited about.

3) Braxton and the cake! Braxton is, hands down the go-to guy when it comes to all things culinary so it stands to reason he would be the one make Booker and Aubree’s wedding cake. A part of the process is to bring Aubree in for final approvals and when he does, the stress finally becomes too much and she snaps the tether. True to form and pulling no punches is Braxton Outlaw who puts Aubree right back in her place. I LOVED this scene because of Braxton; he doesn’t change who he is or soften the blow because he’s talking to his brother’s fiancé. Nope! Braxton Outlaw lets loose and when he’s done, he even offers the very contrite bride a little friendly advice.

4) The impromptu bachelor party. The Outlaw men just can’t go anywhere without getting themselves into trouble even when they don’t mean too. Boone and Braxton had every intention of taking Booker out for some well-deserved fun and games and before they know it, they’re calling Aubree in the wee hours of the morning to come bail them out of jail and patch up their cuts and bruises. Even though the whole mess is a total misunderstanding, it is also such a typical Outlaw moment. The laugh out loud comes when the three felons have to decide which of the women is least likely to tear them a new a&$h*#e and willingly bail them out.

The Bottom Line: A Perfect Wedding may be Booker and Aubree’s story but for me, it is more about the Outlaw triplets and how they come together in order to have one another’s back. They may not come together in the most traditional of ways (drunk boxing!!) but those boys are there for one another no matter the circumstance. What I find most exciting about this read and series is the growth that is still occurring. This is the seventh installment in this series and there is still so much evolution in the characters. Booker is struggling with some very hard choices, Boone is settling in nicely to his life with Verity and their son, and Braxton has become so much more open and willing to share. Make no mistake, each of the Outlaws still has his sexy edge but they are also maturing and really coming into their own as adults with real lives and real responsibilities. As always, Dawson gives her characters a hard, hard road to happiness but in the end, all is right with the world. Even though the characters are “old,” their stories are still fresh and exciting and keep me wanting more. ( )