Decoy Date
by Mira Lyn Kelly
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Book #4 of The Wedding Date Series
Fake relationship. Real feelings. Big problems.
Brody O'Donnel doesn't believe in happily-ever-afters-at least, not for himself. But he wants the best for his vivacious, beautiful friend Gwen Danes, and he's tired of watching her pine for a clueless man. Figuring a little bit of jealousy will motivate the guy, Brody proposes a fake relationship. It's an outrageous plan, but Gwen figures there's no harm in it-until they share a passionate kiss she never saw coming. Suddenly, Gwen's fighting a growing attraction to a man she knows she can't have. After all, he's just faking it isn't he?
Genre:
Decoy Date is the fourth and final book of Mira Lyn Kelly's Wedding Date series, and and it centers around Brody, the final, unmarried man in the series, and Gwen, a woman he met at a previous wedding, and was attracted to. The problem was, Gwen was in love with her childhood best friend, Ted. Brody doesn't date unavailable women. So Brody makes a plan. Gwen and him fake a relationship, making Ted jealous that his "blanket" (Gwen being considered his comfort item when he is lonely), bringing Gwen and Ted together. Only Brody insists that Gwen will realize that Ted isn't all that good a guy, and will finally be able to move on.
Which leads me to wonder, why would any woman want to be with a man she had to manipulate into seeing her in a different light? Gwen seems like a character who has a good head on her shoulders. Why disrespect herself like that? I was also confused about why she was so infatuated with Ted. He didn't seem overly great. Was it only because they grew up together?
So Ted does get jealous and possessive. The only kink in the plan ... Gwen and Brody fall in love with each other ... and than they learn that Ted wasn't using Gwen as his "blanket". He was also in love with her, and was waiting for her. So Brody steps aside. Both Brody and Gwen are heartbroken. In dramatic fashion, they are brought back together when Gwen delivers Molly's and Sean's baby in the back of a car on a highway.
I feel like this book was drawn out way longer than it needed to be. Perhaps it only feels like that because sadly, Brody's character wasn't very well drawn out. In the last three books we learned he was one of the gang, kind and funny, owns Belfast, and loves to cook gourmet food. Other than that, there isn't a draw in the other books that makes me want to read the book. In the book that is focused on him, we don't learn that much more. He is described as being huge, to the point where all I can picture is the Hulk, and he obviously is wealthy. I don't feel like his his history with his cold, unloving mother was necessary, as it didn't elevate the plot at all, and it didn't change his character. Both him and Gwen's characters are likable ... but I didn't learn enough about them to make me care all that much.
The highlight of the book was the passion between the characters, and Molly going into labor in the middle of her meddling, and refusing to go to the closest hospital, forces Gwen to deliver the baby (and healthy baby girl, named after Gwen, of course). The most emotional moment in the entire book was Sean getting updates on the birth over his phone, while Brody speeds to Molly and Gwen. When he starts sobbing and you think something bad has happened, and he says its a girl (what he wanted), its beautiful. Whats annoying, is that my favorite part of the book, isn't about the characters this book is meant to focus on.
The epilogue was short, and kind of leaves some questions. The gang is out in front of the wedding venue. It is mentioned that Gwen is inside with her mother and Ted's mother, and is the most relaxed bride ever. Does Ted's mom being at the wedding mean Ted has moved on from Gwen? Where is Gwen's father, who wouldn't even give Brody a chance? I guess we are meant assume he got over Ted marrying his daughter one day. Sean is holding his six month old daughter, and Jase shows the guys an ultrasound of his and Emily's baby. It all comes full circle. They all went from best men, to grooms.
Brody: "We're going to make him think I took his blanket ... and I'm using it so good, it's wrapped around be so tight every single night, that he'll never get it back."
Brody: "The closer we get, the easier it'll be to sell this. People will notice the way you light up when they mention my name."
Gwen: "Ego much?"
Brody: "It can get a bit unruly. But that's just because everyone keeps feeding the thing. You especially."
Brody: "Any chance you'll take a break, Moll? Just so your husband can stop hyperventilating."
Molly: "He's driving me insane. Yeah, I know, he's the one I wanted forever. The love of my life. My walking, talking, ray of sunshine, freaking happily ever after. But he's also got me ready to lose my mind. You know he's working half days, right? Sean ... is working ... half days ... when I still have four months to go. Seriously, what's he going to do for four months? Help me pull a Kleenex from the box in case I need to sneeze?
Brody: "He loves you. Granted it's to the point of insanity, but that still counts for something."
Gwen: "It's not like I've never been kissed before."
Brody: "You've never been kissed by me."
Gwen: "And it's really that special? Like I need to brace myself or something?"
Brody: "Definitely brace yourself."
Brody: "Gwendolyn Sidney Danes, did you kiss and tell?"
Gwen: "I held them off as long as I could. But they were determined."
Brody: "At least tell me you were complimentary."
Brody: "She was at the party Saturday night, and I kissed her."
Molly: "You've kissed her before though, right? Outside the bar or something?"
Brody: "Yeah, but not like this. There was a misunderstanding, and I got carried away."
Molly: "How'd that work out?"
Brody: "It made Gwen uncomfortable and Ted jealous. And now he wants her."
Molly: "That's good, right?"
Brody: "Not good. Moll, this guy is so fucking blind and so unworthy, it makes me physically sick. And now I don't fucking want him to have her, but I'm pretty sure that train has already left the station."
Molly: "You mean, left the station like the train is maybe already entering a tunnel?"
Brody scowled, not entirely following until she brought her hands together, one finger pointing into -
Brody: "Christ, Molly!"
Gwen: "How are you feeling?"
Ted: "Like an asshole."
Gwen: "If the shoe fits."
Gwen: "Bossy."
Brody: "Good thing you like it."
Sarah: "Max and I didn't see each other for ten years, and when we met back up, I only wanted him for one thing. I read on the ladies room wall he was good at it."
Sean: "I wrote it. It's true."
Gwen: "What if I'm ready now?"
Brody: Then maybe you'd be so kind as to reach into my right pocket for me."
Gwen: "You have a condom in your pocket?"
Brody: "What? No. Baby, just ... can you reach in there for a second?"
Max: "Jesus, Brody. Sarah doesn't even hang on this tight. And would it be too much to ask for you to pry your junk out of my ass and sit back a fucking inch?"
Check out the first three books from The Wedding Date Series by Mira Lyn Kelly