Hot Springs, Arkansas

This is the town where I grew up and it is the primary reason I chose this book to read and review. I know the geography of the town and love it.

Violet works in her father's law firm in Little Rock and there is going to be a big announcement made, and Violet is sure that the announcement is her promotion. Instead her father promotes her sister's boyfriend. At the party to celebrate the promotion, Violet's sister announces their engagement and her upcoming marriage in December. When Violet and her sister, Amber, were children they dreamed about their grown up lives. Violet's dream was a December wedding and Amber's was a June wedding.

So not only is Amber stealing Violet's dream, Violet has to find a date for Amber's wedding. Based on a friend's advice, she goes to a online matchmaker who matches her up with her college adversary, Jackson Stratford. He is the one who blew off a presentation and caused her to miss graduating on time. She still can't stand him. She still doesn't want to be in the same room with him at all.

After the fiasco with her sister's fiance at the law firm, Violet's grandmother convinces her to look into opening a bakery in downtown Hot Springs. Jackson offers to allow Violet to stay in his house on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs while she looked at a shop for a potential bakery. Jackson shows up with a contract for a faux relationship to get Violet through Amber's wedding and to get him through a speaking engagement he has.

Annalisa Daughety keeps a cast of characters moving through this entertaining, engaging novel. A Wedding Date in Hot Springs, Arkansas, takes you downtown, through some of the history, into a bath house, down the promenade and over to the Arlington. Certainly she hit all the major locations in Hot Springs, and I truly relished the trip down memory lane.

Four Stars for sure, two thumbs up, and a cupcake!