Destination Bedding – Allison Temple

"A heady mix of tantalizing slow burn and heartache."

This novella was a bittersweet experience, in a good way. It’s funny and hot but there’s also a lot of pain and anger I didn’t expect. I went in thinking light and was surprised when it wasn’t.

Imagine being a bridesmaid at your sister’s wedding to your ex-boyfriend. Imagine one of the other bridesmaids is your sister’s childhood friend who, a few months ago, at the engagement party, made you realize that your sexuality wasn’t as straightforward as you thought. That’s the situation Kate is in at the beginning of Destination Bedding, a standalone book in the shared Summit Springs universe.

This was my first contemporary romance by Temple, but I’d already enjoyed her Alli Temple books (Uncharted and Unbroken, with a third one, Unleashed, coming this spring) and knew I could trust her to write interesting characters. She fits an impressive amount of feelings and character growth in a rather short story, even if the ending is slightly rushed and I could have used a more extensive description of the setting, since I haven’t read any other book in this universe. That said, the writing is as effective as usual, and the story is a heady mix of smartass banter, blunt heartache, tantalizing slow burn, and complicated but loving family relationships. And let’s not forget the rogue alpacas!