#TBRTrending: The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau

While January is over, I had one last book I wanted to squeeze in. For 2022 releases, Jackie Lau had a few but her most underrated was easily The Stand-Up Groomsman.

When it comes to romance authors, Jackie Lau is easily one of my favorites. The way she tells her stories and interweaves heavier plots with romance is amazing. Despite that, her books are relatively low-angst.

I feel like she does the perfect balance of writing excellent characters and an amazing romance without either aspect falling short. She is extremely well-known for her indie releases, but today, I’m featuring one of her traditionally published stories.

If you’ve read Jackie Lau before or just want a fun opposites-attract romance, then The Stand-Up Groomsman needs to be on your 2023 TBR.

The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau is this week’s #TBRTrending.

Before getting into the plot of the story, let me just say that I was flabbergasted to see this book has less than 800 ratings on Goodreads. That’s just sad and honestly, I need more people to pick up The Stand-Up Groomsman because this book is incredible.

This is Vivian and Melvin’s romance who we met in the first book. With the couple from book 1 getting engaged and now married, these two are forced together as he’s a groomsman and she’s a bridesmaid. While they start out bickering, it’s clear these two don’t understand each other in the beginning.

Once the two become friends, those feelings start turning into attraction. It’s so sweet to watch these two fall for each other. Considering how unlikely it all was, it makes them end up together all the more satisfying.

Aside from the romance, there were a lot of other aspects of this book to love. For one, Melvin is a stand-up comedian which we rarely see. As for Vivian, she’s a bit grumpier but it’s clear she has defenses for a reason. It’s nice to see such a stark contrast between the two love interest.

Additionally, I feel like The Stand-Up Groomsman had the perfect amount of forced proximity and it made sense. Sometimes, it can feel a bit unrealistic but it would make sense that these two would be together a lot. I just loved seeing them slowly but surely develop feelings, especially Vivian.

As with most of Jackie Lau’s books, the representation is pretty great. While I can’t attest to it, both characters are Asian and bisexual. The two are also dealing with some family issues, especially Vivian. Plus Mel isn’t the typical romance hero we’ve come to know but I adored that about his character.

To me, there is no one who does it like Jackie Lau. If you haven’t had the chance to read either Donut Fall In Love or The Stand-Up Groomsman, now is the time. These are perfect reads for any time of year but especially for Valentine’s Day.

Will you be picking up The Stand-Up Groomsman in 2023? Share in the comments.