Groomed to Perfection (Meet Me at The Altar 5) by Samantha Chase-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 10, 2022.

In just one night, she stole his jacket…and his heart.

Shy baker Emilie Michels never thought she’d meet her Prince Charming. Especially not at an event she’s working at. But when a handsome stranger finds her hiding in a corner and strikes up a conversation, she can’t help but be drawn in. Unfortunately, duty calls and she’s forced to flee, leaving the man of her dreams behind. All she has to remember that night is his first name and the suit jacket he gave her to stay warm.

Family has always come first for the Vandergrifts. It doesn’t matter what Cooper might want out of his life, his parents have had a plan for him since the day he was born. His mother even has his wedding all planned out, despite the fact that there’s no bride in the picture. But when Cooper walks into the Meet Me at the Altar offices for a cake tasting and finds himself face to face with the woman he met at a party all those months ago, he thinks it might be time to finally have a say in his love life.

Cooper had resigned himself to a life that would be all about family obligations, but just a few hours with Emilie have him convinced that maybe he could be something else. It’s just a matter of deciding whose happiness matters more: his family’s or his own.

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REVIEW:  GROOMED TO PERFECTION is the fifth instalment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult MEET ME AT THE ALTAR romance series. This is baker Emilie Michels, and businessman Cooper Vandergrift’s story line. GROOMED TO PERFECTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Emilie and Cooper) GROOMED TO PERFECTION follows the building romance and relationship between baker Emilie Michels, and businessman Cooper Vandergrift. Emilie Michels met a handsome stranger at a wedding, a wedding her company Meet Me at The Altar was catering but Emilie did not reveal her association to the business, and the handsome stranger did not reveal his association with the bride or the groom. An appointment for an upcoming engagement and wedding found Emilie face to face with the Vandergrift family, and the handsome stranger had been added to the list of upcoming weddings, a wedding without a bride or a potential suitor. Enter Cooper Vandergrift, and the man with whom Emilie will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Emilie and Cooper, and the potential fall-out as Cooper’s mother is unable to accept Emilie in her son’s life.

Cooper Vandergrift knows his place in the family, and as the heir to the family fortune and business, Cooper’s life is no longer under his control. Falling for Emilie was easy, keeping Emilie in his life is much harder in the face of his inability to stand up for himself or the woman he loves. Emilie Michels never expected to fall in love with Cooper Vandergrift but when she finds herself treated like the help, and forced to do the ultimate walk of shame, Emilie knows it is time to move on without the man that she loves.

The relationship between Emilie and Cooper is one of immediate attraction but Emilie quickly discovers she is no match for Cooper’s controlling mother. Emily is forced to believe she is not worthy of Cooper’s love, and a family engagement part finds Emily on the outside looking in without any sense of support or happiness. The $ex scenes are all implied.

The secondary and supporting characters include Emilie’s co-workers at Meet Me at the Altar: Josie, Daisy, Skylar and Lea, as well as former Navy SEALs Daniel, Xander and Knox. We are introduced to Cooper’s brother Beau, his fiance Kim, as well as Cooper’s parents Archer and Evelyn Vandergrift; and Emilie’s feisty grandmother.

GROOMED TO PERFECTION is a Cinderella-esque story of family and relationships, money and power, acceptance and understanding, friendships and love. The premise is captivating and engaging; the romance is sweet; the characters are energetic, determined and charismatic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

The Engagement Embargo
With This Cake
You May Kiss the Groomsman
The Proposal Playbook

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.