The Engagement Embargo

Elliott and Skylar’s story in The Engagement Embargo, book one in Samantha Chase’s new Meet Me at the Altar series, is an emotional, heartwarming, sister’s best friend tale. Elliott Sullivan loves being in love. He wants a love like his grandparents, who have been married for what seems forever. After this fourth engagement ended at the altar, his friends and family had had enough; no relationships or proposals for at least a year. Not ready to have his heart broken again, he agrees to embrace life as a bachelor; taking a hiatus from women. Needing to figure out what’s wrong with him, he recruits his sister’s best friend for informal counseling assistance. It’s perfect, there’s no way he will fall for her, no matter how many boxes she checks off. Crushing on Elliott for forever, Skylar wasn’t sorry to see his latest relationship implode. When Elliott asks her to help him keep from breaking his dating embargo, she reluctantly agrees. It will give her a chance to put her psychology degree to use. These two have spent time together before with nothing happening; so there shouldn’t be a problem. Except, spending time together, getting to know each other better brings out the chemistry that exists between them. Adhering to his embargo would be no problem except Elliott’s time with Skye was making him realize what true love really was as well as that the perfect girl was actually in front of him along. Ms. Chase wrote an amazing, heartwarming and emotional story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, and an endearing cast of secondary characters giving Elliott and Skye a chance at love, happiness and the possibility of a forever together. I highly recommend The Engagement Embargo to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

THE ENGAGEMENT EMBARGO is the first instalment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult MEET ME AT THE ALTAR romance series focusing on the woman who work for, and own Meet Me at the Altar Wedding and Catering services-Skylar, Lea and Josie. This is co-owner Skylar Jennings , and computer coder Elliott Sullivan’s story line. Told from dual third person perspectives (Skylar and Elliott) THE ENGAGEMENT EMBARGO follows in the aftermath of the wedding that never was. Elliott Sullivan was about to get married but realized the woman he loved was in love with someone else. This being his fourth failed attempt at marriage, Elliott’s family imposes an engagement embargo in an effort to prevent Elliott from quickly jumping into another relationship. For one year the family ‘strongly suggests’ that Elliott forgo any future relationships but Elliott never expected his sister’s best friend Skylar Jennings to help him overcome his relationship dependency and loneliness in the forthcoming months. With a degree in psychology, Skylar knows a thing or two about relationships and grief but our heroine finds herself ‘counselling’ the man whom she has loved for as long as she can remember . What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Skylar and Elliott, and the potential fall-out as Elliott struggles between head and heart, keeping secret his relationship with our story line heroine. Skylar Jennings has lusted after Elliott Sullivan for a very long time but refuses to cross the proverbial line between romance and friendship having watched from the side lines as Elliott’s history of failed relationships break a little bit of her heart.Elliott Sullivan wants it all-marriage, family, and a happily ever after but our hero had no idea that his sister’s best friend Skylar felt anything other than brotherly love .Sent by Josie Sullivan to ensure her brother Elliott didn’t do anything stupid or wrong, Skylar found herself ‘babysitting’ a man who seemed to accept that this was his current direction in life . Getting to know our story line heroine meant getting up close and personal for Elliott with the woman that would call to his heart. The relationship between Elliott and Skylar begins as friendship as Elliott struggles in the aftermath of the wedding that almost was but Skylar is quick to reveal that Elliott’s ability to move forward may be a sign that perhaps he hadn’t yet found his own happily ever after. Keeping their relationship a secret is about to take a toll on their growing love, a love that is threatened by the engagement embargo Elliott begins to enforce on his own. The $ex scenes are all implied or fade to black. We are introduced to Skylar’s friends and business partners: Josie and Leanna; Elliott’s large extended family, and Elliott’s friends Tyler, Alex and Jared. THE ENGAGEMENT EMBARGO is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love. The fast paced premise is entertaining; the romance is passionate yet heart breaking; the characters are stubborn, dynamic and sassy.

I absolutely loved The Engagement Embargo! Samantha Chase has once again delivered another wonderful romance with The Engagement Embargo, the first book in her new Meet Me at the Altar series. Samantha Chase has once again provided her readers with amazing characters. I love how all the characters in The Engagement Embargo feel like best friends! Who doesn't love hot sexy men, strong, passionate females, and loving friends, who always support one another? Samantha Chase continues to deliver all that and so much more. I really enjoyed The Engagement Embargo and all the books in the Meet Me at the Altar series. I have read other books by Samantha Chase and have always enjoyed her wonderfully written love stories. Samantha Chase has once again shown that she is an amazing storyteller. The Engagement Embargo did not disappoint, I could not put it down and loved every page. One of my favorite parts is how Samantha Chase incorporated the title of the book into the love story. I enjoy how Samantha Chase writes from the perspective of the main characters. That way you get to know what is going on in each of their minds. The Engagement Embargo is a wonderful love story and is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I love the lighter moments where I find myself smiling and laughing out loud and the bittersweet moments that cause me to sigh, say aww to myself with tears filling my eyes. The Engagement Embargo be filled with such moments, and with so much more. It is filled with all those things that we have come to love and expect in a Samantha Chase love story, especially the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner. Who doesn’t love a story about falling in love your first crush, your best friend’s older brother? The Engagement Embargo is the story of Skylar “Skye” Jennings, co-owner and event planner for Meet Me at the Altar Wedding Services, and Elliot Sullivan, four-time engaged brother of Josie Sullivan, co-owner of Meet Me at the Altar Wedding Services. Elliott has proposed to four different women in his life, and finally is having a wedding to Tracy Burrows, until Tracy’s best friend Daniel St. James, the wedding officiant, reveals his true feeling for Tracy and they leave together. Elliott’s family has an intervention and informs him that they are enforcing an engagement embargo, no relationships for a year. Skye takes Elliott home on his wedding night and they talk. Elliott asks Skye if they could continue to meet weekly as his therapist. During their weekly meetings, Elliott decides that his is no longer looking to get married, have a house and a family, but is committed to being single. He also decides that they can begin casually date as friends with benefits and that would not be against the engagement embargo. While Skye and Elliott spend more time with one another, things change between them. I love when Skye gets real with Elliott about her true feelings for him and opens up to him. Elliott breaks things off with Skye. I love how Skye and Elliot show their vulnerable side. I love the plot twists and how that changes everything for Skye and Elliot. My favorite part of the story is Elliott’s speech at his grandparent’s anniversary party. I especially love Elliott’s heartfelt proposal and how he realizes what real love is all about. I love Skye’s penchant for chocolate icing. I love the epilogue and how it goes above and beyond the normal happily ever after. The Engagement Embargo contains all the things that I have come to love most and expect in a Samantha Chace story, romance, great characters and setting, bittersweet moments and the plot twist that ties it all together. Amazing story. I could not put it down. Highly recommend this wonderful romance. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.