Praise for The Wedding Date
“A swoony rom-com brimming with humor and charm.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Guillory’s debut is as enchanting as her characters—bright, bold, warm, and wonderful. Even better, there’s a proposal to rival any commercial that Madison Avenue can deliver.”
—The Washington Post
“This novel reads like a truly contemporary contemporary romance in that the hero and heroine grapple with issues anyone dating today will relate to.”
—NPR
“What a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel. I couldn’t put The Wedding Date down. I love a good romance and this delivered from the first page to the last. . . . One of the best books I’ve read in a while.”
—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author
“The Wedding Date brims with personality. It’s funny, deeply honest, and above all, truly swoony.”
—Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, bestselling authors of The Royal We
“[An] incredibly delicious meet-cute. . . . Guillory keeps this contemporary romance fresh with well-drawn multicultural characters navigating the perils of long-distance relationships.”
—Booklist
“The novel is a lighthearted and quick read with fully drawn characters.”
—Associated Press
“[An] effervescent, witty, and sexy novel, which serves as a reminder that romantic fiction doesn’t need to be a guilty pleasure—it can just be a straight-up pleasure. . . . Sometimes it’s liberating to read a book not just for a happy ending, but for the joy it contains on every single page.”
—Nylon
Praise for The Proposal
“With sharp banter, a well-rounded cast of characters, and plenty of swoony scenes, Jasmine Guillory defends her position as one of the most exciting rom-com writers out there.”
—BuzzFeed
“There is so much to relate to and throughout the novel, there is a sharp feminist edge. Loved this one, and you will too.”
—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author
“The Proposal is the modern romance novel readers are hungry for.”
—Marie Claire
“Rollicking, charming, and infinitely zesty. . . . The Proposal magnifies Guillory’s delightful voice, showcases her sharp, invigorating wit, and keeps her considerable momentum going strong.”
—NPR
“This sweet, charming novel is just as fun (and feminist) as Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date.”
—HelloGiggles
Praise for The Wedding Party
“I have to actively refrain from talking about Guillory and her novels IN ALL CAPS because I get VERY EXCITED—she’s that good!”
—Shondaland
“Jasmine Guillory is the queen of contemporary romance.”
—OprahMag.com
“One of romance’s brightest new voices.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“A fresh take on the genre has emerged.”
—Man Repeller
“If you want a juicy, modern twist on the classic enemies-to-lovers romance, Guillory has you covered with The Wedding Party.”
—Real Simple
“Everything Jasmine Guillory touches turns to gold, and The Wedding Party is no exception.”
—Cosmopolitan
“The exhilarating new offering from Jasmine Guillory . . . The Wedding Party will seduce you with the unlikely rendezvous of Maddie and Theo.”
—Essence
“A bit of wisdom: When Jasmine Guillory comes out with a book, buy it.”
—Refinery29
Praise for Royal Holiday
“A seasonal gem.”
—OprahMag.com
“Another sparkling hit from Jasmine Guillory.”
—PopSugar
“Filled with delightful, swoon-worthy dates and many laughs, this affectionate, cross-continent holiday romance is perfect for cozying up with on a cold winter’s night.”
—Library Journal
“A rom-com queen.”
—Refinery29
“Contemporary romance’s hot new voice.”
—Essence
“Royal Holiday gives positive representation of a mature, respectful, sex-positive couple of a certain age.”
—The Washington Post
“If Jasmine Guillory writes it, I need to have it.”
—Shondaland
“Guillory . . . is thoughtful, ebullient, and clearly smitten with writing about love.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“Jasmine Guillory’s Royal Holiday and its charming tale of love over 50 is a shining jewel worthy of a queen’s crown.”
—NPR
“Romance novels in the finest form—full of charming characters, humorous situations, and of course, good old-fashioned love stories.”
—Girls’ Night In
TITLES BY JASMINE GUILLORY
The Wedding Date
The Proposal
The Wedding Party
Royal Holiday
Party of Two
A JOVE BOOK
Published by Berkley
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
penguinrandomhouse.com
Copyright © 2020 by Jasmine Guillory
Readers Guide copyright © 2020 by Penguin Random House LLC
Excerpt from Royal Holiday copyright © 2019 by Jasmine Guillory
Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.
A JOVE BOOK, BERKLEY, and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
The Library of Congress has catalogued the Berkley hardcover edition of this book as follows:
Names: Guillory, Jasmine, author.
Title: Party of two / Jasmine Guillory.
Description: First edition. | New York: Berkley, 2020.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020009944 (print) | LCCN 2020009945 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593100813 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780593100837 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Love stories.
Classification: LCC PS3607.U48553 P37 2020 (print) | LCC PS3607.U48553 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020009944
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020009945
Cover art and design by Vikki Chu
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental
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Contents
Praise for Jasmine Guillory
Titles by Jasmine Guillory
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Readers Guide
Excerpt from ROYAL HOLIDAY
About the Author
To Simi Patnaik and Nicole Clouse
You two are worth all the champagne and fries in the world.
Chapter One
Olivia Monroe sat down at the hotel bar and grinned at the bartender, who grinned back. Thank God for a friendly face after such a long day.
She’d almost gone straight to her room to put on one of those cozy hotel robes and order room service to eat on her bed, but what she wanted more than anything tonight was a huge pile of french fries and an ice-cold martini, and she knew from experience that room service was the least optimal way to get both of those things. Fries always arrived soggy and martinis never arrived chilled enough. Better to get the best version of both and a conversation with Krystal the bartender that had nothing to do with intellectual property or law.
“Hendrick’s martini, two olives?” Krystal asked her, already filling the cocktail shaker with ice. Olivia had been staying in this hotel for a week now, ever since she’d packed all of her worldly belongings and flown out to L.A. to start this new chapter in her life.
“Yes please.” Olivia slipped off her blazer. “And a Caesar salad and a large order of fries.”
“You got it. How was work today? You look like you’ve earned this martini.”
Olivia laughed and twisted her mass of dark curly hair up into a knot on top of her head.
“Well, I left the hotel at eight this morning, and I’m just getting back now at . . .” She checked her watch. “Nine at night, so yes, I’ve earned that martini. But I’ve had worse twelve-hour days.”
Much worse, actually. After years of considering it, she’d moved from New York to L.A., and she and her friend Ellie had formed their own law firm: Monroe & Spencer. Olivia had spent the last month anxious she’d made the wrong decision, about both the move and starting a new firm. She was still terrified about that—so much so that she’d woken up at four a.m. the night before and worried for an hour. But, God, she’d loved every minute of her workday today. She’d been on an adrenaline high from the moment she walked into the office that morning—hell, from the moment her plane had landed last week. She was thrilled to be back in California, it was great to have Ellie as her partner, and it felt incredible to be her own boss, finally, after all these years.
When her martini arrived, she raised it to Krystal in thanks, and silently toasted herself. She took a sip and smiled. Perfect.
She inhaled her salad and half of her fries as soon as they arrived, and realized she couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. Oh right, Ellie had handed her some sort of green smoothie at eleven a.m. when they left for a meeting together, and Olivia had laughed at her. Ellie had been in L.A. ever since law school graduation, so she did things like drink green smoothies and go to seven a.m. yoga classes before she got into the office. The smoothie was terrible; no wonder Olivia had eaten those fries so fast. As it was, the gin plus all of that adrenaline from their meetings and calls today had left her feeling very euphoric. Maybe she should eat something else.
She waved Krystal over and asked for the dessert menu. Chocolate cake, that’s what she needed right now. A big slice of chocolate layer cake. Ooh, or apple pie, warm, with a big scoop of ice cream on the side. That would also hit the spot.
Krystal hesitated before she handed her the dessert menu.
“There’s a new pastry chef here, and . . . well, at least the cookies are good.”
Olivia scanned the list and shook her head.
“What is all of this?” she asked Krystal. “I understand that pastry chefs need to feel like they’re expressing their emotions in their pastry or whatever, but why are all of these desserts so incomprehensible and confusing? Basil ice cream? I don’t want herbs in my dessert!” Krystal laughed at that, which only inspired Olivia to keep going. “Deconstructed banana cream pie? What even is that, a banana just rolling back and forth on a plate, with some whipped cream on the side? A cookie plate? I don’t want a cookie plate! What happened to a nice layer cake? Chocolate, or carrot, or for the love of God, yellow cake with chocolate frosting? Everyone loves yellow cake with chocolate frosting! Or a delicious pie—an actual one, not any deconstructed nonsense. Apple pie, or chocolate mousse pie, or my favorite, strawberry rhubarb—the whole world would come here for dessert if you had those things!”
“I could not agree with you more.”
Olivia glanced over at the guy a few seats down who had chimed in on her rant. White dude, far too attractive, baseball cap, jeans, blue T-shirt, expression on his face like he thought he was hot shit. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Krystal, who was still laughing.
“See? Even this guy agrees with me. Everyone loves a good cake—a real one, not any of this fancy, elaborate, delicate stuff that doesn’t even deserve the name ‘cake.’ What does L.A. have against a good cake?”
“You really are passionate about dessert, aren’t you?” Krystal set the dude’s beer down in front of him. “The cookies are good, though, I swear.”
Olivia pursed her lips.
“Are they really, though?” she asked Krystal. “Really? Are they real cookies, or those thin, crispy, fragile cookies that are more crumb than actual cookie? Or, God, are they biscotti? I bet they’re biscotti, aren’t they?”
“I hate biscotti so much,” the dude said, with a shake of his head. “The first time I ever tried one, I almost cracked a tooth. Then someone told me you were supposed to dip it in coffee first—whoever came up with a cookie you had to dip in liquid before eating it?”
Olivia pointed at him and nodded.
“Yes, exactly! Why would I want a soggy cookie? Please, say they aren’t biscotti, Krystal.”
Krystal shook her head at them.
“I promise, they aren’t biscotti. I’ll bring you some, you’ll see.”
Krystal disappeared, and the baseball cap dude smiled at Olivia.
“What are the chances these cookies are actually good?” he asked.
Olivia couldn’t help herself from smiling back at him.
“Oh, slim to none,” she said.
Normally, Olivia wouldn’t give this guy the time of day. He was too good looking, with big dark eyes, strong jaw, and wide smile. His hair was probably in perfect, tousled waves underneath that baseball cap, too. She knew guys like this all too well—they’d been told their whole lives they were smart and charming, and they got away with everything. She’d gone to school with this guy, she’d worked with him, she’d worked for him. But tonight she was in a good mood and full of gin and french fries.
And she didn’t work for guys like this, or anyone else, anymore. Her smile grew wider.
“Hi, I’m Olivia.” She reached out her hand to him.
He glanced down at the stool in between them, occupied by her bag, thank goodness. Just because she’d told this guy her name didn’t mean she wanted him to sit next to her.
“Hi, Olivia. I’m . . . Max.” His handshake was firm, but not that death grip that so many men had, like they were trying to prove they were so big and strong. “So, where do you stand on the cake-versus-pie argument?”
Olivia waved a french fry at him.
“I reject the whole idea that I have to choose betwee
n them! I love both cake and pie. An excellent version of either is a perfect food; a bad version of either is a crime against humanity. I don’t know why people always want you to choose a team when you can love both.”
Oh no. She was shouting about dessert again. That martini had hit her hard. Well, at least she was shouting to this guy she’d never see after tonight.
“People are definitely pretty partisan these days about everything, that’s for sure,” he said. “I tend to be more of a pie person, but I agree, an excellent cake can make me very happy.” He gave her that slow smile again, and she tried not to let it affect her. “So what are you here in L.A. for? Assuming you’re a guest here at the hotel?”
Olivia fished the last olive out of her martini glass.
“I am a guest here, but I’m also here in L.A. for good—I just moved here for work, but I can’t move into my new place yet.” She supposed she had to ask him, too. “Where are you visiting from?”
He laughed, slightly too loudly.
“Oh, I’m not visiting; I live here, too. Water main break on my street, and I have a lot to do first thing in the morning, so I came over here for the night.”
She wondered what “a lot to do” in his world was. Did he work in the industry? Probably. Half of L.A. was connected to TV and movies in some way or another. As a matter of fact, this guy looked vaguely familiar. Maybe he was in a commercial she’d seen or something.
She wasn’t going to ask him what he did; people like this were way too pleased to tell you they were An Actor.
Krystal set down a plate of cookies between the two of them.
“See, no biscotti.” She glanced at Olivia’s drink. “Another drink, either of you?”
They both shook their heads.
“I wish, but I have an early day tomorrow, and more work I should get done tonight,” Olivia said. “But I’ll have some coffee to go with the cookies.”
“Coffee for me, too, please, but decaf,” Max said.
When Krystal went to get their coffees, Max turned back to her.
“So what brought you to L.A. and is giving you a late night?” he asked her.
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