Picture Perfect

by Brittany Larsen

Sutton gets hired as the wedding photographer for her friend Dahlia’s wedding and Sutton’s daughter is the flower girl. While there, Sutton meets groomsmen Max and the two hit it off However, Sutton is weary of all men after being with her ex-husband. The two part ways without exchanging numbers. What follows is a year of what if’s, revelations and searches for each other. But will they find each other?

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary, Clean Romance

105 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2022

About the author

Brittany Larsen is the author of fourteen full-length and three novella-length sweet romantic comedies, plus a couple more historical romance novellas set in the Old West. Brittany’s stories range across time and place, but they’re always about one thing: connection. They’re guaranteed to make you laugh and maybe even tear up a little.

Born and raised in Idaho, Brittany has spent the past twenty years (maybe more) living the California dream… If that dream includes wearing sweatpants all day and gorging herself on red Australian licorice–Australia’s second-best export (Chris Hemsworth being the obvious first). When not writing, she teaches hot yoga, walks her dog, and takes naps. Her sweater-sporting, mini Aussi-doodle, Bo, is her favorite writing companion. But her favorite people are her husband and three daughters.

Reviews

[the girl who reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read this awhile ago in the Wedding Belles book, and it was fun to reread it. And now I want to go back and reread the other novellas in that collection. This story has Serendipity vibes. It’s one of those where the two people keep coming so close together, but then just missing each other. It might drive some people crazy, but I love the suspense!

[Alejandra Guerrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have absolutely no idea why these two were so obsessed with each other. They interact for the first few chapters, which take a couple hours, and the rest of the book we’re told a lot of things but see none. The world seems so empty… At one point they’re in the New York Subway and there’s only five people in the whole train, and the three “ex-cons” (I guess the MMC knew that somehow, because that’s what he calls them. That or he’s discriminating against people with tattoos) just disappear at one point. Even in the “not-wedding” it felt like there were five people there, counting the kid (who was basically just a prop in the story). I started to think the brother was a myth, too, because he appears in exactly two scenes, and only has like two lines of dialogue.
MMC has way more chemistry with his lesbian physiotherapist than with fMC. Seriously, why were they so obsessed? And of course we have the two moments when they see the other with someone else and decide to be stupid and not talk to the other person. This felt like a short film I saw once about a girl who forgets her camera on the train and this guy sees that and looks through the pictures and the last one is of himself, so he goes out of his way to find this girl. This film lasts less than five minutes. That’s how long it takes to tell a story like that. This didn't have to be 100 pages long. The writing is decent, hence the three stars.

[Safe Haven Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a Hallmark movie, this short and sweet story can be enjoyed in a single sitting, leaving you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. You'll find yourself wondering what is going on and what’s the role of our female protagonist. It’s a rollercoaster ride of missed opportunities, regrets, and the exhilarating journey of rediscovering love.

The story revolves around Sutton, a divorced single mother reluctantly agrees to photograph her friend Dahlia's wedding only to be surprised when the day of the event the bride runs away. Enter Max, the groomsman, who brings forth delightful interactions with Sutton's charming little daughter, Hadley. Despite their instant chemistry, they only have a few stolen moments to connect before the night ends, forgetting to exchange contact information. This set the stage for countless near-encounters, building anticipation until they finally crossed paths again.

The characters in this tale are relatable and face the common struggle of finding love. Sutton, in particular, emerges from an abusive marriage, which initially makes her hesitate regarding a potential romantic relationship with Max. It's heartening to see Max's understanding of her troubled past and his ability to interpret her subtle signals. His genuine affection and desire to make her feel safe and comfortable add depth to their connection. I loved their interactions and that will-they-won't-they meet again thrill throughout the story, giving us the final answer until the very end.

I personally would have liked it if there would have been a little bit more of a conversation before their final encounter instead of Sutton's quick assumption that he was single without ever asking him to confirm that, as opposed to him that he already knew for sure, and if that there would have been some kind of on-the-page closure regarding Sutton's fears over her abusive ex-husband. For me such things made the ending feel a little bit inconclusive and abrupt when I was hoping for a smoother transition.

"Picture Perfect" is a must-read for fans of emotional journeys and second chances at love. This contemporary romance novel effortlessly captures your heart, leaving you with a sense of warmth and hope. Make sure to add it to your reading list you won't want to miss.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fun read. Sutton is a photographer doing a favor for her best friend Dahlia, taking pictures of her wedding. Only Dahlia flees before the wedding ever occurs. Since she has already been paid, Sutton does the job anyway. When she goes to find her young daughter Hailey, she find her with one of the groomsman having latched onto him. Hailey doesn't trust men after being mistreated by her father so Sutton is wary but stunned. Max finds the beautiful Sutton and her adorable daughter Hailey irresistible and hangs out with them at the party with no bride. They part ways without getting each other's phone numbers but can't seem to forget the pull they each felt at the un-wedding.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable short story about Max and Sutton (a divorcee with a young child and there is some discussion about her being previously abused in her first marriage). Sutton is a photographer hired to take photographs at her friend's wedding and Max is one of the groomsmen. Both characters were well developed and relatable, the story is about lost and found again love. I felt the story ended rather abruptly and didn't give a good enough HEA, that could definitely have been elaborated on.

[My_every_day_chilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a wonderful short romance, perfect for a sunday afternoon read.

You don't much of the main characters together, but you do see their journey and struggle to find one another. It was wonderfull how they never gave up and even after a year they still had true and strong feelings for one another.

I got this book for free after signing up to Brittany's newsletter.

[Alysia Massart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet second chance short story. I liked the idea of the mystery behind will they see each other again and if they do where. It was nice how great Max was with Sutton's daughter. I wish they had more time together without all the suspense and wish her friend was less flighty and didn't leave her daughter alone. That could have been much worse.

[Douglas Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story with a big heart. A single mother with a child meets a man she can't forget about. He can't forget her either. Both have lives in NYC which eventually come together for an unforgettable kiss.

[Marilyn Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such as cute story. The little girl didn’t forget him or his name even after a year. They called it fate, I think it was meant to be love at first sight

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read with lots of near- and not-so-near misses before the HEA.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was going cute and well but then the ending was so abrupt, I feel really unsatisfied with the ending

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of missed connections and circumstances that keep two people from each other.

[D'anah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frustrating! A pretty good short story apart from that. Like ships constantly passing each other in the night. Loved Hadley.

[📘📗📕📙📖📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Tammy Villiers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could’ve been better. I found some plot holes that weren’t good and I guessed things pretty easily.

[Cherilyn (Cherwhatyouread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know it’s a good story when it has you gasping out loud! Which I did several times between feeling shocked at a plot twist, or frustrated with the characters. This novella was really sweet.

[Chelsea | chelseadennreads Dennison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief Synopsis: Sutton returns to her hometown to take pictures for her best friend’s wedding, in which Sutton’s daughter is also the flower girl. While there, Sutton meets Max, a groomsmen who she immediately hits it off with. However Sutton is weary of all men, thanks to her ex-husband. The two go their separate ways but spend the next year thinking of and searching for each other.

I received this novella free from the author’s newsletter. It was honestly so cute. I thought the whole premise of this story was so neat and unique. The only thing about novellas is they just leave me wanting more! I wanted more of Sutton’s and Max’s story. But the fact that Larsen wrote a novella that takes place over a year and made it work I think says a lot about her writing. Super cute and definitely worth the read.

3.5⭐️
💗Clean romance

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun, engaging story, and even the choppy nature of it didn't bother me. The premise was fun, too--meet at a wedding, regret not exchanging numbers, try to find each other with only a first name to go by, etc.

But who in their right mind would name their child Hadley Bradley? 😅