THE STAND-UP GROOMSMAN – Jackie Lau
Berkeley
ISBN: 978-0593334324
October 25, 2022
Romantic Comedy

Toronto & New York City – Present Day

Vivian Liao’s best friend Lindsay announces her engagement to Ryan and asks Vivian to be the bridesmaid, which means that she will have to come face to face with Melvin Lee again. A year ago, Vivian was enamored with Melvin, who was a TV star alongside Ryan and even drew a picture of him, which she presented to him when they were introduced by Lindsay. But Melvin treated her with disdain by mocking her career choice of banking instead of her going into art, which doesn’t pay the bills. But with their best friends now engaged, Vivian and Mel will need to play nice with each other.

Vivian still thinks Mel is a pompous jerk, even though he tries to charm her by making her laugh. Despite her vow to avoid him except for wedding stuff, she is soon showing up at his comedy club gigs and going out to dinner with him. An agnostic relationship soon turns into a friendly one, which leads to more than just having dinner. Once the wedding responsibilities are over, will they go their separate ways? After all, her life is in Toronto, while his home is in New York City.

Mel is a funny guy. While he doesn’t have his best friend Ryan’s looks or body, he is still popular enough to be recognized from the tv show they once starred in together. Yeah, he started off on the wrong foot with Vivian, but he only wanted to encourage her to explore her dream career rather than stay stuck in a job only because it pays the bills. As he gets to know Vivian, he becomes attracted to her. If only they were living in the same city because he knows that they would be spending all their time together.

THE STAND-UP GROOMSMAN opens with the fateful first meeting of Vivian and Mel. He is always looking for a laugh, which she liked at first. But when he started questioning what she did for a living, he mocked her. Her crush on him then led her to crushed feelings. Part of the prose in this tale has Mel talking to the audience as he’s doing his stand-up comedy act. He is influenced by his family and life experiences. Will he use what happens with Vivian as part of it?

She is sensitive because she has low self-esteemed caused by her family never appreciating her. Cross that with a comic who makes fun of people, and it is clear why things started off rocky between Vivian and Mel. Turns out that he is a good guy, one who even stood by her while she was sick. This causes a change in their relationship, but they still have barriers to overcome.

There are plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes in THE STAND-UP GROOMSMAN, but you will also find emotional ones to make you care for both Vivian and Mel. They click in the sexual chemistry department but will need to find ways to make their relationship work for the long-term. Don’t miss the fun and laughter in THE STAND-UP GROOMSMAN.

Patti Fischer