The Wedding Planner

by Danielle Steel

In this captivating novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel, a wildly successful, unmarried wedding planner leads her clients to happily ever after.

Faith Ferguson is New York’s most in-demand wedding planner, an arbiter of taste for elegant affairs, lavish ceremonies, and exclusive fêtes. She appreciates a simple celebration as much as a dazzling event, for she knows that a dream wedding is not necessarily the most expensive one.

As much as Faith enjoys her work, her two failed engagements leave her with no desire to get married herself. She finds fulfillment in her close relationship with her twin sister, Hope, her role as a mentor for her assistant, Violet, and her career.

This year, new clients have flocked to her, and she signs up an extravagant reception, a mid-sized gathering, and an intimate soirée, in addition to her mother’s next marriage and Violet’s modest ceremony. Faith finds herself forming bonds with her new clients and their loved ones—mostnotably the handsome brother of one of her grooms.

But weddings are not always all champagne and roses, and in no time, Faith is grappling with private quarrels, unplanned pregnancies, family scandals, dark secrets, and the possibility of cancelled ceremonies. Through her own journey, Faith will prove once and for all that that there is not just one path to happily ever after.

In The Wedding Planner, Danielle Steel presents an enchanting story about the winding road to love and the many ways to find joy while staying true to oneself.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction, New York

325 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2023

About the author

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

Reviews

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have come to the conclusion that DS doesn't read any reader reviews for her books. If she did she would realize that repeating sentences 20 times is a serious no-go!

Not a bad story about a Wedding Planner, Faith, playing match maker / heroin / motherly advice / planning fabulous weddings. A few parts were a bit unnecessary. My favorite part was Michael adopting little Blake and how that played out.

Yes, I keep putting myself through this (it's a personal reason) and I keep hoping we might get a good one. One more like her earlier releases. Alas, a story that will not be very memorable after finishing it.

I'll keep trying.

[Rianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay I enjoyed the plot, but the thing I couldn’t get over is how repetitive the book was. There were multiple times when I read something and thought I had lost my place because I had just read the same thing only a page or two before. The author would repeat a paragraph just to add one small new detail at the end. Without the repetition, I’m fairly certain the book would’ve been half the length.

[Suz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was standard fare as far as DS goes. The following statements are common (from memory as I listened on audio):
As blue as the sky
As strong as a lion
As gentle as a teddy bear

Faith is an amazing wedding planner who is against one for herself after a couple of bad experiences. We see her help the rich and gluttounous, while she works hard almost 24/7. She comes across BABIES BABIES BABIES in abundance, an abused woman, same sex adoption, and her own mother who has also had no luck in the marriage department.

There was even a birth scene depicting stirrups. Mmm.

I read a few reviews, and many readers wonder about the use of an editor when it comes to DS. I think she has her own vision and it is what it is. Plain uninspired writing is common, as is repetition and predictability.

The author talk about wealth a LOT, Faith’s assistant couldn’t afford a wedding but I seem to recall the fiancé ‘came from money’, so Faith’s pastoral care of her little flock possibly wasn’t even warranted.

It suited my purpose this time around as I have a weekly work task that is monotonous and bland, so I can get a large chunk read, with little concentration, because let’s face it, that’s what these books are all about.

A generous two stars.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Women's Fiction. I found this book not to have the hard hitting emotional impact that other Danielle Steel's books have and that is what I want and really enjoy about her books. I liked this book, but I did not love it. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Delacorte Press) or author (Danielle Steel) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Catbytheseareads ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith is the best wedding planner in NYC!
After 2 failed engagements herself, planning is what she loves and does best!

I dove right in and couldn’t put this book down as always true to Danielle’s books it was beautiful. The characters were so realistic and that made it feel so heartwarming.
I enjoyed reading about weddings, the drama that happens between families and how planners hear it all.

It’s a gorgeously sweet novel
If you love to hear about Weddings told by the planner this book is for you!
I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you so much Netgalley!

[Lisa Nichols · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my first Danielle Steele book. Is this what they’re all like? Meandering, walking through life. The story and writing was vanilla pudding, white toast. It’s obvious what was coming next; she repeats herself, hinting at things she already hinted at. It’s full of cliches, and dull statements (it was the most exquisite wedding ever). I went to the end just in case something interesting happened. So glad I’m done.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those of you who know me or have read my reviews know that I'm somewhat of a Danielle Steel groupie. I admit that her numerous books are predictable, the phrasing is repetitive and her characters lead unrealistic lives to support her premise.

Hahaha, so why the heck do I devour everyone of them? Because they are comfort stories that always bring happy tears to my eyes.

Having said that, this is not one her best - a bit too contrived even for me 😊. Three stars ⭐️, and that's being generous.

[Barbara Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Danielle Steele can always be counted on to bring the drama but do it in a way that you can read it at your leisure and not lose interest. This was no exception. It wasn’t as intense as some of her others, but it moved along well with even pacing.
Faith, as you can tell from the title, is “the” sought after wedding planner. She is happily single after being engaged twice and it not working out. Now she is busy planning weddings for others, from super extravagant million dollar weddings to the simpler, more intimate one for her own personal assistant, Violet, who can’t really afford anything special, but they’ve been together for along time and feel like it’s time to make it official. Ans everything in between. Meanwhile, Faith’s twin sister, Hope, is living her dream life in the country with her husband raising her family and the total opposite of Faith. Their mom decides to get married for the third time and they have to deal with that as well.
As Faith plans the weddings of the various couples, a rich spoiled daddy’s girl, a gay couple who are expecting via surrogate and Phoebe who is engaged to a super controlling man who Faith doesn’t think she should marry, she tackles the various obstacles that stand between each couple and the weddof their dreams. And Faith is the miracle worker that makes everything okay for everyone, and after giving so much of herself for so many years, she even ends up making things better for herself.
This is classic woman’s fiction with some triggers-verbal and physical abuse, traumatic birth.
Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Real life happens to you when you're making other plans."

[Kathy Kalt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this 2 stars merely because I actually finished it instead of putting it aside after about 50 pages. Repetitive prose, trite situations, vacuous characters, silly plot. It's been a while since I've read a Danielle Steel book, and now I remember why.

[Encarnacion Aubrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

a bit of fluf

Nothing book about nothing, super slow…
Kept waiting for it to take off but it never did, waste of time and money

[Helen Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much of a plot but we certainly learned Steel’s favorite wedding vow. “With my body, I thee worship”?!? Enough already.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been awhile since Danielle Steel has come out with a new book so I was excited to see this on NetGalley. The Wedding Planner is about Faith who is a very successful wedding planner in NY and she has 3 weddings to plan. Each one is unique in their own way and she has to figure out how to pull each one off successfully. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. To be published May 2023. This is my 49th book by her that I’ve read! Wow!

[Destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another fun, entertaining read by Danielle Steel. It follows wedding planner, Faith, and several of her clients in the months leading up to their big day.

The characters aren't super well-developed and there isn't a lot of a plot for some of the main characters, but the clients all have great storylines. Phoebe and Doug have a cycle of abuse, Morgan and Alex want to adopt a baby, and Annabelle and Jeremy face an unplanned pregnancy. While full of scandal and drama, none of the storylines really tug at the heartstrings like a typical Danielle Steel story would.

I still found myself flying through the pages, trying to see what would happen and how they would, if possible, all tie together.

[Mary Laczay · Rating 1 out of 5]

the worst

This was just awful. I couldn’t even finish it. Made it to the first 50 pages. Total waste of time and money on this book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." Thank you Netgalley.


The Wedding Planner was an okay read I have liked her others books better 3 stars 🌟🌟🌟



Happy Reading 

Lisa 📚

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!! Faith is a high end wedding planner. This book is all about the different weddings that she plans. You also meet her family and friends, the people that she works with, and some of the brides become her long time friends. It’s very interesting to to read about all of the different types of weddings that people have and the amount of money that they spend on them. This book is one that you do not want to put down, but you don’t want to read it too fast because you know it will be over soon.

[Grace Yoder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. A slap in the face to tradition marriage. Follows several characters but non very well. Weak story line. Many repetitive paragraphs...Ends with a traumatic birth and the the main character decided never to get married or have children. Just why.

[Kim Larson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story line for this book was fine. What gave it the one star is the writing. Verrry repetitive and simple. Felt like the author wrote a section at a time, and didn’t read what they previously wrote. Thus repeating sentences almost to the letter within pages of each other.

[RichelleLeibold · Rating 1 out of 5]

I havent read a Danielle Steel story in many many years and wow, i am disappointed in this one. The story is quite repetitive and annoying. The same facts are shared over and over. How many times does one need to know of white rose horses! The little research done to write this book was shared more times than needed. Often i would think i lost my page and was rereading but no, i hadn’t. It is also disheartening to know the wedding planner extraordinaire does not believe in marriage! So had that fact gotten out, her business would have gotten destroyed. It may be many many years before i read another by D.S.

[Lilly Jordin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was 50 pages of plot stretched into 288 pages

[Beth Cato · Rating 1 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from the library. It's a book club read for March.

I have never read Danielle Steel before, and I'm left wondering if this book is like her others, and if so, why has she seen such wild success? A science fiction book featuring aliens to more relatable to me than this tale of an in-demand New York City wedding planner and her ridiculously wealthy clients. The book is poorly edited. Descriptions are redundant, the same lines repeated in a baffling way. The viewpoint floats from character to character without warning and is confusing at times. There wasn't even much romance, the sex not showing up on the page until the end, and there was little of it, with sparse descriptions. The prose itself is simple and lacks rhythm.

The one positive I can say is that it's a fast read. Thank goodness.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve read a Danielle Steel book. I really enjoyed this one! I loved the plot and the characters. It was a really quick listen for me.

[Joanne Eglon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4. 5⭐

Love Danielle's style of writing.

Not quite a 5 star due to its predictably but honestly a great read.

Danielle Steel is a go to author for me as her books are such an escapism for me, I devour them so quickly and love the cosy comforting feel they always give.

Would recommend 💕

[Craig and Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Pan Macmillan for sending us a copy to read and review.
An escapism read is always good in between great reads and the latest Danielle Steel brings the drama and her signature style.
A new everyday saga with love and a heroine who makes magic for weddings.
Faith Ferguson is the New York’s most popular wedding planner.
She makes a union for two, special and unique.
But sometimes there’s unusual demands and nothing is impossible for Faith to achieve.
Making the day exclusive and chic is her specialty.
For three couples, each distinct and diverse, they touch Faith personally.
Faith has never wanted to get married herself but sometimes love comes in when you least expect.
Danielle’s most recent contemporary romance fiction is relaxed, pleasant and obvious.
A reasonable plot, a handful of different characters, the expected happy ending and the behind the scenes of a couples special day find their way into her trademark writing storytelling.
A tale filled with obstacles, mishaps, gestures, issues, secrets and an exotic location, all the same elements that fans love to gobble up in her books.
The bestselling author with an uncomplicated and engaging narrative.
A quick and easy read that provides her audience with the usual reading getaway.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Edit: I picked it up again to finish.

Faith is so unrelatable and honestly kind of a repulsive person. She constantly mentions how much money she’s making off of these extravagant weddings while her assistant is struggling to make ends meet.

The romance felt forced. The writing is repetitive. Hearing both sides of their dates at the same time was cringey and spoiled any chemistry.

I read a comment somewhere that said “Danielle Steel doesn’t follow the first rule of writing: show don’t tell.” And I’d agree with that.

My one star review stands.


Original review:
I’m halfway through this book and there’s not a lick of good writing. This is a milquetoast half-baked story.

Some sentences I’ve just read:
- Each supplier had their own work area and huge staff.
- All the bridesmaids looked very elegant.
- Jeremy and Annabelle had picked their favorite songs.
- The ceremony was very touching.

I’m not sure if I’m just not the target audience for this book. It reads like an elementary primer book where you’re learning what weddings are and you’re preparing for a lesson on common adverbs. Over 50% of the book shouldn’t just be background on a character, but here we are.

Not sure if I’ll finish, but I’m going to move onto something else before my brain shrinks. :/

[Misty Ortiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first read by Danielle Steel and I don’t get the hullabaloo 🤷🏼‍♀️. I found the writing redundant and also the love story was sped up but the book was slow. Maybe this was a bad first book to start on from her

[Mai H.]

Valentine's Day TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press

[Karen Axnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most Danielle Steel’s novels, The Wedding Planner features a strong, independent, (usually wealthy) female protagonist ripe for romance despite protestations to the contrary. It is a quick, entertaining read for when you just want to escape reality for a bit and fantasize about an alternate lifestyle.

Faith Ferguson is the premier wedding planner in New York City. Her weddings – big and small – are characterized by beauty, quality, and flawless execution. The story unfolds as Faith takes on three new clients for the summer – one an over-the-top extravaganza planned by parents desiring to show off their new-found wealth; one with a groom-to-be that gives off serious vibes for potential domestic abuse; and lastly, a loving gay couple who are also awaiting the birth of a child through a surrogate. As Faith navigates these major challenges, she also plans the smaller weddings of her mother (her fourth trip down the aisle) and her invaluable assistant. It all makes for an interesting and engaging look at the wedding industry.

The story is told in primarily narrative format with Steel’s penchant for repeating backstory details. The characters represent a wide variety of personalities addressing a host of social issues – premarital sex, unplanned pregnancies, domestic abuse, surrogate pregnancy, marriage between same sex partners, and infidelity – to name a few. I found Faith to be a likeable protagonist with a strong commitment to honoring her client’s wishes in planning their special day. The descriptions of the weddings are wonderfully detailed and evocative of Faith’s creativity and aesthetic nature. Of course, there are plenty of happy endings, leaving the conclusion on an upbeat note.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

[Madelyn Hawkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t keep reading this book. every time I read it I fall asleep. So repetitive. I tried to push through but I can’t!!!!! I only have 80 pages left & I can’t do it. Going to read spark notes to see how it ends