My Fake Wedding

by Mina Ford

Katie's given up on love…so she'll be the perfect bride

When Katie Simpson discovers her boyfriend boffing “Fishpants Fraser,” she vows to eat toenail clippings before getting involved again. Life as “the ginger spinster of Pelham Parish” will be lonely, but bearable as long as she shags lots of strangers and hangs tight with her friends. Unfortunately, Katie has the unerring ability to hit on the only gay man at the party (not again!). And her pals are somewhat preoccupied. Mover-and-shaker Janice has started scoping funerals for doddering sugar daddies. George, Katie’s gorgeous, flamingly gay best friend (yes, she’s tried it), is madly in love with an Aussie heartbreaker (struck out there, too) who needs some speedy nuptials to stay in the country. What better opportunity to plan a fake wedding more elaborate than a ten-tier cake?

However, love hasn't given up on Kate

Just when the girl who eats like a cow, wears clompy shoes and is unacquainted with her own hairbrush starts trying on white dresses, romance comes from the unlikeliest—and straight and male—source. Will Katie let the man she loves ruin her wedding day?

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, British Literature

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on this book because I HATED the main character and got tired of her insulting pretty much everybody, including overweight people. (Not other characters in the book, mind you; these were general rules to be applied to all of humankind.) Maybe she redeemed herself later in the book, but I wasn't willing to stick it out long enough to find out. Which is a shame, because despite the odiousness of the character, Ford's writing was very, very funny. I'd be willing to try another book written by her.

[M]

The bathtub scene is SOOOOOOO perfect.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely cute. Not sure why I put this down and struggled to pick it back up. While predictable, it was enjoyable and sweet.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and very Bridget Jones. Kate was a bit rough on her fellow workmates except David. She was very immature but so fecking funny. The British slang was not so much off-putting but something you had to be fully awake to concentrate on. I had to roughly translate everything. I did not enjoy cheating and nearly threw the book across the room. I loved the loyalty of friends and I loved the Colin Firth character, Sam. "I could never date someone named Colin".

I think back and I read Bridget Jones a few times (before and after the movie) and I actually liked this book better. I'm not sure when BJ was written compared to this book but still, well done you.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Contemporary British Literature is a guilty pleasure. Although I don't understand all the slang, I could still enjoy this novel? And who wouldn't? It's fantastically funny. One thing though- If you think this book is going to be all about the wedding or put a ton of emphasis on it, as I was, it isn't.... The wedding wasn't even a part of a good half of the book. However the romance,the ever common theme of running out of time, and the humor were exemplary.

[Meera · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely hated it. Could not get past the first few chapters. The main character is not at all likeable and impossible to identify with on any level.
I wanted to give the author a try as I went to uni in Bath and I like to read local author but I don't think I will read anything else by this author.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book- English slang that is... :)

[JenRider · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book left me totally confused..I don't know if I liked the story or if I hated..It was chaotic and a little bit confusing with a little of everything else..

[Lina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have an excuse for reading it: my train took five hours... no other excuse could be valid.

[Traci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only read the first couple of pages. Couldn't do it. The language was "English/British", I think. I tried, but couldn't keep going. The idea of the story interested me, but I have a hard time reading other "dialect".

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely write reviews, but this book is just not good. It literally took 200 pages to get to the actually conversation about the main character marrying the gay best friend’s boyfriend. There were 160 pages left to fulfill that plot line.

[Tonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book had some funny moments, it was so over the top ridiculous that I had a hard time believing it. A nice quick read if you are looking for something light.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and cute late-in-life coming-of-age story.
Katie's been drifting through life with no direction, no (worthwhile) man, and no real goals to speak of; the only thing she has going for her are her tight-knit group of friends - who are acting really wacky lately. Janice wants to marry a rich older guy so she can be set for life, George is madly in love with a man who's in danger of being deported, and Sam's dating an odious bitch with two faces.
In order to survive, she's got to find out who she actually is and what she's looking for out of life, all while agreeing to marry George's boyfriend so he won't be deported.
This book is great because you get to actually see Katie's development from adrift loser to a hardworking human being who really knows what she wants out of life and has self-respect. Sure she can be a bit grating at the beginning, but seeing how much she loves her friends and watching her grow up (if a bit late) is a lot of fun.
This one is more of a beach-read than a choice for your book club, but it's enjoyable enough, if a bit shallow.

Plus, the scene where Sam confesses her love to her with crisps and jellybeans while she's in the bathtub? It's just such a sweet moment and the perfect culmination of their relationship leading up to it.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storywise My Fake Wedding is right up my alley with all of the classic qualities of the Chick-Lit genre. There were humorously awkward situations, a quirky, recognizable heroine at a crossroads in her life, a group of loving but trouble-making friends, and an unexpected romance. Chick-Lit can often be predictable but the author managed to surprise me and keep me hoping for that happy ending right up until the end.
What made My Fake Wedding less enjoyable for me was the crude language and behaviour of the characters. I think the author thought that their shocking language and constant sex obsession would add another element of humor but it got old quickly. And, more importantly, it distracted from the story of Katie's - and to a lesser extent her friends' - personal growth.

[Klaudyna Z. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was somewhat strange. First of all, I didn't realize that it was British chick lit until I started to read it. I have a hard time getting the British lingo as it is but sometimes I felt as if I was reading a different language because I had no idea what the characters were talking about. I didn't like the main character, I thought she was mean and pissy for most of the book. I did like Sam however but I wish that they had gotten together sooner than the last page of the damn book.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This pretty much has everything you could ever want in a chick lit book - lots of sex (but not graphic), lots of food, lots of drama. I just wish George wasn't such a stereotypical queen or that Katie would stand up to Janice once in a while. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the slang, being an Anglophile. Not a bad beach read.

[Laurie LeClair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I read My Fake Wedding during breaks and lunches at work and could not stop laughing. I got so many strange looks, but, even more questions about what I was reading and if they could borrow it. This is a must read, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy! I can't wait to read more Mina Ford books.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this book was hard to read. I was having a hard time with the British slang and pronunciation. I couldn't get into the story or involved in the characters because of that. Not one of my favorites.

[Dana (Dana and the Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some funny moments and some cute moments, but nothing special or memorable.

I know there are moments when I just want to read a cheesy contemporary, no brainer chick-lit novel and "My Fake Wedding" is exactly that.

[Chantel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok..total English setting which was different..the sex talk and graphic detail got to me a few times...but otherwise it made me laugh out loud a few times and that is always a plus for me..Definitely not what I was expecting when I picked up this book

[Melissa Torres · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this book at all. I tried to read a little towards the end to see if it was going to be worth trying to get through and decided not. I usually enjoy these types of books but this one...no thank you :-(

[Jirinka (sony08) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I finished the book I didn't enjoy it. the author tried too hard to be funny with a joke in every other sentence, the main character Katie was just plain too silly and unbelievably dumb. The whole book was too overly chicklit for me.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultimately enjoyable but without much to recommend it. An overuse of slang and bad words for not much purpose.

[Charity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cute story. A very quick read.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, shallow book that did a good job of keeping my mind off my homework. Included great menu ideas for fancy parties. :)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Brit Chick Lit. Characters were fun and over the top but very enjoyable.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan. I agree with Amy below that I did not like the main charachter. Very self involved and whiny!

[Sarah Marble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dumb but entertaining. Normally I don't mind bodily function talk, but this was a little over the top.

[Brenda Kelton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated the main character she was so mean. I don't care if she changes I couldn't stand her. It's hard to enjoy a book if the main character makes you so mad.

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like it so much more, if the heroine wouldn't decide to shag her ex-cheating-awful-sleazybag-boyfriend. How stupid is that. Has she no dignity at all?