Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Lady Travelers Society #0.5

The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding in Seven Days or Less

Rate this book
Settle in for a wicked romp in this captivating installment of The Lady Travelers Society series by New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander

The family of the bride is expected to revel in the joy of the upcoming wedding. Instead, Miss Celia Bromley faces the most heartbreaking dilemma of her life: she’s fallen in love with the man engaged to marry her scheming half sister. Worse, he might love Celia in return. But handsome, bookish Henry Saunders is a man of honor. He would never break his promise to his bride-to-be, no matter how horrid she may be.

Celia’s despair hasn’t escaped the notice of keen-eyed Aunt Guinevere, who, along with her crafty friends, is determined to see true love triumph. Unraveling a wedding takes a delicate, subtle touch, and in the mad dash to break one engagement and encourage another, the ladies may well hear the whispers of scandal instead of the peal of wedding bells...

103 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2017

152 people are currently reading
490 people want to read

About the author

Victoria Alexander

64 books1,323 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.

Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.

During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.

Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.

Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!

Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.

They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
112 (17%)
4 stars
215 (34%)
3 stars
240 (38%)
2 stars
50 (7%)
1 star
14 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
Profile Image for Christina ~ Brunette Reader.
187 reviews361 followers
November 24, 2019

Henry Saunders and Miss Celia Bromley meet by chance at a bookstore and, after having spent a dreamy afternoon together, never expect to see each other again... even if they can't seem to stop the longing since then. And when they instead do unexpectedly find themselves face-to-face weeks later, they certainly never expect to be about to become in-laws, as he is now Katherine's fiancé, no other than Celia's step-sister.
Katherine is everything but in love with Henry and her mercenary temperament sees only the money and the connections this marriage could bring her, but the groom-to-be is an honourable man of his word who wouldn't renege on the betrothal, secret glances and stolen kisses notwithstanding. Things sound pretty tangled-up, don't they? Though maybe not irrevocably so when you have a trio of resourceful ladies determined to champion true love and a brother bent on theatrics on your side. After all, as one of Aunt Gwen's friend says:“It’s very nearly as much fun to separate a couple that shouldn’t be together as it is to match a couple that should."

A sweet and highly entertaining short story full of witty banter and humour. Ms Alexander writes with flair as always and in the span of a few days arc we still have the gusto of a full-length novel packed in, making for a rewarding read all the same. A lovely prequel to a promising new series of Victorian romantic comedies I really look forward to.
Profile Image for Melisa.
330 reviews543 followers
April 10, 2017
Simple, sweet, and happy. Loved this little historical novella. The characters had me cracking up, such funny dialogue, especially between Edward and Aunt Gwen. I will definitely be reading the books in this upcoming series! Thanks, Holly, for the fun buddy read!
Profile Image for Holly in Bookland.
1,348 reviews619 followers
April 10, 2017
**Buddy read with Melisa:)

This is how a historical romance should be wrote! Great characters--Aunt Gwen--, witty dialogue, mischiefs between characters--Aunt Gwen, Ned, Effie, Poppy! Clean romantic overtures. Like Melisa said, "simple and happy."
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,627 reviews379 followers
February 4, 2018
The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding in Seven Days or Less was a fun, delightful novella with an adorable romance and charming characters.

Miss Celia Bromley has spent weeks thinking of nothing but the man she met by chance at a bookstore but was unable to find again. To her surprise and heartbreak, many weeks later she sees the man again but he is her half-sister Katherine's fiancé. Henry Saunders spent weeks trying to find the woman from the bookshop only to tell himself he must have imagined their connection and needed to move on. When he finally sees her again as his new fiancée's sister, he vows to set aside his feelings for her as he is a man of his word who pledged to marry another. When Celia's Aunt Guinevere notices the pair's feelings for one another she is determined for true love to triumph and sets out to find a way to bring them together.

Celia doesn't have the best relationship with her family as her half-sisters have never seemed to like her, but family is very important to her and she believes they deserve her loyalty above all else. Celia longs for adventure in her life and is determined to eventually live in London. She loves history and thinks the museums in London are wonderful even if she has only been to London once.

Henry has always been considered the good brother and will never break his word once it's been given. He believes that without his honor he would be nothing and couldn't live with himself. Henry is quite close to his brother Edward who is the only family he has left.

Celia and Henry's relationship is based on the love at first sight trope, so if that is not one of your favorite romance types, you may not enjoy this novella. Unfortunately love at first sight is not one of the types of relationships I like, so I wasn't totally sold on the couple. There are a number of stolen glances and even a stolen kiss, but most of this book the hero and heroine are not together. I did very much enjoy the scheming by Celia's aunt and her aunt's friends to get Henry and Celia together and I found some of their ideas to be quite clever.

Overall, The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding in Seven Days or Less was an enjoyable read even if the relationship was not the type I typically like. I'm excited to read more books in this series as I enjoyed the writing and hope to get to the next book soon.
Profile Image for Becca.
703 reviews120 followers
April 5, 2018
Victoria Alexander has a very distinct writing style. I don't always have a craving for it, but there are times when it is just the ticket.

This story is not really about the central couple. Sure, there are two star-crossed lovers desperate to be together, but this is not the draw of the story. In fact, the two lovers are relatively flat characters who fell in love at first sight, then don't see each other again until the man shows up engaged to another. Everyone can tell that the new arrangement is lunacy and set about trying to stop the wedding so the true lovers can be together. I'd consider this story more of a comedy of errors with a sprinkle of romance. The main draw is the farce as everyone tries several madcap but funny ideas to "save the day." A widow and the mischievous earl (brother to the lovestruck "hero") who seek to thwart the engagement are the true delights in the story.

Overall, the idea of travelers is introduced and I liked the cast. I'll be continuing with this series.
Profile Image for steph .
1,395 reviews92 followers
December 30, 2017
This was cute. I mean, it only takes place in a span of six days and everything happens SUPER fast but it's a novella so that is expected. I really liked Celia and Henry and seeing Henry's brother Edward and Celia's aunt and her two friends try to finagle a way for the wedding to be broken off was FANTASTIC. Aunt Gwen really shined in her scenes there, especially anytime she and Edward worked together -"You're asking me to hide in a cupboard?" "...I have not explained this well."

However, I will say that I had a hard time reading this book after having already read book one because that book .
Profile Image for Amanda.
400 reviews116 followers
April 15, 2017
3.5 stars!

With a delightfully fun plot that read like a romcom film (seriously, can we turn it into a movie?), I really enjoyed this novella! Obviously a standing ovation must be directed solely at the character of Guinevere Blodgett, Aunt Gwen to our heroine and devious mastermind extraordinaire to everyone else, at least when it came to matchmaking soulmates in the process of ruining a disastrous wedding at the same time. Aided by her down for anything friends, Mrs. Ophelia Higginbotham and Mrs. Persephone Fitzhew-Wellmore, as well as as our hero’s surprisingly sly brother Ned (will he get a book???), Gwen singlehandedly stole the show with her shady schemes and diabolical machinations that would leave even Machiavelli in awe. All in the name of true love! And I for one, loved every minute of it.

My biggest critique was that there were not enough scenes dedicated solely to the main couple, Celia and Henry. Their relationship definitely took a backseat to all the madcap goings on around them and though this wasn’t exactly a dealbreaker for me, I would’ve liked to have seen more, romance-wise. They did have the most adorable meet cute EVER and while yes, it was a love at first sight type of situation, Henry’s description of the instant he knew Celia was The One took my breath away.
“From the moment he’d met her, quite by accident at one of his favorite booksellers’, the moment he’d looked into her blue eyes, something inside of him had clicked like the turn of a key in a lock, as if all the puzzle pieces of his life had abruptly snapped into place.”

Ridiculously long title aside, The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding (in Seven Days or Less) did its job as prequel brilliantly well as now I am super excited to read more from this refreshingly unique series. The more shenanigans from Gwen, Effie and Poppy the better!
Profile Image for iamGamz.
1,549 reviews51 followers
September 4, 2019
A delightful into to the series.

I loved how the aunt and her friends swooped in to “help” with the wedding by making sure that the groom married the woman he truly loved and not the one after his money and standing in society.

I am hoping the other books in the series are equally amusing and fun to read.
Profile Image for Tracy Emro.
2,124 reviews64 followers
May 3, 2017
5 stars!

OMG! This book was totally delightful! It was laugh out loud funny and even though Henry and Celia were the primaries, I fell in love with Edward!

Henry and Celia met briefly and felt an instant connection - but parted ways without exchanging names and even though they both tried to find the other again, they did not and both accepted defeat and moved on.

Henry actually moved on to Katherine and after a whirlwind courtship, proposes to her. So imagine his shock when he meets her family and realizes his missing soulmate is her younger sister!

Unable to break his word he proceeds with the wedding plans even though he's miserable and knows that marrying Katherine is a huge mistake. Celia is heartbroken but knows that Henry is a man of honor and would be devastated if he had to break his word.

Fortunately for our star-crossed lovers, Henry's brother Edward and Celia's Aunt Guinevere have no such scruples and set off on the campaign to make Katherine cry off!

This was an absolutely delightful read and whetted my appetite for the next book in the series! The only complaint I had was Henry came off as a little bit fickle - but in the end he is totally redeemed.
Profile Image for Donna.
444 reviews
May 16, 2017
What a fun novella to start off the Lady Travelers Guide series. Celia's half-sister is engaged to the man Celia loves, Henry Saunders. Henry loves her too but is not sure how he can get out of marrying her half-sister. Celia's Aunt Gwen, and her 2 best friends, decide true love should win no matter what they have to do to accomplish it. Novellas are too short to spoil the plot, but I really enjoyed this one and think you will too.
Profile Image for BJ Rose.
733 reviews89 followers
September 4, 2017
Enjoyable story - interesting premise and fairly well carried out, but nothing to excite. Typical novella fare - it definitely couldn't have lasted for a full novel.
Profile Image for Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew.
1,366 reviews152 followers
August 14, 2018
I suppose this was pleasant enough. The juvenile leads ended up together (which if either of them had had any gumption, they would have done before the story started). There was a beginning, a bit of a middle and an end. All the words were in the right order, (though they weren't necessarily the right words).

But the plotting was all over the place - the OW is overheard planning a cunning plan (but never bothers carrying it out); anti-OW tactics are launched and abandoned within a chapter (the novella's too short for that sort of squandering) etc etc. Multiple PoVs, so characterisation was minimal. Meh.
Profile Image for Tarra.
966 reviews46 followers
November 13, 2017
Meh.

Too many characters introduced with little to do. Constant introductions by title, then Christian name, then nicknames got confusing.

The leads were quite boring, the romance was not convincing in the love at first sight trope, but I enjoyed the scenes with he older brother and the meddling "aunt."
Profile Image for Kristi.
458 reviews12 followers
May 16, 2017
I feel like I've read this before... perhaps in an anthology. I think the ending was mediocre and lacked the satisfaction you want when the hero and heroine finally find their HEO.
Profile Image for Jessica Grogan.
523 reviews25 followers
June 15, 2017
For a novella this was boring af. Makes me seriously rethink reading the first book in the series.
Profile Image for Frances.
1,704 reviews6 followers
February 24, 2018
I gave this three stars because I have been reading so much crap called regency. Since this one was actually readable, I gave it three stars.
Profile Image for Paraphrodite.
2,670 reviews51 followers
September 22, 2024
3 stars.

This is the story of the hero of Book 1 Derek Saunders' parents. Unfortunately, it was probably a mistake to have read that book before this one.

This is a bit of a farce. It was funny seeing the three ladies before the Ladies Travelers Society meddling in the affairs of Gwen's niece.
Profile Image for Beth.
453 reviews9 followers
May 31, 2017
Short and sweet...although I was rooting for the brother-in-law and the aunt's relationship more than the hero and heroine. A nice novella, however!
Profile Image for Darlene Foster.
744 reviews6 followers
January 10, 2020
The Proper Way To Stop A Wedding, by Victoria Alexander, was originally published in 2017. A novella in the Lady Travelers Society, it stood up as a stand-alone story quite well. I've given this book, a rare for me, 5 stars. I was entertained from beginning to end. It may be a short story but the characters were fleshed out just enough to allow the reader to pick up the story already in process.

We're given a couple of love-to-hate characters, always fun. Our heroine is a kind of Cinderella figure, unkind step-sisters. Our hero has a twin who is the exact opposite personality & I think I liked him better. A flirty rouge is my cup of tea. Our main couple are both intelligent, kind, bookish, quiet. In other words, perfect for each other. Henry is nobel & keeps his word, until push comes to shove. He's taken to the limit of what he'll do for true love, & that's anything. The older matchmaking ladies are wonderful. I wish I'd had them looking out for me. Ladies plotting devious plans are a hoot, I love them. The entire book was witty and fun.

#VictoriaAlexander #HQNBooks #TheProperWayToStopAWedding #TheLadyTravelersSociety
Profile Image for Marti.
3,293 reviews1 follower
July 4, 2017
The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding in Seven Days or Less by Victoria Alexander is a novel within the framework of The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels and Other Gentlemen. In this particular story we once again meet the three besties, Gwen, Effie and Poppy. They are older women married of the ton. Her task is to stop a wedding and have another one take place. You see they think the bride for Henry does not love him and is using him for prestige and money… Henry doesn’t really like the bride Katherine either, especially now he knows her, but he would not be a man of his word, if he broke the engagement, even though he is really in love with her younger half sister Celia, who happens to love him.

The story is a hoot of shenanigans, gossip, rumors and blatant untruths. Henry and Celia’s families work together to force the correct marriage to occur. The Proper Way to Stop a Wedding in Seven Days or Less by Victoria Alexander was fun! I enjoyed the deviousness of the families and focus on Celia and Henry’s best interest. The book was a fun read.
Profile Image for Cat.
715 reviews
February 17, 2018
This story is cute with a fun scheme in it but there are two huge things standing in my way of enjoyment. 1, the infidelity plot, which the author only justifies by making the Other Woman a horrible person - I hate it when the women around the heroine are made awful to help the heroine shine. 2, we find out about the fate of this couple in the first novel of the series and it's not exactly a HEA, which, just sucks and is a weird choice for a romance.

However, I tried to focus on the dynamic of the schemers and how they got started being the menaces to society we find in the Lady Travelers Society. That part is very fun. But I think it defeats the purpose of the romance if the central characters aren't the main point.
Profile Image for Sabrina (Soter) Sally.
2,162 reviews70 followers
August 30, 2018
"Henry Saunders aveva trovato il vero amore della sua vita e non poteva farci niente."

Se avete un oretta libera e volete leggiucchiare qualcosa di breve e poco impegnativo, questo brevissimo libro fa al caso vostro XD Molto simpatico e romantico quanto basta, è solo il prequel della serie ma delinea bene tutti i personaggi compresa la triade delle matrone sensali XD Certo avrei voluto vedere in diretta il primo incontro tra Celia e Henry con relativo colpo di fulmine invece di sentirlo solo raccontare in due righe e a tratti ho notato poca accuratezza storica (tutti che si chiamano per nome....quando mai? XD).
Profile Image for Cathy.
68 reviews14 followers
December 19, 2018
Henry, younger brother to an earl, met Celia in a bookstore and fell instantly in love. And had no clue who she was or where to find her. Then he met Katherine and was soon engaged to be married. Only to discover that his fiancee was a heartless social climber and that her younger half-sister was Henry's lost love, Celia. Enter Celia's Aunt Gwen, Gwen's two conniving friends, and Henry's older brother Edward, earl, actor and all around good guy. Between them they hatch a scheme to stop the wedding and reunite the young lovers, but are they a match for Katherine's ambition. Delightfully devious and romantic.
Profile Image for Laura D.
1,111 reviews
July 14, 2017
A nice beginning to the new series The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels and other gentleman. I did read them out of order, but it as easy to follow. Celia and Henry met in a bookshop and had an instant connection. After their brief encounter they looked for each other and didn't have any luck. Later Henry becomes engaged to someone else only to see Celia again after he has given his word to marry another. He can not break his promise and accepts he can not have Celia in his life. Can his brother the Earl and her nosy aunts stop a wedding in less than a week? Good read!
202 reviews1 follower
July 12, 2023
what a romp!

when too many murders and too many gun fights get too heavy, an old-fashioned English romp in the socially acceptable parlors and manicured gardens with the intent of freeing a misbegotten engagement from becoming a lifelong sentence of misery, you know you have been invited to help a family-bound conspiracy pry loose the wrong hands and tie them to the right ones. and a happy adventure all around is your reward for reading page two. and three. and four. and five... and all the rest. great synergy, great dialog, great, believable characters. have fun.
563 reviews
September 7, 2017
A fun story about a bossy aunt, a youngest daughter and the wedding of the oldest sister. Katherine wants to marry for a title and money. She finds and mesmerizes him to the point that he asks her for hand in marriage. All is fine and good until he discovers that he really loves Celia, the youngest sister. He is very honorable and doesn't want to back out of the deal. Find out how the aunt and his older brother step in to make things right.
Profile Image for Helen.
Author 7 books275 followers
November 12, 2017
I found this novella/prequel included in the Lady Travelers Society #1 edition, and it was an unexpected pleasure. I usually don't read novellas, but this one was funny and filled with charming characters, some of whom I'd met later in life in the Lady Travelers book #1. I hope to see more of the three ladies/founders of the Lady Travelers Society. They are quite the schemers--all for a good cause, of course!
Profile Image for Sara G.
1,745 reviews
December 27, 2018
This novella is a prequel of sorts to the first book in the Lady Travelers Society series. We go back in time a couple of decades to hear the story of that hero's parents' marriage, which was implied to be somewhat of a scandal. The couple fell in love at first sight, but he finds himself engaged to her sister. It was a cute story but I thought it dragged in places, which is awkward when a book is only a little over 100 pages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.