My Sister's Wedding

by Vicky Pattison

For better or worse, two families are about to become one . . .

The Ashworth sisters couldn't be more different. Becky is focused, driven and about to marry her lovely fiance, Daniel Balfour. Lizzie, on the other hand, bounces from one temp job to another, keeps falling for the wrong man and is a whirlwind of chaos in Becky's otherwise well-ordered life. But they love each other fiercely and the Ashworth way has always been family comes first.

As preparations for Becky and Daniel's wedding get underway, it soon becomes clear that the Ashworth way is not the Balfour way. Daniel's family have never thought Becky was good enough for him but he loves her and that's always been enough for the happy couple. But when Lizzie gets caught in the crossfire between Becky and the Balfours, Becky and Lizzie find themselves drifting apart at a time when they need each other the most. Will they be able to repair the damage before Becky walks down the aisle?

Warm-hearted, fun, witty and romantic, My Sister's Wedding will have you crying with laughter one second, and then crying with emotion the next. It's Vicky Pattison at her very best!

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2017

About the author

Vicky Pattison is an English television personality, fashion designer, reality television participant, columnist, writer, media personality and model. She is best known for appearing on the MTV show Geordie Shore from 2011 to 2014, Ex on the Beach from 2014 and her own show Judge Geordie since 2015.

Reviews

[Melindam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect summer read: full of sunshine and light breezes with occasional thunderstorms that clear up with rainbows at the end.

Sisters Becky and Lizzie, though complete opposites, have always been there for each other through thick and thin, ever since their mum up and left them and their dad without word or explanation.

Becky, the elder sister, -practical, reliable, considerate and diplomatic- works as an editor for a publishing house and is about to marry her long-standing boyfriend. Daniel is a dreamboat: handsome, kind-hearted & generous. The only "problem" with him is that he is stone rich, heir to a multi-million-pound company and his parents have expectations. Expectations that do not include him marrying a "social nobody" of a girl up from the North. In this opinion they are strongly and very actively supported by Daniel's sister. Nicole is an ambitious, ruthless socialite, who does everything short of murder for fame. She has definite plans how best to break up the relationship between Becky and her brother. To Nicole's outrage, the media loves Becky as potential Cinderella-material and she quickly rises to "stardom" status with women wanting to dress like her, magazines wanting to interview her and paparazzis following her every move.

Meanwhile Lizzie -slapdash, fun-loving, loyal, wild, yet insecure- who is without a job, a flat or a boyfriend, feels left out in the cold.
Becky fails to take her sister's side after she -rather the worse for drink - picks a quarrel with Nicole during the engagement party and Lizzie gets bad media coverage, courtesy of Nicole. Needless to say, Lizzie feels even more betrayed and alone. Subsequent events drive a wedge between the sisters and they are drifting further apart.

We are offered the alternating POVs of Becky, Lizzie & an occasional third-person narrator showing Nicole's scheming, which goes very well with this story overall. It is a very easy, engaging read with characters you will like and characters you'll love to hate (yes, Nicole, we are all looking at you), with plenty of intrigue and double-dealing.
I was fond of both sisters. I felt closer to Becky and a little bit irritated with Lizzie at the beginning, but she grew on me pretty quickly. Their dad & best friends (Lauren for Becky and Jay for Lizzie) were lovely characters as well.
Becky and Daniel's relationship had a definite Kate-Wills-vibe, but it was toned down and I totally bought it.

Very much recommended for fans of chick-lit and beach-read.

Netgalley arc received from Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ Fun Read with plenty of Sisterly drama

This is my first book by Vicky, and I'm pleased to say it will not be my last.
She has really surprised me.

This book is fun, a light hearted read, story of families coming together, sisterly drama, plenty of humour and a few twists and fireworks to make up the perfect wedding.
What could possibly go wrong!!

Becky and Lizzie are sisters. Becky is the oldest and it comes across as though she is the 'mum' figure. She looks out for Lizzie.
Becky had to grow up very quickly as their mother left them.
They have a beautiful bond, although they are very different.
Becky is more organised and calm, where Lizzie comes across as scatter brain and disorganised, living in the moment.

Becky is engaged to Daniel and they are about to get married.
Only trouble is neither of the in-laws have met and they couldn't be more different!
I mean how hard can it be to get on and be cival for the sake of the happy couple?!

During the wedding preparations we see Becky and Lizzie's relationship start to become strained.
Becky feels she is caught in the middle of wanting to please her new family and fit in, whilst trying to stay loyal to her sister.
But this just makes them drift apart.

I love my younger sister to pieces but I can see this story being one to Definetly relate too. Where families become strained due to choices in partnerships/ families.

I really did enjoy reading this book and feel that readers will Definetly be able to relate to the characters and story.
There is a lot of references to social media, fashion etc which will most definitely appeal/ relate to the YA readers.
I'm 35 and I enjoyed it.

Overall a great feel good read. Perfect summer read.
Great for readers who love YA, Rom Com's, weddings, sister family bonds and summer reads.

I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read by the author, and I must say she did not disappoint me with this story of 2 sisters: Becky the practical and organized one, and Lizzie the scatter brain and insecure one. Becky is about to marry her longstanding boyfriend Daniel and his sister, Nicole schemes and makes life difficult thereby creating a misunderstanding between the sisters. But ultimately love between sisters conquers all.
Vicky Pattison has written the book in a heartwarming, delightful manner, where the sisters' characters are diametrically opposite. Becky is reliable and calm whereas Lizzie is insecure, who has not yet found her niche.
Written in both Lizzie and Becky's voices along with a third person who shows Nicole's true characters, the story is easy to read. There are moments of despair and fight but as the book moves on, love shines through. It is fun, fast paced, family drama with the underlying core of love.
All the characters work well in the story, playing their parts with conviction. The author Vicky Pattison has etched all the characters in such a way that they engage our emotions, love, hate with a bit of suspense and scheming thrown in. It was easy to like the stable Becky but ultimately Lizzie too wins our hearts.
There are too many references to social media, brands, designer clothes and make-up, that they divert the concentration in the middle of the book. This was not very likeable in the middle of family drama and sisterly fights.
The book works well as a lighthearted family drama with twists and fights. A good summer read by Vicky Pattison

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Vicky Pattison and loved this book too. A Fast easy read from Vicky Pattison. Becky and Lizzie are very different (at times) but both likeable and enjoyable to read about. I like how the classes of society are mentioned and how some people feel the need to look down on others. I would highly recommend this book.

[Agi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Sister's Wedding is the first story that I've read by Vicky Pattison, even though I have two of her other fiction books on my TBR pile. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect but nevertheless I had high hopes for this novel and in the end the book pleasantly surprised me. It was light - hearted, with some great characters and brilliant, quick writing and I was immediately immersed into the characters' world.

The story is told from Becky and Lizzie's points of view, occasionally also showing Nicole's scheming. The characters really quickly grow on you and you feel as if you've known them for ages. Becky and Lizzie are sisters, extremely close, and it has a reason - their mother left the family when they were very young and Becky somehow adopted mum's role, helping their father to bring the girl up. But now they are both adult and they couldn't be more different - Becky is oasis of calm to Lizzie's hurricane, Becky is the most responsible one, with a job and fiancé while Lizzie can't stop moving around, keep one job and is sleeping at her best friend's Jay. Becky is also about to get married - her long-time boyfriend Daniel has popped the question. Even though they are together nine long years, their families haven't met yet - and there is also a reason to it, because they also couldn't be more different. While Becky and Lizzie's family consist of them and their lovely, down - to - earth father, Daniel's is a very wealthy and snobbish one. Is the first meeting going to run smoothly?

Even though they were so different, I liked both of them: Lizzie and her free spirit and big mouth, and Becky's calmness. Sure, they both were sometimes annoying and they had flaws, but who isn't and who hasn't them, right, so it all made them even more likeable. Lizzie may seem irresponsible but there are things she loves above all and she would do anything for her family. The girls balanced each other very well and I really liked this strong bond between them - even though this bong can be easily destroyed by a misunderstanding. Both of them struggled with the sense of belonging, as it seemed they lost it for a moment, and it was sad to see how they are drifting apart. I hated to see how they jump to conclusions, how they read (false) between the lines and how their perfect relationship suffers as a result.

The storyline was great and it was so fast paced. It was not plain sailing for the characters, there were some smaller storylines easily and effortlessly interspersed with the main one and the end result was a lovely, humorous story about family and changing dynamics. Yes, there were moments where the author focused so much on the clothes, labels, designer names, brands, cosmetics that I could do without but oh my, this is Vicky Pattison we are talking about, right, and I think we can turn the blind eye this time. It was also full of references for very modern and present social medias, and the language it was written with was totally realistic. With all this I had a feeling that the book is aimed to a rather younger audience than moi but still I did enjoy it and I spent some uncomplicated, relaxed hours following the story of Becky and Lizzie. There was warmth to the writing and I felt comfortable in their company, so what should I still wish for?

You know, the book was not the most complex one but there was such a great feeling to it. It was funny, dynamic, sharp and there was something in it that you didn't want to put it down. It was an easy and engaging read, with many humorous and some poignant moments, and you felt immediately at home with the characters: you either loved them or loved to hate them. There was enough intrigue and a little drama and even though it was predictable it didn't spoiled the book at all. It was fast paced and I didn't have a feeling that it is dragging on. The Nicole's subplot was needed for this story to make it more complicated and even though this part was a little too far - fetched for my liking, overall it added some needed action and fireworks to the storyline. So yes, maybe don't expect anything life - changing in this book but still it made for a great, entertaining read with some ups and downs, with tons of funny moments but brilliantly mixed with some of the more poignant ones - and hey, does the book always have to be life changing? Thought so. I was fully glad with the twists and turns, with the way the author has complicated things for Lizzie and Becky and even with the tad predictable characters from Daniel's family - this all was written in effortless, engaging way and I bought it as it was: fun and light - hearted, and I'll be shamelessly recommending it to all of my friends!

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love it when I find a book where I immediately feel a connection to the characters. In this case, sisters Becky and Lizzie Ashworth are as close as sisters can be and then some. Their mother abandoned them when they were little and their father raised them. Lizzie was very young when her mother left, so Becky was the only mother-figure she had ever known.

Becky is a book editor, lives in Notting Hill with Daniel, who has finally popped the question. Everything is coming up sunshine and daisies. Unfortunately, Lizzie is a bit of a hot mess. After getting fired, yet again, she doesn’t seem able to hold down a job or even figure out what her life’s passion is beyond hitting the pubs and waking up with raging hangovers.

The proverbial fly in the ointment is Daniel’s family. His parents are complete snobs. Daniel’s sister, Nicole, is a total witch, who will stop at nothing to break Daniel and Becky up. She’s extremely competitive and wants her father to make her the head of their multi-million-pound company instead of Daniel. Her idea of charity is taking presents to a children’s hospital and sneaking out the back door without actually spending time with the children. She will use anyone to her advantage and for her benefit. She pays local paparazzi to be where she is so they take staged photographs that she will approve for publication. I kept hoping someone would push her into the path of a red double-decker bus.

Due to her imminent nuptials into one of the most prominent families in London, Becky finds herself at the center of a media frenzy, with her picture being taken constantly and companies sending her their products to try and promote. Things turn sour at Becky’s engagement party when a near brawl occurs between Lizzie and Nicole which drives a wedge between Lizzie and Becky. I was so taken in with the Ashworth sisters, I couldn’t put the book down, intensely anticipating what would happen next.

Meanwhile, Lizzie, who lied to her sister about having a job as a dog-walker, spends her days in the park taking photographs of dogs when she meets Justin, a singer she has had a crush on after seeing his band perform. As they get to know each other, things take a sudden turn when Lizzie and Becky’s mother turns up unannounced and the rift between the sisters gets wider.

I absolutely loved this story and the author had me laughing at so many moments in this book. I never sided with either sister but kept hoping they would find their way back to each other and clear the air. The story is told from alternating points of view from Becky and Lizzie, which made it easier to empathize with both of them. I honestly didn’t want it to end and really enjoyed some of the unexpected twists that the author throws in.

My Final Verdict: Readers who like a happily ever after without any cliffhangers should grab this book. Additionally, readers who like romantic comedies or books that feature characters the reader immediately feels a bond with will enjoy this and, like me, wish they were part of the Ashworth family. I will be on the lookout for more of this author’s work and am hoping I will get to spend time with these characters again.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of My Sister’s Wedding from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, light enjoyable read. Written alternative chapters by Becky and Lizzie as the wedding draws closer. There are the usual fraught tensions surrounding a wedding where the families haven't been previously introduced.
Daniels proposal was the dream any girl wishes for and Becky is in love. But they know that the families are going to make things difficult to join together.
Daniel's family don't approve of the engagement and his sister is actively seeking to split them up. It must be difficult going into marriage knowing that the one set of parents aren't supportive.
The characters were believable and you could hear Vicky's 'voice' throughout.
It explores love, the parents from hell and sisterly bonds tested to their limits.
It's the first book by Vicky Pattinson that I've read and think it is based at younger readers, more the age of the characters. I will give her books another try. This was probably a 3.5 read for me- but I've rounded it up- as I can't resist a wedding story!

[Justkeepreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Recommend This Book

Yes
Review
Last updated on 27 Apr 2017
I throughly enjoyed this book. It is the first book I have read by Vicky Pattison but it certainly won't be the last.

This is full of wondeful romantic moments, horrific inlaws, wedding plans, family and friends, love and most importantly being yourself and not changing for anyone. Funny, lighthearted and a book guaranteed to make you smile. Highly recommend loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley, publishers and Vicky Patterson for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review. You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon from publication date.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this book for review as the cover appealed, as I was looking for an easy-going chick lit. I read the description, and thought this sounded right up my street. It wasn't until I downloaded the book and saw that it was written by Vicky Pattison of Geordie Shore fame, that I was put off reading the book, but decided to persevere. As they always say, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover (or author in this case!) and that rings very true here. Having read several books by reality show stars that are clearly ghost-written, it puts me off wanting to read more. However, I'm a closet Geordie Shore fan and have also read Pattison's autobiography which I really enjoyed, so I gave this a go.

I was really pleased that I stuck with this, as the storyline was great. A main romantic plot running throughout the story, interspersed with a few smaller storylines which intermingled to give a good well-rounded plot. All of the chapters had relevance, as opposed to some chick lit fiction I have read where there is a lot of 'padding' and unnecessary detail. I loved the romance of this, and the fact that it wasn't all plain-sailing.

Now, this book is completely filled with colloquial words and phrases, which initially I found very endearing. However, just a few chapters in I found this really made me cringe! I loved it in the sense that it really seemed like it was Pattison writing the book, as it was littered with her phrases and ways of speaking, however some of the references just made me cringe inwardly. There were a lot of references also to modern popular culture, such as Instagram, and bloggers, and I feel that this could get outdated quite quickly. Given these references and the colloquial phrases, I can't imagine anyone older than me, at 29, would be interested in reading this book. Certainly at times I did feel that this book was a little 'young for me', so I'd say the market for this is late teens to early twenties.

On the whole though, whether Pattison wrote this book single-handedly or employed the services of a ghost-writer, I thought this was a really great read, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her fiction work.

* I received this ARC from Net Galley *

[Eve L-A Witherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becky is settled in a relationship with Daniel and has been since university but knows now their amazingly weird but wonderful engagement has occurred it's a time bomb until their families meet. Daniel is set to inherit a lot and has a rich upbringing whilst her family are of a less well of nature...

Her sister Lizzie however, is twenty three and out getting drunk most nights whilst being poor and struggling to get by as well as waking up in random bars.

When their families finally meet, a supposed incident occurs making Lizzie become seen as wilder and more dangerous under the influence of alcohol which is only the start of issues to come as newspaper stories and scheming Nicole Becky's future sister in law all play their part and have their say and judgement on the impending wedding.

Becky and Lizzie also can't believe it when their long vanished mum suddenly reappears and isn't to be taken at face value after she walked out on them she has heard how well off Daniel's family is and thinks all can be forgiven for the future, only Becky's not having it one bit but as Daniel hides a secret Lizzie overhears a little about things begin to sour, until Becky finds something on his phone that creates a whole new load of mess for them to deal with...

I loved this book, Vicky has some great ideas in her as every book by her has made me feel like I get her more as in how she speaks and others like her as she's so fun and out there bubbly. This book is a heartfelt one with high as lows as you can see from before, I did like it but nothing can beat All That Glitters in my mind!

It's also alike to Jill Mansell's, You and Me, Always if you enjoyed that pick this one up!

[NovelMomma · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Sister’s Wedding focuses on the changing relationship between sisters, Becky and Lizzie as Becky’s wedding day approaches. Becky and Lizzie have always been extremely close since Becky stepped in to fill the role of both mother and sister to Lizzie at a young age. However, things are about to change as Becky embarks on a major life change by marrying her longtime boyfriend, Daniel. While Becky and Daniel have been together for nine years, their families are yet to meet. Daniel’s family is extremely wealthy and more than a bit snobbish while Becky comes from a working class family.

Unfortunately, when their meeting is less than a success, the trouble truly begins and Lizzie seems to be caught in the middle. Both sisters begin to struggle with a sense of who they are and what truly matters. Becky begins to try to fit in better with Daniel’s family and seems to loose her priorities while Lizzie struggles to measure up and attempts to fill the gap Becky has left.

I have to say, I really enjoyed most of this story. It is a British story (which I enjoy) so you get some British lingo and phrasing, but it is still very easy to follow and get caught up in. I liked both of the main characters most of the time. I liked Lizzie and her free spirit. While she is irresponsible in some areas of her life, she loves hard and is loyal to a fault. As a younger sister who has, at times, felt like I wasn’t good enough to compete with my older sister (who is also my best friend) I think I could identify with some of the things she was going through. Becky definitely got on my nerves for a bit, but I think that was intentional. While she lost her head for a bit, she was, in my opinion, able to redeem herself in the end.

Most of the secondary characters were likable as well. I liked Daniel for the most part and wanted his relationship with Becky to work out. I think they balanced each other well when they were both in the right frame of mind, but when they worked at pleasing others, their relationship definitely suffered. I definitely was annoyed by their lack of communication, but I choose to believe they have learned from their mistakes. I hated Daniel’s family and loved Becky’s family, which I am pretty sure was the point, so job well done, Ms. Pattison. I also have to say everyone should have a friend like Jay.

My only real complaint is that the middle seemed to drag for me. I felt like I got the point as to what was happening with the character transformations, the plots against them, and I didn’t need so much time focused on the Nicole saga. I wanted to skip ahead and see how things turned out and ended up skimming several chapters. I felt like it went too far away from the changing relationships and too far with the Nicole/ enjoying the finer things in life drama. I was happy when it wrapped up and went back to the character relationships I actually cared about and how they were breaking down and evolving.

Overall, I liked this book but think the middle could be cut much shorter. If you like family drama and people who need a reality check, this just might be the book for you.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't think I would but I enjoyed this a lot. Nicely written and kept me interested, I wanted to know what was happening and how it would end.

Will read more from her

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, easy read. Although in my head I was reading it in a Geordie accent! 😂

[Helena Wildsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this far more than I thought it would! Sweet and laugh out loud funny, it definitely makes me want to read more by Vicky Pattison.

[Mary Lofthouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a great story, it’s a 4.5 star for me :) probably one of my favourite books!! I love Vicky’s writing style and can’t wait to read more of hers! Love, love, love it 💕

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My Sister’s Wedding” is a fun and light-hearted read which I really enjoyed.

It focuses mainly on the relationship between two sisters, Becky and Lizzie, and how their once very close relationship starts to come apart with a number of horrible misunderstandings.

Becky seems like the sensible one who is always steady, steady boyfriend, steady job and doesn’t get her head turned - or does she!

Lizzie is the one who is unable to hold down a job or boyfriend and is just floating through life with no real responsibilities.

Although I identified more with Becky, I’ve known people like Lizzie and I think these two characters were very well written and believable. I was keen to read about them and find out what happened.

Where the book lost me a bit was on some of the minor characters like Nicole who I just could not identify with at all. She just seemed far too fake and over the top for me - are people really like that? I hope not.

Most of the book I enjoyed very much but it lost me a bit with some of the minor or secondary characters who I did not like nor believe in. The sisters themselves were a great duo.

Possibly this would suit someone younger than my age group who is more in to all things celeb. The way it is written suggests a younger readership and I suspect I was not really in the right decade to suit the style of the book. But it was a fun read nevertheless and I would recommend it to someone a bit younger.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book and have given my honest opinion of it.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Vicky Pattison book I read and I did enjoy it. The Ashworth sisters are very different. Becky the eldest is happy with her fiance and a good job and can't wait to get married and have babies. Lizzie though cannot hold down a job and hasn't found her true love. But they might be different but they love each other and will always be there no matter what direction they go. Becky's in laws are rich and influential and don't believe she is good enough for their brother/son Daniel especially his sister Nicola. She tries to get the paparazzi to follow Becky and discredit her but that backfires spectacularly and she becomes a media darling! A feel good story about the strength of sisterly bonds

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all of Vicky's books and I have enjoyed all of them but this one was quite possibly my favourite of them all such a fun light hearted read. Perfect for reading on holidays.

The problems the characters come across are so true to life and i'm sure most of us can relate in some ways to what they are going through.

I highly recommend this book

Thanks to netgalley and publishers for a chance to read this book.

[Kat G · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read several of Vicky Ps book which I loved. This was awful boring and loads of useless details.

[grethe tozer · Rating 5 out of 5]

For better or worse, two families are about to become one . . .
The Ashworth sisters couldn't be more different. Becky is focused, driven and about to marry her lovely fiancé, Daniel Balfour. Lizzie, on the other hand, bounces from one temp job to another, keeps falling for the wrong man and is a whirlwind of chaos in Becky's otherwise well-ordered life. But they love each other fiercely and the Ashworth way has always been family comes first.
As preparations for Becky and Daniel's wedding get underway, it soon becomes clear that the Ashworth way is not the Balfour way. Daniel's family have never thought Becky was good enough for him but he loves her and that's always been enough for the happy couple. But when Lizzie gets caught in the crossfire between Becky and the Balfours, Becky and Lizzie find themselves drifting apart at a time when they need each other the most. Will they be able to repair the damage before Becky walks down the aisle?

This book was a breath of fresh air!

My sisters wedding is told from the perspectives of both sisters, Becky, and Lizzie, with a little of Nicole's perspective thrown in. This is something that worries me going into a new book but in this book it worked perfectly. Each sister had their own distinctive personality and I never get confused as to who's perspective I was reading.

Its not your usual chick lit love triangle, it's a really gripping, fast moving, fun story.

I loved Becky and Lizzie equally, they are both completely different but their relationship is wonderful.

The other characters are all well written, they are more than just props, I felt like we got to know them all, just enough.

There's so much going on in this book, and yet Vicky Pattison keeps the story moving effortlessly.

The dialogue is fresh and honest, the storyline is the right side of far fetched, it all felt believable, from the working class girl marrying the rich boy from the family of socialites, which of course attracts the attention of the press, to Lizzie finding her dream job through her love of instagram, and the bitchy family member being taken down a peg or two.

I haven't got a bad word to say about this book. I loved it. Absolutely loved it.

I'm not particularly a fan of the term chick lit, because I feel it takes something away from a genre that can and does produce great books. My sisters wedding is chick lit done exceptionally well.

My sisters wedding is a perfect summer read and I'm giving it a very well deserved 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[☘Tara Sheehan☘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for stories based in the UK so expect British phrases, settings and culture woven throughout the story which examines the dynamics between sisters, how it evolves when big life changes occur especially when one sister had to take the mom role as well in raising the other.

Pattison does a great job in how she created two very different personalities while capturing that oh so fun “Big Sister – Little Sister” dynamic. At times Becky came off annoying but it seemed that was intentional on the part of the author as she worked through her character development because Becky’s rough edges smoothed out by the end and played a great part in the plot design. They balanced each other very well and showed how important the bond between family, and more importantly sisters can be, but also how easy that bond can shatter due to emotionally charged misunderstandings.

The minor characters definitely added some fun bit of drama and were a great entertaining addition to keep the story flowing. The relationship between Becky and her fiancée felt realistic including the communication snafus because that’s one of those skills which gets honed over time. Pattison wrote that part well as she made their relationship more believable considering the various bits of chaos that kept getting thrown their way thanks to two extremely different backgrounds.

The only part I didn’t like was when the story started to veer away from the main plot and got bogged down around the middle by focusing on the minor characters like Nicole. I just had no interest in her drama but when Pattison finally brought the story back around to the sisters it got better.

[Stephanie Ince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was very surprised at how much I enjoyed this book considering it was written by Vicky Pattison I thought it was going to be different but I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I liked how the book was set out into the 2 parts of Becky and Lizzie which kept the story interesting. It was a short read also so it wasn't long-winded and I felt that there wasn't any unnecessary parts.

This story follows 2 sisters; Rebecca and Lizzie Ashworth, 2 down to earth siblings who have both looked out for one another since their mother left them at a young age. Becky is about to marry Daniel Ashworth, an eligible bachelor whose family does not agree on him choosing to marry Becky and want him to focus more on taking over the family business. Daniel's sister, Nicole sets out to dish the dirt on Becky to make her look like a fool in the front of the world, so that Daniel will see that she is bad for her reputation. Along the way, we also follow Lizzie who is Becky's younger sister and is a lot more outgoing than her. Lizzie likes to live her life and the two sisters start to clash when Becky insists that in order to keep in with the Balfours, she needs to remain quiet and not to be herself.

The girls clash over many different situations during the story. But both realise in the end that they are only looking out for each other.

I liked the language in this book as it was very casual, down to earth, every day sort of language (being written by a reality tv show actress you can imagine anyway) if Vicky was to do another fiction book I would definitely consider reading it and I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a short, romantic, funny, chick lit!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

My Sister's Wedding is the first book I've read by Vicky Pattison and I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed Vicky's writing style, it was easy to read and funny.

Throughout the book it is told by the viewpoints of Lizzie and Bex Ashworth who are sisters. I loved the alternate viewpoints and it felt like I really got to know the characters more rather than it just being one sided. There are also the occasional chapters told from the viewpoint of Nicole Balfour, I also felt they added to the story however I wish we learnt more about Nicole.

I enjoyed the other characters but I felt we didn't get to know them as well as we should have, such as Jay and Lauren. It would have been good to have discovered more about them especially since they were the best friends of the sisters.

I wasn't particularly blown away by the men of the story, they both did their fair share of lying to the girls but overall they were perfectly nice.

I felt the ending was a little bit rushed, it could have possibly done with one more chapter however I liked the ending so it might just be me nit-picking!

This book is perfect to read this summer sitting by the beach with a cocktail or wine in hand! I'd love to read more from Vicky in the future.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very easy to read and impossible to put down; hence I read it in 15 hours (8 of which I was sleeping, then others spent cleaning house, preparing a family breakfast and the joy of Saturday swimming lessons at the local pool).

Alternate chapters told from the perspective of Lizzie or Becky Ashworth, who have an incredibly close bond but are very different. Lizzie is fabulous fun, a bit flaky and finds it hard to keep a job. Becky is responsible, with an enjoyable challenging job as editor at a publishing house and lives with her long term boyfriend Daniel Balfour, who has just proposed.

The Ashworth's are a down to earth Yorkshire family, who tell it like it is. The Balfour are snobby and hoped that Daniel was just getting something out of his system when he took up with Becky.

Sparks fly at the engagement party and life for Becky starts to drift; she and Lizzie drift apart, she and Daniel drift apart (helped by Nicole, Daniels scheming manipulative sister), Becky is trailed by paparazzi until things come to a head and the Ashworth family decamp to their family home inYorkshire, surrounded by flashing cameras and inquisitive paparazzi.

I loved this book and will be reading other works by the author.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming and delightful story of two very different sisters. Becky Ashworth is the responsible one. She has a wonderful job, the perfect fiance in Daniel Balfour, and her life is going according to plan. Lizzie, on the other hand is a hot mess. She's flighty, drifts from relationship to relationship and job to job. The bond between the sisters is strong, though. Each love the other fiercely!

When Lizzie comes home for her sister's wedding it's then their relationship begins to unravel. It seems the Balfours never did think Becky was good enough for their precious Daniel. When they meet Lizzie they are sure Becky must be just like her. As Lizzie defends Becky and their family to the Balfours is then the sisters relationship begin to unravel and resentments begin to build.

Will Becky and Daniel get past such bitter words and fights after their families are done? Will the sisters get through the wedding and be able to mend their relationship? If you have sisters this book will bring out many feelings no matter how strong your relationship. In the end what matter most is family.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like books that focuses on different  character's perspectives and their issues so that's why I chose this one.I do feel sorry for Becky because her fiancé's  family doesn't like her and won't even try try accept her .As for Becky's sister Lizzie, I do feel bad for her because she on losing her jobs but the reasons that she gets fired is justifiable, like for example she got fired for drinking all the cinema's  drinks and never paying for them and her excuse was "yolo" like girl what??  or when she turned up almost a day late to her job,and expected to be given a 2nd chance ,that's not how it works,I hope later on in the story she becomes responsible of her decisions.She ACTUALLY does change in terms of character development  and even her sister,and I'm happy the way the ending  turned out. I'm  surprised that Nicole stayed in Ghana ,I thought she wouldn't last long.

[Charley Greywolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Recommend This Book
Having not read anything by Vicky Patterson I was not sure what to expect. To begin with I found the book a bit slow and unnecessarily harsh and coarse to read but as the book progressed the writing style eased out to a pleasant read. I found Lizzie the easiest character to like, she was well written and fun to join along the story. The story as a whole was good with many different problems for the girls to over come in the run up to Bex's wedding. Nicole was a good protagonist and made the story really fun in places as she has her tantrums. The story leaves you wanting just that little bit more which is a good thing. What ever did happen between Lizzie and Justin in the end?

[Chessela Helm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book - the characters are interesting and all very human. It alternates perspectives between the two sisters, so we get a chance to see both of their stories. That keeps things balanced and ensures there's always the right amount of conflict going on. There are some seriously manipulative people in the book, but it's easy to understand why the nicer characters would get duped. Their naivete feels true to the story, not forced. The entire novel is hilarious, with Lizzie's perspective being the funniest. But there are also more serious emotional issues happening. Overall, a great read, I couldn't put it down.

[Gail Wylde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a very easy book to read, full of many laugh out loud moments, characters that were very likeable and some not so likeable. I really liked the idea of following each sister in alternate chapters. This is the first book I have read by Vicky Pattison and it will not be the last. I will be recommending this book to friends and family. Thank you Netgalley

[Elisha Morley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read with lots to keep you reaching out for the next page. It’s lovely to read it from different characters prospective and how they all perceive what’s happening differently. It makes you rethink how you would maybe deal with it if you were ever faced with some of the situations they did. A lovely family bond between two sisters, which sees one of them get married into a family they feel they do not belong to. Would definitely recommend to friends and family.