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The Winter Wedding
**Gorgeous and romantic festive fiction from the author of The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop**Hazel plans perfect weddings. But life is full of surprises... Hazel never set out to be a wedding planner – she was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Ollie's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty venue, word about Hazel's expertise soon spreads. Turning her talent into a new career, Hazel takes on new clients who expect the very best. She's promised lawyers Gemma and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. As weather, in-laws and wilful brides conspire against her, can Hazel get two very different couples to walk up two very different aisles to say 'I do'? And will she find her own happy ending along the way?Praise for Abby Clements‘A warm and charming winter treat, sparkling with wit and the feel-good factor’ Miranda Dickinson‘Sweet, light and romantic’Closer‘Pure delight from start to finish’ Victoria Fox‘Kept me thoroughly entertained until the very last page’ Novelicious'Funny, inspiring and light hearted... The perfect Christmas read' Inspire'Delicious and delightful' Woman's World
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2015
19 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Abby Clements
13 books184 followersAbby Clements worked in book publishing before writing this, her first novel. Her Christmas baking skills are upper-intermediate. Her countryside-survival skills are basic to none. She lives with her boyfriend in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 25, 2015
Reviewed on www.snazzybooks.com
The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements is the first of her novels I've read; I didn't know what exactly to expect but I really enjoyed it! It felt in some ways like a typical chick-lit novel but this isn't a bad thing; it's well written, uplifting and Christmassy- perfect for this time of year!
The story's narrator and protagonist, Hazel, is a really likeable character. She seems really independent and, although stuck in a bit of a tricky situation at work and having suffered an embarassing rejection from her best friend (and crush) Sam, she seems to remain quite upbeat considering. I liked her and enjoyed reading about her and was rooting for her to be happy at the end!
There were plenty of uplifting parts, and funny moments which made me laugh. The storyline was in some ways predictable but it was never dull; I cared about the characters and loved reading about Hazel's wedding planning!
I'd definitely recommend this novel if you fancy something light-hearted, easy to read and heart warming. A fun 'Christmas cracker'!
** Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review **
The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements is the first of her novels I've read; I didn't know what exactly to expect but I really enjoyed it! It felt in some ways like a typical chick-lit novel but this isn't a bad thing; it's well written, uplifting and Christmassy- perfect for this time of year!
The story's narrator and protagonist, Hazel, is a really likeable character. She seems really independent and, although stuck in a bit of a tricky situation at work and having suffered an embarassing rejection from her best friend (and crush) Sam, she seems to remain quite upbeat considering. I liked her and enjoyed reading about her and was rooting for her to be happy at the end!
There were plenty of uplifting parts, and funny moments which made me laugh. The storyline was in some ways predictable but it was never dull; I cared about the characters and loved reading about Hazel's wedding planning!
I'd definitely recommend this novel if you fancy something light-hearted, easy to read and heart warming. A fun 'Christmas cracker'!
** Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review **
December 17, 2015
It's not a secret that I'm a huge fan of Abby Clements' books and she couldn't have a better surprise this year as she had two novels published this year - I really can't have enough of her writing and storytelling. She can write beautiful stories that are fast - paced but without the unnecessary drama, and she makes them so true to life. They make me laugh and smile in such a natural way, and I am always buying into the stories, as they really feel so close to reality, especially the characters and the way they are in their worlds.
The Winter Wedding has a great cast of characters and I truly loved Hazel. I loved how Abby described her unconditional love to her twin sister Lila - this feeling was truly palpable through the pages, it was just jumping off of the story. Abby has also in a great way described how Hazel was coping with Lila starting her own life, which was for Hazel like being separated from her best friend, not only from her sister, and it was so touching and lovely, as this feeling between the sisters was so real and so strong. Hazel was also so very independent and I kept my fingers crossed for her, especially as she often found herself in a lot of tricky situations, either at work, where she was a little stuck, or with Sam, her best friend from at home that she also had a crush on.
Hazel and Lila couldn't be more different, even though they were twins, but they had one thing in common - they were both so very talented. The descriptions of Lila's love to ballet were wonderful and I had a feeling that any moment she's going to dance off of the pages! Hazel was incredibly creative and I would do anything to see one of her sets or creations in flesh - even though they were described so vividly that I could see them in my mind. The way Hazel thought about organizing weddings was also refreshing and I enjoyed those twists and turns about the nuptials, as we really didn't know how they are going to end - or if they are going to take place at all, with all the problems!
Of course it is not only a story about Hazel and her love life or work - related complications. This time there is also the small problem of Lila and her health, which the author tackles with a lot of gentleness and subtlety, and if you had any doubts about Hazel, at the latest you'll start to love her seeing how she wanted to help her sister, how tender and understanding she was - to have such a sister is a real treasure!
Sure, the story was not too complicated and was a tad predictable, but in this case it didn't bother me at all, as altogether it has made for a brilliant, uplifting read with some twists and turns as well as funny and touching moments - so yes, the book has it all! It is written in this lovely, warm and easy to follow writing style that I so love, the story flows and the characters were to die for. And there are cakes in this story as well, and what for cakes! Yes, the last part of the book seemed a little too rushed and suddenly Josh became one of the most important characters on the scenes which was very useful for the plot, but bothered me a little, as it felt a little too forced, but it's my only "but". What I liked was that I wasn't at all sure where the story is going to take us regarding Hazel's love life - there were two men on the scenes, but was she going to end up with one or them? Was she going to find someone at all?
The Winter Wedding is a perfect example of Abby Clements' talent to write a cosy, lovely story. It is a great book to curl up on the couch on these cold, wet winter evenings, as it's for sure going to warm you inside and make you feel better. If you are still looking for Christmas presents then you should go and buy this book - it's going to bring a lot of joy! Recommended!
Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.
November 10, 2015
I always get super excited when a new Abby Clements book comes out. This one was no exception. Thankfully Abby never lets me down. This book was uplifting, fun, funny, Christmassy, and lovely. I can't recommend it enough. I devoured this as quickly as I could. Loved it.
November 24, 2015
Hazel has a creative job at a TV production company and is being promised a promotion. She needs the money, because her sister Lila has just moved out of their apartment and she can't afford to stay there on her own. Hazel and Lila are twins, they have always been close, but their personalities are very different. Lila is a ballet dancer who's still waiting for her big break. She has found the love of her life and she and Ollie want to get married as soon as possible. When their wedding planner cancels Lila asks Hazel if she wants to plan her wedding. Hazel loves doing something this meaningful for her sister and she does it well, so well that she's being asked to plan another wedding. And another one... She's great at looking after other couples, but what about Hazel's own love life?
The Winter Wedding is such a wonderful story. It's perfect to read on a cold winter evening. This book has everything I love; sisters, cake, creative main characters, romance, weddings and friendship. I started reading as soon as it landed in my mailbox and I read it in one sitting. The story enchanted me and I couldn't put it away. I love the way Abby Clements writes her novels, they're sweet and vivid with main characters the readers will love immediately.There's always a lot going on and the stories are fast-paced, but they also have a dreamy quality which makes them soft and smooth at the same time.
Abby Clements writes books I really love. I've read all of her books and highly recommend each of them. The Winter Wedding is another great one. I enjoyed reading this story very much. I especially loved how Abby Clements manages to make Hazel's creations come to life and how Lila is almost dancing off the pages. It was like I could see them and it's clear there's a lot of vision behind those scenes, that's why I enjoyed that aspect of the story the most. I'm definitely going to read this book again, it's already one of my all-time winter favorites.
The Winter Wedding is such a wonderful story. It's perfect to read on a cold winter evening. This book has everything I love; sisters, cake, creative main characters, romance, weddings and friendship. I started reading as soon as it landed in my mailbox and I read it in one sitting. The story enchanted me and I couldn't put it away. I love the way Abby Clements writes her novels, they're sweet and vivid with main characters the readers will love immediately.There's always a lot going on and the stories are fast-paced, but they also have a dreamy quality which makes them soft and smooth at the same time.
Abby Clements writes books I really love. I've read all of her books and highly recommend each of them. The Winter Wedding is another great one. I enjoyed reading this story very much. I especially loved how Abby Clements manages to make Hazel's creations come to life and how Lila is almost dancing off the pages. It was like I could see them and it's clear there's a lot of vision behind those scenes, that's why I enjoyed that aspect of the story the most. I'm definitely going to read this book again, it's already one of my all-time winter favorites.
August 12, 2017
A really good read , enjoyable plot that had me laughing out loud . I liked the characters , I liked where the plot took them. Abby Clements has done it again.
May 10, 2021
A sweet easy read
December 20, 2021
Ich habe mit "The Winter Wedding" begonnen, da ich eine winterliche und weihnachtliche Liebesgeschichte versprochen habe. Leider hatte dies jedoch nur wenig damit zu tun.
Der Großteil der Geschichte spielt weder im Winter noch an Weihnachten. Das Buch ist sehr flüssig zu lesen, aber die Handlung konnte mich nicht wirklich abholen. Es wirkte auf mich alles sehr oberflächlich ohne wirkliche Atmosphäre oder eine packende Handlung.
Die Charaktere waren ebenfalls sehr oberflächlich und ich war nicht in der Lange irgendwelche Gefühle den Personen gegenüber zu spüren. Sie waren mir weder noch sonderlich sympathisch noch hatte ich irgendwelche Abneigungen gegen die Charaktere. Sie waren einfach da.
Das Setting war ebenfalls nicht das was ich erhofft hatte und alles wird recht schnell abgehandelt. Winter- und Weihnachtsfeeling kommt leider nicht auf. Die Beschreibungen zu den Hochzeiten waren jedoch ganz schön.
Die Liebesgeschichte war mir ein zu großes Hin und Her und wirkte leider sehr erzwungen. Insgesamt hat mich das Buch daher ein wenig enttäuscht, insbesondere weil ich schon ein ganz tolles Weihnachtsbuch von der Autorin gelesen habe.
Der Großteil der Geschichte spielt weder im Winter noch an Weihnachten. Das Buch ist sehr flüssig zu lesen, aber die Handlung konnte mich nicht wirklich abholen. Es wirkte auf mich alles sehr oberflächlich ohne wirkliche Atmosphäre oder eine packende Handlung.
Die Charaktere waren ebenfalls sehr oberflächlich und ich war nicht in der Lange irgendwelche Gefühle den Personen gegenüber zu spüren. Sie waren mir weder noch sonderlich sympathisch noch hatte ich irgendwelche Abneigungen gegen die Charaktere. Sie waren einfach da.
Das Setting war ebenfalls nicht das was ich erhofft hatte und alles wird recht schnell abgehandelt. Winter- und Weihnachtsfeeling kommt leider nicht auf. Die Beschreibungen zu den Hochzeiten waren jedoch ganz schön.
Die Liebesgeschichte war mir ein zu großes Hin und Her und wirkte leider sehr erzwungen. Insgesamt hat mich das Buch daher ein wenig enttäuscht, insbesondere weil ich schon ein ganz tolles Weihnachtsbuch von der Autorin gelesen habe.
December 21, 2017
Ich weiß nicht, ob man die Geschichte jetzt unbedingt als Weihnachtsgeschichte labeln hätte müssen, weil ein Großteil der Geschichte nicht unbedingt in dieser Zeit angesiedelt ist, aber zum Schluss ist dann doch ein bisschen weihnachtliche Romantik (Kitsch?) aufgekommen. Für mich ganz gute Chick Lit, obwohl mir ein bisschen was gefehlt hat, sowohl bei der Charakterentwicklung als auch beim Erzählstil.
December 1, 2017
Interessanter Roman, wobei er den Titel "Winterroman" nur bedingt verdient hat.
February 26, 2017
A quick read that was ok, very predictable though.
December 3, 2015
The Winter Wedding is the latest fabulous book from Abby Clements. It certainly features both Winter and Weddings, as well as romance, but mainly for the other characters and not Hazel.
From the prologue I have the feeling The Winter Wedding had been written as a sort of adult fairy tale, with a great narrative style. It draws you in and gives you a lot of the key information about Hazel and Lily, her twin sister. They used to be very close but since Lily met Ollie, Hazel has felt like part of her is being torn apart.
This is the story of how Hazel copes with not only Lily moving further apart from her, but also Hazel's struggles at work, and how she sets up a new business. The book flows really well and is a pleasure to read. Its a very gentle story that will ease you into your winter reading.
I loved the idea of Hazel's set designs, and how similar in some respects set designing and putting together elements of wedding to make it look fabulous are . Just from Hazel helping out planning her sisters wedding she has two other friends ask if she will help on theirs. And so we see elements of three very different weddings.
However it felt as though I just didn't have the emotional connection to any of the characters that I would have expected to make this an amazing book for me. I really enjoyed reading it and its a lovely story, with lots of nice moments, but it isn't my favourite of Abby Clements. That's not to say its not good, it is a good book, but she has done better.
Overall a lovely story, great voice to the book and was a fast read, but just lacking a bit in depth.
Thanks to Hayley McMullan at Simon & Schuster for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
From the prologue I have the feeling The Winter Wedding had been written as a sort of adult fairy tale, with a great narrative style. It draws you in and gives you a lot of the key information about Hazel and Lily, her twin sister. They used to be very close but since Lily met Ollie, Hazel has felt like part of her is being torn apart.
This is the story of how Hazel copes with not only Lily moving further apart from her, but also Hazel's struggles at work, and how she sets up a new business. The book flows really well and is a pleasure to read. Its a very gentle story that will ease you into your winter reading.
I loved the idea of Hazel's set designs, and how similar in some respects set designing and putting together elements of wedding to make it look fabulous are . Just from Hazel helping out planning her sisters wedding she has two other friends ask if she will help on theirs. And so we see elements of three very different weddings.
However it felt as though I just didn't have the emotional connection to any of the characters that I would have expected to make this an amazing book for me. I really enjoyed reading it and its a lovely story, with lots of nice moments, but it isn't my favourite of Abby Clements. That's not to say its not good, it is a good book, but she has done better.
Overall a lovely story, great voice to the book and was a fast read, but just lacking a bit in depth.
Thanks to Hayley McMullan at Simon & Schuster for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
December 18, 2015
4.5 stars.
Hazel's twin sister, Lila, is getting married and asks Lila to be her wedding planner. Hazel was always the tomboy while her sister was into sparkles and ballet, but Hazel has a talent for picking just the right venue, food and extras. Lila's wedding is perfect and Hazel finds herself in demand. With a new flatmate and new career option, all is well in Hazel's world. There is one thing missing though. Her best friend, Sam. They grew up together and were like two peas in a pod, until last Christmas, when Hazel tried to kiss him. Since then, contact has been lost and she misses his presence. Watching all her clients, loved-up and ready to embark on their married lives, she feels a bit lonely. Is is case of always the wedding planner, never the bride?
Abby Clements has written a novel full of festiveness. Hazel is a sweetheart, who would do anything for anyone and makes the perfect wedding planner. Calm, concise and enthusiastic, without being brash or bossy. Her love of food wafts of the pages and similarly, the Christmas season is brought to life as the book approaches its end. The couples planning their wedding couldn't be more different yet Hazel deals with them all in a general way. There's no need for drama or meltdowns when Hazel is around. She misses her twin sister when she moves out to get married but new flatmate, Amber, more than makes up it. She is a whiz in the kitchen and is always there to brighten up Hazel's day. The only thing is, she has started dating Sam...
This is a wonderful, easy read. You can tell the author adores all things Christmassy and all the reader needs to do is sit back, relax and picture the cakes, the dresses and the atmosphere. No invitation required. An ideal read for over the holidays.
Hazel's twin sister, Lila, is getting married and asks Lila to be her wedding planner. Hazel was always the tomboy while her sister was into sparkles and ballet, but Hazel has a talent for picking just the right venue, food and extras. Lila's wedding is perfect and Hazel finds herself in demand. With a new flatmate and new career option, all is well in Hazel's world. There is one thing missing though. Her best friend, Sam. They grew up together and were like two peas in a pod, until last Christmas, when Hazel tried to kiss him. Since then, contact has been lost and she misses his presence. Watching all her clients, loved-up and ready to embark on their married lives, she feels a bit lonely. Is is case of always the wedding planner, never the bride?
Abby Clements has written a novel full of festiveness. Hazel is a sweetheart, who would do anything for anyone and makes the perfect wedding planner. Calm, concise and enthusiastic, without being brash or bossy. Her love of food wafts of the pages and similarly, the Christmas season is brought to life as the book approaches its end. The couples planning their wedding couldn't be more different yet Hazel deals with them all in a general way. There's no need for drama or meltdowns when Hazel is around. She misses her twin sister when she moves out to get married but new flatmate, Amber, more than makes up it. She is a whiz in the kitchen and is always there to brighten up Hazel's day. The only thing is, she has started dating Sam...
This is a wonderful, easy read. You can tell the author adores all things Christmassy and all the reader needs to do is sit back, relax and picture the cakes, the dresses and the atmosphere. No invitation required. An ideal read for over the holidays.
January 3, 2016
*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
The Winter Wedding is the second book by Abby Clements I have read and I enjoyed every single second of it, I was hooked!
It follows the story of Hazel, who suddenly sees herself plan her twin sister Lila’s wedding. After it being a big success, she gets busy planning more weddings and it changes something in her. She realiszes what she enjoyes in life and what she really wants, that has an impact of course on her current job. Her boss there is terrible! The only upside there is her colleague Josh, they spend a lot of time together.
Through planning Lila’s wedding we learn a lot about their childhood and their past, also about their relationship and of course the relationship to their parents and brother Ben. Ben gets his story covere das well and it brings and extra mystery into it all.
Then there is Hazel’s own love life. Is she interested in Josh and what about her best friend Sam?! I was eagerly following that part oft he story, because I just felt that she had a special connection to one oft he man. Abby kept us guessing quiet long.
The characters are all just great and Hazel ist he perfect main chracter in my eyes. I loved following her story and it all came across so true and authentic. I also really adored the way they all interacted with each other, a great group of characters, all oft hem unique and special.
This wonderful story has it all: amazing characters, a beautiful storyline, love, family, passion, romance and friendship. Abby’s writing is vivid, fresh and it makes you dive into the story immediately.
The Winter Wedding is the second book by Abby Clements I have read and I enjoyed every single second of it, I was hooked!
It follows the story of Hazel, who suddenly sees herself plan her twin sister Lila’s wedding. After it being a big success, she gets busy planning more weddings and it changes something in her. She realiszes what she enjoyes in life and what she really wants, that has an impact of course on her current job. Her boss there is terrible! The only upside there is her colleague Josh, they spend a lot of time together.
Through planning Lila’s wedding we learn a lot about their childhood and their past, also about their relationship and of course the relationship to their parents and brother Ben. Ben gets his story covere das well and it brings and extra mystery into it all.
Then there is Hazel’s own love life. Is she interested in Josh and what about her best friend Sam?! I was eagerly following that part oft he story, because I just felt that she had a special connection to one oft he man. Abby kept us guessing quiet long.
The characters are all just great and Hazel ist he perfect main chracter in my eyes. I loved following her story and it all came across so true and authentic. I also really adored the way they all interacted with each other, a great group of characters, all oft hem unique and special.
This wonderful story has it all: amazing characters, a beautiful storyline, love, family, passion, romance and friendship. Abby’s writing is vivid, fresh and it makes you dive into the story immediately.
October 25, 2024
"Can a wedding planner find her own happily ever after?"
For their parents, the safe arrival of twin daughters Hazel and Lila, had taken many years and much heart-ache to finally happen, whereas some four years later, their son Ben was conceived naturally and arrived in the world with relative ease. Ben, although loved dearly, had always been something of an outsider to his twin sisters and was now off on his own pursuing an independent life and career, whilst now 29-year-olds Hazel and Lila, who, although their lives weren't bound together too tightly, were close and had always relied on one another. So, whilst pursuing separate and very diverse careers, they still flat-share in London, where they also conduct their own independent, busy social lives.
Hazel works as a junior in the set production department of a TV studio and although she has been promised promotion several times, by a boss who constantly tries to palm off all her paperwork onto her, Hazel is shafted one time too many, when a vacant, more senior position is awarded to an outside applicant, who brings his own assistant with him.
All bad timing for an already emotionally confused Hazel, who has just been informed by ballet dancer Lila, that she and her long-term partner Ollie, who have been living together in their own place for a short time, are tying the knot with a late summer wedding, which will change the dynamics between the sisters dramatically and means that Hazel needs to find a new flat-share to help with the rent - quickly! Amber is the new assistant from work and despite Hazel not wanting to like or find her suitable, the two immediately hit it off and Amber moves in.
Of course, Hazel now not only has her hands full at work, but she is busy sorting out her role as chief bridesmaid for Lila. The balls are already too numerous to juggle, but when Lila's wedding planner lets the couple down, Hazel agrees to step in and make all the other arrangements too! When, with Amber's help, the big day is more of a success than Hazel could have possibly imagined, she is soon offered more wedding planning assignments and decides to make a pivotal change in the direction her work life is taking. However, circumstances and fussy couples soon make Hazel realise that her leap of faith might have been a little pre-emptive and more than she can cope with.
Hazel's own love life also mirrors her chaotic thoughts and lifestyle, as long-term friend Sam, who she hasn't spoken to for some time, suddenly reappears in her life and wants to start over. What sounds like a great idea at the time, soon deteriorates into a situation which fast runs out of control and it is only when Hazel realises what she had right under her nose all the time, that happiness and contentment might finally be set to reign in her life.
...
Everyday, uplifting contemporary fiction with a hint of fun romance, just about summed this book up for me - fluffy but not slushy, a touch predictable but never dull! There wasn't one single aspect which really dominated the storyline in my opinion. It was well-balanced, realistic, fast paced and easy to follow. I can even forgive the author that I had worked out the eventual outcome for the characters, long before they had themselves, as I managed to devour this one in just a couple of sittings, which is something of a minor miracle for sure.
Hazel is an everyday character who is easy to relate to. Hard-working, inspirational and passionate, excellent personality traits, whether she is employed or working for herself. Like so many of us though, she feels as though she is being taken advantage of by her employer, so decides to go it alone when she gets praise for her wedding planning prowess and attention to detail. I particularly liked the sound of the miniature theatre wedding mock-up models she makes for her prospective couples, to illustrate her ideas and colour schemes. However, it soon becomes apparent to her, that what looked like a good career move on paper, doesn't really stack up when she crunches the numbers and discovers to her cost exactly how demanding some couples can be. She isn't too proud to admit she made a mistake and cut her losses, yet doesn't regret that she gave it her best shot.
The author also draws in vivid detail the strong bond between twins, which often means that hurt one of them and you hurt the other by default. Hazel bears the mental scars of a childhood incident which she has never been able to close off in her mind and which has left her more damaged than she realised; so when a career induced illness rears its ugly head once again, she fights tooth and nail, with Ollie's help, to set Lila back on track without needing to let their parents know of her relapse.
Likewise, despite the estrangement between the girls and their brother, when he turns to them for help, desperate and at his lowest ebb, blood really does become thicker than water as Hazel and Lila fight together to protect him and set him back on the straight and narrow, with the help of their supportive parents. This doesn't mean that Hazel is a pushover by any means, which is perfectly demonstrated in her revived relationship with Sam, when she refuses to be taken advantage of. She is a bit slow in the romance department, when it comes to seeing what is right under nose however and I would have perhaps liked her journey to be a bit more spontaneous. However, I could relate to her and the other well drawn and defined characters totally, with the possible exception of the tempestuous Sam and Hazel got there in the end, which is all that matters.
The girls were born into the picturesque, tight-knit, fictional village community of Bidcombe, where their parents still live. However, location details and descriptions were scant and general, as they were with the other various locations featured in the storyline, so the armchair traveller in me was not really treated to the experience I had hoped for, even though I did manage quite a lot of place hopping. But that is just a minor comment and in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
For their parents, the safe arrival of twin daughters Hazel and Lila, had taken many years and much heart-ache to finally happen, whereas some four years later, their son Ben was conceived naturally and arrived in the world with relative ease. Ben, although loved dearly, had always been something of an outsider to his twin sisters and was now off on his own pursuing an independent life and career, whilst now 29-year-olds Hazel and Lila, who, although their lives weren't bound together too tightly, were close and had always relied on one another. So, whilst pursuing separate and very diverse careers, they still flat-share in London, where they also conduct their own independent, busy social lives.
Hazel works as a junior in the set production department of a TV studio and although she has been promised promotion several times, by a boss who constantly tries to palm off all her paperwork onto her, Hazel is shafted one time too many, when a vacant, more senior position is awarded to an outside applicant, who brings his own assistant with him.
All bad timing for an already emotionally confused Hazel, who has just been informed by ballet dancer Lila, that she and her long-term partner Ollie, who have been living together in their own place for a short time, are tying the knot with a late summer wedding, which will change the dynamics between the sisters dramatically and means that Hazel needs to find a new flat-share to help with the rent - quickly! Amber is the new assistant from work and despite Hazel not wanting to like or find her suitable, the two immediately hit it off and Amber moves in.
Of course, Hazel now not only has her hands full at work, but she is busy sorting out her role as chief bridesmaid for Lila. The balls are already too numerous to juggle, but when Lila's wedding planner lets the couple down, Hazel agrees to step in and make all the other arrangements too! When, with Amber's help, the big day is more of a success than Hazel could have possibly imagined, she is soon offered more wedding planning assignments and decides to make a pivotal change in the direction her work life is taking. However, circumstances and fussy couples soon make Hazel realise that her leap of faith might have been a little pre-emptive and more than she can cope with.
Hazel's own love life also mirrors her chaotic thoughts and lifestyle, as long-term friend Sam, who she hasn't spoken to for some time, suddenly reappears in her life and wants to start over. What sounds like a great idea at the time, soon deteriorates into a situation which fast runs out of control and it is only when Hazel realises what she had right under her nose all the time, that happiness and contentment might finally be set to reign in her life.
...
Everyday, uplifting contemporary fiction with a hint of fun romance, just about summed this book up for me - fluffy but not slushy, a touch predictable but never dull! There wasn't one single aspect which really dominated the storyline in my opinion. It was well-balanced, realistic, fast paced and easy to follow. I can even forgive the author that I had worked out the eventual outcome for the characters, long before they had themselves, as I managed to devour this one in just a couple of sittings, which is something of a minor miracle for sure.
Hazel is an everyday character who is easy to relate to. Hard-working, inspirational and passionate, excellent personality traits, whether she is employed or working for herself. Like so many of us though, she feels as though she is being taken advantage of by her employer, so decides to go it alone when she gets praise for her wedding planning prowess and attention to detail. I particularly liked the sound of the miniature theatre wedding mock-up models she makes for her prospective couples, to illustrate her ideas and colour schemes. However, it soon becomes apparent to her, that what looked like a good career move on paper, doesn't really stack up when she crunches the numbers and discovers to her cost exactly how demanding some couples can be. She isn't too proud to admit she made a mistake and cut her losses, yet doesn't regret that she gave it her best shot.
The author also draws in vivid detail the strong bond between twins, which often means that hurt one of them and you hurt the other by default. Hazel bears the mental scars of a childhood incident which she has never been able to close off in her mind and which has left her more damaged than she realised; so when a career induced illness rears its ugly head once again, she fights tooth and nail, with Ollie's help, to set Lila back on track without needing to let their parents know of her relapse.
Likewise, despite the estrangement between the girls and their brother, when he turns to them for help, desperate and at his lowest ebb, blood really does become thicker than water as Hazel and Lila fight together to protect him and set him back on the straight and narrow, with the help of their supportive parents. This doesn't mean that Hazel is a pushover by any means, which is perfectly demonstrated in her revived relationship with Sam, when she refuses to be taken advantage of. She is a bit slow in the romance department, when it comes to seeing what is right under nose however and I would have perhaps liked her journey to be a bit more spontaneous. However, I could relate to her and the other well drawn and defined characters totally, with the possible exception of the tempestuous Sam and Hazel got there in the end, which is all that matters.
The girls were born into the picturesque, tight-knit, fictional village community of Bidcombe, where their parents still live. However, location details and descriptions were scant and general, as they were with the other various locations featured in the storyline, so the armchair traveller in me was not really treated to the experience I had hoped for, even though I did manage quite a lot of place hopping. But that is just a minor comment and in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
November 24, 2022
A heartwarming and sometimes amusing story about a young woman and how she moves on from childhood fantasies but also realises some of her dreams. Hazel is close to her twin sister but when she moves in with her boyfriend everything changes. Whilst working hard in her dream job she isn’t given the promotion she was promised but instead of being defeated she finds a new outlet for her set designing talents, wedding planning. Hazel has had and does have some close male friends but the phrase “Always the bridesmaid / planner never the bride!” is true for her. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this in one sitting, it warmed up a cold, grey, wintery afternoon.
November 29, 2016
I feel like this book had quite a few good things going on, but none of them were explored deep enough to make the book great as a whole. For example, any of the romances were almost not... there. Each got maybe one (very sudden) chapter and that was it. Same with the sibling stories. (Although, the unconditional twin love was one thing that was always present and beautiful.) In short, too fast paced but also too short for all the things it wanted to deliver. Which is a shame, because I really liked the characters.
December 31, 2015
I treated myself to this book as I really love Abby Clements books. This one was just a fantastic read and I loved every minute of it. The plot may have been predictable but I still wanted to read on. I loved everything about this book, the characters were brilliant and I really warmed to Hazel. I loved Amber as I am a bit of a baker myself and I just loved how the story came together. I look forward to reading more of Abby Clements books in the future.
March 31, 2017
Ano, není fér dávat lehkým knihám s milým obsahem pět hvězdiček. Tenhle kousek byl však milý tak pěkně, že si to zaslouží. Nehledejte žádné velké čtení, žádné velké přemýšlení. Očekávejte milé nutkání chtít vědět, jak příběh dopadne. Hrdinové byli fajn, vlastně i ti nepříjemní nakonec prozřeli. Milá kusovka do vlaku. Doporučuji.
November 12, 2015
Gorgeous feel-good book from someone who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I had expected it to be more Christmassy but as I decided to read it early, I was pleased that it wasn't. Realistic, likeable characters who I'll miss. I'd like to know what happens to Hazel next, hint, hint!
November 30, 2015
Another fab book from Abby, I enjoy her books. xxx
January 1, 2016
A warm lovely read.
December 11, 2016
3.5 out of 5.
Read
January 2, 2017I like a nice easy read in the run up to Christmas, This fitted the bill. It was a bit predictable but just what I wanted.
January 13, 2019
Having taken on planning her sisters wedding when the original wedding planner cancelled, Hazel finds herself with a success on her hands. Many guests at the wedding congratulate her on an excellent job and through this she manages to get a couple more bookings.
Hazels full time job is a set designer but she is constantly passed over and her ideas stolen by others for their own gain. She is nervous about organising her sister Lila's wedding but approaches it like set design and soon finds she has a flair for it. Tasked to organise a Scottish Highlands wedding complete with a snow covered castle and a Caribbean beach wedding Hazel at times thinks she has taken on more than she can handle. Add bridezillas and unpredictable weather along with a confusing love life and you have a recipe for a pleasant chic lit novel.
Good balanced rounded characters if somewhat flawed gave this a realistic feel and a little dose of humour kept it going. Perfect for holiday reading or round the fire at Christmas - feel good factor novel. 4 stars
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Hazels full time job is a set designer but she is constantly passed over and her ideas stolen by others for their own gain. She is nervous about organising her sister Lila's wedding but approaches it like set design and soon finds she has a flair for it. Tasked to organise a Scottish Highlands wedding complete with a snow covered castle and a Caribbean beach wedding Hazel at times thinks she has taken on more than she can handle. Add bridezillas and unpredictable weather along with a confusing love life and you have a recipe for a pleasant chic lit novel.
Good balanced rounded characters if somewhat flawed gave this a realistic feel and a little dose of humour kept it going. Perfect for holiday reading or round the fire at Christmas - feel good factor novel. 4 stars
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2019
I started this book about 11:30pm and I’ve just finished it now at 4:15am. It’s safe to say I enjoyed this book.
At first the prologue put me off a bit as I felt it was a bit tedious. But I persevered and I’m really glad I did.
You could tell from the beginning that Josh fancied Hazel but I just didn’t think it was going to happen. I really enjoyed the characters in this book though. I feel the author gave them all just the right amount of depth.
The teenager in me really relates to the Sam/Hazel situation and I fully understand how it comes across as she has messed with his head and it is her fault but when you imagine being with someone for so long and dream about how it will be then it actually happens and you’re just like it was better in my head, it’s a hard pill to swallow. So I enjoyed that part of the story as it was really relatable to 15 year old me 😂
Overall it was a really light and easy to read book and it will be staying on my shelf for me to read again 🥰
At first the prologue put me off a bit as I felt it was a bit tedious. But I persevered and I’m really glad I did.
You could tell from the beginning that Josh fancied Hazel but I just didn’t think it was going to happen. I really enjoyed the characters in this book though. I feel the author gave them all just the right amount of depth.
The teenager in me really relates to the Sam/Hazel situation and I fully understand how it comes across as she has messed with his head and it is her fault but when you imagine being with someone for so long and dream about how it will be then it actually happens and you’re just like it was better in my head, it’s a hard pill to swallow. So I enjoyed that part of the story as it was really relatable to 15 year old me 😂
Overall it was a really light and easy to read book and it will be staying on my shelf for me to read again 🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2019
Full Review:
https://clavie.co/2019/01/25/book-rev...
I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between Hazel and her boss however I must say from the start I did not care what the boss was going through as she seemed to be constantly leading Hazel on as she did know about the new role however she was just leading Hazel on and using her divorce as an excuse to ned massages and so on during work. I must admit that I wanted to shake some sense into Hazel at times but how she reacts is perfect for who she is.
Hazel feels quite measured and practical throughout the story, until that is, the epilogue. I loved the symbol of the backpacks and moving forward. I really enjoyed this peaceful plot and I found it intriguing. One of the quotes I enjoyed about Josh, “That was love, I guess – you didn’t always have to agree, but you always tried to make each other happy. “
I really enjoyed the reference to the book One Day as well as it is one of my favourites and favourite movies too.
https://clavie.co/2019/01/25/book-rev...
I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between Hazel and her boss however I must say from the start I did not care what the boss was going through as she seemed to be constantly leading Hazel on as she did know about the new role however she was just leading Hazel on and using her divorce as an excuse to ned massages and so on during work. I must admit that I wanted to shake some sense into Hazel at times but how she reacts is perfect for who she is.
Hazel feels quite measured and practical throughout the story, until that is, the epilogue. I loved the symbol of the backpacks and moving forward. I really enjoyed this peaceful plot and I found it intriguing. One of the quotes I enjoyed about Josh, “That was love, I guess – you didn’t always have to agree, but you always tried to make each other happy. “
I really enjoyed the reference to the book One Day as well as it is one of my favourites and favourite movies too.
July 10, 2023
I am surprised by how much I liked this book. I have not read the author before but will in the future. I was expecting a basic romance, but this novel was much more intriguing. The characters and their situations were very interesting. I liked the main character and found myself caught up in her life. She had a lot of interesting things going on in her life including a rotten boss, a new career, friends, family, boyfriends, etc. I really liked this MC and would love to read another book about her.
Romances tend to be at least somewhat predictable, but this one threw in a couple of twists to keep the reader guessing and engaged.
This is a great book for readers who like a romance with some depth.
Romances tend to be at least somewhat predictable, but this one threw in a couple of twists to keep the reader guessing and engaged.
This is a great book for readers who like a romance with some depth.
March 3, 2023
Hazel and Lila are twins. They have always been close so when Lila asks her sister for help planning her wedding she can only say yes. When her promised promotion never happens (thanks to her selfish boss) and she realises that she is enjoying the wedding planning far more than her actual job she decides to become a full time wedding planner. The success of her sisters wedding however, may be difficult to recreate when Gemma and Elliot ask for a Scottish castle location and Josh and Sarah seem to want completely different things from their wedding.
A blast from the past, a new flat mate and an inappropriate crush add in a few more complications for Hazel.
A blast from the past, a new flat mate and an inappropriate crush add in a few more complications for Hazel.
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