My Ex's Wedding

by Kim Gruenenfelder

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR EX SUDDENLY REAPPEARED? It’s 1998, and Samantha Evans has no regrets about her life. She’s one of Hollywood’s most sought after ghostwriters of celebrity autobiographies, shares a tranquil house in the hills with her best friend Liz, and is in the throes of a new romance with Eric, a gorgeous doctor. Life could not be better. But Sam’s perfectly curated world is about to completely unravel. Her descent into madness begins the night she meets Eric’s childhood best friend, international superstar Isabella Robles. A narcissist prone to temper tantrums, “Belle” is in town for her latest (and fifth) “wedding of the century.” To make matters worse, she is marrying Dave, Sam’s ex-husband. Things quickly go from awkward to just plain weird. Isabella hires Sam to write her memoirs. Then makes her a bridesmaid. Then cajoles Sam to join Dave in Hawaii for his bachelor party. Adding to the chaos, Sam bickers with Joe, Dave’s best man and the bane of Sam’s existence, receives unsolicited advice from client Vanessa, a diva from the '80s, and tries to stay calm as a series of fortune tellers mess with her head. So maybe no one’s life goes according to plan. Maybe some days you gotta suck it up and go to your Ex’s Wedding. And maybe finding the love of your life isn’t accomplished through a series of steps, but through a really ugly bridesmaid’s dress and an open bar.

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2020

About the author

Kim Gruenenfelder grew up in and around Los Angeles and began her career in TV at the age of nineteen. In addition to her books A Total Waste of Makeup, Misery Loves Cabernet and There's Cake in My Future, she has written feature films, episodic teleplays and two stage plays. She lives in Los Angeles, California. She loves her fans and can be reached through her website and on Facebook.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kimgru...

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like Kim Gruenenfelder and was thrilled for the chance to read this novel. Not surprisingly, I enjoyed it the entire way through. It had a Sex and the City feel in some ways. The conflicts Sam had to face were interesting and sometimes humorous. The dialogue was witty and snappy. Kim's great use of description really brought the story to life. I liked the balance of the characters as both friends and foils. There were a lot of fun twists, turns, and surprises throughout the story. The flashback scenes were really good too.

My only criticism is that I wasn't really feeling 1998 as a time setting, even with absence of social media and the mentions of older songs. It just felt like any other year to me otherwise.

Funny side note: I was reading another wedding themed novel at the same time and noticed some coincidences, but I think I only picked them up because I was reading these two books together. Both featured bridezillas, rock bands, and Kauai in some way, but they were definitely two different stories otherwise.

While I've enjoyed Kim's other novels, this is a favorite of hers for me. Definitely check it out if you need a fun way to escape for a few hours.

Movie casting suggestions:
Sam: Emily Ratajkowski
Liz: Ashley Park
Dave: Nathan Parsons
Eric: Chris Wood
Isabella: Lindsey Morgan
Joe: Colton Haynes
Vanessa: Kim Cattrall

[Jeni Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spoil the ending! So double spoiler warning!!

I have loved everything Kim has written. Her style of writing pulls me deep inside and I always read her books as quickly as I can... with that said it pains me to have to rate this less than 5/5.
I was willing to overlook the 15+ easily avoidable mistakes in the book, but the ending... it felt like everything seemed to just wrap up in 60 seconds like she was running out of paper. It felt wrong that Sam ended up with Dave... he was still willing to marry that hot mess. The only reason he didn’t was because in 30 seconds the hot mess suddenly declared her love for her best friend and married him. Instead. It felt like Sam was the second choice. He wasn’t even moved to say anything after her speech... I loved the whole book up until the end, it felt so rushed :( Sam should have rode off into the sunset as a single woman in my opinion.

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam is a successful ghostwriter for celebrities and is in an amazing relationship with her boyfriend Eric. Her life couldn't be better. Superstar Isabella Robles, and Eric's best friend, snags Sam to ghost write her memoirs and invites Sam to her upcoming wedding. The catch: The groom is Sam's ex husband.

This book is full of witty humor delivered by Sam and her best friend Liz. The one-liners zing and are laugh out loud funny. However, I disliked Sam's constant need to over analyze and Joe is the worst person on this planet.

Best part of this book? Drew Stanton!

This is a fun, light read; perfect for escaping 2020. I definitely recommend this for lovers of chicklit.

[Anisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved reading any book from this author! This one was super cute. The only thing was whoever edited the book, didn't do a great job since there were some issues with grammar..but that aside, enjoyed the story.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t help it. Love this author. Love the stories, and the characters, but most of all, I love the dialogue. I am happy to read anything she writes!

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay. We needed another Kim Gruenenfelder Book

Just want I needed during this awful coronavirus. Kim knocks it out to the park, again. I loved the characters

[Jessica Millett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author's books, they are usually laugh out loud funny and pretty relatable. I liked this novel but I found a lot of spelling mistakes throughout it, which made it distracting (not sure if it was the kindle version that had an issue).
Bella's character was very animated, over dramatic and often not believable.
The story felt rushed in many ways, especially the last few chapters. I didn't love how quickly it was all "resolved" and similar to Bella's character, most of the character's actions near the end were not believable.
I still enjoyed it, it was a quick and easy read and the main character, Sam and her friend Liz were likeable. That said, I wouldn't recommend this particular book as a "must read".

[Nikki Roberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE Kim Gruenenfelder and have been a huge and long time fan of her books. Her writing is spot on, her wit is well timed and the sass is clever.

I strongly disliked this book. I know it’s fiction and an easy read, but a lot of the characters were unlikable throughout the majority of the book. The fact that Sam ended up in her situation to begin with seemed over the top unrealistic in a not good way. What was the point of Liz’s ex? Jo seemed like a caricature. Isabella was a hot mess. The ending was rushed and highly unsatisfying. And on and on.

I really wanted to like this book but couldn’t ever fully connect. I’ll just wait for the next one from her.

[Anna Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was Kim Gruenenfelder's best book since A Total Waste of Makeup. The main character, Sam, reminded me in every good way of Charlie, her Gruenenfelder's first protagonist. The supporting cast of characters was charming and zany and the whole book was reminiscent of a good Sophie Kinsella-esque romp. The only downside to My Ex's Wedding was the editing. My copy from Amazon was absolutely riddled with structural errors and that took away from the flow of the story at points.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve long been a fan of Kim Gruenenfelder’s books, and My Ex’s Wedding is another reason why.

Kim has a witty sense of humor, and there are some laugh out loud zingers in this one! There are twists you won’t see coming which will keep you turning pages and some very sweet moments throughout.

If you are looking to be entertained, go grab My Ex’s Wedding!

[Kirsten Schlewitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable ending, but cute

There are worse things you can treat yourself to than one of Kim's books. You know they'll turn out well, but you almost certainly won't be able to predict every twist. Pick this one up when you need a pick-me-up... But maybe not if you're still pining over an ex who's in a happy relationship!

[Faa Brimmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious & heartwarming

Kim Gruenenfelder does it again with this delightful book full of warm and witty characters plus funtastic dialogue that at times made me gasp, at times made my heart smile, and other times made me laugh out loud, even guffaw :-) I enjoyed it thoroughly!

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately a poorly edited book, with some unfinished sentences and word choices that make no sense. It felt like a draft rather than a final edition.

Most of the characters are unlikable. The story doesn’t entirely flow smoothly, and I guarantee you’ll see the ending coming in the first 5 chapters.

The excesses were fun to read about though!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book just like all of her others! So much fun to read with great characters that make you laugh out loud. Such a fun read to have during the Covid insanity.

[francois]

wanted to dnf so bad.

[Neetu · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely read! I liked it.

[amanda c · Rating 5 out of 5]

great rom com

This book had me completely hooked. Fun story, easy to read, great escape from daily life. Wish there were more books out there like this, honestly.