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The Wedding Sisters: A Novel
USA Today bestselling author Jamie Brenner's The Wedding Sisters invites readers to the most unpredictable wedding of the year.
"Brenner tempers the weighty emotional aspects of the sisters’ journey with the fluffy frivolity of wedding planning, a contrast that fans of Emily Giffin and Lauren Weisberger will adore. Mixing high society and high drama, this one is witty, heartfelt, and fun." - Booklist
Meryl Becker is living a mother's dream. The oldest of her three beautiful daughters, Meg, is engaged to a wonderful man from one of the country's most prominent families. Of course, Meryl wants to give Meg the perfect wedding. Who wouldn't? But when her two younger daughters, Amy and Jo, also become engaged to celebrated bachelors, Meryl has to admit that three weddings is more than she and her husband, Hugh, can realistically afford.
The solution? A triple wedding! At first, it's a tough sell to the girls, and juggling three sets of future in-laws is a logistical nightmare. But when Hugh loses his teaching job, and Meryl's aging mother suddenly moves in with them, a triple wedding is the only way to get all three sisters down the aisle. When the grand plan becomes public, the onslaught of media attention adds to Meryl's mounting pressure. Suddenly, appearances are everything - and she will do whatever it takes to keep the wedding on track as money gets tight, her mother starts acting nutty, and her own thirty year marriage starts to unravel.
In the weeks leading up to the nuptials, secrets are revealed, passions ignite, and surprising revelations show Meryl and her daughters the true meaning of love, marriage and family.
"Brenner tempers the weighty emotional aspects of the sisters’ journey with the fluffy frivolity of wedding planning, a contrast that fans of Emily Giffin and Lauren Weisberger will adore. Mixing high society and high drama, this one is witty, heartfelt, and fun." - Booklist
Meryl Becker is living a mother's dream. The oldest of her three beautiful daughters, Meg, is engaged to a wonderful man from one of the country's most prominent families. Of course, Meryl wants to give Meg the perfect wedding. Who wouldn't? But when her two younger daughters, Amy and Jo, also become engaged to celebrated bachelors, Meryl has to admit that three weddings is more than she and her husband, Hugh, can realistically afford.
The solution? A triple wedding! At first, it's a tough sell to the girls, and juggling three sets of future in-laws is a logistical nightmare. But when Hugh loses his teaching job, and Meryl's aging mother suddenly moves in with them, a triple wedding is the only way to get all three sisters down the aisle. When the grand plan becomes public, the onslaught of media attention adds to Meryl's mounting pressure. Suddenly, appearances are everything - and she will do whatever it takes to keep the wedding on track as money gets tight, her mother starts acting nutty, and her own thirty year marriage starts to unravel.
In the weeks leading up to the nuptials, secrets are revealed, passions ignite, and surprising revelations show Meryl and her daughters the true meaning of love, marriage and family.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2016
227 people are currently reading
5680 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Brenner
26 books1,651 followersJamie Brenner is the author of The Wedding Sisters, The USA TODAY bestseller The Forever Summer, and several other beach books. Jamie's short story "Gold Party" (Blackstone Publishing) is currently in development as a feature film.
After raising two daughters in New York City, Jamie now lives in Bucks County, PA -- the inspiration for her next book THE WEEKEND CRASHERS (November 4, 2025) about a mother-daughter knitting retreat gone awry.
Jamie grew up on the blockbuster novels by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, the gothic horror of Anne Rice, and political thrillers by Nelson DeMille. Her dream novel combines all three.
Follow Jamie on instagram @jamiebrennerwrites
After raising two daughters in New York City, Jamie now lives in Bucks County, PA -- the inspiration for her next book THE WEEKEND CRASHERS (November 4, 2025) about a mother-daughter knitting retreat gone awry.
Jamie grew up on the blockbuster novels by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, the gothic horror of Anne Rice, and political thrillers by Nelson DeMille. Her dream novel combines all three.
Follow Jamie on instagram @jamiebrennerwrites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
October 26, 2016
Meryl and Hugh Becker reside in New York City. They are enjoying the lifestyle of “empty nesters” yet they still maintain a close relationship with their three daughters. Their oldest daughter Meg is a political journalist and engaged to the son of a United States Senator. Amy has a career in the fashion world and a serious boyfriend of five years. Third daughter Jo is struggling with her career and was recently dumped by her girlfriend.
All three daughters get engaged within a few months of each other. The daughters are in the midst of these exciting life events but Meryl’s personal life starts to unravel. The Becker’s are encountering money issues, and do not have the means to pay for all the weddings separately. At the same time, Meryl’s aging mother has moved in with them. Meryl is angry at her husband for the choices he has made, putting them in financial disarray. At the same time, she is not honest with her daughters about the situation, and still wants to throw them their weddings. Tensions build and relationships are tested.
This was a fun, enjoyable book. It is not predictable, and I was caught off guard by the ending. The author did a nice job of keeping the sibling tension and emotions genuine. We are privy to the sisters’ inner thoughts about their relationships with one another and with their soon to be spouses. The dynamic of this family is well depicted. I can definitely see this book being made into a movie.
I am giving away 3 signed copies on my blog until 10/28 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...#
All three daughters get engaged within a few months of each other. The daughters are in the midst of these exciting life events but Meryl’s personal life starts to unravel. The Becker’s are encountering money issues, and do not have the means to pay for all the weddings separately. At the same time, Meryl’s aging mother has moved in with them. Meryl is angry at her husband for the choices he has made, putting them in financial disarray. At the same time, she is not honest with her daughters about the situation, and still wants to throw them their weddings. Tensions build and relationships are tested.
This was a fun, enjoyable book. It is not predictable, and I was caught off guard by the ending. The author did a nice job of keeping the sibling tension and emotions genuine. We are privy to the sisters’ inner thoughts about their relationships with one another and with their soon to be spouses. The dynamic of this family is well depicted. I can definitely see this book being made into a movie.
I am giving away 3 signed copies on my blog until 10/28 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...#
May 13, 2016
4.5 stars
I LOVED this book! Jamie Brenner has written a fun, highly entertaining book about three sisters, Meg, Amy and Jo Becker, who in a short span of time all get engaged to be married to wealthy, much sought-after men. At the same time, the Becker family’s economic status is questionable so Meryl Becker decides to throw a triple wedding for the three girls. She manages to convince the girls, but trying to deal with all of her new soon-to-be in-laws proves much trickier. Moreover, each Becker daughter is grappling with her own issues that threaten the engagements. To top it all off, the triple wedding catches the attention of People Magazine and other celebrity magazines which adds one more complication to the already tense production.
Meg was probably my favorite of the sisters, but I was invested in all three of their relationships and enjoyed reading about their stories as they played out in the novel.
The book was just wonderful, and I could not put it down. I absolutely loved the way the wedding played out and the ultimate resolution of the story. I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this book! Jamie Brenner has written a fun, highly entertaining book about three sisters, Meg, Amy and Jo Becker, who in a short span of time all get engaged to be married to wealthy, much sought-after men. At the same time, the Becker family’s economic status is questionable so Meryl Becker decides to throw a triple wedding for the three girls. She manages to convince the girls, but trying to deal with all of her new soon-to-be in-laws proves much trickier. Moreover, each Becker daughter is grappling with her own issues that threaten the engagements. To top it all off, the triple wedding catches the attention of People Magazine and other celebrity magazines which adds one more complication to the already tense production.
Meg was probably my favorite of the sisters, but I was invested in all three of their relationships and enjoyed reading about their stories as they played out in the novel.
The book was just wonderful, and I could not put it down. I absolutely loved the way the wedding played out and the ultimate resolution of the story. I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2021
every once in and a while I grab one of my women fiction books to read..this time it was this one..
it had a great premise of parents having to throw three weddings for their three daughters Meg, Amy, and Jo who become engaged almost at the same time..yes the parents were inspired by Little Women for naming them..speaking of names I swear only rich people get away by naming their kids with ridiculous names like one of the groms is named Stowe.. ugh
overall an okay book with some inconsistencies but the pace was good and I wasn't bored...
3,5⭐
it had a great premise of parents having to throw three weddings for their three daughters Meg, Amy, and Jo who become engaged almost at the same time..yes the parents were inspired by Little Women for naming them..speaking of names I swear only rich people get away by naming their kids with ridiculous names like one of the groms is named Stowe.. ugh
overall an okay book with some inconsistencies but the pace was good and I wasn't bored...
3,5⭐
May 16, 2018
Okay, so this was just a perfect wedding book. FINALLY a wedding book with a same sex couple, and FINALLY a wedding book with a little edge! Set in NYC, Washington DC, and Philadelphia, this book has politics and drama and motherhood and sisterhood and S-E-X and of course, a LOT of wedding planning given that all three sisters are getting married in the same year! Highly recommended for fans of domestic fiction and wedding fiction! I have adored Brenner's two more recent books and am so happy to have finally made the time to read this one.
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Oh, and if you are excited about the royal wedding, one of the fiancees in this book is a royal!
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Oh, and if you are excited about the royal wedding, one of the fiancees in this book is a royal!
October 14, 2016
This book was doomed for me when a character was in the Senate Russell Office Building (where I used to work) and told a senator she had to "go the the Hill." The Senate Russell Office Building is ON the Hill and really she meant the Capitol.
The same character is described as looking like Grace Kelly three times. Does anyone under 40 know who Grace Kelly is? Couldn't the author come up w a more modern classic beauty? And if not, maybe mentioning it once is sufficient.
Other irritating parts:
That the mom didn't know her mother Rose was the mysterious Roza in the never before seen pictures that look like her daughter...
That it was so obvious the triple wedding would blow up at the altar...
That the youngest daughter is described as being the tallest in the family but the mom greets her and kisses her on top of the head...
That in the chapter "one month before the wedding" the youngest daughter tells the wedding dress designer she's three months pregnant but then on the wedding day one month later she's magically seven months pregnant...
Okay, I will stop. I'm not sure why these little things irked me as much as they did. Maybe if there was one redeeming character, I could have overlooked the small stuff.
The same character is described as looking like Grace Kelly three times. Does anyone under 40 know who Grace Kelly is? Couldn't the author come up w a more modern classic beauty? And if not, maybe mentioning it once is sufficient.
Other irritating parts:
That the mom didn't know her mother Rose was the mysterious Roza in the never before seen pictures that look like her daughter...
That it was so obvious the triple wedding would blow up at the altar...
That the youngest daughter is described as being the tallest in the family but the mom greets her and kisses her on top of the head...
That in the chapter "one month before the wedding" the youngest daughter tells the wedding dress designer she's three months pregnant but then on the wedding day one month later she's magically seven months pregnant...
Okay, I will stop. I'm not sure why these little things irked me as much as they did. Maybe if there was one redeeming character, I could have overlooked the small stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2016
Loved the characters of sisters Meg, Amy and Jo Becker, their parents Meryl and Hugh, and feisty grandmother Rose. A triple wedding for these sisters came with much stress, chaos, doubt, and even deception. I wondered how the outcome of this wedding would turn out. While I did try to figure out what would happen, I did get some of it right but there were a couple of surprises for me. I was not disappointed with the ending! A very enjoyable read!!
October 31, 2016
I loved this story of three sisters who all decide to get married at the same time and the mom who will do anything to hold it all together. Jamie Brenner has written a book that is funny (something I cannot do!), heartwarming and unpredictable at the same time -- think Emily Giffin meets Jennifer Weiner. Enjoy!
July 25, 2017
With reviews using words like 'witty', 'unforgettable', and 'riotously fun', I had high hopes for a very enjoyable afternoon, unfortunately this book did not deliver. The author had so much going on in this book I wasn't even sure where to give my attention. In this book, the author had mommy issues, sister issues, fashion, politics, sex, crude language, a lesbian relationship, cheating, almost cheating, a wedding, an almost wedding, job loss, midlife crisis, and just plain poor decisions made by almost every character; I wasn't even sure the point of the story. This book was not funny, it was a sad display of women (and men) who didn't know how to tell the truth or how to figure out what they wanted. I was very disappointed and am not even sure why I finished it (except that I hate to leave a book even a bad one unfinished).
May 13, 2016
Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Jamie Brenner invites her readers to one wedding of a lifetime or in this case to three weddings of the Becker sisters. It’s always been a mother’s dream to see her daughter get married but what happens when all three of her daughters find themselves getting engaged around the same time to prominent males. Meryl Becker and her husband, Hugh knew financially that they couldn't afford three separate weddings and so why not have one big grand wedding. Well seems to be a logical plan but nothing goes as plan as chaos, secrets and everything begins to unravel. As the big day approaches, will everyone be walking down the aisle to happily ever after?
The Wedding Sisters by Jamie Brenner was a refreshing, emotional and entertaining read. Ms. Brenner charmed her readers as she struck her reader’s heart with this beautiful story that centers on family. I loved that this book allows readers to feel the raw emotional vulnerability of each family members. So if you are looking for a book where the author wrote a heartwarming tale that is a perfect weekend read then I would recommend you to read The Wedding Sisters.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...
Jamie Brenner invites her readers to one wedding of a lifetime or in this case to three weddings of the Becker sisters. It’s always been a mother’s dream to see her daughter get married but what happens when all three of her daughters find themselves getting engaged around the same time to prominent males. Meryl Becker and her husband, Hugh knew financially that they couldn't afford three separate weddings and so why not have one big grand wedding. Well seems to be a logical plan but nothing goes as plan as chaos, secrets and everything begins to unravel. As the big day approaches, will everyone be walking down the aisle to happily ever after?
The Wedding Sisters by Jamie Brenner was a refreshing, emotional and entertaining read. Ms. Brenner charmed her readers as she struck her reader’s heart with this beautiful story that centers on family. I loved that this book allows readers to feel the raw emotional vulnerability of each family members. So if you are looking for a book where the author wrote a heartwarming tale that is a perfect weekend read then I would recommend you to read The Wedding Sisters.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...
July 26, 2016
This was an enjoyable read! The author has the flowy, not overly wordy, style of writing I enjoy best. This book took me on a journey with the three sisters, their fiances, and their families. I did not see the ending coming! I'm a reality TV fan, so I enjoyed those parts as well. Fun book with plenty of depth!
April 26, 2016
Delightful read. Each sister couldn't be more different so how will one wedding for all 3 work exactly? It's a touching story about how to never settle for someone that isn't your equal and doesn't make you their equal.
August 12, 2016
Jamie Brenner's The Wedding Sisters is a contemporary family drama centering around the rocky road to three sisters' weddings and their mother's desperation to make it all happen without a hitch. This book was really fun to read. While the plot itself is a little far-fetched, the story has a great message in the end.
Brenner introduces us to the Becker family—Hugh and Meryl and their three daughters; Meg, Amy, and Jo. Meg is engaged to the son of a well-known politician whose family comes from old money. Amy is set to marry her boyfriend of five years whose proposal seems to have come out of left field. And poor Jo. She's heartbroken after a sudden break-up and finds comfort in her best friend who's always been in love with her. In the beginning, it appears as though the girls have found happiness. But as Brenner peels back the layers on their lives, their reality is far from perfect.
This book would make a really great move, perhaps as a comedy. The way that it's written with the reader being privy to each sister's relationship and uncovered secrets would play out nicely on film. Meryl's character reminded me a lot of the mom in Pride and Prejudice with her excitement over her girls' engagements, almost blinded by what was really going on.
I don't know what about Jo's story that I found so compelling, but I just couldn't wait to hear what happened next! She gets her heartbroken by her college best friend turned live-in girlfriend. But Jo's the impulsive one of the bunch and jumps into bed with her guy best friend who's been in love with her since he first met her. Did I mention that he's Danish royalty?
It took me quite a bit to get into this one. In the beginning, the way the characters and plot moved along felt like the author was making a play-by-play of events, rather than telling me a story. But what turned it around for me was getting to know the girls and the family dynamic. You'll have to read it to find out who, if anyone, makes it to the "you may now kiss the bride" part.
* I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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★★UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES★★
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February 9, 2017
Meryl Becker finds herself throwing the wedding of the decade when her three beautiful-but very different daughters, Meg, Amy & Jo all get engaged at the same time to very different but successful men. This would be difficult enough but when her husband Hugh gets fired from his job, Meryl has to come up with a new way to pay for the wedding her daughter's want while still maintaining control from the girls controlling in laws. As the countdown to the wedding starts and more secrets are revelled, more drama ensures and with the added difficulty of trying to care for her ageing mother to deal with, Meryl wonders if she'll ever manage to get her girls down the isle.
I really liked this book! It was really fast flowing, easy to read and i got into it straight away wanting to know what happens next. The characters are brilliant and quite diverse. I like how each had their own individual stories, that were told along side each other. This meant you really got to know each character and learn their back story which helped you to understand why they acted as they did. My favorite character, by miles was Rose Meryl's mother. I like her attitude towards life and to all the drama surrounding the wedding. The way she just said things regardless of social niceties or people feelings was brilliant and contibuted to some of the most funny bits of the book.
The author has obviously had some experience of wedding planning and having sisters as some of the scenes described were close to what happened to me at my wedding and my childhood with my sisters. This made the book seem more realistic and made me feel emphathy towards the siblings (particularly Amy who i felt character wise was most like me) and Meryl with the stresses of the wedding.
I also really like the ending. I did wonder how the author was going to end it and hoped it wasn't going to be a predictable, sugar-coated ending which it wasn't. It was the ending i hoped for and i like the characters even more because of it.
There were a few tiny things that i didn't like about the book. Meryl seems a confused character, she is discribed as being very caring and always there for her girls but then seems to be too distracted with keeping control of the wedding to help her family. When Hugh gets fired her reaction is, oh well at least you can be involved in the wedding ! I don't think i know many guys who did want to be involved in their own wedding never mind their daughters. It also urked me that everyone in the book was described as beautiful, handsome or successful there didn't seem to be any average, every day people!
This was the first book i have read by Jamie Brenner and it definetly won't be the last. I have already recommended this book to a lot of my friends as i thought it was so good. Definetly one of my top books of all time.
Huge thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this ARC.
I really liked this book! It was really fast flowing, easy to read and i got into it straight away wanting to know what happens next. The characters are brilliant and quite diverse. I like how each had their own individual stories, that were told along side each other. This meant you really got to know each character and learn their back story which helped you to understand why they acted as they did. My favorite character, by miles was Rose Meryl's mother. I like her attitude towards life and to all the drama surrounding the wedding. The way she just said things regardless of social niceties or people feelings was brilliant and contibuted to some of the most funny bits of the book.
The author has obviously had some experience of wedding planning and having sisters as some of the scenes described were close to what happened to me at my wedding and my childhood with my sisters. This made the book seem more realistic and made me feel emphathy towards the siblings (particularly Amy who i felt character wise was most like me) and Meryl with the stresses of the wedding.
I also really like the ending. I did wonder how the author was going to end it and hoped it wasn't going to be a predictable, sugar-coated ending which it wasn't. It was the ending i hoped for and i like the characters even more because of it.
There were a few tiny things that i didn't like about the book. Meryl seems a confused character, she is discribed as being very caring and always there for her girls but then seems to be too distracted with keeping control of the wedding to help her family. When Hugh gets fired her reaction is, oh well at least you can be involved in the wedding ! I don't think i know many guys who did want to be involved in their own wedding never mind their daughters. It also urked me that everyone in the book was described as beautiful, handsome or successful there didn't seem to be any average, every day people!
This was the first book i have read by Jamie Brenner and it definetly won't be the last. I have already recommended this book to a lot of my friends as i thought it was so good. Definetly one of my top books of all time.
Huge thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this ARC.
May 15, 2016
Other than one glaring timeline mess:
Three months before the Wedding: Far enough along in pregnancy to have been sick "for weeks"
One month before the Wedding: "Almost three months" pregnant
24 Hours before the Wedding: "Seven months pregnant"
I really enjoyed this book. When I read, "at seven months pregnant" though, it did kind of distract me for the last 40 pages. I did however read an uncorrected proof copy, so it is possible this was fixed in the final version.
Other than that slight mishap, I really enjoyed this book. Three sisters, playing wedding day together since they were little girls grow up and get the opportunity to do it for real as adults. As we all know, ONE wedding has plenty of drama by itself, so merge three together and watch chaos ensue. The most important value to take away from it all though? Family. And that is what this book is really all about.
*** I won this book through Goodreads First Reads
Three months before the Wedding: Far enough along in pregnancy to have been sick "for weeks"
One month before the Wedding: "Almost three months" pregnant
24 Hours before the Wedding: "Seven months pregnant"
I really enjoyed this book. When I read, "at seven months pregnant" though, it did kind of distract me for the last 40 pages. I did however read an uncorrected proof copy, so it is possible this was fixed in the final version.
Other than that slight mishap, I really enjoyed this book. Three sisters, playing wedding day together since they were little girls grow up and get the opportunity to do it for real as adults. As we all know, ONE wedding has plenty of drama by itself, so merge three together and watch chaos ensue. The most important value to take away from it all though? Family. And that is what this book is really all about.
*** I won this book through Goodreads First Reads
June 8, 2016
I received the ARC from publisher via Netgalley in exchange of honest reviews. All opinions are mine.
Here's the thing about this book: I don't hate it but I don't love it either. When I first read the blurb, I have to admit that I was intrigued. I hope that there's going to be some family and wedding drama, something that I can really enjoy and probably relate to. However, this book kind of fell flat for me. I don't get the drama at all.
None of the characters are relatable to me at all. I wanted to like Meryl, I wanted to fight for Meg, I wanted to comfort Jo and I wanted to understand Amy but all I get from them all are frustration. I'm frustrated with how their characters were developed. Every time they make their choices, I literally facepalmed because I cannot believe they did that. And don't get me started on the guys. Sure, they're like celebrated bachelors, supposedly coming from good, prominent families but nothing about them makes you feel like the girls deserved any of them.
When I first started reading this, based on the blurb, I was expecting dramas and even though there were dramas of some kind (paparazzis are involved), I just couldn't help but feel detached to it all. Every time I read through passages like that, I felt the need to skim through.
Overall this book is not all that bad. I think I would have enjoyed it a little bit more if my expectation were a little lower. The writing is good, some parts are beautiful even but I felt that I couldn't enjoy the story enough because there weren't enough progression character-wise.
Here's the thing about this book: I don't hate it but I don't love it either. When I first read the blurb, I have to admit that I was intrigued. I hope that there's going to be some family and wedding drama, something that I can really enjoy and probably relate to. However, this book kind of fell flat for me. I don't get the drama at all.
None of the characters are relatable to me at all. I wanted to like Meryl, I wanted to fight for Meg, I wanted to comfort Jo and I wanted to understand Amy but all I get from them all are frustration. I'm frustrated with how their characters were developed. Every time they make their choices, I literally facepalmed because I cannot believe they did that. And don't get me started on the guys. Sure, they're like celebrated bachelors, supposedly coming from good, prominent families but nothing about them makes you feel like the girls deserved any of them.
When I first started reading this, based on the blurb, I was expecting dramas and even though there were dramas of some kind (paparazzis are involved), I just couldn't help but feel detached to it all. Every time I read through passages like that, I felt the need to skim through.
Overall this book is not all that bad. I think I would have enjoyed it a little bit more if my expectation were a little lower. The writing is good, some parts are beautiful even but I felt that I couldn't enjoy the story enough because there weren't enough progression character-wise.
Want to read
July 19, 2016What, no sister Beth?
August 3, 2019
Not a fan of this one. Total fluff.
July 14, 2024
The three Becker daughters all get engaged within months of each other each to prominent and wealthy men. Since the Becker parents, Meryl and Hugh are decidedly middle class and Hugh has recently lost his job in a prestigious private school, arrangements are made for the three young women to get married on the same day in one ceremony.
Unfortunately, the paths to true love have some hiccups along the way. Neither don’t neither daughter’s relationship goes smoothly, fissures are showing, and not just due to wedding stress. There are also stresses in the parents’ marriage and Meryl’s mother, Rose, has started acting strangely.
In the months leading up to the triple wedding secrets are exposed, truths are realized, and love is tested all culminating on the momentous wedding day.
All the characters, especially the main characters are fairly well portrayed. The girls, Meg, Amy and Jo (yes they were named after Alcott “Little Women” characters, mainly because Hugh wrote a book about Alcott‘s mother and he is obsessed with the Alcott family). I have to say I found Hugh to be a bit off putting,especially since he and Meryl met when he was a teaching assistant in one of Meryl‘s college classes. At least he waited until she finished the course before he made a move on her, but I found their early relationship troublesome. Hugh also took himself way too seriously as a teacher at a private school, where he spent more time with his students than he did with his family.
Of the three daughters I think I liked Meg the most since she truly loved Stowe, although they did have their differences. It doesn’t help that Stowe’s father just announced that he’s running for president, so everything is viewed through a political lens, including their wedding, and his parents are absolutely insufferable .
It is interesting to see how all the relationships in this book resolve themselves, and not always in the way you would expect. Some aspects of the story are just too implausible to accept, so there has to be some suspended disbelief while reading it: all three daughters are engaged to fabulously wealthy men at the same time? Please. The story drags at times and although the ending feels rushed, it is still fairly satisfying.
Unfortunately, the paths to true love have some hiccups along the way. Neither don’t neither daughter’s relationship goes smoothly, fissures are showing, and not just due to wedding stress. There are also stresses in the parents’ marriage and Meryl’s mother, Rose, has started acting strangely.
In the months leading up to the triple wedding secrets are exposed, truths are realized, and love is tested all culminating on the momentous wedding day.
All the characters, especially the main characters are fairly well portrayed. The girls, Meg, Amy and Jo (yes they were named after Alcott “Little Women” characters, mainly because Hugh wrote a book about Alcott‘s mother and he is obsessed with the Alcott family). I have to say I found Hugh to be a bit off putting,especially since he and Meryl met when he was a teaching assistant in one of Meryl‘s college classes. At least he waited until she finished the course before he made a move on her, but I found their early relationship troublesome. Hugh also took himself way too seriously as a teacher at a private school, where he spent more time with his students than he did with his family.
Of the three daughters I think I liked Meg the most since she truly loved Stowe, although they did have their differences. It doesn’t help that Stowe’s father just announced that he’s running for president, so everything is viewed through a political lens, including their wedding, and his parents are absolutely insufferable .
It is interesting to see how all the relationships in this book resolve themselves, and not always in the way you would expect. Some aspects of the story are just too implausible to accept, so there has to be some suspended disbelief while reading it: all three daughters are engaged to fabulously wealthy men at the same time? Please. The story drags at times and although the ending feels rushed, it is still fairly satisfying.
August 28, 2022
Well I think the original "wedding sisters" would be shaking their heads at the modern day little women. Jamie Brenner writes a brutally honest look at our obsessive celebrity culture. At first just the male characters were annoying me but eventually everyone annoyed me except for Rose. This was a good listen with a satisfying ending
September 6, 2021
Such a cute story with deep roots. Loved the characters, loved the story. Hope to see these characters again
October 2, 2021
Enjoyable story about a family and their pre-wedding trials. The people were interesting in their New York City social lifestyles. Fun, fast novel.
June 28, 2016
I breezed through Jamie Brenner’s fabulous novel “The Wedding Sisters”. I laughed, cried, worried, cheered, and celebrated with Meg, Amy and Jo (yes, "Little Women"). In this case, three modern-day sisters are poised to get married. The sisters couldn’t be any more different—albeit each wants the same thing: true love. Full disclosure: I’m a Mom of three daughters, and the Becker Sisters not only hit close to home, the trio could be sitting at my kitchen table. The sisters’ penetrating stories are held together through the voice and tender heart of their mother, Meryl Becker, who is loving, overbearing, oft-controlling—but of course, ONLY wants the best for her girls. And yet, Meryl must “let go” while simultaneously holding her “babies’ close—because they still need her. She is the quintessential multi-tasker—handling her daughters’ complex love lives, her aging, aloof mother (with secrets of her own), and her absent-minded English professor husband (whose students, at times, take precedence over his family). Everybody’s life and personality is a juggling act for Meryl, and every day during “wedding season” is a full-on drama. Meryl deals with broken hearts, sibling rivalries, and passions —including her own middle-aged desires, which re-awaken amidst trying to simultaneously plan the three weddings and all the trimmings. Not to mention, the weddings aren’t just your run-of-the mill “Big Day”—each daughter is marrying a Somebody. The Beckers’ world quickly morphs into public fodder, filling the gossip columns. And we see it all: love lost, love found, infidelity, lies, and ultimately, truths exposed. The twists and turns while tying the matrimonial knots make the Becker Sisters’ colorful tale an unputdownable read, as each character forges her own path toward Happily Ever After. I devoured this hands-down perfect beach book in ONE sitting, or as the Sisters might say, in ONE brisk walk down the aisle.
March 24, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley.com and to the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
As I am coming up on my own 20th wedding anniversary, I was excited to read The Wedding Sisters. I was hoping for a mad cap wedding story featuring a mother, clueless father, and tales of love. Once the engagements began I got quite the opposite from the book. Mom Meryl became super obsessed with etiquette and money – it distorted her true nature and caused me not to like her as a character. Hasn’t she read enough Emily Post to know that in this day and age it doesn’t matter who pays for what? Since 4 of the 6 patricipants had enough income on their own – they probably should have been contributing to the bottom line. And why did only the Campions have to pay for the rehearsal dinner? Last time I had checked – there were two other extremely wealthy families involved in the wedding that could have chipped in.
What I loved: Rose, the grandmother, was a beautiful soul who could come with the wit when needed. I thought her backstory was beautiful and touching – it explained so much and allowed everyone to move forward in their relationship. And her little white lie about Polish wedding traditions was adorable.
What I didn’t love: Where should I begin? Every man is a selfish douche in the book (Stowe redeems himself in the end but that’s all about the epilogue and the readers don’t get to see his transition into a good guy). Amy is Jan Brady – always a day late and a dollar short. Her fierce competition with her sister almost ruins the book.
What I learned: Its good to be an only child.
Overall Grade: C
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May 24, 2016
Where to begin - I will begin by saying that this book is one of my faves of 2016! The character development is outstanding for Meg, Amy and Jo! I never feel as if I am wanting more, I know them, I know their stories and these are some girls I would love to be friends with! They are smart, driven, determined - well Meg and Amy are, Jo she's the baby and she will get there someday. I will give it to Jo, she has the passion but she can't seem to settle on a path, she's clueless at the moment.
The drama starts to unfold when Meg is proposed to and the wedding craziness begins! Meryl (mom) is excited for Meg, Amy is livid because she believes that it should be her getting married (after all she has been with her boyfriend well over 5 years- basically forever), and Jo well she is a whole other story in and of herself that I will have you piece together little by little as you read.
Things start to go down hill little by little - wedding disasters, cheating scandals, job loss, illness, mixed feelings, and more, yes I said more.
Meryl and Hugh feel like it may be OK - and then Amy and Jo announce their engagements -3 weddings in a year - I bet they are close to losing their minds! I know I would be!
And if that wasn't enough, they are thrust into the media spotlight for better and for worse. It's not always sunshine and rainbows - it can get downright ugly!
Newspapers want the scoop, TV producers want to run with a story concept and political campaigns start to unfold.
Will this family be able to weather each of these storms? Will they make it to I do? Grab a bottle of wine and sit back and enjoy there wild and crazy ride!
The drama starts to unfold when Meg is proposed to and the wedding craziness begins! Meryl (mom) is excited for Meg, Amy is livid because she believes that it should be her getting married (after all she has been with her boyfriend well over 5 years- basically forever), and Jo well she is a whole other story in and of herself that I will have you piece together little by little as you read.
Things start to go down hill little by little - wedding disasters, cheating scandals, job loss, illness, mixed feelings, and more, yes I said more.
Meryl and Hugh feel like it may be OK - and then Amy and Jo announce their engagements -3 weddings in a year - I bet they are close to losing their minds! I know I would be!
And if that wasn't enough, they are thrust into the media spotlight for better and for worse. It's not always sunshine and rainbows - it can get downright ugly!
Newspapers want the scoop, TV producers want to run with a story concept and political campaigns start to unfold.
Will this family be able to weather each of these storms? Will they make it to I do? Grab a bottle of wine and sit back and enjoy there wild and crazy ride!
June 1, 2016
What a fun read!! If you're looking for lots of drama, skip the reality TV and read this book! The writing was entertaining and witty, and there was so much going on in the book I had a hard time putting it down. While I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen at the end, the book still kept me guessing and threw in a few surprises. Meg was definitely my favorite sister, but I loved all the characters and thought their stories intersected well. I spent a lot of time being irritated with Meryl, because she was so focused on appearances and refused to accept financial help when two of her daughter's future in laws were very wealthy. It just added to the entertainment and drama of the book!
If you're looking for an entertaining chick lit summer read, this book is perfect! It will keep you guessing until the end, which wraps the story up perfectly. I recommend this for your summer TBR!
Read my review on my blog at https://palmerspageturners.blogspot.c...
If you're looking for an entertaining chick lit summer read, this book is perfect! It will keep you guessing until the end, which wraps the story up perfectly. I recommend this for your summer TBR!
Read my review on my blog at https://palmerspageturners.blogspot.c...
December 18, 2018
This one is very difficult for me to review. I absolutely did not like the language in this book - it was over the top and repetitive. It was hard to relate to - they were whining about having three weddings to pay for and everyone had more then enough money for all of the weddings. The detailed descriptions of the sex scenes added nothing to the story.
The synopsis and the cover were great! The sister and parent relationships were enjoyable to read about, but those were not enough for me to want to pass this book on. I was very interested in reading Jamie Brenner's book The Husband Hour, but now I am concerned it will contain the same language and descriptive sex, so I am rethinking.
The synopsis and the cover were great! The sister and parent relationships were enjoyable to read about, but those were not enough for me to want to pass this book on. I was very interested in reading Jamie Brenner's book The Husband Hour, but now I am concerned it will contain the same language and descriptive sex, so I am rethinking.
July 18, 2016
A very fun and unique take on your classic wedding in a chick lit novel. Meryl Becker is trying to figure out how she can afford to plan and pay for her oldest daughter, Meg's, wedding to uber rich and politically tied Stowe Campion. When her two younger daughters, Amy and Jo, also get engaged, she has to figure out how not to lose her house to cover their weddings too. This is also while dealing with her mother in declining health and husband who has job issues. Loved the whole buildup of how it all went down. Anybody who is a fan of Bravo TV and E! would get a kick out of this book.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2018
After reading The Husband Hour, I went back to one of Brenner’s earlier books, and I’m glad I did. When Meryl and Hugh’s three daughters all get engaged, a three ring circus has nothing on the craziness of the events that follow. Meg is the oldest, and most sure of herself; Amy is the middle sister, envious of Meg; Jo is the youngest and most freewheeling but all three have a strong sister bond. Funny, at times heartbreaking, I couldn’t put it down.
April 15, 2016
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Kudos to Jaimie Brenner for bringing such a great story with great characters to life! It was so very easy to get caught up in this book, I really enjoyed it! I highly recommend this book!
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November 11, 2016I LOVED the Wedding Sisters! Absolutely adored it! I'm sad to say I finished it; but the lives of Meg and Stowe, Amy, Jo and Leigh, Hugh and Meryl will forever live in my mind. I have to characterize this as one of the best books of 2016 that I've read.
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