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Without a Hitch
Sweet Home Alabama?meets?Emily in Paris?in this hilarious romp through the world of extravagant southern weddings.
Ringless, jobless, and hopeless, Lottie Jones commits to doing the only thing she truly studied in wedding planning.
When floundering and unlucky-in-love twenty-something Lottie Jones lands a new career as a wedding planner at a top-tier boutique event firm, she begins navigating a cutthroat workplace specializing in over-the-top details, unlimited budgets, and a broad spectrum of taste. Whether planning for parachute landings or wrangling intoxicated groomsmen, she has her hands full at every million-dollar wedding she helps organize.
After her boss announces he's opening a new office, Lottie sees her chance to finally carve out her place, and earn an income that justifies her dating app subscription fees. The weddings get bigger, the clients get wilder, the mishaps get funnier, and the stakes get higher. And Lottie's forced to discover what she'll risk for love and how far she'll go to find herself.
Set against the glamorous, ruthless world of high-end Southern weddings and inspired by real events in the authors' lives,?Without a Hitch?is a hilarious romp about taking ownership, facing fears, planning your ex-boyfriend's wedding, and choosing a happy ending that wasn't what you once expected.
"A sweet, Southern confection of a book about what it takes to orchestrate everyone else's happily ever after when your own heart has been broken. This sneak peek into the world of high-end wedding planning will keep you laughing as Lottie deconstructs the fairy tale and finds her authentic self." Jodi Picoult,?New York Times?bestselling author of?Wish You Were Here
Ringless, jobless, and hopeless, Lottie Jones commits to doing the only thing she truly studied in wedding planning.
When floundering and unlucky-in-love twenty-something Lottie Jones lands a new career as a wedding planner at a top-tier boutique event firm, she begins navigating a cutthroat workplace specializing in over-the-top details, unlimited budgets, and a broad spectrum of taste. Whether planning for parachute landings or wrangling intoxicated groomsmen, she has her hands full at every million-dollar wedding she helps organize.
After her boss announces he's opening a new office, Lottie sees her chance to finally carve out her place, and earn an income that justifies her dating app subscription fees. The weddings get bigger, the clients get wilder, the mishaps get funnier, and the stakes get higher. And Lottie's forced to discover what she'll risk for love and how far she'll go to find herself.
Set against the glamorous, ruthless world of high-end Southern weddings and inspired by real events in the authors' lives,?Without a Hitch?is a hilarious romp about taking ownership, facing fears, planning your ex-boyfriend's wedding, and choosing a happy ending that wasn't what you once expected.
"A sweet, Southern confection of a book about what it takes to orchestrate everyone else's happily ever after when your own heart has been broken. This sneak peek into the world of high-end wedding planning will keep you laughing as Lottie deconstructs the fairy tale and finds her authentic self." Jodi Picoult,?New York Times?bestselling author of?Wish You Were Here
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2021
255 people are currently reading
7830 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 437 reviews
November 29, 2021
2.5 stars
I really wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. I think this book suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. Is it a book about a girl learning to find herself and calling in life, or is it a romance? Not that a book can't be both things, but this one has pacing and development issues that cause it to be too chaotic. I liken it to feeling like I'm riding in a car with someone learning how to drive a stick shift. Lots of jolting ahead, revving forward, then dying only to start over again.
Lottie had her whole future with Brody planned out when they were in college. She was going to be a lawyer and he was destined for professional football. She even reserved the college chapel for their wedding right after graduation. But Brody breaks up with her right before graduation (without proposing) and she crashes and burns on the LSAT, not sure she even wants to be a lawyer. She takes a job as a florist for weddings and then gets an opportunity to work with a high end wedding planner learning the ropes. When she discovers that she will be in on wedding planning details for Brodie and his superstar actor fiancée, Lottie isn't sure if she has enough closure or distance.
The main premise of the book is good, and the weddings Lottie participates in planning and executing (most told in extremely elaborate detail) are in turn funny, disasters, and heartwarming. Along with her work exploits she has two guys she's interested in and then there's Brody, who she sees basically as "the one who got away" and hasn't really come to terms with their parting of ways. (Even though she admits that they have been apart twice as many years as they were ever together)
I enjoyed the wedding details, but there were so many of them and I didn't think they were really ALL necessary to move the story along. Plus there was never any real chemistry between Lottie and any of the guys, although I did appreciate when Griffin finally called her on her not moving on from Brody after so many years. This book would have been SO much better had it just been about Lottie becoming the person she was meant to be and moving forward from her past. Leave out the romance which added zero to the story anyway.
TL;DR Uneven pacing and an identity crisis make this one difficult to like, but there are some funny parts and fun wedding planning details.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I really wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. I think this book suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. Is it a book about a girl learning to find herself and calling in life, or is it a romance? Not that a book can't be both things, but this one has pacing and development issues that cause it to be too chaotic. I liken it to feeling like I'm riding in a car with someone learning how to drive a stick shift. Lots of jolting ahead, revving forward, then dying only to start over again.
Lottie had her whole future with Brody planned out when they were in college. She was going to be a lawyer and he was destined for professional football. She even reserved the college chapel for their wedding right after graduation. But Brody breaks up with her right before graduation (without proposing) and she crashes and burns on the LSAT, not sure she even wants to be a lawyer. She takes a job as a florist for weddings and then gets an opportunity to work with a high end wedding planner learning the ropes. When she discovers that she will be in on wedding planning details for Brodie and his superstar actor fiancée, Lottie isn't sure if she has enough closure or distance.
The main premise of the book is good, and the weddings Lottie participates in planning and executing (most told in extremely elaborate detail) are in turn funny, disasters, and heartwarming. Along with her work exploits she has two guys she's interested in and then there's Brody, who she sees basically as "the one who got away" and hasn't really come to terms with their parting of ways. (Even though she admits that they have been apart twice as many years as they were ever together)
I enjoyed the wedding details, but there were so many of them and I didn't think they were really ALL necessary to move the story along. Plus there was never any real chemistry between Lottie and any of the guys, although I did appreciate when Griffin finally called her on her not moving on from Brody after so many years. This book would have been SO much better had it just been about Lottie becoming the person she was meant to be and moving forward from her past. Leave out the romance which added zero to the story anyway.
TL;DR Uneven pacing and an identity crisis make this one difficult to like, but there are some funny parts and fun wedding planning details.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
March 30, 2022
I began reading this book in August 2020, shortly after I got married myself, so I don't know if I'm biased, but I really enjoyed it.
Without a Hitch follows the journey of Lottie Jones, a former Law Student, as she lands a new career in wedding planning at a prestigious company in Texas. She begins navigating a tough workplace, but no matter how outrageously extravagant the events get, she always manages to do a good job. However, as the clients get bigger and more famous, the stakes also start rising and as a result, Lottie will face a significant challenge in planning the wedding of her ex-fiancé (who is now a famous NFL player) to a Hollywood actress.
Many readers were put off by the fact that the plot does not revolve around romance too much, but what I enjoyed best in this book was precisely the fact that it was more of a journey of self-discovery than a romance. Lottie is relatable as she struggles to figure out what she wants to accomplish in her life and accepts the fact that she must enjoy living for herself instead of for everyone else.
Another highlight for me was reading about all the ludicrous and fun weddings that were described in such detail you could clearly picture them. I laughed out loud several times, cringed a few times, and was thoroughly entertained by each outlandish event.
One could say the pace of the book was a bit slow at times, but I didn’t have any trouble flying through it. I also honestly don’t understand why it got such a low rating here; it's not a bad story at all.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read the book in advance.
Without a Hitch follows the journey of Lottie Jones, a former Law Student, as she lands a new career in wedding planning at a prestigious company in Texas. She begins navigating a tough workplace, but no matter how outrageously extravagant the events get, she always manages to do a good job. However, as the clients get bigger and more famous, the stakes also start rising and as a result, Lottie will face a significant challenge in planning the wedding of her ex-fiancé (who is now a famous NFL player) to a Hollywood actress.
Many readers were put off by the fact that the plot does not revolve around romance too much, but what I enjoyed best in this book was precisely the fact that it was more of a journey of self-discovery than a romance. Lottie is relatable as she struggles to figure out what she wants to accomplish in her life and accepts the fact that she must enjoy living for herself instead of for everyone else.
Another highlight for me was reading about all the ludicrous and fun weddings that were described in such detail you could clearly picture them. I laughed out loud several times, cringed a few times, and was thoroughly entertained by each outlandish event.
One could say the pace of the book was a bit slow at times, but I didn’t have any trouble flying through it. I also honestly don’t understand why it got such a low rating here; it's not a bad story at all.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read the book in advance.
January 26, 2022
Without a Hitch by Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul is a standalone contemporary romantic comedy novel. In this novel the main character is a wedding planner working on planning he ex’s wedding.
Lottie Jones had spent her time at college dreaming of her future instead of actually studying for her future. Lottie had dreams of marrying her boyfriend, Brody, then she would be a lawyer and he play professional football after they had the wedding of Lottie’s dreams already planned to the last detail.
Well, that future didn’t quite happen for Lottie when instead of engaging Brody broke things off which spiraled into Lottie failing her exams. After a couple of years Lottie has lucked into a job that seems perfect for what she actually did study in college, wedding planning. However, Lottie’s biggest test as a wedding planner will be making it through Brody’s wedding with someone else.
Without a Hitch by Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul was the type of novel that when finished I came away thinking it either needed more or less or perhaps a bit of both. First, while I appreciate that Lottie’s life is now all weddings it seemed to get a bit repetitive. Then as far as the romance it seemed lacking and I wondered why it was there at all really and not just be about the character’s own growth but since it was romance I’d have felt better to have more of it. Overall though this one just became an OK read from me when done.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Lottie Jones had spent her time at college dreaming of her future instead of actually studying for her future. Lottie had dreams of marrying her boyfriend, Brody, then she would be a lawyer and he play professional football after they had the wedding of Lottie’s dreams already planned to the last detail.
Well, that future didn’t quite happen for Lottie when instead of engaging Brody broke things off which spiraled into Lottie failing her exams. After a couple of years Lottie has lucked into a job that seems perfect for what she actually did study in college, wedding planning. However, Lottie’s biggest test as a wedding planner will be making it through Brody’s wedding with someone else.
Without a Hitch by Mary Hollis Huddleston and Asher Fogle Paul was the type of novel that when finished I came away thinking it either needed more or less or perhaps a bit of both. First, while I appreciate that Lottie’s life is now all weddings it seemed to get a bit repetitive. Then as far as the romance it seemed lacking and I wondered why it was there at all really and not just be about the character’s own growth but since it was romance I’d have felt better to have more of it. Overall though this one just became an OK read from me when done.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
November 4, 2021
Lottie had her whole life planned out to the tiniest details, including her wedding day to her college boyfriend. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned and now seven years after their break up, Lottie is working as a junior wedding planner.
Through a chain of events, Lottie ends up being the one to plan her ex's wedding, while trying to find purpose in her own life and career.
The premise sounded interesting, but the execution wasn't my thing.
The pacing at the start of the book was so slow, that it almost put me to sleep. It gradually got better, but I still think we saw too many weddings.
The chaos was interesting to witness (especially the dancing ghost lady, I liked that scene a lot), but not much happened. It was basically meet with clients-plan a wedding-attend wedding and then rinse and repeat.
There was a little romance sprinkled in, and out of possible love interests I liked Matt the most. Griffin was a little dull, and they didn't really have chemistry. But at least he helped her get over Brody, (eventually).
We also had a mini antagonist which I wasn't expecting. That part was alright, even though it feels like that character did what they did just because they could, I'm not buying their deeper motives.
And about Brody, his own wedding plays a very small part in this story. It's kind of in the background until it isn't. I was convinced that it would be a much bigger deal, but Lottie was already on the way to recovery, she just needed an extra push and that was it.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Through a chain of events, Lottie ends up being the one to plan her ex's wedding, while trying to find purpose in her own life and career.
The premise sounded interesting, but the execution wasn't my thing.
The pacing at the start of the book was so slow, that it almost put me to sleep. It gradually got better, but I still think we saw too many weddings.
The chaos was interesting to witness (especially the dancing ghost lady, I liked that scene a lot), but not much happened. It was basically meet with clients-plan a wedding-attend wedding and then rinse and repeat.
There was a little romance sprinkled in, and out of possible love interests I liked Matt the most. Griffin was a little dull, and they didn't really have chemistry. But at least he helped her get over Brody, (eventually).
We also had a mini antagonist which I wasn't expecting. That part was alright, even though it feels like that character did what they did just because they could, I'm not buying their deeper motives.
And about Brody, his own wedding plays a very small part in this story. It's kind of in the background until it isn't. I was convinced that it would be a much bigger deal, but Lottie was already on the way to recovery, she just needed an extra push and that was it.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
July 16, 2022
i could not stand the beginning of this book. it was so slow and i have to DNF.
December 10, 2021
Without A Hitch is a cute romcom that is a quick and enjoyable read! Lotties wedding adventures were such a delight to read about. If something could go wrong, Lottie was there to witness it and fix it! I found Lottie to be a better sport than me in helping to plan her ex-boyfriend's wedding! Yeah...no...it would have been a hard pass for me!
If you loved the movie Sweet Home Alabama, you should pick up this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If you loved the movie Sweet Home Alabama, you should pick up this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 12, 2021
This was such a fun book! Lotties wedding planning adventures were a delight to read. I enjoyed seeing the characters grow, both personally and professionally. I wish There was more romance between Lottie abs her main love interest but it was still an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.
November 26, 2021
I just really hate doing this, but I could not get this book over with faster. They compared this to Emily in Paris and Sweet Home Alabama and I found no similarities to either of them. This was categorized as a romance, but all I really read was Lottie fantasizing about her ex, the guy she's "seeing" (who we barely see more than 2 or 3 short dates) and the guy she works with but is brutally honest about not wanting a relationship. This book was 90% Lottie working weddings and telling us about the weddings she was at. If you like reading about ridiculously expensive weddings you will enjoy this book.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
December 7, 2021
Wedding details were okay but romance was so low-key, very much meh read for me.
January 26, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
Alright. This appeared to be the perfect title for me....
*Southern
*Weddings
*Romance
Sadly, it was just meh. The writing style and premise was very good. It seemed to go well until...I just kinda lost interest.
Am I able to pinpoint why? No, not really. It went on for quite a while. It seemed to have an unnecessary love triangle. At the end of the day. I'm not sorry I read it.
I'm also thinking this will not be a title that I reach for when asked to recommend a Romance.
Alright. This appeared to be the perfect title for me....
*Southern
*Weddings
*Romance
Sadly, it was just meh. The writing style and premise was very good. It seemed to go well until...I just kinda lost interest.
Am I able to pinpoint why? No, not really. It went on for quite a while. It seemed to have an unnecessary love triangle. At the end of the day. I'm not sorry I read it.
I'm also thinking this will not be a title that I reach for when asked to recommend a Romance.
August 6, 2022
Lise Patton vibes!
Loved it 💙
Loved it 💙
May 25, 2023
This was a fun, light-hearted Southern romance featuring Lottie, a Wedding planner who ends up having to plan her ex's big splashy wedding. Full of heart and humor and lots of crazy over the top weddings. I enjoyed this on audio narrated by Brittany Pressley. Perfect for fans of The wedding planner, Sweet Home Alabama or Say yes to the dress.
Steam rating: low, nothing explicit, kissing only
Steam rating: low, nothing explicit, kissing only
February 3, 2024
Good god lol this book was so bad
August 24, 2021
This novel is full of repetitive frustration. The main character is the cliched college ambitious girl who has her goals and dreams set and then gets dumped. That dumping sets off a cataclysmic ending of said goals and dreams. From there on out her life is a garbage fire, except it really isn’t. She has a stable job and she’s good at it. The only thing that is really garbage fire is her thinking.
This book was extremely long and extremely repetitive. Too many weddings filled the pages of this novel with too much description that it caused the novel to drag on and on. Then. We had to read a repeat about what just happened at the wedding when the main character decides to talk to her friends and family about it.
The love “tryst” was even more of a dumpster fire. The main character is living in the past and can’t decide on a future. The love interests had very little connection.
This book was extremely long and extremely repetitive. Too many weddings filled the pages of this novel with too much description that it caused the novel to drag on and on. Then. We had to read a repeat about what just happened at the wedding when the main character decides to talk to her friends and family about it.
The love “tryst” was even more of a dumpster fire. The main character is living in the past and can’t decide on a future. The love interests had very little connection.
March 30, 2023
3 stars. I thought the concepts was super fun. Wedding planner and her adventures working weddings finds romance. I was rooting for the FMC. Unfortunately I didn’t care for her final choice (as this had an element of who will she choose I won’t spoil it). The eventual MMC ran hot but mostly cold and then in the final 1/4 of the book suddenly was all in. I’m a romantic but I didn’t buy it. If the story had taken a romance building slow burn approach I think I would’ve maybe been more rewarding as a reader who has invested in the FMC journey. But I just don’t do hot and cold love interests well. 😬 My romantic heart wanted to but I just could not. I almost would’ve preferred her empowered and accepting where she was in life and ending up alone to the end that was written.
Also the final last act twist/work related drama was unnecessary and came at the cost IMO of more time with the FMC and her chosen MMC coming together in a cohesive and believable way. I adore the concept and the first 3/4 of this book was really engrossing building into what could’ve been great, but the last 1/4 let me down. I’m bummed because overall it was such a fun concept, but too much was packed into that final act.
Also the final last act twist/work related drama was unnecessary and came at the cost IMO of more time with the FMC and her chosen MMC coming together in a cohesive and believable way. I adore the concept and the first 3/4 of this book was really engrossing building into what could’ve been great, but the last 1/4 let me down. I’m bummed because overall it was such a fun concept, but too much was packed into that final act.
March 24, 2022
Thank you to @harpermusebooks for the #giftedcopy of this book. It was so fun and just what I needed after reading a string of heavy Historical Fiction books! This is a delicious peek inside a wedding planner's journey into learning to chase her own dreams amidst planning to make everyone else's dreams come true. Such a sweet and funny love story!
April 9, 2024
2.75 stars. I wanted to enjoy this book, but it really fell flat for me. The premise was really fun (a wedding planner whose life got flipped on its head after college graduation now having to plan her ex’s wedding), but I felt like much of what was included in the story was unnecessary. It could’ve been 200 pages with better pacing in my opinion.
April 19, 2022
this book was decent!!! it reads pretty much exactly how it looks. straying from my usual genres for sure! the plot was a little slow and very detail-oriented (and very millennial) but i did enjoy it overall. 2 stars for not loving the characters/plot, but a pretty typical rom-com style read
August 13, 2024
A fun read, perfect to read as I wait for our wedding date! Loved all the characters’ personalities and the over the top weddings!
April 25, 2024
Sehr ehrlicher, gefühlvoller und humorvoller Roman. Es passieren immer wieder Kleinigkeiten, die man nicht hat kommen sehen. Wenn es Lottie wirklich geben würde, wären wir Close Friends oder sogar dieselbe Person…
Hat mich nochmal darin bestärkt in die Wedding Industrie zu gehen :))
Hat mich nochmal darin bestärkt in die Wedding Industrie zu gehen :))
November 25, 2021
Floundering wedding planner Lottie is a tad lost in life. While working for The Firm, she helps plan weddings with unlimited budgets, but her personal life is a bit of a mess. When she's tasked with planning her college boyfriend's super secret wedding, it's just her luck that two other potential love interests will be there to possibly ruin her chances of promotion.
What I liked:
I loved the angle of Lottie's involvement in the wedding business, especially after her "failed" first wedding. Her group of college friends were super fun, even though we mainly see one of them more than others in the present day. The subplot of small things going off kilter and figuring out who might be sabotaging Lottie was also super fun.
What I disliked:
Although the descriptions of the over the top weddings were fun (helicopter jumping groom and swan boat tied to the getaway boat), as the book went on, they felt a tad monotonous. I was more heavily invested with her planning the wedding for her ex, so I was hoping to have more of that in the book. I also liked that Lottie had romantic options, but she flip-flopped way too much, almost giving me whiplash of who she truly liked. It felt like a lot of work and in the end, not a ton of payoff.
What I liked:
I loved the angle of Lottie's involvement in the wedding business, especially after her "failed" first wedding. Her group of college friends were super fun, even though we mainly see one of them more than others in the present day. The subplot of small things going off kilter and figuring out who might be sabotaging Lottie was also super fun.
What I disliked:
Although the descriptions of the over the top weddings were fun (helicopter jumping groom and swan boat tied to the getaway boat), as the book went on, they felt a tad monotonous. I was more heavily invested with her planning the wedding for her ex, so I was hoping to have more of that in the book. I also liked that Lottie had romantic options, but she flip-flopped way too much, almost giving me whiplash of who she truly liked. It felt like a lot of work and in the end, not a ton of payoff.
December 2, 2021
If someone knows me casually, they probably know one thing about me: I Love Weddings. It is one of my defining characteristics. I want to be a wedding planner someday and I research weddings and make wedding mood boards for friends in my free time.
That being said, if I, someone who is single and has read wedding magazines for the past ten years just to learn the trends, say there are too many weddings in this book, there are too many weddings.
I was really excited for this book so I wish I had more nice things to say, but I really don't'.
This book follows Lottie, an event planner for an extravagant Dallas-based event company. After planning her wedding to his college boyfriend without him knowing-only to have him later break up with her- Lottie's life hasn't turned out the way she has planned.
And...that's it? This book is billed as a romance but it doesn't quite fit the bill. I was unclear about who the real romantic interest was for most of the book and once I figured it out, it took until about the last chapter for him to show any real interest in Lottie, and even that seemed halfhearted.
This book just follows Lottie as she plans wedding after wedding after wedding. Each one mostly the same, each one with a problem Lottie even causes or is involved in and then has to fix.
The characters are bland, as is the repeated storyline. I honestly didn't care about Lottie. She was kind of a pick-me heroine and, I have to be honest, it was hard reading about her complaining about not doing anything with her life when she literally has my dream job.
I stumbled through this book and it was a struggle. The writing also kind of confused me as I never felt like I was in the action, but like Lottie was half-heartedly summarizing each event for me. Maybe you'll this book more than I did, I hope you do, but to me, it was a big miss. And also for sure not a romance book,
That being said, if I, someone who is single and has read wedding magazines for the past ten years just to learn the trends, say there are too many weddings in this book, there are too many weddings.
I was really excited for this book so I wish I had more nice things to say, but I really don't'.
This book follows Lottie, an event planner for an extravagant Dallas-based event company. After planning her wedding to his college boyfriend without him knowing-only to have him later break up with her- Lottie's life hasn't turned out the way she has planned.
And...that's it? This book is billed as a romance but it doesn't quite fit the bill. I was unclear about who the real romantic interest was for most of the book and once I figured it out, it took until about the last chapter for him to show any real interest in Lottie, and even that seemed halfhearted.
This book just follows Lottie as she plans wedding after wedding after wedding. Each one mostly the same, each one with a problem Lottie even causes or is involved in and then has to fix.
The characters are bland, as is the repeated storyline. I honestly didn't care about Lottie. She was kind of a pick-me heroine and, I have to be honest, it was hard reading about her complaining about not doing anything with her life when she literally has my dream job.
I stumbled through this book and it was a struggle. The writing also kind of confused me as I never felt like I was in the action, but like Lottie was half-heartedly summarizing each event for me. Maybe you'll this book more than I did, I hope you do, but to me, it was a big miss. And also for sure not a romance book,
November 16, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Lottie thought her future was clear. She would marry her college sweetheart and become a WAG, but she never saw him breaking it off. This college finale set Lottie adrift, and when I caught up with her, she was still down on love and trying to figure things out. She had put those wedding planning skills to good use by earning a position with The Firm - the preeminent event planners in the Dallas area.
Given that Lottie was an event planner, there were a multitude of lavish and over-the-top shindigs included in her story. I did find these events intriguing and amusing, but I was more interested in Lottie's story. She had a lot of baggage from her past that was holding her back, and I wanted to see her moving forward.
Because of this, I definitely enjoyed the latter part of the book more. There was a bigger focus on Lottie's journey, and she started to come to some conclusions about where she's been and where she's going. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and I think I would have liked a bit more there, but it was enough to give me hope for Lottie.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Lottie thought her future was clear. She would marry her college sweetheart and become a WAG, but she never saw him breaking it off. This college finale set Lottie adrift, and when I caught up with her, she was still down on love and trying to figure things out. She had put those wedding planning skills to good use by earning a position with The Firm - the preeminent event planners in the Dallas area.
Given that Lottie was an event planner, there were a multitude of lavish and over-the-top shindigs included in her story. I did find these events intriguing and amusing, but I was more interested in Lottie's story. She had a lot of baggage from her past that was holding her back, and I wanted to see her moving forward.
Because of this, I definitely enjoyed the latter part of the book more. There was a bigger focus on Lottie's journey, and she started to come to some conclusions about where she's been and where she's going. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, and I think I would have liked a bit more there, but it was enough to give me hope for Lottie.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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August 18, 2022
I have been struggling on what to write for this review, because I have mixes emotions.
The book feels like a cheap attempt to mimic Janice Thompson's "Weddings by Bella" series, minus the funny parts. Because, let's face it, it just wasn't as funny as I am sure the authors intended. I really expected more humor from the chicken wedding, but it took an unexpected turn that sort of list it for me.
I found myself skimming over the excessive details of each wedding. I was intrigued with the storyline at first, but I found the ending to be quite unsatisfying.
The emotional unavailability of the characters was off-putting to me. And the constant "poor me because my college boyfriend dumped me" grated on the nerves.
There were also a few inconsistencies that grated on my nerves as well. Why does a guy have to smell different every time she smells him? It just doesn't feel right.
All in all, it was just an okay book for me. I am not feeling the urge to read another one any time soon.
For my clean readers: language-I only remember 1 time a word was used, drinking-as if getting drunk is the norm all the time, discussions brought up about sex life-why would you discuss anything with your boss? Oh yeah, they were drunk. Even though nothing happened, there is still a whole, guy climbing into the hotel room and passing out debacle. Why didn't she just say good night and shut the door? Have a backbone. Emotionally, this woman needs help.
The book feels like a cheap attempt to mimic Janice Thompson's "Weddings by Bella" series, minus the funny parts. Because, let's face it, it just wasn't as funny as I am sure the authors intended. I really expected more humor from the chicken wedding, but it took an unexpected turn that sort of list it for me.
I found myself skimming over the excessive details of each wedding. I was intrigued with the storyline at first, but I found the ending to be quite unsatisfying.
The emotional unavailability of the characters was off-putting to me. And the constant "poor me because my college boyfriend dumped me" grated on the nerves.
There were also a few inconsistencies that grated on my nerves as well. Why does a guy have to smell different every time she smells him? It just doesn't feel right.
All in all, it was just an okay book for me. I am not feeling the urge to read another one any time soon.
For my clean readers: language-I only remember 1 time a word was used, drinking-as if getting drunk is the norm all the time, discussions brought up about sex life-why would you discuss anything with your boss? Oh yeah, they were drunk. Even though nothing happened, there is still a whole, guy climbing into the hotel room and passing out debacle. Why didn't she just say good night and shut the door? Have a backbone. Emotionally, this woman needs help.
June 11, 2022
This was not the light hearted romance I thought it would be. First, there would have to be romance, which this sorely lacked and the brief stints we get weren’t worth it.
I know this is a book about a wedding planner and the high end weddings of the South, but good Lord, there’s too many in this book. If you would like to read all about crazy things that could happen in weddings then read this book because you will have loads of examples to chose from.
The first discussion question at the end of the book was what was your first impression of Lottie: my impression is she needs therapy and my last impression of her was I hope nothing nice ever happens for you. Harsh I know, but seriously that girl needs help from all of her hang ups on Brody and wedding everything like it’s not healthy. The only good thing about Lottie is that near the end she attempted to not revolve her whole life around a man *ahem* Brody *cough*.
I wanted the relationship between her and Griffin to be expanded because they’re supposed to be in love with each other, but it never felt like it. I wanted the hopeless romantic side of me to swoon, not feel like it’s being buried alive with no string circling my wrist attached to a bell with a man with a shovel coming to dig me out.
The only character I liked was Griffin the rest of the characters felt too flat and like caricatures, not characters.
⭐️2.25
💧2
I know this is a book about a wedding planner and the high end weddings of the South, but good Lord, there’s too many in this book. If you would like to read all about crazy things that could happen in weddings then read this book because you will have loads of examples to chose from.
The first discussion question at the end of the book was what was your first impression of Lottie: my impression is she needs therapy and my last impression of her was I hope nothing nice ever happens for you. Harsh I know, but seriously that girl needs help from all of her hang ups on Brody and wedding everything like it’s not healthy. The only good thing about Lottie is that near the end she attempted to not revolve her whole life around a man *ahem* Brody *cough*.
I wanted the relationship between her and Griffin to be expanded because they’re supposed to be in love with each other, but it never felt like it. I wanted the hopeless romantic side of me to swoon, not feel like it’s being buried alive with no string circling my wrist attached to a bell with a man with a shovel coming to dig me out.
The only character I liked was Griffin the rest of the characters felt too flat and like caricatures, not characters.
⭐️2.25
💧2
December 27, 2021
I usually can't help but enjoy books featuring an over the top Texas persona and this romcom featuring a female wedding coordinator to the rich and famous sounded like it was going to be my cup of tea! After her college boyfriend breaks up with her, Lottie's perfect future she had planned for herself implodes. Her parents had high hopes she'd become a lawyer, so when Lottie finds her footing as an event planner for a big Dallas firm it comes as a quite the surprise. The book follows Lottie along a journey of personal growth as she begins to grow more confident in her abilities as an event planner, confronts her past relationship, and entertains multiple love interests.
Ultimately, I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I loved Lottie's adventures in wedding planning because as everyone knows....everything is bigger in Texas and that was certainly the case with the events featured. However, when it came to Lottie's personal growth journey and the love interest angle....it began to feel a bit all over the place. The romance was bland, no steam, and I was not invested in the outcome of her love life. There were bits that became repetitive and it fell short of my expectations that stemmed from the comparison to Sweet Home Alabama.
Ultimately, I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I loved Lottie's adventures in wedding planning because as everyone knows....everything is bigger in Texas and that was certainly the case with the events featured. However, when it came to Lottie's personal growth journey and the love interest angle....it began to feel a bit all over the place. The romance was bland, no steam, and I was not invested in the outcome of her love life. There were bits that became repetitive and it fell short of my expectations that stemmed from the comparison to Sweet Home Alabama.
December 11, 2021
✨Sweet Home Alabama meets Emily in Paris in this hilarious romp through the world of extravagant southern weddings.
This was a fun look behind the scenes of wedding planning. I planned my own wedding and it was so much fun but jeez it was a lot of work. I would have loved to have million dollar budget also would rather spend it on the honeymoon, lol
Lottie Jones is an promising talent at a prestigious wedding planning company for the rich and famous. We get to follow her behind the scenes as she plans and helps put together some ridiculous and extravagant weddings.
She is also navigating the dating scene with one guy that is really interested in her and one guy that flirts but is complicated. Then she has to plan her college ex boyfriends wedding who is now a NFL player. This forces her to reflect on all her life choices since college.
This story was definitely self discovery for Lottie but such a fun journey through so many weddings.
Thank you harpermusebooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
This was a fun look behind the scenes of wedding planning. I planned my own wedding and it was so much fun but jeez it was a lot of work. I would have loved to have million dollar budget also would rather spend it on the honeymoon, lol
Lottie Jones is an promising talent at a prestigious wedding planning company for the rich and famous. We get to follow her behind the scenes as she plans and helps put together some ridiculous and extravagant weddings.
She is also navigating the dating scene with one guy that is really interested in her and one guy that flirts but is complicated. Then she has to plan her college ex boyfriends wedding who is now a NFL player. This forces her to reflect on all her life choices since college.
This story was definitely self discovery for Lottie but such a fun journey through so many weddings.
Thank you harpermusebooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
April 24, 2022
This book was such a sweet escape! It’s a journey of Lottie discovering herself as a 20-something, an identity not tied to her parents expectations, her expectations of herself or any one else (especially any boyfriend). It’s a story that many of us experience in the post-college era. I felt very connected to Lottie and could relate to many of her experiences - from career changes to college heartbreak that you thought would be “it,” and figuring it out much later in your adult life than you expected for yourself. I loved the hilarious wedding stories and was cheering for Lottie the entire way. I’d love to see a second book with her big promotion & new boyfriend at the center, and watch a Lottie figure out how to maintain this sense of identity amidst even more life changes.
November 25, 2021
This was such a light fun read. I think Lottie, our main character, is a hot mess from beginning to nearly the finish, however, that's kind of the entire point.
Life is a series of choices, paths, adventures if you will. Sometimes people cruise right along and others they are stuck at a fork or worse they've just stopped.
Nothing in life will ever be perfect but the point is to continuously discover and rediscover who we are. To keep up with ourselves and how we grow with each of those decisions we made. . . it's a journey.
Lottie had her life planned, she thought she knew what she wanted, and when that plan was derailed, she spun out. We get to be with her as she rediscovers who she is.
Sometimes in life we think we want something and then a shift in perspective shows we had what we wanted all along. The grass is always greener and all that ... or is it?
Thank you to Harper Muse, Mary Hollis Huddleston, Asher Fogle Paul and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.
Life is a series of choices, paths, adventures if you will. Sometimes people cruise right along and others they are stuck at a fork or worse they've just stopped.
Nothing in life will ever be perfect but the point is to continuously discover and rediscover who we are. To keep up with ourselves and how we grow with each of those decisions we made. . . it's a journey.
Lottie had her life planned, she thought she knew what she wanted, and when that plan was derailed, she spun out. We get to be with her as she rediscovers who she is.
Sometimes in life we think we want something and then a shift in perspective shows we had what we wanted all along. The grass is always greener and all that ... or is it?
Thank you to Harper Muse, Mary Hollis Huddleston, Asher Fogle Paul and NetGalley for the advanced review copy.
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