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The Wedding Season
When a recently jilted bride is forced to attend seven weddings in one summer, her friends devise a series of challenges as distraction.
Smart and ambitious, Freya Scott prides herself on always having it she has a top job as a Brand Manager for Suttworth, a multi-national drinks company, and she’s engaged to her long-term boyfriend, Matthew. Their wedding is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and she’s intent on making it the fete that everyone is talking about all summer long.
But when Matthew calls it off the day before their walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, she is determined to appear in control and fine. Surely, Matthew will soon realize that he’s made a huge mistake, and their wedding will simply be “postponed” instead of canceled.
In the meantime, Freya still has a summer of other people's nuptials ahead of her––which she must now attend solo. To help her survive the wedding season, her best friends concoct a series of challenging, outrageous tasks that she must complete at each event, designed to distract her from Matthew and what might have been.
From getting stuck in an old church bathroom and needing to be rescued by the vicar to making out with a barman at a French chateau, Freya realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun. And by the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that “I do” is only the beginning––and that perhaps her own love story isn’t over just yet.
Smart and ambitious, Freya Scott prides herself on always having it she has a top job as a Brand Manager for Suttworth, a multi-national drinks company, and she’s engaged to her long-term boyfriend, Matthew. Their wedding is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and she’s intent on making it the fete that everyone is talking about all summer long.
But when Matthew calls it off the day before their walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, she is determined to appear in control and fine. Surely, Matthew will soon realize that he’s made a huge mistake, and their wedding will simply be “postponed” instead of canceled.
In the meantime, Freya still has a summer of other people's nuptials ahead of her––which she must now attend solo. To help her survive the wedding season, her best friends concoct a series of challenging, outrageous tasks that she must complete at each event, designed to distract her from Matthew and what might have been.
From getting stuck in an old church bathroom and needing to be rescued by the vicar to making out with a barman at a French chateau, Freya realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun. And by the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that “I do” is only the beginning––and that perhaps her own love story isn’t over just yet.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2022
209 people are currently reading
22006 people want to read
About the author
Katy Birchall
51 books717 followersKaty is the author of several young adult novels including The It Girl series, the Hotel Royale series and Morgan Charmley: Teen Witch. She is the co-author of the middle grade Lightning Girl series and Star Switch with Alesha Dixon, and the Find the Girl teen series with YouTube stars Lucy and Lydia Connell. Katy was proud to be the author of a retelling of Jane Austen's Emma for the Awesomely Austen series, a collection of Austen's novels retold for younger readers. She has also written a non-fiction book, How to be a Princess: Real-Life Fairy Tales for Modern Heroines.
Katy lives in London with her partner, Ben, and her rescue dog, Bono.
The Secret Bridesmaid is her adult fiction debut.
Katy lives in London with her partner, Ben, and her rescue dog, Bono.
The Secret Bridesmaid is her adult fiction debut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,552 reviews
June 7, 2022
The Wedding Season is now available!! 3.5 stars rounded to 4! The Wedding Season is a cute, light, feel good story. This story follows Freya through a busy wedding season full of challenges from her friends to help pull her out of her breakup slump after she got dumped the day before her wedding. The storyline is fun, and the characters are dynamic and charismatic! I love Freya’s friends, Ruby and Leo, and their fierce loyalty to her. I was very drawn to this book by the cover, it’s very pretty and eye-catching! Overall, it’s a good read if you are looking for a heart-warming lighter read.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 25, 2022
3.75*
Freya’s life took a head-whipping turn, from the happiest moments completing her last-minute preparations for her wedding, to shock and devastation when her fiancé Matthew calls off the wedding the day before the nuptials.
How will Freya recover? Will she recover? Will her heart ever mend enough for her to leave the house without breaking down?
It’s wedding season, and all… and I mean ALL of her friends have weddings planned this year. Freya is obligated to attend each one. But how?
Her besties come up with a creative plan to distract her during each wedding. She must perform an outrageous task during each wedding…each building in complexity. (And embarrassment) All to bring Freya out of her cocoon and find that life can be joyful once more. (Just what good friends are for!)
What I really enjoyed about this read: The heart-warming friendships Freya had, and how everyone rallied around her to help her heal. Her father and brother were amazing as well. And yes, I grew to love her mom too.
What I didn’t enjoy: For the first third of the book it was the overwhelming sadness and heartache Freya endured. Just difficult to read. ( Maybe ‘cause I’m such a softie 💞).
Overall, the spirit of the weddings and the healing of hearts through the strength and love of family and friends won me over.
This was a buddy read with Susanne that gave us lots to talk about. Love, loss, and of course friendship!
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press
Freya’s life took a head-whipping turn, from the happiest moments completing her last-minute preparations for her wedding, to shock and devastation when her fiancé Matthew calls off the wedding the day before the nuptials.
How will Freya recover? Will she recover? Will her heart ever mend enough for her to leave the house without breaking down?
It’s wedding season, and all… and I mean ALL of her friends have weddings planned this year. Freya is obligated to attend each one. But how?
Her besties come up with a creative plan to distract her during each wedding. She must perform an outrageous task during each wedding…each building in complexity. (And embarrassment) All to bring Freya out of her cocoon and find that life can be joyful once more. (Just what good friends are for!)
What I really enjoyed about this read: The heart-warming friendships Freya had, and how everyone rallied around her to help her heal. Her father and brother were amazing as well. And yes, I grew to love her mom too.
What I didn’t enjoy: For the first third of the book it was the overwhelming sadness and heartache Freya endured. Just difficult to read. ( Maybe ‘cause I’m such a softie 💞).
Overall, the spirit of the weddings and the healing of hearts through the strength and love of family and friends won me over.
This was a buddy read with Susanne that gave us lots to talk about. Love, loss, and of course friendship!
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press
September 12, 2022
“Do you think years you spend loving somebody is wasted even when it doesn’t work out ?”
This was a really funny and emotional journey to be on. Thank goodness for a story like Freya’s that is committed to focusing more on her growth and how she tackles things in this period of her life. The humor was amazing! I can't emphasize enough how I need to laugh out loud at least once when I read a book, so thank you Birchall for that! Birchall also did a great job with allowing Freya's emotions to be really clear to us readers and showing us what a really good support system looks like. The romance in this was put in the background, which was really important for the message this book was trying to send.
This was a really funny and emotional journey to be on. Thank goodness for a story like Freya’s that is committed to focusing more on her growth and how she tackles things in this period of her life. The humor was amazing! I can't emphasize enough how I need to laugh out loud at least once when I read a book, so thank you Birchall for that! Birchall also did a great job with allowing Freya's emotions to be really clear to us readers and showing us what a really good support system looks like. The romance in this was put in the background, which was really important for the message this book was trying to send.
August 20, 2022
The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall is a 2022 St. Martin’s Griffin publication.
It’s wedding season! First up on the busy schedule is Freya Scott’s wedding to Matthew- her long-time boyfriend….
But only one day before the nuptials, Matthew announces he can’t go through with the wedding. Now Freya must somehow come to terms with the whiplash of emotions, while also attending seven more weddings before the season is over.
To help her cope with the stress, her best friends draw up a list of challenges for her to do at each wedding.
Despite Matthew’s suggestion that Freya is a bit dull, she finds herself slowly coming out of her broken-hearted funk and having a good time- thank you very much!
I have recently discovered that I have added a handful of books that all have ‘Wedding’ in the title! So, this is the first book in my own ‘wedding season’ of sorts. Thankfully, we are off to a marvelous start!
Katy Birchall totally nails that ‘break-up’ atmosphere- all the emotions and stages of finding one’s footing again after getting dumped.
The story starts off on a very painful note, and I couldn't help but feel bad for our Freya.
But as the story progresses the mood lightens up tremendously and the laugh out loud moments come at regular intervals as Freya develops more confidence, takes more risks, and ‘puts one foot in front of the other’.
Overall, this is a realistic, but funny and charming and inspirational contemporary romance. A very nice surprise for me, as the book has both depth and humor, and was an all around entertaining read!
I see I have one or two of Katy's books on my list – so I’ll be sure to get those read sooner, rather than later!
4+ stars
It’s wedding season! First up on the busy schedule is Freya Scott’s wedding to Matthew- her long-time boyfriend….
But only one day before the nuptials, Matthew announces he can’t go through with the wedding. Now Freya must somehow come to terms with the whiplash of emotions, while also attending seven more weddings before the season is over.
To help her cope with the stress, her best friends draw up a list of challenges for her to do at each wedding.
Despite Matthew’s suggestion that Freya is a bit dull, she finds herself slowly coming out of her broken-hearted funk and having a good time- thank you very much!
I have recently discovered that I have added a handful of books that all have ‘Wedding’ in the title! So, this is the first book in my own ‘wedding season’ of sorts. Thankfully, we are off to a marvelous start!
Katy Birchall totally nails that ‘break-up’ atmosphere- all the emotions and stages of finding one’s footing again after getting dumped.
The story starts off on a very painful note, and I couldn't help but feel bad for our Freya.
But as the story progresses the mood lightens up tremendously and the laugh out loud moments come at regular intervals as Freya develops more confidence, takes more risks, and ‘puts one foot in front of the other’.
Overall, this is a realistic, but funny and charming and inspirational contemporary romance. A very nice surprise for me, as the book has both depth and humor, and was an all around entertaining read!
I see I have one or two of Katy's books on my list – so I’ll be sure to get those read sooner, rather than later!
4+ stars
May 2, 2022
The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall
Contemporary chick lit. Lite romance.
Freya’s fiancé calls off their wedding the day before they were to be married. Freya’s friends rally around her and help plan a way for her to focus on a challenge rather than her broken engagement. She has several other weddings she will have to attend over the upcoming season.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Daphne Kouma. She performs the narration with and English / British accent. It was well done and amusing for its emotional tangents.
I usually listen to audiobooks at 1.4 but I had to slow this down a bit to 1.2 for the accent since I’m from the States. The narration is done with a light touch from the female perspective in her mid 20’s approximately.
Most of this book dealt with Freya’s emotional journey between the breakup and her friends and family support getting over the trauma. She meets new people and is forced (kindly) to think about more than just herself. Only a small portion at the end is about a new romance but that fills Freya and the reader with hope and joy. So while it’s heartbreaking to start with, the ending is sweet and cheerful.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.
Contemporary chick lit. Lite romance.
Freya’s fiancé calls off their wedding the day before they were to be married. Freya’s friends rally around her and help plan a way for her to focus on a challenge rather than her broken engagement. She has several other weddings she will have to attend over the upcoming season.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Daphne Kouma. She performs the narration with and English / British accent. It was well done and amusing for its emotional tangents.
I usually listen to audiobooks at 1.4 but I had to slow this down a bit to 1.2 for the accent since I’m from the States. The narration is done with a light touch from the female perspective in her mid 20’s approximately.
Most of this book dealt with Freya’s emotional journey between the breakup and her friends and family support getting over the trauma. She meets new people and is forced (kindly) to think about more than just herself. Only a small portion at the end is about a new romance but that fills Freya and the reader with hope and joy. So while it’s heartbreaking to start with, the ending is sweet and cheerful.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.
May 18, 2022
I am so bad at keeping my goodreadsreading shelves lately.
We finished this book days ago, and we liked it.
I hope to write my review one of these days...
Buddy reading this with Amanda and I
We finished this book days ago, and we liked it.
I hope to write my review one of these days...
Buddy reading this with Amanda and I
May 16, 2022
Freya Scott got dumped hardcore the day before her wedding. She is left devastated, heartbroken, and humiliated. But she is determined to never let them see her sweat! She is going to power through the wedding season. She is going to put on a happy face and follow her friend's outrageous challenges to survive the weddings she will be attending.
This was a charming and engaging book. I enjoyed Freya's journey from heartbreak to discovering her worth and finding her voice. The cast of characters were fun and entertaining. I enjoyed as Freya healed and found inner strength.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
This was a charming and engaging book. I enjoyed Freya's journey from heartbreak to discovering her worth and finding her voice. The cast of characters were fun and entertaining. I enjoyed as Freya healed and found inner strength.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
April 26, 2022
Freya is dumped by her husband-to-be, Matthew, the day before their wedding. To add insult to injury, she has seven weddings to attend in the next few months. How to make it through? Her good friends, Ruby and Leo, help her make a list of challenges -- one per event. Thinking about the task at hand will help get her through each event while encouraging growth and healing. Even though Freya is struggling, there is also lots of joy and laughter in this novel. Her text exchanges with Ruby and Leo, for example, are downright hilarious. With the help of her friends, especially a new one, there might just be a HEA for Freya. Would make a fun read for anyone road tripping to a wedding this summer.
Thank you to St. Martins and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to St. Martins and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2022
The Wedding Season is Exactly What this Girl Needed!
Charming, Fearless, Funny, Romantic, Sad, Serious & Sweet!
The day Matthew calls off the wedding, Freya’s once-perfect life is destroyed. Everything she thought she knew about love and herself, is shattered into pieces. To make matters even worse, hers was the first wedding of the season and she has seven more to go and somehow, she has to get through all of them!
Her best friends, however, come up with a plan. They come up with a series of challenges for Freya to complete at each and every wedding to distract her and against all odds, it works. The only thing left is for Freya to dig down deep and confront her true feelings and work on herself, which as we all know is the hardest part.
I adored all of the characters here and rooted for Freya throughout. I don’t want to spoil anything but I will say that this book has a bit of everything in it. Fabulous witty banter, romance, best friends, and a heart-wrenching storyline. It will make you laugh and smile and yes, may perhaps make you shed a tear or two.
This was another buddy read with my bestie Kaceey which gave us a lot to discuss, especially compared to most contemporary fiction novels that we read - perhaps because this one dug a little deeper.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for the arc.
Published on our blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend... as well as on Goodreads and Twitter.
Charming, Fearless, Funny, Romantic, Sad, Serious & Sweet!
The day Matthew calls off the wedding, Freya’s once-perfect life is destroyed. Everything she thought she knew about love and herself, is shattered into pieces. To make matters even worse, hers was the first wedding of the season and she has seven more to go and somehow, she has to get through all of them!
Her best friends, however, come up with a plan. They come up with a series of challenges for Freya to complete at each and every wedding to distract her and against all odds, it works. The only thing left is for Freya to dig down deep and confront her true feelings and work on herself, which as we all know is the hardest part.
I adored all of the characters here and rooted for Freya throughout. I don’t want to spoil anything but I will say that this book has a bit of everything in it. Fabulous witty banter, romance, best friends, and a heart-wrenching storyline. It will make you laugh and smile and yes, may perhaps make you shed a tear or two.
This was another buddy read with my bestie Kaceey which gave us a lot to discuss, especially compared to most contemporary fiction novels that we read - perhaps because this one dug a little deeper.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for the arc.
Published on our blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend... as well as on Goodreads and Twitter.
April 2, 2022
this was fun but maybe not for me, i went in assuming this would be a romcom and i don’t think i really got that but it was a great story and concept
May 16, 2022
Freya's organized and efficient. She plans for everything, but never planned on her fiancé dumping her the day before their wedding 😖. Thank goodness she has a strong support system. What follows is a story about love, family, and new beginnings.
I had high hopes for this one, based on how much I liked The Secret Bridesmaid. Fortunately, it did not disappoint! This is an entertaining story full of funny, witty, and relatable characters.
I had high hopes for this one, based on how much I liked The Secret Bridesmaid. Fortunately, it did not disappoint! This is an entertaining story full of funny, witty, and relatable characters.
June 25, 2023
The Wedding Season is a chick lit that can induce silly laughing. I was not expecting much from Miss Birchall. I thought the book is a silly one dimensional chick lit. I was so wrong.
Freya'adveture for her self discovery is funny. Plus other characters also played important roles in the plot. The story of letting go the past and embrace the inner goddess are the highlight of this book.
4 stars
Freya'adveture for her self discovery is funny. Plus other characters also played important roles in the plot. The story of letting go the past and embrace the inner goddess are the highlight of this book.
4 stars
November 17, 2023
So I knew this was going to be chick-lit and mainly have to do with Freya's growth arc as its plot. Making her character vitally important to engaging with the story. So it's good that she was so engaging.
And now I'm stretching for what to say more. I loved her friends and that, while they pushed a bit, Freya was more than willing to dive in, too. It was a great friend group, supportive in all the right ways. And funny, with good banter along the way.
As expected for the genre, the romance is more of a side plot and it isn't a terribly strong one when all is said. I liked him well-enough. And they are way better suited than Freya and the drip she was engaged to. But there isn't any real conflict there and that leaves the question of how they'd fare more than a little open.
Two things detracted from the story. The first is premise-based and I try to give a book its premise. It doesn't say anything good that she has been with the gormless wonder for twelve years. Nor that he's the one who broke it off when it's clear their relationship was unfulfilling in retrospect. In other words, she was coasting in the relationship, rather blithely, unaware at how badly they were matched. And yes, this is her starting point, but still, that's a bit of a big ask for someone thirty-two.
The second is related and it's her internal monologue about the gormless wonder. For way too long Freya is thinking that she'd probably take him back and that it's all a mistake. There's a lot of grief processing and I had a hard time taking it seriously because he was obviously unworthy of her in pretty much every way. He's weak, and can be quite cruel in his selfishness. And while not actively malignant or outright villainous, he's given her enough pain that I had little patience with her holding to that relationship.
And I should note that's a reader, not a people thing. Like, if I were her friend, I'd be way more sympathetic and caring and willing to support her totally. But as a reader of a chick-lit story I got tired of the grief processing and wanted to get on to the good stuff and put that dork behind her.
Anyway, this is a solid four stars and an engaging read despite my issues. I'm slowly becoming a fan of the author and wish her other book weren't so outrageously priced or I'd move on to that one immediately.
A note about Chaste: There no explicit sex scenes and only a bit of kissing on-page. Freya completes a streaking challenge and there's some minor, non-detailed, um, events involved. But nothing I consider steamy. So I found this very chaste.
And now I'm stretching for what to say more. I loved her friends and that, while they pushed a bit, Freya was more than willing to dive in, too. It was a great friend group, supportive in all the right ways. And funny, with good banter along the way.
As expected for the genre, the romance is more of a side plot and it isn't a terribly strong one when all is said. I liked him well-enough. And they are way better suited than Freya and the drip she was engaged to. But there isn't any real conflict there and that leaves the question of how they'd fare more than a little open.
Two things detracted from the story. The first is premise-based and I try to give a book its premise. It doesn't say anything good that she has been with the gormless wonder for twelve years. Nor that he's the one who broke it off when it's clear their relationship was unfulfilling in retrospect. In other words, she was coasting in the relationship, rather blithely, unaware at how badly they were matched. And yes, this is her starting point, but still, that's a bit of a big ask for someone thirty-two.
The second is related and it's her internal monologue about the gormless wonder. For way too long Freya is thinking that she'd probably take him back and that it's all a mistake. There's a lot of grief processing and I had a hard time taking it seriously because he was obviously unworthy of her in pretty much every way. He's weak, and can be quite cruel in his selfishness. And while not actively malignant or outright villainous, he's given her enough pain that I had little patience with her holding to that relationship.
And I should note that's a reader, not a people thing. Like, if I were her friend, I'd be way more sympathetic and caring and willing to support her totally. But as a reader of a chick-lit story I got tired of the grief processing and wanted to get on to the good stuff and put that dork behind her.
Anyway, this is a solid four stars and an engaging read despite my issues. I'm slowly becoming a fan of the author and wish her other book weren't so outrageously priced or I'd move on to that one immediately.
A note about Chaste: There no explicit sex scenes and only a bit of kissing on-page. Freya completes a streaking challenge and there's some minor, non-detailed, um, events involved. But nothing I consider steamy. So I found this very chaste.
June 7, 2022
When Matthew leaves Freya the day before their wedding, she is devastated but tries to hide it all behind a calm front. Not only has she been left at the altar, but she has seven weddings to go to amongst her group of friends that summer. Her fabulous friends see right through her calm demeanor and, after determining that she still wants to go to all these weddings, give her a set of tasks to complete during each event.. By the end of the "wedding season," she has learned a lot about herself and her relationships.
I feel bad being so entertained by a "left at the altar" situation, but this was uproariously funny at times. There were also moments of heartbreak, anger and loss.
The relationship between Freya and her mother is so heartwrenching, as this is not the first time she's been abandoned. Freya's journey through her two abandonments, both past and present, is compelling. Her supporting cast of friends are the type of people I'd like to have in my life when others let me down. It's a rollicking recovery journey that you will not want to miss.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
I feel bad being so entertained by a "left at the altar" situation, but this was uproariously funny at times. There were also moments of heartbreak, anger and loss.
The relationship between Freya and her mother is so heartwrenching, as this is not the first time she's been abandoned. Freya's journey through her two abandonments, both past and present, is compelling. Her supporting cast of friends are the type of people I'd like to have in my life when others let me down. It's a rollicking recovery journey that you will not want to miss.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
June 7, 2022
When Matthew leaves Freya the day before their wedding, she is devastated but tries to hide it all behind a calm front. Not only has she been left at the altar, but she has seven weddings to go to amongst her group of friends that summer. Her fabulous friends see right through her calm demeanor and, after determining that she still wants to go to all these weddings, give her a set of tasks to complete during each event.. By the end of the "wedding season," she has learned a lot about herself and her relationships.
I feel bad being so entertained by a "left at the altar" situation, but this was uproariously funny at times. The audiobook narrator Daphne Kourna portrayed the characters' changing emotions perfectly, whether it was humor, pain, embarrassment, betrayal, sadness, or anger.. She did a fantastic job.
The relationship between Freya and her mother is so heartwrenching, as this is not the first time she's been abandoned. Freya's journey through her heartbreak, both past and present, is compelling. Her supporting cast of friends are the type of people I'd like to have in my life when others let me down. It's a rollicking recovery journey that you will not want to miss.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
I feel bad being so entertained by a "left at the altar" situation, but this was uproariously funny at times. The audiobook narrator Daphne Kourna portrayed the characters' changing emotions perfectly, whether it was humor, pain, embarrassment, betrayal, sadness, or anger.. She did a fantastic job.
The relationship between Freya and her mother is so heartwrenching, as this is not the first time she's been abandoned. Freya's journey through her heartbreak, both past and present, is compelling. Her supporting cast of friends are the type of people I'd like to have in my life when others let me down. It's a rollicking recovery journey that you will not want to miss.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
March 29, 2022
thank you netgalley, st. martin’s griffin, and katy birchall for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! the wedding season is a fun and realistic novel that focuses on freya after her fiancée matthew calls off their wedding the day before. it shows how she learns to cope and heal from what’s happened with the help of her best friends. i thought that this one was really engaging and i laughed out loud a couple times while reading. i recommend it!
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
June 2, 2022
4.25/5. This is less of a romance and more about the anatomy of a relationship breakup. We start with the exterior of what people see, and then as the dissection proceeds, more and more innards get exposed - unpleasant, unattractive but in reality they form a vital part of the big picture.
After the shock of her fiancé ending things the day before their wedding, Freya has to painstakingly put herself back together and relearn to breathe, to exist, to live and find joy again. She did all this through a difficult season packed with wedding events of others. With her loyal and protective friends by her side, she navigated her way through the heartbreak , ultimately surprising herself by emerging whole and stronger than ever before. The rawness of Freya's emotions is nicely juxtaposed with laugh-out-loud humour and Freya is easily a person you can relate to and sympathise with. Jamie is the icing on the wedding cake, but Freya would have been fine with or without him. This author really reminds me of Mhairi McFarlane.
Lovely British English narration perfectly conveying all the intensity and craziness of Freya's emotions.
After the shock of her fiancé ending things the day before their wedding, Freya has to painstakingly put herself back together and relearn to breathe, to exist, to live and find joy again. She did all this through a difficult season packed with wedding events of others. With her loyal and protective friends by her side, she navigated her way through the heartbreak , ultimately surprising herself by emerging whole and stronger than ever before. The rawness of Freya's emotions is nicely juxtaposed with laugh-out-loud humour and Freya is easily a person you can relate to and sympathise with. Jamie is the icing on the wedding cake, but Freya would have been fine with or without him. This author really reminds me of Mhairi McFarlane.
Lovely British English narration perfectly conveying all the intensity and craziness of Freya's emotions.
May 15, 2022
This is absolutely a great and funny story and I highly recommend the audiobook if you listen to books. Accents were the icing on the cake to great acting and storytelling throughout. First, I’m not sure I would classify this strictly as a romance. While there is a romance at the frontline its more of a ‘moving on’ story than anything and the romance felt secondary to the development of our main character.
Speaking of our main character: Freya is about to get married when her fiance Matthew, significant other of 12 years, cancels the wedding the day before their vows and promptly dumps her. Freya, reeling from the loss and the trauma of a wedding canceled, now must make it through ‘the wedding season’ - a line up of seven weddings that she is supposed to be at for the next few months. Her friends give her a list of challenges to do at each wedding to help her survive and hopefully, move on.
First, my significant other Matthew who I have been with for 12 years got a stern talking to about his life status if he ever did this to me (zero life status). But once that fear was unlocked and shoved to the side, the book opened into a pretty lovely story of moving forward, friendship, love, and family. Freya is not just propelled to happiness because she meets someone new. Freya takes a slow journey to discover her own happiness and reconnect more strongly to those around her. Its really very nice and I might have cried a few times.
There’s also some pretty satisfying ‘get him back’ moments but it's also interspersed with real conversations about life and happiness. I really think it had a perfect mixture of light and serious.
This book is also so funny. I was laughing out loud at work a few times. Love Freya’s internal monologues and there are of course, the usual whacky situations that she finds herself in. The banter is super fun even during stronger emotional moments. The romance was cute and easy to cheer for almost right away but again didn’t even feel like the whole focus, in a nice way.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and had a good time crying and laughing while listening to it.
This was narrated by Daphne Kuoma who did a five star job. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook!
Speaking of our main character: Freya is about to get married when her fiance Matthew, significant other of 12 years, cancels the wedding the day before their vows and promptly dumps her. Freya, reeling from the loss and the trauma of a wedding canceled, now must make it through ‘the wedding season’ - a line up of seven weddings that she is supposed to be at for the next few months. Her friends give her a list of challenges to do at each wedding to help her survive and hopefully, move on.
First, my significant other Matthew who I have been with for 12 years got a stern talking to about his life status if he ever did this to me (zero life status). But once that fear was unlocked and shoved to the side, the book opened into a pretty lovely story of moving forward, friendship, love, and family. Freya is not just propelled to happiness because she meets someone new. Freya takes a slow journey to discover her own happiness and reconnect more strongly to those around her. Its really very nice and I might have cried a few times.
There’s also some pretty satisfying ‘get him back’ moments but it's also interspersed with real conversations about life and happiness. I really think it had a perfect mixture of light and serious.
This book is also so funny. I was laughing out loud at work a few times. Love Freya’s internal monologues and there are of course, the usual whacky situations that she finds herself in. The banter is super fun even during stronger emotional moments. The romance was cute and easy to cheer for almost right away but again didn’t even feel like the whole focus, in a nice way.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and had a good time crying and laughing while listening to it.
This was narrated by Daphne Kuoma who did a five star job. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook!
April 6, 2022
After 12 years of dating (and the day before their wedding), Matthew calls everything off. Livid, confused, and sad, Freya still has 7 friends' weddings to attend this wedding season. To survive the other weddings and take her mind off her own failed wedding, her two besties devise a plan: Freida must complete a pre-determined activity at each wedding, which range from being the last one dancing to securing a goodnight kiss. Easy, right?
Katy Birchall's last book 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝 was one of my favorite rom-coms in 2021. I can not forget the Star Wars Wedding! However, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 is different. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some funny moments, but this one was more heartfelt and relatable as the focus was on Freya's heartbreak and her path forward.
I wished we could have seen more of Freya and her new love interest Jaime, but I understand why it was left out. This was a story of Freya, moving on with her life single and leaning into her support system. And you know I love a book with great side characters and friends. 🥰
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
____________
Thank you to @stmartinspress, @katybirchall, and @netgalley for the advance copy of this book. It will hit the bookshelves on May 3rd!
Katy Birchall's last book 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝 was one of my favorite rom-coms in 2021. I can not forget the Star Wars Wedding! However, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 is different. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some funny moments, but this one was more heartfelt and relatable as the focus was on Freya's heartbreak and her path forward.
I wished we could have seen more of Freya and her new love interest Jaime, but I understand why it was left out. This was a story of Freya, moving on with her life single and leaning into her support system. And you know I love a book with great side characters and friends. 🥰
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
____________
Thank you to @stmartinspress, @katybirchall, and @netgalley for the advance copy of this book. It will hit the bookshelves on May 3rd!
April 28, 2022
Review coming soon.
May 25, 2022
I am 2 for 2 with my adventures with Katy Birchall.
I really enjoyed this one. It was shockingly funny for picking up on the day her husband to be dumps her as they’re setting up for their wedding. Her friends and support system were so wonderful to her during and after her failed wedding. I wanted to shake her ex-fiancé by his ears for his behavior throughout the book.
I liked that the romance was almost secondary to the storyline of her figuring out who she wanted to be after spending her entire adult life with someone who didn’t work out.
I’m not sure what the opposite of a meet-cute is (a meet-ugly?) but I get a kick out of a story with mutual dislike at first sight so we can skip all of that awkward part of getting to know someone new and just get straight down to the sass.
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Katy Birchall for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this one. It was shockingly funny for picking up on the day her husband to be dumps her as they’re setting up for their wedding. Her friends and support system were so wonderful to her during and after her failed wedding. I wanted to shake her ex-fiancé by his ears for his behavior throughout the book.
I liked that the romance was almost secondary to the storyline of her figuring out who she wanted to be after spending her entire adult life with someone who didn’t work out.
I’m not sure what the opposite of a meet-cute is (a meet-ugly?) but I get a kick out of a story with mutual dislike at first sight so we can skip all of that awkward part of getting to know someone new and just get straight down to the sass.
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Katy Birchall for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
April 29, 2022
Hours before Freya and Matthew are supposed to get married, he bumps her in the broom closet.
If you read Katy Birchall’s “The Secret Bridesmaid” be warned this book is different. If you are expecting a rom-com, then keep it moving. This is a women's fiction about a woman on a journey of self discovery.
I am not even going to lie, I wanted a laugh out loud story about some more wedding disasters. While this book was not for me; I can see many who will enjoy this one.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and MacmillanAudio for gifting me an eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.
If you read Katy Birchall’s “The Secret Bridesmaid” be warned this book is different. If you are expecting a rom-com, then keep it moving. This is a women's fiction about a woman on a journey of self discovery.
I am not even going to lie, I wanted a laugh out loud story about some more wedding disasters. While this book was not for me; I can see many who will enjoy this one.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and MacmillanAudio for gifting me an eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.
May 2, 2022
3.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed The Secret Bridesmaid. So I was very excited to read The Wedding Season.
I was expecting this book to be a rom-com. And while there were some very funny moments. To me this reads much more like women's fiction. This book was much more about Freya's journey and despair than romance.
The narrator is 32 year old Freya (1st person POV). The book is definitely about weddings. And most of the book takes place in the UK.
This book was really not what I was expecting. I think that if I had read the book blurb then I would have had a better idea that this book was going to focus a lot on Freya's heartbreak and sadness. And that was honestly too much for me. It was definitely realistic. But I really wish that the focus of the book had been lighter.
There was some romance in The Wedding Season. But I really wish that romance had been a much bigger focus of the story.
The supporting characters (Freya's friends) were epic. Especially Ruby and Leo. And the weddings were actually super fun. I loved the outrageous tasks that Freya had to do. And I really adored Jamie. I just wish that he had been a much bigger part of the story.
Overall, I did enjoy the last part of the book. The characters were fun! And the title and cover were great! I just wanted the story to continue after that last chapter. As that is the story that I really wanted to read.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press/ SMP Romance and netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
I really enjoyed The Secret Bridesmaid. So I was very excited to read The Wedding Season.
I was expecting this book to be a rom-com. And while there were some very funny moments. To me this reads much more like women's fiction. This book was much more about Freya's journey and despair than romance.
The narrator is 32 year old Freya (1st person POV). The book is definitely about weddings. And most of the book takes place in the UK.
This book was really not what I was expecting. I think that if I had read the book blurb then I would have had a better idea that this book was going to focus a lot on Freya's heartbreak and sadness. And that was honestly too much for me. It was definitely realistic. But I really wish that the focus of the book had been lighter.
There was some romance in The Wedding Season. But I really wish that romance had been a much bigger focus of the story.
The supporting characters (Freya's friends) were epic. Especially Ruby and Leo. And the weddings were actually super fun. I loved the outrageous tasks that Freya had to do. And I really adored Jamie. I just wish that he had been a much bigger part of the story.
Overall, I did enjoy the last part of the book. The characters were fun! And the title and cover were great! I just wanted the story to continue after that last chapter. As that is the story that I really wanted to read.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press/ SMP Romance and netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
February 5, 2022
I'm trying to read as many romance novels in February as possible. I was thrilled when I was given access to this arc. I LOVE a cheesy rom-com without excessive spice, and this book certainly delivered.
The romance parts of the book are a slow burn, but it adds to the story in a cute way. The main character is dealing with a crisis, and her friends are there to help every step of the way (I'm jealous - I need friends like that in my life). Overall, I think this was a good read for anyone who enjoys a cheesy rom-com!
To read a more extensive review of this book, please visit my blog: https://kayssecretlibrary.wixsite.com...
The romance parts of the book are a slow burn, but it adds to the story in a cute way. The main character is dealing with a crisis, and her friends are there to help every step of the way (I'm jealous - I need friends like that in my life). Overall, I think this was a good read for anyone who enjoys a cheesy rom-com!
To read a more extensive review of this book, please visit my blog: https://kayssecretlibrary.wixsite.com...
September 1, 2022
A touching and amusing tale of friendship and love, The Wedding Season.
After getting dumped the day before her wedding, Freya is followed through a busy wedding season full of tasks from her pals to help her get over her breakup funk. The characters have personality and charisma, and the plot is entertaining. I like Ruby and Leo, two of Freya's buddies, and their unwavering devotion to her. I was immediately captivated to this book by its gorgeous and captivating cover!
Overall, I was moved by the weddings' spirit and the way that family and friends' love and support helped to mend broken hearts.
After getting dumped the day before her wedding, Freya is followed through a busy wedding season full of tasks from her pals to help her get over her breakup funk. The characters have personality and charisma, and the plot is entertaining. I like Ruby and Leo, two of Freya's buddies, and their unwavering devotion to her. I was immediately captivated to this book by its gorgeous and captivating cover!
Overall, I was moved by the weddings' spirit and the way that family and friends' love and support helped to mend broken hearts.
June 29, 2022
So cute! Loved our main character’s arc, she really came into her own over her glorious summer of wedding-hopping. Just wish we got a bit more of the main romance! Man I can’t find a romance where the stakes are high enough. Taking recommendations! More thoughts to come!
May 3, 2022
5 Stars!
I loved this so much!! It just might be my favorite contemporary/women's fic/rom-com of the year, so far.
The setup will be somewhat familiar to women's fic/romance readers - a woman jilted right before the wedding has to move on while enduring humiliation, heartbreak, and a waning hope for reconciliation. What I expected and what I received, were polar opposites. The author took that familiar set-up and made it uniquely and creatively her own. The writing was fresh and fun, and the banter was organic and witty.
Freya was completely relatable and I was empathetic to her actions and reactions, good and bad. It made the story that much more entertaining. I also enjoyed how Freya's different relationships were represented. Her friends and family were wonderful support and I loved that author didn't resort to vacuous or vicious female behavior to create conflict.
The overall story leaned towards women’s fiction since it focused heavily on Freya's life after its implosion, but it delivered like a rom-com movie where the girl gets the guy at the end a la slow-burn style reminiscent of You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. It's a rewarding enemies-to-friends-to-love romance interspersed smoothly within Freya's story. And there were plenty of interactions with our hero Jamie to have me clamoring for more and feeling elated with their lovely ending.
Overall, Freya's personal growth was authentic and nicely mixed with true LOL moments, clever banter, and realistic characterizations. It's a book for my keeper shelf.
Notes regarding the audiobook:
In true Brit lit form, the audio presentation was delicious. Aside from her native British tongue, the narrator handled the different accents well and her delivery on all fronts was impeccable. The various moments of humor, romance, and sensitivity were spot-on.
December 18, 2023
I have received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Wedding Season was hilarious and kept me laughing the entire book. Sure, in the beginning it was a little sad but man - it got better. Freya has one thing going for her and that's when Matthew, her fiancé, breaks up with her a day before their wedding. Which, surely, you are wondering why I'm even saying this?!? Just know that it's one hundred precent true and the best thing to ever happen (to her).
She grows so much with the help from her friends, family and someone new along the way. Oh man, I loved the romance that was brewing between them because of the freaking banter. Plus, they could be so awkwardly adorable too. They were becoming friends and then the best of friends. It was a beautiful romance and I'm so happy with how things ended.
If Freya can get through the wedding season challenge, falling in love with someone new, and create a beautiful wedding toast to feet - then I think we can all do anything we set our mind to. So happy that I got the chance to dive into this and will need a new romcom by Katy ASAP!
The Wedding Season was hilarious and kept me laughing the entire book. Sure, in the beginning it was a little sad but man - it got better. Freya has one thing going for her and that's when Matthew, her fiancé, breaks up with her a day before their wedding. Which, surely, you are wondering why I'm even saying this?!? Just know that it's one hundred precent true and the best thing to ever happen (to her).
She grows so much with the help from her friends, family and someone new along the way. Oh man, I loved the romance that was brewing between them because of the freaking banter. Plus, they could be so awkwardly adorable too. They were becoming friends and then the best of friends. It was a beautiful romance and I'm so happy with how things ended.
If Freya can get through the wedding season challenge, falling in love with someone new, and create a beautiful wedding toast to feet - then I think we can all do anything we set our mind to. So happy that I got the chance to dive into this and will need a new romcom by Katy ASAP!
May 15, 2022
Perfection. This combined everything I love, creating the most all-consuming story of love, friendship, and laughs. I wanted to hug my book after finishing!
After twelve years together, Freya is dumped in a broom cupboard by her fiancé the day before their wedding. Completely lost by sadness and embarrassment, Freya simply cannot get Matthew out of her head, determined they'll find their way together again. Gah! I really felt her heartache.
Leo and Ruby, the friend duo of my dreams, concoct a survival guide of seven tasks for Freya to complete during the upcoming season of weddings—the perfect distraction for the now single Freya. With a few hilarious, awkward bumps along the way, I loved the adventure of Freya slowly letting go her inhibitions. Combined with her level of snark, control-freak tendencies, and spiralling thoughts, I truly laughed out loud multiple times.
And the romance! Swoon! Swoon! Swoon! It's subtle but absolutely shines within the story. A new all-time favourite for me.
After twelve years together, Freya is dumped in a broom cupboard by her fiancé the day before their wedding. Completely lost by sadness and embarrassment, Freya simply cannot get Matthew out of her head, determined they'll find their way together again. Gah! I really felt her heartache.
Leo and Ruby, the friend duo of my dreams, concoct a survival guide of seven tasks for Freya to complete during the upcoming season of weddings—the perfect distraction for the now single Freya. With a few hilarious, awkward bumps along the way, I loved the adventure of Freya slowly letting go her inhibitions. Combined with her level of snark, control-freak tendencies, and spiralling thoughts, I truly laughed out loud multiple times.
And the romance! Swoon! Swoon! Swoon! It's subtle but absolutely shines within the story. A new all-time favourite for me.
January 18, 2022
This was funny , sweet , heartwarming and emotional! I loved Freya so much .
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