Save the Date: A Contemporary Young Adult Romance About Two Weddings, Sister Drama, and the Guy You Shouldn't Kiss

by Tamara Summers

Victoria Finnegan to marry Kevin Ork in the Rose Bower of Cynthia Flair Botanical GardensSunday, June 17, 3 p.m.

very flowery.

Yay.

Paris Finnegan is marrying Jiro Kuan on the beach at Huntsville National ParkSaturday, August 11, 1 p.m.

Um . . . she's not really making me wear overalls, right???

Hideous bridesmaid dress fitting #6

Calm Victoria down

Try not to kill Paris

Try not to think about wedding planner's hot son

Do not date wedding planner's hot son

Stop kissing wedding planner's hot son!!!

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Contemporary Romance, High School

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2008

About the author

Tamara Summers is a pseudonym of Tui T. Sutherland

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, started out really cute and funny, but the second half definitely wasn’t as good. Jack’s superstition was a little bizarre, and Leo seemed totally unrealistic. I liked the wedding hijinks the best and those tapered off in the second half.

[Zoe and the Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was FUN.

I must say that there are some very creative wedding disasters in this story. I also liked the different ways that the author demonstrated the budding attraction between Leo and Jakarta. It wasn't your usual, y'know? Definitely sexy but they don't take themselves too seriously.
I think one of the main themes in the book revolves around Jakarta's parents' unconditional love for all their crazy daughters. Especially the father because he is just overrun in an estrogen-filled house but he does his best to maintain order while keeping his girls happy. It's really quite sweet.

Personally, if I had a daughter like Paris, I wouldn’t ever have sex again, just in case there was another one like her lurking in there.

Jakarta is a cool character. Nothing really unsettles her. I liked that even when Leo was flirting with her, there's no excessive blushing. She's the mildest kid you've ever seen.

Not making a fuss has gotten me to India and Egypt and Paraguay and Portugal, so even when Paris gets all the attention, I still think I’m winning.

I love that despite her weariness of weddings Jakarta still puts on a brave and enthusiastic front for her sisters. This attitude pretty much promotes Jakarta to saint status considering that each sister is constantly trying to one-up the others' weddings. Jakarta feels dull next to her colourful sisters. She can't be the Smart One or the Sweet One or the Bad One because all those titles are already taken.

I’m not blond or super-fit or perfect. Not romantic, not “an individual,” and definitely not a genius. So what am I? I’ll tell you what: a bridesmaid.

She's learned to just go with the flow. Jakarta is deliciously sarcastic. She is also determined not to date until all the weddings are out of the way because she always has a break up when a wedding swings around. Poor Leo, he's a good sport. Jakarta and I really like him.

[oliviasbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teenie-chick-lit with a high fun-factor. The story (High-school-junior and uncomplicated youngest sister in a set of six believes herself to be responsible for a wedding day curse, vows not to bring a date to a wedding again, but falls in love with the her sister's wedding-planners son.) was not that exceptional and the romance part did not reach me very deeply. But I enjoyed the humor a lot. The five elder sisters' very diverse characters are depicted with a hilarious exaggeration and the contrast to sensible Jack (=Jakarta. All the girls are named after cities), who tries to be the child who makes no fuss and but everybody happy, renders them them even funnier.
Also I believe that love interest Leo might be a favorite with younger girls. Imagine a seventeen-year-old guy who has already decided on his wedding day's first-dance-song, has an ability to chose the perfect tiara and pursues the girl of his dreams relentlessly.

[Burçak Sultan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çok eğlenceli bir kitaptı sonlarda biraz saçmalamışlar ama kitabın tamamına göre göze batmadı :))
Konu olarak kendinden büyük 5 ablaya sahip olan Jack ablalarının düğününde nedime olmaktan bıkmıştır.. Ama ne ablalar hepsi çatlak :D Ve bu düğünler hep felaketle sonuçlandığı için Jack bunun lanet olduğunu düşünmektedir sebebini de kendisinin düğüne sevgili getirmesine bağlamaktadır.. Çünkü ilişkiside felaketle sonlarınyor.. 3. ve 4. numaralı ablalaırının düğünü peşpeşeyken Jack, organizatörün oğluna aşık olur çocuk da ona aşıktır ama Jack lanet yüzünden düğünler bitmeden sevgili edinmeyeceğine yemin etmiştir :)) Çoookkk komik olaylar dönüyor eğlenmek isteyen okusun :D

[Kellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I'm finally "outgrowing" these books, or maybe this one just wasn't very good. Whatever the reason, I wasn't very fond of it. The characters were boring, and I couldn't wait for all the wedding stuff to be over.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s dated, sure, but I still just love this story!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by hoopsielv for TeensReadToo.com

Jakarta (also known as "Jack") is determined never to fall in love or get married. She's seen her five sisters deal with boys and doesn't think they are worth the hassle. Plus, she's doomed by the "wedding curse": her dates at her sisters' weddings have turned out disastrous.

Two of her sisters are planning summer weddings and she's involved but sticking to her vow to not get herself into a relationship.

Then she meets Leo. He is the wedding planner's son, so he and Jack are thrown together in the wedding preparations. Leo isn't like the other guys. He wants to get to know Jack and believes he can break the "wedding curse." Yet Jack keeps herself busy with her sisters' plans to keep her mind off Leo. It's not that easy, though, as Leo manages to appear everywhere!

This is fun novel about falling in love, wedding chaos, and just making time for what's important. I enjoyed getting to know Jack as well as her sisters. Part of the appeal in this novel is not only wondering what's going to happen with Jack and Leo but also about her sisters and their relationships.

Will the weddings take place without a hitch?

You have to read SAVE THE DATE to find out!

[Ivory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here goes...

This is the kind of book that I love to read... quick, fluffy, romantic reads. But this book... it's quick, fluffy and ZERO romance.

Come on! The guy in this book that's supposed to make me feel "first-kiss-tingles, butterfly-in-stomach-feeling" screams GAY, GAY, GAY!

No straight guy I know helps his mom as an assitant wedding planner. PUHLEASE! Maybe as a driver or so... but on-hand with weddings? Okay, maybe not gay but is in touch with his feminine side...? Who am I kidding? still GAY!

And don't get me started with the protagonist...

[Hannah Haertl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good mixture of hilarious and serious. I spent two days on it; just reading the first 2 chapters I fell in love. I loved reading it because my cousin is going through a wedding phase and is planning everything around big puffy dresses, so instantly I connected with the author. My mom recommended this book to me because she thought it would brighten my mood about things, and boy was she right! I'd recommend this for anyone 13 and up because there are some slightly inappropriate spots.

[Synova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually this book should be in the jr. girly fiction department, because i didn't realize it was YA when I bought it. It has a really cute cover, (the beach with flip flops) and was with a bunch of other romance/fiction paperbacks, so i figured it was a fun beach read. (It was, just the main character was younger than I expected). enjoyable, I might check out some of her other works too.

[Book_freak · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 reread:
This holds up so well upon reread.

I love this chaotic family and story. There are so many chuckle-out-loud moments.
Jack and Leo’s romance is s cute and swoony. Surprising because its YA and not exactly slow burn, but it works.

2016:
My go-to book when i want something quick, sweet and funny.
Love all the characters.

[Mack · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.4 stars maaaybe) Funny yeah, but not very romantic, not very loveable characters except for Paris that was hilarious (Sofia was ok too) and not really the beach read I'd hoped it would be... All in all an ok book I guess

[Anesha †Curious & Obsessive Bookworm† · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really had some good laughs in this one. I loved it and glad I gave this a read <3

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought it would be funnier. More of a memoir with wedding stories that aren't that funny.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I was in the mood for. A sweet little book. No mystery. Nobody gets killed. Well, almost, but not.

I’m just on page 5 and this is just what I need! COVID-19, my mother-in-law‘s refusal to take it seriously,fireworks making my sweet dog pant like a racehorse and I’ve read too many mysteries and thrillers in a row. I need this hilarity in my life Right Now!

Who would want to be named Pittsburgh! Ouch. I’m at Pittsburgh suburbanite and Pittsburgh is actually a great place to live. we are in kind of a huge valley that diverts a lot of the worst weather to the east and north of us. There are tons and tons of great things to do. At least there were a lot of great things to do before COVID-19. And speaking of names, how about some of our streets; Streets Run Road, Buttermilk Hollow, Glass Run and Long Run Road.
But then again, would you really want a nickname of Pitts?

“… (Mom) always has to take a long nap whenever we get home from a wedding -related outing.”
I had to always to take a long nap, too. After my little pooch and work on the job as Paw Pals volunteers visiting hospice patients.
I figure, my visits were more rewarding than wedding excursions Jack had to endure.

I’m getting pretty sick of how Jack let’s her bridezilla, selfish sisters just steamroll over her. But... I remember decades and decades and decades ago when I was her age and even several years older. But you can put up with things a lot easier when you’re young. Hetting older does have the benefit of being able to stand up for yourself and speak your mind to ignorant people. I’m even looking forward to becoming a crotchety old woman. I don’t really want to be crotchety. I want to be an eccentric old woman. I’m on my way. I have less and less patience for stupid people - like those people who whine and complain about wearing a mask during a world-wide pandemic.
It’s a mask! Not a full body cast! Quit whining and get over yourself!

“But his moves are confident and his signals are really clear…“. Men who are great dancers can lead their partner like this are truly far and few between. Nearly all men are wishy-washy leaders, at best. At worst they have no idea where they’re going, let alone how to lead you in any cohesive manner. If you young girls reading this book ever find a great dancer like Leo, you might just want to marry him.

This was a great book… Aside from the fact that I would’ve poisoned Paris.

I’m amazed at the intense effort that this family puts out for Paris’s wedding.
When I got married, it never occurred to me to pick my own flowers, make my own food, all that stuff.
But the sunflower cookies… Ridiculously time-consuming. It would’ve been so easy to buy those little chocolate cups, whip up some mouse (After all it’s only fancy pudding.), put a spoonful on each little chocolate cup and you’re done! Lay them out on trays or cookie sheets. Create two or three layers with upside down tumblers in between the cookie sheets. Remember that for your weddings girls.

[iridescentbeauty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely adorable and hilarious! I loved watching Jack grow out of her superstition about the wedding curse that she thought was haunting her. Leo is such a sweetheart to her, so thoughtful and caring. What better way to break the curse is to date a wedding planner’s son, right? Jack deserved so much better after what happened with her previous exes, and she’s such a great sister for her older sisters’ weddings. That trip to Vegas was the cherry on top. It was such a delightful read. I had always meant to read all of Tamara Summers’ books when I was younger, because I absolutely adore “He’s With Me” from the I ❤︎ Bikini series. I’m so glad I finally got around to reading all of her books!

[Dana Baraki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession: I’ve read this book like 4 times, 3 of which were in middle school because I went through a phase where I read a bunch of teen romance. That being said, I’m a big believer in how much you enjoy a book depends on when in your life you read it and circumstances matter and this was a time when I needed a fun and light teen romance that I knew I would enjoy! The writing isn’t great but I was smiling the entire time I read this and isn’t that worth 5 stars all on its own?

[Emili · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Predictable and shallow, but a fast read. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Nathaniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

it is so bad

[doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really fun quick easy read

[Jennifer Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!

[Holly L'Heureux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these fun, quick teen romances. It was great to step back from adult books to something so cheesy and fun.

[Ana Palacio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leo annoyed me, cringe

[ʀᴀᴇ'ꜱ ʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ · Rating 5 out of 5]

• still as fun and fresh as the last time i read it! 🥰

• this is a light and fluffy YA with a unique setting and a host of crazy, chaotic characters! short and sweet

[Shreeka · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm not blond or super fit or perfect. Not romantic, not "an individual," and definitely not a genius. So what am I? I'll tell you what : a bridesmaid.
this book will definitely be in my 'My Most Favorite Novels'. You know why!!because i absolutely love this book!! i mean what's not to love about this book!! it is completely hilarious, also downright romantic and... full of drama!! i love just about everything in this book!! i just adore the characters!! they are presented in a such a way that makes you wish you were actually with in the story. The Finnegan family is full drama, well because there are so many drama queens. i only have one elder sister but after reading i kind of wish i had five like jack. that way, life could have been more interesting. i have always loved the narrators in the novels who have a great sense of humour. though some novels can be funny sometimes in the story but this novel, it is funny all the time!! there are sarcasms, hilarious comments about the people in every page, in fact in every paragraph. i was laughing like in every 5 seconds.. and how can you not love the book where we have a cute, hot and adorably sweet guy who seems to completely understand Jack and really cares about her... i mean aww!!! that is just so immensely sweet!!i love leo!! i also loved the character Sofia who is always there looking out for her younger sister unlike other sisters. their relationship is kinda like the one between me and my own sister. we share everything with each other and she is always giving me sisterly advices.
this novel reminded me of the movie 'Bride Wars' starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. while in this story the two brides are attention seeking, very stubborn Paris and sweet but jealous of her sister paris, Victoria. i enjoyed this book alot!! i cant help but wonder what happened to Jiro after marriage with paris. she doesnt seem to understand his language. but maybe she was in love with him. but just the thought makes me want to laugh!!

[Mel (Reviews In A Pinch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a slight problem when I read books about “sisterly love”. I don’t understand it. Genuinely don’t get it. I don’t have any sisters. I have one brother and when we got mad, we fought and I mean literally fought (with fists flying and waterworks galore). Once he actually bit me. Bit me! And when we argued it was mainly swear words with the rest being complete nonsense. Back to my main point, sisterly love is interesting to read about, but I have no context for whether or not it’s realistic.

The storyline for Save the Date was actually pretty cute. The main character, Jakarta (Jack – female), was really great. I never really got annoyed with her, even when I didn’t necessarily agree with a decision she made. Her sisters were bonkers. Paris and Victoria each had their pros and cons. They’d also both be a nightmare to live with. I’m not sure bridezilla is a strong enough term to describe the way Paris acts throughout Save the Date. If I were Sophie, it may have turned into a horror novel after I killed them all. It was unbelievably entertaining to read though, as a third-party observer.

The writing was pretty good. There were no glaring mistakes or rambling passages that took forever to read through. Save the Date was actually a pretty quick read. I think it took me about 4 hours to read it. It is definitely a young adult contemporary romance and regardless of the less than realistic romances going on throughout the book, it was still entertaining as all get out.

When it comes down to it, I would definitely recommend Save the Date. It’s a quick, fun read and as long as you like cute chick lit books you’ll enjoy it. If you’re going into this with Harlequin expectations then you might want to re-read both the overview and my review. Save the Date would actually be a perfect beach read; I realize it’s winter here, but that is not the case everywhere.

For more reviews, check out Reviews in a Pinch today!

[Nina Ardianti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karena review di Goodreads bagus banget, maka saya setengah mati nyari buku ini. And it turned out... well, sama sekali nggak mengecewakan.

Saya sudah terkesan dari pertama kali menemukan bahwa si tokoh utamanya bernama Jakarta (or Jack, in short) dan dia itu perempuan. Untuk orang yang tinggal seumur hidup di Jakarta, saya excited banget membaca ada cewek yang dinamakan karena kedua orang tuanya yang menyukai traveling pernah mengunjungi Jakarta. Uhm, well, Jakarta sendiri sih nggak segitu excitednya dikasih nama Jakarta. Tapi at least itu lebih baik daripada dikasih nama Pyongyang.

Intinya adalah si Jack ini merupakan bungsu dari enam bersaudara: Alexandria, Sydney, Victoria, Paris, Sofia, dan Jack sendiri. Dalam tiga tahun terakhir dia udah mengalami tiga--eh, empat pernikahan kakak-kakaknya. Dimana dua pernikahan pertama sukses menjadi disaster akibat Jack membawa pasangan ke wedding tersebut. Atau seenggaknya itu yang dia pikir sih.

Jadi, ketika Jack bertemu dengan cute and sweet Leo yang merupakan anaknya si wedding planner, Jack takut banget membawa Leo ke acara wedding sebagai date-nya. Nanti bencana terulang lagi, dia kan punya wedding curse.

Tadinya mau memberikan bintang 5 sih, cuma beberapa bab terakhir agak kurang pas menurut saya. Tentang Jack dan Leo serta Sofia dan Ben. Tapi happy ending kok :))

Saya pasti akan baca He's With Me. Tapi cari dulu ya, hehehe..

[Sarah BT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim because I thought it'd be fun to read about someone else's crazy wedding to help me through all my own wedding planning stuff. What I ended up with was a total surprise-this was the perfect read. I loved all the characters-each sister is different which adds a fun dynamic to the story and the romance between Jack and Leo is perfect. Leo is totally a book boy crush-he's charming, he's sweet, he's hot, and he brings wedding cake samples-he couldn't be any more perfect!

This book may by a typical paperback romance, but it felt like more to me. Maybe because I could laugh at the crazy bridezillas and be thankful that I was nowhere near that crazy (I hope!). I also really liked Jack-she seemed real, down to earth and even though her family may drive her crazy, she's totally loyal to them. I really wish there were more books featuring the Finnegan sisters because this is a family I would love to read more about.

If you're looking for a great summer beach read, or you've been asked to attend one too many weddings this year, pick up Save the Date-you're sure to laugh and have fun and feel much better about that horrible dress you've been asked to wear!

P.S.-Tamara Summers is the pen name for author Tui T. Sutherland. I know I'll be checking out more of her books soon!

[İlkim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Güzel bir yolculuk kitabına dönüştü sonunda benim için. İlk Buluşmada Asla Isırma kitabı gibi bu da gayet eğlenceliydi. Asıl kahramanımız Jakarta. İsmi bir garip, herkes Jack diyor zaten kıza. Ailesi dünyayı gezmeyi çok sevdiğinden bütün kızlarına böyle şehir isimleri vermişler. Ailenin diğer kızları Alexandria, Sydney, Victoria, Paris, Sophia. En kötüsü de bizim kıza düşmüş gördüğünüz gibi. Ve nedime olmaktan sıkılmış bir vaziyette. Kardeşlerinin gelin olma arifesindeyken geçirdikleri dönüşüm onu her defasında şaşkınlığa uğratıyor ve eli mahkum her istediklerini yapıyor, seçtikleri iğrenç elbiseleri giyiyor. Bir de düğünlere ne zaman kavalye getirse düğünde bir aksaklık çıkıyor ve kavalyesiyle olan ilişkisi de bitiyor. O yüzden de bir lanet olduğuna inanıyor ve kitabın ana konusu olan Victoria'nın düğününe kavalye getirmemekte kararlı. Tabi düğün organizatörünün yakışıklı oğluna vuruluyor sonra da işler hepten karmaşıklaşıyor. Bu arada kardeşlerinden cazgır olanı Paris de evlenmeye karar veriyor ve kızımız hepten sıkıntıya düşüyor. Bir yandan lanet, bir yandan da organizatörün oğlu Leo'ya karşı koyamaması onu iki arada bırakıyor. Olaylar böyle akıp giderken komik iç düşünceler, komik karakterlerle felan zevkli bir şekilde ilerliyor. Kısacası kitap hoş zaman geçirmek için birebir.

[Avon Bernabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

This book is painfully hilarious. If that makes sense. Lol. I love the way the story goes. I love every dialogue. Everything that is supposed to make the readers laugh made me laugh. That's how good the humor is in this book.

And I love the names of the sisters. PLACES, PLACES. They're cute :D

The sisters.

Alexandria. Seriuos. Fine.
Sydney. Didn't feel her presence. Fine too, I guess.
Victoria. Nagger. Overly romantic. Fine.
Paris. SUPER ANNOYING. Selfish. Not fine.
Sofia. Super kind. She's with Jack all the time. She's positive. Love her.

and finally,

Jakarta. SUPER DUPER LOVE HER. And her name. Her name is sssssoooooo adorable. :D And she's kinda martyr for her family. It's sometimes annoying but I can't blame her. She doesn't know how to say know to them. I wish her sisters and Mom appreciate the things she does. There's a time when I just want to kill Paris! She's super annoying. Ugh.

But it's good how Paris and Victoria patched things up. Though I'd appreciate if they have had said sorry to Jack. That's what lacks for me. Other than that, NOTHING.

This book is so good. And I would want a Leo in my life. His persistence. My my.

Grab a copy now!