Isobel's Wedding

by Sheila O'Flanagan

Four hundred and twenty pearls hand-sewn onto the wedding dress. The Mediterranean honeymoon booked for months. A pile of presents bigger than Everest. And her lovely Tim, the most perfect bridegroom a girl could wish for.

Except, two weeks before the wedding, he changes his mind... Isobel's wedding is off.

Her world in tatters, Isobel turns to Spain, a new job, a new life and as many men as she can decently manage. Including the very appealing Nico with whom, she feels, there could be a long-term future. But part of Isobel knows that she will have to go back home some day. And that, despite all that's happened since she left, she still has unfinished business...

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

As you can see, a Dubliner all my life. My parents owned a grocery shop in the Iveagh Markets, in the Liberties area of the city and I guess city blood runs through my veins.

As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.

I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.

I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dealer (the first female CD in the country). I traded lots of different things – foreign exchange, swaps, options, bonds…all of the kind of things you read about in the papers and that sound very technical and difficult. Of course once you’re doing it, it’s not half as technical as it sounds.

But I still loved reading and writing (which I did in my spare time) and I desperately wanted to write my own book. I guess I never quite got over the fact that I was never offered the library job! In my thirties I decided that it was now or never and I sat down, stuck Chapter 1 on a page, and started. I wrote the whole thing before sending it off.

I was offered a publishing deal (with no advance) by an Irish company but only if I wrote a different book! So back to the drawing board, I started again. It was another two years before it was published. It wasn’t until I’d written a few books and was offered a contract (this time with an advance!) from another publisher that I felt able to give up my trading job and write full time. So, even though it took a long time, I eventually realised my dream of being a full-time writer.

And now I also write a business column for the Irish Times.

When I’m writing a book I want to do three things:

* Tell a good story
* Make the reader feel like they know the characters
* Make each book better than the last

I don’t write for any particular audience but I suppose I must have people like me in mind – people who have busy lives and who like to escape into someone else’s for a while.

I love writing books. I hope you enjoy reading them.

Reviews

[Ame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished. A good idea and good plot, but Isobel was so wimpy at the beginning and it was soooo drawn out that i almost gave up before i got half way. I persevered because I don't like to leave books partly read, and i'm glad i did as it was quite good in the end, but i'm also relieved to have finished it!

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll start of by saying, I am really surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. I'm not usually a Sheila O'Flanagan type of girl and there was something very 90's about this (probably the fact it was written in the 90's but shhh!) anyway - I couldn't put it down!

It starts off with Isobel enthusing over her upcoming wedding. Her fiance Tim asks to meet her two weeks before and calls the entire thing off. He tells her he isn't ready amongst other things and Isobel basically loses her marbles. She jets off to Madrid to work, sleeps with various unsuitable men, briefly becomes an unstable alcoholic and makes many mistakes (I just need to point out that isobel was a vile, unlikeable character throughout - I loathed this woman).

A friends wedding sees her back in Dublin for the weekend where she bumps into Tim, the man who broke her heart and ruined her life - and he's changed his tune.

This was fabulous! Not only do I feel like I was taken on a stunning journey through the city of Madrid, but the ending was spot-on - despite taking over 500 pages to get there! And although I detested Isobel (I am yet to find a character in a Sheila O'Flanagan book that actually sounds like a nice person. Strange), I just wanted more, more, more!

[Ciinderella Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

ii found thiis book lying around at home and i read the blurb on the back of it and i liked the sound of it =D so i started to read it and as soon as i had started reading the first page i knew i liked it. i took me about 2 weeks to read it. its quite a thick book .. ii couldnt stop readiing it!

its about a woman called Isobel whos supposed to be gettiing marriied but her fiiance wants time to thiink. she moves to spaiin and creates a new liife there and when its time to come back to ireland she doesnt want to. her ex-fiance then asks her to marry hiim agaiin and she accepts. even though she has had a romance with another man in spaiin but she knows that it wouldnt work out. so she goes through with the wedding but it doesnt end all wedding bells riingiing. as she is about to say "I DO" she runs out the church to a cliff and throws her vale over the cliff edge and it then ends at that.

i found the book really good as the author is really good at keeping the picture of the story in your head and it really seems to come alive. as the book goes on it seems to get a bit boring but that didnt stop me from reading it and i carried on reading it.

x

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th Sheila's book I have read so far. All her books tend to be very long like 600 pages, it can get to a bit of dead landing in the middle, but if you keep going, you will be rewarded with a fulfilled and well elaborated story.

Just like this story, it is about one's feeling about certainty in relationship and courage to face one's feeling in life. It can never be a black and white question, that is why it takes Isobel 600 pages to work that one out! Same to Isobel, it is also a question that Tim has never stopped searching an answer for. Even if I sort of expected the ending, but it still surprised me by the way it happened. It is a very well written book. Gripping and heart felt.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it but was disappointed with the ending. Felt it was rather drawn out in places too but overall an ok summer chick lit

[Cheryl Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit long-winded if I'm honest. The story was ok but it just seemed never- ending.

[Helen Temple · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a slow and irritating read . Awful ending .

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by this author. I am not a huge fan of 'chic-lit', but found this entertaining enough. It is about Isobel, who 2 weeks before her wedding, is told by her fiance, Tim, that he feels trapped and doesn't want to go through with it, although he still loves her and wants them to be a couple. She goes along with it for a bit, but slowly realises that she has done the wrong thing. So she does what anyone would do - moves to Spain and starts a string of meaningless relationships. But when Tim comes back to her, begging forgiveness and asks him to marry her again, she is faced with some hard decisions.

The writing style is ok, but I did find the plot a bit slow. Also a bit predictable at times, but I found myself sticking with it just to get to that punchline! Isobel herself was a bit annoying - a lot of mooning around and asthma attacks. So, overall, an ok read, but not something I would bother reading again.

[Manushee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked this up on a long lazy afternoon, thinking that it would be interesting to take a break from a thrillers.

Boy, was I wrong.

I could not get past the first twenty pages without wanting to give my self a good bonk on the head for picking this book up. Isobel's character is quite bland, as is the jerk McJerk of a (ex) boyfriend/fiance Isobel spends THREE years pining after (Oh Tim! Oh Tim! )

The story line was very cliche - hollywood rom com - (Girl gets dumped by guy,girl turns life around while still moping a bit, guy regrets his decisions,drinks and they make up, and bam! Married!, Ooh girl has sudden epiphany and leaves guy at altar and runs away to her secret Spanish lover played by Javier Bardem of course).

[Michele Zito · Rating 1 out of 5]

First time I read a book from this author. I am usually a fan of murder mysteries, but I wanted something lighter for a change so I tried this novel. Started off good but it got so tedious reading about Isobel 's inability to decide and come to grips about her love life. This book could have been cut short instead of going on and on . I skipped a lot of it , it kept repeating itself, booze, tears and random sex.
Disappointing ending to boot.
Michele Zito

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this , right until the end. The perfect mix of chick lit and some interesting moments. But one of those books where an epilogue needs to be used and used wisely, the ending was satisfying but I wanted more; we deserved more even from the book’s title. Right up until the end it might have been five.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm annoyed at myself for even starting this book, as it was in the romance genre I dislike. I hoped it would show some depth or develop into a broader story.
Alas, the main character remained self- absorbed and showed no regard for anyone else, with little to no development of the other characters.
I got through two thirds of the book then gave up in disgust.

[Liz Young]

I liked the style, story and characters, but i was really annoyed about the ending... what kind of closure is that? Good chick lit, with a little more depth than some of your other stuff out there, but I wanted more and was left feeling disappointed.

[Krithika Sundar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know. Sometimes you don’t know how you feel about a book. This one’s that type of book. It was GREAT and then it became way to whiny for me after that.

Isobel is to be married to Tim, they’ve been together for two odd years and her big day is up in a two weeks when Tim comes around and spoils the day by telling her he’s backing out of the wedding because he feels pressurised. Isobel’s whole world crashes down and everything is off. She gets so disturbed by the break up that even after 8 months she’s still not over him. So her manager tells her to get a job in Spain and so She moves there to a different company. The men are hotter and the works good. Isobel later on meets Nico even though she’s still not over Tim and the breakup. He’s great to her and she thinks everything’s good but it’s not Tim reappears in her life and says he wants to be with her. She does agree to marry TIm later on but whether she marries him or not forms the crux.

The two things I hated was the length of the book. It’s near 600 pages. Yes. Not even kidding. Secondly, I don’t like the fact Isobel is just annoying sometimes. She moped around way too much and acts really dumb sometimes. It’s surprising how the writing brings her to such a state where she’s that woman who comes out successfully from a break up to go back to an utterly horrible version of herself later on.

This book could be made into a movie probably. The writing fleshed out Isobel’s character so well in the beginning and it portrays a part of women in their lives where these things are bound to happen and I felt realism in that.

I loved the writing in most parts and enjoyed reading this novel.

3 and half stars.

[Smitha Vasudevan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful piece of writing that spans a couple of years in the life of Isobel. 27 year old Isobel feels that it is the right time for her to get married, and she cannot wait for her big day with her boyfriend Tim. When Tim gets cold feet a couple of weeks before, her life gets a pause. Is love enough for Isobel to handle the disappointment? Is she willing to stick on to Tim without any guarantees? Is Tim really a rotten one to have in life as her family and friends are telling her?

Isobel's new life in Madrid is new is every sense of the word. She takes on a new persona, a new way of looking at relationships. And learns a lot about herself. Even that she is a fabulous career woman. And then she finds Nico, the musician who cannot give up his day job.

Life turns a full circle when Isobel discovers how much Tim has changed for the better. This time, he is ready and anxious to make her his. She now has a chance for the fairytale gown and a house of her own? And all her people are ready for Isobel's wedding.

[pinkponyxlub · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book only thing though, I was disappointed with Isobel for getting engaged with Tim while she was in a relationship with Nico, but it was fine. Fine book, fine plot, fine story. not my favorite but it kept me entertained and I liked it enough to finish it. The ending was pretty predictable and I would rate it a solid 3 and a half stars but this app doesn't have half stars. One more thing, I wanna know what happened to her after running off like that.

[Susannah Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

200 pages longer than it needed to be. However, the pace isn’t terrible and there are some entertaining scenes with interesting characters along the way. Some of the characters got missed though - Nico is too monochrome and one-dimensional to be the catalyst he is supposed to play.

I disagree with some reviewers saying it needed a resolved ending - I think the fact Isobel is able to make that move into uncertainty shows that she has matured.

[w.steele · Rating 1 out of 5]

Selfish, self pitying, self absorbed.
Never have I read about a heroine so utterly devoid of any redeeming features.
Such a disappointment as I usually like this author.

far too long! I stuck it out to the end but it was a struggle, and by that time I couldn’t have cared less.

I rarely read a book and delete it from my kindle, but that’s what’s happening to this one

[Valerie Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a different kind of read from my usual rom com, although the romance was there it took you
through Isobel’s life when things didn’t go her way. Loved the time she took out to work in a different
country, her ups and downs and her swings .
Loved it will definitely read more of Shelia’s books

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love this book. The story is amazing and the ending was very unexpected. I couldn’t put it down. Isobel is very likeable and I cannot help but imagine Antonio Banderas when Nico is mentioned. Brilliant story and cannot wait to read the sequel And finding out more about Isobel in the other short stories book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memorable and interesting ending, but somewhat predictable and the book ended too soon. I agree with another reviewer that an epilogue was sorely needed for this book. No dealing with consequences afterwards, which is really disappointing. The book dragged in the middle as well.

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good chick lit book about a woman whos fiancé tells her he cant get married yet and she disappears to Spain to try to come to terms and has a couple of flings. A brilliant ending, lovely characters

[Angela Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Marie Rayner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. Wish a better ending though

[Alison Hurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read

[Juju · Rating 3 out of 5]

First one I've read by this author. Not bad.

[Kim Solleder · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a reread for me, but it was still a very enjoyable story, I think I will have to look at some of her other earlier books

[Doha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad i picked up this one! It was so much fun until the very shocking ending i couldnt believe it / 4.5⭐️

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, didn't really love Isobel

[Dick R. McCart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but repetitive

The end was a shock. I wanted more. I thought Isobel was crazy most of the time, understandably crazy. This author is a constant in storytelling.