***I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.***
Four Weddings and a Funeral meets The Wedding Party in Katy Birchall's 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.
Freya Scott is getting married. Her wedding to Matthew, her long-term boyfriend, is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and as someone who prides herself on being meticulously organized, Freya is intent on making it the perfect day to remember.
But when Matthew calls things off hours before they walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, the last thing she wants is to attend a summer of other peoples’ nuptials on her own.
Fortunately, her friends have an idea: together they devise a series of outrageous challenges for Freya to 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.
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.
The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall is a delightful story about forgiveness, personal growth, friendships, and love. I’ll be honest, I enjoyed this much more than I expected. From the blurb, I expected a light and a bit of a silly story, but instead, it was thoughtful, emotional, and charming.
Freya Scott is about to get married, she has planned her wedding to perfection and can’t wait to start the Wedding Season with a bang. She calls it the wedding season because she had 9 weddings to attend between March and September of this year, including her own wedding which will start the season off.
When Freya’s fiance calls off the wedding just hours before she’s supposed to go down the aisle, Freya is stunned, humiliated, and hurt. The last thing she wants to do is go to 8 other weddings this summer, without her partner. Her best friends decide to give her some outrageous tasks for each wedding in order to distract her from her worries. Never one to say no to a challenge, Freya accepts the challenges of the weddings and finds herself in some interesting predicaments.
I adored the friendships the most. Freya has Leo and Ruby as her closest friends, and they have known each other for several years. Leo and Ruby are adorable, and they know Freya inside and out. They are the ones who suggest the crazy tasks as they know she must come out of her shell a bit and enjoy life. Freya also has other friends, who she meets up with and they are just as wonderful as her closest friends.
The humor in this book was excellent. I thought after reading the blurb it might be over the top and silly, but it wasn’t. It’s just the right amount, and realistic too. The banter between Freya and her friends and Freya and Jamie was wonderful. I feel like it would be easy to be part of this friend group.
I highly recommend The Wedding Season to anyone who loves books about friends. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
About Katy Birchall
Katy 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.
I also like the US cover. I like the cover better. I don’t know if I’d be able to go to all those weddings even with the tasks her friends has her do, lol.
The U.S. cover is more appealing to me; the background of the UK cover detracts. I can’t imagine having to go to 8 more weddings after having been humiliated at your own! Yay for her friends who help her find humor in the situation.
I definitely prefer the US cover. I do enjoy a book that makes me laugh. I have read a couple of reviews of this book, and I added it to my TBR at that time. Great review, Wendy.
I also like the US cover. I like the cover better. I don’t know if I’d be able to go to all those weddings even with the tasks her friends has her do, lol.
I definitely prefer the US cover.
It’s so much brighter!
I enjoyed the humor in this one too! The American cover is by far the best.
I agree, Bonnie!
The U.S. cover is more appealing to me; the background of the UK cover detracts. I can’t imagine having to go to 8 more weddings after having been humiliated at your own! Yay for her friends who help her find humor in the situation.
That US cover is so much better than the UK cover. It’s a fun book.
The US cover is much better than the UK cover. I’m glad to know this book isn’t as over the top as it could have been.
Thank you, Pam. It was just a lovely book
The blurb does make this one sound a bit over the top; I’m glad to know it’s not. 🙂
Thank you, Lark!
That UK book cover is aweful, not sure where they got the ideas from for it.
I agree, Rosie! The US cover is so much better
I definitely prefer the US cover. I do enjoy a book that makes me laugh. I have read a couple of reviews of this book, and I added it to my TBR at that time. Great review, Wendy.
Thank you, Carla. That US cover really stands out much better than the UK one.
I prefer the US cover too & it sounds like it would be a book I would really enjoy 💕
Thank you, Jenny. It was fun and I think you’d enjoy it.
I like the US cover. The friendships sound fantastic!
Thank you, Kimberly.
I adored the friendships the most too. They are the kinds of friendships that everyone wants. Excellent review!
Thank you, Tessa, I agree!
Her books have the cutest covers. I love a book that has a strong tribe of friends, this sounds perfect. Great review!
Thank you, Rae! The friends were so good.