***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.***
New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan brings us a delightful summer novel that will sweep you away to the remote Scottish island of Mure, where two very different weddings are about to take place…
On the little Scottish island of Mure—halfway between Scotland and Norway—Flora MacKenzie and her fiancé Joel are planning the smallest of “sweetheart weddings,” a high summer celebration surrounded only by those very dearest to them.
Not everyone on the island is happy about being excluded, though. The temperature rises even further when beautiful Olivia MacDonald—who left Mure ten years ago for bigger and brighter things—returns with a wedding planner in tow. Her fiancé has oodles of family money, and Olivia is determined to throw the biggest, most extravagant, most Instagrammable wedding possible. And she wants to do it at Flora’s hotel, the same weekend as Flora’s carefully planned micro-wedding.
As the summer solstice approaches, can Flora handle everyone else’s Happy Every Afters—and still get her own?
An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan is her fifth book in her popular Mure series but can be read as a stand-alone book. In fact, the author includes a brief synopsis of the series in her introduction, which was very helpful. So, although you can read An Island Wedding as a stand-alone, you’ll want to read the entire series as these characters are so much fun, and the setting is gorgeous and a place I’d love to visit someday, even if it’s fictional!
Flora MacKenzie and her fiancé Joel are planning a small intimate wedding for just their closest friends at their hotel on the Island of Mure. But, keeping the number of guests to a manageable number means excluding some of the residents of the island of Mure, and that means trouble for Flora.
Also, a former resident of the island, Oliva Macdonald has decided to have an over-the-top, spectacle of a wedding the very same weekend as Flora’s wedding. Oliva brings her wedding planning entourage to the island and nothing will be the same for Flora.
An Island Wedding is a sweet story about the closeness of small-town life, as well as some of the difficulties. The island of Mure is full of quirky and interesting characters that make for a fun read. Flora and Joel are an adorable couple who are very supportive of each other as they navigate all the issues of planning a wedding on a tiny island where everyone knows everyone.
The setting on the tiny island of Mure is so much fun. The island and village are well described and it’s just such a nice escape to visit the island and interact with all these fun characters.
I recommend An Island Wedding to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
UK Cover:
About Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan was born in Scotland and has lived in London, the Netherlands, the U.S. and France. She eventually settled on the wettest of all of these places, and currently lives just North of Edinburgh with her husband Andrew, her dog Nevil Shute, and her three children: Wallace, who is 11 and likes pretending to be 19 and not knowing what this embarrassing ‘family’ thing is that keeps following him about; Michael-Francis, who is 9 and likes making new friends on aeroplanes, and Delphine who is 7 and is mostly raccoon as far as we can tell so far.
Things Jenny likes include: cakes, far too much Doctor Who, wearing Converse trainers every day so her feet are now just gigantic big flat pans; baths only slightly cooler than the surface of the sun and very very long books, the longer the better.
I agree with you Wendy, this was a fun story and I loved the quirky characters. I do want to go back and read or listen to the first four books. It is such a tough one to classify. There is romance, but also women’s issues. It has friendship and drama. Great review. I definitely like the US cover better.
First of all, what a stunning cover! I love how Colgan gives a series synopsis at the start. So brilliant for readers who are just picking this one up. I love when a setting is described so well that you can almost see it playing out in front of you.
It sounds like great fun to take a bookcation on Mure. I bet I’d love the series. Definitely love the setting and small town fun is always something I can relate to. Excellent review, Wendy!
I agree with you Wendy, this was a fun story and I loved the quirky characters. I do want to go back and read or listen to the first four books. It is such a tough one to classify. There is romance, but also women’s issues. It has friendship and drama. Great review. I definitely like the US cover better.
Sounds like the characters really shine in this novel! I think I like the US cover version for this one. Thanks for the review!
I have really loved this series and I can’t wait for this one. Wonderful review!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
First of all, what a stunning cover! I love how Colgan gives a series synopsis at the start. So brilliant for readers who are just picking this one up. I love when a setting is described so well that you can almost see it playing out in front of you.
Thank you, Tanya. Even when I’ve been reading the entire series, I like a recap like this as I like a refresher too.
This sounds like a fun book and series. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it so much.
Thank you, Jenni!
Glad you enjoyed! I’ve been into wedding reads lately…
Thank you! This is fun as it has a big wedding and a small wedding!
I am intrigued by this series. Fantastic review!
Thank you, Anne!
AHHHH I LOVE YOUR REVIEW!! i’m so glad you enjoyed the book so much! ALSO ALSO BOTH THE COVER EDITIONS ARE ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS 😍😍
Thank you!
Sounds like a sweet story! I like the idea of an small island community and wedding. I love the US cover. So pretty!
Thank you, Rachel.
This sounds like a place I would love to visit.
Me too, Linda!
Weddings and an island setting sounds fun.
It was! Thank you, Sophia!
I love the sound of this book! I really like Jenny Colgan so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this too 🙂
She’s so good!
I love island settings and this sounds lovely.
It really was nice. Thank you, Cathy
A brief synopsis of the series in the introduction is so handy. I wish more authors with a longer series would do that.
I agree, Stephanie! It was so helpful!
This sounds really good & I like that there is a catch up at the beginning so you don’t get lost 😊
I liked the catch-up in the beginning a lot. It really helped me keep all the characters together.
A great review Wendy. I’m really looking forward to reading this one.
Thank you, Janette! I hope you enjoy it.
Wonderful review Wendy! I have this o e to review as well! I can’t wait!🤗📚🌞💜
It was pretty good. Thanks, Susan!
It sounds like great fun to take a bookcation on Mure. I bet I’d love the series. Definitely love the setting and small town fun is always something I can relate to. Excellent review, Wendy!
Thank you, Tessa! It was a fun place for a bookcatiton!
This sounds like such a fun series
Thank you, Rae!
Island settings can be so much fun.
I agree! Thank you, Rosie!