Katy Birchall

I just finished reading the book titled, "The Wedding Season" by Katy Birchall and found it delightful and a feel-good novel for readers who love rom coms. Freya was the main character in the novel, whose fiancé dumped her on the eve of her wedding because she was too prim and proper for his liking, and she is forced to confront her own insecurities as a result. The story takes off in a setting reminiscent of Four Weddings and a Funeral with a delightful cast of characters (her brother, Adrian, her father, her best friend Ruby and her fiance, and her long-lost mother) who impart their pearls of wisdom as Freya journeys onwards in rediscovering who she is and what she wants out of life. Her adventures and mishaps make for a very entertaining read and while she is in the process of figuring out her goals and dreams, she learns to let go of her inhibitions and sheds her fears on the notion that she is a mediocre individual and a failure in her personal and professional life. Although at the beginning, she is seen as someone who never steps up to the plate career-wise (i.e., presenting new ideas for marketing beverages), by the time the reader gets to the end of the novel, Freya is observed as someone "coming out of her shell" and consequently, we, as readers, applaud her for her improvements; at the same time, while dealing with her family and her ongoing issues with her mother, Freya encounters a man who works in a company rivaling her own, and inextricably, becomes enamored of him even while they battle out their ongoing issues on who has the better job, who has the better beverage company-wide, and ultimately, they agree to disagree. Their friendship evolves as the storyline continues and the reader gets immersed into their dynamic interactions but it isn't until Freya finally gets up the courage to resolve the pending issues from her relationship with Matthew, that she moves on with her life and finds romance with her nemesis/friend. I loved this book for its comical description of true-to-life wedding mishaps as experienced by the beguiling Freya, our heroine, and the all-around dramedies surrounding her wacky family. For me, I can attest that the book bespoke a certain delightful charm that I couldn't resist and long after the book was put down, I still found it resonated with me. Thank you for this well-written and joyful read and I hope to read more from this author who also wrote a novel titled, "The Secret Bridesmaid," another feel-good novel of proportionate comedic wit.… (mehr)

Fun romance set in a magazine world with a splash of 2nd chance romance and great chemistry. As with other Katy B books, this was an enjoyable read with some genuine laugh out moments.

Our main leads Harper and Ryan could really be more different (externally). Harper is a chaos monster who never turns anywhere on time (honestly, same) but whose work ethic can’t be questioned in the slightest. She gets the work done very well in fact, and her bubbly personality makes her great at putting people at ease when she interviews them. We then have Ryan her new work neighbor, a neat, by-the-books guy and obviously clashes were set to happen. What makes it more annoying is that these 2 have a secret romantic history …

Without giving much away, as said earlier, I had fun with this book. I enjoyed the setting a lot, and the secondary characters really shined. I loved Harper’s friends and Ryan’s parents were awesome. I also enjoyed the car scene that witnessed Ryan no 2… (mehr)

*3.5 stars*
12 years into their relationship, Freya gets dumped by her boyfriend a day before their wedding, in a fricking closet! Understandably she is all sorts of emotions but what makes it worse is the fact that it is literally Wedding Season, as she still has to attend her close friends’ weddings while still grieving. This book details how she made it through.
Okay, this is not a rom-com. This is a 100% chick-lit and it was very enjoyable. Sure, there was a side of romance, but it was so underdeveloped and tbh I didn’t mind. At its core, this is a book about how to pick yourself up when unimaginably down. Katy i.e. the author did not shy away from Freya’s emotions and my heart truly ached for her as she grieved; and cheered when she slowly started to move on to a happier space.

My undisputed favorites were Ruby and Leo. Every girl deserves a true BFF and I LOVE that Freya had 2 including a male one! Their friendship was so fun and true, and I LOL’ed more than once at their antics and conversations. Freya also had a really good wider support system of friends asides her BFFs. Simone, Isabella, Naimh etc. were all equally great. The restaurant scene was a standout. Also shout out to the diversity in the characters and the weddings! From an Ibo wedding to an Irish one, they were all loads of fun.

While realistic sometimes painful, it was not dreary and ultimately, I enjoyed reading it.

A huge thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
… (mehr)