Wedding Issues
Elle Evans

I just devoured this book on vacation, I couldn’t put it down. I loved it all, the characters, the plot and the Nashville setting, a city I had the pleasure of visiting several years ago. After my four day stay, I consider myself one of the city’s biggest fans as well as an expert.

I tried to come up with the best summary of this book, but nothing was better than the one the publisher wrote. Why mess with perfection?

“Competition for a bridal magazine cover unleashes mayhem, forcing a mastermind maid of honor to stop being a people pleaser and start figuring out what she wants out of life.

Olivia, “Liv” Fitzgerald is on ambition autopilot. The soon-to-be lawyer has her life plan set and can talk anyone into anything. Well, almost anything. When her scheming aunt throws her cousin, Kali into a competition for Southern Charm ‘s cover alongside Liv’s best friend Leighton, all hell breaks loose”

As if this book wasn’t great enough on its own, the author is a practicing anesthesiologist. Wow!

I'm currently planning my wedding and am in the midst of all the pre-wedding celebrations, so this book couldn't have come at a better time! Luckily, I'm not publicly competing for magazine coverage, though.

I love a "goofy wedding escapades" story--whether in book or movie form--so the description of this book seemed right up my alley. I enjoyed following along with Olivia as she struggled with what to do. Do evil aunts like hers exist in real life?? I really appreciated Olivia's character arc--if you're not liking her at first, keep reading, it's worth it.

There's a bit of a romance in this one as well, although most of the plot is humor. Unfortunately, Olivia's love story didn't take the turn I wanted it to, but the romance is minor so I wasn't too upset.

Read this if you're in the mood for drama, pranks, and evil family members! I could totally see this book becoming a classic wedding comedy movie like 27 dresses. It's a really fun read!

Thank you Zibby books for the review copy of Wedding Issues, this is great light read for late Spring vacation plans and for summer trips. This is the kind of fun read for waiting in an airport, sitting by a pool, sitting while you wait for a kid's sports practice to finish...

Wedding Issues is fun with a focus on weddings and family chaos and influencers stuff and some "evil aunt" family drama. It's funny but also a coming of age story and that is what stands out for me the most. The wedding stuff and funny moments and the family drama were great but it was the main character and her story that mattered to me. I still don't know if I liked Liv but I understood her, she was full steam ahead on pathways I don't think she really understood but they mattered to her or so she thought. She is really very similar to how I think a lot of high performing college students and early twentysomethings are/were...

But I just wanted her to slow down and think about herself, see the people around her for all they were trying to let her see and how she was being invited into their lives. And ultimately that is what the story was for me and I wish it had leaned a little more into that big theme, a little less into somewhat distracted by the magazine contest and how that plot developed but it was also fun and did move the bigger story themes ahead. But the evil aunt, two weddings/magazine contest, law school, romance, friends stuff was also a lot to put into one story when it was meant to be a fairly light escapist read.

So this ends up being a liked it a lot because I got invested in Liv's story but I would like to see a next book from this author lean away from fitting in a lot of plot and more into character development.

Spring has sprung, temps are rising, snow is melting, and flowers will soon be blooming. You all know what that means! Wedding bells will soon be ringing! Ha! Wedding Issues by Elle Evans is the perfect book to read leading up to wedding season. This one was an absolute delight, my friends! I must admit that I was a little hesitant to pick it up at first. I thought it might be a little too cheesy and/or fluffy for my liking. Boy, was I ever wrong. It had the perfect mix of everything I love: family drama, female friendship, romance, and SO many hilarious moments! It’s rom-com perfection. Oh, and the title of the book is very clever. Once you get into the story, you’ll realize just how genius it is.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Southern fiction with loads of charm
- Wedding planning and prepping
- Female friendship
- Shenanigans and sabotage
- Some (not so) friendly competition
- Bridal magazines
- Complicated mother/daughter relationships
- Rom-coms heavier on the com, rather than the rom
- Social media and influencer lifestyle
- LGBTQ+ representation
- Work/life balance

I have a feeling that I’ll see this one peeking out of many beach bags this summer. It’s so much fun. 4/5 stars for Wedding Issues! Grab your copy on release day, April 2nd!

Olivia is caught in the middle of planning weddings for her bff and her cousin when she accepts the title of maid of honor for both. Add a bridal magazine cover contest, a conniving aunt, and a her own future career in the mix and you have a recipe for disaster! Olivia takes the label “control freak” to a whole new level! Loved the behind the scenes look at wedding planning. The magazine cover contest took me back to the days I waited for that the next issue of Seventeen to come in the mail. Some pretty outrageous meddling by the evil aunt made for good entertainment, but honestly, most of us would sever those family ties. That was the only part I had difficulty choking down. But this book is a drama filled, guilty pleasure!! We all need those now and then.

I unabashedly adore this book. It is COMPLETELY different than my own life: a young woman starting her career just happens to be the maid of honor for two people competing in a contest to earn a spot on the coveted cover of Southern Charm magazine. She’s from the South, crisscrosses from Tennessee to Georgia and surrounds herself with all things amazing. The exact opposite of me. So yes, I escaped my own reality to live in the cutthroat, yet incredibly funny, world of Olivia, her devious Aunt Charlotte, her family and friends and maybe even a love interest….or two. But what I didn’t expect was an incredible sense of I WANT THAT. I was so completely taken with each of the characters and wanted to literally walk into the pages and experience it all. This book made me think about my own life, the ways I try to control EVERYTHING and the reminder that there is always room for flexibility…the most magical things might happen there. So now, I’ve added visiting Tennessee and Georgia to my bookish bucket list, reminded myself that the little things matter to our life experience and pledge to go after them. This was an uplifting, funny yet complex, and all-in kind of book and since we are coming into the traditional wedding season, it’s perfect timing, too. Go read this!

This book definitely kept me on my toes. I had no idea what Liv was going to do next. I hate that the contest impacted her relationship with her cousin, but at the same time it did bring them closer together. The craziness of her aunt to sabotage Leighton's events in such a bad way was ridiculous, but the more we found out about her, and what he end goal was, the more it made sense. The tidbits into Nashville life were also fun and best friends brother is one of my favorite tropes! Overall, it was a really cute, easy read!

A romp of a novel about the madness of wedding planning gone wild. Liv is a sensible woman but she's gotten herself in a mess. Her BFF Leighton and and her cousin Kali are both getting married and she's the maid of honor for both. And. they're competing to be the cover story of a bridal magazine. This isn't a rom com but it's a hoot. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Synopsis - Competition for a Southern bridal magazine cover unleashes mayhem, forcing a mastermind maid of honor to stop being a people pleaser and start figuring out what she wants out of life. A hilarious, smart coming-of-age story.

At first, this book was too much for me. A contrived plot device, unlikeable main character, and repetitive use of A. B. C. lists throughout the story almost made me DNF. What I loved, though, were the descriptions of the wedding-related events for both brides which was enough to keep me going, and I’m glad I did. I could tell the author was very familiar with Nashville, but less so with Atlanta, where some of the descriptions seemed inaccurate.

Overall, I thought it was a cute book. Not my favorite and not terrible. Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Wedding Issues: A Novel
4👰👰👰👰
By: Elle Evans

This novel is such a light hearted and fun novel.
👰
Olivia life is chaotic. She is trying to find a job while finishing up law school. Her best friend Leighton is getting married and Olivia is trying to get her on the cover of Southern Charm.
👰
Olivia’s aunt Charolette finds out about the cover opportunity and wants her daughter Kali to have the cover.
👰
Let the games begin as it becomes a competition. Olivia persuades the magazine sees this as a unique opportunity. Olivia is now caught in the middle of this drama as her aunt talks her to being maid of honor for both.
👰
Can Olivia navigate family, friendship and a possible relationship?

Thank you Zibby Books for this advanced copy. This novel is out April2, 2024.

Wedding Issues is a little 27 Dresses meets Bride Wars, with a dash of Legally Blonde sprinkled in, and it made for the most delicious debut.

Olivia Fitzgerald can talk her way in and out of anything, which is perfect because she’s going to be a lawyer practicing Big Law in NYC when she finishes 3L in Nashville. When she finds herself as maid of honor for not one, but two weddings mere weeks apart, Olivia must put her negotiation skills to the test to secure one of her lucky brides a coveted cover on Southern Charm magazine. But which one will she help win?

Throw in a scheming aunt, her best friend’s dreamy brother and double the bridal event drama and you have yourself Elle Evans’ hilarious debut. I especially enjoyed the fresh takes on the bridal shower and bachelorette parties, and the sprinkles of romance to break up all the bridal drama. While this is being released as a rom-com, I think there’s not really enough emphasis on the rom to make it one. Rather, I think this is definitely a strong women’s fiction novel. Perfect for your beach bag, this one comes out April 2nd from your favorite local indie.

Thank you to Elle Evans, Zibby Books and NetGalley for an early e-copy of the book for an honest review.

Every so often I will read a book then find myself checking to see what genre it's listed under. In this case, Wedding Issues is listed as a contemporary romance and I've got to admit, I don't agree with this at all. The is it, isn't it that plagues this book is going to leave romance readers disappointed. I think Wedding Issues is a woman's fiction book.

The overall story is ridiculous and funny. Liv has planned her life out to the final detail but when she becomes the Maid of Honor to her best friend Leighton and her cousin, Kali, with the cover of a big magazine on the line; nothing ever seems to go the way Liv envisions it. Liv is a Type A person, as a fellow Type A person I didn't find her as grating as other reviewers mentioned. I also thought the queer representation was done well throughout the book, but I would have liked to see less assumptions behind Aunt Charlotte's motives being made and more dialogue. The real standout character in Wedding Issues was Adithya. Down to earth, witty and charming, I really enjoyed his ability to pop Liv's balloon and call her out. I felt Will, the romantic interest, was unnecessary. Their conversations bordered on something I'd expect out of a middle grade romance---wholly unlikable and zero chemistry with Liv, I just couldn't connect.

If you enjoy reality TV show, loads of family drama and manipulation then Wedding Issues is for you. But be warned, this isn't going to be the romance of your dreams and the ending leaves entirely too much unsaid.

Thank you Zibby Books for the gifted ARC!

****Publishing April 2, 2024****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Olivia’s life is hectic, trying to finish law school and securing her job offer. She is also helping her best friend, Leighton, win the opportunity to be the bride for the cover for Southern Charm Magazine. When her Aunt Charlotte hears about the opportunity, she decides to make it a competition, so her daughter Kali can win it. Her Aunt pressures Olivia to be maid of honor for both brides. Depending on who wins, it will either help Olivia to boost her career or help secure her relationship with her boyfriend, Will. With Aunt Charlotte sabotaging Leighton’s wedding planning, will this affect her chance to win? Who will win in the end? Will it be as easy as it seems? This highly entertaining read will have you turning the pages to find out.

If you are looking for a fun, light and entertaining read that will make you laugh, then add this book to your TBR list! If you are fans of wedding-themed TV shows, then this book will be appealing! A great book to take on vacation!

Thanks to Zibby Books, I was provided an ARC of Wedding Issues by Elle Evans via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #WeddingIssues #NetGalley

this was so fun! i loved the vibes and the writing! i will definitely get this for my library collection!!!!!!!!!!!

Elle Evans' debut novel is an absolute joy to read! A true romcom that I devoured quickly. I will say that I felt a bit anxious reading some of the mishaps that were happening which is great because it evoked the emotion that a reader should have when they invest themselves into the characters. I loved Elle's writing and felt I was experiencing exactly what the characters were going through in the moment.

This is a fun read that has twists which don't seem plausible and yet, you'll be wondering if some of these things could really happen...and I'm sure they could and probably have!

Book Review: Wedding Issues: A Novel
Stars: 4 X 5
Author: Elle Evans
Publisher: Zibby Books

Olivia “Liv” Fitzgerald is a driven young woman. She keeps her life structured and planned. She has one more year of Law School to complete. All is going well until her nasty aunt decides to play a game with Liv’s best friend Leighton and her cousin Kali. They are both contenders for the cover of Southern Charm Magazine. Liv wants to keep the Aunt Charlotte happy and doing her best to help with Kali’s wedding. Liv is also doing everything she can to ensure that Leighton gets the cover the magazine. It is a bit chaotic for Liv as she is trying to finish law school, be a great friend to Leighton and work diligently with Kali for her wedding. She has many engagements she has to attend. She had engagement parties, rehearsal dinners and so much more wedding planning to navigate. Liv does her best to balance it all together without going nuts. Liv goes through so much as she learns to navigate all of this. During this time she learns about true friendship, happiness, family dynamic and love.

If you have ever been involved in planning any part of a wedding, you will hugely relate to everything in this book. It was a great fun read.

The premise of the book was fun, two brides trying to win the cover of a magazine. I loved Olivia’s character but could have cared less for the romance, which made me a little sad because it’s suppose to be a rom com. But regardless it was fun to read

2.5⭐️ and ONLY because some of the stuff that happened in this book was mildly hilarious.
I struggled to get through this book as there was no real plot and it was slow moving/repetitive.

maybe i didn’t love it because it felt like i was watching an episode of housewives and i usually save that type of chaos for my tv watching instead of book reading?
there is only a little romance, it mostly follows Olivia who is the MOH of two weddings a week apart and the two brides are competing to be on the cover of a magazine.
Thank you Zibby and NetGalley for the arc of this book!

Wedding issues is a funny, smart coming-of-age story perfect for readers of Emily Henry or Christina Lauren.

Liv finds herself maid of honor for two weddings each competing for the bridal cover of a magazine. She tries to pitch her best friend for a magazine cover, then gets pulled into a family rivalry and now the two brides are competing for the issue. Liv prides herself on being able to talk anyone into anything, a trait she’s counting on for her future as a lawyer, so this task should be easy for her. What follows is a clever unveiling of engagement parties, cake tastings, wedding dress shopping and rehearsal dinners that will have you rooting for Liv as she balances all these demands.

Full of unique and crazy characters, this story sends the reader on a ride full of ups and downs as Liv learns about herself along the way. The representation of an LBBTQ+ couple, dysfunctional family dynamics and a forbidden love interest fill out the plot in this entertaining and fast debut novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zibby Books for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

At first, I found the premise so far-fetched that it seemed unrealistic. However, as the story went on, I found myself wanting to find out how it unfolds in this Bride Wars duel.

The cover catches your eye quickly, and the story accurately captures the organized chaos that is wedding planning. The romance wasn’t my favorite but it still remains a fun rom com for other readers.

Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for this ARC.