I received an ARC copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has no impact on my review/thoughts.

Rating: 3 stars

I’ve read Since You’ve Been Gone and The Unexpected Everything from Morgan Matson and I’ve to say while Save the Date was entertaining to read, I wasn’t as invested as I was for the former two books. However, compared to those two, I got into Save the Date faster, which is pretty much when J.J., one of Charlie’s older brothers, made appearance.

Speaking of J.J., it’s obvious that this book focuses on the family more than anything. While the family dynamic was amazing, I didn’t feel connect to any of the characters at all. The only one I liked was J.J. because of how funny and random he is even so I didn’t connect with him either. I mean all of them were funny but J.J. just stood out for me. Charlie, on the other hand, did annoy me a bit. She’s so into her family bubble that she would ignore and being mean toward others (her best friend and other people). She did and said things before thinking about it, which could hurt other and this made her selfish in some way. In addition, she got sidetracked so easily that it became super annoying, especially when this started to happen in Chapter 2… She would think of doing something important but then totally forget about it and do something else because one of her family members appears.

As for the plot, it was unrealistic and made me feel like one day actually had more than 24 hours or the characters just don’t sleep. Although everything that happened could possibly happen in real life, it just felt unnatural/surreal when it all happened back to back on the same day/weekend. It was as mentioned in the synopsis: chaotic days. Speaking about plot, it’s supposed to be on this big wedding date for Charlie’s older sister but because of all those unrealistic events that kept on happening, it overshadowed the wedding itself. I felt any emotion for the wedding at all.

One thing I absolutely love: Andie and Clark cameo! Morgan Matson even gave us some update about their story in this book, which was amazing and I really loved it!

In overall, it was an entertaining read but definitely a bit too long and unrealistic. Again, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC!

Save the Date by Morgan Matson would have been a great movie, as a movie it would have made me laugh so much with all the unrealistic events that happen. But as a book I thought the story was draged out. At times I felt like I was watching a romcom instead of reading a book. I really like how the family was portrayed, Charlie was all about family and we don't see that a lot in books, especially in young adult. The fact that this was not a romance book made me so happy. Yes there is a little bit of romance, but it's not the center of attention. But with that being said, Charlie was not a good friend at all, actually she was not the best character I ever read about. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, I wanted to, but they were so unrelateable. They were all definitely a fiction family, the ending was super predictable.

Overall I did enjoy this book but it’s definitely not my favorite book of hers. Save the Date is a nice summer read, but don't expect your life to be changed after reading this book.

DNF
I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood for this one but I just couldn't get into it. I enjoyed the family aspect of it but there was just something stopping me from loving it the way I loved Matson's other books. Maybe I'll try again after it comes out and I'm in the mood for a contemporary.

I had a lot of trouble getting into the story... at first, i really tought there were too many characters to the strory, and because of that number...i could just not get attached to any of them... Il still kept on reading and my overall comment on Save the date is that it's an okay book. I liked it, but will not be rereading it. finishing it was an effort.

Morgan Matson just gained a new fan.

This book was a mess, but it was such a great mess. Essentially the plot can be summed up with if something could go wrong at Charlie's sister's wedding, then it will. Plus the business of a 7-person household. Charlie is the youngest of her five siblings and is coming to terms with things changing within her family; the home she grew up on is being sold, the comic strip her mom has been writing for decades is coming to an end, and she's trying to decide where college will take her next year. The book takes place over three days (plus a mini epilogue) and we get so much over the course of those few days.

First off, I became totally immersed with the characters in this book. We learn so much about the different family members, and it's super easy to relate to the family. I, myself, am from a busy household so this busy hectic event seems far from being unrealistic. Being the oldest child of my family, I couldn't relate entirely to Charlie as she's the youngest, but she was well-written so I could immerse myself into her story. I began to love this family and there was even a point they almost made me cry (if a book makes me cry, it's a good book). Matson nailed it on the family dynamic.

The story was constantly moving. I found it dragged a bit in the beginning and there was some scenes I was just ready to be over with, but once it picked up, I was hooked and had a hard time putting the book down. It was a bit longer than I'm usually used to for contemporaries, and this book could've been a bit shorter, but overall I was content with the pacing and content.

There were some character dynamics that bugged me (view spoiler), but overall most of my issues were resolved by the end of the story. Charlie had many great internal revelations and I grew to really appreciate her as a character.

Overall, I'm super impressed with this story because I'm not always the biggest when it comes to contemporaries, but this one left me wanting to jump right into another Matson book. So 10/10 I will recommend this book to people who are interested. From the sounds of it, this book gives what a reader is used to receiving with a Matson novel, so fans will not be disappointed.

This ended up being a semi-decent story but it took a long time to get into and enjoy. The only reason I kept reading is because it was available on my phone when I didn't have anything else to do. I felt it was over the top with everything that could go wrong, going wrong. And it wasn't believable that this high school student was the only one who was able to know and handle everything. It seemed like a very formulaic plot line that an adult authoring a ya novel writes to get views instead of actually writing something good.

Save The Date by Morgan Matson was a little different than I expected. There was almost no romance, it was actually centered on family. I liked it a lot. You can never go wrong with a Matson book. Perfect for summer!

Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook copy.

I fell in love with this book when I seen the cover, and when as I read the book I found myself laughing from cover to cover. From the added comic strips, to the family drama, to the "rented for the weekend" dog named Waffles, to the fact that anything and everything that could have gone wrong the weekend of the wedding basically did go wrong....This book was simply hilarious and heartwarming. A perfect rom-com for a sunny summer afternoon.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it!

If you're looking for a fun summer read you HAVE TO READ SAVE THE DATE. I'm so tempted to write this entire post in caps lock because this was such a fun read. If you're going to the beach or sitting on your deck or even hibernating inside because it's too hot outside you have to have this book in your hands. Trust me. I don't usually read contemporary and chick-lit is one of those hit or miss for me but this was clear perfection. I'm definitely rambling now but that's how you know I loved a book :)

Well written however a little too long to hold my interest . I kept moving on to other books and going back

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. #SaveTheDate #NetGalley
-I don't think it should be categorized for young readers. Certainly not after reading the prologue, and chapters 24-25.
-LOL funny from the beginning. Over-the-top unbelievable situations coming one after the other. It came as a bit too much, though, because really, who had ever had to live through all that?
-The heroine is mostly living through the comic strips - a fantasy - up until she (really) opens her eyes and starts to make new assessments of her world and those who live in it.
-Unusual: The youngest member of the family takes care of absolutely everything; she's the one who's called during an emergency or to fix some kind of problem.
-I thought the extended family and friends were a bit disrespectful of the bride and groom and their immediate family. It's plausible but there were too many of them.
-Fact: It was mentioned a few few times that the wedding day was the happiest day for Rodney and Linnea. If they think that’s their happiest, then they are doomed the next day because it’s downhill from there...

This is a contemporary book done right. There are so few contemporaries that have this amount of drama, laughter and heartfelt moments.

Save the Date is a little ridiculous. So much goes wrong. It's definitely like watching a romcom. There are wacky hijinks that are absolutely impossible to believe - but Matson makes it work. Most importantly she balances out the humour and wacky antics with genuine touching family moments.

The characters in this book are SO well done. Each sibling, parent, extended family member, and friend feels real. Even the ones who get limited screentime feel like people I know in real life. No character is cast in an entirely faultless or entirely negative (except Don, screw Don) light. Despite that, just like the Grants from the fictional Grant Central Station comic this is a family you want to be a part of. 

Speaking of Grant Central Station the included comics were absolutely charming. It reminded me a lot of For Better or For Worse a comic that I personally grew up with. I wish there had been more and honestly the portions of the book focusing on their mother's comic were some of the most exciting for me. There was this intense sense of nostalgia even though it wasn't real.

There's so much going on in this book but ultimately it's a story about growing up. About learning that people are all human. They're messy, and good, and bad, and most importantly complicated. Charlie is a fantastic protagonist who, over the court of only a few fast-paced days, learns to accept that change is inevitable but not necessarily bad.

This is a YA read that I would champion to become a film. It has all the right elements, a fantastic cast and an exciting plot. My only nitpick would be that the beginning of the novel was a bit slow until the real story started but overall this is one of my favourite contemporaries by far. I was not a fan of Matson before, but I am now.

Such a brilliant read!
I thought I was reading a romance, and it was, but it was so much more than that too. It was a family, and their lives. There were moments that felt so raw and real, and moments when I laughed along with them. If this was a movie, it would be one helluva cast of characters. Each person was unique and had me wanting to know more about them.
The Grant family. What a family indeed.
I hope, even though this story completely ended, that there will be another book. I want to know what life is like after the divorce. Where does Charlie go when she goes home from university? These burning questions will linger in my mind.
Another great read from Morgan Matson. She is quickly becoming a YA favorite of mine.

This was so cute! The characters were so charming! The dialogue was great and I couldn't get enough of their banter with each other. The whole book read like a movie and although the plot fell into many obvious cliches it worked well. I enjoyed the fact this book only gave us a tiny hint at potential romance but that the focus was on the relationships between siblings and the family. I do wish that the Mike/parents storyline was explored a bit more, it sorta felt as though it got resolved out of nowhere and nothing was really discussed...? But overall, this was definitely a quick, cute read and I'd definitely recommend!

This book was incredible. Unlike other Morgan Matson stories, where the romance plot is given the spotlight, Save the Date puts the Grant family front and center. That's not to say there isn't some romance, but it comes secondary to everything that is happening with this big family and it really gives room for a YA story that is about family, growing up, and dealing with change.

As usual the writing is on point, sweeping you along so that you immediately feel like you've been transplanted directly in the Grant's house. Despite only taking place across three days and with a large cast no less the story does not feel shallow or overwhelming in any way, managing to weave every plot together intricately and with care. I fell hard for this entire family and their hilarious wild attempt to hold a wedding. The events in the story were a little over the top and perhaps unlikely to happen, but the characters were all viscerally real and human, by the end of the story I felt like I actually knew them. Each character is given space to breathe, to be revealed as fully developed and well fleshed out. More than that their entangled relationships with each other, the complexities of sibling relationships, were also showcased and explored in depth.

If you already love Morgan Matson's books then you'll love this one too. For those new to Matson's world you'll adore it too if you're looking for a story with some emotional depth, a story about families, especially a story about siblings and all their differences and intricacies.

Morgan Matson did it again! I fell in LOVE with this book. Each page was incredibly riveting. The family dynamic was so incredible - it made me want to be part of the Grant's crazy life! I don't want to spoil this book for you - but all I can say is READ IT. Put it on your TBR and wish list! It's a completely heartwarming and humours young adult contemporary that focuses more on relationships than insta-love. 10/10 recommend!

I loved this! It was everything I could have asked for in a family drama. I need these books every once in a while. The kind you don’t have to analyze everything to try and figure things out, you can just sit back and enjoy. And I enjoyed it. The characters were well written and I could just feel the stress that I’m sure Linnie and Rodney were feeling as one thing after another went wrong before their wedding. The characters had their flaws obviously (hence some of the drama) but they’re a close loving family. And that matters. Charley was relatable. A lot of the characters were.
Five stars!

Save the date is another amazing release from Morgan Matson. I seriously could not stop laughing through out the whole book.
The main character Charlie is your typical puppy love struck teenager who is also the youngest sibling of six. She is the last one living at home as she finishes up high school and her parents get ready to sell their house. The same home Charlie has ever known and the inspiration for mother comic strip. Save the date follows her as she prepares for a reunion of her family for her sisters wedding and to see her estranged brothers best friend who she has had feelings for since she was younger. However, as the weekend of the wedding unfolds, havoc follows and feuds continue creating the perfect coming of age comedy.
Save the date is the perfect read for when you need a funny novel about family and all of their disfunctions. It reminds me of a teen movie but in book form. Fans of sixteen candles would surely enjoy this novel. I can’t think of any faults other than it being a little predictable at times. I love the messages wound throughout the story and the end. It is one of my top young adult picks of 2018 and a must read.

What a cute book! It had more to it than I was expecting, I thought it would be a little frolicky with a sweet romance, but there really wasn't very much romance, it was more about family. I loved the dynamic between the siblings and the parents.

The wedding planning had me on the edge of my seat with worry as things kept going wrong! I'm so glad my own wedding is over with so I don't have to be extra anxious about planning.

This was a really fun read, I will be reading more of Morgan Matson's books very soon!

The disaster wedding is a tired trope we’ve all seen before. Throughout this book, I cringed at the predictable plot lines as everything that could go wrong with Charlie’s older sister’s wedding did go wrong. An MIA wedding planner, mixed up decorations, the wrong wedding band, feuding family members, a freeloading uncle, and a destroyed wedding cake... pretty sure we’ve seen all these plots in romantic comedies before.

I was surprised, then, when this book turned out to be much more than its cover and the main wedding disaster storyline would suggest. Matson wrote the Grant family, a large family with five kids, as complex characters, each one having their own character traits and faults. The other major storyline, the end of a long-running For Better or for Worse-style comic strip that Charlie’s mother wrote, and was not-so-loosely based on the real Grant family, adds complexity and a plot point that feels fresh and new, which made me feel like the wedding tropes were forgivable. Ultimately, this book is about families, and growing up, and change, and all the good stuff the best YA novels explore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for proving me an eARC of this book.