This book was just too heavy for me, and almost became a DNF. I know it will be up some readers' alleys, but for me, I just wasn't expecting it to be so deep and at times depressing.

A wonderful read with charming characters and an engaging plot!! I look forward to reading more by this author.

A very heavy read. This was like a roller coaster ride of emotions. At times even depressing. A very well written book. Kudos to Madeline Ash for writing this with complete control on the characters

This was a really good emotional heartfelt read it was so well written and I hooked right until the very end. If like me you enjoy a good friends to lovers romance then you are going to just love Emmie and Bran's story this is a great read and I would recommend it to all.

I have loved Madeline Ash's work in the past and was very much looking forward to THE WEDDING OBSESSION. It sounded like a wonderful take on the Return to Me storyline. That said, this book was heavy in every way. It was depressing and dark and its treatment of the transplant storyline and the nature and development of the protagonists' romance felt hugely problematic to me. So much so that I felt unsettled and unhappy upon finishing it.

I found this one to be a very emotional, heart-wrenching read with endearing characters and a plot that wraps around you and pulls you in from the very beginning. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read stories that touch the heart.

I found this book unbelievably boring and hard to follow along with. I was daydreaming about other things well reading this whole book. I also felt there wasn’t much of a connection between Emmie and Bran. This book was very boring and im glad i didnt pay for it. I will not be looking into other books by this author.

The Wedding Obsession was a quick read that I found to be just okay. I was hoping for a lot of swoony romance and sweet details about Emmie’s newfound obsession with weddings, but instead was met with Emmie’s animosity over her “condition”. While I understand her feelings, especially seeing how adverse she was to the idea of marriage before her surgery, I think it still would have been nice to see Emmie embracing her obsession a little bit more, even if only in private.

I did really like the explanation that was given for why Emmie suddenly woke up after receiving a heart transplant to have an uncontrollable urge to propose to her best friend, Bran. I think that it was a thought-provoking explanation, and whether or not it is actually a plausible reason, I think that it fits well with the story.

I give The Wedding Obsession 3/5 stars. I didn’t dislike the story, but I thought that there were areas where it could have been told in a different way that would have done a better job.

I was not prepared for this book, not at all. I was expecting something quite fluffy with some serious undertones. Nope, this book is serious all the way through, and at times completely broke my heart, mended it, then smashed it all to bits again. Which is kind of fitting in a book about a heart-transplant and the struggle the heroine has to recover from it.

I really enjoyed it, and aspects of the end left me in absolute pieces, but it isn’t always an easy book to read. Emotions run high throughout, but it’s Emmie that makes things difficult. I understood why. She’s got a new heart and is completely torn up with survivor’s guilt as well as deeper psychological issues. Everything she is and has always been has changed, but the circumstances are difficult and she’s struggling to get through it alone because she doesn’t want to drag her family and Bran through any more stress.

All of which means we don’t see much of the real Emmie in this book. She needs help but is afraid to reach for it, which makes her push everyone away and means she doesn’t treat Bran at all well. Which makes her hard to like – and yet, with everything she’s struggling with, I felt so badly for her. The wedding obsession and the reasons for it were incredibly thought-provoking, but painful too, and just another thing that held the real Emmie back.

Bran I had no trouble with. I loved him. He is, perhaps, a little too perfect in the way he will do pretty much anything he possibly can for Emmie, but he’s also really lovely. The blog posts were beautiful, and also offered nice insights into who Emmie was before her transplant.

So if you’re looking for an emotional, unusual romantic read, you might want to try this. It’s not always easy, but it is very thought-provoking and certainly made me think deeper about transplants, from both sides of the operation. Madeline Ash rarely disappoints, and this is one of her most memorable. I look forward to whatever she writes next.

The Wedding Obsession is Book number one in the Morgan Sister Brides series by Madeline Ash. This is Emmie Morgan and Brandon “Bran” Tan’s story.

This is an emotional story. Bran and Emmie have been friends for years but circumstances drove them apart. Now, Bran is back in town. Can Bran and Emmie repair their friendship and take a chance on love?

Bran and Emmie have been through so many struggles. My heart hurt for them as they worked through these struggles. I fell in love with Bran. Emmie’s character holds back from letting others really see what she is feeling. This makes it harder to find a connection with Emmie but considering what she has gone through in life you get a better understanding of her character. A moving heartfelt romance with so many layers of emotions.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This book is a friends to lovers story with a bit of a twist. Overall the story didn't really work for me but it is well written with nicely developed characters and a unique storyline for this trope. It's a quick easy read so I think some will really enjoy it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am sorry to admit I couldn’t finish the book. I read to almost the half way point. The book dragged, the characters were a little odd but I just didn’t click with it.

Man, oh, man! This is quite a book! The writing blew me away and drew me in completely. Ms. Ash has a fabulous way with her words in describing the thoughts, doubts, insecurities, and emotions of the characters of Emmie Morgan and Brandon Tan. It is a not to miss book and one that I will definitely reread.
Emmie Morgan gets a heart transplant and in a morphine haze, asks her best friend, Brandon Tan, to marry her. He deep down loves her and says "Yes!." The next day, she recants and breaks his heart in the process. The problem is that Emmie now has an obsession with weddings that she never had before the transplant. Brandon leaves her and pursues his devotion to learning to cook in Barcelona. When he returns, Emmie knows she has to repair the damage she has done and admitting her obsession is one of the things she needs to do. Brandon is in the crosshairs but he refuses to ever say yes to her again.
This is such a great story and well worth your time.

I really enjoyed this book. I think it will be a big hit when it is published. Very well written and character development

The Wedding Obsession is such an emotion packed romance, one that will linger in your mind and heart long after the final page. Emmie and Bran have been best friends for years, and hidden from each other more than friends. Brandon has loved Emmie but he's not willing to risk their close friendship to push for anything more between them, what he feels for her beyond friendship he'll just keep to himself. Emmie's heart condition has always been there, not truly between them, but certainly an awareness of the fragility of life has been a constant companion. When Emmie receives the gift of life from an organ donation life changes for them both, and in unusual ways. Upon awakening and finding Bran at her bedside she made an impulsive request to marry her. Half aware, partly still under the influence of the operation that saved her life, Emmie has blurted out her deepest secret and ruined the comfortable friendship she and Bran had shared. Yes, one life giving operation has indeed changed lives forever - now how do they get the friendship back, or move on to something even more lasting, a love to last a new lifetime.

The layers of emotion in The Wedding Obsession really need to be experienced firsthand. I don't know that I can convey to you the sadness that the break between Bran and Emmie felt to me, the understanding of survivor's guilt that crept into their relationship. Bran's consistent love for this woman that he felt needed to remain hidden or his devastation at the loss of that friendship. I was easily swept into their world, the decisions and mistakes at times broke my own heart. A couple that belong together yet are kept apart due to their own issues and emotions. Their romance is emotional, at times frustrating and completely satisfying by the ending. If you love a really good romance full of emotions, then I'd highly recommend The Wedding Obsession.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Should you always listen to your heart, especially when it is a new heart to Emmie? Emmie wakes up after her heart transplant and asks her best friend, Brandon to marry her. Of course he immediately said yes but what a way to ruin a friendship when she re-nigs on the proposal. Fast forward one year, Bran returns home after being abroad to open his own restaurant. She tries to make amends to Bran, while still having to deal with survivor guilt and her secret wedding obsession.

I so enjoyed this emotional book, organ donation is the most wonderful gift that you can give and receive. Being in the medical field I have dealt with this many times. Loved the relationship that Bran and Emmie had and the journey that they took to make amends. Great characters with wonderful dialogue. I highly recommend this book.

I totally enjoyed reading The Wedding Obsession by Madeline Ash, book one in her Moore Sisters Brides series. When Emmie Morgan awoke after heart transplant surgery she asked her best friend Brandon Tan to marry her. This was not like Emmie as she never cared about marriage. Fast forward one year and a healthy Emmie is running her dream music venue, still battling survivor’s guilt, and keeping her wedding obsession secret in her closet. Bran returns from Barcelona to open a restaurant and in need of answers. Emmie is frustrated and wishes she could understand her fixation with weddings. As these two focus on repairing their friendship, they agree to seek possibilities and causes for Emmie’s obsession.

This was an unusual romance story with many layers. Emmie and Bran are truly soul mates, wanting the best life has to offer for each other. The search for answers and reasons brings them closer and in love.

I was deeply affected from reading this book. My sister unexpectedly died from a brain aneurysm, devastating all close to her. She was also a donor and six people benefitted from her death. We received a moving letter from the husband of the recipient of her lungs, telling us how grateful they were.

Ms. Ash wrote a wonderful and moving story that is not to be missed. This story is filled with fun dialogue and endearing characters. I highly recommend this book to other readers and look forward to the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

The Wedding Obsession by Madeline Ash
Emmie Morgan woke up from heart transplant surgery, saw her best friend Brandon Tan sitting by her bedside, and promptly asked him to marry her. If there was a faster way to ruin a friendship, she didn’t know it.
One year on, Bran has returned home to open a restaurant and Emmie adds trying to make amends to her already chaotic life. She’s also running her own music venue, battling survivor’s guilt—oh, and secretly tending a wedding obsession sprung from her near-death experience.
Bran needs answers. But all Emmie has are problems. Hating that he couldn’t help her last time, he resolves to ease the trouble in her eyes. He sets aside their attraction and awkward past and tries to focus on being friends again.
If she would just stop trying on wedding dresses…
This is Emmie Morgan and Brandon Tan's story.
“She won’t stop asking for you, Bran.”
It wasn’t the first time Brandon Tan had entered the cardiac ward to be accosted by his best friend’s family. This evening, Emmie’s sister Lizzy stood literally half a step around the corridor corner, writing on her palm as she waited.
“Liz, hey.” He pulled up short, startled.
He found Emmie asleep. Her dark hair was braided and tucked behind her shoulders. She wore her hospital gown backward and parted down her chest, concealing her modesty while avoiding contact with the heavy-duty dressing running down her sternum. Her parted lips looked soft, no longer cracked and dry. Color had returned to her light skin, but she was still a paler wash of the girl he’d first met at school six years ago, straight-backed and somber, offering to help with his literature essay.
She wasn’t alone. Her mother Vera slept in a chair on one side of the bed, head against the wall, her neck at an unfortunate angle and features slack with the weight of exhaustion. Emmie’s eldest sister Carrie sat on the other side of the bed. She glanced up from her book, met his gaze, and resumed reading. She wasn’t into small talk, and the past few days had evidently emptied her supply of public displays of recognition. Sleep deprivation puffed her eyelids—she looked as worn out as he felt. She wasn’t wearing a suit, and her short hair lay flat against her scalp. For nearly three months, she’d traded her executive office for a place by her sister’s bedside.
Bran placed his bag on the floor, a gentle lowering so as not to wake Emmie.
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."
I highly recommend reading.
The Wedding Obsession by Madeline Ash is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Madeline Ash
Madeline's Books with Tule:
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Rags to Riches
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Royal Holiday
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Breaking Good
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The Wedding Obsession

Not a “Was told I was dying story but one of I am finally well story”; The Wedding Obsession by Madeline Ash is quite unique. This is the first time I have read anything like this. It is romance, but the focus seems to be more on friendship and how to sabotage it instead of letting it grow naturally into love.

The plot is evenly paced with one extremely likable character and one who is just plain odd. Emmie is dizzy with a capital D with her fixation on weddings to prove this point. Yes, it would be easy to see how she would want to live life to the fullest, not wasting one second, she had been given. The obsession with getting married, not being married is not so easy to understand.

Cute enough for a summer afternoon read. Brandon is the best reason for that. Seeing how Emmie thinks after surgery, then how the relationship progresses is also good reason to read.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Wedding Obsession is a truly touching love story. This is a deeply emotional read with complex layering that may not appeal to some readers, but I was drawn in from the first and the more I read, the more absorbed I became.
Emmie is a heart transplant recipient who struggles with both survivor guilt and an obsession with weddings that appears to have come along with the heart she has inherited. She’s driven to be worthy of the heart, knowing that somebody died so she could live. Tied in with all this guilt is even more guilt over the fact that she pushed away her best friend Bran.
Bran has been in love with Emmie since they were teenagers but has been afraid to tell her because she’s his best friend and he doesn’t want to risk that friendship. Having Emmie push him away and then not contact him for a year has left him hurt and unwilling to risk his heart again. Of course he does, and with the patience of a saint he gently helps Emmie work through her issues and rebuild their relationship.
The story is beautifully written. Madeline Ash has a gift for digging deep into a character and drawing out the emotion, and in this story emotion is everywhere. I cried as I read Bran’s recipes and I desperately wanted him to be healed, just as I wanted Emmie to be healed, though frankly at times I couldn’t see how that could happen. Of course it all worked out in the end because ultimately this is a love story, but my goodness what a journey!