Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Oh gosh, I love Freya. She was fun and relatable (I definitely do that laugh and point dance thing for sure guilty as charged) and I thoroughly enjoyed her journey of healing after her breakup. That being said, the first several chapters of the book were hard for me to get through. She was so hurt and had completely shut out the love and support her friends and family wanted to give her. It was hard to read. But once Ruby and Leo came to the rescue and helped her set up the challenges to get her through the Wedding Season, I was hooked. We got to see Freya shine and really tackle how she was feeling. Her family and friends were so supportive and it was very heartwarming. There were also a lot of parts that I laughed out loud at. As someone who had 6 weddings last year (including my own) I definitely know what it's like to be deep in the Wedding Season. Freya's inner monologue was truly a delight. And Jaime was such a dear. Loved him entirely. But I did appreciate that her budding romance with Jaime did take a backseat to her healing process after her break with Matthew. It was very realistic but still really made you want to root for them. I enjoyed The Secret Bridesmaid, and The Wedding Season was just as good (if not better), so I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Birchall's future works!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

Was this review helpful?

This book is hilarious fun! Birchall is incredible at writing the perfect rom-com (a feat she accomplished in this book as well as ‘The Secret Bridesmaid’). The witty banter between the characters, the uniquely fun idea to have wedding season challenges to help our protagonist through, the strong females and their equally strong friendships, and the perfect slow burn romantic vibes/ perfect guy - this book has it all. Although the storyline is fairly predictable, this book more than makes up for its predictability with its ‘laugh out loud’ moments - of which there are many!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Griffin for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

The Wedding Season is a sweet and emotional tale about Freya, a woman who faced public heartbreak when her fiancé calls off thee wedding the day before. Hers was the first of 8 weddings of the season, and her friends rally around her with a list of challenges to help her survive the other weddings. Oh if all of us had a group of friends like this. They were a wonderful group of friends. It was witty and relatable, with a perfect slow burn romance that had me swooning at the end. This was a great read I highly enjoyed.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the e-ARC of this book! This was a cute novel about finding yourself and friendship. It's definitely more of a comedy than a romance but it was light and breezy for a summer read.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored this book. It was so much fun to read. The concept was brilliant and I really couldn’t have loved it more.

I thought the characters were so much fun. All of them. Even the one I hated.

This book made me feel good. It was exactly what I look for in a rom com and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really loved this authors' previous book, The Secret Bridesmaid, so the moment I heard about this book I knew I had to read it! And I'm happy I did! This was another delightful novel from Katy Birchall, and I would definitely recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Was this review helpful?

"The Wedding Season", by Katy Birchall, was a cute and delightful book! Freya Scott is getting married, and is so excited to marry the man of her dreams. However, the day before the wedding, he breaks up with her, insisting it's for the best and she'll thank him some day. Devastated and unsure about how she'll get through the 7(!) weddings she has ahead of her that summer, Freya's friends (who are delightful!) come up with a list of things she must accomplish throughout the summer. Ranging from being the last out on the dance floor to streaking down a hotel hallway, Freya is determined to complete these tasks. Along the way, she learns that she's braver and more fun than she ever realized. And it doesn't hurt if she meets someone fun, charming, and handsome, now does it!?

I really enjoyed this book. The romance was so fun, and the friendships were delightful. I will definitely read another book by Katy Birchall. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars

The Wedding Season tells the absolutely humorous and heartfelt story of bride-to-be Freya who, when left by her fiancée the day before their countryside wedding, is tasked by her best friends to do a series of increasingly zany challenges to help her chase away her sadness during the upcoming wedding season.

While this leans a little closer to women's fiction as Freya's new romance takes a bit of a back seat to the process of her finding herself again, I found this book to be an absolute delight. It's the kind of story where you tell yourself you will just read one more chapter and before you know it, you're halfway through the book. Birchall handles the humor in a way that doesn't feel overly quirky and I really appreciated how true to life Freya's grieving process for her former relationship felt. Honestly, my only gripe is that there is a scene with a traffic cone that gets referenced many times by multiple characters that we never get to see. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm definitely going to pick up her previous wedding-centric novel The Secret Bridesmaid as soon as possible!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Was this review helpful?

A fantastic read. From charming, funny, romantic etc, it is filled with all the emotions I most certainly love going through during a read! The characters are each lovable, as I most certainly enjoyed Freya and her growth through the book. The challenges were definitely a fun touch. This book is certainly one readers will get a kick out of.

Was this review helpful?

I was honestly so shocked at how much I enjoyed and loved The Wedding Season. It’s started off slow and really took off after Freya’s mishap of a wedding. I enjoyed throughly seeing Freya evolving into a more fearless person thanks to her supportive friends and understanding herself and why her relationship failed.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun read! A bit of a slow start, but over I really enjoyed it.

The wedding season follows Freya who is about to marry longtime boyfriend, Matthew. Unfortunately, the day before the wedding, Matthew tells her that he can’t go through with the wedding and calls it off.

Freya realizes she has 7 weddings to attend over the summer while going through her own heartbreak. With the help of her friends Leo and Ruby, they come up with a list of challenges for Freya to complete during her upcoming weddings to help her get over Matthew.

A fun and adorable rom-com that had me laughing out loud, enjoying the friendly banter between characters, and loving the fierce freindships. While there is some romance in the book, it is definitely not the main focus of the story and I like that the author chose to highlight Freya’s personal growth and the relationships of those close to her.

If you love weddings and you’re in the mood for a fun well written story about friendship, healing, and moving forward, definitely read this one.

The Wedding Season is available 5/3/22

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress and @katybirchallauthor for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC.

I loved this book! Freya, our main character, has just been dumped the day before her wedding, so her friends organize challenges for her to complete at upcoming weddings. There is romance in this book, although it is not the main focus. I actually preferred it that way because it allowed the focus of the story to be on Freya's growth after and acceptance of the breakup.

This book was funny and I mean it in a 'laugh out loud' way. Freya was awkward and kept landing in ridiculous scenarios that I couldn't help laughing at. From missing peacocks to cocktail orders behind palm trees, this book had it all.

Another aspect I loved was the side characters. Freya had amazing scenes with friends and family. I can't say too much more without spoiling, but there were some heart-to-hearts and motivational speeches. These side characters really helped shape the book.

The best part was easily Freya's growth. She had a rough start to her summer with the breakup, but she ultimately grew as a person and learned how to be happy on her own. There were some tough conversations but each one was important to her growth. It helped that she had a strong support system.

I highly recommend checking out the Wedding Season when it's released on May 3. I know I'll be picking up a physical copy.

Was this review helpful?

After 12 years of dating (and the day before their wedding), Matthew calls everything off. Livid, confused, and sad, Freya still has 7 friends' weddings to attend this wedding season. To survive the other weddings and take her mind off her own failed wedding, her two besties devise a plan: Freida must complete a pre-determined activity at each wedding, which range from being the last one dancing to securing a goodnight kiss. Easy, right?

Katy Birchall's last book 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝 was one of my favorite rom-coms in 2021. I can not forget the Star Wars Wedding! However, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 is different. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some funny moments, but this one was more heartfelt and relatable as the focus was on Freya's heartbreak and her path forward.

I wished we could have seen more of Freya and her new love interest Jaime, but I understand why it was left out. This was a story of Freya, moving on with her life single and leaning into her support system. And you know I love a book with great side characters and friends. 🥰

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

____________
Thank you to @stmartinspress, @katybirchall, and @netgalley for the advance copy of this book. It will hit the bookshelves on May 3rd!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katy Birchall for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored "The Wedding Season." I loved how each character, especially Freya, was fleshed out. I was a huge fan of Freya's sense of humor, the empowering female friendships that were a constant theme, and the plot; I'm not going to lie, I was hesitant to see how Leo and Ruby's plan would play out when it was presented! This book was unique and extremely well-written, making it a perfect summertime read. I'd highly recommend this novel to anyone and I can't wait to read what Birchall has planned next.

Was this review helpful?

This book was both delightfully funny and unexpectedly touching, which is an amazing combo, if you ask me.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Freya was such a delightful narrator and I was rooting so hard for her to find happiness after her world was inevitably flipped when her fiancée left her right before their wedding. Not only that, but she was funny and honest and just so vulnerable in a way that felt realistic, that I just wanted to wrap her up in a blanket, offer her some wine and watch a movie with her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The supporting characters were all equally funny and important and such a support for Freya. They just felt like real people and I kind of want to hang with them all, if you know what I mean? Can Leo and Ruby be my best friends, please and thank you.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The romantic aspect of this book was not the main focus of the book, so do be warned, but wow was it good. First things first, Jamie was a hoot and a delight and I kind of had a crush on him by the end too and his chemistry with Freya was very there. My one regret when it comes to their romance is that we did not get a play by play of the traffic cone incident, but other than that their relationship was *chef’s kiss* and I would gladly read more of the two of them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Was this review helpful?

Freya's fiancee breaks up with her the day before their wedding (in a broom closet no less!). She's devastated and now has to re-imagine her future as a single person while navigating eight other weddings this summer.

Freya is funny and strong and sometimes too together but she's surrounded by amazing friends and family. She's just gotta figure out how to thrive after being part of a couple for 12 years.

I loved The Wedding Season task list Ruby and Leo create for Freya. It gave her something to push her out of her comfort zone. I really loved all the different weddings and hen dos.

If you read The Secret Bridesmaid because I recommended it to you last summer, put this one in your beach bag. It's another funny, light, well-written book.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

Was this review helpful?

Everyone should have friends as wonderful as the two best friends in this engaging romantic comedy. Always known as the "three musketeers," Ruby, Leo and Freya support one another always. When Freya is unexpectedly dumped by her fiance of twelve years the day before their wedding, Ruby and Leo rise to the occasion and plan to get Freya back on track with her life. It turns out that Freya is scheduled to attend seven weddings throughout the summer, so Ruby and Leo devise a series of hilarious challenges Freya must complete at each wedding. This is fun, with great characters and lots of laughs. I look forward to recommending this title.

Was this review helpful?

Katy Birchall instantly become a favorite after I read The Secret Bridesmaid last year. Her books are funny, heartfelt, and very character-driven. The relationship focus in this book was mainly between Freya and her friends, her mom, and herself as a single woman. It was a touching story full of grief, healing, and self-love. While Freya did a few pathetic things that had me shaking my head, I never disliked her and only found her all the more relatable.

Was this review helpful?

This book was lovely! However, I feel that it should not be marketed as a romance. There is a bit of a romance arc, but I feel that this book is much more about being comfortable with yourself and putting yourself back together after a messy breakup. The romance is a subplot for sure.

Be warned that the first 25% or so of this book is Freya kind of wallowing in self-pity. This is to be expected after being dumped the day before your wedding, but when I say nothing else had really happened before that point, I mean it. It is literally her just existing in the aftermath of a twelve-year relationship that she didn't realize was failing. As I said, this is entirely realistic and I didn't hate it, but I could imagine it being off-putting for some and maybe not what you are looking for when you pick up a rom-com.

However, once the weddings started happening, I was hooked. The list of tasks is hilarious and did allow light to be sprinkled in amongst the heartbreak and despair. I did laugh out loud at this book, and I found it refreshing to see a character in a rom-com who is struggling with life but still manages to have a laugh every now and then.

Although I loved the book as it was, I would have loved more Jamie! Freya and he were so adorable and their chemistry was off the charts. I understand why he was sort of pushed to the side, but I think for this book being billed as a romance many of their interactions shouldn't have been so shortened (Hello Freddie and Niamh's sten, I am looking at you.) I appreciated this book being more about Freya's journey, but it feels like Jamie was given slightly too much importance for his story to be somewhat muted. He shouldn't have been such a developed and significant character in Freya's journey if his arc was going to be lackluster for much of the book.

Overall, this book was a delight. I would recommend it, just not necessarily for a cutesy rom-com read. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you #netgallary for this ARC. I love a good romance and this was a fun read. Freya gets dumped days before her wedding and is left to move on. Her friends are there to help her along the way find out what happens.

Was this review helpful?