I so wanted to like this book… I thought the premise sounded interesting, but I just could not bring myself to cheer for the main character. I found her unlikeable and did not feel like she grew at all throughout the book. She kept making the same selfish, frustrating mistakes. She reminded me a lot of Ginnifer Goodwin’s character in He’s Just Not That Into You. I also felt like all of the romantic relationships in the book were superficial and I did not feel the connections between characters, which even extended to the friendships. I did generally like the way the book ended; however, toward the end it also felt like a lot of things were happening and getting wrapped up really quickly. While this particular book did not really work for me, I am still interested in seeing what Hatch writes next.

Loved the writing style in this one, but I personally couldn’t connect with the main character, Bea. I found her so unlikeable! That made it hard to get into the story. Also felt that the ending left me wanting more. But I do look forward to seeing more from this author! The fake marriage trope was an interesting one.

The premise is fun, but the delivery not so much. I started this book with high hopes - a bit of silliness, a little fun, something to enjoy in the sunshine as the heatwave hit the UK. But it was just a bit disappointing. The story hinges around a young woman, recently dumped, who wins a wedding, and accepts the prize. So far, so unlikely, but so much more the option for some fun - but then it just doesn't happen. I found the whole thing irritating rather than hilarious - even the bits that are clearly written purely to raise a smile don't cut it. I think the writer is just trying to pack too much in, resulting in a lack of depth and desire to connect with any of the characters. Nice idea, but the editor should work it harder.

I was unable to get into this one. While the title, description and cover caught my attention immediately, I just couldn’t get into this. I immediately couldn’t connect to the MC. And while the writing was great, and the premise was interesting, the story didn’t keep my interest long enough and I could get past chapter nine.

3/5 because I don’t agree with a low rating for a book I didn’t finish; and NetGalley don’t allow for DNF in lieu of a rating.

this book truly was a whirlwind. Bea entered a "free" wedding contest when dating her ex-Ray, but a year later when she receives a call she won, she is now single with no groom-to-be. Bea is a very type a person and makes it her mission to find a future husband seven months before her wedding. The book follows her quest to find the one before the time runs out.

honestly, it sounds like such a cute concept, however I just felt like I was getting whiplash from scenes. going from scene then BAM to the next, the transitions just were not that smoothly. another thing that did not tickle my fancy was just bea overall. now i did find a lot of similarities between bea and i so possibly that could be the answer to my feelings but I'm not quite sure. she truly was too indecisive about everything, not making a single decision for herself and then always making her problems everyone's problems while not helping her friends when they needed help. she also was just so structured within her daily life (which is not a bad thing!) but not flexible at all what so ever and her love life was completely out of control. she just rubbed me the wrong way throughout the book.

overall, it was not completely terrible, but I do not think I would 100% recommend it. however, I think this book is just for someone with specific taste which just unfortunately is not me :(

This was billed as funny. I did not really find any humor in a desperate, cringy young woman latching onto anyone available who will agree to marry her in six months because she won a wedding in a raffle. No depth, lots of boring whining.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bea just won the perfect wedding - only one problem, she doesn't have a groom.
Can she find a groom in time to have her dream wedding?

This was an easy, fun read! Bea isn't always perfect but it is nice to watch her character develop throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this eARC.

I struggled to really get into this book. I loved the premise and loved Bea as a fun quirky girl but the ending seemed rush and there were parts I just couldn't follow along. Bea's job was very confusing for me and I never really understood the full picture of how that played a role in the storyline. I would have loved to see way more with Oliver's relationship and less with Andrew's relationship. Overall though a nice, cute, closed door romance story.
Bea won the lottery to receive a free wedding...only problem is that she is currently single. However, after a bit of liquid support she encounters a hot kiss with her co-worker, Andrew. Things suddenly seem to fall into place and Bea believes she has actually found her one and only. But old friends and true feelings come crashing into each other and Bea is left wondering what is real.

This is my first Jessica Hatch book and I received this complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The book follows Bea who one day on her drive to work discovers that she won a wedding contest that she had entered way back. However the boyfriend she had at that time is no longer with her and hilarity ensure when she accepts the prize. The premise is different , the characters a tad bit relatable but if you are looking for a fast paced romance this book is not for you. Perfect for fans of hilarity and romance.

My Big Fake Wedding has such a fun plot line. I love wedding tropes and this book has such a creative twist on this common theme. Every main character has to have a kind, supportive best friend and Lucy fits this description perfectly! I wish I had the opportunity to meet her and Charlie in real life. I love a long novel, but at points, this book seemed to drag on. There were also a few scenes that felt glossed over; as if many of the details were added as an afterthought. More than once I had to double check that I hadn’t skipped a few pages. Bea’s personality was very selfish and childish at times (especially for a 29 year old woman) which made it difficult to cheer her on. Despite this, the ending was so sweet and made up for some of the other poor scenes! I wish there would have been more character/relationship development between Bea and Oliver vs. Bea and Andrew. My Big Fake Wedding had a lot of potential, but could have been written in a better manner in my opinion. Overall, I’d give this book 2/5 stars.

My Big Fake Wedding
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/18/22
Author: Jessica Hatch
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 322
Goodreads Rating: 2.73

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Bookouture and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: When Bea Corbin enters a lottery to win her perfect wedding, she never imagines that her name will be picked right after she’s been cheated on, and unceremoniously dumped, by her ex-boyfriend. She panics and says yes. As Bea and Andrew’s relationship gets more serious at the exact moment her ex-boyfriend reappears declaring his undying love, things become more complicated than she could have imagined. Bea feels more lost than ever, especially because her best friend, Oliver, is no longer taking her calls, or answering her texts… As the ceremony draws nearer, Bea discovers that the only thing more complicated than finding a husband on a deadline is finding the right one.

My Thoughts: Two things attracted me to this book: the cover and the premise. I love fake dating tropes but fake marriage was one that I had not seen, especially in this light. Bea is selfish, self centered, makes terrible choices, and has hardly any likable qualities that a character would possess. Maybe this is on purpose, but if you cannot fall in love with the heroine, then that complicates things. The relationship just felt too forced and lacked the chemistry you typically see in fake dating tropes. The author’s writing style was cute, creative, and unique, which I did like the writing. I could not tell you what Bea’s company that she worked for actually did, it was kind of evasive. I did not care for the ending, it left me with wanting more. This was not a bad book or a DNF for me, it was a good book and the structure was amazing. I know we will see amazing things in the future from this author.

3.45⭐ rounded up.

I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. I started out reading it, then switched to audio, then back again and ultimately my favorite was probably the e-book.

Bea received a call saying she has won a raffle for the wedding package she signed up for months ago when she was with Ray (what a tool he is). A $50,000 wedding package for only $2,000 ~ what a deal! The only problem is that she doesn't even have a boyfriend, but she can't help herself from accepting the June 22nd date. Now she only has 8 months to find someone to marry. Her best friends, Oliver and Lucy, think she's crazy.

She sets her sights on her co-worker, Andrew, to pursue. After he gets over the shock of her plan, he's on board. I never really felt they had a connection. Yeah, it seemed like they got along well enough, but I just wasn't feeling them together at all. I wasn't invested in the work project of the story either.

For most of the book Bea was kinda self absorbed and wasn't a very good friend sometimes. Although this makes her an unlikable character, it also makes her relatable as I'm sure we all worry about ourselves over others from time to time. I was happy with the wedding at the end. I did like how each chapter ended in a to do list too.

I am rounding up my rating because I know that the author put in a lot of effort to give us a somewhat original plot and not the usual fake dating trope. I, also, appreciate that she wrote a letter to the reader thanking us for taking the time to read it and explaining why she wrote it.

Narrated by Stephanie Cannon for 9 hours and 13 minutes, easy to follow at 2x. She did an alright job. Not overly in love with her male voices though.

Side note ~ what kind of food truck that uses peanut oil does not have signage to say so in this day and age?

The title & the cute cover of the book caught my attention but the story was so not what I expected. I was thinking of a large fake wedding with a runaway groom & a fake groom to replace him which leads to hilarious & awkward situations, fake dating trope/fake marriage of convenience/forced proximity, witty banter, enemies-to-lovers but oh boy, was I wrong!

I know the author must have worked hard & in no way am I detracting from her dedication but I have to be honest - the premise of the book had a lot of potential but turned out to be a total train wreck with the way it was execued. This book was boring & only picked up a bit after 40-45% but then again it went downhill after a chapter or two. I was struggling to NOT zone out, the protagonist was irritating, self-centered, inconsiderate, stupid who couldn't stop whinging about life not going the way she wants it to.

None of the relationships/friendships seemed genuine. The FMC, Bea's guy best friend, Oliver was a spineless dumb man. Her friendship with her work colleague seemed fake. The entire story revolves around this extremely important office event which I couldn't, for the life of me, understand what was for!!?
I spent hours reading about Bea's perfect fairytale love with this guy, Andrew, she is supposed to marry in 8 months, only to be told he is NOT ready to commit & breaks up with her!!??? I mean, c'mon!!

2 stars - 1 for the author's hard work & the fact that she tried. Another because I did like a few parts in the middle & Bea finally went to therapy for her obsessive need to finish/complete things, sunken cost or not. Also, because I did understand what the author wanted to convey with the story even if it wasn't done in the right way.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture & the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The description was wonderful ... but the actual book? It's just a big nails-on-the-chalkboard no for me. I thought that maybe I was just being hyper-critical because I'm a bit anti-romance at the moment, but the next book I picked up also falls into the same category and I'm absolutely devouring it. So it's not me -- it's the book. I really couldn't stand Bea and felt absolutely no connection to what was happening.

Bea Corbin wins the perfect prize, the wedding of her dreams. Yet, this happens right after she finds out that her boyfriend has cheated on her and dumped her. Yet when the event planner calls with the good news, Bea doesn’t say any of that. Instead, she panics and says yes, and then calls on her oldest friend Oliver, to help her find a husband.
When Bea begins a relationship with Andrew, whom she works with, her ex-boyfriend then reappears and yet Olivier, is the one that she is concerned about, as he is no longer taking her calls, or answering her texts. When the wedding date draws closer, Bea discovers that the only thing more complicated than finding a husband on a deadline is finding the right one.
Whilst a sweet and easy read, I did find that Bea was not the easiest to like. She was at times, quite self-centred and didn’t appreciate Oliver. However, Oliver’s appearance in the novel could have been more detailed. Whilst conversations were at time force, the premise was good, yet the delivery was what let it down.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1 stars not good for me all
I really wanted to like this bok , sounded fun and interesting in the description but once you started to read the book it was dull, slow, bland and count really get it to it. Or at least I couldn't
If this book wasn't a review ARC I honestly would have made it a DNF
Bea and most of the characters were first off not very likeable I didn't feel a connection with them. the characters needed more description and personalities.
the plot aka premise was strange and not very believable
the whole long book (300+ pages) lacked feelings, there was no chemistry.
I can say that there was 1 thing that I did like in the book and it was the 'To Do' list at the end of each chapter, that was fun.

I got this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley, even though I was not a fan of it and am still thankful that I got to read and review it. The opinions and thoughts above are my own, honest and voluntary.

This should’ve been fun and light hearted reading, ok stretch the imagination to believe someone would take on a wedding without a groom but Bea was painful, she lacked any consideration for friends or family. Her job was demanding and yet she only really seemed o have one project that she forever delegated to her friend / temp.
On a flip of a switch she decides she likes her Co-worker and then she flips the switch again. Andrew was perfect, she decides and then he isn’t.
Oliver her best guy friend is hardly a main character until the end…. There just wasn’t enough to like and invest in on the characters

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bea gets caught up in the thrill of having won her dream wedding. Except she doesn’t have a groom anymore. So what’s a girl to do? Quickly manufacture a romance with colleague Andrew. I kept biting my lip The Whole time and yelling at Bea. She was quite the drama queen and self-absorbed and focusing on one day, instead of the marriage itself, and for all the wrong reasons.
Andrew, kind of a good guy, kind of a slime ball, does tell Bea a few home truths she needed to hear.
Sometimes when you’re chasing an elusive dream, you totally miss the dream that is standing right in front of you.
There are many good lessons to be learned by reading this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this ARC.
I tried my best to finish it as it is an ARC, but I had to DNF. And I hate to leave a bad review, but I just could not find the good in this one.
The main character was so whiny and ridiculous it was hard to read, let alone root for her. I’m usually game for a silly plot line like this one- deciding to plan a wedding without a groom yet locked down- but for it to work the characters need to be like able and have some dimension at the very least. I felt like the city of Richmond and it’s traffic patterns had more substance on the page than the characters, and that’s saying something.
I’m also still thoroughly confused by the organization the MC works for and the description of her work (or, really, lack thereof). She was apparently so stressed about planning a single event many months away, but seemingly had nothing else to do at work? Please.