Love the premise of this book; wedding culture and social media and the title is so fitting. However, it fell a little flat because you wind up just wanting to shake the protagonist, Callie Holt and scream, "REALLY?!?
6-7 hours into being married, and Callie is spending her wedding night in the bathtub, eating an extra-large pizza and scrolling though the last year of her life trying to figure out where it all went wrong. Was it when she lost her father to cancer? Or moved in with her ultra-privileged bestie, Virginia Murphy, while Virginia's parents foot the bill for the fancy NY pied-a-terre? Or accepting a proposal from her bro-type boyfriend that she's only been dating for 7 months? Or the fact that she's still in love with her (secret) ex, Virginia's cousin, Ollie? Who, incidentally, is the absolute WORST and God only knows why Callie even likes him, let alone loves him. Or could it be the fact that her deceased father was probably having an affair with Virginia's mother? Look, obviously, Callie has a lot going on, but there was no real resolution here. The ending just concluded. I suppose like all millennials, the author got too caught up in the social media drama of her own story.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this e-arc.*

While I was reading this book I kept hearing Carly Simon sing "The Way I've Always Heard it Should Be" ... this is a story of doing things like moving in with boyfriends, getting engaged, and then married because they are expected, because everyone else is doing them. And if there was the opportunity to take the concept and restart so that you don't know the trainwreck is coming, I'd like the story a lot more. The flow of the story through historical Instagram posts is good, but I was wishing for more momentum and less hindsight.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Though I enjoyed this read, I was so upset with the ending! I wanted to know more and what actually happened! The plot got a bit messy but still kept me engaged. This book focuses on a group of friends, weddings, family money and the influence of social media. We see both the good and bad in each of these factors.

I loved that the ending proved Virginia and Callie's friendship was real after a year of intensifying doubts about the nature of her relationship with various members of the Murphy family. Throughout the book, I was reminded of Three Women - deferring by default to boys/men/money/status - and the Kate Baer poem “There Are Days.” I am pretty disturbed by and sad about how much my younger self would relate to Callie. Being on the inside but distinctly knowing you’re on the outside/seemingly being part of a family/group that isn’t your own but knowing you really aren’t, thinking you have to change for people to accept you, having an emotionally absent mother, obsessing over your body, obsessing over your social media presence, obsessing over everything, wanting infinite do-overs, questioning if/why anyone would love you, people with more resources taking credit for your work. Social Engagement is a fun and *whitty_* novel packed with serious questions the protagonist must face as she reckons with adulthood.

I was drawn in by the description of “a bitingly sharp and darkly humorous debut novel exploring millennial wedding culture, class, and relationships, all filtered through the ever-present lens of social media.” However the fatphobia makes this a hard no and a DNF for me. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and Libro.fm for the advance ebook and audiobook to review.

Avery Carpenter Forrey's Millennial-centric debut Social Engagement is creatively told through flashbacks centered around Instagram posts and camera roll photos. Callie Holt's marriage has just started, but it is already over. Just how did she get here, in shambles on her wedding night with her marriage already in the dumps? As any card-carrying, oversharing Millennial would, Callie references social media because the clues to how her life went all wrong must surely be hinted at in her posts over the past year. As she travels back through her life, one photo at a time, she begins to put together the pieces and find some clarity in her moment of despair.

Social Engagement has a great premise and truly has the potential to be something amazing. However, as it stands, it really was a mixed bag for me. At times, I felt totally connected to Callie and her inner struggles as she battled with self-loathing over her body, juggled her conflicting feelings for two guys, grappled with her father's untimely death when Callie was still a child, and managed her relationship with a rich family that essentially took her under their wing when she was young. I found the manner in which this story was told relatable, as I too have often looked to my social media for clues about my past self. I even found something quite literary about Callie's inner musings and her way of seeing the world.

But on the other hand, something about this book just did not hit home. While it was easy to get to know Callie on a more personal level, the other players in this story really came off as a vague enigma to me, leaving me indifferent to their personalities and plights, and even the role they played in the plot.

While this book is good, it is not great. It reminds me much of modern, slightly edgy books like those of Curtis Sittenfeld and Courtney J. Sullivan.

this champagne problems-esque novel felt like it was going to follow the same sinister path as gone girl and a novel obsession, but the climax felt dull in comparison to the darkness within the narrator. the author could’ve gone so much harder, which is why i’m ranking it as pleasant instead of bingeworthy

This book lacked excitement for me. I really wanted to like it more. From the adorable cover to the overall plot, I should've loved this novel. The writing was decent, but I just couldn't get into the story. Also, I don't really like reading about rich and snobby characters. It's hard for me to relate and the characters are always written in a superficial and cliche-ridden way. The main character isn't rich so it was surprising that I couldn't connect with her either. She's such a bland person. Also, she's a total people pleaser. This author has potential, hopefully her follow-up will have a better plot. I need more depth and substance next time. Such a disappointment.

Thank you to Mariner books and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. I was expecting a light Rom Com story and got rich people drama, wedding culture commentary and relationship dynamics. Expect dysfunction with a couple of dark twists which were unexpected and I personally enjoyed. Also weaves social media posts through an escalating story. Will read more from this author in the future

Solid 3/5 stars. It was good, but not great. The characters aren’t particularly likeable (except maybe Callie), but first chapter hooked me and I’m glad I stuck with it.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the prologue but the first chapter just dragged and felt like a note of name - dropping. I didn't feel compelled to continue, this one was slow from the start.

Social Engagement by Avery Carpenter Forrey is a great debut novel. I read this book going in to wedding season after hearing how this book was a take on millennial wedding culture.

I was surprised by the darker twists to the plot after thinking this was going to be more of a lighter rom-com. But I did really enjoy how social media weaved through the chapters and made seem relatable.

If you’re looking for a twist on wedding culture (with an intriguing backstory!) then Social Engagement shouldn’t be missed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Smart, hilarious, and impossible to put down!! I read this quickly and loved it. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author and will definitely be recommending it to people!!

This is coming of age, I want to say romcom because it sometimes reads like one but this is not a romcom. This is about a women in late twenties trying to figure life out. She is best friends with super rich girl.

This is told in two timelines..first one is told the night of her wedding and another timelines during pivotal times of her life. You get the picture of the woman and her life along with her relationships with her friends, family and her fiancé. I just couldn’t get into the plot and honestly didn’t like the characters.

I highlighted this book on my Booktube channel. The video can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/nAZ6XUZPUvA

A challenging book that follows main character Callie on the night of her wedding as she looks back over the past year of her life, chronicled in glossy social media posts that hide her dissatisfaction with her life, her social circle and the choices she's made. This one was a bit of a struggle to get through -- none of the characters are likable, and despite sympathizing with a lot of Callie's past circumstances I found it hard to sympathize with the "present day" version of her. That said, Social Engagement was still a compelling story for the way it used social media as a storytelling device and simultaneous scapegoat.

I really liked this book and highly recommend it. If you enjoy stories of rich people problems and seeing how the other half lives, then this is a good pick for you. None of the characters are particularly likable, so if you have a problem with unlikable characters, then this one is not for you. If, however, you enjoy reading about the lives of the super wealthy in New York, and you would get a kick out of a scathing social commentary about wedding planning culture, then I definitely think this would be one to pick up.

Recently I've been coming across books that, I'm my opinion, are marketed wrong...this one being no exception. I thought the story would revolve more around her relationship and wedding, however it absolutely centered around her own challenges as it pertains to her views about herself.

I thought the end would bring all the bits and pieces of this story together, but it also fell flat.

This is clearly a huge win for most people judging from the reviews, but unfortunately i was left a little disappointed. I always round up when I give ratings, so this was a 2.5, but rounding up to a 3 star.

I was fooled by the cover and description, thinking this was going to be a lighter beach read type of story. This book was more of an attempt at literary fiction. It was, at times, very confusing to follow the events that led up to the wedding and ending of the relationship in the same evening. I think Whit was a genuinely nice guy, and the character of Virginia was not rounded at all, even though being the best friend she would have had a larger influence on Callie. Many questions were asked, but never answered. Was there an affair? Who knew? What was the real reason for the rift between Callie and her mother?

I kept hoping the ending would be one of those moments that drew the whole story together, but I felt like it trickled into an anti-climax. It simply wasn't for me.

The premise to this novel sounded excellent but the structure was a little wonky for me and the main character felt flat.