I actually really enjoyed the plot of this book and the characters banter. It was an easy read although I found her sister incredibly annoying.

This is a new author to me and the writing is lighthearted and fun. Ben and Gemma are total opposites with Gemma being a pushover people pleaser and Ben being almost brutally honest. I could see the reason for her overly nice personality with her horrible family, but from the start of their trip, she shows her true self to Ben. Their banter was really hilarious. I was a bit worried at the beginning of the story with the office dynamics that it was too similar to another book I've read, but it soon changed after they arrived in Italy. I'll be looking for other books by this author!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cute summery read. Perfect to read during the summer. Easy to get through, perfect romance book and setting. Recommend.

This book and I had a rocky start—mostly because the MMC, Ben, made me absolutely furious. I’m talking full-on group chat rants. I hated him. I was convinced he was either the worst-written love interest ever… or this was some kind of long game. And honestly? Kate R. Mathieson might actually be a genius.

Because as frustrating as Ben was in the beginning, by the end, I could see exactly what the author was doing. His character was layered and flawed in a very real way, and once we got deeper into the story, I started to get him. Still not my fave book boyfriend, but I could appreciate the work that went into his arc.

Gemma, our FMC, was also tough to love at first. She’s a total people-pleaser with a super negative inner monologue, and her self-worth is in the gutter thanks to her awful family dynamic. She spends so much of the book convinced that Ben is out to ruin her life, when really… he’s just a chaotic flirt trying to connect. The imbalance in how she viewed him vs. how he actually behaved was frustrating, but it made her growth more satisfying when she finally stood up for herself.

There’s a lot of family and wedding drama—which took up more page time than I’d have liked. I would’ve preferred more of Ben and Gemma without the over-the-top stepsister chaos. But when the focus was on their relationship? The banter hit, the pacing worked, and there were moments of genuine tenderness that I really enjoyed.

By the end, I didn’t quite love it, but I did respect it. If you start this and immediately hate Ben—push through. There’s more going on than meets the eye, and it wraps up in a way that makes the slow burn and frustration feel earned.

A solid enemies-to-lovers with some heavy emotional baggage, a dreamy Italian setting, and a character arc that surprised me more than I expected.

I wanted to like this, but it did fall flat. There was a lot of judgement, and the leads were just a little too rude for me and unlikeble. the cheating in the book was too much for me. It made it hard to read.

Cute idea, poor execution, and too much cheating.

I almost finished this book (over 60% finished), but sadly, it was just not for me. The author writes very well and depicts very compelling settings/storylines. The love story within itself is very intriguing. However, I just can't get behind a romance in which the main character is cheating on her boyfriend for her new love interest. But it's all okay if we paint it as though her new love interest is her supposed soulmate/perfect match, right? Hard pass for me...

I also could not take anymore inner dialog of the main female character (Gemma) thinking about how much she wants to sleep with her nemesis coworker while simultaneously saying how much she loves her real boyfriend - aka just continually restating how predictable and boring her boyfriend is. The male love interest (Ben) is very likable. In fact, the main moments in the book where I found Gemma likable were all heavily based on how Ben showed concern and care for her. Ben felt so human, while Gemma felt underdeveloped; which is sad because Gemma is the main character POV you read from throughout the story.

All that said, this book might be for you if you enjoy destination weddings, enemies to lovers, black cat/golden retriever, rooting for the underdog, a story about broken familiies, and/or don't mind reading about cheating beginning a new relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a delightfully chaotic rom-com filled with sharp banter, awkward family dynamics, and just the right amount of slow-burn tension.

Gemma’s week is already a disaster—her boyfriend is MIA, her sister’s wedding is turning into a full-blown circus, and her only option for a last-minute stand in date is Ben: her work nemesis who just snagged the promotion she had her heart set on. She’s always called him the Weasel… and now he’s her plus-one.

To make matters worse, Gemma’s half-sister Lulu (aka the bride) is the definition of a bridezilla—entitled, spoiled, and somehow always making Gemma feel like she’s in the shadows. But as Gemma scrambles to put out wedding fires, Ben surprises her. He’s not just tolerable—he’s supportive, funny, and maybe even kind of perfect?

What follows is a fun, heartwarming story about finding your voice, standing up for yourself, and realizing that the person you thought was the villain might just be your biggest ally.

Fast-paced, witty, and full of heart—this one’s a must-read for fans of enemies-to-lovers and messy, lovable family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the free advanced copy via NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Gemma is seemingly happy with her life, she is with the ‘one’ or so she believes. When he can’t come to her sisters wedding, she asks a work colleague to set her up with a ‘date’. While sat at the airport she sees her work nemesis Ben, he can’t be the ‘date’ surly the one who’s just taken the promotion at work.
This is a true enemy’s to lovers ready. This a cute fun, quick,perfect holiday read. Looking forward to reading more from Kate Mathieson

My first and definitely won’t be the last book that I read by Kate Mathieson! I love a great romance with plenty of banter. And this book has all that and more!

A delightful enemies-to-lovers rom-com filled with hilarious moments, awkward family dynamics, and sizzling chemistry. Perfect for fans of chaotic weddings and second chances.

This was a good read, a great slow burn too. I wish Gemma stopped treating herself as a doormat and stood her ground. I really disliked her sister and her family in general. However, I loved ben and how they wound each other up. Italy sounded beautiful and I really would love to go there, it sounded mesmerising. This was a great romance book!

THE WEDDING DATE DISASTER - Kate R. Mathieson

An Unexpected HEA - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Gemma Evans goes from being on the brink of everything she’s ever dreamed of, to the brink of a nervous breakdown when she’s passed over for a promotion. Shockingly, when she attends a family wedding in Italy, her blind date/plus one turns out to be the last person she wants to have to rely on. Who knows what will happen?

Writing - 4 stars - Mathieson jumped right into the characters and the setting, bringing me along with her so I felt like part of the action right away. She writes in a comfortable style that is easy to read and relate to.

Characters - 4 stars - The characters are very appealing and fun. I'll admit that I changed my mind about Gemma a couple of times throughout the book. I'm totally behind her at the office at first, supporting her when she is passed over for a promotion. But when she's at the wedding (with Ben), she's paranoid and treats him more unpleasantly than she needs to, especially when he's being so accommodating. As she grew more comfortable, though, I revised my opinion--again--and enjoyed the witty banter between the two of them. Ben, similarly, starts out as the obnoxious coworker but soon evolves into a nice guy who's just trying to help. Both are attractive, and I was rooting for their success as a couple.

Title - 4 stars - The title represents that Gemma expects, but readers know that the unexpected usually happens in a situation like this.

Cover - 4 stars - I'm getting a little tired of the current trend for cartoon-y covers, but this one is a little more simple than most, and I like the unusual eye-catching color.

Overall - 4 stars - This is a new-to-me author that I'll be keeping an eye on. She writes well and easily, and I enjoyed the light-hearted story and the clever banter among the characters. The bride's antics are way over the top, but it's all in fun and makes the story even more hilarious.

This was a fun read and the chemistry between the two characters were great. I liked how Ben was kind from the start and it was all down to her perception of him.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the book.

A nice interesting romcom with Gemma finding herself in need of a fake boyfriend to take to her half-sister's wedding, since her real boyfriend couldn't be bothered to go.
I really like this book because it shows and emphasises Gemma's growth, thanks to Ben, her work archnemesis who's standing in as her boyfriend. She finds out there's a different side to him. He helps her realise that her beahaviour is not leading to her happiness and he pushes her into stepping up for herself.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc,

Gemma has to attend her half-sister's wedding in Italy but her boyfriend doesn't want to go with her and she can't turn up alone so she asks her friend, Ruby, to help her find a plus one at the last minute, but only one person is willing to help out - her arch-nemesis, and colleague, Ben McDonald.

What Ben thinks is fun, playful banter, Gemma takes as hateful, mean digs at her but when she realises that it all started at a chance meeting at an awards ceremony before Ben even came to work at the same company, she realises that it was never meant to be hurtful. She didn't even remember him from the ceremony but Ben clearly remembered her.

Ben was a fantastic book boyfriend, though he probably could have had a little more self-awareness. When you know your banter is bothering someone, it's time to take a look at what you're doing and think is this really as fun as I think it is?? But once he realised why Gemma was the people pleaser she was, I think he started to realise that he needed to be a little more like her and actually care about the people around him as well as helping Gemma be true to herself.

I liked Gemma as well but I think she should have stood up to her family a lot more than what she did at the end. They really needed to hear that what they had put her through was really not ok and that they couldn't keep treating her like they were. Her parents failed her multiple times as a child and I felt like she really needed to tell them that and force them acknowledge the damage they had done.

I think this book would be so much better as a dual POV so we also had Ben's version of events. It's fairly clear he's had a thing for Gemma since he first met her at the awards ceremony but he never actually tells her that.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. i didn't care for either of the main characters, especially not the FMC because she thought cheating would be an okay thing to do because it was actually fake. bad judgment all around for both of them. the FMC didn't have a backbone or any of her own thoughts it seemed. the MMC was sexist and not a good match for FMC.

This was such a cute and quick read! I enjoyed Gemma's journey throughout this book and how she was finally able to confidently express her true self and set boundaries. Ben was a 6 foot 3 golden retriever mmc and his banter with Gemma was great. There is a care taking scene in this book and it was the sweetest! Definitely check it out!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Wedding Date by Kate Mathieson. From start to finish, the book kept me entertained and eager to keep turning the pages. The chemistry between the characters was engaging, and the story had a lighthearted, feel-good quality that made it a delightful read.


One thing that stood out to me was how well-paced the novel was—there were no dull moments, and I always wanted to see what would happen next. The romance was charming, and the interactions between the characters felt natural and fun.


That being said, I did find the repeated use of the "weasel" nickname a bit overdone after a while. While it may have been intended to add humor or familiarity, it started to feel a little repetitive. However, this was a minor issue in an otherwise enjoyable book.


Overall, The Wedding Date was a cute and entertaining read that I would happily recommend to fans of romantic comedies. If you're looking for a book that will make you smile and keep you engaged, this one is worth picking up!

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter publishing for allowing me to review this ARC!

Mamma Mia!!!!!! Cosa ho appeno letto????

Ok now back to the Queen's English. This book was so sweet and the dynamic between Gemma and Ben was to melt for!!! The way she misunderstands him so drastically and paints him as the ultimate work-place enemy, was very understandable at first until the man comes CLEAN!!

Also the COMEDY: Gemma is invited to a Tuscan wedding by her half-sister (very difficult family dynamics) and as the absolute boring jackass of a boyfriend she has, she has to look for someone else to ask, because he has to scrub his ceiling (insert face plant). In a desperate people pleasing quest she is looking for someone to play Jackass-Adam at the wedding to keep her family off her back. But it's not as easy as she thought it might be. in a last grab at the perfect tuscan holiday, her workplace friend blindly sets her up with her nemesis: Ben McDonald.
He's hot, he's tall (I imagined Henry Cavill here) and he just snagged her job as chief editor. So off they go to Tuscany, juggling pretending too be in love, which isn't too difficult for him while she has to manage not to fall in love with him... so very difficult.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read any future books by Kate Mathieson.

So while I'm at it, thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for sending me and approving me for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My ramblings are honest except for that maybe I just imagine all the love interests as Henry Cavill. I just can't help it.

Uh, the way I am a sucker for EVERYTHING in this book.

I LOVE a fake dating trope so a fake plus one is ALL THE WAY up there. When its a work nemiseses situation its EVEN BETTER!

The way I want to run away to Italy and crash a wedding JUST for the vibes in this book - I loved it,

Character development is excellent, the way we HATE Ben but then love him .. its awesome.