REVIEW: Wedding Issues ⭐⭐⭐

I love reading books about a Wedding Theme, so I was excited to check out Wedding Issues.

Liv is a law school student who will be the maid of honor at her best friend's wedding. Her aunt also decides she must be the maid of honor for her cousin's wedding. Liv wants to help her friend gain the social media followers she needs for her business, so she tries to get her on the cover of a Southern-themed magazine. Well, her cousin is also competing for the cover. Liv is split in two.

I liked some things about Wedding Issues. The premise was interesting, and I liked the idea of a competition for a magazine cover. Some parts were hilarious. I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next, which made this a quick read. I also love a good best friend's brother trope for romance, so it was great seeing that.

I wouldn't say I liked how over-the-top and drama-filled Wedding Issues was. It became too chaotic and unbelievable. Many things could have been solved easily if the characters had been honest with one another instead of holding secrets.

Thank you, Netgalley and Zibby Books, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Some parts were funny, but overall this felt very chaotic and like everyone was a caricature of a character if that makes sense. It was over the top which is not bad in and of itself, but it took a turn for the slapstick and unbelievable. But at the same time the plot moved slowly. So on one hand everything was outrageous, but on the other hand it took forever to move along.

I love stories based around weddings, and I liked the idea of trying to get a magazine cover because it does feel like something an influencer type would want to do. I think it might make a better movie than a book!

I dislike fade to black romance, but I will say that it fit well with this story line. Olivia "Liv" is not my favorite character, but that's because I struggle to connect with characters that are doormats for the majority of the story. I wanted Olivia to stand up for herself throughout the entire storyline and kept coming up short.

I think that the book captured the hectic chaos of wedding plan right on the nose and it's a cute novel.

Liv Fitzgerald has gotten herself into a predicament that gave me actual anxiety while reading this book! The lawyer to be, know to be able to talk anybody into anything has managed to secure a cover shot of her best friend’s, Leighton, wedding for Southern Charm – the “IT” magazine in the south. That is until her conniving aunt interferes and procures a competition for the spot for Liv’s cousin, Kali.
So all Liv has to do is plan the best ever bridal events for both Leighton and Kali, while trying to ensure Leighton’s events win her the spot on the cover. With her aunt throwing wrenches and mishaps, Liv is well over her head! And then, the more she and we get to know Kali, you do want the best for her too! On top of it all, she needs to finish her final year of law school and get a commitment from a prestigious law firm. Oh, and, win over the guy of her dreams without losing her best friend in the process.
This book will give you over the top hijinks with crazy antics more than romance. If you’re in it for the family and wedding drama and one disaster after another this one delivers! It was comical and enjoyable, lighter on the romance than I expected but had such lovely characters, except for Aunt Charlotte (although even she managed to warm my heart for a moment or two)!

Thank you NetGally for letting me read this book! It is a cute little book, there’s some competition, there’s romance, there’s drama. This book is cute if you need a decently quick read.

I won't write a formal review because I did not finish this book. At 50% i gave up. The main character is a law school student who is maid of honor at her best friends wedding. To help her friend attain the social media followers she needs for her business, she is trying to get her the cover story of a local southern themed magazine. She ridiculously is forced to be maid of honor at her cousin's wedding by her evil aunt and the two wind up competing for the cover. As it continued to get more ridiculous, it veered further and further from anything remotely romantic. I have noticed this a lot lately. Many romcom authors who used to write cute make you smile romances now have become stand up comedians. If the character is in high heels she will moronically tumble into the ocean or down a flight of stairs. It's just too silly. I couldn't finish. Please stick to the smiling romance with a little humor, not everyone has to be an absolute clown :-(

I liked the premise but this one felt a little too over the top for me and I just didnt connect with the characters enough to care what happened to them. There were parts that were a bit to dramatic and made me cringe. Not for me but thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Looking for a fun entertaining light read - maybe even a bathtub or poolside read ? This book may have all the right ingredients:
family drama
wedding drama
wedding planning x2
a master self appointed master negotiator who suddenly finds herself named a manipulator … is there a thin line ? Did she cross it ?
add beautiful southern locations with Nashville and Atlanta featuring front and center
and some complicated romance with the BFF‘s older brother/ childhood crush
and you have a book that is surprisingly relatable and and real even if the parties were a little over the top.
In her last year of law school and poised to lock in a contract with one of the big Manhattan law firms, Olivia is a busy lady already. But, she becomes the maid of honor to her cousin and her best friend, who just so happen to be competing against one another for the cover feature of popular magazine Southern Charm. A fast talker and queen of getting her way she thinks she can help both brides, the job and the man for herself as well as sway the cover edition, but as the stacks rise and relationships develop, Olivia realizes the cost of her lies and scheming.

I went to law school and even worked at a law firm in Atlanta at some point early in my career so revisiting that time provided some extra fun personal connection !

So many funny moments, disasters, misunderstandings etc...a fun read

This was a cute romance book that reminded me so much of the movie Bride Wars. I liked the premise of showcasing all parts of a wedding leading up to choosing one of the brides for a cover shot. The main character being stuck between the two and trying please everyone but herself was a good plot line. I liked watching her growth throughout

This book had me completely hooked—it's like a juicy soap opera you can't get enough of.
The book is an absolute riot, filled with hilarious antics from Olivia's scheming aunt to Liv's desperate attempts to navigate the chaos without taking sides. It reads like the perfect rom-com, with a slow-burn romance weaving through the narrative.
In the end, it's a delightful and entertaining read that had me chuckling from start to finish. Quick and entertaining. Livia and her best friend, Leighton, really got under my skin. Their privileged attitudes grated on me throughout the book. I kept hoping that the ending would offer some redemption for them, but it felt contrived and lacked authenticity.

3.5 stars💐

“why should we need to tear one woman down to lift the other up?”


I was engrossed by this book, which is nothing short of a soap opera. Olivia, our female main character, was trapped in a very impromptu, and very unorthodox dilemma : organizing the joyous parts of two marriages as a maid of honor over the course of a year. but the situation started to narrow into a problem when the two brides to-be were "competing" for the same cover of the Southern Charm magazine and therefor she was sort of concurring against herself. with her socialist aunt’s threat over her future job on one shoulder and the promise she made her her best friend to prove herself to her parents on the other, she didn’t know who she should be more devoted to. all she knew was that both women deserved the spotlight. her best friend, a rising fashion icon with her new flourishing haute couture brand who epitomized the Southern belle. and her cousin, a climate activist who advocated for the LGBTQ+ community.

the book was utterly hilarious. from the very inventive ways Olivia’s aunt employed to sabotage her best friend’s wedding to the poor Liv trying to execute every manipulative move she has in her law books to try and appease both sides. it felt like a perfect 00’s movie with the hint of romance the narrative drawn as a slow burn. in the end, it was an enjoyable and amusing read. and after my previous heavy book, this plate cleaner was perfect!

many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of this book was very unique, and I enjoyed reading it. I'll admit, I didn't fall in love with any of the characters. They were interesting, but I wasn't invested in any of them. Sometimes they felt unreal and the drama was a little too high stakes. All in all, it was an enjoyable book to read. Some parts gave me a little anxiety, but overall it was a pretty light book. Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for this ARC!

💍Wedding Issues by Elle Evans. I wanted to like this one, but it was just too over the top and cringey for me. Our MC Liv, an almost lawyer, promises her best friend that she will get the cover of Southern Charm to feature her best friend’s wedding. Her aunt finds out and decides she wants her own daughter’s wedding featured on the cover. She threatens Liv that if she doesn’t get her cousin on the cover, Liv’s uncle will pull his offer for her to work as an associate in “Big Law” in NYC. I found this quid pro quo unrealistic and the use of “Big Law” over and over again strange. People who work in “Big Law” do not call it that. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the wedding industry setting of this book! It was fun to read about all of the different wedding events and the never ending chaos of these events was very entertaining. However, I had a hard time rooting for our main character. Her intentions may have been good, but the lying really just sent it over the edge for me. Overall, I would still recommend this one if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining read.

3.5 stars rounded to 4!

Read this mainly as an audio, but I did start it as a Kindle read!

This cover is so cute: it’s what caught my attention! As someone who’s currently planning a wedding, this sounded fun, dramatic, and entertaining. You go through a whole path of ups and downs with the FMC. Can she manage everything? There’s some romance thrown in. A rom-com situation with it being heavier on the com aspect! It was like reading a guilty pleasure. Pretty fast paced!

What could have been better?
I don’t think the ending was wrapped up as best as it could have been. It kinda left me hanging (unless that’s in purpose). I had more questions than answers.

Read if you like:
👢Chick-lit
👢 family drama
👢bridal magazines
👢LGBTQ+ rep

Full of Southern charm, this is a fun, sweet story that I really enjoyed. From all the wedding details to the career and relationship woes, this was a quick, relatable read. I loved the machinations of Liv's aunt in their competition for the magazine's cover- over the top, ridiculous, and often very humorous. Hoping for more from this author!

Fun rom com sat down to read a few pages enjoyed so much I finished in one setting. Looking for a fun romantic read this is for you.#netgalley #zibbybooks

Reading this book made me feel like I was the victim of a bait and switch. My three star rating is actually generous as I considered flipping this over into the DNF bin. Here is what I liked:

👰🤵Wedding planning was at the center. Love all the fun things like engagement parties, dress shopping, bridal showers, etc.
👰🤵The competition element seemed like it would be fun. What did I know? Olivia Fitzgerald is involved in planning for not one, but two big days. With one wedding in Nashville and the other even in Atlanta, there is lots of potential for glitz and glamour.
👰🤵A very happy ending for Olivia. While I got annoyed with her manipulative ways, she did get some pretty crazy curveballs sent her way.

What I did not like:
The imbalance in getting to know the couples. Leighton is in the Nashville pair. She is Olivia's best friend, yet we hear not a peep from her groom-to-be Matt. We barely know he is at the wedding. On the flip side, the lesbian couple in Atlanta gets all kinds of character building. Seems like the book is also trying to do some envelope pushing on some things just like the magazine Southern Charm in the book.

Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Wedding Issues by Elle Evans was a super fun and exciting rom-com!
I enjoyed the characters and their family shenanigans.
The writing was super great and held my attention. I knew once I started I couldn't put it aways.
An uplifting and light story.
I can't wait to rad more by Elle ik the future!

Thank You NetGalley and Zibby Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Looking for a fun, escapist read that gives you something to sink your teeth into?

Look no further than WEDDING ISSUES by @elle.evans.books!

The competition for magazine cover goes bananas when people-pleasing law student Olivia Fitzpatrick juggles her career aspirations while being the maid of honor to two brides competing for the cover of Southern Charm magazine's annual bridal issue.

This book was a blast to read! Olivia is an authentic character as she tries to figure out who she is while being so many things to the many people she cares about-- including not one but two potential love interests for her. I loved how Evans kept each scene fresh with various unique locations and hijinks. I also appreciated how inclusive Evans was by making one of the brides-to-be queer. 👏

This is a fabulous rom-com read with a far-from-predictable ending!!

Thank you @zibbybookspublishing for the advanced copy.