Thank you for the free book @berkleyromance @netgalley @heathermcbreenwrites #berkleypartner #berkleybooks #berkleyinfluencer #berkleybookstagram !!

Sometimes a slow burn is too slow, and you’re like oh my god, can you please just touch already? And sometimes, a slow burn is deliciously diabolical, where you’re faked out into an anticipatory mess and you’re like OH MY GOD PLEASE WHEN? This book is the second kind of slow burn where the chemistry is just burning and they’ve denied themselves for maybe even good reasons but you’re like OH MY GOD IF YOU DON’T KISS I WILL DIE?? Maybe it’s like book edging, and maybe I’m a feral raccoon digging in the trash for my next anticipatory fix.

Ada is a tattoo artist whose first shop, Sleeve It To Me (zing), just went under. On top of that, her boyfriend of 8 years wants to go on a break (IYKYK) and she doesn’t want to. Her younger sister is getting married to a guy 10 years older who she’s known for only a few months, and it’s a destination wedding. Broke as a joke and not wanting to admit it, she’s got to get to Belfast for a castle and a huge wedding, and on top of all that, this whirlwind romance has made her relationship with her sister quite strained when she’s used to feeling close. After a series of abject disasters, including an incorrectly printed hotel voucher, she’s charmed by a hot stranger who buys her dinner.

Over dinner she tells the hot stranger her sob story, including how she’s not happy that she has to meet her sister’s fiancé’s sleazeball of a bff. You can see where I’m going with this — of course hot stranger IS the sleazeball bff Jack — and this is AFTER he propositions her for a one night stand.

However, they need each other (or at least Ada needs Jack) to get to Belfast. They have a four day adventure with enough sexual tension to explode a building, but it’s the kind of four days that you really get to know somebody as you’re chasing down trains and getting stuck in the rain, and locked in bathrooms by accident.

It’s really well done, both their whirlwind friendship and their mutual angst after bad relationships. It felt organic, and not rushed, despite it being four days. What about you?

**Many thanks to Berkley and Heather McBreen for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

Ada has always been the one to look out for little sister Allison...even when her choices are...well, questionable to say the least. So when Allison decides to marry Collin, a man Ada hardly feels CERTAIN about, in a destination ceremony in Ireland, Ada is justifiably nervous. She's also been given a crucial and important task: deliver the precious, one-of-a-kind wedding veil in one piece. It's Ada's chance to mend fences, as she and Allison have been drifting apart ever since Allison's relationship started...so the heat is ON. With her tattoo parlor business debts holding her back, Ada cannot AFFORD (quite literally!) for anything to hold her up on the way to the wedding.

So naturally, this is when fate decides to intervene in the most inconvenient way: her connecting flight has been canceled, leaving Ada stuck in London...and feeling lonelier than ever. With very little extra cash to spare, she has NO idea how she will make it to Ireland on time to deliver the veil, attend the wedding, and put out any fires that pop up along the way. Feeling broken and hopeless, when a handsome stranger sidles up to her in a bar with gorgeous eyes and a kind smile, she takes the opportunity (and what she believes is anonymity) to spill the tea...and then some. She even brings Collin's playboy best man (whom she's never met) into the conversation...and still, this stranger seems ready to keep the evening going...and Ada nearly obliges. But when the former stranger reveals he is ALSO headed to a wedding...oh and by the way, he just so happens to have the same name as the aforementioned playboy, ALL of the pieces click together.

THIS is the man she should be avoiding, but if she wants to get to the wedding...well, she might as well call him Obi-Wan...because HE is her only hope.

With each determined to protect their loved one (and also fighting what seems to be a burgeoning attraction) the pair dash across Europe together as the days tick down and the wedding looms large. But as much as Ada is still nursing a broken heart after separation from her long-term boyfriend back at home and KNOWS about Jack's reputation as a 'love em and leave em' type, she can't help feeling those first night butterflies...and their shared bumps along the way seem to be bringing them closer, no matter how they try to keep their distance. But when the dust settles and the wedding bells finally ring, will all of the love swirling in the air give Ada and Jack the push they NEED to explore their feelings? Or will their complicated pasts, hesitation about the possibility of TRUE love, and their differences convince them that what happened in Ireland should STAY in Ireland?

It is always a bit of a gamble for me when it comes to romance debuts: aside from the cute cartoon-y cover and the promise of travel based hijinks, I had little to go on before starting this one. But since rom-coms that involve travel also tend to be my favorite (see: most of Emily Henry's catalogue, for starters) I had high hopes (and frankly high expectations) for the Little Rom-Com That Could...and you should absolutely make it a point to DASH off to read this one as soon as you can get your hands on it!

It's hard to say what the 'best' aspect of this book was, because in all honesty, there were SO MANY reasons to love it. First off, McBreen's mentions of so many giants in the rom-com movie landscape (everything from Legally Blonde to Sleepless in Seattle!) was one of the first clues I was going to be in line with her characters, enchanted by her MCs, and LOVING every moment of their banter together. From their meet-cute at the bar onward, not only did these two have instant CHEMISTRY rather than insta-LOVE, but these opening scenes alone were enough to set the stage without necessarily giving anything away in terms of the plot progression. From Ada's brilliant purple hair to her love for tattoos, she was far from a boring or predictable heroine...but also stayed away from the 'subversive' cliches also. We learned about Ada through the lens of her pain, both from her past relationship that left her stuck emotionally, but also through her feelings of failure after her business troubles, her isolation from her family, and the insecurity that kept her mired in these feelings. Not only did this give McBreen plenty of room for character development, it kept her entire personality from being wrapped up in "Ooh, the devastatingly hot guy...he's SO perfect despite his flaws" which is a trap too many female MCs fall into across the board...and Ada is anything but a simple character...which makes her all the more REAL.

And then there's Jack, her counterpart and potential amour...and trust me, if you thought SHE was complicated, ratchet that up a notch. Jack's got his own complicated backstory and family dynamics, not to mention his sort of 'playboy persona' to shake...and he isn't going to make it TOO easy to get to know him. But despite this, the emotional walls and mixed messaging felt so AUTHENTIC...and for every time he gave me pause, he would turn around and show Ada the real him in the next breath through his actions AND the information he does choose to share...and over time, you'll feel yourself giving him more grace too. As much as I wanted to hate him (and trust me, there are moments where he WILL frustrate you and you'll wonder if he will TRULY come through), he is a MATURE enough counterpart to handle most situations with Ada in a way that will have you rooting for him...and DYING to go to Italy to try the oh-so-perfect pizza place he recommends to Ada. (Seriously...I have never wanted Italian pizza MORE than in that moment!) .

But perhaps the best aspect of this book came when I least expected it...the VERY ending of the book. As much as there is such warmth and familiarity in a HEA, this story isn't necessarily THAT at all. Rather than feeling anxiety-inducing, however, this again grounds the narrative in the relatable, the RATIONAL, and the real. It becomes very clear that McBreen values journeys of personal growth above 'pretty people in hyper-realized situations hooking up and instantly deciding they are soulmates', and as a married woman in my thirties, I find such a deeper and more meaningful connection to her characters and the overall story because of this focus. Having such an investment in where these characters ended up as individuals AND as a couple is such a breath of fresh air...and frankly, it's the kind of romance writing that keeps me coming back for more! If this is only McBreen's DEBUT, I'm already purchasing my ticket for her next flight of drama, intrigue, and okay, a LITTLE bit of fancy!

And since I promise I won't spoil whether an eventual HEA comes to fruition or not, this quote by Mark Groves fits these two MCs like a glove: "It's in the space between the love we've lost and the love we hope to find that we meet ourselves."

4 stars

I loved this book! It was so fun and enjoyable. A great rom com filled with travel and forced proximity. A great meet cute .. mistaken identity, one bed .. all the tropes we love! solid emotional conversations as well. A great debut :)

This was such a fun read! It had so many of my favorite tropes and the setting mixed with the rocky road trip romance was perfection. The banter was hilarious and I could not stop laughing at times. Ada and Jack ran into so much trouble on their trip, which made for an exciting read. I loved both of their characters so much. They were each going through their own struggles and that made me love each of them more. Such a great story!

this was such a good debut!!! what a cute, sweet, banter-filled time 🤭 I loved the uniqueness of the plot with all the mishaps of traveling to a destination wedding, the fateful meet-cute, the longinggggg and quick glances, and how it all wrapped up so perfectly 🥰

this has right place, wrong time energy, an eldest sister fmc, an acts of service mmc, steamy tensionnn, a wedding set in ireland, traveling experiences, and really great writing! I adore jack and ada, their chemistry, character development, and how they brought sm warmth to the story 🥹 can’t wait to read more from this author 💜 if you want a bingeable, cozy, romance read, that takes you across the UK, pick up wedding dashers 🫶🏻

This was a solid rom-com. I loved the premise- the maid of honor and best man of a wedding wind up stranded trying to get there. They have to work together to make it to the wedding in time. Of course they learn a lot about each other on the way, including their own hot takes of love, marriage, and the wedding they are a part of. I don’t usually love open-door romance, but this wasn’t too bad. However, there was all this build up to the best pizza in the world and we didn’t even get a scene at the restaurant?! I'll definitely be following this author to see what she does next! Hoping she continues to incorporate travel in her books because she does it well.

Ada is on her way to her sister's wedding in Belfast when her connecting flight out of London doesn't happen. Things go from bad to worse when the hotel voucher also doesn't work. She meets a handsome man, Jack, in the lobby. They both are headed to a wedding - the same wedding! Over the course of 4 days, Ada and Jack have multiple travel nightmares, but they learn a bit more about each other. Both are struggling with past relationships, Ada also is concerned about her own strengths.
I enjoyed the way that Jack and Ada talked and joked, how they bared their souls, even though they were afraid. I also enjoyed Ada's relationship with her sister, Allison. There was growth in all the relationships.
I liked the way the attraction between Jack and Ada was handled, and the ultimate outcome.
Good romance!

I stayed for the humor but the character development drew me in. Jack is rough when we first meet him and I wasn’t sure he could be redeemed but I fell in love with him. I liked Ada but I wasn’t sure she could change enough to make it all work. I loved the sex scenes but really loved the heart to heart conversations with all the characters. The weekend at Bernie’s nod was especially fun.

This is a really fun road trip romance with shenanigans. Jack and Ada are both stuck in London trying to get to Belfast to attend Ada’s sister‘s wedding where Jack is the best man. They don’t have the best first impression of one another, but as they try to get to the wedding with all of their adventures, they find themselves falling for one another. It’s cute and moves at a fantastic pace for a book.

Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen was a fun and wild ride from start to finish. Having been closely involved in a wedding recently has made me more aware of books with weddings as a theme and this one was perfectly aligned with that interest. It is the story of Ada traveling to her younger sister's wedding in Ireland, but stuck in London due to the cheap airline she took having canceled her connecting flight. Ada and her sister have a tenuous relationship and Ada potentially missing the wedding (and hand-delivering the veil) would make it even more disastrous so it is in her best interest to make sure she arrives as soon as possible. Ada meets a handsome man at the airport that offers to help her, but unfortunately for Ada, he is the best man that her sister has told her to avoid at all costs. But to get to the wedding, Ada has to take a chance and work with him and that is where the craziness begins. The book is fast, lively, and entertaining.

This book was so fun! I loved Ada and Jack and their (not so) meet-cute. They’re both witty, sarcastic and felt very realistic which made it easy to root for them. Their journey to get to Ada’s sister and Jack’s best friends wedding in time was chaotic and hilarious.

There’s amazing chemistry between them but both have emotional baggage to work through. Ada and her boyfriend of 8 years are on a break and she's clinging to hope they’ll get back together. She’s had a rough year and is afraid to lose the one constant left in her life. Jack comes off as a player who's afraid of commitment but it's really his way of coping during a tough time in his life.
I loved the emphasis on finding yourself and that they both took the time to heal before jumping into a relationship. The epilogue was the sweetest!

This was an amazing debut and I’m looking forward to reading whatever Heather McBreen writes next!

I loved everything about this book; both Ada and Jack are working through some issues as they race to make it to a wedding they both can’t miss. There are some humorous parts but where this really shone is in the vulnerability they both show, and eventually, the other principal players as well, and how they all find a way to work through their issues. This was the perfect romance read and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

It’s been a very long time since I have sat down and read an entire book in one sitting, and even longer since that’s happened at 1AM but that’s exactly what happened with this book.

Jack and Ada are going to the same wedding when they get stranded together and have to go on a whirlwind travel together. Throughout this travel, they discover what it means to love- and be loved by- someone and how failing is never an actual failure.

I cried, I laughed, and even more, I loved.

4.5 amazing debut stars

I’m so glad I read Heather McBreen's contemporary romance debut. It is filled with so many of my must-haves in a romance story—chemistry, strong characters and dialogue, and realistic relationships. Bonus points for Ireland, castles, and bringing out my emotions.

Ada is broke, her business had to close, and she’s on a “break” from her 8-year relationship with Carter. She hopes to talk her sister out of her upcoming wedding, even if they are estranged. If that’s not enough, her budget flight from London to Belfast was just canceled, her hotel voucher doesn’t work, and she doesn’t know if she can get to the wedding on time.

She meets Jack at the hotel after she mistakenly takes his suitcase. The pair commiserate over their travel woes, and Ada spills all about the upcoming wedding. After all, she’ll never see him again. Little does she know that Jack is going to the same wedding!

A series of disasters is in their future: the trains aren’t operating due to a strike, a stuck bathroom door and a flat tire threaten to keep them away from Belfast. The forced proximity here worked for me as the pair got to know each other while fighting their attraction.

I liked that the author had them become friends first and acknowledged that they both had to work through some things before they could be in a relationship. There were good family and friend dynamics at work here.

Can’t wait to read her next book!

This debut was an unexpected surprise and delight. Jack and Ada are each carrying their own emotional baggage (pun intended) on their journey to get to her sister and his best friend's wedding. Along the way they find laughter, friendship, and attraction. They both need time to figure out how to heal from past relationships and I really liked that the author took the time to explore this a bit. The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Brittany Pressley and she always brings her own touch of magic when reading a book.

This romcom was everything I didn’t know I needed—gripping me from the very first chapter and holding my heart until the very last page. It’s been a long time since a story consumed me so completely.

As raw as it is heartfelt, this is more than just a love story—it’s a powerful testament to resilience when life veers off course. The characters are beautifully imperfect, their struggles deeply human, making it impossible not to root for them. Their journey is messy, hopeful, and achingly real, with a supporting cast that shines just as brightly, each on their own path of growth and self-discovery. But beyond romance, this story is about finding your way when the road ahead is uncertain, about holding on when everything feels lost. And above all, it’s about love—the kind that refuses to fade, even in life’s hardest moments.

You could look at Ada and think she’s a doormat, someone who lets the people around her dictate her thoughts, stuck in denial, breaking down at every inconvenience. But maybe that’s just the surface—maybe I see her differently because I understand her. Maybe it’s the eldest daughter, older sister thing—the role of the additional parent, the one who picks up the pieces for everyone else, always putting yourself last. Maybe that’s why I relate to her so deeply.

Spending your entire youth with one person, growing up alongside them, only to find yourself lost in the aftermath of a breakup—it changes you. It forces you to question what you truly want, who you even are outside of the role you’ve always played.

Jack might not be the textbook definition of a “perfect book boyfriend,” but to me, he is. I love the way he is—the way he sees Ada, the way he’s always there, quietly asking, “What’s wrong?” or simply holding her when she needs it. But most of all, the way he asks, “What do you want?” That simple, loaded question—a lifeline for someone who’s spent her whole life prioritizing others.

And speaking of Jack—he’s also fighting his own battles, navigating his own mess. On the outside, he might seem cold, emotionless, unreadable. But I understand him too. The need to feel yet keep everything buried, so you’re never a burden to anyone else. Maybe that’s why this book hit me harder than I expected. Maybe I see myself in both of them.

Or maybe I’m just overwhelmed by how much this story made me feel.

And the banter? Absolute magic. Witty, effortless, and brimming with chemistry—it made every moment between Ada and Jack even more electric. I was obsessed. These characters aren’t just memorable; they’re the kind you can’t help but root for, the ones who linger in your heart long after the last page.

And just to add—the side characters? I loved them all. Their own personal struggles, the way they brought warmth, humor, and heart to the story. They weren’t just background noise; they mattered. Each of them had their own path, their own heartbreaks and triumphs, and I felt just as invested in their stories as I did in Ada and Jack’s. They added so much depth, making this world feel even more real, and I couldn’t get enough of them.

I had an absolute blast with this book! It’s already cemented itself as one of my top reads of 2025, and I know I’ll be revisiting it before the year is over.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.💐

I wanted to love this one—the setup had all the elements of a fun, chaotic road trip romance with a little enemies-to-lovers spark. Unfortunately, it never quite came together for me. The humour felt forced, and the chemistry between Ada and Jack never reached the tension or depth that would make their journey worth rooting for.
Ada’s frustration with her sister’s wedding and financial struggles were understandable, but they became repetitive, making her feel more whiny than endearing. On the other hand, Jack was supposed to be charmingly roguish, but he lacked the depth to make his redemption arc believable. Their banter often felt like it was trying too hard to be witty rather than flowing naturally.
The travel mishaps had the potential for comedic moments, but instead, they dragged, making the story feel longer than needed. When the emotional beats finally arrived, they didn’t hit as hard as they should have. The resolution felt rushed as if all the tension and misgivings evaporated rather than being meaningfully resolved.
There were glimpses of what could have been a great rom-com, but the execution fell short, leaving the story feeling more like a series of inconveniences rather than a heartfelt journey to love.

This one was fun! Really enjoyed reading it. Was grateful to get approved for an ARC even though I actually ended up reading it after the publishing date. I have seen so much good feedback on this one everywhere.

Wedding Dashers is a fun destination romance, where down-on-her-luck Ada is about to celebrate her little sister’s wedding—right as her entire world is falling apart. So when she’s stranded halfway to her destination with a handsome stranger (who she then finds out is the Best Man!) what follows is a trip that is complete with hilarious hiccups and chemistry, where Ada has to not only find a way to her sister but also figure out what she wants.

I enjoyed the mix of self-exploration and romance. There’s so much for Ada to work through on her dreams, her desires and how she shows up for the people in her life that I found resonated a lot with me as a reader. Of course, at the heart of this book is the romance between Jack and Ada as well, and I did enjoy their chemistry and banter quite a bit. If you’re a real steam queen, just know this is a slower burn.

This was an impressive debut and I can’t wait to see what’s next for author Heather McBreen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read a copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wedding Dashers is a FUN RomCom set in the backdrop of Scotland. Two people find themselves dashing across the British countryside to arrive on time to be in a wedding. Hijinx overtakes this love story as they both navigate being lost in love and life.

Wedding Dashers is a slow-burn, steamy romance.

Thank you, Berkley Romance.