This is what I mean when I say I love romcoms. Wedding Dashers has a perfect balance between the banter, spice and humor, making it an enjoyable read from start to finish.

Our main characters find themselves stuck in this seemingly unlucky traveling arrangement, but little did they know it’ll all lead to their soulmate.

Honestly, If I could wipe my memory and read it again, I absolutely would.

What a fantastic book, and to think it’s a debut - mind blown! I loved so much about this book and don’t even know where to start. I couldn’t put it down.

As a lover of traveling, I love a traveling romance and travel gone wrong trope. Ada is hit with a series of unfortunate events on the way to her sisters wedding, and ends up cooped up with the best-man. It had heat, slow burn, passion, a ton of depth and a romcom-perfect ending. It felt like a movie and I found myself thinking about the movie Leap Year.

Thank you to Forever pub, Heather and NetGalley for the arc. I’ll read anything Heather writes as this was so fantastic.

This was a really solid debut! It featured lots of my favorite tropes and I thought the more emotional moments were balanced well with humor. The slowish burn romance between Ada and Jack was a big part of the story, but both characters have growing to do, and so this leaned a bit more towards women's fiction for me.

Things to expect:
- a twist of fate
- an awkward almost one night stand
- forced proximity
- road trip shenanigans
- only one bed
- a dash of fake dating
- right person wrong time
- a pizza date with destiny

I really liked how the third act conflict was handled. It made sense for the characters and also gave them time to grow and heal. The overall message of learning to be enough all on your own was very powerful and well done. I also appreciated the message that there aren't perfect relationships or marriages. That perhaps it's more about finding someone to face whatever comes with and choosing them over and over again. That you can grow together without growing apart. The epilogue brought everything full circle and left me with a huge smile on my face.

I both listened to the audiobook and read the ebook of Wedding Dashers and really enjoyed the narration by Brittany Pressley. She voiced all the characters distinctly and I had no issues determining who was speaking. Her comedic timing was amazing as well and this was a great listening experience.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW (from the author): alcohol consumption, divorce, death of a parent (not on page, but referred to), and an abusive romantic relationship (not on page, but referred to).

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

This was much more fun than I expected! I don't usually enjoy road trip romances, but these two characters brought enough depth and authenticity to the story that I was rooting for them regardless of the road trip mishaps. I loved that they took time to figure their own stuff out. I really liked how they came together. I was horribly uncomfortable the first third of the book. But I think I was meant to be. lol

HI HELLO THIS BOOK IS NOW MY ENTIRE PERSONALITY. Our purple-haired heroine was written specifically for me—an eldest daughter with purple hair(!!!) who has to protect siblings and keep the world spinning. I was sucked into this book and just wanted to stay with these characters long after I hit The End. The quirky stops and lush scenery and travel mayhem all came together for a perfect travel romance.

A round of applause for Heather McBreen’s delightfully chaotic debut rom-com. WEDDING DASHERS has it all - mistaken identity, travel mishaps, forced proximity, and sizzling chemistry. It was a joy from start to finish.

Ada is having the worst string of luck. A failed business, and an eight-year relationship on the rocks should have prepared her for a hiccup in the trans-Atlantic travel plans for her sister’s wedding. A cancelled flight finds her stranded with nowhere to stay until a handsome stranger comes to her rescue. What follows is a madcap adventure with Jack who is no fan of romance or relationships. Except — what happens if you meet the right person at the wrong time?

This is the right mix of hilarity and depth. The writing is sharp and the characters well developed. Ms. MsBreen had me laughing and emotional at the same time which is no easy feat. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fabulous debut for those who love traveling, rom coms and wedding antics. Ada is heading to Belfast to celebrate her sister’s wedding when her layover gets canceled. Fate had her crossing paths with Jack, who happens to be the best man at the very same wedding. The two had some of the BEST banter and communication. I did not expect myself to laugh out loud so much. Ada was a messy main character, but to me, it was the fact that she wasn’t perfect that made her easy to relate to and such a joy to cheer on. Brittany Presley did a great job narrating her voice as well as all the dialogue with Jack. Seriously, I can listen to her male voice for days!

Read if you like:
-Road trip romances
-Ireland setting
-Wedding antics
-Only one bed
-You With a View/ Holiday Romance

Two stranded wedding guests make their way from London to Northern Ireland in this delightful rom-com debut.

Ada is en route from Seattle to Ireland for her younger sister's destination wedding and she's less than thrilled. Her business has recently failed, she's living with her parents after her long-time boyfriend decided they needed a 3 month break, she's flat broke and, worst of all, she's convinced her sister is rushing into an ill-considered marriage. Now the budget airline has cancelled her connecting flight to Belfast and she's stranded in London without the means to even book a hotel room.

Ada's luck seems to take a turn for the better when she meets Jack - a very attractive fellow traveller who is also stranded - and he offers to share his hotel room with her. After a few drinks, Ada decides there's no reason why she can't share her true feelings about the wedding, the groom and the womanizing best man she dreads meeting with this airport stranger only to discover that they are both heading to the same wedding and Jack is the aforementioned best man. The pair decide to put the misunderstanding aside and travel together via a mix of ferries, trains, and automobiles in a desperate attempt to make it to the wedding on time while also trying to keep their simmering attraction to each other in check.

Wedding Dashers is a fun read and a very strong romance debut - anyone who has had travel go sideways can relate! There's sizzling chemistry and witty banter as the two main characters get to know each other in this slow burn/forced proximity romance as well as some heavier issues that the two are coming to terms with. Laugh-out-loud funny yet also emotional at times - a great choice for romance readers interested in a steamy road-trip romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

For fans of Netflix's romantic comedies such as Holidate, this one's for you.

Two disillusioned individuals meet under less than ideal circumstances. Ada is on a 'break' from her boyfriend of eight years. Meanwhile, Jack is dealing with baggage of his own. A fateful, flirtatious first encounter takes a turn when they realize they're heading to the same wedding. Ada's sister Allison and Jack's bestfriend Collin's wedding to be exact.

Both Ada and Jack have reservations about the speed with which their loved ones are heading down the altar. Because surely two people can't be sure about each other after only dating less than a year, right?

Nevertheless, despite numerous setbacks, they do everything they can to make their way to the wedding. Chemistry, hijinks, and humor ensue along the way. I enjoyed seeing Allison grow and realize that she was clinging onto her failed relationship because of the familiarity and safety of it, not because she truly missed her ex or the person she was when she was with him.

I do wish we would have gotten some chapters in Jack's PoV or at least the epilogue though, because we never truly get an inside look into his thoughts and feelings. As a result, I feel far less of an attachment to him as a character.

Minor issues aside, I had a fun time with this one. It is in no way original in its conception or execution. But it still manages to be a fun, sexy romp, and sometimes that's all you need.

I really liked the book.
Sometimes we meet the right person for us at the wrong time in our lives.
Ada and Jack’s efforts to get to Ireland were straight out of the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
Both were good for each other if nothing else realizing how much personal growth and work they each needed to do.
I’m a big believer in not jumping from relationship into another because you need time to heal and reassess. A person has to be happy with themselves before they can find happiness in each other.
Read this book and it might ring some bells with your win situation.

🩷 Book Review 🩷

What is this?! Another romance debut that is OH SO GOOD!!

“He’s an app I can’t stop opening. A habit I can’t break.”

Ahem this book is a habit I can’t break!! I had so much fun with this debut. I loved every single second. It’s hard to make me laugh in rom coms but this had a special pizazz and was laughing my booty off.

Ada + Jack= Perfection 😮‍💨❤️

The sassy banter and witty personalities. What more can you ask for?

The story was also very emotional and so pure and raw. My heart truly broke for this duo in different ways. Sometimes love can be gut wrenching and your heart feels like it’s going to break. Being honest with yourself and realizing maybe I’m happier without this person? Or, is love really enough?

Mcbreen you broke my heart but did you put it back together. Thank goodness 😅. That ending!!! Ugh my lil 💙.

“An affair to remember.”

“Maybe it’s finding someone who makes you feel a little less alone in the world.”

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @heathermcbreenwrites for my copy.

5/5

Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen is a delightful mix of mistaken identities, unexpected twists, and a forced-proximity romance that hits all the right notes. Ada and Jack’s banter and chemistry are irresistible, making their road trip across Ireland both hilarious and heartfelt. The close proximity creates moments of humor and tension that keep you hooked, while the underlying emotional growth adds depth to their story.

Though the characters’ baggage adds a bit of drama, it’s balanced by laugh-out-loud moments and a slow-burn romance that feels authentic. Fans of witty rom-coms with a touch of chaos will love this debut. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy clever dialogue, romantic misadventures, and a bit of self-discovery along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC—I can’t wait to see what McBreen writes next!

⛴️ WEDDING DASHERS 💍

Ada needs to get to her sister's wedding in Belfast but is stranded in London with no flight, no hotel room and her sister's designer veil. Thankfully a dashing stranger offers her a bed for the night (his 👀). Not awkward at all the next morning when Ada discovers he is the best man at the very same wedding. Off you pop on an adventure with this funny, flawed but relatable pair.

Adored. Adored. Adored. I ate this up in 48hours. You can probably tell by my own debut that I love an adventure built around a romcom and Heather delivers this in buckets.

Reading a book about an American in the UK will never not be funny to me. What do you mean they just strolled into a kebab shop without checking the hygiene rating first!? What do you mean they didn't factor in train strikes?

There is a lovely slowburn romance which pays off beautifully. Heather deals with the characters flaws and their resolution in a very grown up and believable way which I really enjoyed reading. And I always love a sisterly arc. Especially as the eldest daughter myself.

A fun, sweet debut that is perfect for fans of Leap Year and unlikely partners falling in love on the road trip from hell. The voice was sharp and the characters felt real and relatable.

This was a BEAUTIFUL book!! It was chaotic and funny and vulnerable and so tender and sweet!! It had all the best parts of a roadtrip romance in the most chaotic way. There was so much banter and tension and it was FUNNY! This is such an amazing debut and I cannot wait to see what’s next from Heather!!

I really like Ada and Jack! And don’t get me wrong they were a MESS at the beginning. Between their meet cute turned not so cute, and then they were thrown together, and everything kept going wrong! But along the way they got to know each other!! And got to learn some things about themselves!!! And they got to be cute! And vulnerable! And also have fun even though they kept having the worst luck!

JACK AND ADA! They were so sweet and soft with each other! And I REALLY loved how much they evolved for just a few days!!! And they of course had a long ways to go, and they did the work!! And the end was SO sweet!

Thank you so much Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Unlike the traditional RomCom, this story realistically anticipates what happens after the meet-cute happenstance. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters, Ada and Jack, while experiencing their take on traveling to wedding events. The timeline of disasters added humor to the story, and I enjoyed experiencing feelings of romantic and emotional complications. Overall, the characters were relatable and likable, and I found myself rooting for them even though things didn't seem to be happening at a time when they were ready for love. Their journey wasn't a happily ever after in a traditional romance, and I found it refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Heather McBreen, and Berkley publishers for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic, contemporary, fast-paced romantic comedy.

Ada’s life is in shambles; a failed business and an unexpected break from her boyfriend of eight years has left her broken-hearted and living at home.

On her way to her younger sister’s wedding in Ireland, Ada is left stranded when her flight is cancelled. However, things seem to finally take a turn when she meets a handsome stranger named Jack who offers her a drink.

Several drinks, a lot of flirting, and a serious misunderstanding later, Ada and Jack figure out that they are headed to the same wedding and that Jack is the infamous best man - and a serious player if Ada’s sister is to be believed.

Stuck together they embark on a race against time and bad luck as they attempt to reach Ireland unscathed. All the banter, undeniable attraction, and serious chemistry leads to a lot of confusing feelings along the way.

Wedding Dashers was a fantastic debut by Heather McBreen and I loved every minute of Jack and Ada's charming journey to "happy ever after."

This was a cute read. Traveling to a destination wedding goes awry and the result is a romantic journey filled with mid-adventures. The meet cute between Jack and Ada was funny and I enjoyed their travel adventures.
Jack and Ada seemingly have different outlooks on love and marriage. This leads to some discourse between the two, adding to their tension. The romance in this was slow burn, extra slow.
Overall, a quick-if somewhat predictable-and enjoyable read with a sweet and satisfying conclusion.
Thank you the Berkley for the opportunity to read an early copy via NetGalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wedding Dashers brings forth an array of emotions. There is swoon, there is angst, there is heartbreak, there is triumph. All led by a protagonist who is vulnerable, fallible, and so real. I connected emotionally to this book and it made the experience all the more immersive and engaging.

Protagonist Ada is having bad luck getting to her little sister’s destination wedding. Out of cash and out of options, she accepts a stranger’s offer to stay the night in rented room for the night as she arranges new transportation. Unfortunately for both, their communication lines are crossed and she accepts what she presumes is shelter whilst his intention could be found under the sheets. The misunderstanding is promptly cleared up, but it sets forth our leads on very uneven footing. Made worse when they realize they’re headed to the same wedding— and the stranger, Jack, is actually the best man who Ada’s sister previously warned her about, due to his presumed playboy behavior. As they come to an arrangement to travel together to make it in time for their loved ones’ wedding, they get to know one another, and themselves as well. This journey becomes less about the destination and more about the company, and what that company inspires. Ada and Jack challenge one another, they see past each other’s surface and preconceived notions others have set on them, and see what lies beneath. They see each other’s truth, each other’s lies, and each other’s heartbreak. They connect in a deeply emotional way that is almost disorienting. They didn’t expect the other, but as their adventure unfolds, they don’t know how they can expect a future without the other.

I absolutely loved the evolving nature of Ada and Jack’s romance. They may bicker and develop negative assumptions of the other, but they also have thriving banter and see each other in ways they’ve never felt seen. At times I felt so much frustration towards Ada and Jack’s respective actions and words (also shout out to Ada's sister who frustrated me too, ha!), but this narrative also made me understand and appreciate these moments. For every moment of frustration I felt-- so did they. They hurt too!

Like growing pains, sometimes it hurts. But then you grow. And Ada and Jack have magnificent growth, due in part in knowing each other in the most hectic of circumstances. They stumbled, but they got back up. They hurt, but they grew strong. They are vulnerable characters prone to mistakes, to missteps, to falls, and seeing them learn and pick themselves up made them that much more real. It made them mirrors to ourselves. It made their life feel as real as ours.

Yes, it hurt me to see Jack and Ada's evolution lead where it did-- at least for a while. But that's life, that's also responsibility. Which for me is a big theme in this one. When it's needed-- and when it's time to let go. The latter is especially the case in Ada needing to learn to let go of claiming responsibility for her little sister, and allowing her sister to fall and to learn to pick herself up along the way. At least sometimes. As for when responsibility is needed, I'll leave that to you, fellow readers. It hurt to see this need, but it makes the end all the more worthwhile. So trust that journey--keep going until the very end!

All in all, this is an engagingly tumultuous journey with an ending that feels absolutely earned. I’m thrilled to have read this worthwhile adventure, and to take with me all the lessons learned.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Two strangers come together to try and make it to a wedding on time in this heartfelt, road trip romcom. There’s a cancelled flight, missed train and many more mishaps and, while it got off to an angsty start, there’s plenty of funny banter and spice for a good time.

Ada is on her way to her sister’s wedding at a castle outside of Belfast. She is her sister’s maid of honor and is in charge of getting her sister’s veil to the wedding. Her first flight lands in London but she is worried when her connecting flight to Ireland is canceled. The airline books her on a flight for the next day and gives her a voucher for a hotel nearby. But when she gets there, the hotel tells her the voucher has expired and she can’t afford to pay for a room. She has been having a bad run of luck lately and now she is broke - her tattoo parlor went under, her boyfriend, Carter, who she dated for eight years, asked to go on a break and she has been staying on her parent’s couch. She has nowhere to sleep when a handsome stranger (who was also on the cancelled flight) offers her a drink at the bar and they commiserate over beers.

The handsome stranger is Jack who is also on his way to the wedding and he is the best man, but they don’t realize they are going to the same wedding. He invites Ada up to his room, hoping for a night of fun while she thinks he’s offering her a place to sleep. She is still hoping Carter will want to get back with her, so even though Jack is handsome, she’s not interested in hooking up with him, but she takes him up on his offer to stay in his room for the night.

The next morning both of their phone’s ding at the same time, letting them know that their flight to Belfast is canceled and that’s when they realize they are going to the same wedding. Jack comes up with a plan to take a train to Scotland and then a ferry to Ireland. He is an environmental lawyer and he tells Ada he wants to pay her way to make sure she gets to the wedding on time. (The wedding is in two days.) There is a lot of fun banter between them and some bickering as they travel and there are more delays. Her sister warns her that Jack is a player and not to fall for him but Ada isn’t worried because she is still hung up on Carter – or is she?

Their attraction builds as they go through all sorts of mishaps and help each other on the way. Jack is a commitment-phobe and thinks his friend and Ada’s sister haven’t known each other long enough to be getting married. They’ve only been together six months, but he tries to be supportive of them. He has his reasons to be wary of commitments and we find out more about all that he’s gone through as he and Ada become closer. My favorite part of the story is when they explore Edinburgh together, enjoying high tea and climbing up to Edinburgh castle where they see amazing views of the city. It feels magical and when they show each other their tattoos, things get spicy.

I enjoyed the second half of the story more than the first. In the beginning, they bickered a lot, ugh, and Ada was feeling bad about her ex, Carter. She rehashed their ups and downs which slowed down the pace. But somewhere in the middle of the story, when they started falling for each other, it got really fun and I didn’t want to put the book down. I especially enjoyed seeing the growth of the main characters when they are on their journey and the ending was uplifting and surprising in a good way.

Wedding Dashers turned out to be a fun road trip with some angst and lots of mishaps and laughs along the way and I look forward to seeing what this debut author does next.