when emma gets dumped by her fiancé with no explanation, she finds herself lost but with a plan- to keep her original wedding date and find a new groom. only problem? the wedding is just six months away. I loved the slow burn romance and emma coming to turns with what she truly wanted in a marriage but some parts felt like DRAG. I also enjoyed that this book proved that maybe not all men should be banned from having a podcast. thanks for the ARC read NetGalley!

In Save the Date by Allison Raskin, heroine Emma decides to keep her wedding date as scheduled after her fiance leaves her, and sets out to find a new groom. While the concept is unique and has a lot of promise, the novel unfortunately had some significant issues.

The first several chapters focus on Emma grieving the loss of her fiance and the life she'd dreamed of. The reader knows what Emma will ultimately decide to do, so this section could have moved much more quickly or could have been cut entirely. Starting with the off-the-wall choice to salvage the wedding with a new groom would have been a much stronger place to begin and capture the reader's interest.

Although Emma is justifiably heartbroken, the fact that the novel spends so much time with her grief makes her a less interesting character. Because the heartbreak happens right at the beginning, Emma comes off as whiny and annoying because we don't know her yet. Moving back in with her parents and spending hours crying may be completely normal things to do after a broken engagement, but that doesn't mean the reader should have to sit by and hold her hand.

Because the novel spends so much time up front on the grief, there's less space for the wacky dating hijinks that the reader might have expected. We don't meet the real contenders for Emma's heart until 90 pages into the book—it would have been good to meet the two main love interests earlier, and possibly to have a third person in the mix.

The author also spends time and words on trivial details. I don't need to know the design aesthetic of Emma's parents' living room, but I would love to know more about the love interests' families and history and the communities that surrounds them. This is the sort of background that can be added very naturally in a dual point-of-view story, where the love interest gets to have a voice and share their own perspective. I can understand why Raskin keeps the point of view tight on Emma, so as not to give away the ending, but I think she loses something by going that route.

There is a lot to enjoy in Save the Date: disastrous dates, a meddling sister, and a fun and surprising outcome for what happens on the wedding date. However, I might not have made it to the end if I hadn't been reading an advance copy to review.

Offering a novel perspective on dealing with sorrow and moving on, the story is captivating and unique. It has a nice ending and is a delightful read!

What a fun and refreshing idea for a romance! I loved that halfway in I didn't know which way things would go but I wasn't in that camp for too long before the foreshadowing was evident. In all honesty this is a 4½ star read for me but NetGalley doesn't have that option, so I rounded up. The only reason this isn't a glowing 5 stars for me is because some of the dialogue got a little flat. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you're looking for something different with closed door intimacy, this is an entertaining read.

• Jilted fiancee
• Couples Therapist
• Anxious FMC
• Instant chemistry
• Healing
• Self awareness/finding oneself

Disclaimer: the author is clearly progressive and there are many nods to this in the book. If you think that would be a trigger for you, probably best not to read this one. That being said, if you are more on the progressive side, you will likely appreciate those little bits.

I thought the premise of this book was so interesting, but unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the main character. I think a lot of people will really appreciate Emma as a character and see themselves in her, but I found it just hard to understand the choices she was making. She tried really hard to explain all of her reasoning, but it still didn’t make much sense.

The beginning was a tad slow as we moved through a few preliminary suitors, but once she meets Will, things start to pick up. There were elements sprinkled in that I really liked. I wish we’d spent more time with Imani and less time with Jackie. I did like the ending, I thought it was the only ending that actually made any sense—anything else would have felt dissatisfying.

Overall, this book held more promise but didn’t end up delivering for me. But like I said earlier, I think a lot of readers will probably see themselves in parts of Emma so I’m likely an outlier here.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Your fiancée dumps you a few months before your wedding and your natural response is to find a new groom to get married on the same day. That is the premise of the book and it is so perfect! I would love to see this in a movie with the witty banter and the good looking characters. If you love a good romcom this is a book you want to read!

This is a cute book about a therapist who gets dumped by her fiancee and seeks to find a new groom before (and for) the current wedding date she already has set. This story has a lot of fun plot points but I also moved slowly in some spots. I feel like certain characters (like one of Emma's ex-boyfriends) could have been left out of it to help quicken the pace while still keeping the plot intact. Overall, this was a fun read and I would definitely read one of Allison Raskin's books again. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley but all of the opinions stated are my own.

This was an okay read! I can't say that i loved it, but i enjoyed it enough to finish. Commentary was witty and funny at times, but felt a little forced and unnatural.

I honestly couldn't finish reading this book. I tried. I really, really did. Between the basic writing style and the use of marijuana (I know, it is legal in most places) I just couldn't get into it. (Again, I tried. I really, really did!) Definitely not my cup of tea! The premise was great, just not very well developed.

I absolutely loved the premise of Save the Date! Allison Raskin takes what could have been a devastating situation—being dumped by her fiancé—and turns it into an exciting, heartfelt journey. The characters felt incredibly real, and readers will find themselves laughing out loud as Emma Moskowitz navigates the ups and downs of keeping her wedding date, even without a groom.

Emma is lucky to strike gold with both men she meets through dating apps—something every girl dreams of. While I would have liked to see her struggle a bit more in finding the right match, the two men she meets serve as a lens into her inner turmoil. More importantly, the novel beautifully explores Emma’s personal growth as she faces sticky situations with both romance and family.

Raskin delivers a witty, relatable, and emotionally rich story that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Fans of contemporary romance and heartfelt comedies will thoroughly enjoy this book!

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy!

Save the Date was good to read, but for me, a little unrealistic at times. I really felt for Emma and was upset and anxious with her. She heads out to change the outcome of a cancelled wedding. Not what most people would do, but fun to imagine and read about!

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a cute book! I really liked the premise of it and it was definitely a different kind of story. Couples therapist Emma finds herself dumped by her fiance out of nowhere. She doesn't want to cancel her wedding so she sets out to find a new groom to take the place of her old one.

She meets Will, a potential suitor, but it's endgame when she tells him her plan. However they are continually drawn to one another and Will asks to document Emma's journey on a podcast. You'll have to read to find out if she gets her wish of her wedding day!

I loved the scene where Emma told off her ex in the restaurant!! It's easy to buy into the notion that if someone doesn't want you, there must be something wrong with you. The supporting cast in the book was great - lots of people in Emma's corner and I loved the support they gave her!

Thanks Net Galley and Publisher for the advanced eARC of this book!

Fun read and great characters! So glad I got to read this one. :)

Thank you NetGalley and Allison Raskin!

There were some things I loved about this book, and some things that I wasn't thrilled with. I did really enjoy the premise of the story. The idea of finding another man willing to replace the groom at your planned wedding when your fiancé dumps you was so absurd that it made for a very entertaining plot. I also really enjoyed the anxiety representation. I could definitely relate to a lot of what Emma was going through and I felt like the author handled it in a sensitive way while still managing to show a truthful example of what it's like to live with an anxiety disorder. And Emma did exhibit a lot of growth during the book. The podcast and therapy sessions were excellent and I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at both of those professions.

However, I also felt like there wasn't a ton of depth to the book. Everything seemed a bit superficial and surface level. I wanted more conversations between the characters and more inner dialouge from Emma. And there were a few things that happened that just seemed a touch too ridiculous to be realistic. I felt like the characters could have been developed more, and the ending not quite as rushed. Really, I just wanted a little more than I got with this one!

One thing that was done very well was the banter between Will and Emma. They definitely had chemistry, and I found myself enjoying the book so much more when he came on the scene. However, it seemed like all of their interactions got cut short, and while I loved the conflict/ resolution at the end, I would have liked it to have been a deeper conversation and not wrapped up with a few simple sentences.

All in all, I'm happy I read this book despite my criticisms. It was a quick and fun read and I definitely laughed out loud a few times! I'm very grateful to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the e-arc of the book. Save The Date will be published on April 8th, 2025.

This was such a good contemporary romance read. I love the characters and I felt like I related to Emma’s anxious nature quite a bit. Overall, I really enjoyed the storyline in this one and would definitely recommend it.

Probably not a good idea to bash conservatives and have so much Trump hate. Alienates a lot of potential readers and fans. I’m happy I got an early release of this to read instead of spending my money on a book that insults its readers.

The main character’s self depreciating and desperate personality was already tough to like but then that was the cherry on top to creating a very dislikable lead. Did we really have to read about her anxiety every other paragraph? Sorry to hear the story is inspired by the author because then what does that say about her. Eeeeesh.

My hatred for the female character continues to grow at 85% in. She’s obsessed with being wanted and desired so much that even after she gets what she wants she’s still willing to sabotage it for more attention from more men. “She couldn’t keep doing this to herself “ ?????? She shouldn’t keep doing this to the men. The chosen fiancé deserves better. She’s gross. And THEN the running away to get a man to chase her? Come onnnn. I’m so over it.

Finished this as a courtesy to the publisher for the approved early read - I wanted to enjoy it. The initial idea was nice, not a fan of the execution.

When Emma’s fiancé calls off their engagement, she makes an unconventional choice: instead of canceling the wedding venue and date, she sets out to find a new groom. As a couples therapist dealing with her own anxiety, this daring mission is far from easy—but Emma is nothing if not determined.

The story is filled with humor, shocking moments, and heartfelt self-reflection, not only for Emma but also for those she encounters along the way. What truly hooked me was the author’s note, revealing that the inspiration for this unique premise came from her own life experience.

This book is both entertaining and thought-provoking, encouraging readers to reflect on their own relationships. It prompts us to consider what we’re willing to accept—or not—in a partner. A truly intriguing and insightful read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher’s for providing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Save the Date was a quick read for me, but I got pretty bogged down in the story. Emma Moskowitz is a couples counselor who has expanded her career on social media, and finds herself suddenly single when her fiance dumps her with no explanation. She is also under contract to write a book about relationships, and her ex-fiance is prominently featured in the book. She decides to proceed with the wedding - same date and venue - and sets out to find a new fiance to fill Ryan, her ex's shoes.

I had a hard time understanding Emma's fixation on continuing with her plans and desperately trying to find a replacement fiance who would fit in to her previously planned wedding. The whole scenario was very unrealistic and Emma's decision to find a fiance to replace her ex annoyed me. She seemed to prioritize her social media profile over her actual life. I also didn't care for the other characters in the story, except for Imani, Will and Matt. Everyone who has been dumped can empathize with Emma's heartbreak, but her obsession with finding a fiance who was willing to get engaged and married right away was not a reasonable solution. Getting divorced is a lot more painful and costly than canceling wedding plans.

Emma finds several candidates to become her new fiance, and I would have liked to see her consider altering her plans to get to know any of these men in a natural progression. I also found her sister to be aggravating, and her parents' marital issues were not interesting to me. I would have loved to see more description of her clients and their sessions. The banter between Emma and her various dates was funny, but the looming wedding date and plans overshadowed the development of her relationships with any of them.

I always enjoy reading a new (to me) author's work, and I really liked the character of Emma Moskowitz, but there were many parts of this book that didn't work for me. Thanks to NetGalley, Allison Raskin, and Canary Street Press for this advance reader's copy in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

A fun easy read for someone looking for a romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from Allison Raskin. This is my first book from her but I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this rom com book! The characters were witty and the plot fit with the world we live in today. I can’t wait to recommend it to my book club. Can definitely see this being a movie as well. I can already see Glen Powell as Will.