I had never heard of Allison Raskin or her background before picking up this book.

Cute story with an interesting premise. I thought a lot of the conversations were witty.

My favorite quote “ No one’s story was ever truly over until they were dead. And maybe not even then!”

A fun easy read perfect for a little escape.

3.5 stars

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Save the Date has a fun and unique premise, and I appreciated the fresh take on modern love and online culture. Emma’s journey—trying to reclaim her life and career after a very public breakup—felt authentic and relatable, especially with the added pressure of being a relationship expert.

That said, this was a slow read for me. The pacing dragged at times, and I found myself wishing things would move along a bit faster, especially in the middle. While the story had heart and some great moments of insight, I struggled to stay fully engaged.

Overall, it’s a charming rom-com with a lot of potential, but the slow pacing made it a bit of a tough one to get through. Fans of introspective romance and unconventional love stories may still find a lot to enjoy.

I read this book in one sitting. Emma is so relatable and hilarious! While love triangles aren't normally my thing, it really worked for this book. I loved how the concept Emma was trying to prove through Operation: Save My Date actually came through and all couples in the book had a convincing happy ending. Will definitely look for more books by this author.

A delightfully cute rom-com loosely based on the author’s real-life experience. I found this book to be a quick read, not necessarily in a “can’t put the book down” way but instead in a “lighthearted, easy read” way. For many who have been in a similar situation, I feel this book may be cathartic as the main character struggles with which path in life to take and the anxiety that comes with making another big life decision, following her initial heartbreak. For those who cannot relate, you will find the humor and romance in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance for my honest thoughts.

A very sweet romantic comedy for a marriage counselor trying to find her own happily ever after. I love this characters optimism even through her anxiety and depressive moments. It was a quick easy read.

Save the Date by Allison Raskin is the perfect mix of humor and heartfelt moments, making me laugh one minute and get all in my feelings the next. The main character is so endearing, and I loved following her journey as she chases happiness, even when it means questioning everything she thought she knew about love. Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a little more cautious when it comes to love, this story will hit home. If you’re looking for a fun, insightful, and feel-good read, this one is a must! Thank you to the publisher and author for a gifted arc copy.

It's cute, and light, and easy to get through.

I've followed the author parasocially (is that not a word?) for years, As such, a lot of the anecdotes and asides felt familiar and tired. Obviously authors draw from their own lives for inspiration, but this did take me out the book a bit. It's like when I've gone to comedy shows because I enjoyed a person on a podcast, and then they retell stories from the podcast at the show. It doesn't make the content any worse, but it lacks the joy of a story/character feeling new. And maybe this will get edited in the final version, but at one point a character mentions going to the Hamptons for the weekend. All of these people live in LA, the Hamptons is not a weekend trip! Totally took me out of the story for a minute, lol

That being said, this fictionalized story based on the experience of the author was still enjoyable. Our main characters, Emma and Will, have great banter and chemistry. The conflicts and misunderstandings were all reasonable and understandable. I was not internally screaming "just tell him!" or any of the other reactions one might have when the entire plot of a novel could be resolved with one conversation. The characters had beliefs that were logical and human. Even if the idea of finding a groom for a preplanned wedding is a little ridiculous, it was easy to suspend disbelief and just go on the ride with the characters.

It was fun. Take it to the beach, read it at the gym. If you like a dialog driven rom com with a silly premise, this is for you.

3.5, but rounding up to make up for the people who gave low reviews because of the "political content." I noticed one instance of very light commentary, but there are people on here saying it ruined the book for them. Give me a break.

Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Raskin, and Canary Street Press for the ARC!

I should start by saying that this isn't my usual read, and I knew going in that this probably wasn't going to be to my taste. On the other hand, I've been a supporter of Allison's content for over a decade, and I was super curious to see how she'd pull this off.

I'll start with what I liked. For one thing, the premise is obviously great fun. I was surprised by how likeable both main love interests were, especially Will. I wasn't expecting to connect with the main romance of the story, but by the end, I was really rooting for them! That took me by surprise. The heart of the book also feels authentic, loving, and positive.

There is a lot of Allison in this book, though, and I don't think all of it was to the book's benefit. The YouTuber angle, weirdly enough, never felt fully integrated into the story. I was perplexed as to what the knee injury added too. There are also many of Allison's (wonderful) beliefs present in Emma, but they also don't add a lot to the story, in my opinion.

In terms of the construction of the book, maybe this was just my copy, but there were many small time skips with no line break, chapter change, or anything to indicate that time was passing. It was very confusing every time it happened. Also, I understand why considering Allison's background, but something about this book read almost more like a screenplay. It's very action- and dialogue-forward in a way that I'm not used to. Not my jive, but your mileage may vary.

I think an even tighter edit could've taken this over the edge into being a star in its genre. Instead, I was just left feeling that it was okay.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of the publishing date!

Emma’s life suddenly turns upside down when her fiancé suddenly dumps her telling her that “something is missing”.

But everything has already been booked or paid for, the wedding venue, the flowers, etc. and she’s worried about her YouTube channel and her book deal to just end everything. When she gets the idea to instead find a new groom to marry her. Operation: Save the Date commences.

I had mixed feelings about this book.

I really liked the idea and the concept. The synopsis made it sound so good and I was excited to read a romantic comedy with such a ridiculous idea to get a groom and married. It sounded comedic, and maybe even romantic if done right with the right person.

The banter and witty remarks with Will were great. Will was definitely a favorite of mine. He was funny, and had ideals he stuck to that I appreciated, especially when a certain someone made it sound like he should change and not both.

It was fun meeting new men and to try to figure who Emma might end up with. Part of the intrigue if you will.

I loved the family dynamic in here. I was a lot of fun to read, especially with the sisters. Some might find Jackie annoying, but I found her hilarious! That meddling sister who just gets in your business and drags her husband into it. And yet, she helped Emma in so many ways, and they were always on Emma’s side being her backup when she was upset or something happened. I really loved their family.

A few things I didn’t really enjoy…Emma being one of them. I have anxiety, not as bad as her, but I understand being anxious about silly things or even maybe being over the top, but I also am logical and I think about things and think about the best route. The way I viewed Emma was “it’s Emma’s way or the highway”. I got the impression everyone else had to change to work for her, but she didn’t need to change. And I get she had changed with how she handled her anxiety, but she still seemed to think everyone else was the problem, not her. And yah, she addressed it at the end, but it was at the end of the book and it felt too little too late for me. She just wasn’t a very likable character for me.

Another thing is the way I felt like I was being told how relationships should work or the random politics that were mentioned. I felt like ideals were being thrown at me that I should agree upon and I was like “I’m just here to read a romantic comedy. Not get into politics or what makes a relationship wrong or tight. I’m not here for therapy”. It just didn’t allow me to relax and just have fun reading this book. Also, why are politics being thrown into a romantic comedy?

I really wanted to like this book, but it’s middle of the road for me, bordering 2.5 stars just because I felt anxious just reading this book and I primarily got relief when I read Will’s parts. He was the comedic relief I needed in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was really cute and quirky, easy to read, one of those Hallmark feel good reads. It wasn't challenging or thought provoking, but that wouldn't be what you're looking for if you chose this book. It's more of a lazy beach read with one of those happy endings :)

SAVE THE DATE – Allison Raskin
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-08132-2
April 8, 2025
Contemporary Romance

Los Angeles – Present Day

Emma Moskowitz is a couples therapist and is writing a book about romantic relationships. She is also engaged to Ryan with August 29th as their planned wedding date. Everything is going smoothly until Ryan abruptly cancels their engagement. Emma doesn’t want to cancel the wedding, so she decides that the only thing she needs is to find a groom to take Ryan’s place. After all, love means less in a relationship if they otherwise get along with each other. Her family and friends think she’s crazy, but she has this theory that couples can easily be interchanged. Her first subject turns out to be all wrong. Her second try, Will, appears to be a fit for her, but there’s one problem: he doesn't want to get married. Her search leads her brother-in-law to introduce her to Matt, a cool dude in the process of getting divorced. Matt goes along with her wedding plans, though he does keep bringing up his ex-wife’s name. While Emma tries to ignore that, her world leads her back to Will after he gets her to agree to do a podcast with him about her bananas of an idea about marriage and her “save the date” plans for August 29th. Even as Emma continues her wedding planning with Matt, she can’t stop thinking about Will.

Emma’s determined to get married on August 29th and doesn’t care who the groom is because love isn’t important in a marriage, just compatibility. She is a successful therapist who specializes in marriage counseling, plus she has a good following online. Most followed her journey as she got engaged to Ryan and their planned wedding. Of course, it’s embarrassing to have to tell her followers that the engagement is off. But the wedding date stays the same because she will just find a replacement groom to marry. Find a guy who she likes, and they agree to marry her. Will was awesome. They even had sex, but he shot down her plans for them to marry. Of course, she tried to write him off, but it wasn’t that easy after they started working together on the podcast. Matt, however, is perfect for her. Or is he?

For most of the time in SAVE THE DATE Emma tries to push thoughts of Ryan and Will behind her and concentrate on Matt. Ryan is easier to forget because it turns out he wasn’t right for her and seemed to back out on their engagement when she started planning a production rather than a wedding ceremony. Will thinks she is crazy. It appears he believes in being absolutely sure about wanting to marry someone before marching down the aisle. But Emma has convinced herself that she is doing the right thing. Matt has no qualms and lets her take the lead. Sadly her heart is still smarting from Ryan’s rejection, and then Will’s dismissal of her wedding plans. Meanwhile, Emma has to finish the book she is promoting. She has one final chapter to write, and she isn’t sure how it ends. Will it be her marrying Matt, or will she decide that marriage is not as important as love? Readers will figure out in SAVE THE DATE what Emma’s answer should be. The big question is whether she realizes it. Yes, this is a bit of a different tale and even I wondered if this would end in a happily ever after.

An intriguing tale, and you will have to read SAVE THE DATE to find out what Emma decides, and if it is the right decision.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Save the Date is an absolute gem! Funny, relatable, creative, joyful, with oh, so much chemistry between the two leads. I read this in 24 hours, I simply couldn't wait to see how it ended.

I really had a hard time with the trump/republican bashing in this book. I know everyone is entitled to their own political beliefs but this was to blatant. It is going to push a lot of readers away.

I think with the story context, her being a therapist but then just moving straight to a rebound and not going through any type of healing process is wild and not realistic.

The idea for this book was cute and had potential but it really just didn’t do anything for me.

Thank you to netgalley for this ARC.

DNF at 20%

While the concept of the book was interesting, the execution of it felt flat at best, and kind of problematic at worst.
Our FMC, Emma, was whiny and acted like an immature teenager, despite being over 30 years old. The therapeutic aspects of it felt out-of-place for a romcom and often depicted ideas that are contrary to those commonly accepted in the marriage family therapy field (such as that attraction is unimportant to a marriage). There were also a couple political comments that not only felt out of place, but potentially problematic.

As far as an easy to read rom-com goes, this was pretty solid. I thought the idea was unique and for the most part it was executed well. I absolutely loathed like all of the characters aside from Will and the side friend Imani. The FMC was pretty annoying and seemed to be rather selfish in her quest to find a new groom. She just rubbed me the wrong way. Her sister was also pretty insufferable. I also felt like the ending was rushed. This one just wasn't a hit for me, but I wouldn't say I had a bad time reading it.

This book had me laughing out loud as well as hiding under my blanket from second hand embarrassment. You root for Emma and want the situation to work out the best way that it can. I finished this book quickly as I was dying to know who she ends up with.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️

Emma’s fiancé decides to call off their wedding and end things 6 months before the date. Emma, a couples therapist with a thriving YouTube channel and book deal decides instead of canceling said wedding date, she will find a new groom. She tries exes, previous acquaintances and of course dating apps. I don’t want to mention much else as I think it will give it all away and take away the fun!

I thought this was cute! Obviously a wild premise but I enjoyed it! I saw other reviews say it was predictable so I expected that but I decided I didn’t find that the case. It wasn’t my favorite book but I did enjoy the read and was happy with the ending.

The premise for this debut sounded a little bananas with a Jewish LA therapist who has GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), getting dumped by her fiance but still vowing to find a man to marry on the wedding date she has planned a few months away.

Emma knows her plan might be a bit unorthodox but she is determined not to let this setback derail her overall life goals. When she meets Will and everything seems to be great things go awry when he can't get on board with her plan. He does, however want to help her do a podcast about her journey, leading to lots of forced proximity and sexual tension.

Funny, full of great family and friend side characters and lots of relatable mental health rep (anxiety and therapy), this was a standout first foray into contemporary romance based loosely off the author's own life story. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: fade to black

This was such a unique plot for a romance novel!

Save the Date by Allison Raskin follows Emma Moskowitz, a couples therapist whose fiancé abruptly leaves her six months before their wedding. Determined to salvage her plans, she launches “Operation: Save My Date,” searching for a new groom while documenting the journey online. Torn between charming podcast producer Will and recently divorced Matt, Emma navigates love, personal growth, and modern relationships in this witty romantic comedy.

I had such a good time reading this one! I don’t often read romance books where there is more than one love interest, but I definitely will be looking for more like this. I HAD to keep going and finish the book to find out who Emma was going to end up with. I enjoyed the social commentary the characters had about how there is no set amount of time two people should be together before they get married. I also loved that the main character was a couples therapist herself, so we got to witness how she struggled between acting as “therapist Emma” and “real-world Emma” in her conversations about love and marriage. Overall, I enjoyed this one and recommend it to all rom-com lovers who are looking for something a little deeper!

I had high hopes for this book! I was really hoping that I’d enjoy it as much I thought it would. Unfortunately some parts left me feeling bored, which almost made me give up on reading it. I pushed through and finished it after stoping it for a few weeks.