💍 Wedding weekend chaos, family drama, & romance in every corner — basically a rom-com soap opera I couldn’t look away from.

Title: Save the Date
Author: Mallory Kass
Format: Digital ARC

Rating 📚: 3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4)

Quote: “Sometimes the hardest part of love is admitting when you’ve been wrong.”

Author Review 💌
Mallory Kass is a new author to me, and while this one didn’t completely sweep me off my feet, her writing style and knack for juggling multiple storylines has me curious to see what she does next.

Book Review 📖
Save the Date drops us into a high-end resort in Maine where one wedding weekend turns into a whirlwind of secrets, romantic entanglements, and complicated family ties. Told through the perspectives of the bride, her maid of honor, and her older sister, the story is equal parts heartfelt and messy — with love triangles, fake dating, unrequited love, and even a runaway bride twist.

Some POVs were stronger than others (Marigold and Olivia stole the show for me), and a couple of characters made me want to skim — looking at you, Natalie, with your martyr complex. Still, I enjoyed the drama, the banter, and the small moments of self-discovery tucked into all the chaos. The family dynamics were relatable, and I loved the little doses of humor sprinkled throughout.

The ending wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste — I wouldn’t have minded another few chapters to give each storyline a proper bow — but it still left me smiling.

Overall Thoughts 💭
A fast, drama-filled rom-com with multiple storylines that gave me soap opera meets destination wedding vibes. If you enjoy an ensemble cast with overlapping romantic subplots, this one’s worth RSVPing yes to.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Mallory Kass for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Three love stories told across a wedding weekend no one would soon forget. Natalie, Olivia and Marigold are perfectly imperfect and the reader will fall in love with each of them, rooting for their happy endings. With a cast of characters as quirky as the secluded island, Save the Date is the perfect read for wedding season and beyond!

I really liked this one. This book was filled with love, self discovery, & real relationship struggles. Full of a wide array of characters, there's something for everyone in this one. Definitely relatable topics with relatable characters.....it makes for a cute romantic comedy. I laughed quite a few times and found myself really rooting for some of the characters. I feel like I'm a mix of Natalie and Olivia. Fake dating is a new favorite trope of mine & Mallory did such a great job with that portion of this book. I'm not sure if this was a debut, but it's written really well and leaves me wanting more from this author.

Besides the Sally Rooney-bashing towards the beginning of the book (that certainly was a choice), I enjoyed this New Adult rom-com. The fast-paced plot with meaningful dialogue echoes THE WEDDING PEOPLE while the too-rich, complicated characters are reminiscent of any Elin Hilderbrand novel.

This twisty, suspenseful novel is definitely plot-driven with mismatched couples, unrequited love, and love triangles. While I enjoyed reading about the many characters mishaps' I did not actually like or sympathize with any of them (not the perfect shallow MC, her pathetic best friend, the clueless fiance, nor the mean snotty older sister).

I found this book entertaining and different from the many rom coms out there (it's rare that the bride to be has to run off because she's still married), and I will recommend this book to others.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

This was a fun and fast read! Gathered at a tony private resort in Maine for a lavish wedding, our characters are full of emotion and romance novel tropes. The maid of honor is pining for the groom, after pushing her best friend into a relationship with him. The bride is flighty yet with depth, and is coming to terms with a past decision she hasn’t quite left there. And her older sister is harboring a family secret and contemplating a fake relationship for the weekend. Each woman had her own flaws, but felt real on their emotional journey. A few typos that will be corrected before release and nothing that distracted from the flow and feel of the book. I will seek out more of the author’s work.

I absolutely loved this story! The multiple points of view added so much depth, allowing us to connect with each character in a unique way. Mallory Kass crafted a well rounded cast. Each with moments that made us love them and others that made us frustrated, which felt authentic and real. Nobody's perfect, and that was beautifully portrayed.
Marigold initially seems like a flighty social media influencer, but underneath she’s just a young woman trying to figure out who she is in a world that keeps telling her who she should be. Natalie is incredibly intelligent and organized, always putting others first, so much so that she’s lost touch with the most important parts of herself. And Olivia, the lifelong caretaker, is so caught up in controlling everything around her that she nearly overlooks what’s been in front of her all along.
There were a few typos and at times and the writing felt overly wordy for a comedic romance, but overall the story was heartfelt, funny, and relatable. A great read about love, identity, and the beautiful mess of relationships.

Natalie was her best friend Marigold’s maid of honor. Marigold was marrying Jonathan, who Natalie has had a crush on since college. Olivia, Marigold’s sister is a take charge gal and she and Zack, one of the groomsmen, are constantly bickering. When Marigold claims to go back home to get her birth certificate because she does not have the marriage license, it is obvious to many that she is not telling the truth. This is a great book with surprises throughout. A lot of characters form opinions that are not correct and take some doing to resolve the problems that arise. Wonderful characters with a lot of love.

I really enjoyed getting to read this, it had that slow-burn romance that I was wanting and enjoyed in this type of book. I was invested in what was happening and thought the overall feel of the world and how the characters worked overall. It was everything that I wanted and enjoyed the feel of this, Mallory Kass has a strong writing style and glad I was able to get to read this.

I’m a sucker for multiple storylines and this one reminded me of Jill Mansell, it was also sweet and steamy, with soap opera levels of melodrama

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC!!

It was a three-star read for me unfortunately, but I did enjoy some bits!! Let me start by saying that I was about to DNF at about 10% because I found Natalie insufferable and very delusional. I did not DNF, however, because I loved Marigold and Olivia's POVs and was willing to suffer (honestly I skimmed) through Natalie’s to keep reading about these two sisters and their lovers.

I LOVED HUGO. You know how you just read a bit about a character and immediately love them? I felt that way about Hugo and would honestly read a whole book about his and Marigold's love. lol. And Olivia was also great—her character development was chef’s kiss. Also, Zach was such a teddy bear and I loved him!!

As I said, what I didn’t like about the story was really just Natalie and her insufferable victim–martyr complex and I would've loved to see more of an epilogue on each couple but you do imagine what happens so.

Overall, I had a great time and would definitely read more works from the author for sure!

I’m not usually a romance girl but this book makes me want to read all the love novels!! It was cute it was fun it was emotional so many emotions in one but great is what we will calm this I enjoyed it very much

Mallory Kass has delivered a sparkling debut that successfully navigates the challenging terrain of ensemble romantic comedy while maintaining genuine emotional depth. Save the Date distinguishes itself from typical wedding-gone-wrong narratives by investing equally in each woman's individual journey, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected stories that feel both authentic and satisfying.

The novel's greatest achievement lies in its nuanced character development. Rather than relying on tired stereotypes, Kass presents three fully realized women whose motivations and conflicts feel genuinely human. The author demonstrates a keen understanding of contemporary relationship dynamics, particularly in how she explores the different forms love can take - romantic passion, loyal friendship, familial duty, and self-love. The fake dating subplot between Olivia and the academic could have felt contrived, but Kass grounds it in genuine character needs and emotional logic, making their connection feel earned rather than convenient. Kass's prose strikes an ideal balance between wit and warmth, delivering genuine laughs while never undermining the emotional stakes. Her dialogue crackles with authenticity, capturing the way people actually speak under stress while maintaining the heightened charm that makes romantic comedy so appealing. The wedding setting provides the perfect pressure cooker for these relationships to evolve, with the ticking clock of the ceremony adding urgency without feeling artificial. Save the Date succeeds brilliantly as both romantic comedy and meditation on the different ways we love and the courage required to pursue happiness.

This book was a hot mess, and I LOVED every second of it!
A is a charming and heartfelt story that weaves together four distinct love stories, each unfolding against the picturesque backdrop of a quaint island in Maine. With unexpected plot twists, a touch of family drama, and plenty of romantic tension, the book delivers a warm and engaging read from start to finish.
What I truly enjoyed was the multi-perspective narration. Told through the eyes of the bride, the maid of honour, and the bride’s sister, each viewpoint adds depth and emotional richness, drawing readers deeper into the whirlwind of wedding festivities, personal revelations, and chaos.
Every character plays a meaningful role, and their arcs are crafted with precision and care. As the story progresses, you’ll find yourself increasingly invested in their journeys, for the most part (why have enemies when your bridesmaids are horrible!)
A perfect pick for fans of contemporary romance and ensemble storytelling, Save the Date is equal parts heartfelt and entertaining, with a dash of mayhem.

Save the Date by Mallory Kass was such a heartfelt romantic comedy that will draw you in from chapter one. The story takes place during a wedding weekend and follows three women throughout the duration – The bride, maid of honor and the bride’s older sister. Each chapter transitions between each character as the wedding weekend unfolds and the author does an excellent job of transitioning without confusing the reader. It is messy and chaotic (in the best way) and you will fall in love with the characters- flaws and all. The relationships and writing felt incredibly real, and I didn’t want it to end. I did feel like the ending wrapped up a bit quickly and it could have been 20 – 30 pages longer.

Save the Date by Mallory Kass is a chaotic, heartfelt romantic comedy that completely won me over. At its core, this novel is about love in all its messy, complicated, and beautiful forms romantic, familial, and platonic. What sets this book apart is its ability to balance an ensemble cast with individual storylines that feel fully developed and emotionally resonant.

The story follows a group of characters whose lives all converge during a wedding weekend. At first, I worried the multiple perspectives and intertwining subplots might become overwhelming, but Kass handles it masterfully. Each transition between characters feels natural, and every storyline adds depth and momentum to the overall plot. I genuinely cared about each person and found myself invested in how their decisions would affect not just themselves, but everyone around them.

What I loved most was how real it all felt. The relationship dynamics the tension between siblings, the complexity of long-standing friendships, the vulnerability in romantic love were all depicted with nuance and heart. Kass doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths about love and connection, but she also reminds us of the joy and hope found in showing up for the people who matter most.

If you’re looking for a romance that leans into the delightful chaos of human connection, without ever losing its emotional grounding, Save the Date deserves a spot on your radar. It’s funny, tender, and unforgettable a true celebration of love in all its forms.