Publishers Weekly
03/14/2022
A heartbroken woman rediscovers her spunk in this witty rom-com from Birchall (The Secret Bridesmaid). London brand manager Freya Scott is left reeling when her fiancé, Matthew, breaks up with her minutes before their wedding. Freya desperately tries to forget her pain and humiliation, but with seven weddings looming in her social calendar, it feels impossible. Her best friend, Ruby, cooks up a plan to help her move on from Matthew—a task list entitled “How to Survive the Wedding Season.” Freya must complete one challenge at each ceremony, with tasks ranging from stealing a man’s cuff links to securing a good-night kiss. As Freya embraces the survival guide, she’s inches closer to healing—and even starts to fall for someone new. But Matthew’s also in attendance at the weddings, and their interactions leave Freya tempted to succumb to their familiar connection, even if it means unraveling all her hard-earned progress. Birchall strikes gold with the comedic cadence of her prose and balances the humor with her winning heroine’s sincere efforts to find her inner strength. This is a snappy, empowering pick for fans of Sophie Kinsella. Agent: Lauren Gardner, Bell Lomax Moreton Agency. (May)
From the Publisher
"Birchall manages to design a cheer squad of fully supportive chums and a sexy, sensitive love interest in this witty, relatable tale that doesn’t fall prey to the trite rom-com formula you may be expecting." ––USA Today
"Witty...Birchall strikes gold with the comedic cadence of her prose and balances the humor with her winning heroine’s sincere efforts to find her inner strength. This is a snappy, empowering pick for fans of Sophie Kinsella." ––Publishers Weekly
"An instant classic of a rom-com, THE WEDDING SEASON is perfect feel-good escapism." ––Laura Jane Williams, internationally bestselling author of Our Stop
"A delicious, confetti filled adventure sure to lift your heart." ––Fiona Gibson, author of The Dog Share
"A fast-paced, well-written story...the real HEA ending is Freya’s realization that being jilted was a beginning, not an end." ––Library Journal
"The Wedding Season is the perfect antidote to recent stressful times; like a glass of Prosecco, it’s bubbly, fun and over way too fast. And a warning: Do not read The Wedding Season in bed late at night whilst your partner sleeps! Your constant snorts and giggles will wake them repeatedly. Don’t say I didn’t warn you." ––Lindsay Emory, author of The Royal Runaway
"Fun, hilarious and heartwarming, The Wedding Season is like a giant hug for anyone who has faced the challenge of a failed relationship. With a stellar cast of loyal friends, quirky family members, and a wacky plan to get through the wedding season, this book had me laughing, crying happy tears and turning pages late into the night." ––Sara Desai, author of The Singles Table
"An utterly charming story about what to do when life hands you Something Blue: turn it into Something New. THE WEDDING SEASON is exactly what I needed to read right now." ––Julia Whelan, author of My Oxford Year
"I adored THE WEDDING SEASON! Its wit made me laugh, its relatability made me cry, and its delicious slow-burn romance had me swooning. The perfect wedding season read. I can't wait to read what Birchall writes next." ––Lacie Waldon, author of The Layover
Praise for The Secret Bridesmaid:
"A pure delight." ––BookPage (starred review)
"A unique, hilarious spin on wedding mayhem. Birchall pays just as much attention to the complex nuances of female friendship as to the healing power of love, resulting in an entertaining romp." ––Publishers Weekly
"Charming, escapist fun." ––Katharine McGee, New York Times bestselling author of American Royals
"This laugh-out-loud funny rom-com provides the cheery escapism we all need these days. Charming, hopeful, and swoon-worthy enough to sweep even the most level-headed reader off their feet." ––Hannah Orenstein, author of Head Over Heels
Library Journal
02/01/2022
Freya Scott was dumped by her fiancé the day before their wedding. Theirs was to be the first wedding of the season, and now Freya has eight of her friends' weddings to attend while coping with the emotional fallout of her breakup. She and her friends come up with a plan to keep Freya from focusing on what should have been: at each wedding she'll have a decidedly un-Freya-like task to complete. Over the course of the year, between flirting with a stranger and streaking down a hotel hallway, Freya does what she thought would be impossible: she begins to have fun. Freya is a believable, likable character who goes through significant emotional growth over the course of this contemporary romantic comedy. The secondary characters are lightly developed in comparison, but that doesn't detract from the fast-paced, well-written story. Freya's happily ever after is a given, and it's no surprise who she ends up with, but the real HEA ending is Freya's realization that being jilted was a beginning, not an end. VERDICT Recommended for all public library collections.—Heather Miller Cover
