I read this mainly to find out what the big falling-out between these former besties was about - I mean, how bad did it have to be to separate them when they had been joined at the hip so to speak as girls? While the explanation didn't disappoint, I was kind of meh about all the drama which at times got so over-the-top, and it often felt like it was all just happening to get more pages out of the story. Still, the setting was lovely and the characters themselves, though sometimes too much, had a kind of 'real' feel to them that really made you want to find out what was going to happen to them.

OMG! I loved reading this book. I could not put it down. It was funny and sad and light and dark. Teeny and Melanie were best friends forever and then they grew up. Flash forward 20 some years and their children are getting married to each other. Perfect. Looking forward to more books from Liz Talley.

Thank you NetGalley for this book! After reading the summary for the book I thought this was going to be similar to the movie Bride Wars, which was a movie I really enjoyed. Once I started reading I was disappointed that it was not what I was expecting. The book didn't hold my attention and I just couldn't get into it. I honestly did not finish the book because I was expecting a fun and witty rom-com book but got two adult women being catty to each other.

The Wedding War is an authentic read filled with drama, emotion and laugh out loud moments. This story follows frenemies Mel and Teeny as they rebuild a long-broken friendship - the character development is enthralling and you will be rooting for the old friends in no time!

I was expecting something different. More like Mother-in-law meets Bride Wars. Not what I got.

The characters weren't too likable and i just couldn't get into it.

It was ok. I didn’t love the story but read to the end. I just couldn’t get into the story very deep or like the characters very much.

This was a very good book! It had family drama, humor, past secrets and weddings all combined—making it a delightful and enjoyable book!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Melanie Layton and Tennyson O"Rourke were besties growing up until Melanie started dating Tennyson's (we were on a break!) ex-boyfriend. When Melanie thinks that Tennyson will be able to let bygones be bygones, she invites Tennyson to their wedding. Tennyson hasn't gotten over the betrayal and does something unforgivable at the wedding, and Melanie and Tennyson haven't spoken in years. That changes when Melanie figures out that the man her daughter is about to marry is Tennyson's son. In scenes reminiscent of The Real Housewives of fill-in-the-blank, Melanie and Tennyson bring behaving badly to an entirely new level. Can they find a way to bury the past and support their children or will there be a funeral instead of a wedding? Fun beach read!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Donna Ashcroft for lending me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
Reading the synopsis here is what you’d expect to read: a light, romantic comedy about two best friends turned enemies whose children have fallen in love. Now these two women have to come together again to help plan their children’s wedding all while trying to hold their own relationships afloat. I really thought I was going to get something Mother of the Bride-ish funny, but eesh this was a heavy book. Maybe if we were properly warned, the mood would’ve been right for this read, but I went into it expecting a fun and flirty read. Instead the characters were just very unlikeable, which for me is a HUGE turn off in a book. I couldn’t get into the dialogue or storyline and had to DNF at 50%. Life is too short to finish a book you’re just not digging!

I came across this book through NetGalley. I was intrigued with the synopsis and the beautiful, bright cover. I'm so happy I was able to get my hands on a copy!

Before we dive into the book review, I'd like to thank NetGalley, Montlake Romance, and Amazon Publishing for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warning:
Death and suicide are semi-briefly discussed throughout the novel.

Good to know:
There is SO much family and friend drama. It was a fast-build at the beginning, which I love. It is told in two perspectives; the chapters interchange between Melanie and Tennyson. The writing style and language are conversational and easy to read. Talley's use of vocabulary is extraordinary (to me). While reading this book, I definitely felt a movieish vibe.

My Thoughts:
I love the characters and their development throughout the book. There were times where I would chuckle at the things they'd say or do because I can relate, or because it was simply silly. The storyline was well put together and developed in an amusing and interesting way. There were situations arising here and there, in addition to the huge problem that drives the book (two ex-bffs putting together a wedding). I love how completely opposite Tennyson and Melanie grew up to be, and that's really what also drives this book. Their personalities shine through each page and I was able to connect to each character. I sympathized with both characters and started putting myself in their situations... I concluded I have no idea what I'd do lol! There's so much drama, it truly reeled me in. I needed to know the secret and what was going to happen next, and what was going to happen after that. Needless to say, I'd like a second book because I want to know more about what happens AFTER EVERYTHING! Also, if someone doesn't make this into a movie, I might just go back to college for 4 years, major in film production and all that goodness, and produce this story myself because damn.

Recommend: I recommend this to anyone who enjoys romance and/or contemporary stories about friendships. If you like DRAMA, this is for you! If you like seeing opposites attract, this is ALSO for you.

Praise for the author:
Liz Talley's writing style is my absolute favorite. Her ability to reel me into the story and the lives' of the characters is really something magical. I'm going to go ahead and read her other books... she just may be my new favorite author.

Melanie and Tennyson are best friends turned enemies that don't speak to one another for twenty years until their children become engaged. The two women are forced together in order to support their children and a war to out shine one another begins. This is a light, funny novel that shows that true friendship runs deep despite disappoints and betrayals.

I struggled with this book. This didn't feel like a romance book, just an ongoing feud between to women that used to best friends. But these women...annoying AF; they were high maintenance, catty, petty and very immature. I really wanted to like it, but I hard the hardest time picking it back up each day.

Melanie "Mel" Layton and Tennyson "Teeny" O’Rourke used to be best friends. When Teeny and her boyfriend, Kit broke up their first year of college, Teeny never expected that her best friend Mel would start dating him later and eventually marry him, thus killing their friendship. It didn't help that Teeny decided to attend their wedding and drop a major secret on their family and friends.

Now, 20+ years later the unthinkable happens, Mel's daughter is now engaged to Teeny's son and the two of them are going to have to put aside their differences so their children can have the wedding of their dreams. Too bad Mel and Teeny each have different ideas of what that dream wedding will look like.

As Mel and Teeny go through the emotions of helping plan the wedding, they start to spend more time together, and their old friendship starts to peek through. Throughout the story there are some fun, laugh out loud moments; some emotionally tearful ones; and some loving, regretful ones.

Overall this story will take you full circle from the beginning of Mel and Teeny's friendship through present day with their new form of friendship. Be ready to laugh, cry and swoon and these two women try to find their way to happier times.

I just adored this story. Teeny was so fun and out there you couldn't help but laugh at things she'd do. Mel was the opposite...quiet and reserved and always doing what she is suppose to do. Together they offset each other wonderfully and you could really see why they were such good friends in the past. If you are looking for a swooning love story, this is not it....this is more a story about two women; their friendship together; and why they need to go back to being best friends.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
Oh this was cute!! I really enjoyed the characters and it was a fun read. I’m glad it wasn’t a romance either but about best friends reuniting. I liked the plot and the setting and the characters were excellent. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from the author.

Are you looking to heal? Trying to make sense of harm done to you in the past? Look no further! This book does it all. Not a light airy read but I think it was overall good.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first, but the characters drew me in. Melanie, is the main character and she is struggling with the engagement of her daughter to the son of her former best friend turned hated enemy. The story carries us through the pre-wedding activities, with a mix of hilarity and heart break. Great summer beach read!

Despite the cover and description, this is NOT a light, fluffy, fun story. It is wholly a mixed bag with good and bad moments, drama, missteps, miscommunication and mistakes. And those are exactly the reasons to read it. Because people learn and move forward while healing the hurts of the past, dealing with family loved and difficult, and unearthing secrets that held everyone captive as they waited for the next shoe to drop.

Melanie and Tennyson were inseparable as children, and hardly did one make a move without thinking of the other. In fact, until graduating high school and starting their own new lives separately, their bond was a palpable thing. Until the wedding between Kit and Melanie that tore Tennyson’s dreams of a life with Kit: after she made it as a famous actress of course. But people, particularly Kit, don’t wait, and Melanie was everything a good southern boy should want. Now, with their daughter soon to marry Tennyson’s son – and Tennyson’s return to town, Mel’s finding the combination, with a ‘too young’ daughter a bitter pill to swallow.

Tennyson’s life never quite worked out how she’d planned, but a marriage when she was already pregnant to a man who adored her son left her with plenty of money, taught her about the finer things in life, and allowed her a life of comfort – far from her earlier struggles. She’s bought a house in her childhood hometown on the seriously ‘upscale’ side of the tracks, planning that her son and daughter-in-law can live in the annex while he works and she goes to med school. Of course, a large part of her reasoning is to make a “thing” of the kids’ wedding, and perhaps get some of her own back by showing Mel just how far she’s come.

There are secrets uncovered, drama to unpack, and plenty to ‘make amends for’ on both sides. With the kids desperately trying to discover “what happened” it takes a while to unpack all of the ‘hurts’ and the ‘announcement’ that Tennyson made during Mel’s own wedding that tore Melanie’s family apart. With a mother who is more interested in appearances than reality, and Mel’s sister battling bulimia, the return of Tennyson combined with the wedding and Mel’s own marriage woes – there’s plenty to discover, learn and forgive on all sides of this story, bringing closure on long-festering situations, allowing people to move forward with new knowledge and a sense of friendships that were meant to be.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at<a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aH3/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Trigger Warnings: Anorexia, bulimia, suicide


SO.. THIS BOOK?!
WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS BOOK??
I expected a funny romance family book where we get to know the characters and why they hate each and all of that, but NOT what I got...
We didn't hear one of the two women talking or thinking without hearing some awful words about another woman.. they always thought the WORSE of the women around them..

they kept calling other women "sl*ts, snakes, wh*res" and every other disgusting word.. and it made me angrier that it was like it is OKAY to do that and it was written as if every women thinks like that

handling mental illness was not GOOD in this book...


this book said some questionable stuff and racist stuff too..

this book gave me headaches.. i thought i will love having two ex best friends fight in a non harmful way and find their way back, NOT two women choking each other and saying haha sorry the next day :/

I went into 'The Wedding War" expecting a fun, witty book...what I got was nothing of the sorts. I did not finish this book. I found the characters in this book to be problematic, judgemental and hateful in many ways. The synopsis really does not reflect what this book is about. Because it mentioned being a "funny, poignant novel" as well as being in the romance category, I automatically assumed funny, witty romantic comedy. Oh how wrong I was.

I requested this novel thinking it would be a light-hearted Rom-Com instead I was met with two women that are vicious, manipulative and so unlikable. This one was hard for me to get through. I will not be recommending it.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.