Rating: 2/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Warnings: infidelity, family tensions

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing this book in exchange for my honest opinon.

Okay, I was really excited about this book...I love a family drama, the groundhog day seemed like a cool idea and why not over a wedding weekend? It comes down to one thing...these humans should not be together or really needed to set some SERIOUS boundaries with their families. Basically, the whole thing while compelling/entertaining to read at time was way too filled with toxicity, infidelity, lies and general door mat mentality.

Look, there were also some solid lessons about finding out who you are and what you want out of life, plus breaking away from family expectations...but I was so annoyed with them for all the other things I couldn't full appreciate any of that. I’m going to call this one a miss for me…or really anything with the romanticizing of cheating.

4.5 maybe even 4.75 stars!

I loved this book! So many books, especially in the Romance or Women's Fiction categories, are so predictable. You know in the first few pages who's going to end up with who, that there will be complications, and everyone will eventually live happily ever after. Not so with The Rehearsals.

Megan and Tom are about to be married. Her family is dysfunctional, with a mom who went through men like some people go through potato chips, a younger sister who seems to be following in mom's footsteps, and a brother who lives by the seat of his pants, not caring what his actions do to anyone else. Tom's family is also dysfunctional, overbearing, controlling, and disdainful of anyone who isn't in their social class. The two are trying to bring the families together for a wedding weekend and it is going horribly wrong. Oh, and there's Leo, Tom's best friend, and best man, who has been harboring romantic feelings for Megan for the past 8 years.

Megan and Tom find themselves in a time warp, the day of their rehearsal dinner keeps repeating. They're both aware of it, and also aware of the things that have happened on previous iterations of that day. The problem is how to move on, what do they need to do to get past it?

I loved that I couldn't be sure how it was going to end! I couldn't even be sure how I wanted it to end! It kept me guessing and thinking and made me laugh and made me teary. So well written and thoughtful!

The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars was because the ending was a bit abrupt and ambiguous. Yes, I can imagine what happened next, but I generally like things wrapped up neatly with a big, shiny bow. I would have like an epilogue, but loved the book nonetheless.

Thank you Little Brown and Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in return for an honest review!

A groundhog type romantic comedy which has the bride and groom reliving the night before their wedding again and again. Although the actions of Megan and Tom had me alternating between cringing, crying or simply shaking my head, I enjoyed this story for its honesty on relationships and it’s enjoyable groundhogs day shenanigans. I appreciated that the author gave us( the readers) a lot of food for thought as twists and turns are around every corner and even some really interesting thoughts of family dynamics and class discrepancies when it comes to two people and therefore two families marrying one another.

#TheRehearsals #NetGalley

Publication Date 13/07/21
Goodreads review 8/6/21

So cute! Loved the characters, the cover, and the vibes. Will be reading more from this author! Highly recommend for a quick read.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙨 is author Annette Christies debut adult novel which is hard to believe because her writing seems effortless. This book was so well-written and flowed nicely throughout. I thought the Groundhog Day twist was a very interesting way to explore the what-if of a relationship. I was a little worried it would feel repetitive and would loose momentum but Annette did a beautiful job making each loop different and interesting without it feeling unrealistic for the characters. That said I have very mixed feeling about this book. Fair warning a component of this this books deals with infidelity which I wasn't prepared for.

Megan Givens and Tom Prescott are getting married, their families have arrived in the small seaside town of Roche Harbor for the celebration. Tom was born into a family of lawyers and from the very beginning it was made abundantly clear he too would become a lawyer and work for the family firm. This meant he had to stay in New York to fit in a client meeting and thus is arriving at San Juan Island the morning of the rehearsal carrying a big secret he has yet to share with his bride-to-be. Megan comes from a humble upbringing, her mother struggling to find Mr. Right and often leaving Megs to be the responsible one and take care of her younger sister. She has spent her life trying not to repeat her mothers mistakes but did she possibly focus too much on who she didn't want to be and loose track of who she wanted to become?

At first sight Tom and Megan seem made for each other, they've been together for 12 years since they first met in a science class their first year at Harvard. One the first day of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙨 secrets are revealed and the wedding is called off. The next morning Megan is back in her hotel room and Tom finds himself back on the uncomfortable bench on the ferry and it becomes clear there is a lot more to their story. The author explorers some of the big what-if moments couples in longterm relationship face as they move out of the honeymoon phase and start to settle into their domestic lives. These characters are flawed and thus very relatable, we've all had moments of what-if I chose a different path/career/partner? As the layers are peeled back we become privy to past mistakes, strained family relationships and other choices the main characters have made in their 12 years together. We start to see how each minor and major decision has shaped them. The big question is will they find a way to rekindle the love that brought them together in the first place or will the secrets they kept tear them apart?

These people should not get married lol I like premise of Groundhog Day and thought this is going to be cute rom-com but if was anything but that. This is toxic couple and they shouldn't be together, this book made me mad.

Time loops seem to be a popular storytelling tool in romancelandia lately and I'd have to say that Annette Christie does a bang up job on winding together Meg & Tom's wedding rehearsal story with their past and giving a satisfying end result.
I am glad that I can rely on the HEA (or at least hope for it) because their relationship seemed like it might not recover and I was feeling heartbroken for them. Christie guides us in seeing the ways they are hurting while still helping us feel secure that they are great for each other. It is touchingly human and complex.
Great read, deeper than the fluff romance.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

I love rom coms (surprise, surprise) but I also love books with a bit of magic realism (even if I don't read a ton of them). The Rehearsals by Annette Christie is a rom com with a time loop twist where both main characters are living through the same day over...and over...and over. It was a fun read with a lot of heart.

Here's the book's description:
Two people. One wedding. No end in sight.
Megan Givens and Tom Prescott are heading into what is supposed to be their magical wedding weekend on beautiful San Juan Island. But with two difficult families, ten years of history, and all too many secrets, things quickly go wrong. After a disastrous rehearsal dinner they vow to call the whole thing off—only to wake up the next morning stuck together in a time loop. Are they really destined to relive the worst day of their lives, over and over? And what happens if their wedding day does arrive?
A funny, romantic, and big-hearted debut novel, The Rehearsals imagines what we might do if given a second chance at life and at love—and what it means to finally get both right.
I'll say up front: if you didn't like Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze because you didn't like the time loop, you won't like this one. It was a bit more prominent and I know a lot of people had issues with the loop (and the repetitive nature of it) in Lauren's. I'm a fan of Groundhog Day-esque reads myself (and the movie, of course) so I was immediately intrigued by the storyline in The Rehearsals. I like thinking, what if we got a do-over on a day and had that opportunity to make it "right"? But...what IS right? I was stressed and anxious right alongside Megan and Tom and I had no idea how things would work out once they broke out of the loop - if they ever did!

I probably would have given this one a higher rating if I had liked Tom more. He was kind of an idiot. I couldn't stand that he let his family make all the decisions and never stood up for Megan when they treated her and her family like they weren't worthy of their attention. Megan didn't have to put up with that, of course, but in the grand scheme of things...is that the worst thing ever? (It is bad, Megs. Recognize that.) Plus, she was punishing herself for something that happened years prior. (Though I think she should have gotten over that at some point or recognized before the time loop that there were unresolved issues there.) And the Big Thing he DIDN'T DISCUSS WITH HER? Ugh, I was SO ANGRY. (In case you couldn't tell from all the caps.)

Because of my issues with Tom, I liked Megan's chapters way more. I really loved her - even with her massive mistake. She was smart and full of love and she had put so much work into making the wedding the best for everyone. (And you might even say that she worried about others' feelings more than what she really wanted.) I so badly wanted what was best for her and, like Megs, thought that was one option but as the loop went on, realized that maybe that option wasn't the best one. I needed her to have a Happily Ever After and I like the way Christie ended things. It wasn't a perfect bow but it was the perfect ending.

There are a few trigger warnings to take note of: infidelity, absent parents, and overbearing parents being three of the most prominent.

The Rehearsals was a really enjoyable read that I had finished in just two days. Annette Christie's adult novel debut is one to read - if you like your rom coms more serious, can handle infidelity storylines, and enjoy time loops. I'm looking forward to what Christie writes next!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, HBG Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

I loved this cute story. I love the groundhog day type storyline, and when I heard that was a component of this I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed the characters and the journey they go on over and over at their rehearsal dinner.

Did not realize that The Rehearsals had a love triangle/cheating as part of the storyline. Sorry, but DNF a few chapters in once I figured out that part of the storyline.

I absolutely loved this wee gem of a novel by Annette Christie! I am a sucker for any plot that plays with time, and time loops being a classic trope, I was immediately excited to read this. Throw in an island setting, a fancy wedding, and a cast of extreme characters and I'm all in.

What I loved most about this book is how the pacing felt just right. Often time loop plots can get boring and repetitive, or they don't do enough loops. This one felt just right.

I loved that the characters made mistakes--big ones--because it felt realistic to how people in long term relationships might screw up over the course of their years together. I was rooting for both Meg and Tom the entire time and I loved experiencing both of their journeys.

This was also one of the most well writing Rom Coms I've read in a long time. It felt effortless.

Kudos to Annette Christie for writing such an entertaining book. I cannot wait for her next one!

A fun and fresh take on the Groundhog Day trope! At first, this novel seemed predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that my prediction was incorrect. The characters' personalities and humor prevented the novel from feeling too repetitive and kept me engaged.

Reminded me of Emily Henry! I really enjoyed this book, and the angst that came with Megs & Tom's relationship. It gave me "Palm Springs" vibes, for sure. I was really pulled into the writing, and am so excited to see what this author does next!

Feeling mixed on this one - it was compulsively readable, yet the two main characters and their relationships (with each other and with the other people in their lives) were so frustrating. This also isn’t a romance, which some early buzz around the book misled me into thinking, and I think it’s more enjoyable if you know that going in.

You had me at time travel with this one. I truly am a sucker for time travel books, no matter what! This was so adorable, I loved every moment of it. I fell in love with the writing, the characters, the groundhog day plot, the humor, the whit, you name it. This would also be a super great movie, just saying! This is your next perfect summer read.

The title does give a clue, but I missed it and didn't see it coming. Don't read any reviews so you can enjoy the twist. Megan and Tom are getting married after 10 years as a couple. But families always tend to ruin a wedding and their families are not different. But Megan and Tom each have a part to play in this fiasco . Excellent character development for a rom-com.

I love a good time loop story so was excited to read this book about a couple who get stuck repeating a disastrous wedding rehearsal day. There were some bits of humor, but overall this story was more serious than I anticipated. This book encourages the reader to question what “getting it right” in a relationship really means and I wasn’t sure what ending I was rooting for. It’s a well written and enjoyable read. The Rehearsals will appeal to readers who enjoy time loops, family drama, and character driven romance novels of the less salacious variety.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for a digital galley copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute debut novel that I was excited to read after seeing so much buzz about it on social media. I will say, I’m not by nature a huge fan of time-loop stories, and began reading this without remembering the synopsis, so when the first loop happened I was pretty dismayed. I kept at it though and found that it wasn’t as frustrating as I was expecting it to be, and I liked that both Megan and Tom were experiencing the loop. I ended up not being able to tear my attention away from this book for too long and finished it within a day. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending though. It was a little too rushed and happily ever after for me, and left me wondering what could have happened from that point. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

A groundhog type romantic comedy which has the bride and groom reliving the night before their wedding again and again. Although the actions of Megan and Tom had me alternating between laughing, crying or simply shaking my head, I enjoyed this tale from beginning to end. I appreciated that the author gave us( the readers) a lot of food for thought as twists and turns are around every corner. Even the most cynical at heart cannot resist this charming tale.

#TheRehearsals #NetGalley

Publication Date 13/07/21
Goodreads review 25/07/21

I tore through THE REHEARSALS in two days and I wish I could read it over and over and over again … hehe

Following the premise of Groundhogs Day and Palm Springs, Megs and Tom keep living the day of their wedding rehearsal dinner over and over again, until they can get it right. How they spent their days made me angry, emotional, and eventually at peace, and ugh it was just so good. The perfect summer romance read!! 4.5 stars because I’m ANGRY at how it ended but I understand but I’m still ANGRY