The premise alone is what reeled me in - a two-person wedding-themed "Groundhog Day", minus the Punxsutawney Phil. I loved the dual perspectives that swelled with memories and tension. This novel definitely had a lot of heart, and I found myself smiling and genuinely rooting for our leads.

It is predictable, and there's a lot of baggage (namely, terrible parents, lackluster siblings, questionable friendships, and an overall communication barrier I took issue with). In some ways, the writing and basic plot are like the beginning of Mhairi McFarlane's "If I Never Met You". Though I adored the genuine character development and comic moments, one of the leads, in my humble opinion, didn't deserve forgiveness. The author tries to poopoo infidelity by equating it with another person's sins, and the transgressions just aren't the same.

If you're looking for steamy OR wholesome, this isn't it. If you're looking for thought-provoking and infinitely TV-able, I highly recommend. Just heed the warning about the cheating (ugh!) Overall, I think Ms. Christie did the trope proud and she was original, a rarity these days.

Not giving this a star rating because I work for Little, Brown.

As a mostly romance reader, I was really intrigued by the premise. A couple stuck in a time loop on the eve of their wedding trying to decide if they want to get married.

The cover and blurb do not accurately describe how messy Megan and Tom are. This book is labeled as romantic fiction and I think romance readers who are open to books that lean heavily on the fiction side with romantic elements will enjoy this.

I'd describe this book as is Naomi & Nick from You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle waited 10 years to get married without having resolved their issues early on. In The Rehearsals Megan has made a lot of concessions in her life and career for Tom. Tom doesn't know how to stand up to his wealthy parents who have too much influence on his life. Tom's mom Carol is a germaphobe version of Deborah Rose.

Megan and Tom have a fight after their wedding rehearsal dinner and due to some work by the universe, they get stuck in a time loop reliving that day. They go through many emotions while in the time loop. The time spent in the loop is MESSY. They both behave very badly. Secrets are exposed. They both have to figure out how to deal with that.

The main theme of this story is their individual self exploration. Who they are as people and how can those people work together in a relationship. There is a lot of forgiveness happening. (again similar to YDEO). This felt like a raw look at people who are in relationship but found themselves in a rut after letting too many little things go unsaid.

Megan and Tom both do some really hurtful and mean things during the loop. I am a forgiving reader and sort of understood their actions but didn't agree with it. That expression of "hurt people hurt" applies here. It doesn't make it okay though.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I was invested in Megan and Tom figuring their way out of the time loop and back to real life. It wanted to shake each of them at times. I wanted them to be nicer to each other and talk to each other. But also I could see why they weren't. I would recommend this book for readers who enjoyed You Deserve Each Other AND those same readers are willing to read outside the conventional themes of romance.

If I was going to give this a star- it would be in the 4 range.

If I feel the character is relatable or at least intriguing, I’m hooked from the start. This wasn’t the case with either Megan or Tom. Their dysfunctional families, and the couples reactions to them, were so annoying and frustrating. I couldn’t root for these two as individuals or as a couple. The premise of the story, although not a new one, was fun: it was like Groundhog Day but for a couple about to be married.

I received an ARC of this novel from Little, Brown and Company via Netgalley in exchange for my review. I read in the description that this was a type of Groundhog's Day story, which I typically don't like, but I thought I would try it and I'm glad I did! Megan and Tom are at their wedding rehearsal but neither are really ready to get married. They both have lots of secrets, secrets they are keeping from each other and secret dreams and desires they are reluctant to share with each other. When they wake up the next day and find it is the wedding rehearsal day all over again, Megs and Tom must start be truly honest and open in order to get to the wedding day-if that is actually what they want to do.

This kind of book can become an eye-roll very quickly, but I appreciate how the author handled each repeat day as it came up. Annette Christie really pulled something new out of the day each time the reader had to read about it. The characters were complex and had so much love for each other, but issues in their lives kept them from being fully present with each other. At times I wanted them to stay together and then I also thought it might be better if they didn't. I really thought it was a thought provoking story!

The Rehearsals came out yesterday but I curled up with fuzzy slippers and sangria to finish it today. Bride Megs and groom Tom are stuck reliving the drama-filled day of their rehearsal dinner on San Juan Island outside Seattle. While I definitely wouldn't want to be stuck in their time loop, I loved the descriptions of the island and want to visit ASAP! While I've been reading a lot of romances about weddings lately, this one was unique!
Thanks to Little, Brown and Co. and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review - I recommend checking this romcom out for a fun summer/beach read 🏖️

The Rehearsals was an enjoyable book! It was both lighthearted and serious at the same time. Time travel books are not usually something I enjoy but the author was very creative with the way she developed the storyline. It was also impressive that the two main characters found their way and stood up for what they believe in. This is what we need during this time.

The Rehearsals is a story of many people's worst nightmare... two people call off their wedding only to wake up in a Groundhog Day cycle where they have to keep reliving the day they called the wedding off. Christie delivers a memorable debut in a heartwarming story of second chances, roads not taken, and destiny.

While this storyline, the Groundhog Day story, isn't necessarily new, the story sweeps you up and keeps you reading. I recommend to romance readers!

Any rom com paired with sci fi is a story I know I’ll love. This is a unique take on the Groundhog Day story with a fulfilling ending.

College sweethearts Megan Givens and Tom Prescott are finally getting married. Still, there’s a hitch (well, several): difficult parents, the best man loves the bride, and life-changing secrets. When everything comes to a head at the rehearsal dinner, they cancel the wedding; the following morning, their fateful day begins again. Can they get it right? Christie’s wise and clever debut charms.

I love the Groundhog Day premise - what would you do if you were forced to repeat the same day over and over again? I thought this would be more lighthearted but there was a good deal of dysfunction and mess. I did enjoy it though I probably won't seek this author out again.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars, rounded up. In this time-loop story, Megan and Tom discover that the other has been holding onto huge secrets- at their wedding rehearsal dinner. They go to bed ready to call off the wedding- only to have to relive that day with their new knowledge. Each not-new day brings different emotions and challenges as they try to figure out how to escape the loop, and what they are going to do when that new day does come. They both make awful choices out of anger at some points in the story, but they also get to spend time thinking about the things that brought them together, the things they love about each other and their long history.
I think readers going into this should know that this veers more towards contemporary fiction than romance or rom-com. There are certainly some humorous moments, but a lot of this story shows the growing pains and real hurts that Meg and Tom are working through as they relive this day.

Creative, thought-provoking, and delightfully optimistic!

The Rehearsals is a moving, time-loop tale that takes you into the lives of Megan and Tom, as after a disastrous rehearsal day, when difficult families, long-buried secrets, and thoughts of what-if leave them tired, confused, heartbroken, and calling the whole thing off fate magically intervenes leaving them reliving that same day over and over again in order to change, forgive and potentially rekindle the love they once shared.

The writing is sensitive and sincere. The characters are flawed, genuine, and weary. And the multi-layered plot is a heartfelt, absorbing tale about life, love, family, friendship, secrets, betrayal, compassion, romance, happiness, destiny, and second chances.

Overall, The Rehearsals is an emotional, pensive, brilliant debut by Christie that reminds us that life is complicated, things happen for a reason, secrets always have a way of coming to light, often the choices we make have far-reaching consequences, and love is, ultimately, always worth fighting for.

I did not really like this book especially given the hype. There have been a lot stories like this that have a Groundhog-type, reliving the same day over and over again until a lesson is learned. The difference with this is that a couple, Tom and Megan, on the eve of their wedding is trapped together in this time-wrap. Old boyfriends, family drama and lack of communication are just a few of the issues Tom and Megan are reliving and the time wrap starts because they call of the wedding at the rehearsal dinner because they do not know if they are right for each other despite being together for 10 years.

This had the potential to be better than it was and I like that more than one person had to relive the same day over and over. However, this story did not seem original and other authors have written stories like this such as Christina Lauren In a Holidaze, which I hated and Life after Life by Kate Atkinson, which I loved. The execution was way off, and I did not think the characterization of Tom and Megan was good, unlikeable characters IMO.

The only redeeming part was the ending of this book.

Cannot recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley, Annette Christie and Little Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 7/13/21

Funny, endearing, cute and oddly poignant tale of a relationship gone off the rails at the rehearsal dinner, in a partnership so longstanding that no one, least of all the couple, saw it coming. Both of the partners are successful yet too eager to please and have families more than happy to exploit their shared character flaw. They are long overdue in the need to set limits on their relatives’ demands. Somehow Fate intervenes and the plot begins, the day repeats and repeats and repeats. THE REHEARSALS gets everything right, from annoying relatives, to wedding details, to over the top friends. This is a wonderful book and not to be missed. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Hmmm ~ Described by one reader as ‘Hilarious’~ which always caused an eye roll from me.
I am not a chick lit/ romance fan (used to be and now prefer psychological thrillers) I do like a romance with a mystery and have read several 'Parallel Universe/ Groundhog Day type stories and liked them. 😉

Megan Givens and Tom Prescott are getting married and have been together for ten years! However, they decide to call off their wedding at their Rehearsal Dinner!
The next morning they wake up together in a time loop and now are reliving the Rehearsal again and again ~ thus the name of this story ‘The Rehearsals”!

Yep the repeat ‘Rehearsal Day’ goes on for 8 days during which time they say some terrible things to each. There is no doubt this is a mess.
I actually felt sorry for Tom ~ who gives their second child the nickname “Spare Parts”? 🤔 I suppose some think it is funny, but to me it is sad.

I went back and forth on my feelings for Megan and Tom ~ I was pulling for them and then was sure the break up is for the best!!
This wasn’t a Big Wow for me but have no doubt that many readers will enjoy it.
We readers are very lucky to have many great reading options.


Want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this early release granted to me for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 13, 2021.

I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t impressed with this. I felt like I’ve read the book before. The circumstances were different, of course, but it felt an awful lot like In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t connect with it ever particularly like any of the characters, especially not Tom and Megan. I had really high hopes and it just fell flat. I liked the idea, but execution was lacking in my opinion.

THE REHEARSALS is a romantic, thought-provoking romance book with one of my favorite fiction tropes; a Groundhog Day scenario! Megs and Tom call off their wedding the night before the big day during their rehearsal dinner, when secrets are revealed and feelings are hurt. They end up reliving the day of their rehearsal dinner over and over until they can figure out what when wrong. It's a fantastic plot, and Christie has executed it almost perfectly.

As a reader, you will go back and forth wondering if Megs and Tom are actually good for each other. As we learn more about their relationship, and the cracks that have been slowly forming since they met in college more than a decade go, figuring out if they will work out their issues and make it down the aisle is the most interesting part of the book. They are realistic characters, with real-life problems and you will root for them sometimes, and be annoyed with them other times. I really loved the Groundhog Day conceit (but it's annoying that in Groundhog Day scenarios no one admits they are in a Groundhog Day scenario! Is it a copyright issue??), but I do wish they had let loose a little bit more (kind of like Palm Springs). If you know tomorrow isn't promised, wouldn't you want to get a little more crazy? Otherwise, it's a sweet book with complex characters and I think it will be a summer hit.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It comes out on July 13th!

This plot kept me on the edge of my seat just because of the drama that was created. At some levels I felt for the characters and it was highly entertaining to read about them!

This was the Groundhog's Day of complicated relationships and the decision two people must make to decide to spend the rest of their lives together. I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. I also appreciated that in each Day they relived, they learned something about themselves and each other. I don't always enjoy the odd time loop that makes no sense because my logical mind believes that something like this could never happen but this one was resolved in such a way that it seemed plausible that it could have happened just this way.
The part that rang true and grabbed me was that neither person realized that their relationship was in trouble prior to arriving at their wedding destination. It really got me thinking how often that, that must happen and people just ignore their inner voices and dont have the benefit of a time loop to help them sort things out.
The relationships within the book were complicated and sometimes messy between the mains, each other and their families but it was really satisfying to see the resolution and how the actions in the novel allowed everyone to grow.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book has such a great premise, which is what drew me to it initially. I found it well-written, entertaining and romantic, with characters you can really engage with. I very much look forward to reading more from this author in the future.