My Big Fake Wedding by Jessica Hatch is a beautifully written novel.
The audio version was so much fun to devour in a matter of a day.
The narrator did a wonderful job here bringing these characters to life!
I never grew bored listening to this story and hel my attention throughout it all.
This romance was perfection.
A smart, humorous and a very entertaining read.

Bookouture Audio,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

The book is about Beatrice Corbin, a young woman who won a contest for the wedding of her dreams. Almost everything is paid for so it should all be perfect. The only problem is that Bea is currently single. She participated in the contest when she was still with her ex-boyfriend (who she had been with for seven years), but later discovered that he had been cheating on her. Rather than pass on the wedding, she accepts the price and now has to find a husband in 8 months. The story is weird and ridiculous (who plans a wedding before finding a husband) but the idea was creative and original. I wanted to like this book and thought I would read a cute and funny romcom. In reality, I had no interest in the story and was barred while listening to it. About 20% in I already wanted to DNF it but I kept pushing through, I had to give up at 60%. The whole story just was so unrealistic that I couldn’t relate to the main character. To me, Bea was self-absorbed, narcissistic, delusional and a bad friend. The fact that I didn’t like the main character at all made it super hard to keep listening to the audiobook. I honestly think she should just have gone to therapy because it is not sane to be so obsessed with a wedding but not care about who she is going to marry. In conclusion, this book wasn’t for me but it might be for those who like eccentric stories.

Bea Corbin was happily in a relationship when she enters to win a dream wedding. She never dreamed that her ex-boyfriend would end things. As life went on and she picks up the pieces, she gets a call that shocks her! She has one the dream wedding!! But she isn't getting married, and she isn't in a relationship, but she freaks out and fails to mention that to the wedding planner. Oops!

So now Bea has a dream wedding with no groom...What's a girl to do? Bea sets out to find a husband even against the advice of her best friend, Oliver. She finds someone- Andrew - now she must convince him!

While reading this, I saw it playing out as a rom-com movie in my mind. Bea is an interesting character. She has a wedding on her mind and drowns out all around her in her pursuit. She is a hard pill to swallow at times and yet, she grew on me. She wants something so badly that she can't see the forest for the trees. I thought the author did a very good job showing Bea's motivation and quest to have her dream wedding. As the wedding gets closer, things get more interesting and more dramatic.


It's all about the journey in romance books and as Hatch takes Bea on a romance journey, she also takes her on a journey where she evolves and grows by the end.

Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bea enters a lottery to win her perfect wedding and wins. Now she just has to find someone to marry…

I was immediately drawn to this book by the cover (and the fun concept!).

I absolutely love the concept. This would make such a cute movie!!

I loved the use of To Do lists at the end of each chapter. These were so fun (and also very relatable).

I really loved the characterisations of Oliver and Lucy – they were such likable characters.

At one point, Bea tries to convince her parents that her friend is her fiancé. They do not fall for it. I thought this was really realistic and a great depiction of parents. I would love to have seen more of their reactions at the end of the book!

I found some parts of the plot a bit slow or slightly strange – particularly the game of risk. While it was fun, I am not sure if it really added to the story.

*SPOILERS*

I absolutely loved the ending (I love a happy ending!!)– though it was quite quick. I would have loved if more time had been dedicated to discovering what Andrew was up to and then her blossoming love with Oliver.

*SPOILERS*

I read this as an audiobook and I would really recommend this format! It was easy to follow while walking or getting ready etc.

This is a fun rom com with a fresh structure. I really liked how Jessica Hatch took a fresh take on the rom com structure.

A spoiler-free review will also be posted on my Instagram.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Jessica Hatch for this ARC!

This book had a great premise but execution was lacking. I listened to this book on audio and found the story lacking and the audio narration performance lack luster. I found Bea to be a horrible friend to not only Oliver but also Lucy. I was honestly was bored most of this book. For a story that is supposed to be about finding the right person the tension was non existent along with the romance. I loved the cover and that is what drove me to request the arc of this but otherwise was disappointed.

Firstly i really liked the narrator, she did an awesome job making a distinction between character voices and her voice fit well with the story.

I thought the premise of the book was really interesting and i was excited to listen to it, however, i just could not get on board with Bea’s thought process, as a character i found her annoying, whiny and super self centred.
I could see where this story would end up from within the first few chapters and the introduction of Bea’s friends.

I didnt really understand the work event that was a large part of the story and felt that when the day came it was glossed over quite alot.

The relationship with Andrew felt forced and superficial the entire time, he didnt seem right for Bea from first meeting so them being together with the intention of getting married for almost the entire book was just something i couldnt buy into and it felt like i was just waiting for the break up day. Saying that, it seemed odd that when it did happen, he was just gone and only mentioned once in passing after that.

I was really happy with the ending, i think it ended with Bea in a good place and her friends finally getting some positivity after putting up with so much from Bea throughout the book, it was nice to see them rewarded for all their patience.

Thanks to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio, Jessica Hatch and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review

My review -

Jessica Hatch is a new-to-me author - I don’t see other titles listed for her so I do think this is her debut? I’m going to have to try another release in future for a better idea of her writing.

This is a closed door, workplace story (more leaning to womens fic than romance), where there is a lot of drama and struggle in the main character Bea’s very existence (her every day life) - it seems to be the way she needs to be in order to survive in her self-centered world… She doesn’t pay much attention to anyone around her, including best friend Lucy to notice when she is down about her relationship with long-term girlfriend Charlotte, or when other best friend Oliver is having work issues and is let go, or when she wins a contest for a deeply discounted wedding package and reaches out to the ex, Ray (of 7 years) who cheated on her just to escape their hun-drum relationship.

Bea is very self-absorbed and asks her friend to pose as her fake fiancé to let her parents know about the upcoming wedding and is hurt when they don’t believe it - so much so that she hurts their friendship in pursuit of a real fake fiancé for the wedding farce and seriously goes for that guy at work that she never really got on with - to the detriment of everyone and everything else. But what else is new!

There are a lot of times you want to shout at Bea to stop being immature and self-centered and look around because the rest of the world can see exactly what is going on around her. This story needed a bit of shortening and speeding up of the storyline and some tightening up of the plot. I definitely found my attention wandering and it took me longer to read than it should have for the length.

Audio - this was also a new-to-me narrator, Stephanie Cannon, but she did an excellent job, her voice suited the character of Bea very well, and I really enjoyed listening to her. She made the story more enjoyable, and if you’re going to pick this one up, you’ll want to get the audiobook!

I would recommend this book to an audience that is looking for a closed door, workplace story and are ok with a lot of drama and struggle in the main character’s very existence, a fairly slow story to get where we need to go, and don’t mind taking their time and quite a path to get there.

I received an advance review and advance listen copy from NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bookouture Audio, and this is my honest feedback.

I listened to this book. The narration was good in this debut novel. This book is touted as being funny and a comedy. I personally did not laugh once. I found the book a bit of a challenge. It Is a well written book, just not an enjoyable book.

Bea, the main character seemed to shine and complain, and worry more than was necessary. There were too many business like words tossed around. I don’t care about them. They actually bothered me and made me want to toss my hands in the air a few times. Bea is annoying, not lovable or likable. She was so focused on getting married it was sad.

I cannot say I recommend this book but everyone has his/her own preferences and likes. Do not take my word for it. Check the book out for yourself. It just might not have been the right book for me at this exact moment. I have no issues in giving this author another chance on her next book.

This was sorta painful. The entire time I just wanted to shake EVERY character and say “GET SOME THERAPY!” There wasn’t a single character or story line that I could relate to or even feel like was realistic. I was very hopeful, but it was just not a good story. The author also seems to ramble a lot.

***Thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Hatch and Bookouture, for providing me with a copy of My Big Fake Wedding, in exchange for an honest review.***

[SPOILER ALERT]

## Book in One Sentence

*My Big Fake Wedding* by Jessica Hatch showcases the life of Bea Corbin, who won a lottery to have the wedding of her dream but was recently left heartbroken by her ex-boyfriend.

## Introduction

Bea loves planning and to-do lists. According to her, there’s nothing a list cannot solve. When her ex broke up with her, she was devastated. However, one fine day, Bea got a call about a discounted dream wedding from a lottery she playfully participated in a year ago. The date is set. The price is amazing. But, what she is missing is a bridegroom. So, when she gets a call from them, she panics and says yes to a summer wedding. She is determined to find a husband in less than a year. How hard can it be? Especially with her trusty to-do lists by her side?

## Themes

### Friendship

The novel gives a perfect example of friendships. Both Lucy and Oliver are by Bea’s side, giving her sound advice. Lucy is more lenient towards Bea, considering her wedding plan. However, Oliver is quick to point out the fallacy in it. Although Bea and Oliver had an argument that spanned months of them not talking to each other, we see that they make up and the bond is stronger than ever. Lucy, even with her problems, with her girlfriend is always comforting Bea during her lowest points.

### Love

The theme here has been handled a bit unconventionally. Although the book can be labelled as a romcom, the ending has a twist. We are aware of Oliver’s attraction toward Bea from the get-go. However, in the story, Oliver seems to be doing a good job of being subtle. What surprised me the most was Andrew’s willingness to jump into the plan so quickly. I was sure that there would be some kind of twist to this and I was not wrong.

### Friends-turned-lovers

As stated above, with the continuation of the story, it was becoming pretty evident that Andrew and Bea would not be ending up together. And, by the end of the story, we see Andrew leaving Bea and her finally understanding Oliver’s love for her. Oliver is not just her best friend but also has been in love with her for years. Hopefully, they reconcile and admit to having a normal relationship before wedding bells ring for them!

## Conclusion

The ending felt quite rushed for me. I believe that it could have been developed more. The last few chapters have Andrew showing his true face, breaking up with Bea, Lucy standing up to Bea and her girlfriend, and Bea finding out about Oliver’s feelings. I also did not how Bea went about the whole marriage issue. Who, in their right mind, would say yes to some lottery wedding right after breaking up? The whole ‘finding a groom’ mission was also weird. But, at least she came to her senses before any permanent damage. However, Bea and Oliver’s happy ending did not sit well for me. She was heartbroken about Andrew and to start a relationship with Oliver so soon after the breakup seems more like a rebound to me than a proper relationship. I did love how Lucy and her girlfriend cleared things up. Seems like a little bit of honest conversation can go a long way. And the wedding planning was not completely wasted as the ladies got hitched instead of Bea and Andrew!

## Narration

I got the audiobook from NetGalley. The narrator, Stephanie Cannon, did a really good job of telling the story. She was also good with the different voices representing different characters. Her intonation and voice changes made the audiobook all the more interesting.

Funny, Crazy Fun ,Fluffy romcom


First of all I would like to thank bookouture Audio for this brilliant cray romcom .

general fiction , romance , women fiction

The Plot : Bea Corbin enters a lottery to win her perfect wedding , yep not money a WEDDING !! ,she didn't think for one minute she would win it , but her name gets picked out ,and this all happens just after she get dumped and cheated on by her ex ray { totally douchebag } , she was totally stunned she won and had to figure out what she was going to do . she tells her best friend Oliver he was not down for this and thought was mad . going against what he says and tells all her family and friends she getting married . the only thing she need was someone to marry her , she starts looking for this man to be her husband . she ends up having a drunk kiss with her office crush Andrew , the start to become closer , then in walks her ex ray yep that douchebag ! he tells her he still loves her , anyway gets little messy Bea life start spiralling out of control , her best friend not talking to her and Andrew upset would you be , the wedding getting close now Bea needs to pick the right person could it be to late .



My Thoughts: I totally loved the romcom it was fantastic feel good read I had lots of belly chuckles .

I've heard the narrator before and loved her she really knows how to tell a story .

the story its self was just brilliant its not something you would read everyday a person winning a wedding and its a great escape being in Bea world for a while and enjoying the crazy ride with her .

I loved Bea and Andrew characters and watching their relationship develop , ray I wanted to give him a big kick in the you know what . think that shows for Jessica great writing skills Bea character was very out there care free at times but I really liked that about her ,


me being me loved the trope in this story friends to lovers very much my favourite right now .I would love to see more from these characters who knows we might get more pretty please .

I would highly recommend this book if you love a belly chuckle and great romcom this is for you

I give it 5 belly chuckles

Loved the writing style in this one, but I personally couldn’t connect with the main character, Bea. I found her so unlikeable! That made it hard to get into the story. Also felt that the ending left me wanting more. But I do look forward to seeing more from this author! The fake marriage trope was an interesting one.

This was an interesting one for me. I listened to the audiobook version and the narration kept the story interesting. The premise is interesting, trying to find a guy within 8 months to marry. I feel like there could have been better explanations and descriptions in some places as I had a hard time really getting into the book. I was something that I might have not finished had it been a physical copy of the book.

Thank you for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this for the most part. Highlights included the premise, the writing style and the pacing.

I struggled a little with the main character as I could not relate to her and found her to be unlikeable. It was predictable in parts but I still enjoyed it. A nice light read.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'My Big Fake Wedding' by Jessica Hatch.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jessica Hatch, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 18th August 2022.


This is the first book I have read by this author.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching unique cover and intriguing as well as hilarious sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'This absolutely hilarious and totally feel-good romance is perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners, and Emily Henry’s Beach Read. ' I am a fan of 'The Honeymooners' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of 26 chapters. The chapters are a mixture of length ranging from medium and some long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Virginia, USA 🇺🇸.


This book is written in third person perspective with the protagonists being Beatrice Corbin. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.


This book was quite fast paced, different and fun. I devoured it in one reading and was completely absorbed throughout!! This is the first book that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but for the first time I listened to the whole book and I was impresse! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Stephanie Cannon who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Stephanie did a brilliant job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Jessica but also to listening to more books narrated by Stephanie. I found myself laughing one moment while feeling quite emotional the next. I adore the fact that although there are quite sad moments and emotional times that within minutes Jessica has you laughing until you are in tears again. There were a couple of points that I did find frustrating such as the peanut allergy scene, I'm not sure if this realistically would have happened due to health and safety regulations. I also wasn't a huge fan of Bea but I will go more into that later. I also did not understand the point of Bea's company if I'm completely honest. I must admit I found a certain event to be quite predictable.However, I do love the fact that there is a very unique moment in this book which sadly I can't go into as I don't want to spoil it for future readers but I definitely agree with what Jessica states in the letter from her at the end. I also absolutely LOVED the 'To Do' lists at the end of each of the chapters. These were also a unique addition to the book that gave that extra sprinkle of fun to the storyline!

This is probably a first for me but I really could not click with Bea, the main protagonist, at all yet I continued to read and even finish the book!!! I found Bea very self-centred and selfish and I don't understand how Lucy, Charlie and Oliver put up with her as a friend!!! I also wasn't a huge fan of Andrew who I found to be false and also selfish. However, I absolutely LOVED Lucy, Charlie and Oliver who were all great friends to Bea who, I think, took them all for granted. The only thing that I found quite nasty about these three (well one) was something Lucy had said to Bea which was mean but at the same time I think she had been pushed to breaking point by Bea at this point. I may not have liked the main character which is a first for me BUT as I have always said, if you liked every character in a book it wouldn't be very interesting!! You need complex and different personalities, some of which may clash with a reader to make a book come alive!

A MASSIVE WELL DONE to Jessica on a romcom with a twist!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your future books.

Overall a unique, refreshing and sweet romcom with a lovely twist.

Genres covered in this book include Fiction, Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Humourous Literary Fiction, Romance Literary Fiction, Rural Life Humour, Love, Sex & Marriage Humour and Women's Humourous Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Ali Hazelwood’s 'The Love Hypothesis' , Christina Lauren’s 'The Unhoneymooners' Emily Henry’s 'Beach Read' and anyone looking for a unique uplifting, fun and refreshing romcom.


348 pages/9 hours 13 minutes

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

This book is £18.29 to purchase as Audiobook or 1 credit or £7.99 if you have Audible Premium Plus.


Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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My Big Fake Wedding by Jessica Hatch definitely had an unexpected ending, and a few unforeseen twist and turns in the plot. Was it my favorite book of the year? No, but it was a good beach read, if you can excuse the “woe-is-me” protagonist, who showed glimmers of maturation and spinal growth for a paragraph in chapter 1. But this book wasn’t meant to have a bold heroine like that, as it was meant to be a modern and cozy romance, which it was. Completely.

So, if you’re looking for a breezy, fun, at times super awkward book to keep you with a smile on your face from cover to cover, this is the book for you! It’s cute and relevant.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Bea has win her perfect wedding but she has a problem. She broke with Ray, her boyfriend a few months ago. But she is determined to find The One and get married next June, in less than a year. Can his coworker Andrew be her HEA? Or will Ray come back to her life? But sometimes THe One is nearer than we think. Great story and better as audiobook.

I requested this book based on cover and trope and was curious about the turn out. I’ve seen fake dating and marriage of convenience but never a fake marriage .
Bea finds out she has won a wedding package she had signed up for prior to her and her ex parting . Unfortunately there isn’t a fiancé in the picture but it’s 9 months away , how hard can it be to find a fiancé ? She ends up finding someone but even from the beginning they don’t seem to be matched well.
The story centers around bea and her job but they never actually tell you what she does for a living . Her best friend Oliver and her seem to have chemistry that they won’t admit to each other. She has two friends Lucy and Charlie who were planning to get engage themselves but now due to her announcement are put on the back burner.
After some hard lessons and more heartbreaker there is a wonderful event and a happy ever after just beginning .

I was really excited about this read, the blurb is so great and it’s been so long since I’ve read a good romance book.

I can honestly say I was very disappointed. What should have been a quick, laugh out loud, romantic middle was in fact a long, tired, drawn-out, obvious lull.

Beatrice Corbin is up there with my very most awful heroines. No redeeming qualities at all, even by the end of the book too. Awful.

I feel I maybe could possibly recommend My Big Fake Wedding if this is the genre you love. However, I probably wouldn’t because there are so many amazing books in that genre that I could point out for you.

2 stars for the ploy and blurb.

2/5

Really hard to get into this book. I didn't care for the narrator. I also couldn't really get into the story of a non-refundable wedding venue that she won and then trying to find someone to marry so she didn't waste her money. Was just hard to connect to the story and characters.