Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, Authors of “Forever Hold Your Peace,” have written a delightful, entertaining, and witty novel. This is a refreshing contemporary novel, not their usual suspense and mystery story. The genres for this novel are Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Humor, and Family Drama. I love how the authors write and tell their complicated stories about forgiveness, second chances, dysfunctional family, love, and hope. The authors describe the colorful and dramatic characters as complex, complicated, flawed, dysfunctional, quirky, and romantic.

Olivia has been accepted to UCLA School of Law and goes on a vacation to Italy, where she meets Zach. “V” and “Z” fall in love, and get engaged, after knowing each other for such a short time. The next step will be when “V” and “Z” ask the four divorced parents to meet for brunch. Olivia and Zach think their parents will be upset and should have waited longer. That would be too easy.

At this special brunch, it seems that both mothers, June and Amy, had been best friends once upon a time. Some secrets and betrayals have kept these women apart for 25 years. It looks like the past, present, and future will explode. Both mothers want to do “their thing” for the wedding, and it becomes competitive.

Sometimes you have to deal with the past to move on. I highly recommend this witty, memorable, and thought-provoking novel. Happy Reading!

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @netgalley and @alcovepress for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
“Father of the Bride meets Bride Wars in Forever Hold Your Peace, in which two ex-best friends find themselves shockingly entangled after more than two decades apart.”
I love books about weddings and a book that is compared to two of my all time favourite movies, how could I resist? This book definitely has Father of the Bride vibes and I can see the connection to Bride Wars – except this time it was the mothers of the bride and groom at war. It also seemed from the beginning that there were a lot of secrets amongst this group, which I wasn’t sad about – it definitely kept me reading to find out what some of the characters were hiding.
Overall, I think this book is as much about friendship as it is about love. And it drives home the message that just because your life took a different turn than originally planned, even it hurt at the time, you might still have something, or someone, that you wouldn’t have otherwise had.
Favourite quote: “I don’t trust people who have time to read.”

Olivia Abbot's parents pay for her to travel to Italy, during her summer vacation she meets Zach Carter. They fall in love, Olivia can’t believe it when Zach pops the questions and she accepts. The newly engaged couple can’t wait to return to California, start planning their wedding and they want a long engagement.

They decide their four divorced parents should meet and go out for brunch, Olivia's mum June and father William, and Zach’s mum Amy and father Troy. After such a whirlwind courtship, both families don’t want Olivia and Zach rushing into getting married and plan on discussing this with them. At the brunch, June is late and when she walks in and see’s who’s sitting at the table, she bursts into tears and runs outside. Years ago June and Amy were best friends, they had a huge falling out and haven’t spoken to each other in twenty six years.

Olivia and Zach had no idea their mothers were once friends, both women are now enemies, and they turn organizing the wedding into a competition and a vindictive one. Olivia and Zach are confused and hurt, and when the long kept secret is revealed, the reason why their mothers friendship ended and they start to question if they should get married.

June and Amy have to bury the hatched, not in each other’s backs and try to get Olivia and Zach to see they are perfect for each other, love is worth fighting for and they start planning how to reunited the love birds.

I received a digital copy of Forever Hold Your Peace by co-authors and friends Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The stories main focus is on relationships, young love, divorced parents, complicated family dynamics, rivalry, drama, secrets, a big mistake, June getting over feeling resentful and angry towards two people and being able to forgive them. Four stars from me, for readers who believe in love, and with a few twists and turns in the plot to keep you invested.

What’s worse than finding out your daughter is engaged to a man she barely knows? For June, it is discovering said future son-in-law is the offspring of the two people who broke her heart and changed the course of her life.

The writing duo, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, explore what hurts most, the deceit of a lover, or the betrayal of a best friend, in their latest book, Forever Hold Your Peace. Readers are invited on a wild ride as they bear witness to the messiest of love triangles, involving successful, middle age adults. Watching Amy and June attempt to navigate planning a wedding (while still holding on to almost three decades of resentment), makes for a hilarious read.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of Forever Hold Your Peace today. It is the perfect summer read. I found myself tearing up, rolling my eyes, but above all laughing out loud.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, Alcove Press, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke for allowing me to both read and listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

After a whirlwind romance, Zach and Olivia have gotten engaged! It's all very exciting (and fast), but it all seems to explode when the mother of the bride, June, and the mother of Groom, Amy, realize they know each other. In fact, they used to be best friends but 25 years ago, their friendship imploded over a huge scandal. Now, it seems that the moms are competing against one another instead of helping with the wedding, and even burying the hatchet doesn't last after we learn about the secret the groom and his dad, Troy, are keeping. Talk about drama! Only a big gesture by the parents will fix this mess.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Alcove for this e-arc.*

This was my first read by these authors and I would not hesitate to read them again. While you know there will be some mic drops from the beginning since they met and fell for each other so quickly, but the scandals and secrets are jaw dropping which I absolutely loved. Zach and Olivia have their work cut out for them right from the beginning and that's before the first shoe drops. Do they have what it takes for the long haul? It will take everything they have to try and put their families back together and it will take everyone to work together in order for all their lives to get back on to a track of happiness. I had minor issues with some facets of the story but otherwise, I really enjoyed the story and the writing.

When Olivia and Zach get engaged, they didn't know what would happen when the parents would meet, the secrets that would be uncovered, and the stress that would be put on them. It is a lot of drama, stubbornness, and will the parents be able to work through everything for their kids?
This was a quick read, and parts of it, I thought I have read this story before, but then things would happen that I knew I hadn't read this story before.
I received an ARC from Alcove Press.

An enjoyable but predictable read. It was familiar, as if I had read the story before. The characters were likable but weren’t written with much depth. A solid addition to the duo’s collection.

I received an advance audio and digital copy. All thoughts are my own

You know those wedding planner movies you have watched and loved over and over again? Forever Hold Your Peace falls into the same category as those and you will love it. Great easy summer read with memorable characters and messy, yet relatable, relationships between families and friends. Completely engaging and would be perfect on film!

Zach and Olivia met by chance while on separate dream vacations to Greece. When they come home eagerly announcing the rushed engagement to their parents, both sets of divorced parents are taken aback, but rally around the kids to support them (and secretly hope to dissuade them from rushing into a marriage.). When the parents gather to meet each other at a celebratory brunch they are shocked to learn that they already know each other from their college days, and the divide in their friendship has been irreparable. Zach and Olivia further learn their meet-cute was not exactly by chance....

Good beach read with an emphasis on relationships between parents and children, in-laws, and how those relationships intertwine. Pick this one up as you are headed for vacation!

This was a good change for me from the heavy mystery murders that I tend to drift to.
This was all about a wedding and not a bridezilla in sight. It was a mothers zilla
episode which had festered for twenty six years and erupted with the full force of
a volcano.

Amy and June were best friends joined at the hip. When Amy discovered June in the
arms of her husband, the friendship was over with heart wrenching sadness and regrets
on both sides. Both went on to marry/divorce and their paths would not have crossed
if not for some stalking on Amy"s ex husband side who was trying to find June (whom he still loved).
He sent
his son to try to catch up with Olivia (june's daughter) in Positano because he followed
Olivia's social media hoping to find June. The deception did not augur
well for the future, especially since Zack and Olivia fell in love, came back from
the holiday determined to get married as quickly as possible.

The meet up of the parents went disastrously as could be expected, and the two mothers
did not keep anything back, never thinking of their children's happiness or peace
of mind, but only their long hidden hurt. As if this was not bad enough Zack had never
told Olivia about his father's role in finding her,and when this came out into the
open the whole thing blew up in everyone's faces. The weddingwas called off amidst
all the recriminations.

It all ended well. Everyone was forgiven and the wedding went ahead!!

Light hearted read for a lazy Sunday.

3.5/5 ⭐️
June is shocked when she hears her daughter is getting married to someone she met only two months ago. Things get even crazier when she realizes the parents of her future son-in-law are her ex-best friend, Amy, and her ex-fiance, Troy. The two ex-best friends haven't spoken in over 25 years after betrayal separated them. Now, they must try to put their differences aside to help plan the wedding.

Overall, I think this was a cute read. I do think it took too long to get to the battling between June and Amy. It wasn't until almost halfway through the book this really ramped up. I think those parts could've been more drawn out as they were the fun parts to me. The second half was definitely more fast-paced and enjoyable! I think also headers for character shifts would've helped. It wasn't too hard to shift, but in times when they shifted in the middle of a scene to another character in that scene, I think it could've helped.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Olivia and Zach get engaged after a whirlwind romance abroad, they are excited for their parents to meet and start wedding planning. However, it turns out Zach and Olivia's parents (both couples divorced) already have a past and secrets of their own. When a secret of Zach's comes to light that threatens the engagement, the older couples must put their past behind them to try and save Zach and Olivia's relationship.

This book was very reminiscent of any 90's/early 2000's movie about a wedding. Couple falls in love, there is a barrier to the happily ever after, some fun grand gestures happen, the end. The story overall was enjoyable enough and I appreciated the theme of forgiveness throughout.

While this wasn't my favourite read by these authors, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it for an easy, light-hearted vacay read.

How would you feel if you found out your daughter was marrying a stranger after only meeting six weeks ago.
Olivia and Zach are engaged after meeting in Italy. How well do they really know each other?
When they get back home to California and meet each others family and friends, they discover a history between their moms.
Story told in different viewpoints. The parents, Olivia and Zach.
Heartwarming, fun rom-com. Funny and entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you Netgalley, Alcove Press and Lisa Fenton/ Lisa Steinke
Meet in Italy, fall in Love, want to get married and then.......met the family.
I always enjoy the novels written by these two authors and this one did not disappoint.
Quick read, love the characters.
5 stars

Olivia and Zach a.k.a. V and Z, fell in love after meeting in Italy. Sure, it has only been 6 weeks since they met, but when you know you know. They are excited and slightly apprehensive to share their news with their parents. Both sets of parents are divorced, so there will be a lot of telling involved.

They plan a brunch so everyone can meet and celebrate their engagement. They were not expecting the dropped jaws, shock, and uncomfortable silences. Their parents share a past, a very messy past. Olivia's mother June and Zach's mother Amy are former best friends. UGH! Drama enter stage left....

Now the two former friends throw themselves into planning the wedding. There is drama, tension, and catty remarks. They become over the top trying to up the other to becomes the most supportive and to get her ideas used. But, what about what Olivia and Zach want?????


Reminiscent of several zany wedding movies, this book is dramatic, full of secrets, eye rolling moments, and love. I had both the book and the audiobook which made for a very enjoyable reading/listening experience.

I enjoyed how this book was entertaining, a little over the top, heartwarming, dramatic and zany. It's the perfect book for summer reading. Another enjoyable read by Fenton and Steinke. I look forward to what this writing duo writes next!

Well written, entertaining, dramatic and heartwarming!

Olivia and Zack are engaged! Oops- turns out that their moms Amy and June were once BFFs but they haven't spoken in forever. Can they put aside their grudge to create a lovely wedding? There's Momzilla vibes in this novel of miscommunication (and yes, also between Olivia and Zack) and reconciliation.- and that keeps it light and fun. Yes it will remind you of various comic movies about weddings but I thought that was a good thing. I liked the characters and the storytelling is fine. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Made me smile.

Forever Hold Your Peace by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is a lighthearted charming read. Think part movies with Bride Wars meets “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. While it had it moments of humor it also has all the other elements I love to see in a light hearted read - love at first sight, the complexities of family dynamics and drama, lessons on forgiveness and moving past broken hearts. I appreciated how the authors could make you feel the raw emotions of the characters and make you feel like you were dropped into these families! A quick and enjoyable read I recommend grabbing this summer!

If you were first in line at the theater on Friday nights, waiting to see the latest movie like “Father of the Bride”, stalked the Blockbuster shelf for “My Big, Fat Greek wedding”, reserved “The Wedding Planner” the first night it was available at Redbox or stream “Mamma Mia” repeatedly (I may be guilty as charged about the last one🤫) this might be the perfect Summer book for you!

It reads just like your favorite wedding movies!🍿

“When their newly engaged kids ask all four divorced parents to meet each other over brunch, everyone RSVPs yes--secretly hoping someone at the table will get to the bottom of the bottomless mimosas fast enough to say what they’re all thinking: that this engagement, coming after a whirlwind romance between two people who met on the romantic Almalfi Coast, is happening much too soon”.

But what has really come much too soon -this BRUNCH!

What are the odds that June (Mother of the bride, Olivia) and Amy, (mother of the groom, Zach) could have been BEST FRIENDS 25 years ago but for good reason, haven’t spoken a word to each other since?

As the two women forget that this is actually Olivia’s wedding, their petty behavior, (think Momzilla) and OTHER messy family secrets threaten the “Happy Ever After” of their kids.

This is a PG rated, often corny, wedding story which is easy to read and enjoyable, for those who have been craving their next “wedding story” fix!

Forever Hold Your Peace takes family drama to the next level. This was a fun read which kept me hoping for the “happily ever after” until the very end of the book. I always enjoy Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke.