Fairly cute and easy read. I did have a problem with the main character, Gemma being unlikeable for most of the first third of the book. She had a chip on her shoulder and a bad attitude underneath a desire to people-please. Kind of a doormat, not happy about it but not willing to rock the boat. When she starts to come around it makes for an interesting awakening. Gemma is very good at her editing job at a publishing house but of course wants to write her own book. There are family dynamics that are relatable if a bit over the top. It adds to her people pleasing while gritting her teeth behavior. I'd have given in for a chance to spend a week in Tuscany too. It's amazing and my favorite place on earth - at the moment.

Ben is the new guy at work and gets the job Gemma wants. He's nice, people like him and he's successful. This makes Gemma jealous and rude. Ben has no idea, he's such a good guy he doesn't get her thinly veiled contempt. It's a pleasure to watch him bring her out of her rut. His encouragement makes all the difference. Their HEA was a bit of a twist, I like the way it played out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter publisher.

#TheWeddingDateDisaster #NetGalley #OneMoreChapter #KateMathieson #romance #contemporaryromance #HarperCollins

This had potential but the characters were wholly uninteresting and at times, downright infuriating. The MMX was a turd and the FMC was either being a doormat or a brat.

The Wedding Date Disaster has a bit of it all! Enemies to lovers, family dramas, fake dating, slow burn, forced proximity. And Kate Mathieson makes it work!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gemma is a complete yes girl. She lets her whole family walk all over her and does everything y she can, to her own detriment to keep them happy. And her sister’s wedding is no different…

When her boyfriend tells her that he’s too busy to be her date to the wedding, after she’s already told her family he will be going, she needs someone who will pretend to be him. For a week. On a destination wedding.

Enter the man who took her promotion at work. Ben. The man who’s been nothing but rude to her the whole time Gemma has known him… He agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend and we start to find out that he’s not actually as bad as he seems.

Although I did get a bit frustrated at Gemma at times (why can’t she just say no?!). I really loved this story, and although I knew where it was going, I loved how Gemma and Ben got there!

Thank you Kate Mathieson, Netgalley and One More Chapter for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The Wedding Date Disaster is out now and I’d definitely recommend getting your hands on it!

Gemma is having a run of bad luck. She was denied for a promotion that went to her work nemesis, a good looking guy named Ben. He’s slick and suave and Gemma can’t stand him. At the same time, her sister is getting married in Italy and her boyfriend can’t go, and she’s not going alone because everyone will comment on her single status.
Her friend sets her up with a date in exchange for a trip to Italy, and Gemma is appalled when she sees that her date is Ben, her enemy from work.
He charms her entire family at the wedding, and after a while he charms Gemma as well. She discovers that there’s much more to Ben than she thought.
This is a charming and humorous enemies to lovers romance. I liked the descriptions of Italy, and their romance feels authentic. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this as much as I did!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Wedding Date Disaster was fun and charming. I really enjoyed the witty banter, the slow-burning tension, and the family drama. I also enjoyed how the story gradually revealed more about the characters, letting their relationship build piece by piece. Once the tension kicked in, it was fantastic—I just wished there had been even more moments with Gemma and Ben together because their dynamic was easily the best part. Their banter was top-tier, and Gemma’s sense of humor made her such a fun protagonist to follow.

That said, there were some slow sections where I found myself missing their interactions, and certain aspects of the family drama wrapped up a little too neatly, considering how things started. Some conflicts could have used more development before being resolved.

Overall, though, this was an entertaining and satisfying read! Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the eARC of this fun book!

I loved this book SO MUCH!!!! I didn’t wanna stop reading it once I really got into at like Chapter 3.

Books set in Italy always have a special place in my heart. Italy feels like it’s part of my soul and Tuscany just has a beautiful vibe about it that whenever the setting is being described, my heart just fills with joy. This book was such a wonderful and beautifully written read.

I loved seeing Gemma’s personal evolution and really enjoyed that Ben was part of what made her realise she needed to take a stand for herself and start setting boundaries and being honest to herself and everyone about the way she feels.

Gemma is incredibly relatable. Women often are conditioned to be perpetually amenable, accommodating and apologetic. We often are made to believe that everyone’s feelings and needs are more important than our own needs and feelings.

Seeing Gemma set herself free was truly incredible.

Also, the romance aspect was very lovely! I love the banter, I loved their chemistry and their palpable connection.

My only complaint is I wish there was more chapters lol 😂 I didn’t want this story to end.

I will definitely be reading more by Kate!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK and Kate Mathieson for giving me an ARC of this spectacular book!

I loved Gemma and Ben's witty banter, and I'm a sucker for fake dating and destination romance tropes. This didn't disappoint! At first I was worried that they were a bit over-the-top mean to each other, but if you stick with it, it just enhances the chemistry and suspense for later! This is perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, and Lynn Painter's books!

"The Wedding Date Disaster", by Kate Mathieson, consists of some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers and fake dating. Gemma and Ben are work rivals who have hated each other for years. When Ben get the coveted Chief Editor job over Gemma, she's ready to go scorched earth. However, bigger problems arise: Gemma has to attend a family destination wedding and her lame boyfriend refuses to go. She enlists her best friend to help her find someone who will go with her and pretend to be her boyfriend. When she shows up at the airport for her flight, she finds that Ben is her pretend boyfriend for the trip. As the two take off, the tension is palpable. But during the trip, Gemma discovers that Ben has been smitten with her from their very first meeting.

While I usually enjoy these popular tropes, I didn't believe the chemistry between Ben and Gemma. I also didn't like how the mean things he had done to her were supposedly because he liked her. Their have been other books that have used these tropes in a more believable way. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes I do not always enjoy the enemies to frenemies to serious relationship trope books but this one totally works. The chemistry betwen Ben and Gemma is off the charts from the early chapters. She is beyond annoyed he gets the promotion she wants and has served time for, but Ben is just favored by the rest of the staff to get the promotiob because it is a male-drivem occupation... There is so much tension, desire an nerves immediately from Gemma and Ben..

Then the bones of the story start fallinfg into place. Gemma's annoying boyfriend cannot go to a family wedding in romantic Italy. Fate sets in and Ben just happens to be at the airport when Gemma is boarding her flight. Decisions are made and a fake relationship pursues.

I do not want to spoil anything more. Once Ben and Gemma start their fake relationship.. OMG!

This was an enjoyable, quick and easy read. I liked this more than I thought I would. Recommended.

Thanks to Kate Mathieson, Netgalley, and Harper Collins UK 1 More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collin’s UK for allowing me to read an ARC of The Wedding Date Disaster by Katie Mathieson.

When Gemma is invited to her sisters wedding in Italy, she knows she will require backup when faced with her family, unfortunately that backup refuses to come in the form of her boyfriends, whose ultra goal focused mind can’t tear himself away from his job and….cleaning the bathroom ceiling….to go with his girlfriend to her dream location when she desperately needs backup. So what do you do when your boyfriend won’t come (and you’re convincing yourself that thats totally okay) and you can’t find anyone else….you think about hiring someone of course. And when you put your friend in charge and it just happens to be your work nemesis…well you can’t say it will be boring.

If you love The Wedding Date (movie or book), The Spanish Love Deception, and The Hating Game, you’ll enjoy this fun read! Fake

A perfect blend of The Spanish Love Deception
and The Hating Game, this book was an absolute delight! It featured some of my favorite romance tropes fake dating, holiday romance, workplace romance, and enemies to lovers—all wrapped up in a fun and engaging story. With laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt emotions, and two irresistibly lovable main characters, it had everything I look for in a great romance. This was my first read from this author, but it certainly won’t be my last!

i honestly had so many issues while reading this book- the main ones stemming from the main characters. gemma was a punching bag for her family and i barely saw any change over the course of the book, and while i get that it’s a romance book the fact that she was with ben while she has a bf is not cool. ben was just rude and so abrasive and it was lackluster as a MMC.

all opinions and reviews are my own - arc provided by netgalley and publisher for my honest opinion.

A fantastic enemies to lovers workplace romance! I'll admit, I was thrown off by the MMC (the weasel), but as the relationship between Gemma and Ben grew, you could really feel the blossoming love and respect. Gemma's family dynamics were off the chart crazy - which added to the hilarity - but there were also times I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her silly for being such a doormat. If you're a fan of the Debra Messing movie The Wedding Date, you'll love this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/4

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.

I wanted to like this book. In a way I liked this book. I had to keep pushing myself to read it as far as I did, but I couldn’t finish. I DNF’d at 48%. There was nothing that caught my attention and nothing to keep me going. I found it boring. The way the dialogue was written was strange to me, and the book still needed some edits.

I still rated it a 2/5 star for the potential it could have had.

this.. wasn’t my favorite read. i had high hopes for it considering i was drawn in by the description but i was unfortunately let down.

i really disliked the MMC from the start and it really didn’t change all throughout the book. he was rude and kinda sexist and awful. the FMC wasn’t too much better, but a lot more enjoyable than Ben. i didn’t feel much chemistry between the two of them and kinda felt bad for Gemma for a majority of the book.

thank you netgalley + harpercollinsuk for the arc!

This book was a hilarious enemies to lovers with the perfect happy ending. these two characters had so much chemistry and laughter, it made me giggle.

this story was more based on the female character and her growth, but still included a fair amount on their relationship. it wasn’t like a classic romance and kept the spice off the page which i appreciated. it was a serious slow burn, yet the tension and yearning was so addictive.

Ben is so caring and sweet, and still loved Gemma despite their ridiculous miscommunication and hilarious hatred. These two at the start were so disgusted by each other it was actually so shocking to see them turn into such a happy couple.

The Italian setting was absolutely gorgeous, i wish to be transported into a cozy summer village sipping wine and lounging in the sun (preferably with out a bridezilla screaming at me) i loved the destination wedding scene

This is an amazing fake dating, enemies to lovers, summer rom com, you must read!

This book is fantastic. I absolutely loved it. It is full of fun and laughter. with the added romance. Loved the main character. Such an easy read.

When we first meet Gemma she lets just about everyone walk all over her, she takes on every task given to her, even if she doesn’t have the time, and over all she’s just a ‘pushover’. Gemma needed someone to help her find a way to express herself and stand up for herself and she found that in Ben. Even if he really got on her nerves at first and seemingly was one of those people that kind of walked all over her, he stepped in when she needed him the most and really helped Gemma out of her shell.

The book progressively got better and better, but the one thing I really couldn’t love about the book is falling for someone else when you already have a boyfriend. Other than that, this book was great! I would recommend it for a fun read and maybe even to a group a friends for a book club!

“The Wedding Date Disaster” was such a fun read! I found myself giggling at several moments, and I loved watching Gemma’s growth throughout the story—it was truly empowering. There are other book references sprinkled throughout were a great touch and made the book even more enjoyable!

The story turned out okay but the first 50% of the book was a bit underwhelming. I guess it's an enemies to lovers except the male lead was never a true enemy. She just didn't give him a chance.

I did not find the female main character, Gemma, likable at all. The male lead is what kept me reading. The story picked up at the halfway point and ended up having a pretty solid conclusion. This was not a light, fun rom-com this was a girl heavily influenced by her terrible family who was not self aware enough to recognize that someone was being obviously kind to her. A book focused more on Ben getting Gemma's attention and focusing on her book would've been a good read.

Female lead: Gemma - pretty annoying character
Male lead: Ben - pleasant but odd dominance emerging at the end that wasn't present throughout the other 95%
Gemma's family sucks. They're all horrible.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 netgalley & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.