This was a really well done romance novel, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed the overall concept. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed the storyline being told. Kate Mathieson wrote this perfectly and enjoyed the overall package in this novel.

The Wedding Date Disaster by Kate Mathieson is a delightful romantic comedy that delivers on all fronts. This charming novel follows the story of Gemma, our protagonist, as she navigates the treacherous waters of a wedding date gone awry.
Mathieson excels in crafting vibrant, relatable characters that leap off the page. Gemma's journey throughout the book is particularly noteworthy, showcasing significant personal growth that feels both authentic and satisfying. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, adding depth and richness to the narrative.
The author's writing style is a true highlight, effortlessly blending humor with heartfelt moments. The banter between characters is particularly enjoyable, sparking with wit and charm. The pacing is brisk, making for an engaging, page-turning experience that keeps readers thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
Mathieson masterfully builds tension between the main characters. The chemistry is palpable, with the air practically crackling during their interactions. This approach allows for a more nuanced exploration of the developing relationship, focusing on emotional connection and compatibility.
With its perfect blend of humor, character development, and romantic tension, "The Wedding Date Disaster" is a standout in the romantic comedy genre. Mathieson's skillful storytelling and engaging prose make this a highly recommended read for fans of contemporary romance.
Rating: 4.75/5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Kicking off 2025 with a bang, I've just finished my first five-star read of the year!

The Wedding Date Disaster by Kate R. Mathieson is a laugh out loud romantic comedy that follows Gemma, a pathological people-pleaser who’s always felt like the outcast of her family. Born in the UK but now living in Australia, Gemma works as an editor for a major publishing company and is on the verge of securing a big promotion. Enter Ben, the charming new guy who becomes her arch-nemesis and swoops in and takes the coveted Chief Editor role. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Gemma’s sister is getting married in Italy, her dream destination, but her boyfriend couldn’t care less about going. To avoid facing her family alone and looking like a failure, Gemma enlists the help of a friend to find a fake boyfriend for the wedding. Enter Ben, who secretly volunteers for the role, and Gemma has no choice but to present him as her real boyfriend, Adam.

There’s nothing I love more than a fake dating, enemies-to-lovers story, and The Wedding Date Disaster hit every note perfectly. From the witty banter to the electric chemistry between Gemma and Ben, I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout. I absolutely adored their journey from rivalry to romance, and the pacing was spot-on. Often in these kinds of books, the enemies dynamic fizzles out too quickly, or the fake dating aspect feels rushed, but this book took its time to develop both, making the story feel authentic and satisfying.

I couldn’t put this one down! Ben and Gemma’s evolving relationship had me eagerly flying through the pages, rooting for them every step of the way. The book balances humor, heart, and the occasional swoon-worthy moment with ease. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a feel-good rom-com with plenty of tension, sweet moments, and a dash of hilarity. This one is definitely going on my must recommend list!

Cute, light-hearted fake dating romance. Lovely book, not too challenging, perfect for a day by the pool.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, so Let’s get into it!

Gemma Evans has been working at Peacock Publishing in Sydney, Australia for years. One day, Benjamin McDonald walks in, and everyone swoons, except for Gemma. In 4 months, Ben has stolen her promotion and has been snarky to Gemma at every interaction.

Gemma is British, and her half sister (lots of family drama to unpack there!!) is getting married. Lulu Evans is a model for Vogue, and a crazy bridezilla. Lulu requires Gemma to bring her boyfriend, Adam, to Tuscany, Italy, where the wedding is, but Adam can’t make it. One blind set-up date turns into Ben being the Adam Stand-in for 4 days.

Through the festivities, Gemma’s hatred turns into something other, and secrets are revealed, nicknames are exchanged, characters are developed, and alcohol is downed. Dot. dot. dot. you can fill in the rest on January 30th, 2025, when this book is released.

Tropes:
1. Fake dating
2. Enemies to Lovers
3. Destination Romance
4. Workplace drama
5. Family Drama
6. Self-awareness

Similar Books:
1. The Hating Game
2. The Spanish Love Deception

Likes:
-I was KICKING MY FEET on most of these scenes
-I love the Aussie references, I just spent 5 months living there and hearing about the Ivy and toasties brought me back
-The nicknames are used exceptionally well. Not overdone, relatable, and used hilariously.
-The family drama is an incredible side plot and I need a spin off into Lulu and Chip
-The SPA SCENE

Dislikes:
-Gemma basically cheats on the real Adam in this book, which feels childish and unwarranted
-The Spice is actually YA-NA, definitely not dirty romance or even what I would consider smut, At most I would label it 1-1.5 spices on the 0-5 scale.

OVERALL:
A fantastic 5 star read and I am so grateful to get the chance to review exceptional ARCs like this!

What happens when your enemy gets the job over you and SURPRISE you need a last minute date to your sister’s wedding? A feisty enemies to lovers rom-com of course! Sign me up! I also didn’t expect to get as emotional as I did. I teared up a few times throughout this read! Gemma’s family treats her like an afterthought but Ben has always seen her. And when you realize (spoiler alert) that he fell first you will absolutely swoon! I also love how we got to see Gemma grow into her confidence and stand up for herself. While the spice was minimal it gave just the right amount. Overall a fantastic read!!

Let me start off by saying that i think the cover is beautiful. The cover and the description really caught my attention! Fake dating trope!? hello sign me up. The beginning of the book was good I loved how it was going, but once we got to the plot of the book it felt rushed and i didn’t feel a connection between the two. unfortunately it felt a little childish to me, it wasn’t angsty enough for someone who had a boyfriend and battling between her feelings.

thank you netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the advanced copy in turn for an honest review!

This is an enjoyable and fun romance - and a quick read.

When Gemma is passed over for a promotion, in favour of her work nemesis Ben, she thinks things can't get worse. However, she's then invited - at short notice- to a four day wedding in Italy alongside her judgemental family. And her boring boyfriend can't/won't go with her. So, Gemma's friend Ruby organises a 'faux partner' for Gemma to take to the wedding.

And what Gemma doesn't expect is the sparks that fly between her and her date.

There are quite a few tropes in this but they work well for the story.

💒 A 'blind date'
🔥 Boring boyfriend vs sizzling romance
💐 Fake dating
💖 Enemies to lovers
🌴 Holiday romance/idyllic setting
🎭 Family drama
🫂 Forced proximity
💻 Workplace drama & romance

This was an easy read and whilst the ending and the romance plot was predictable, it was still enjoyable. The chemistry and anticipation is great.

Where I did struggle is I didnt love the MC and it took me quite a while to even like her. She has no backbone and she's quite negative/self deprecating and dramatic which to some extent makes her an unreliable narrator. I like flawed characters but redeeming qualities were a little lacking in the beginning. But as the story went on and we see character development I did warm to her.

This book has an erotica tag but it was minimally spicy.

Thanks to Net Gallery and Harper Collins UK for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley, Kate Mathieson, and Harper Collins UK - One More Chapter, for the chance to read this ARC of The Wedding Date Disaster in exchange for my honest review!

Meet Gemma, a people-pleasing book editor, who has just been invited to her half-sister’s dream Italian wedding. Gemma’s boyfriend, Adam (who really reminded me of Patrick, Louisa’s boyfriend in Me Before You), declines to attend as her plus one. Gemma can’t face her family alone, so enter Ben, her business colleague / sworn mortal enemy who ends up as her “fake date” at the wedding 💒🛵🇮🇹📚

This book was an easy, feel good romance read. I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope and being set in Italy, I was very excited to pick this book up! I really liked the premise of book, but the characters weren’t all there for me. The FMC, Gemma, is a self-described doormat with a robot boyfriend and I found her unlikeable for the first half of the book (mostly due to my frustrations with her being walked ALL over by her family). On the other hand, the MMC, Ben, really was painted out to be a jerk for the first few chapters however he really pulled through with the banter and genuine care for Gemma - I wish we got more of his backstory. I didn’t feel any of the chemistry between these two characters until just before the end, when all the characters did a complete flip on their first half personalities.

TROPES:

-Enemies-to-lovers

-Fake dating

-Destination romance

-Workplace drama 

-Family relationships


Bottom line: I enjoyed reading this, even though I didn’t love the FMC, the MMC made up for it. A solid 4 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited to read this book after seeing the fake dating and enemies to lovers tropes—two of my all-time favorites. Gemma is an editor who has been working tirelessly for a promotion, only to be passed over. To make things worse, Ben, one of her rivals at work, gets promoted to Chief Editor and never misses a chance to pick at her.

Gemma and Adam have been dating for a while, and they share a content and trusting relationship. When she receives an invite to her sister’s wedding in Italy—her dream destination—Adam tells her he can’t go due to his new job. Not wanting to show up alone, Gemma decides to hire a fake boyfriend. Her coworker finds someone to help, but when Ben shows up at the airport instead, she is stunned.

Their banter and constant bickering made their characters and relationship feel so believable. Ben’s persistence in pushing Gemma to stand up for herself won me over, and when he stepped up to the plate for her, my heart melted. As their friendship deepened, I couldn’t wait to see how things would unfold. The sweet twist at the end really got me!

If you’re looking for a romcom about two book editors who hate each other but fake date for a destination wedding, I can’t recommend this book enough.

Thank you, NetGalley, Kate Mathieson, and Harper Collins UK - One More Chapter, for the chance to read this ARC of The Wedding Date Disaster.

This book has me hooked from page 1. I finished this book in a day and found myself saying time and time again just one more chapter! I loved Gemma and am so glad she was able to find her voice by the end of the book. Ben was a great well developed character and I loved him! All in all, I can’t wait to read more from this author. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and I can’t wait to buy a copy when it comes out.

Gemma is passed over for a promotion at work , she has to attend a family wedding and needs a date. she arranges a blind date only to realize he is the one that got the promotion. cute. story

So this book was fine. I liked the premise of it, but the characters really fell flat for me. The FMC is a doormat with a robot boyfriend and the MMC is kind of a jerk disguised as "radically honest". I didn't really understand the chemistry between the two, and no one really grew as a person until the very end when people just started doing complete 180s and it was like whiplash. There are also HP/JKR references in this book, which I didn't love. Overall it was a fine romcom, but it didn't really stand out for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Grace Edwards from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Kate Mathieson for the early copy of The Wedding Date Disaster.

The Wedding Date Disaster tells the story of Gemma, who after losing out on a job she has been fighting for to her work nemesis, learns her little sister is getting married in her dream destination, and that her boyfriend isn’t able to join. Not being able to face her family alone after already agreeing to her plus one, sets out to find a stand in. But, when bad goes to worse and her work nemesis is the one joining her as her guest, Gemma needs to figure out how to work with him. With great tension, witty banter, and outrageous situations, The Wedding Date Disaster is hard to put down.

If you are a fan of:
Enemies-to-lovers
Fake dating
Destination romance
Workplace drama
Family relationships
This is the book for you!

This was a really cute fake dating romance. The story was really fun to read and the main couple was so cute together!

I liked how this book reflected a real life false reality, where you think someone is really a jerk but in reality they are really a great guy. The main character couldn't get past that initial dislike, yet he found a way to show her she is worth being loved. I would have loved to see the book go on a little longer even to expand a little further on the romance. Felt a little cut off at the knees. There should have been a little more about them getting to know each other more about what life was like when they returned. This would have rounded out the story better.

I thought the premise of this book was really cute and I did really love the tropes, however I felt that this booked needed additional polishing.

I loved the Italian wedding setting and that the book was set in Australia and I did think the banter was well done but for me I felt I wanted more of their relationship so I felt more invested.

Personally I just found I could not connect with the main characters and I didn’t feel invested in their romance mostly because of the circumstances of their arrangement didn’t really speak to me as a reader.

I thought this was a cute and easy read but needed more for it to stand out to me and so I could rate it higher

I absolutely loved this book! It was so sweet and funny! After the first 30pages I was hooks and couldn’t put it down! I loved the banter between the main characters and the building tension! Will definitely be recommending! I really enjoyed the way the MMC helped the FMC find her voice! So touching!

Firstly, thanks to Net Gallery and Harper Collins UK for this ARC with an exchange of my honestly review.

(There are a few spelling mistakes throughout the book)


Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 1/5


I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected! It was just a cute read and a perfect way to start the year. Gemma took a while to grow on me as I feel like she's such a doormat and keeps saying yes to everyone and I honestly hated Adam and I did not understand one bit why they were dating at all. I absolutely HATED Gemma's family. They were horrible people and I do not feel like they even deserve any attention from Gemma. Gemma does everything for them but they just order her around like she's their maid. Her entire family is so messed up I just feel like Gemma should just leave.

The chemistry between Gem and Ben is amazing. I actually love Ben so much. He's so caring and he has some amazing banter with her. I wish I knew more of his background story and know more what Ben was thinking a lot of the times but it's a single POV so understandable.

In general this book was good. It was nice and cute and it's hard to stop finishing the book! Watching the relationship between the characters grow and even watching Gem grow as a person is lovely to watch.


✔️ fake dating
✔️ Italy romance
✔️ enemies to lovers

📖🤒🧀🚙🇮🇹

This is a delightful romantic comedy that centers around two characters with undeniable chemistry and humor. The story follows Olivia and Will, who find themselves pretending to be a couple at a family wedding. What starts as a ruse to avoid awkward questions soon turns into a series of hilarious and heartwarming moments. The banter between the protagonists is witty and entertaining, making their journey from fake relationship to real feelings all the more enjoyable.

Kate Mathieson's writing style is engaging, with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps readers hooked. The blend of romance and comedy is well-balanced, making it a perfect read for those who enjoy lighthearted love stories with a touch of humor. The supporting characters add depth to the story, making it a well-rounded and entertaining read. This is a fun and charming book that will leave readers smiling and rooting for the main characters. If you enjoy romantic comedies with a mix of humor and heart, this book is definitely worth a read!