Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really enjoyable if you can let go of the ridiculous premise and how close the plot and tropes are to a couple modern classics. That sounds snarky, but I truly don’t mean it to be. I enjoyed the hell out of this book and finished it in about a day and a half. I happen to LOVE The Hating Game and The Spanish Love Deception so the fact that this was this authors close approximation really didn’t
bother me.

I will say that I almost ditched this after the first 10-15 pages because the idea that people in publishing would be so in to their clothes, money, and status just seemed bonkers

Whilst I enjoyed this book, I read it really quickly.
I felt like the book itself was rushed; I didn't feel the characters were in depth enough.
It was similar but not as good as the hating game, enemies to lovers work vibe.

This book was a fantastic read! If you're a fan of romance, comedy, and a touch of drama, then this is literally the next novel you need to pick up. I found myself completely engrossed, reading it in one sitting. It was both fun and easy to read, making the experience delightful from start to finish.

I loved this. It was a very fun and quick read. I think I read it in one sitting. Without giving much away just know if you are a fan of weddings this would be a fun book you would like.

The Wedding Date Disaster by Kate Mathieson is the perfect mix of romance, humor, and a bit of drama, with a refreshing twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope. Gemma Evans, the protagonist, is a relatable character, thrown into a whirlwind of emotions after losing a coveted promotion to her workplace nemesis, Ben McDonald. The fact that she has to attend a family wedding in Italy alone, with her blind date turning out to be none other than Ben himself, makes for an explosive combination of tension, awkwardness, and undeniable chemistry.

I absolutely loved watching the dynamic between Gemma and Ben unfold. Initially, it’s hard not to root for Gemma—she’s been wronged, and Ben seems like the last person she'd ever want to rely on. But as the story progresses, you see a deeper side of Ben that is truly heartwarming. He’s not just the office rival anymore, but a genuinely caring person who goes out of his way to support Gemma, both emotionally and practically. His efforts to show her kindness and help her navigate the wedding debacle had me swooning. Ben's sweetness, mixed with his vulnerable moments, made him such an easy character to fall for.

The fake dating aspect of the plot adds so much fun and tension, especially with the beautiful Italian setting that serves as the backdrop for their evolving relationship. The destination romance element really elevates the story—Italy feels like another character in itself, adding warmth and magic to the entire situation. There’s also a perfect blend of workplace drama and family dynamics, which keeps the story grounded while Gemma and Ben’s romance blossoms in unexpected ways.

Gemma’s self-awareness journey throughout the book is also so satisfying. Watching her navigate her emotions, reflect on her choices, and eventually stand up for herself was such a rewarding part of the story. It makes the romantic payoff feel even more fulfilling.

Overall, The Wedding Date Disaster is a delightful read full of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy moments. If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and a good dose of romance with a twist of personal growth, this book is definitely for you. Ben will definitely steal your heart, just like he did mine!

This was such a fun read. It's enemies to lovers and fake dating which are two of my favourite tropes. It's also a slow burn aswell.

It's such a fun book and I loved the banter between Ben and Gemma.

This is the first book I've read from Kate and I'll definitely be reading more of her books in the future

Omg this!!!! Sooo goood . Enjoyed so much . This was definitely a fun book. It was hilarious in so manny sections. Definitely it has its moments where I wanted to shook the FMC Gemma down to her bones. But overall enjoyed a lot. Definitely one that we need with enemies to lover and fake dating as one of the main draws.

Solid 3 stars.

Gemma is a cute spineless jellyfish who works with arrogant Ben. When she needed a date to her narcissist sister's wedding, her own boyfriend won't go because it wasn't planned in advance. Co-inky-dink, her friend told her nemesis, Ben, about it, and he hopped to it. Pretend to be her stand-in boyfriend, Gemma thought she was set up on a blind date, who knew it'd be her worst nightmare.

As they go thru the wedding activities, predictably they see the true self in each other. Their hard shells softens, and communications grew. Surprise, surprise, they started to feel things for each other.. Their walls slowly comes down, and they slowly realized their feelings for each other.

Things I hate: the details on the first 1/4 of the book is too much, I know the author is trying to build the tension, but it took me 4 tries to get thru it. I hung on because I believe the end will be good. Another thing, the parents dynamic is as screwed up as can be, and for them to neglect a little girl and have her burden all the grownups feelings, that's another f-ed up. Also, yeah we get it, you want us to hate the half sister, she's a horrible bridezilla and her friends are bitches. No need to go to such depths, there are certain parts that were cringy as Gemma gone thru from being butt of jokes, to doing demeaning tasks, being talked down to, and being on gold-fish duty away from the true wedding party. That's just a tad much.

Now, things are not all bad, the way Gemma realized how her real boyfriend hadn't fought for her, how she realized 'radical honesty' can actually help her not be a doormat, and eventually realized she deserves better. Those moments made me smile.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for this ARC

I receivd this arc for providing an honest review for the book.
Gemma, an expat British in Australia doesnt like Ben and is having a hard time at work ever since he joined. To make matters worse, he is going to accompany her as her plus one to her favorite place, Italy. She is not lookig forward to this. This was such a fun and joyful book and i loved the editorial banter between Gemma and Ben and the growth the story sees in each of them. Kate Mathieson is an atuobuy for me now.

Absolutely loved this book. A slow burner but makes you want to read more. Gemma and Ben are such good characters. Loved every minute of this book. And I have never been to Italy but makes me want to go...

3/5 ⭐️
Loved the drama! Always enjoy a good enemies to lovers and some fake dating sprinkled in there.

this was a cute read and i enjoyed this and the rom-com was enjoyable. the book gives off feelings of the hating game and the Spanish love deception and it does a great job at the fake dating trope which is a fav trope of mine. The book has some great funny and heartfelt moments and i just fell in love with the two main characters

The Wedding Date Disaster sounded like it had everything I need in a romance novel.

• Enemies-to-lovers
• Fake dating
• Destination romance
• Workplace
• Family dramas

But this one wasn't my favorite. I didn't find either of the main characters to be likeable and the story just moved too slowly for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Wedding Date Disaster by Kate Mathiesoon

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

Things I enjoyed: the fake dating, enemies to lovers, and vacation romance. The scenario was cute, and I enjoyed the storyline

Things I did not enjoy: either main characters- Gemma was annoying and let everyone walk all over her, but not in an endearing "I want everyone to he happy way" But in a letting people take advantage of her way. Ben was too much of a jerk for way too long. Also, the chemistry was off, so instead of feeling swoony as the enemies became lovers, I just questioned why they were suddenly changing their minds.

I enjoyed this light hearted rom-rom set at a wedding in Italy, but it had some frustrating character dynamics. The story follows Gemma, who thinks that she is getting a long awaited promotion, only to have it stolen by Ben, her work enemy she’s nicknames ‘Weasel’. To get away from the disappointment she jets off to Italy for her sisters wedding, but when her boyfriend Adam bails on the trip she enlists her work bestie to set her up with a blind date to fill in as Adam. When the fill in turns out to be Ben, her heart sinks but she’s determined to keep up her pretence of everything being fine as well as make sure that the wedding goes well, helping with last minute demands from her sister whilst playing peacemaker with the family. The Italian backdrop and wedding chaos make an entertaining premise, and there were some great moments of banter and relationship building between Gemma and Ben. However the character development took a long time to land and the romance didn’t feel believable until the final third of the book.

I have to admit that I found the first part of the book hard to get through. The enemies-to-lovers setup relied on making Ben come across as arrogant, misogynistic and belittling. While I appreciated that the author really committed to creating a true enemies to lovers dynamics, something that I have found lacking in other books where it’s just been surface level misunderstandings, it was difficult to stick with a book where the main female character was a complete doormat, whilst the men around her, especially Ben the MMC, constantly talked down to her and treated her as a skivvy. As a feminist I was screaming at her to finally stand up for herself but it was a long time coming. The growth at the end of the book improves the relationship dynamic of Ben and Gemma, and Gemma with her family which felt needed, but it was a frustrating journey to go on with her. As I was reading I felt like some of the character interaction reminded me of books I would read in the 90s, or early 00’s rom-coms where women, which made the book feel a little dated at times.

On the whole the book was an enjoyable read, with a satisfying conclusion, if you enjoy enemies-to-lovers romance this might be worth picking up, sadly it didn’t quite stand out for me.

I liked this, although I didnt love it. It didnt fully click with me. I will read more from this author though.

This was such a fun read!

The tension, the banter, the snarky replies. I laughed out loud through most of this book!

I loved the main characters, all of the side characters played their roles in the story so well, + I feel like everyone ended the book better than they were when it started.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my advance copy!

Gemma is a people-pleaser in all aspects of her work and life, especially with her family. Family drama defined her early years and shaped the woman she became. Ben is ambitious and successful but seems superficial and uncaring, especially from Gemma's perspective. Gemma's relationship seems perfect, but she wonders if it is when her boyfriend won't accompany her to a glamorous family wedding in Italy. She needs a blind date, and when she meets him, her world implodes. This story's perfectly pitched romantic comedy aspect, with its unlikely slow-burn romance and witty dialogue, makes this an engaging read. I like Gemma's character development, the gradual emotional attachment between the couple, and the gentle romance and humorous conversations.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for providing the ARC.

This book was, unfortunately, all over the place. I feel like all of Gemma's issues could have been solved if anyone had just taken the time to talk to her and explain what was going on. Instead what you get is a thrown together story about a people pleasing woman who can't think of her own happiness, and the guy that manipulates her into doing what he wants her to do.

This book was not my favorite and I wish it had more substance to it than what it actually did. All of it seemed very disjointed and so shady, when it never had to be that. Not really excited about this one.

2.5-ish rounded up.

This book had some potential but I found myself not as engaged. I think I was somewhat excited for the last 20% of the book when there was actual dialogue and some chemistry happening between the MC's, Gemma and Ben.

The tropes were there but the story fell flat, the FMC, Gemma was not very lively and the MMC, Ben began to have some character after stepping up and taking care of Gemma when she was sick with a 24-hour bug.



Thanks NetGalley for a copy of an e-arc in return for a review.