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!

1.5 Stars

This book was an absolute miss for me. While the synopsis was intriguing, the execution left much to be desired.

Gemma, the FMC, was a frustrating lead and a doormat who allowed herself to be belittled and controlled by her family. My goodness she annoying the crap out of me. Her lack of assertiveness made it hard to root for her. Ben, the MMC. on the other hand, was barely likable. Their relationship lacked chemistry, and their interactions felt forced and uninspired.

Spoiler alert: There was cheating. Yes, kissing someone who isn’t your partner is cheating, no matter how it’s framed. This element was a dealbreaker for me and completely derailed whatever remaining investment I had in their romance.

The book had several tropes I typically enjoy, but they were mishandled, failing to make the story enjoyable. Once I saw it being marketed to fans of The Spanish Love Deception and The Love Hypothesis, I should have known it wasn’t for me. Lesson learned.

If you’re drawn to the tropes and don’t mind some questionable character decisions, you might enjoy this. But if you’re looking for well-developed characters and a believable romance, you may want to skip it.

Thanks to HarperCollinsUK for allowing me access to the ARC of this book via NetGalley!

4⭐ did I just consume this ARC in one day? Yes, yes I did. Overall I loved the story, and I think it could very well be a 5 star book, but the ARC that I read still had a little more polishing needed, especially some of the typos and sentence errors that left me trying to figure out what the author meant to write in some places. The other thing holding it back was that Ben's enemy phase was written too convincingly and so the journey from enemies to friends was a little hard to believe at first and wasn't entirely convincing right away. And the fact that it took 3 chapters before you realize it's set in Australia, not England, and then by the time you realize that you are being shunted over to Italy, was also a little rough.

But overall it was an excellent read and I look forward to reading more from this new-to-me author.

Thank you to NetGalley and ONE MORE CHAPTER for the ARC copy of The Wedding Date Disaster.

This was a cute, fast-paced read that I tore through in one day. It’s lighthearted and has a HEA at the end.

Things I liked about this story:

- The MMC was a total Golden Retriever and would do anything for the FMC
- I love a good workplace enemies-to-lovers trope with a dash of forced proximity
- A slow burn that doesn’t feel excruciatingly slow and unrewarding

Things I didn’t like about this story:
- It was labelled as a “spicy” story on Net Galley but there really isn’t any spice to this one - I literally waited until the second-to-last chapter and the spiciest moment was when he licks her nipple and then it “fades to black” — I feel like if you’re going to compare this to The Spanish Love Deception, there needs to be a lot more heat!
- Sometimes, things the characters said or did seemed so out of context - this is a short read (at less than 250 pages), so you could have spent more time developing their characters both individually and together (perhaps even some backstory about their relationship at work or a flashback to their first meeting that she forgot yet seemed vital to their relationship)

If you enjoyed The Hating Game, you’ll like this one. It’s less spicy but contains many of the same elements I mean, the FMC even got sick and he took care of her… total HG call back

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ 4.5 STARS! A swoon-worthy workplace romance set in Italy with emotional depth and laugh-out-loud moments!
I LOVE a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and The Wedding Date Disaster is equal parts heartwarming and entertaining! This book for me was The Hating Game banter vibes meets Leap Year plot sincerity!

🩷 Enemies-to-Lovers Tension: Gemma and Ben’s banter is equal parts witty and vicious, keeping the sparks flying.

🧡 Heartfelt Moments: As they navigate Gemma’s crazy family they share surprising moments of tenderness and compassion.

💛 Depth + Mental Health: Gemma is a CHRONIC people-pleaser who has to learn how to set boundaries while Ben’s policy was always 100% honesty even at the risk of being ultra abrasive and a bit of a jerk.

💚 Believable Character Development: I liked both characters, their flaws, and how they helped one another grow. Gemma learns that saying “no” does not in fact cause the world to crash and Ben learns to be more vulnerable and ultimately likable.

🩵 Subplot Goals: I adored Gemma’s dream of becoming an author, and as she navigates finding her voice, her desire to do that on the written page grows.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate R. Mathieson, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins, and One More Chapter for the ARC!!

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and lighthearted read.

I did have some issues with the main character, mostly wanting to tell her to get a backbone and stand up for herself just once. It was a little annoying seeing her get walked over all the time. The biggest issue I had with this book was the "turning point" moment for our two main characters. It was literally ripped from "The Hating Game" with almost no deviations. The only difference is one took place in the apartment bathroom and this one took place in Italy. I was really disappointed when this scene came, because all I could think about was how very, very closely related it was to the "Hating Game" instead of enjoying the scene for what it was.

Overall, the book is cute and sweet. It will make a great one day read!

On paper, this book was written for me and I really enjoyed a good amount of it, however the treatment Gemma accepts from her family felt somewhat unbelievable (coming from an immensely conflict averse person with a slightly toxic family), and the "twist" at the end felt very obvious from the beginning if you've already read The Hating Game (or any other rom com).
I also wasn't a huge fan of the fact that Gemma and Ben kiss, and have some other hugely inappropriate moments while Gemma still has a boyfriend - it would have been much better if they'd split up before, or right at the start of, the Italy trip.

However, I still enjoyed the writing and the general story, and would definitely read more by this author.

This is a light read -young professionals competing at work, relationship tension, a beautiful location.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.