I am loving all these light hearted cutesy books that make me feel like I’m in high school again and reading about love the first time.

Gemma Evans is a hard working editor at Peacock Press, who has just been passed over for a promotion over her work nemesis, Ben McDonald. To top it all off, her sister, Lulu, is getting married at a luxurious villa in Italy and her long-term, very practical partner, Adam, decides not to join Gemma at the wedding as he's trying to prepare for his new job. Gemma enlists her friend to help her find a fake date for the wedding who could stand in as Adam to avoid further disdain from her family. Gemma is beside herself when none other than Ben shows up to be her +1.

The Wedding Date Disaster has fake dating, family strife, and workplace rivalry, all while Gemma works to transform herself from an emotional doormat into a self-assured whole person.

I had some challenges with the book at the beginning where there was an intense focus on the designer clothing that was going on at Peacock Press, which felt a bit out of place, but I think was there to show Gemma's general discomfort and feeling like she didn't fit in. However, I really had some challenges with the events with Lulu and some of the tasks and ways Lulu and Gemma's family treated her were just excruciating. It made the resolution at the end feel too quick for a lifetime of being put last in everyone's eyes.

I did appreciate seeing Ben pull Gemma out of her shell and the enemies to lovers romance absolutely sucked me in. However, there are some HP references in there that I really wish had been replaced by something else just given how JK has fully tainted that franchise.

Overall, this is a fun, quick book with a lovely romance element, but some challenges meant it wasn't quite a home run for me. Thank you so much to HarperCollins One More Chapter and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Oh this book could’ve been so good. It could’ve been an about a girl learning to have a backbone and a fake-dating situation that helped her do so. It had such great potential. Sadly, this book was majority dialogue with the female main character getting kinda bullied by her family. The backbone eventually came, but not until around 80-90% of the way through. I would’ve been able to overlook that, but I couldn’t overlook the cheating that happened the entire book. I think emotional cheating is a thing, and this book had that heavily incorporated (along with a kiss that then made her feel like she was actually cheating). This isn’t a terrible story by any means, and if you’re looking for an easy read with banter and a humor filled fake-dating relationship, then this is a good one to pick up. Just avoid if cheating or bad relationships with family members bother you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Absolutely brilliant book!
I am a big fan of this author and love the writing style!
I cant wait to read more!

I really needed Gemma to have a backbone because she definitely did not have one. This book was a confusing one on whether i liked it or not. I didn't like how judgmental gemma was towards everyone and just not a very likable character. ALSO she had a BOYFRIEND and she still kissed another guy twice???? wild to me. Gemma shouldv'e either broken up with her boyfriend or just control yourself and dont cheat on your partner?? It was interesting and i don't know if im the biggest fan.

This was a great read! I loved the Italian setting and the banter between the characters was fantastic.

You can't help but feel sorry for Gemma. She tries so hard to please every one, but it never quite works for her. I loved the way this book played out. So many bits to work out. Real feel good vibes.

Well, this book was a miss for me…

One of my issues with this book is that I didn’t like either of the leads. The FMC Gemma was too judgemental and annoying for my liking and the MMC Ben was rather rude. I did not feel the chemistry between them at all either. It also bothered me that they kissed twice while fake dating. I mean Gemma has a BOYFRIEND. He might not be the most attentive partner but that was still so wrong. There were just a few too many inappropriate moments between them that made me uncomfortable because again Gemma is NOT single.

I also went into this book expecting a fun romantic comedy, but the book was a bit depressing. Gemma’s family treats her like crap. They honestly bully her at times and she just takes it. It was hard to read.
Overall, the book had a lot of tropes I typically enjoy, but the execution could have been better.

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

I really enjoyed this book! There’s a beautiful Italian setting and a tension filled enemies to lovers arc! That kiss scene… phew! Hot! I do wish Gemma had more of a backbone but I understand that’s part of her growth and story line. It was overall super fun and romantic!

I came across this one and the comparison with the spanish love deception is what drew me in but i feel like i got lost on the way somehow
And quite honestly i did not like the man character but it was an easy read and think it worth trying it
Thank you so much to the publisher for the arc

Who would have thought that a kissing scene would be so hot! Seriously, I’ve never been so hooked on the will they/wont they kiss (ps they did kiss and it was 🔥🔥)

I loved the banter between Ben and Gemma, the chemistry was there from the get go but Gemma just couldn’t see it. I wanted to shake her at some points and scream at her for being too nice! Ben was the only person she could be her true self with and he stood by her the whole time, truly the best book boyfriend 😍

If your looking for a light enemies to lovers read with a little bit of heat, this one is for you.

This was a quick and easy read. Gemma's emotional turmoil is palpable in the first half of the book. However, I do feel like the final third of the book was a bit flat and storylines were sort of out of control. At times, the payoffs and emotional beats felt unpolished and rushed. Which resulted in character arcs feeling out of place. I really wanted the setting of Italy to thrive and it didn't really pop in this book. Ben and Gemma's journey could've been set up better so I'm giving this 3 stars.

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

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a good book!! This one had me hooked from page one! I could t put it down. I loved the writing style of this book. I lived the characters and they had great chemistry.

It's The Spanish Love Deception, but set in Italy, and with the emotional depth and compulsive readability (and Australian authorship) of The Hating Game. If you like enemies-to-lovers romance and women's fiction starring bookish, people-pleasing protagonists who learn to tell their truth and demand their due, you'll love The Wedding Date Disaster.

If you’re obsessed with enemies to lovers, fake dating, and a swoony destination romance set against the gorgeous backdrop of Italy, then The Wedding Date Disaster by Kate Mathieson is your next read.

Picture this: Gemma Evans is on the edge of her dream career… until her work nemesis, Ben McDonald, swoops in and snatches the promotion. As if that isn’t enough, she’s got a family wedding in Italy to survive—alone—until a blind date “rescues” her... except the blind date turns out to be BEN.

🖤 What’s inside?

🔥 Enemies to lovers tension (and oh boy, the banter!)
🕶️ Fake dating shenanigans that spiral out of control in the BEST way
🌍 Italy vibes for days—romantic, dreamy, and absolutely wanderlust
😈 A hero who’s equal parts infuriating and irresistible
💥 Spice, laughs, and family drama that keeps you turning pages

It’s giving The Spanish Love Deception meets Book Lovers, with a dash of The Love Hypothesis charm. Gemma and Ben’s chemistry is chef’s kiss 🔥, the character growth is spot on, and you’ll fall for every moment of their tension-filled, swoon-worthy journey.

✨ If you love fake dating, snarky workplace dynamics, and romance that feels like a warm hug with a touch of spice, this book is for you. Go grab The Wedding Date Disaster and thank me later! 🖤

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Mathieson, and HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to One More Chapter for the Arc on NetGalley. Gemma thought she had The One, but now her Plus One is making her realise there’s more to life than just ‘good enough’…

Gemma Evans goes from being on the brink of everything she’s ever dreamed of, to the brink of a nervous breakdown when she’s passed over for a promotion and forced to watch her work nemesis, Ben McDonald, become the new Chief Editor at Peacock Press.

To add insult to injury, she’s got to attend a family wedding in Italy and her boyfriend can’t make it. No way is Gemma showing up alone so she asks a friend to help her secure a ‘date’. But Gemma’s blind date turns out to be her worst nightmare…

Ben is the last person Gemma wants to have to rely on but it’s too late to turn back now and as the wedding weekend unfolds, she’s surprised to realise he’s human after all and, dare she say it, a really nice guy? A really nice guy she’s suddenly developing very real feelings for…


Overall I enjoyed the book it was an entertaining read. The family did annoy me I wanted to smack all of them. The main character Gemma was slightly annoying in the beginning. But the story did get better and I did start to like her mid way through the book. I enjoyed Ben and getting to know him better. If you love enemies to lovers, family drama, destination romance, fake dating. I think this would be a great book for you

Such a cute book! Enemies to lovers, fake dating, all the things that I love!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Gemma needs a date for her family wedding in Italy. She asks a friend to help her find a blind date except it turns out to be her work nemesis Ben. They surprisingly like each other after spending time time together...

Gemma really needs Ben's help so badly. She's a pushover and is treated so badly by her own family... I like how Ben helps her... A fun romance with depth.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Gemma hates Ben. He has just gotten the promotion she was going for and she feels like she can't catch a break. Everytime she sees his smug face she wants to punch him. To make matters worse, she was just invited to her step sister's wedding across the globe and her boyfriend doesn't want to join her. She needs a date because.. family.. and so she entrusts her friend to find her a stand in.
When she gets to the airport to find, none other than Ben, waiting for her as her date, things go from bad to worse. How will she survive this week with him and is he really as bad as she thinks.
I loved Ben, I loved him from the start. Even if the book was written from Gemma's POV, you could feel how much Ben just wanted to be there for Gemma and it was sweet. Gemma's relationship with her boyfriend back home annoyed me and anyone could see that wasn't going to last and that she had to embrace what was right in front of her. Everything she has ever wanted, and more.
I feel like this book was very similar to another workplace romance we all know and love. There were elements that were different, but at it's core it was pretty close. I feel like the way it was written wasn't what I was used to and I think that it was just the author wasn't from the United States so that is not going to affect my review. 3.5 stars rounded up because Ben gave me all the butterflies at the end.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK, Netgalley and Kate Mathieson for an early copy.

When book editor Gemma’s boyfriend Adam refuses to attend her younger half-sister’s wedding in Italy, her friend finds her a stand-in Adam. To her horror its her workplace nemesis Ben, the golden boy who got the chief editor promotion over her.

This was such a fun book that I breezed right through it. Gemma is a massive people pleaser who can’t say no to people taking advantage of her. The only person she has no trouble with asserting herself with is Ben, who irked her when he first arrived at their company. Ben was such a sweetheart and its clear liked her from the beginning, but she was too blinded to see that every time she thought he was riling her up, he was being supportive. It’s frustrating to watch Gemma let her family and colleagues steamroll over her repeatedly and in some respects, I wish this was resolved just a bit earlier as the ending felt a bit rushed. I normally don’t need an epilogue but in this instance it would’ve been great to see how cured Gemma was from her people pleasing into the future.

Thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to future books from this author.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC.