THE GOOD:
An intriguing mystery of three friends' fall out from each other, all placed in the beautiful location of Lake Como. Some seriously lovely descriptions and travel ideas can be gleaned!

THE BAD:
I wish I remembered better. This is what I get for waiting five months to write the review.

CONCLUSION:
Recommended.

We will always have Italy!

This novel takes on a friendship bond that can't be broken, or can it? The three friends met in college and became close friends, regardless of how they were brought up (insert silver spoon/lack of parents/and like ten other emotional baggage items). Ava - the girl who has it all. Maddie - the girl who is struggling to find her place in this world (and her tribe), and Chelsea - the girl that deserved more page time.

This novel had me feeling all the feels, shaking my head, saying no girl just no, and maybe shed a tear or two.

I love how Jennifer writes, and this one was not a disappointment.

If you like books like One Italian Summer, books about friendship/finding your place/ moving on/ and the potential for a HEA, then this is the next read for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my DRC.

This wasn't quite the book I was expecting, but it was still overall an okay read. The female friendship did seem toxic, and while I was cheering on forgiveness, that doesn't seem to always be appropriate.

I walked into this knowing it wasn't the usual romance-centered story but I think I expected a little different than it was. Maddie, Ava and Chelsea made a pact in their 20s to be at each others' weddings regardless of where they're at. Ava's wedding is about to take place in Lake Como and the three estranged friends find themselves where they originally made their pact to one another. The girls are all in very different places in their lives but come together to honour their pact. The girls take this time to try to repair and salvage their relationship damaged so many years ago but does time really heal all wounds? This story has a lot of relatable feelings but the drama and toxicity of their relationship was not something I found too enjoyable.

This book is a mastery of character development. The story featured dual timelines without offsetting the pacing. Jennifer Probst did it again!

What is not to love when the story is about friendship and a bond that seemingly can't be broken. The 3 friends meet in college and become close friends, despite their very different upbringing. Ava lost her mother when she was a child, and her father is from Italy. She has what seems like an endless supply of money. Maddie was raised by both parents, but she was "conceived by accident." Her parents think only of themselves and can't wait for Maddie to grow up and leave home. Chelsea was raised by 2 loving parents, although there isn't much in the entire novel about her family.

If you liked One Italian Summer, you would enjoy this novel as well. This is book 3 in the Meet Me in Italy series. I didn't know this when I read it, but it can be read as a stand-alone book. I'd highly recommend this novel if you enjoy reading about family and friendship.

Thank you to Berkely Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This story of three friends who meet in college and develop such a strong friendship that they know they will be best friends for life. But you know what they say about "the best laid plans..."? As the story opens, the women are not speaking any longer, but the telling of how they began their friendship and what happened to cause such a terrible rift is what unfolds as the story goes on. Some chapters take place present day, and some chapters share their early days in college. All of it leading up to one friend's present day wedding, and eventually finding out what happened to bring such trauma to their friendship.

I found this book to be a fast read and it definitely kept my attention. It takes 3/4 of the book to finally learn what happened to tear them apart so badly, and I think a lot of the book is spent wanting to know. But it's not just about that event, it's sharing themes of strength and resilience and growth. Learning about onself. Understanding our motivations. I think that watching some of the characters grow and change was the best part of the book.

There were some issues with the book. One of the friends was underused and while the three of them were the main characters, I never felt like I really got to know her character well. The focus was definitely on Ava and Madison. Ava felt like the overly aggressive friend who tries to interfere too much, and Madison kept turning a blind eye to it for way too long. That was the only frustrating part. But still, watching both of their growth over time, not to mention the insanely beautiful writing and descriptions of Italy, made this book a winner for me!

Thank you to Berkley and Jennifer Probst for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

LOOK AT THAT COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was a no-brainer when it came to requesting it from Netgalley. I love the chick lit and I love fictional vacations (while I remain firmly planted on my sofa). The story here is about three friends who met in college. Ava was the Regina George, Maddie was Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink and Chelsea completed the trifecta (but was totally undeveloped with no movie character to compare her to). The three made a pact to be in each other’s wedding . . . but that was before a superbadawful thing happened five years ago that splintered their group.

Really the only thing I have to say here is with friends like these who needs enemies? And OF COURSE it took until 73% to reveal what had happened. Nope. Not forgivable.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I've been hit again with the fact of not knowing this book was part of a series lol Luckily this totally read as a standalone. I love female friendship books, but this one felt very toxic to me. Ava can go kick rocks lol I was hoping for more writing about the setting, but I'll take what I can get. The writing was great, I just wasn't a fan of Ava.

I loved this book!! It was such a beautiful tale of girlhood and friendship through the years. I loved all of the imagery with Italy and it definitely made me want to visit soon. :)

Life is beautiful, but messy and it's in the mess that we find ourselves and what matters. I loved seeing Madison, Ava, and Chelsea as young adults, but the loveliness of this novel lies in the truth exposed, the healing, the rebuilding of their friendship, and finding their own strength within. Riggs has a wonderful soul, but is a flawed imperfect human and his growth as a character had me falling a bit in love with him. This book is not what I expected, but what I wanted to read and I really when a story surprises me and creates a special place in my heart as this one did. The audiobook is expertly narrated by Carlotta Brentan and the perfect way to enjoy this contemporary romance of love and friendship.

Jennifer Probst has had my heart since her first book. Her writing is descriptive and makes you page turn quickly. There's a wedding in Italy and it brings 3 best friends back to together. Eva Madison and Chelsea swore they would reunite for each other's weddings but 1 decision make these women stop talking. This wedding might be their last chance To heal.
I love the setting of this 1 And I definitely will be going back to read the 1st 2 in the series. I really like the 3 main characters and thought that they each had qualities that were realistic and worth reading about. I loved the ending and thought the story through out was fast paced and well done.

This book is not for the faint hearted when it comes to friendship drama. This book had some fun twists to go along with the drama of a trio of friends who reunite at Lake Como. Beautiful descriptions of Italy to go with it.

Three friends reunite, bound by a promise from the past, but haunted by betrayals and failures that have eroded their friendship.

Ava, Madison, and Chelsea were inseparable college friends determined to set the world on fire. Ava's life of luxury and wealth opened doors especially for Madison, whose modest lifestyle and parental indifference is a sharp contrast. However when Ava commits the ultimate act of betrayal against Madison, their friendship fissures and the trio of friends splinters and are never quite able to reconnect to their glory days.

However years later when Madison receives an invitation to Ava's wedding in Lake Como-and a reminder of the promise the friends made to show up for each others' weddings, not matter what-Ava must decide if she is going to confront her past with Ava and the college love she left behind.

Probst creates a novel about the complexities of friendship, the pains of adulting, and the challenges of becoming an authentic version of yourself. A Wedding in Lake Como is a compelling friendship drama, worthy of notice.

Chelsea, Madison, and Ava used to be the best of friends. But time and circumstance forced the trio apart. However, before things went south, the friends made a pact to be at each other’s weddings one day no matter what. Now Ava is getting married in Italy and the other two women feel compelled to hold up their end of the bargain.

Through flashbacks we learn what drew the women to one another in the first place, but the unofficial focus is on Madison, a somewhat late addition to the friend group. Madison meets the others at a vulnerable time in her life. She’s always been enthralled by fashion and with Ava’s connections, Madison is able to get her dream of being an influencer off the ground. With her burgeoning career, her perfect boyfriend, and great friends, Madison can’t believe her luck. Then one fateful night it all comes crashing down. Reuniting at the wedding revisits hurtful memories and reopens old wounds. After traveling miles, can these women find a way back to the home they once found in one another?

A Wedding In Lake Como is a book that unfolds slowly. Although the reader can take a good guess, you don’t know right off the bat what caused their rift. It’s not only a story of friendship related second chances, but romantic ones as well. I’d say the title is a bit misleading though as the majority of the story doesn’t take place at the wedding, or even in scenic Italy, but rather through past key moments between the women. Slight false advertising aside, this is a solid beach read to add to your bag this summer.

Jennifer Probst has given readers a heartfelt and heartwarming, emotional tail of enduring friendships, forgiveness, and self discovery. A Wedding in Lake Como is a beautiful tale of three friends and their enduring friendship.


We come across people in our lives that some spend a short time with and others have friendships of years in the making. That is the story of Madison, Ava and Chelsea finding friendship in college, and having it spend over years. Going through trials and tribulations, as well as triumphs and happiness. The women were there for each other in a way that they had an experience before, and a bonded friendship was well in the making. However, secrets and betrayal fractured their foundations. But a pact made by three women ready to take on the world brings them back together. Can the friendship stand the test of time and get over the hurts? They’ve caused one another. This is not just a story, but it’s a journey of finding yourself.

Ava Madison and Chelsea are three best friends always decided to support each other at their weddings. Something happened that kind of messed up the friendship but now the upcoming wedding of Ava and Lake Como is the way for them to hopefully reunite. I love that each of them had issues that they were struggling with And they realized how much they needed each other support. The romance takes place with Madison and was enjoyable as well. I really enjoyed the story to about three lifelong friends.

I was immediately drawn to the premise of this novel and the ways in which it set out to explore the complexity of female relationships. After reading it, however, I was left feeling mostly disappointed and frustrated… especially by the ending.

I will try to avoid spoilers, but will say that if cheating is a trigger for you, do not engage with this text. Just don’t do it.

Of the three friends, Maddie is definitely the protagonist of the novel. It’s her trauma that is at the forefront of the novel, and hers is the narrative voice throughout the text. I think that readers miss out through this limited viewpoint, and I would have liked to also read the perspectives of the other two women. Perhaps reading events from Ava’s perspective would have made me like her more, but I highly doubt it. Chelsea is the one character whom I’d actually want to know in real life, and unfortunately, she gets the least amount of character development and time on page.

The inciting incident that breaks up the friendship is truly awful, and the fact that Ava still invites Maddie to her wedding and orchestrates a conversation that Maddie has not wanted to have felt narcissistic and selfish. In fact, I think that Ava comes across as a narcissist the entire book. I also was not rooting for any kind of second chance romance with Riggs. The author just did readers so dirty with the entire thing, including that little twist of the knife in the form of a [SPOILER] surprise baby. The author makes the conflict feel insurmountable, and does not do the complicated narrative work that a redemptive arc would require.

Instead of a book about the beauties and intricacies of friendship, this book relies heavily on trope-y drama that sort of reeks like internalized misogyny.

With NYC and Italy as the backdrop, this friendship fiction focuses on college friends reuniting and healing the past.

Dual timelines, three friends, one romance and two trips to Italy. I thought this one would be romance centric but it focuses more on the friends and their somewhat toxic relationship. Without spoiling anything, this one does get a little heavier than I expected.

There is an air of mystery as I read. The friends are estranged and Madison has herself embroiled in a undescribed scandal.

It is written in an easy to read style that kept me flying through this even though I wasn’t sure I liked the characters. Which is an odd thought in a book like this.

It may have been helped a lot when I switched to the audio version. Carlotta Brennan brought an ease to the toxic friendship theme that made it easier to read.

I think if you go in with the right expectations knowing this is a little heavier than the cover and synopsis indicate, you can sit back and enjoy this friendship fiction.

A wedding in Lake Como is the third installment in the Meet Me in Italy series. It's a book about finding one's true self, your path in life and true love. It's also about true and lasting friendships, their struggles, found family and second chances. I thought it was an enjoyable read. I wish the ending didn't end that way though.