🏃‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️ Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Ada’s life isn’t going at all how she expected. Her business failed, she’s on a break from her boyfriend of eight years, and her little sister is getting married in Ireland to a man she just met. Ada could barely afford the plane ticket from Seattle to Belfast, so when her flight connection is canceled leaving her stranded in London she’s unsure how she’ll ever make the wedding. A chance encounter in a hotel bar connects Ada to the wedding’s best man, Jack Houghton. Jack and Ada are determined to make their way to the wedding without giving in to their attraction to each other.

This was a fun adventure through London, Scotland, and Ireland! The banter and chemistry between Jack and Ada was great. I really didn’t like Ada’s focus on her ex for the first half of the book, and felt like her character revolved way too much around waiting for him to decide if he wanted to be together versus asking herself what she wanted. I was glad to see her character grow in the second half.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley, and PRH Audio for the ARC and the ALC.

This was a really cute romance. I LOVED it!! I really enjoyed the chemistry between Jack and Ada. I thought they were a great couple and I enjoyed how they started out not liking each other, and then eventually fell for each other.

Brittany Pressley as always does a great job with the narration of the audiobook, and I can't imagine this book being narrated by anyone else. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Heather McBreen in the future!!!

Holy character development. I wasn’t sure about the two main characters in the beginning but WOW.. I’m actually so impressed with how this book was written.

~ She’s the sister & maid of honor to the bride. He’s the best man & best friend of the groom. Only they don’t know that the first time they meet. What could’ve been a one night stand turns into a nightmare of traveling and head-butting. ~

I love seeing characters go through personal struggles and actually take charge to change things. I found this to be so inspiring. 🥹

Forced proximity
Enemies to lovers

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

Ada is down on her luck, down on her finances, and trying to get to her estranged sister’s destination wedding in Ireland, virtually no money in hand. When she misses her connecting flight, she and fellow passenger Jack commiserate as they work together to figure out how to each get to their respective weddings. After sharing with Jack just how much she dislikes her sister’s fiancee and how much she dreads meeting his womanizing best friend, they realize they are in fact heading to the same wedding, Jack being the best man.

Sometimes there are sweet romcoms you fly through that are light and fun and more surface level. But occasionally you encounter a romcom that offers so much more than the average, this being one of them. This story has grit, it has heart and while it is obviously a love story, it also includes themes of picking up the pieces when your life doesn’t go quite as planned.

Both characters struggle to figure out what comes next in a way that anyone can relate to. Both are fully fleshed out and feel incredibly real. And each has a heart of gold. It is hard not to root for them to have a happy ending, as well as the supporting characters who go through their own journeys of self discovery.

🎧 Whenever Brittany Presley narrates I feel as though that alone should be the review. She narrates it, therefore the audio is going to be terrific, and indeed it was.

Read if you like:
▪️road trip romance
▪️forced proximity
▪️one bed
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️wedding antics
▪️romance with heart

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.

Ada does not want to go to Ireland for her sister's wedding. She also doesn't want to be stuck with Jack, the best man, in London with not many options for getting to said wedding. They decide to make the best of it and embark on a journey with trains, cars, and boats. This is a fun debut that reads like the best kind of rom com movies. There is fun banter, ridiculous situations, and great chemistry. One of the best parts of the book were the different places in the UK they visit. The author lived in England for a year and her descriptions really made me feel as if I were there again. I look forward to reading more from Heather in the future.

Thank you for the free book @penguinrandomhouse and @berkleyromance #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram. Thank you for the free audiobook, @prhaudio!

I know it’s just January but this book is definitely going in my top romance reads of 2025! It is just the perfect combo of hilarious banter and emotional depth

So basically this is the main plot: Ada our female lead is on her way to her sister’s destination wedding in an Irish castle. Her flight got delayed/ cancelled and now she has to figure out a way on how to make it to the wedding on time. Then enter, Jack (our male lead) and the story goes from there!

We start off with the hot mess express of an airport meet-cute 😂 And right off the bat, you’d be entertained by the amazing banter between the two leads! Definitely top notch chemistry!! I couldnt put it down!

Since this is a stranded in London situation, the pacing was amazing! I love that this book will take you on a European travel with sprinkles of cute awww and funny moments. From near death experiences of driving on the other side of the road to handholding in a bookstore on a rainy day 💗

She’s a hopeless romantic. He only believes in “expiration dating” and there goes the window for some serious and reflective character development! I loved the awareness of instalove and Im just so glad with how this love story ended in a happy ending! Definitely one of the healthiest relationship journeys in a book!

“But I don't think marriage is about finding someone who makes forever easy, because no one can do that. I think marriage is about choosing someone over and over again no matter how hard things get.”

“I think it takes a lot of courage to not only walk away from a relationship that's not serving you, but to still believe that real love is out there, and to be vulnerable enough to keep looking for it."

💭 Pineapple on a pizza, yes or no?
☕️ I did like it when I was younger but not anymore 😂

The publisher reached out to me about this one, and it sounded good, but at first I wasn’t sure if I’d get to it. When I got kind of stuck with another ARC I was reading, I went ahead and picked this one up and was hooked immediately! The characters were so much fun. The whole trip itself, through England and Scotland to get to Ireland eventually, I loved it all! We got this from Ada’s POV, so there were times that I would be so mad at Jack for things he said or did, or didn’t say.

There was a lot there with the family, both Ada’s issues with her sister who used to be her best friend. And not knowing if Jack was good enough based on the other guys her sister had always dated, and she’d had to save her from. It all seemed so fast to Ada. It was Jack’s best friend who was the groom, and while he was all about what a good guy his friend was, he also was unsure about if the two should get married. But that was more based on his own relationship issues.

So many different catastrophes befell these two in their journey to get the veil to her sister, and also be there in time for the wedding, with canceled flights, missed trains or trains being canceled due to the strike, something I think was going on when I was in Scotland! Of course once it seemed like they might be able to move on and have their connection be true, there was a third act breakup, but it made sense the way it happened. And it was such a healthy way for them to get back together at the end. I loved it! I also now kind of want to find a woman to do my next tattoo I want, lol. Not sure why that would matter, but I’m just intrigued!

While the title at first made me think more along the lines of Door Dashers, except in this case maybe people who brought stuff to weddings, that’s not at all what the story was. It was a lot of fun, and I definitely recommend it! I hope to read more by this author in the future!

THIS BOOK💜🥹!!! I was hooked from the first chapter & that hasn’t happened to me in a long time.

This book was so fun. The perfect slow burn travel rom-com. The author made me feel like I was along for the ride with these main two characters and their journey. The build up, the spice, the banter and the best tropes (travel romance, forced proximity, one bed, wedding shenanigans) - all top tier👏👏

This book felt so self contained and intimate between these two characters but yet so relatable and inclusive.

Ada and Jack were both amazing and I fell in love with them. They were both at pivotal crossroads in their lives and this journey felt like a spark back to life and it was truly beautiful to watch. I was swooning and giggling but I constantly felt myself being pulled to a deeper level. Difficult family dynamics, toxic relationships, coping, filling your own cup and therapy were all beautifully written in. I think we can all relate to the feeling of going through life and not actually living and this shed light on this. I think this book showed a journey of self actualization for both main character in both obvious and subtle ways. This book truly had it all & more.

Side note acknowledgments: plz always go to Paris ✈️ & find someone who loves Taylor Swift 🤭 (or at least loves your love for her)

I’ve been lucky enough to read so many debut authors recently and let me tell you… this book and writing is the farthest thing from a debut - it is straight perfection & I can’t wait to see what’s next from Heather 💖

With her sister's wedding to get to, a cancelled flight and no rooms available, luck is not in Ada's favor but a hot stranger offers her a room... only its actually the horrible groomsman she's been warned of and he actually only wanted a one night stand... yet now they're both trapped together with a wedding to get to, can they make it in time? Ada is having the worst luck ever, her flight has been cancelled and when she tries to book a room at a hotel for the night, there are none... and not to mention her longtime boyfriend of 8 years is telling her he wants to go on a break and no she's suffering from identity crisis... and she's broke after her tattoo business went out. Ada doesn't approve of her sister getting married so quickly and has been fighting with her sister... but she's determined to make it to the wedding too bad she's trapped in London. Yet when a hot stranger offers her a drink and to listen to her pour her heart out she caves. Said hot stranger is also stranded and turns out he's heading to the same wedding... and he is in fact the infamous terrible player her sister warned her about and the best man of the wedding, Jack. When Jack offers to share his room with Ada she's happy to agree... only she didn't realize he meant he wanted to sleep with her for a one night stand and now she's furious. Misunderstanding aside Jack tells Ada they should travel together to the wedding because they both need to make it in time but with flat tires, missed trains, and suspect hostels, Jack and Ada begin to question their feelings for one another and what they actually want in life. This one was definite not for me, the characters felt like teenagers, Jack just felt like a hot mess and Ada felt like she's never talked to another person in her life. I just did not vibe with either of these characters and honestly did not care for their romance at all. They both kind of got on my nerves and I was just pushing myself to get to the end of the book. While this one wasn't for me I think that if you enjoy opposite attracts forced proximity romances I would give this a go.

Ada is on the way to her younger sister’s wedding in Ireland when her flight gets cancelled. Already on a tight schedule, and an even tighter budget, Ada doesn’t know what to do. Adding insult to injury is the strained relationship she has with her sister, recently expressing her concern about the hasty nuptials. Needless to say, she can’t afford to get even further on her sister’s bad side.

Then Ada meets Jack, a handsome stranger who offers to share his room with the damsel in distress. Ada reluctantly agrees, quickly putting a kibosh on Jack’s advances. But with no money and nowhere else to go, Ada is forced to stay. Then they learn they’re tied together in more ways than one- both of them on their way to the same wedding. Suddenly the pair find themselves thrown into a race against time adventure to not only get to the wedding, but to get to the bottom of their complicated feelings.

The Wedding Dashers is a fun debut from author, Heather McBreen. Full of back and forth banter, simmering sexual tension, and self revelations, it’s a romance that serves up a healthy splash of turmoil related travel alongside its personal trials and tribulations. A new voice in fiction, I can see McBreen finding her footing in a genre sometimes overrun by courtship related cliches, making her own mad dash to the head of the pack.

Thank you so much to the publisher and the author for my eARC!

Down on her luck Ada is traveling to Ireland for her sister's wedding. All goes wrong and her flight is cancelled. While trying to get a hotel for the night, she meets Jack. They have dinner and he offers for her to stay in his room. After a funny miscommunication, they learn that they are not on the same page at all. But then soon after, they discover they are enroute to the same wedding and must "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" it to Ireland. Each one is a MESS emotionally and romantically and spend a lot of time trying to convince themselves why they shouldn't be attracted to the other.

I liked the growth each Ada and Jack made in the book. I just wish it was done at a faster pace. This was the slowest of slow burns and I got a little tired hearing about the million ways Ada was attracted to Jack while still hung up on her AWFUL ex. I wanted her to cut ties with him sooner. And part of me wishes maybe they didn't get together until the end of the book, since that only complicated things more. In the end, it turns out well so I was glad for a happy ending.

𝗪𝗘𝗗𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦 is a delightful debut romcom from Heather McBreen!

A maid of honor and best man have a not-so-meet-cute after their flights are canceled and then are forced into a 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 race to get to Ireland in time for the wedding. This one has it all:

🗣️ Terrific banter
😬 Mistaken identity
🗺️ Road trip
🤏🏻 Forced proximity
💍 Fake marriage
🛏️ One bed
👰🏻‍♀️ Bridezilla
🎤 Karaoke

If you're like me and enjoy a messy love story between two messy people that makes you laugh and hits you in the feels, give this one a read.

Thanks to Berkley Romance for the copy to review.

This book was such a light for me during these dark times. The writer helped me so much by writing this book, and I’m so grateful!

While I liked the premise going into the story, a bridesmaid and a groomsman traveling together with many unlucky moments leading them to spend a lot more time together than either of them bargained for.

I thought their first meeting was pretty comical, especially since we realized who they were before they did. They had a lot of miscommunications and some fiery chemistry but I had a hard time connecting to either of them. I like watching them grow closer and start to let down their walls but it never felt like they were truly falling for each other until we reached the end. Which I actually liked quite a bit. While this book didn't 100% work for me I did like the writing and I would definitely read more books by this author in the future

I wasn’t sure about The Wedding Dashers when I first heard about it. I’m not a huge fan of the road trip trope, but once I read the story description I knew it was worth a shot. I’m so glad I took a chance on it as it was so good!

Ada and Jack meet in the most awkward of circumstances, when Jack hand Ada her dropped tampon. And then they end of in the most cringey circumstances when they later realize they are both traveling to the same wedding … and that they are already not fans of one another. If you can make it past this awkward part of the story, the rest of the story is so wonderfully charming that it is totally worth suffering through Ava and Jack’s awkward beginnings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

What a fun debut! This book is giving quintessential 2000s rom-com vibes. Different moments and scenes reminded me of several of my favorites! I’m marking this review with spoilers in case this reveals too much for anyone.

Leap year (traveling together. Only one bed. Arguing. Messy relationship past)
Proposal (baby making blanket ☠️)
Chasing Liberty (pretending to be married for a room & traveling Europe)
27 dresses (complicated sister relationship)

The Wedding Dashers would’ve fit right in the mix with these types of movies. Great banter, one unlucky moment after the next, main characters I like and who are both messy and carrying around a lot of baggage. Overall a fun read! High 3.75 for me!

Pub date is 1/28!

3.5 stars - This whole book was comedy of errors road trip mixed with more emotional topics that I didn’t totally see coming. Initially, I was pretty hesitant on liking this one - Jack, the mmc, was unlikeable at the beginning and I really disliked some of the things he said and how to spoke to Ada. Additionally, Ada was a bit unnecessarily confrontational and I was worried I wouldn’t like either of them.

Thankfully, towards the middle to end of the book we finally get more depth from all our characters and I started to understand the motivation of everyone more. Overall, I did end up enjoying myself and I thought the individual journeys Jack and Ada took were beautiful and I ended up liking their relationship a lot. Would recommend this one but it does take a bit to get into it.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC - all thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! A huge thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this fun little rom com in exchange for an honest review!

This debut was all the makings of a fun fast paced romance. Reading the synopsis I knew it was going to be a must read for me but I was never expecting to love it as much as I did!

A little meet cute mixed with forced proximity, a hopeful one night stand and a pact. Add a couple of dashes of spice and I was hooked!

This one comes out on my birthday 1/28/25 so it was totally meant to be!

I highly recommend checking this one out!!

This was a cute cozy romcom in the vein of leap year meets planes trains and automobiles. At first I super disliked Ada and how obnoxious she was but her redemption arc made up for it. I loved that at the end they were happy going their separate ways to focus on themselves. It’s nice having a romcom that promotes self healing

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the free copy of this book & advance copy!

This book will be out January 28th, 2025.

I had heard early praise for this book and how excellent it was and I can attest that this WAS SUCH A GREAT TIME!

I know Heather is a debut author but my gosh did she nail the banter on her first try! As any romance reader knows, banter is so important to the storyline and to the romance itself. I just love the dynamic between Ada and Jack. Ada is coming off being in a 8 year relationship with a man who walked over her and I know she had such high hopes for reconciliation.

I know people are iffy on the whole insta love connection. I wouldn't say this is instalove but maybe more instalust at least on Jack's end. It's hard to imagine how much you truly get to know someone in a span of 4 days but for the sake of a romance book - it works! They had a connection right off the back and it wasn't even a sexual one (at first). I love the way that Heather allowed their character to grow in the span of those 4 days. Ada was not the same person at the start of her quest to get to Belfast and even at the end of the wedding. Jack was just the right person at the right time for Ada. He felt something for her right away and over the course of their trip was able to open up.

I really liked how Heather didn't give us the usual HEA because it definitely would have felt like a happy for now. And I say this vaguely to try not to spoil anything, but she gave them that time to grow and to be a better person. They each had things that they needed to work through and find themselves.

There were so many times I was kicking my feet while reading. I was just so gone for Jack and empathic to his story. I also felt for Ada because of knowing how hard it is to sustain a relationship that isn't just done. The resisting that they both did was so strong. One of my favorite moments was when they were hiding during the bachelor/bachelorette party and then overheard his friends talking.

Also THERE WAS KARAOKE!!!!! You know I'm a sucker for a karaoke moment!

If you are a fan of insta-lust, forced proximity, adventure through Europe - give this one a try!