I am so sorry, I had to DNF this story. the story was just not grabbing my attention and I tried in multiple occasions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for giving me a chance to read "Save the Date" in return for honest feedback.

Emma is a couples therapist with a YouTube channel and book coming out with relationship advice. She's also getting married and her fiancé has played a role in both her book and channel. But now, 6 months before her wedding, she's been dumped. She's devastated and unsure of what to do until she comes up with Project: Save the Date. She'll keep the date for her wedding but find a new groom. The thought behind it is that there's not one perfect person for you, but someone who is willing to put in the work and whom you have a connection with. Now to find the groom...

This book was cute, but ultimately I didn't enjoy it. I appreciate all the references to Emma struggling with anxiety but at times, it became a lot. I also loved the banter between Will and Emma, and you knew who she would end up with in the end. I felt like it fell flat though, and the idea of finding a different groom was far out there.

Save the Date was such a cute book about a woman who is determined to take back her love life after being dumped by her fiance. I thought that Emma had the right idea on wanting to continue on with her Save the Date plan, but just didn't really think it through before jumping into it. The love triangle she found herself in was so hard, I was rooting for one of them the entire time. One of the two didn't quite agree with her choice to do Save the Date and the other man I didn't trust from the get go but couldn't pinpoint why exactly until my feelings were confirmed. It was nice to see how she learned to find herself throughout this process. This book also showed that even therapists need advice sometimes and really reinforced that no one has their life figured out, no matter how "professional" they may seem.

Save the Date by Allison Raskin is such a fun, emotional rollercoaster! It’s the perfect mix of rom-com and real life, with characters that feel super relatable. I loved the humor, but also how the book dives into some deeper emotions too. The main characters are easy to root for, and their growth throughout the story felt really genuine.

It’s not all smooth sailing—the pacing slowed down a bit in the middle—but the ending definitely makes up for it. If you’re into feel-good romance with a little emotional depth, I’d totally recommend this!

Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What made Save the Date even more appealing was discovering it was loosely inspired by the author's real life. I went in blind, expecting nothing, and was met with a truly unique romantic comedy. This charming story centers on finding yourself and navigating life's unpredictable detours. The central premise—having a wedding date but no groom—was both wonderfully chaotic and surprisingly relatable, paving the way for some incredibly heartfelt, hilarious, and occasionally awkward scenes.

The public spectacle of Emma's romantic woes, and her followers' enthusiastic support as she tries to walk down the aisle, gave the rom-com a fresh, modern edge. I especially enjoyed the authentic chemistry between Emma and Will. However, it was Emma's series of other dates that truly enriched the narrative, each one revealing more about her character and showcasing her journey of growth. With sharp, witty dialogue, Save the Date is highly recommended for anyone who loves a modern, messy, and humorous love story with a touch of social media craziness.

reading Save the Date brought me back into all things wedding. The story is about a woman whose fiance broke up with her so she decided to find a new groom and go ahead with the wedding she had planned. And this is all being played out on a podcast for the public to weigh in on. While this concept is wild and hard to believe, there were some cute dating fails mixed in with the emotions of a break up. And one will they, won’t they situation that gave me all the romcom vibes. As a side note, I always love books set in LA that talk about places I know. And this one was loaded with familiar references.

I got 70% through and DNF. I felt like Emma was emotionally cheating on Matt with Will after JUST getting engaged. With his history, that crossed the line and I stopped reading. I was interested in the premise, but Emma seemed emotionally immature and shallow.

Emma is an 32 year old couples therapist. She’s engaged to Ryan, is happy and in love and is writing her first book. Everything seems perfect until out of the blue, Ryan breaks up with her. What is she supposed to do now? The venue and date have already been set but now she’s missing a groom? Enter Operation Save the Date! Her wacky plan is to find a new groom (for realsies) and still keep her wedding on track. The theory being a good relationship isn’t based on the length of time being together. She meets Will, a podcaster, on an app and they hit it off but he flinches at the thought of immediately marching down the wedding path. Then there’s recently divorced Matt. He’s hunky and he’s ready to jump all in. Emma starts working with Will on a podcast about her plan. Is that a good idea when she still has feelings for him? Will she end up marrying Matt? Or will she end up with Will?
Emma Moskowitz is a very unlikable heroine. I know you have to suspend disbelief a bit when reading fiction but this was really unrealistic and felt rushed and underdeveloped in many plot points. Very little was really developed in between any of the relationships and then you throw in her parents’ relationship to tie it all up at the end.

This was an e-arc awarded to me via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I almost DNF'd this as the main character was getting on my nerves. I felt like telling her to just shut up a few times. I admit I did skim through the first half but enjoyed the second half much more.

I normally like a good rom-com but this woman was so focused on getting married by the date of her scheduled wedding after the groom-to-be dumped her that she went to extremes looking for Mr. Right.

There were some funny moments and dialogue but truthfully not my cup of tea. I rate this a 2-1/2 stars, but other, perhaps younger women may enjoy it more than I did.
Release date is April 8, 2025

I found a few genuine surprises in Raskin's Save the Date, even as a reader of her prior works who therefore knew the story's origins.
There's something here for recovering hopeless romantics, who are learning to let go of anxieties and the endless rumination that can come with the pursuit of love.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ebook copy of this book! This is an interesting concept for a romcom: Emma, a couple's therapist (and she never lets us forget it), is left by her fiance a few months before her wedding. In an attempt to not be devastated, she come sup with a plan to carry on with the wedding as planned. The. problem is that she just needs a new groom. From there we see Emma go on a few dates, make some fumbles, and eventually fall into a bit of a love triangle. Although short, this was a funny book that aimed to explore how "ready" folks in a partnership actually need to be to get married. While I really enjoyed the plot and the characters, it was really grating to constantly have relationship and mental health tidbits dropped throughout this book. I'm a psychologist myself, so don't get me wrong, tips correcting misinformation, clarifying things in the field, and correcting harmful language is important. But the way it's done in this book is too much and comes off as pretentious at times, like Emma's character is really trying to provide she knows her stuff and that her job is her primary identity as a person. Again, as someone in mental health myself, I get it. But knowing that Raskin got her master's in counseling after completing her work at Buzzfeed, paired with the note at the beginning of this book that a lot of this was based on her own experience, does make me think that a lot was projected in this book.

Anyway, overall, a fun, easy read. Not a pass but also not something you need to run to the store to pick up.

Allison Raskin's Save the Date is advertised as a quirky rom-com. I will say I love the premise and saw the absolute potential for this being an amazing book; sadly, I was disappointed in the final product.

The book is about FMC Emma gets dumped by her fiancé out of the blue and she then embarks on a journey through the heartbreak; instead of moving on, she decides to keep her wedding date and just find a new groom. In the foreword, Allison did open up and say this book was based on her own experience with being left after already planning a wedding; she didn't swap grooms, but the "left before the altar" is real life for her.

Overall, I found the book slow paced and very dry, I had to keep stopping and starting back up again - I even read another triology during a pause. The narration is single POV and maybe that would have helped break up the constant spirals of Emma's stream of consciousness. I felt like Emma/the author was fact-telling rather than story-telling, felt very clinical, which makes sense since the FMC is a therapist. I did try to push through but had to DNF at 22%.

FMC Emma seemed a little unhinged as a therapist. Her idea for swapping grooms also came from a place of insecurity and approval seeking from her social media fans - saving face for her practice and book deal. IMO she wasn't very likeable and was trying too hard to be funny/quirky.

I never thought a friends to enemies to lovers romance could bring tears to my eyes, but these characters got me. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this book as someone who doesn't usually like romance, but this book should be on everyone's summer reading list.

🌟🌟🌟✨ 3.5 stars
This was a charming and thoughtful read that dives into love, identity, and the pressure to have it all figured out. Emma’s journey from being left at the altar (well, almost) to trying to salvage not just her career, but her entire vision for the future, is messy, vulnerable, and surprisingly relatable. 💔➡️❤️
The premise—finding a new groom before the original wedding date—sounds wild, but it’s handled with heart and just enough realism to keep you engaged. Emma’s relationships with Will, the guarded podcast producer 🎙️, and Matt, the sweet but maybe-too-ready divorcee 💬, both bring something unique to the table. There’s no easy answer here, and that’s what makes it interesting.
Some moments felt a bit stretched, and the chapters jumped around a bit too much for me, but overall, it’s a smart and emotionally honest story about choosing yourself, even when everyone’s watching. 📱📚
A solid read for fans of contemporary romance with a bit of chaos and a lot of heart. Would you risk going through with a wedding just to protect the life you built around it? 🤷‍♀️

Interesting story and kept me guessing, the characters could have been fleshed out more but overall a good beach read for the summer time.

I ended up DNFing halfway through. I think the story had lots of potential but was just a little too political for my taste. I know all books are political in there own way but I prefer to have as little politics in my books as possible, already get enough in my real life and I read to escape. I did not end up posting a review on my socials since I did not finish the story fully through.

This is a lighthearted rom-com about a newly single marriage therapist that involves her online platform in her effort to keep on her wedding schedule. The MC is sweet and relatable and the cast of secondary characters are amusing. The MMC is appealing and fun. Overall it's a frothy story that's not necessarily realistic, but is great escapist lit. Perfect for summer!

As a Raskin fan when I saw this title I knew I was going to be all in. Knowing that they wrote this while taking inspiration from their own personal experiences is a sobering reality. Raskin truly outdid themselves with this novel rapt with incredible comedic timing, and glorious character growth. Emma has a special place in my heart.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Emma Moskowitz is a couples therapist with a popular YouTube channel and an upcoming debut novel about relationships, including content regarding her personal one. She has her ideal life, up until her fiance walks out on her 6 months before they say "I do". Naturally, Emma is crushed and immediately starts to question her 0wn worth, along with her career altogether. How can she give love advice if she can't keep her fiance?

Emma is desperate to have the future she envisioned, including a husband and kids, thus comes up with Operation: Save My Date. She chooses not to cancel her wedding in 6 months, with a new focus on finding a new groom. Emma sets up a dating profile and meets Will, a podcast host with whom she shares an instant connection/attraction. She shares her journey online, and soon finds herself in a love triangle of sorts with Will and her brother in law's coworker Matt.

Overall, I give the book 3.5 stars. Emma was kind of annoying and very very clingy to me, I wish she would've just chilled out more. The plot was interesting enough and not too far fetched in today's age; people get married after months of meeting all the time. The other characters were fine overall, other than Jackie who was too busy obsessing over Matt when she has a perfectly fine husband at home. Stay in your lane girly. The writing itself was good and easy to read, I just didn't connect with or care about the characters when it comes down to it. I would read other work by this author and hope to find something I love of hers in the future.

I would like to add that I've seen a lot of hate in other reviews regarding the political opinions expressed in this book. I, for one, have no issue with that and commend Allison for expressing herself on the matter. This is her art, she is entitled to her opinion, and I did not find the content to be an attempt at "dividing readers". Like, come on.

Wasn’t my favorite read. Wished the ending had been different. A lot of build up during the book just to be let down.