First of all thanks to Netgalley for allowing me early access.
Imagine getting broken up with months before your wedding and no explanation as to why! Emma is a well rounded counselor dealing with that dilemma in this light, humorous could be true story.
Really enjoyed this and was really happy with the ending! Looking forward to other books by the author.

When Emma's fiancé unexpectedly calls off their quickly approaching wedding, Emma decides to find a new man to marry…on the original wedding date! While Emma goes after the life she wants, she'll find out if her potential new husband can get on-board.

The unconventional plot of this book seemed a little crazy at first, but it's what initially caught my attention. While on the surface the plot seems a little outrageous, I really enjoyed the underlying concept and approach to romantic relationships - it was refreshing! Instead of focusing on the notion that "we are meant to be", it highlights that relationships are hard work, and each person has to show up and actively grow with the partner they've chosen to be with. This is different than most romance books and I enjoyed exploring the thought-provoking concept with our FMC and MMC.

Overall, if you're looking for a quick, witty, and engaging read, I would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Allison Raskin and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced digital copy and the opportunity to review this book.

NetGalley Review:
Published review on Goodreads - Posted on 04/20/2025

Read If You Like:
• Romantic comedies with unconventional premises
• Stories exploring modern relationships and mental health
• Strong female leads navigating personal and professional challenges
• Narratives featuring love triangles and self-discovery
• Humorous takes on societal expectations around marriage 

In Save the Date, Allison Raskin presents a witty and heartfelt exploration of love, identity, and societal pressures.

The novel follows Emma Moskowitz, a couples therapist whose life unravels when her fiancé abruptly ends their engagement six months before their wedding. Determined to maintain her carefully curated image and professional credibility, Emma embarks on “Operation: Save My Date,” aiming to find a new groom by her original wedding date.

As she navigates this unconventional path, Emma becomes entangled with Will, a charismatic podcast producer uninterested in a rushed marriage, and Matt, a recently divorced man eager to settle down.

Through Emma’s journey, Raskin delves into themes of self-worth, the complexities of modern relationships, and the courage it takes to forge one’s own path. This novel offers a refreshing take on romantic comedy, blending humor with poignant insights into the human experience.  

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC!

Emma has been dumped by her fiancé six months before they were set to say their “I dos.” The same Emma that is a relationship therapist with a huge book deal. Oops. Now she has imposter syndrome, but her family is convincing her that she wasn’t what was wrong in the relationship, he was.

With her family telling her it’s okay to date right away, she decides she will keep her wedding date (and Oscar De La Renta dress) and find herself a new groom. She’s on a mission to prove that the traditional rules of courtship (long relationships) don’t lessen the chance of divorce, but that maintaining and working on issues is what made a marriage last.

She starts with Tony. An ex that she begins reminiscing about. But he has a girlfriend.

Then there’s Rob, an old neighbor turned doctor. But he seems too into Emma and she doesn’t like that one bit.

And then there’s Will, her tinder match who is a podcaster. They meet, hit it off, and then on date two, Emma ends up in the local hospital when she dislocates her knee cap. The dialogue is cute and I love the interaction with her parents at the hospital. Just after a few minutes together, her mom is on board with Will becoming the groom. And it’s clear they have a connection and you achingly want this to work. But we are at page 50 and we know that’s not gonna happen. Sure enough, she pitches her proposal and he says no.

Emma is bummed Will is not open to the idea and takes a week off to heal her slightly wounded heart before meeting up with bachelor #3, Matt, a handsome finance guy who just happens to be married. But soon-to-be divorced. This was a red flag-this man just likes the idea of marriage and scared without that safety net. But alas, he’s nice, handsome and on board.

During this dating time with Matt, Will returns with a separate proposal: do a podcast about her journey. She agrees, but this ultimately makes them have to work together and see each other on a regular basis. That chemistry is not going to dissipate.

Lots of back n forth. Build up, disappointment, etc.

Side note: anytime there’s a journalist/radio host/podcaster character I cannot stand when the grand gesture is in said newspaper/on radio/etc. SPOILER: that didn’t happen. Phew. Overrated and overdone.

Overall it was cute and you were rooting for the chemistry. So did she save the actual date? I guess you’ll have to read to find out who ties the knot or did not!

Thanks @Netgalley and @CanaryStreetPress for the advanced digital copy.

Omg! These characters, especially Emma, found their way into my heart and took up residence there. Emma is so relatable and as a neurodivergent woman I found myself remembering my own dating history and cringing quite a bit. I always thought I was a bit too much, but my husband apparently thinks I'm just right for him and that's what this story is all about. I had the delightful opportunity to listen to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and I would highly recommend it as a fantastic way to enjoy this special love story. It's going on my favorites shelf.

Enjoyed the story but had a hard time with the random spaces in between words and sentences. A few sentences were confusing to read but I did enjoy the overall story.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this arc.

I looooooved Allison Raskin back in her Buzzfeed days, so this was very fun to recieve as an arc!

This was a fun read, but there were definitely times I wished for deeper character development and to feel more connected to the characters. The premise was fun!

"One person falling out of love with you doesn't make you unlovable: it makes you human," she wrote. "When things don't work out, all you can do is try again. And then maybe a third, fourth and fifth time because you owe it to yourself to not give up."

I give Allison Raskin major kudos on this book because it was inspired by a broken engagement in her own life, and I'm so impressed by the bravery and vulnerability she displayed! The premise behind this book hooked me, but the pacing and even some of Emma's character traits had it falling a little flat for me. It did get better once Will and Matt entered the story, though, and I really think this author has a lot of potential! I appreciated the banter and chemistry between Will and Emma, but I wish the ending hadn't felt so rushed. I think watching their relationship develop a bit more would have been great and added to the story and character development, but for a debut romcom, this was still a great start!

I hope to read more from this author in the future and to see how her writing continues to develop!

I really wanted to like this book, I kept trying to get into it, it took me a few tries before I just ended up quitting on the book.
Normally I have a high tolerance for ignoring unbelievable things, it's part of the escapism but I just had a hard time believing the couples counselor couldn't see the signs of a bad relationship.
I found the book to have wildly different views on relationships and that's okay but this book just wasn't for me.
DNF'd at 47%

This whole premise is wild but walking through the idea with the characters was fascinating and thought provoking and enlightening. Once I got into the story it was so hard to put the book down -- I had to know how it ended. And the end.... I was nervous for it but so perfectly satisfying.

Save the Date was a cute book about what happens when a woman reaches that taboo age of needing to get married. I won't lie... at first I was VERY worried. The story has a cute plot, the characters are adorable, and it provided some empowerment. The story takes a turn, and I found that plot twist, if you will, to be my favorite part! Great story.

"Save the Date" by Allison Raskin starts with a fun premise, but quickly veers into territory that felt a bit over the top and predictable. The idea of a therapist scrambling to find a new groom just to keep up appearances is entertaining in theory, but in practice, it came off as a little too far fetched for me. There are definitely some light, funny moments, and the writing flows well, but the plot felt like something I’d seen before, just with a modern, social-media twist. I struggled to fully connect with Emma’s journey, and while I appreciated the underlying themes of self discovery, the story didn’t leave much of a lasting impression.A decent pick if you're looking for a quick, romcom.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book in preview in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed the characters and plot of the story! I would love to read more books by this author when given the opportunity to do so!

I don't know, it didn't convince me. I recently read a book with a similar plot, a possible bride looking for a possible husband. I also find it a bit ridiculous that her career is at risk because of her marriage, ok that she has a private life and professional life in symbiosis, but it seems absurd to me. Thanks to Netgalley and the author, and to the publisher for giving me a preview of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

BOOK REVIEW ✨

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***

Save the Date by Allison Raskin

“You are cordially invited to the wedding of Emma Moskowitz and… someone…”

Rating: 1⭐️ (DNF’ed at 73%)
Genre: Romance
Yes, no, or maybe: No…

First off, I want to say I do not normally rate or review books I DNF. Since this was an ARC from NetGalley (thank you NetGalley!), and I was asked to write an honest review, here it is:

Let’s start with a positive! This was a fantastic concept! Girl gets left by fiancé, girl says “forget you!!!”, and girl finds new fiancé to marry because marriage can be about commitment not necessarily about love. This had the potential to be a fun, cheesy (in a great way) rom-com! Unfortunately it fell flat… like a pancake… that got ran over… by a semi…

Why did I DNF this book????
It was clear this author and I had very different views of marriage… which is fine! I respect people who go into marriage with clear expectations that this is a partnership of mutual respect and commitment, not necessarily “true love”. So from the beginning I was like okay! I can roll with this! Then we find out that our FMC is a marriage and family counselor! Makes perfect sense, she has a practical mindset about marriage. Then she starts dating guys to find a new fiancé… the first guy is a bit clingy and comes on too strong (he was in instalove) and she said she has the “ick” from him… okay… so you want someone to marry you in a few months, this guys is all for it, and instead of being honest and saying you didn’t think it’d work… she lies to him and says she’s changed her mind about getting married??? Great communication from a supposed counselor… then sparks fly with guy #2, he says no to her proposal, so she moves on. She finds a super nice and handsome divorced man who agrees to her proposal (yay victory!) but she can’t stop thinking about guy #2…. Her NEW FIANCÉ confides in her that his last wife cheated on him and that’s why they separated… SHE PRECEDES TO EMOTIONALLY CHEAT ON HER NEW FIANCÉ WITH GUY #2!!!!!! Like what???? That’s messed up…. The moment I finally decided to DNF was when the I read “Emma suddenly understood why so many people had affairs. Not being allowed to kiss someone really did make you want to kiss them even more.” YIKES! The cheating tropes is not for me.

In my opinion, this book is not romantic, it’s a HUGE red flag.

Again thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

When Emma's fiancé abruptly calls off the wedding and leaves Emma in a lurch, she approaches the wedding with the only possible solution, to replace the groom. Can Emma prove to her followers and clients that love is a choice and not the socially constructed idea that it seems or is she doomed to be alone with planned wedding and no groom?

Save the Date, is a hopeful and realistic look at dating at "a certain age." The main character, a jilted marriage counselor, tries to salvage her wedding plans by finding a groom and experimenting with a self arranged marriage. The spark she finds is not with the person she expected. A great and reflective story on making a match and what is needed in a happy relationship.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5 stars)
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Save the Date offers a thoughtful and realistic take on post-breakup emotions and the sometimes messy path to healing. I appreciated the storyline, especially how it reflected the reality that not everyone takes the time to process a breakup before jumping into the next thing. The book explores that emotional rush and the consequences that can follow with honesty and relatability.

While there were moments where I wished for a deeper emotional connection or more character development, overall it was an engaging and heartfelt read. If you're looking for a contemporary story that explores love, healing, and personal growth, this one is worth checking out.

Emma is left by her fiance a couple of months before the wedding and instead of taking the time to heal and mourn what could have been, she tries to find another groom. I wouldn't call this a rom-com, the plot leans much more contemporary fiction. Much of what she goes through felt very real and frustrating. At the beginning of the book you learn that the author went through something similar and while I am glad that she decided to not do what her character does, having this background made for a very uninteresting and slow start. It's not until a quarter of the book the plot gets going.

While I did enjoy this and thought 99% of the book was well done, the ending threw the message of the book out the window. Why have Emma attempt to find a groomsman, ultimately fail but then succeed at the last minute? It felt silly and unnecessary.

This book was okay - Emma is attempting to recover from being dumped (6 months prior to the wedding) by trying to rush to find someone else to marry still in that time frame. She then has this very intense desire to discuss it all and document it on social media; and well - she makes some REALLY questionable choices and decisions along the way. There are a lot of really cute moments, but there's a lot of moments that make you cringe as well. It was overall funny and really well documented about how to turn pain into something better!

I also highly recommend reading the authors note - as having an understanding of where the story came from and how it was mostly lived by the author? That made it really special!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.