This novel follows Emma Moskowitz after her fiance leaves her 6 months before her wedding. She decides to challenge all western relationship norms and find a new life partner and husband in time to use her original wedding date.

Everything takes a turn when she ends up with two solid candidates for Operation Save the Date. Will and Matt, with one being more ready to settle down than the other.

The premise of the book was very cute. I thought the role of social media and podcasts was very thoughtful and added to the story. I liked how close she was with her sister and parents as well, they seemed to have a great but also realistic family dynamic.

There were a few things that I felt detracted from the overall structure and story of the novel. I did not understand how all of Emma's sensory sensitivities played into the end result of the book. I think the anxiety she was experiencing made sense and was very relatable. Who among us has not been able to let go of an ex despite the fact that we know they aren't right for us. I also related to quite a few of the comments Imani referenced about her previous dating habits. I had a hard time relating to her as a main character overall with so much background going on in her life. I also didn't love the storytelling technique. I didn't feel like the dialogue flowed well from the thoughts of the narrator.

I think the bones were good but I don't think this book was for me!

Who knew that turning your real life trauma of being left by your fiancé would turn into such a banger? I guess Raskin did because this book was pretty good.

Back in 2020, the author’s real life fiancé called it quits without warning or explanation. Her mother made a joke about keeping the wedding date and just finding a new man to fill the spot - and then a book idea was born.

The story had good pacing and a ton of humor. I was audibly laughing at a scene where the mother gives the father a look in chapter one. So I knew pretty quickly that this was going to be fun. Unfortunately, the character that Raskin based on herself was a bit insufferable at times, but her choices were clearly to move the plot along. The dialogue between all the characters was whip smart and everyone was enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew Allison from YouTube and have been following her on instagram forever. When I found out she wrote a book, I was immediately intrigued. Her witty humor really showed through in this book and it was extremely fun to read!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this adult romance debut by Allison Raskin! I've been a fan of her on YouTube and the podcast for a long time, and this book did not disappoint. Allison's voice shone through and I really enjoyed this quirky plot and fun characters!

Save the Date by Allison Raskin is a delightful, heartwarming read that perfectly balances heartbreak, humor, romance, and family. I loved the chemistry between the characters. It was an easy, enjoyable read. If you’re looking for a charming rom-com with a lot of heart, this one is definitely worth picking up.

I’m so sorry but I really didn’t like this. The MFC is the most annoying character I’ve read in a while and is the personification of adult baby. Grow up. It’s obvious how the book is going to end about 12% of the way through, so why did we drag it out? The sister is the worst type of human, literally GROW UP AND LEAVE YOUR HUSBAND. Idk maybe I shouldn’t have finished this but I’m not the type to DNF.

Review also posted on Goodreads.

This book follows Emma, a relationship therapist with a successful online presence, whose world is turned upside down when her fiancé unexpectedly leaves her just six months before their wedding. Determined to go through with her planned wedding day anyway, Emma sets out to "save the date" while also challenging traditional ideas about marriage. At first, I thought this was a little unhinged, but I started to really get into it.

She decides to document the entire journey online, turning her personal challenge into a public conversation. Along the way, she finds herself torn between two very different men—Will, and Matt. There are moments that made me laugh out loud and their stories were entertaining.

At times I think there was too much time spent on one of the men. It could have wrapped up faster. And it did take me a while to get into the writing style. But after that, I really enjoyed it! I found myself fully invested in both the characters and the storyline.

After I finished the book, I read it’s loosely based on the authors story which is pretty cool! This book comes out April 25th.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really struggled to get into this book and realized this author was just not for me.
This felt like a therapist trying to write a romance novel instead of a romance writer trying to write a 'self-help' romance book.
The FMC was so unlikeable and insufferable that I couldn't really get into the story. She was constantly contradicting herself that it made the story hard to follow. The FMC wanted to get married so badly that she honestly ignored all of the red flags and reasons to not get married that she ultimately undermined her therapist views and ideals.
There was no character growth or learning in this book that it made it hard for me to enjoy the story. I didn't root for the FMC at all and by the end, I really didn't care what happened to her. The premise was interesting enough for me to pick up this book, but the execution fell flat for me.

This story definitely has a unique premise. Emma, a therapist, is dumped by her fiancé right before their wedding. Instead of canceling the wedding, she decides to keep the date and find a new fiancé to marry. The narrative is original and engaging, offering a fresh take on coping with heartbreak and moving forward. It’s a charming read with a satisfying conclusion.

Emily is a couple’s therapist and is at her wits end when she is dumped by her fiancé. The wedding is all planned and paid for so she decides to try to find a new groom. Will and Emily had a few dates but when he found out she was looking for a husband he left. Will is a podcaster, and Emily shared a lot about relationships on her own podcast so Will suggested they do a podcast together to feature what was going on in her search. Matt, who had just gotten divorced wanted to be the new groom. This book has a lot of humor and romance but also looks at relationships. Great story and thought provoking issues about love and marriage.

“Save the Date” is a romance book by Allison Raskin. Ms. Raskin, like the main character in this book, had been engaged to a man who broke up with her before the wedding. Ms. Raskin, again like the main character, had a book deal and had a YT/podcast channel. So, in a number of ways, this book was probably therapy for Ms. Raskin - “what if I’d done this” madcap idea of “Operation: Save the Date” just replacing the groom with a different guy. I liked how the idea came about (meaning both in Ms, Raskin’s real life and in the book). But I had huge issues with the main character - Emma. She’s a bit to handle - she’s a bit annoying, a bit obsessed, and a lot overbearing at times. There’s also some political snark that I didn’t find funny and I wasn’t even sure why it needed to be mentioned. The idea of this book was great - but I found the execution rather lacking. I found Emma’s friend to be a lot more interesting (and stable!). This wasn’t the book for me - however as I’m probably closer in age to Emma’s parents, that could be a factor. Maybe if you’re in the late 20s/early 30s and like romance comedies, this might be a book you’d want to read.

I keep trying to read this but the main character is annoying and unlikable. The premise was great but the execution wasn’t something I enjoyed. I’m not into the writing style and I just can’t get through it. The bashing of political parties is also unnecessary.
The whole book felt like she just wanted to get married to keep her career the same and didn’t care so much who helped her do that. It was more about her lifestyle as an influencer than love.
I will add my review after it is published

Oh my goodness. I don’t even know where to start. I literally read this book in less than 4 hours as I couldn’t put it down. It was really good, however it was starting to become super easy for me to know exactly what was going to happen, just not how.
I love how the main character Emma who is a relationship therapist has her own relationship problems and is the story about her and her own love story. Also then ending made me so happy with the unexpected twist. This book helps see that even though things don’t go as planned you still can find your own happy ending. Even if it takes a while to find it and the one, or you never know if the one was there the whole time you were looking.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to receive this ARC and review this book! I highly recommend to anyone who wants a cute and lighthearted romance book.

Save the Date Honest ARC Review:

I read online that the author wrote a story based on her on difficult situation of being left by her finance. I cannot even imagine how tough that would be to write. My hope is that she worked through and overcame obstacles as she wrote.

This was witty, hilarious and just an interesting read all around.

Emma, a therapist who seemed to have her life in order, built her around giving advice on successful relationships. However, her fiancé decided to end their relationship without any further discussion/information.

The fact that the story was written in third person was new to me. Maybe the author wanted to hold a little separation from her own thoughts and emotions as she wrote? The FMC, Emma was relatable and complex. Therapist story was interesting and kept me wondering what would happen next.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it and appreciate that the author took the time to write of something so personal.

Thank you for sharing this ARC with me.

The premise of this book was intriguing to me. Emma (the mfc) addresses the idea of having a successful happy marriage with basically anyone that has the same values, who is equally willing to put in the work of a relationship versus there being one perfect person for each of us. As a divorced, single mom I understand the pressure of finding your "one" but through failed relationships also understand that relationships are never easy and those that have sticking power are the couples that are committed to making it work. As someone that overthinks everything and has struggled with feeling not good enough, I also really related to the protagonists anxiety and insecurities. The ending of the book did feel a bit rushed but left me feeling the warm fuzzies only a happily ever after gives.

3.5. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute book but I couldn’t get on board with why the main premise would ever be considered a good idea and it made me judge the protagonist, Emma, harshly throughout. Her obsession with marriage was a bit off putting but she was otherwise a likable main character.

I thought this book was an easy and quick read. The storyline brought up a new idea to dating in the modern world. Before the book even began, my favorite quote from the author was, “you don’t have to give up on love just because one person gave up on you.” That quote really hit home for me due to a past long term relationship and I am sure it will be able to connect with a lot of other readers out there. I liked how the author put in little reminders and pieces of relationship advice through her characters. I thought Will brought a lot to the story and found him to be cute and quirky. The only aspect of this writing that I disliked was how the author poked fun at people with certain political beliefs. I felt that it did not add to the story and was randomly added in there. Overall, I liked that the main character did not give up on her quest to getting what she wanted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advance reader copy.

After a couples therapist is unexpectedly left by her fiancée, she decides to keep the wedding date and simply find a new groom. While the concept feels a bit attention seeking and far fetched, the author manages to develop and show a more nuanced and holistic picture of the main character. I found myself rooting for her and laughing at her witty banter. I also appreciated that the storyline also captured her work as a therapist, family dynamics and her own personal mental health experiences.

I didn’t really enjoy this book. The FMC was annoying, and I just couldn’t get into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

pretty fun romance! the one part i didn't like was how the second ml had no chemistry with her so despite the time it was always clear that it wasn't happening. 3.5 stars. tysm for the arc.