2.5⭐️/5

Well that was interesting. I was excited to read this book based on the description, which I think was better than the book. 😬

Why are ALL rom coms lately about unhealthy individuals with anxiety… who do cringy thing after cringy thing. I don’t read books to be bombarded by problems. I read books to have a good time, be entertained, and escape my problems.

So this book is about a woman Emma (a couple therapist) who gets dumped by her fiancé six months before their wedding. She then decides to keep the date, venue, and everything that goes with it and just find a guy to marry. After a few weeks she gets back out in the dating world.

She meets Will through a dating app and they hit it off. I did like Will’s character. He’s witty and fun. They have great chemistry and banter. After Will isn’t on board with getting married so soon. Emma meets Matt a recent divorcee who’s ready to take the plunge with marriage again with Emma. He’s smart, handsome, and sweet. They don’t have chemistry and try to force everything.

The ending was really predictable, but cute.

Emma’s character was a train wreck. She is unhealthy, DESPERATE, anxious all the time to the point where it was so cringy to read. She also was so annoying needing a guy to feel whole. 😬

While I liked the concept. I was turned off at the approach of a few things. I felt like the authors agenda and views were screamed at me quite a few times in the book. I also didn’t appreciate the casualness of all the relationships. Like in a few short weeks Emma had dated and almost hooked up with three different guys. Yuck. I didn’t like that marriage was just a convenient social expectation. Marriage is sacred and beautiful, not something to do on a whim.


Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Allison Raskin for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a fun idea for a story that was sparked by Allison Raskin’s own personal experience with a break-up. Save the Date follows Emma, a couples therapist who was happily engaged to Ryan. She has built her career on understanding successful relationships and giving advice to others. She even has a burgeoning book deal and a popular YouTube channel. Then her fiancé calls off the wedding with no real explanation or even a discussion. Emma is left with all her old insecurities. And how is she going to navigate her career now that her own love life is in shambles?

I loved her support system which included her sister Jackie, brother-in-law Chris, her loyal friend Imani and her endearing parents, Alan and Debbie. Emma begins to think maybe she doesn’t need to cancel her wedding. She can simply find another person who wants to be committed and is willing to get married the same day she had planned. And just like that, “Operation Save My Date” was born.

I have to admit that I saw where the story was heading and I was all in for how it turned out!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review.

I liked the premise of the book, but it just ended up not being what I like in a romance. I found our MC to be a little annoying at times. As a therapist myself I think it’s really hard for anyone, especially a non-therapist to write a therapist as a character, especially in this genre, even if the writer has been in therapy it’s a totally different thing. The social media part seemed to take over what ways important to Emma and by the end I feel like she really didn’t grow or change all that much and was still trying to find purpose in her relationships and not really with herself. I didn’t really feel invested in what happened with them at the end and Emma’s wishy-washiness was frustrating. Everyone else in the story kind of felt like a 60% baked version of a person. I think this premise had a lot of potential but I think it could have been better if Emma was either an active therapist or a therapist who does social media, not a practicing therapist also doing social media which I think can be tricky to pull off in my perspective.

I really enjoyed the premise of the book, and it had so much potential. The ending was a pleasant surprise, offering a refreshing twist that defied typical expectations, which I truly appreciated. The author’s incorporation of mental health themes was another standout, especially knowing they were based on her personal experiences—this added a layer of authenticity and depth that made the book even more meaningful.

That said, while I loved the overall concept, I felt that the execution could have been a bit more polished in certain areas. I personally dislike fade-to-black sex scenes, but I understand that this is a matter of personal preference. Additionally, I had some difficulty connecting with the characters and getting fully invested in their journey, which affected my overall engagement with the story.

I really liked this book. It took me a few chapters to really get invested in Emma and her story, but once I was there I finished the book that day. Loved that the story was different from your basic romance novel and loved the ending!!

This story follows Emma, who is a couples therapist and has just been dumped by her fiance. Instead of cancelling her wedding, she decided to find a new groom instead and she only has 6 months to do it. Oh, and she's also going to post it online for her massive social media following.

This was a fun read that managed to be both lighthearted and also point a spotlight on relationships to look at what makes a relationship actually work and last instead of fizzle out.

This story was witty, had a good dose of comedic charm, and was a nice change of pace from your typical romance stories. I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more of her work.

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 0/5

This was so clever and a fresh spin on getting over a heart break.

Meet Emma. A family therapist, YouTuber, and aspiring author. When Emma is suddenly dumped by her fiancé 6 months before their wedding, Emma is not sure how to navigate the dating world. An unconventional plan is born that would allow Emma to move forward with her wedding, just needing a a new groom.

Meet Ryan…the fiancé that turns Emma’s reality upside down without reason or warning which is the catalyst that leads Emma the journey to keep her original wedding date.

If you’re looking for a romantic comedy with a fresh twist on dating and marriage, then you should definitely read Save the Date.

This was a cute read and very interesting that it came about via the author's real life circumstances. I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

Enjoyed this read! Inspiring to know this is based on the authors own life and really crave to share this with the world. I enjoyed the character development and the story as a whole.

This took me a bit to get into, but once I did I found it to be a light and easy read. The story was unique but I didn’t find myself drawn to any of the characters.

I recieved an advanced copy thanks to the author and NetGalley. Well, this books was so cute. I did have a hard time getting into it. I thought I was going to dnf but after 30% maybe 40% but it did pick up and I was all in. Very cute story. Especially that she is a therapist and her life makes a turn and now she has to solve her own issues and doesn't know what to do until she gets her great idea. The ending I wasn't a big fan but it wasn't bad, I feel like maybe I wanted a little more of them. I already know them but I wanted a little more I'm not sure how to explain but overall I loved the story and the characters, good writing I will definetly have to check out more of her books. I love book that actually put you to thinking stuff like this happens in real life and your put yourself in the characters shoes and ask yourself if that we're you what would you do? You should definitely check this book out if you want something cute and a short read you should see about checking this book out. Again thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me this amazing opportunity to get an advance copy. I appreciate it

I read this book as an arc. I am deeply honored to be able to read this as an arc. As far as reading the book, it read very smoothly. I enjoyed it. I wish it would’ve had a little more spice to it. There was not enough comedy to it for me.
On that note, let’s dive into the book.
The female main character Emma has a fiancé that dumps her six months before her wedding. She is also a influencer as far as podcast and social media. The YouTube channel has been following her through her journey with her fiancé. They are all expecting her to get married on this date and she already had placed most of the payments down for that date. They come up with an idea, meaning them her and her family that they should save the date and find somebody to marry by that date. The book goes through some dates with her past relationship that she tried to date an old Neighbor . She tried to date and then someone she met on a social app. She really connected with a guy she met on the dating app and they headed off. Went on a couple dates and had an intimate relationship. When she came clean to him about her intentions, he did not want to partake in her plans. He did not want to get married or forced to get married within that timeframe. Her sister and brother-in-law ended up finding a guy for her to date that is all on board with marrying her. They date and court and decided to get married. During that time, she finally realizes that she is not in love with him and doesn’t want to get married because she still feels for the guy that she dated from the date. I’m just gonna leave it at that. I don’t wanna give any more spoilers, but it was a very cute romantic book.

A woman, Emma, gets unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé Ryan and decides it would be in her best interest to find a new man to marry on the same date as her planned wedding. She meets two men who pique her interest Matt and Will and she's caught between them.

First I will say what the main things are that I thoroughly enjoyed about this book. I liked Emma's relationship with her friend/coworker, her sister and her parents. I liked that she was fully progressive on the page with some of the things she would say to people. I liked that the book tried an interesting concept that I hadn't really ever read before.

Where it really falls flat for me was in the relationships with the two men she couldn't decide between. There's a ton of time spent in the book with the man that she doesn't end up choosing and it was fairly obvious that they didn't have natural chemistry the entire time so it almost felt like a waste. She also doesn't even meet both of them until like 35% into the book or somewhere around that. It also felt like there was a lot of unnecessary focus placed on the online reception and her secondary job as an influencer. I think that could have been more interesting if it was her main job, but it wasn't so it also sort of felt like a waste of time in my opinion.

The small section in the book where she finally does get together with the person she ends up choosing was really cute. But it barely lasted for any time at all and there was just way too much buildup with hardly any payoff.

(Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Emma has it all, a successful career as a couples therapist, a large following for her online content pages, a deal to write a self help book on relationships, and a loving fiancé. Life as she knows it is perfect. That is, until her fiancé leaves without warning six months before the wedding. With both her heart and her reputation on the line, Emma decides that the only way to salvage it all is to find someone willing to marry her on the date of her already planned wedding. What could go wrong?

This book was absolutely adorable. In a genre laden with novels that seem to tell the same story over and over again, I found the plot line in this one to be unique and interesting. The character of Emma is quirky, yet so incredibly endearing and lovable. Even though the plan she sets in motion in her effort to Save the Date is completely zany, at the same time, her quest for love and acceptance is totally relatable. The banter between the characters is sharp and had me smiling at several points along the way.

The premise of this book was loosely based on the author’s own experiences, and knowing this somehow made it all feel much more personal. It is easy to tell that Raskin has a background in psychology, and reading this felt like it was part fiction and part therapy session, and I mean that in a good way. Overall, this was a light, refreshing read and I would definitely recommend it.

I tried really hard to get through the book, but just when I thought it was picking up, it went back down again. I really couldn't find it in me to like Emma, although I appreciate that she was aware of her pitfalls for the most part.

I'm giving it an extra star because I think it has the potential to be better, but I had to DNF this one. Maybe I'll come back to finish it one day.

Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I went into this book with low expectations, mainly because I was in the midst of a major reading slump, but let me tell you—I finished it in under 24 hours! I was completely hooked on the characters and genuinely didn’t know how the story was going to unfold, which is rare for a romance novel. It gave me serious What’s Your Number? vibes and had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. Despite its lighthearted tone, the book didn’t shy away from exploring deeper, more meaningful moments surrounding grief and heartbreak.

One of the things I loved most was how the book handled mental health. It portrayed it with such honesty and nuance, showing how it can impact both the individual and their relationships. It wasn’t treated as just a plot point but as an integral part of the characters' growth, which made everything feel more real and relatable. My only real complaint is that I wanted more scenes between Emma and Will. Their chemistry was so good, but the limited time they spent together made the ending feel a bit rushed.

Honestly, the writing in the beginning of this book felt a little forced but overall, I am very glad I kept reading because it got better and better. I will be recommending this book.

This book was so much drink from start to finish. Emma is smart and so relatable- I very much saw my younger self in her and her desire for love and a partner for life. I had similar experiences of terrible men and doing things to classify as a stage 5 clinger, but seeing her work through that was amazing! I was cheering for her in that brewery when she confronted her ex fiance. Will is perfect for her and seeing their relationship develop was watching Emma understand what a real relationship should be. Was the book a little predictable? Yup. But it was a great read I’ll keep recommending to people. “One person falling out of love with you doesn’t make you unlovable, it makes you human.” #SavetheDate #NetGalley

3.5 Stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review via NetGalley. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.
 
This book focused on Emma, a relationship therapist with a thriving online presence, and her journey to find a man to marry her on her already established wedding day after her fiancé unexpectedly leaves her 6 months before the wedding. Emma embarks on a journey to “save the date” and hopes to promote alternative ways to thinking about the social construct of marriage. Emma decides she will use her online presence to document the process and share her experience with others. Emma gets caught between finding love and marriage with Will, a funny podcast producer with charm and charisma that immediately catch Emma’s attention, and Matt, a good-looking divorcee who is looking to settle into family life after his failed marriage.
This was a great romantic comedy with several laugh out loud moments and featured a strong female neurodivergent lead. I really enjoyed this story overall. While it took me a few chapters to get hooked as I wasn’t immediately gripped by the writing style, I quickly adapted and was enthralled in the story. I truly was invested in the characters and the storyline.
I don’t typically enjoy love triangles – they just aren’t my trope. They are typically a pretty strong turn-off for me in a romance, however, this book’s approach was so untraditional that I wasn’t bothered by the love triangle. I thought it was done remarkably well.
While I didn’t always agree with Emma’s decision making throughout this book, I appreciated her strong-willed moments and standing by her convictions. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who like unconventional romance and like to read a different story.

Monthly reads review on TikTok and Instagram to be posted with this book by end of next week (3/3 likely).

Call me cynical all you want. Rom-coms do require you to turn down the volume (in this case) totally mute your common sense and rationale, however this one takes the cake. What was ment to be a fun, quick read, felt like a chore. Actively reminding myself to read and finish it so I could move on. There were funny moments, but I'm sorry, Emma isn't "bananas" she is crazy & needs more therapy.

I don't know how she turned Will around. I would have not chased her to the elevator. Nor would I have been Matt.