Publication: 26th May 2022 – Hodder & Stoughton
Freya Scott is getting married. Her wedding to Matthew, her long-term boyfriend, is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and as someone who prides herself on being meticulously organised, Freya is intent on making it the perfect day to remember.
But when Matthew calls things off hours before they walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, the last thing she wants is to attend a summer of other peoples’ nuptials on her own.
Fortunately, her friends have an idea: together they devise a series of outrageous challenges for Freya to complete at each event, designed to distract her from Matthew and what might have been.
From getting stuck in an old church bathroom and needing to be rescued by the vicar to making out with a barman at a French chateau, Freya realises that despite herself, she might just be having fun.
By the time the final wedding arrives, she’s not the same woman she was at the start of the season. And maybe her own love story isn’t over just yet…
The day before her wedding, while guests are arriving and peacocks are loose in the house (a gift from her brother), Freya is dumped by her fiancé, the man she spent the last twelve years with, – in a broom closet. Heartbroken and with a full wedding season ahead of her (seven weddings to attend to, without counting the hen dos), her best friends, Ruby and Leo, encourage her to set herself a challenge for each wedding. From being the last one standing on the dance floor to getting a pair of cufflinks from a man, from making an impromptu speech to kissing someone at midnight to running naked in the corridor of a hotel (inspired by the Spice Girls), Freya will distract herself, enjoy herself, and stop thinking about the wedding that never was.
I had so much fun reading The Wedding Season. I laughed a lot, but there are also a few serious and thought-provoking moments. Freya is an incredible protagonist. The Wedding Season is her journey as she heals from her heartbreak and she rediscovers herself. Freya is a hilarious, relatable, and authentic character and I enjoyed reading how she developed throughout the novel.
There is some romance, but what I loved most about this novel is the friendship theme. Freya is surrounded by a group of dynamic and entertaining characters that support her throughout the novel. I loved their witty exchanges, their group chats that always made me laugh, and their loyalty, especially with Ruby and Leo.
Last year, I really enjoyed the author’s adult debut novel, The Secret Bridesmaid, and The Wedding Season was even better. It is entertaining, compelling, and addictive and it is one of my favorite books of the summer.
A huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a ARC of the novel.
Katy is the author of romantic-comedies The Secret Bridesmaid and The Wedding Season. She has also written several young adult novels including The It Girl series, the Hotel Royale series and Morgan Charmley: Teen Witch. She is the co-author of the middle grade Lightning Girl series and Star Switch with Alesha Dixon, and the Find the Girl teen series with YouTube stars Lucy and Lydia Connell. Katy was proud to be the author of a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma for the Awesomely Austen series, a collection of Austen’s novels retold for younger readers. She has also written a non-fiction book, How to be a Princess: Real-Life Fairy Tales for Modern Heroines.
Katy lives in London with her husband, Ben, and her rescue dog, Bono.
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