The main characters of "Save the Date," Rebecca and Brody, were both very likeable, and I found myself chuckling frequently at their banter as they got to know each other. It was easy for me to root for them to find a way to be together despite the obstacles standing in their way. Overall, I enjoyed this sweet, charming story and would recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy.
About "Save the Date"
The Wedding Planner meets The Bachelor in Save the Date, the third standalone laugh-out-loud rom com in the Wild Wedding series.
Rebecca Halstead has never been a bridesmaid, but she can certainly relate to the expression “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” As one of Chicago’s top wedding planners, Rebecca has had a front row seat to countless ceremonies, yet her own walk down the aisle has started to feel like nothing more than a little girl’s fantasy. She’s the wallflower who, thanks to a clean bill of health from her oncologist, wants to live life to the fullest. If only she knew how.
Brody Dixon hasn’t heard the word “no” since he was drafted by the NFL. With cover model looks and an arm that’s earned him two Super Bowl MVPs, Brody can have his pick of women. But as the next celebrity bachelor on American Sweetheart, both his agent and publicist want him to clean up his image before the show begins. If only he knew how. Then fate, and an impulsive wager, bring these two opposites together until an unlikely alliance is formed. For the next two months, Brody will get a crash course in romance. In return, he agrees to help Rebecca break out of her carefully constructed shell. On paper it makes perfect sense. But as they struggle to teach each other, Brody and Rebecca just might discover that falling in love is the most important lesson of all.
My Review
I enjoyed Ann Marie Walker's "Save the Date," the third book in the Wild Wedding series. Main characters Brody and Rebecca were both quite likeable, and their banter as they got to know each other made me chuckle frequently. I especially loved Brody's terrible pickup lines and Rebecca's efforts to turn him into "less of a
Neanderthal" through activities such as ballroom dancing. Their relationship development was a nicely paced slow burn, and I couldn't wait for the two of them to finally give into their feelings for each other.
There were a few things that didn't entirely make sense to me about the plot, however. For example, how did Rebecca have so
much free time to spend with Brody while he was filming for the reality show? As a wedding/event planner, I would think her Saturdays would be very busy with work, but it seemed like a lot of Brody's filming as well as their dates were on Saturdays. Also, if Brody was being tracked by the paparazzi so closely, how did they miss that he was spending so much time with Rebecca and figure out that they were basically dating?
Further, as someone who has battled stage IV breast cancer for the past year, I have to comment on Rebecca's illness and the effects it had on her character and relationship with Brody - or rather, DIDN'T seem to have. The type of cancer she battled was never specified, but if she had any type of surgery related to it, she may very well have had concerns about sharing her scars with a new partner. The fear of recurrence wasn't addressed either, and that's a pretty big one for most cancer survivors. Achieving remission, while a huge milestone, does not mean that the cancer is cured. There's also the fact that Rebecca's chemotherapy treatments may have affected her ability to have children in the future, and Brody wanted a "houseful of children." Obviously, I am more sensitive to this issue than most readers, and I completely understand that this story is a rom-com and meant to be light and funny, but I still wish that this aspect of the story had been better developed.
At any rate, despite those issues, I really liked the main characters both individually and as a couple, plus the book made me laugh out loud. I recommend "Save the Date" for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy and will definitely be reading more books in this series.
Further, as someone who has battled stage IV breast cancer for the past year, I have to comment on Rebecca's illness and the effects it had on her character and relationship with Brody - or rather, DIDN'T seem to have. The type of cancer she battled was never specified, but if she had any type of surgery related to it, she may very well have had concerns about sharing her scars with a new partner. The fear of recurrence wasn't addressed either, and that's a pretty big one for most cancer survivors. Achieving remission, while a huge milestone, does not mean that the cancer is cured. There's also the fact that Rebecca's chemotherapy treatments may have affected her ability to have children in the future, and Brody wanted a "houseful of children." Obviously, I am more sensitive to this issue than most readers, and I completely understand that this story is a rom-com and meant to be light and funny, but I still wish that this aspect of the story had been better developed.
At any rate, despite those issues, I really liked the main characters both individually and as a couple, plus the book made me laugh out loud. I recommend "Save the Date" for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy and will definitely be reading more books in this series.
*ARC provided by the author via L. Woods PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
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