Review: The Week Before the Wedding – Beth Kendrick

Beth Kendrick sweeps you off your feet with a captivating tale of how even the best-laid plans can falter at the altar.

After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.

Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.

As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.

Series:
Release Date:  May 7, 2013
Publisher:  NAL Trade
Source:  Provided by Publisher
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Reviewer’s Thoughts

In THE WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING our heroine, Emily, is grappling with what she needs to make her happy. Prior to coming to Valentine, Vermont for her destination wedding, she thought that was her fiance Grant. But when her ex-husband Ryan appears at the resort and she gets a birds eye view on the previously thought perfect family she was going to marry into, Emily has to finally admit that maybe everything she thought she wanted isn’t exactly the best fit.

I liked Emily. She changed everything about her life when her first marriage disintegrated. She thought if she let go of that free spirited girl, she wouldn’t have her heart broken like it was when she and Ryan split. She needed stability in her life and wanted someone who was going to give her that stability and not make her life (and emotions) a roller coaster. She found someone who met all her criteria, but she wasn’t really happy despite giving that outward appearance. She denied it for a long time, but that week before her wedding really opened her eyes to who she’d turned into.

The cast of secondary characters really make this story. They make you laugh and have you wishing you were at the resort so you could take part in whatever trouble they were getting into. Between Emily’s mother, best friend and Grant’s family (those aunts were vicious) I couldn’t wait to see what they would get into next.

Beth Kendrick once again creates characters and a story that feel like they could happen to your best friend or even yourself. This was a book I didn’t want to put down, but when I did get to the end I was left with a smile on my face.