Name: Stavroula Kalantzis's review of The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall
Item: The Wedding Season
Rating: 5
Author: Stavroula Kalantzis

Katy Birchall

Four Weddings and a Funeral meets The Wedding Party in Katy Birchall's The Wedding Season: when a recently jilted bride is forced to attend seven weddings in one summer, her friends devise a series of challenges as distraction.

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 organized, 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 realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun.

By the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that “I do” is only the beginning––and that perhaps her own love story isn’t over just yet.

A Novel

The Wedding Season

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Four Weddings and a Funeral meets The Wedding Party in Katy Birchall's The Wedding Season: when a recently jilted bride is forced to attend seven weddings in one summer, her friends devise a series of challenges as distraction. Smart and ambitious, Freya Scott prides herself on always having it together: she has a top job as a Brand Manager for Suttworth, a multi-national drinks company, and she’s engaged to her long-term boyfriend, Matthew. Their wedding is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and she’s intent on making it the fete that everyone is talking about all summer long. But when Matthew calls it off the day before their walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, she is determined to appear in control and fine. Surely, Matthew will soon realize that he’s made a huge mistake, and their wedding will simply be “postponed” instead of canceled. In the meantime, Freya still has a summer of other people's nuptials ahead of her––which she must now attend solo. To help her survive the wedding season, her best friends concoct a series of challenging, outrageous tasks that she must 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 realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun. And by the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that “I do” is only the beginning––and that perhaps her own love story isn’t over just yet.

I just finished reading the book titled, "

" by Katy Birchall and found it delightful and a feel-good novel for readers who love rom coms. Freya was the main character in the novel, whose fiancé dumped her on the eve of her wedding because she was too prim and proper for his liking, and she is forced to confront her own insecurities as a result. The story takes off in a setting reminiscent of 

with a delightful cast of characters (her brother, Adrian, her father, her best friend Ruby and her fiance, and her long-lost mother) who impart their pearls of wisdom as Freya journeys onwards in rediscovering who she is and what she wants out of life. Her adventures and mishaps make for a very entertaining read and while she is in the process of figuring out her goals and dreams, she learns to let go of her inhibitions and sheds her fears on the notion that she is a mediocre individual and a failure in her personal and professional life. Although at the beginning, she is seen as someone who never steps up to the plate career-wise (i.e., presenting new ideas for marketing beverages), by the time the reader gets to the end of the novel, Freya is observed as someone "coming out of her shell" and consequently, we, as readers, applaud her for her improvements; at the same time, while dealing with her family and her ongoing issues with her mother, Freya encounters a man who works in a company rivaling her own, and inextricably, becomes enamored of him even while they battle out their ongoing issues on who has the better job, who has the better beverage company-wide, and ultimately, they agree to disagree. Their friendship evolves as the storyline continues and the reader gets immersed into their dynamic interactions but it isn't until Freya finally gets up the courage to resolve the pending issues from her relationship with Matthew, that she moves on with her life and finds romance with her nemesis/friend. I loved this book for its comical description of true-to-life wedding mishaps as experienced by the beguiling Freya, our heroine, and the all-around dramedies surrounding her wacky family. For me, I can attest that the book bespoke a certain delightful charm that I couldn't resist and long after the book was put down, I still found it resonated with me. Thank you for this well-written and joyful read and I hope to read more from this author who also wrote a novel titled, "The Secret Life of a Bridesmaid," another feel-good novel of proportionate comedic wit.

Stavroula Kalantzis

I just finished reading the book titled, "The Wedding Season" by Katy Birchall and found it delightful and a feel-good novel for readers who love rom coms. Freya was the main character in the novel, whose fiancé dumped her on the eve of her wedding because she was too prim and proper for his liking, and she is forced to confront her own insecurities as a result. The story takes off in a setting reminiscent of Four Weddings and a Funeral with a delightful cast of characters (her brother, Adrian, her father, her best friend Ruby and her fiance, and her long-lost mother) who impart their pearls of wisdom as Freya journeys onwards in rediscovering who she is and what she wants out of life. Her adventures and mishaps make for a very entertaining read and while she is in the process of figuring out her goals and dreams, she learns to let go of her inhibitions and sheds her fears on the notion that she is a mediocre individual and a failure in her personal and professional life. Although at the beginning, she is seen as someone who never steps up to the plate career-wise (i.e., presenting new ideas for marketing beverages), by the time the reader gets to the end of the novel, Freya is observed as someone "coming out of her shell" and consequently, we, as readers, applaud her for her improvements; at the same time, while dealing with her family and her ongoing issues with her mother, Freya encounters a man who works in a company rivaling her own, and inextricably, becomes enamored of him even while they battle out their ongoing issues on who has the better job, who has the better beverage company-wide, and ultimately, they agree to disagree. Their friendship evolves as the storyline continues and the reader gets immersed into their dynamic interactions but it isn't until Freya finally gets up the courage to resolve the pending issues from her relationship with Matthew, that she moves on with her life and finds romance with her nemesis/friend. I loved this book for its comical description of true-to-life wedding mishaps as experienced by the beguiling Freya, our heroine, and the all-around dramedies surrounding her wacky family. For me, I can attest that the book bespoke a certain delightful charm that I couldn't resist and long after the book was put down, I still found it resonated with me. Thank you for this well-written and joyful read and I hope to read more from this author who also wrote a novel titled, "The Secret Life of a Bridesmaid," another feel-good novel of proportionate comedic wit.

REVIEWED BY Roula Kalantzis

This would be so cute as a Netflix or Hulu movie!! 

Alyssa O

Abigail Joyann

DNF @ 13%
I really don't have much to say other than it was boring and the whole premise of the book was just not working and I didn't like how it started.

sydney

*4.5

This book was super cute. I loved seeing Freya's journey of learning who she is and how to move on. I know that romance was not the main point of the book but Freya and Jamie were so cute.

I received an arc through netgalley.

caly

this was fun but maybe not for me, i went in assuming this would be a romcom and i don’t think i really got that but it was a great story and concept

Lynn Braden

When Freya Scott's fiance, Matthew takes her into a broom closet and calls off their wedding the night before the ceremony is to take place, she is devastated.  After being together for twelve years, Freya thought they were the perfect couple, but Matthew's rejection makes her question everything.  As she enters the summer wedding season, Freya is supposed to attend several weddings of close friends, but she doesn't know if she can face people after what happened.  Freya's friends, Leo and Ruby, come up with the idea of tasks that Freya must perform as she attends these weddings to take her mind off of Matthew.  Even though the list sounds crazy, it just may help Freya make it through The Wedding Season.

The Wedding Season takes the idea of being left at the alter and transforms it into a touching and hilarious story about finding oneself after suffering heartbreak and humiliation.  Even though Freya's unwillingness to let go of her fiance is a bit frustrating, her journey makes it easy to root for her throughout the book.  Events and dialogue are laugh out loud funny at times, making the story even more enjoyable.  Although the story is mostly based in women't fiction, there is a romance element that shines as part of the plot.  Overall, The Wedding Season is a delightful, emotional story from beginning to end. 

Larissa zavala

At the moment I have no words. 

It feels like this has been the best rom com I've ever read? Like I laughed so hard tears rolled down my face. I will give this a proper review when it's not 5am because I stayed up all night finishing this book.



Okay I'm back. 

This book was amazing. 
“How to survive the Wedding Season.” “You’re kidding, right?” I ask nervously. She stares back. “Do I look like I’m kidding? I’ve written the title at the top of the page, Freya”—she taps it with her finger—“and I’ve underlined it. You don’t underline titles at the top of the page unless you’re serious about them."


First of all, I loved that it was in London. As I read it was all in a British accent. The MC was so hilarious I loved her so much and her friends were so great! I highlighted so many things and plan on buying the physical copy. 

Synopsis: freya has been with Matthew for 12 years and he breaks up with her the day before their wedding. He calls her together and other boring terms and says that he's too emotional for her. (A bunch of bs in my opinion) Basically, this story is about what happens after that. How she gets through it. It is a very busy wedding season which her wedding was going to start but now she isn't getting married and realizes how hard it's going to be to get through the weddings. Her best friends help her come up with a wedding challenge to get her through the wedding and to make her focus elsewhere and not think about her ex so much. Also, to prove to herself that she isn't this boring person he made her out to be. 


This story is so funny. It has a bit of romance but to me that isn't the main focus. The main focus is freya healing. It's about what great friends she has. They love her and take care of her. They say some hilarious things and the banter / sarcasm between them is so perfect, there is some tearful moments and there is even family reconciliation in this story. It's just so good. 

Some of my favorite quotes: 

“Are you both mad?! Today is meant to be about you two!” “Yes, and you are very much part of us. We’ve put a lot of thought into this final task. You’ve been successful at all the others, but this one is a real game changer.” 


“Mum, you burying a sausage has no effect on the weather. It’s science.” “It’s faith, darling. Sometimes it’s healthy to have some of that.”

If we were able to plan everything, we’d never change; we’d never learn or grow. Take ponds, for example. It’s the messy ones that are full of life.”


“I feel like we’re having quite a nice moment, so I’m not going to ruin it by telling you how insulting that was, but I intend to bring it up later.”

“I hope you told him where he can stick his thank-you.” I wince at my parting shot. “Actually, I told him his shoes didn’t go with his trousers.” They all burst into hysterics and their laughter is so infectious that I start giggling, too, even though I feel rubbish.


Thanks NetGalley for providing a copy of this arc for me to review.

Jess Griffin

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

My favourite thing about this book is that as well as being a romance, it really focuses on Freya's character and her personal journey.

Also, I love Freya's support system! It was so refreshing to read a book where there was no sideline drama between her friends or family.

I love Freya & Jamie - their chemistry was amazing!!!!

The writing style was perfect & easy to read.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall