Review: The Wedding Crasher

Title: The Wedding Crasher

Author: Abigail Mann

Publisher: 17th March 2022 by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Poppy is packing her bags to spend two blissful weeks alone on an island. It’s time away from the ex-husband who hasn’t quite moved out yet, and reminders of the marriage they rushed into young, before she’ll kick back on a girls’ holiday with her oldest friend Lola.

But before Poppy can set foot on the ferry, Lola waylays her. She has her first high-profile wedding planner gig on the neighbouring island, and there’s a problem – the photographer has bailed.

Poppy agrees to help out for Lola’s sake. But soon the bride confides she has cold feet and asks Poppy’s help escaping the island, and then Poppy realises she recognises the groom. Embroiled in a high-society disaster waiting to happen, Poppy has to save the wedding… but should she?

The Wedding Crasher will have you in stitches from start to finish – don’t miss the new uplifting book from Abigail Mann!

My Thoughts

‘What was she doing here, on Loxby? She had left the claustrophobia of home to give herself space to think, alone. If that was a test, she was surely failing. If she could learn to be comfortable on her own, she might not find the rest of her life so utterly terrifying.’

The Wedding Crasher by Abigail Mann is a contemporary fiction with a focus on chaos leading up to a socialite wedding. There are flashbacks that help in understanding character motivations and history. Overall, it is about life and love in the search for happiness. 

‘What even is supper?’ asked Poppy. ‘I think it’s what Nigella Lawson does when she sneaks down to snaffle leftovers from the fridge in her nightie.’

The positives of this book are the second chance trope. There are also many funny one liners with a range of - to be expected - entertaining moments leading up to the big day. The dialogue is fast and witty. What I felt to be stronger were the more serious issues pertaining to feeling lost and uncertain in the face of divorce and loneliness. I wish these had been explored better. 

‘One of the things she liked best about photography was how necessary it was to stand at the periphery of a scene, but never imprinting herself on it.’

Herein lies my problem with this book. There were not enough funny or romantic moments (might I venture to say rather silly and ridiculous ones). It was a bit of overkill with the crazy relationships whether between friends, family or lovers - or all three at once. I would even go a step further and say that Poppy’s relationship with her soon to be ex husband was toxic and not a laughing matter, just the opposite. 

‘Poppy knew with singular focus that taking it was the only way she would have the courage to leave. This was her life raft. She needed to climb on…’

So whilst I appreciated Poppy’s growth and journey as she faced her flaws and had the odd chuckle, I did find the two opposing themes rather difficult to reconcile. 

‘And there was me thinking you had an uncomplicated life.’ ‘Does anyone? I think that’s just adulthood. A Groundhog Day of people saying “things will slow down soon” until one of you slips into a coma.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.