The Grooms Wore White by Charlie Lyndhurst
Jason is the best wedding planner around, known as the Fairy Godfather to the couples whose special days he plans. But coming up against workplace prejudice is taking a toll on his love for his job.
His mother-in-law, Mel, has just discovered her husband has been cheating on her with a younger woman. Nearing fifty, jobless and struggling, she needs to work out who she is aside from a mum and a wife, and get her life back on track.
Meanwhile, up-tight wedding planner Harriet is struggling to find her own true love – if such a thing exists. Between liars, married men, and disaster dates, she thinks she may never find the one. And her outdated attitude toward LGBT marriages make her even more bitter.
When Jason starts Extra Weddings – helping people marry whoever they like, in whatever way they want – he, Mel and Harriet find themselves coming together to help couples make memories to last a lifetime. But can they bridge their gaps, and be a unit when others need them most?
Fans of Casey McQuiston, Lindsey Kelk and Justin Myers are invited to the most heart-warming and extravagant wedding event of 2022.
Relationship
woes, wedding plans, and second chances are themes running through
this heart-warming novel by Charlie Lyndhurst.
I
admit, I was expecting a rom-com when I picked up this book, however,
there's plenty to make you smile within the thoughtful narrative as
we follow three people dealing with challenges in their lives.
Told
from three points of view, we follow Jason, a wedding planner as he
navigates through the prejudices when dealing with people opposed to
the LGBT community. Mel, a mum of four, is blind-sided when she finds
out her husband of twenty-five years has been cheating on her and
leaves her for the younger woman. Harriet is also a wedding planner
and struggling to find her place in the world. They are all connected
as Jason works with Harriet and Mel is his mother-in-law. All three
embark on a journey to find happiness as they look for solutions to
their problems.
I
liked all the protagonists specifically Mel, as she picks up the
pieces of her life. I admired her spirit and determination to not
only want to provide for her family but also to realise she is still
young enough to fulfil dreams she thought were long forgotten. Jason
and Harriet's work as wedding planners focus on the satisfaction of
helping couples to celebrate the wedding of their dreams, in
addition, provides an insight into both the highs and lows of the
industry. The author does a good job combining the difficult topics
with the light-hearted antics creating a well-balanced
page-turner.
Overall,
this is an enjoyable and entertaining read. I would have liked to
have known more about Jason and Pete's relationship yet, in the end,
the grooms wore white as the plot threads are satisfactorily tied up
with happiness all around.
***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher Hera Books***
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3fM2CPu
Apple: https://apple.co/3fIc0nh
Charlie Lyndhurst is an award-shortlisted gay romance novelist, writing tutor, ghostwriter, and the Diversity Officer of the Romantic Novelists' Association. The Grooms Wore White is his first commercial crossover novel.
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