Roula 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 fiancé, 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 Bridesmaid,” another feel-good novel of proportionate comedic wit.