The Wedding Day: A Novel

this is an excellent book and keeps you interested to the final page. i enjoy this writer and will read more and hope to get some on CD for traveling.

If you are a fan of good, witty chick lit this is a great book. a bit predictable and slow in places, but overall great entertainment.

I had enjoyed "Olivia's Luck" by Alliot and really found this book to be a good read as well. The themes are similar in some ways to her other novels (cheating husbands and the wives that learn to pick up the pieces of their own lives). This novel is both humerous and heartfelt. The one thing that bugged me (repeatedly) is that the dialogue of the Americans in this book was completely British, save a few obvious American slang words. It's hard for me to believe that this book was editted to retain such British sounding dialogue coming from a 13 year old kid or the American doc. Even the doctor's diagnoses weren't spoken as an American e.g. "compulsive obsessive" instead of obsessive compulsive. Still, this book is worth reading.

Annabel "Annie" O'Harran has raised her daughter Flora by herself ever since she dumped her womanizing spouse Adam. She vowed never again would she fall for another man until she met kindhearted and patient (no pun intended) Dr. David Palmer. They are marrying at the end of the summer, but first she must finish writing her book. David persuades her to go use crazy Aunt Gertrude's vacant home in Cornwall where she will find peace and quiet. The only problem with the hideaway is Aunt Gertrude. She has rented the place to visiting American hunk Matt Malone. He is only the first in what seems like an endless queue as Annie's sister Clare and her crew arrive to use the beach followed by Adam and his young girlfriend. However, Matt is the one causing Annie trouble because she wants him instead of David in her bed, but she also does not want to cheat on the kind doctor who has given her a reason to live again. Of course he is in a custody fight with his ex-wife Madeline over young Tod and cannot afford a diversion. This will either be the greatest or worst summer of her life. As the doorbell kept ringing at Annie's getaway, this reviewer kept thinking of the cabin scene in A Night at the Opera. That sets the tone of an amusing yet deep look at modern day extended families. Annie is the center that keeps the story line together while the ensemble cast feels like real people whose prime role is enhancing the heroine (some might say harassing her). Fans of contemporary character studies will enjoy this detoured trek towards the altar. Harriet Klausner

Annie regroups after leaving an unfaithful husband and now struggles to make a living with her writing and raise her preteen daughter. Her life looks to be back on track when she becomes engaged to a doctor with an autumn wedding expected to lead to a secure future. Retreating to Cornwall for the summer seems the ideal way to finish (well, to start) her novel. Issues arise immediately with the ex-husband, her sister, and the proximity of an American writer who's too sexy for her peace of mind. There are elements of chick lit here with some self-deprecating humor, also some standard romance fare, and yet, it pulls together to be even more than either of those genres. It fun, and touching, with warm family scenes - a good read.