23 July 2013

Book Review: Save the Date! by Allie Spencer

"Family weddings can be hell.

...and, marooned in Italy for her cousin's nuptials, Ailsa can be forgiven for thinking that this one is worse than most. With the bride and groom at loggerheads and the guests in uproar, it is a million miles away from the rest and relaxation she'd been hoping for.

And then suddenly, in the middle of the mayhem, she comes face-to-face with Nick, the man she walked out on just a few months earlier.

How can Ailsa help get the wedding back on track when she and Nick can't stop arguing? But if they do, she might remember why she fell in love with him in the first place - and then there really would be trouble."

Rating: 4/5

You can buy Save the Date! as a paperback or an eBook now!

I've read a couple of Allie Spencer's previous novels, and thought that they were great summer reads - light-hearted and fun but with stories you care about. Allie is back this year with another brilliant summer read called Save The Date. I have to say I loved the cover from when I first laid eyes on it, so summery and gorgeous, and the fact it is set almost entirely in Italy is certainly in its favour as well! I am pleased to say that Allie Spencer has certainly delivered with a brilliant novel here, and it's one I definitely recommend for your holiday reading!

If she's honest, Ailsa can't say that she's looking forward to her cousin's wedding in Italy. There's some serious family rifts which means that Ailsa's parents won't be attending, and the bride and groom seem to be arguing non-stop too. It doesn't seem like the dream day is going to go as planned. Just as Ailsa starts getting used to her holiday lifestyle, a blast from the past, her ex Nick suddenly comes back onto the scene. They find that they are put in rooms next door to each other and it's impossible for Ailsa to ignore Nick as she wishes she could. Will Ailsa be able to help the wedding go ahead without a hitch, and be able to make things up with her ex to make both of their lives much easier?

I really liked Ailsa from the beginning of the book. You can tell there's something in her personal life which is upsetting her, and I felt really sorry for her because of it. She's clearly missing Nick, and although she knows it isn't the right thing to get back with him, she's lonely, and misses his company. The book quite quickly moves to Italy, and I really enjoyed that it didn't hang about and got straight to the beautiful location of the wedding, so we could also meet some more characters and get really into the story. There were a few characters I really didn't like, Kitty, Ailsa's sister was one of them, and another was Charles, one of the groom's colleagues. He seemed slimy but I enjoyed waiting to see what was going to happen with these two characters as the book went on!

Spencer writes the scenes in Italy so well, that you can really imagine you're there when you're reading it. The weather sounds perfect, the hotel sounds very glamorous and despite the arguments going on all around Ailsa, it sounds pretty perfect! As well as the fabulous descriptions, I really loved the feel of romance in the book, and also the humour that was littered throughout. It really did make me smile, and I have to say I did fall a little bit in love with Ailsa's new doggy friend Arthur, he certainly created some very funny moments! There was a lot of drama going on in the book along with the laughs, and you do have to concentrate as you're reading to make sure you keep up with what's going on, who is who but I really did enjoy it from start to finish.

Spencer's writing style is incredibly easy to read, and with a heroine that you enjoy reading about and a gorgeous summer setting, I definitely recommend reading Save the Date! this summer. Yes, perhaps the ending was a little bit predictable, but for me, I sometimes like reading and hoping there will be an ending I know will satisfy me and make me happy to finish the book. It'll put a smile on your face, and warm your heart, and is a lovely way to spend the warm summer nights. I think Allie Spencer is getting better with each of her books, and Save the Date! for me is her best book to date. I loved it, and hope you will too.

No comments:

Post a Comment