Book Review #18: The Wedding Diaries by Sam Binnie

This book is Sam Binnie's debut novel and she didn't disappoint! Being the completely romantic person that I am, I love reading about weddings, so this book ended up on my bookshelf in no time! I hadn't heard of this book or Sam Binnie herself before I bought this book, so I had literally no idea what to expect! As I said, I picked it up because I love weddings. And I know that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but the cover completely enticed me!

Kiki Carlow thinks that her boyfriend Thom is about to break up with her, so she's shocked and over-the-moon when he actually proposes to her! Cue Kiki turning into a bridezilla! She's got to deal with her annoying mother, her newly pregnant sister and the expanding cost of her wedding, amongst other things that make Kiki think that, maybe her wedding day won't be the happiest day of her life. With Thom's help, can she turn her wedding into something to be remembered, or will it end up being something that she strives to forget?

I liked this book because, rather than showing how amazing the period between 'dating' and 'spouses' is, the book shows all of the hard parts about planning a wedding, including all the things that people seem to forget about until it's too late! It also includes 'Sam's Wedding Guide' in the back to help people who are engaged think about each aspect of their wedding, which I thought was a nice touch. My favourite character, without a doubt, was Thom. Purely because of the way that he cares for Kiki, and the fact that he is willing to put up with anything and everything that she does!

What was good?

The book realistically showed the different aspects of a wedding, and it showed the realistic conversations between a couple who are planning a wedding, leaving in all the ups and downs. As well as this, as Kiki faces different stresses, it feels like we stress with her, that we feel what she feels and we try to think of the different ways that she could face her problems and solve them. Although she doesn't always do what you would expect her to do!

What was bad?

The character of Kiki, as likeable as she was, confused me. This is because, she makes mistake after mistake after mistake, and takes these mistakes out on the people that she is closest to, which is a very realistic but equally unlikeable personality trait. Of course, this added realism to the book and made it great, I just would have liked it if Kiki thought about other people, rather than only thinking about herself.

Overall

If you're looking for a quick, fun read,  would definitely recommend this book. It's serious enough that you get into the story, but not serious enough to make you think about it with a heavy heart as you close the book. If you love romance and weddings, this is completely the book for you!

Thank you for reading

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