Pallas Saunders has inherited a business, a wedding in a box, which she is struggling to make a go of. Nick Mitchell is a famous wood sculpture who has no direction in life. They live in Happily Inc. whilst waiting to start a new commission in Dubai he goes to work part time for Pallas as a carpenter. Pallas moved to Happily Inc to get away from his father as he did not have a great childhood whilst Pallas’s mother never thinks her daughter can live up to her high standards and wants her to work in the family’s banking business Both have to deal with these issues before they can have a successful relationship. Neither are looking for love but their HEA seems to have found them!

They are both likeable characters. The minor characters are interesting as they will be developed throughout the Happily Inc series. The novel and the whole series is not just about love and finding your HEA but also community and friendship which makes for an enjoyable read.

received this novel from Mills & Boon via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Charming, quirky, with a cast of likeable and believable characters, I read this quickly and was disappointed when it ended. Glad to see it's Happy Inc Book 1, and I look forward impatiently to those to come.

Read on holiday in one sitting and enjoyed.

Thank you to Mills & Boon Insiders and to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
A very good read and one I can highly recommend to others.
I could not put this down.
Thoroughly enjoyable with an amazing cast of characters that you cannot help but engage with.

I may have mentioned once or twice that I am a sucker for a nice fluffy romance book, and this book was exactly what I love to read. It also helped that it is by one of my all time favourite romance authors Susan Mallery. I have read many of her books and loved every single one of them.


So lets starts off with the characters... You have Pallas Saunders the owner of Weddings in a Box and all round good girl except she's disappointing her mother at every turn. Then you have Nick Mitchell the famous wood sculptor who has some family issues and doesn't know what he is doing with his life... well he does but is it what he wants?


I loved these two main characters. Pallas was strong yet still that young girl that wanted her mothers approval in what she does as a career. Pallas knows what she wants but is too scared to grab hold of it. She is supported by a group of strong females that help her every step of the way.


Nick has the rugged handsome looks the career but he is lost. He and his brothers have moved to Happily Inc. to get away from their father and to find themselves. He is a talented artist and waiting on a big commission but whilst waiting goes and works for Pallas as a part-time carpenter.


So for those of you that hate Insta love this one isn't for you. Even though ***SPOILER*** they do fall in love both Pallas and Nick have their own demons to overcome. Pallas with her beliefs that she is not good enough and Nick, well lets say Nick hasn't had the best childhood and believes like his father that Love is consumed by passion and nothing good comes out of it.


I love that during this book you got to see how kind-hearted Nick is especially when supporting Pallas. You also see Pallas shine but at times I wanted to shout at her to tell her mother off who was being horrible to her... But you know with any good romance that you get there in the end.


With some fabulous secondary characters in Pallas' friends and Nick's brothers it brought together the best thing I like about Susan Mallery's books. They aren't all about the Insta-love/falling in love but the community and family which I adore as it makes the book to me seem more realistic.


I can't fault Susan Mallery's writing style or content at all. As I said she is one of my favourite romance authors and I love how she incorporates family, friends and love into one book. She adds quirks to the secondary characters that have you laughing at times when there was a more serious chapter. She creates characters with flaws, yes flaws that find love at the end and lets face it in the world we live in why not.


A nice cute and fun romance that had me giggling, smiling, sighing out loud and sometimes sniffing (I was not crying).


4 out of 5 stars.. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

thank you for allowing me to read this book. it was very easy to read. i enjoyed the story line and the characters. look forward to reading more from this author.

I liked this story. It was fun, romantic, quirky.

I liked Pallas, including her demons. She was nice, determined, stubborn. Her chemistry with her friends was believable, and the tension between her and her mother was believable as well. I felt for her when it came to her mum, she didn’t have it easy but she was determined to do what made her happy.

I liked Nick as well. He was a big softy really. The chemistry between him and Pallas was there, and it was instant. You could feel the passion between them.

One thing I didn’t like was how many people you had to remember when it came to Pallas’s friends. There was no end of them. I felt one or two of them weren’t really needed, but they’re probably used for other books in the series so they need to be there. That’s my only fault with this book really.

I loved the idea when it came to the out of the box wedding ideas. It made me wish I’d been more out of the box when it came to my own wedding. I can’t go back so it’s done. Anyway. The weddings were what kept this story going for me, they were the main focus point and I thought it was a nice touch.

The writing style was quick and easy to read. It was easy to follow and understand where things were going. I did find it a little predictable, but as we all know now, I do like a bit of predictable every now and again.

Welcome to Happily Inc you'll love it here. Our Heroine Pallas owns Weddings in a box. Unfortunately the business isn't doing well, on top of that her Mother is insisting she joins the family bank business.
Nick is a world famous carpenter, being creative runs in the family. He grew up with a insensitive father. That's left him fearing long term relationships. While waiting for a dream commission in Dubai, he takes on a job at Weddings in a box. When bride to be Nova asks them for an elaborate wedding based on a game her and her fiance have made. Pallas originally says no, then after some discussions with Nick and her friends. She realises she doesn't have to keep things exactly the same as they were when her old boss Gerald ran the business. The weddings were interesting, watch out for the zebra's. You Say It First is an excellent start to what looks to be an enjoyable series. I cant wait to read some more. Susan Mallery knows how to spin a good story. I requested an arc in exchange for an honest review. #millsandbooninsiders

Very strange concept of a wedding hall that can be totally revamped for each novel wedding idea. From Roman forum to computer games or undersea this venue seeks to fulfill every woman’s dream. Add to this an overbearing and totally insensitive mother balanced by a group of wonderfully supportive friends and the scene is already set. Into it steps the handsome carpenter and so the tale begins to unfold......

4.5 - "This is us…" Stars!

You Say it first introduces the reader to the town and series of the same name; Happily Inc. A town that pretty much keeps itself profitable by being a destination wedding venue. Weddings in a Box being one such business, and newly owned by Pallas Saunders.

"Everything about you works for me…"

Artist/Carpenter Nick Mitchell, being the man that brings a hitch to her pulse and a glow to her heart, as the story progresses. Two things I took from this book were the great set-up/secondary characters and the easy-going/engaging writing style the author manages to impart.

Nothing massively new or unusual about the tropes used, but the unique setting, and the plethora of likeable secondary characters made this a book well worth reading, and a series in general worth one-clicking(well for me anyway even though several of the titles are a little on the expensive side for e-books).

"You’re a bigger temptation than I’d realized."

I can’t really give an author higher praise than the fact I bought the rest of the series after finishing this one, and I look forward to spending many happy hours reading her back catalogue in the future.

This was the first book I have read of Susan Mallery but I know it will not be the last. You say it First is the first of the new series of books whose stories take place in Happily Inc. I loved reading about how the town came by its name and found the premise of a whole town built around weddings to be a fun storyline. In this first book you meet Pallas and her group of friends, I found myself drawn into their group and wanting to find out how each one finds their happy ever after. Pallas runs Weddings Out side the box and it was lovely to see all the different types of weddings she did and this created some fun scenarios for instance how she first meets Nick. I loved the Boardroom bar and would love this to be my local. I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to see how the remaining Happy Inc stories play out. I have already bought the next three and can't wait to get reading!

Really enjoyed this book, the first I’ve read from Susan Mallory and it won’t be my last. The story moved at a fab pace and I loved all the characters, will definitely read the next in the series

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher. I read this book and it was ok but not brilliant. Not too sure will be in a rush to read the next book in the series though

Another Susan Mallery book to savour, love the links to the Fools Gold series and the continuation of the story about the Mitchell brothers. The story skipped along at a good pace. Lots of lovely warm characters and a couple of moments where I shed a tear. Can't wait to see what the other brothers get up to.

The story of Nick and Pallas.

Nick is a scultpor, from a famous and arty family. He offers to help out restore some screens for Pallas, as part of the wedding business he runs. He doesn't want a relationship, concerned that the passion will be all consuming, so Pallas agrees to a summer fling. But what will happen at the end of the summer?

Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Light and fun read but I felt the characters lacked the usual chemistry, there was not the click of the usual humour I enjoy, but a no cue light read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion