I really liked this book, I’ve never read a “sliding doors” kind of book before and I must say I liked it.

The main characters are Megan and Tom.
Megan lives in NYC with her fiancé Tom who she met at Harvard, she’s an artistic director for GQ, she is quite happy to marry Tom but she has a weight on her heart: she cheated on him 8 years prior.
Tom is a lawyer at the family firm, a workaholic, also with a big secret: he accepted a job in Minnesota and needs to relocate, he knew for a while but didn’t tell Megan.
The day of the rehearsal dinner arrives and the two lovebirds, each with their own secret, go through it until the inevitable happens and they call off the wedding.
Unfortunately, the universe has other plans and puts them in a temporal loop, they are forced to relieve the rehearsal day until they figure out what they want, who they want, and how to go on with their lives.

First of all, this is not a typical romance, there isn’t much of the typical rom-com in this book.
It’s a very profound novel, not many dialogues, very introspective and descriptive, I like this kind of writing but I get not everyone enjoys it as I do.

I don’t know what the people who suggested this book was “fun” have read, this book is not fun at all, this book made me cry many times. Don’t get me wrong, is a beautiful love story, but with a lot of betrayals and a lot of pain, there’s nothing fun about it.
Tom and Meg are a big mess and you feel for them while they try to put together the pieces of their relationship, it's not fun, it's touching and hard to watch but it's amazing to read.

The characters are well written, I mean, I hated Meg and Tom’s families throughout most of the book, till the end when they actually become decent people. But I guess that was the whole point.
Meg and Tom do what anyone would have done in a time loop, they explore different routes, different scenarios, with different people and that makes sense.
It also makes sense the way they end things, they talk to each other, they forgive each other, and become a better person for one another.
They evolve throughout the book, they face their fears, doubts, and families. I liked it.

There's an open ending, you can imagine what the end will be but you'll never actually know...I have my idea and I wish them both the best.
Also, I had some trouble with the first chapters which are quite slow, but once you manage to get through those it's pretty much downhill.

In the end, I really enjoyed this book, I liked the plot and I connected with the characters.
It's a great book but it's not for everyone, I love these kinds of "sad stories" but those expecting the typical romance might get very disappointed.

A note to the publisher: The digital version is a mess, there are no chapters and a lot of odd layouts throughout the book. I'm sure you already know, but I think it's worth pointing it out.

I will publish a reader-friendly review on GoodReads and Amazon (when the book will be published) with the same rating.

From the moment I first read the synopsis for this book I was excited, and from beginning to end, this brilliant book had me hooked!

Megan and Tom have been together for 12 years and are preparing for what should be the happiest weekend of their lives. They are on the beautiful San Juan Island, a location that has always been special to Megan and therefore the wedding destination of her dreams. However, their plans for a perfect wedding are ruined when a massive fight on the night of their rehearsal dinner causes Tom to call the whole thing off! Thinking that the worst is over, the last thing they expect when they wake up the next morning is to find themselves beginning this day from hell all over again. Somehow they are stuck in a time loop, being forced to repeatedly relive the worst day of their lives! But will this give them the chance to let go of regrets and what ifs and finally get it right?

I loved the journeys of discovery Megan and Tom go on in this book as they both desperately try to get out of the loop they find themselves in. They soon realise that they can both remember everything that happens in each variation of the day they are forced to relive, every time they wake up! I thought this was really clever as it meant they were constantly trying to do things differently to change the course of the day.

The story was so cleverly plotted and it was great seeing so many different variations of the eve of their wedding, each time thinking, surely this has to be the one that works to let Megan and Tom escape from this constantly repeating day. It was sometimes hilarious to see how varied their behaviour could be and how carefree they were with their choices! The secrets that came tumbling out on the day of the rehearsal dinner were awful, but ultimately, it meant they were both able to learn important truths about each other and also themselves.

Annette Christie brought the beautiful setting for Megan and Tom’s never–ending nightmare to life and Roche Harbor was just so picturesque! I also loved the different family dynamics for Megan and Tom respectively and the different struggles they each face as a result. I cared so much about what happened to them both and wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Megan and Tom when the book ended. I was desperate for a few more chapters (even though the ending was a satisfying end to a fantastic book)!

I absolutely loved being immersed in Megan and Tom’s world and am so excited to see what Annette Christie writes in the future!

How many do-overs before you get it right?
The rehearsal is a groundhog style book but for the night before Megs and Tom's wedding. They both have secrets, but after 12 years how do you face what you've been hiding?
Both have over powering families but for different reasons.
Tom's family (the Prescott's) have the strong will to live up to the family legacy which he feels like he must comply with, even if it's not what will make him happy.

Whereas Megs family doesn't fit with the Prescott's family image. Her mother is chaotic with her need to be loved by men. And her siblings are drifters floating through life being unemployed.

It is a fun book! The idea of redoing a day till you get the 'right' outcome. But both of the main characters Megs and Tom are slightly annoying because they keep making the same mistakes as they don't realise what is wrong. It's only annoying because as a reader you can see they just need to communicate with each other. There are similarities between real life relationships because of this.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this. I am very grateful.

As the plot sounded really interesting, I thought I will love it. But, who I was reading, I didn't feel the warmth of the words. Felt like the writing can't connect to you, you just read it and that's it.

Synopsis:
Megan and Tom have been together for 12 years. From getting together at 18, they’ve experienced a lot of firsts together. On the weekend of their marriage, each of them is keeping a secret from the other. But when the truth is revealed, it creates a shift in time causing them to repeat their day over and over. Can they figure out a way to put things right?

Opinion:
Personally, the Groundhog Day style story line is a difficult one for me to enjoy. Sadly I wasn’t blown away by this book. I didn’t really feel any strong emotional ties and to be honest I really disliked the characters. You would think a couple that had been together for so long would be more willing to open up about their emotions rather than take a huff and grow apart like these two did over the repeated days. It was quite lighthearted and easy to read so I wouldn’t say it was a complete failure. It was written amazingly, I just didn’t like the storyline

After twelve years of dating, college sweethearts Tom Prescott and Megan Givens are finally getting married. However, the day before the wedding causes their life together to implode as years of secrets and unspoken resentments are revealed.

After an explosive argument in the bridal suite, the wedding is called off until they wake up and are forced to lie the day of their rehearsal again, and again and again and again.

Tom and Megan go through a journey of self-discovery, realizing how they have let themselves and each other down several times throughout their relationship. Still, they also discover that despite the mistakes and the hurt, even if this day never ends, they choose life together.

This book is about communication, love, forgiveness and choosing to stand up and live for yourself and not others.

An excellent read. I must admit, I did have an issue with Megan's betrayal, but as I read on, I saw that Tom had let her down massively too, albeit in a different way. The Groundhog Day premise of the couple repeating the day before their wedding for around a week, dealing with all of their issues as they went along, was a good one. I enjoyed all their introspection. I wasn't sure what would happen to them in the end. I was rooting for them to stay together. I think the ending was fitting. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
The Rehearsals had a fantastic premise and it was one of the things that attracted me to this story along with the stunning cover. And I thought this story would be a pretty fun/light hearted read where we get two people trying to explore the relationship, and trying to see if they love each other as much as they did before, but unfortunately, it was not the case. The second I learnt that Megan cheated, I was put off. I hate cheating storylines in books and I almost regretted picking this up, but the writing style was pretty nice and that's why I continued with this. I really wish the cheating storyline would not have been included. Maybe then I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.

All in all, this was a pretty average read, made sort of enjoyable by its fantastic writing style.

Long-time couple Megan Givens and Tom Prescott are preparing for what should be the happiest weekend of their lives. But their plans for a perfect wedding are ruined when a huge fight causes them to call it all off on the night of their rehearsal dinner.

Megan and Tom think the worst is over - until they wake up the next morning and find themselves stuck in a time loop. Somehow they are being forced to relive the worst day of their lives - with its painful secrets, age-old grievances, and family dramas - again and again.

We've all had regrets and what ifs; The Rehearsals imagines what you might do with the chance to finally get it right.

Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in return for an honest review. I finished this book, but I'm not sure it's one that will live long in the memory. I found it really repetitive (obviously, with it being the same day!). I'm not sure Megan and Tom were a perfect couple - there was a LOT of compromising and faults on both sides. Overall a fun read,

This was lot of fun. It was high conflict right from the off, (at least it was for me, the conflict-shy type,) but then when I realised it was Groundhog Day plot, I got why it needed to be like that. I hadn’t read the blurb, so didn’t know what I was getting, but it really worked. All the respect for plotting it so well - Tom and Meg’s character journeys were brilliant explored, paced and played out.

Imagine having to relive the stress of your wedding rehearsal dinner over and over again Groundhog Day style, well that is the premise of this funny book that I couldn’t put down. Definitely worth a read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such an incredibly heartfelt and addictive romance,it’s Groundhog Day style premise will send you on an emotional rollercoaster filled with secrets, betrayals and regrets—I literally couldn’t put it down.

Soon-to-be newlyweds Megan Givens and Tom Prescott should be having the best weekend of their lives. But after a huge fight the night before the wedding, they’ve found themselves calling the whole thing off.

The worst is over, until the next day when they both find themselves stuck in a time loop reliving the worst day of their lives over again (and again).

Annette Christie’s The Rehearsals imagines what it might be like to explore the what ifs and regrets we all have—and what we’d do with a chance to finally get it right.

I loved everything about this, it’s exceptionally written and emotionally complex. I thought Megan and Tom were well-written,relatable (despite their many flaws) and full of depth. I also really enjoyed the drama of their dysfunctional families— it added interest (and humour) to the constantly repeated day.

It was really great getting to see Megan and Tom’s relationship from two differing POVs, especially how different their experiences of the same moments actually were. It was also entertaining to see how they explored different iterations of the same day- particularly when they stopped trying to do the right thing and just did (and said) what they really wanted too.

Overall, this phenomenal look at love,life and lost opportunities was absolutely stunning, it’s an absolute must read for contemporary romance and Rom-Com fans everywhere.

I’d also like to thank Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for The ARC

The Rehearsals was a clever book from start to finish. I am a big fan of a time loop and this one was well written, I honestly couldn't put it down, finishing it in two sittings.

Tom and Meg's destination wedding is set to be interesting - the bride chose the location, but her overbearing in law's have arranged pretty much everything else. Groom Tom has had very little to do with the whole thing as he has been a tad busy trying to figure out how to break some pretty big news to his soon to be wife; and when Meg finally sees Leo, their mutual friend, face to face for the first time in a long time...well, maybe Meg has some stuff on her plate too...

I loved the dual points of view from Tom and Megan; it really helped keep the story interesting and fresh. The focus on how their relationship matured and then stagnated was interesting and felt truthful. The family dynamics were well written, especially on the days when Tom and Meg thought 'fuck it!' and did what they wanted, I think, aside from the last day, those were my favorite days to read about.

Tom and Meg's interactions with each other were great, in all of the days, I loved seeing how their feelings shone through in small or big ways; in the little things that they noted about each other whether a gripe or something complimentary.

I found The Rehearsals a fantastic and original read, and one I'll definitely be recommeding.

Hilarious and heartwarming! This had all the memorable moments and relatable characters to make it belong a place beside the likes of Sally Thorne and Helen Hoang

I found this book really clever and very imaginative. The characters were credible, the plot intriguing but, at times, confusing. Not sure I'd want to read it again.

To start off, I have always found that any books or movies that center on a repeating day can be an absolute hit or miss, and The Rehearsals was a definite hit!
The story centers on Tom and Megan, who have been together forever and are finally getting married. Surrounded by their dysfunctional families and long-buried secrets, their relationship inevitably implodes on the night of their rehearsal dinner. So, the one day they want to forget is the day they relive over and over and over again.
Since the story takes place over the same day repeating over, we learn about the character’s relationships and their lives through their recollections of different events. I loved how both Tom and Megan saw the same situation from such different lenses. Each event resonates as we continue to see a different view of events throughout their relationship.
The story keeps you hooked from the get-go. I was defiantly worried I would find it repetitive reading the same day again and again. Still, without giving away any spoilers, there is no issue of that happening here!
This book is so well written, with particular emphasis on the characters and their relations to each other. By the end of the book, you come to know both Tom and Megan and see them as humans who make mistakes and are not perfect but are real.
This book is a definite must-read, and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
#TheRehearsals #NetGalley

I must admit, this story had me almost screaming at the main characters in frustration in parts, which is why I had to knock a star off, but otherwise an ok story. It's basically a groundhog Day type story, but on a couple's rehearsal day, and it's a will they won't they stay together situation. It had multiple twists and turns, but sadly the ending was a bit too abrupt for me (I literally went back thinking I'd somehow skipped a page)

I'm a big fan of the film Groundhog Day and loved the way in which this book took the premise of it and ran with it. It wasn't as light a read as I'd imagined - the couple went through a lot of challenges but I liked the way in which they addressed them. Some bits made me laugh out loud but some made me question things in my own life.

This was a fun read and made me want to go on holiday (everything makes me want to go on holiday at the moment though!)

QOTD: If you could relive any moment of your life, which one would you choose?

Tom and Megan have been together for so long, and finally they‘re about to tie the knot. Even though the day leading to their marriage is proving to be a real nightmare. Their families are infuriating, self-absorbed and sabotaging. Everyone has a complaint, pulling the groom- and the bride-to-be in different directions. And Tom and Megan are keeping secrets of their own, too. Tom’s secret is about the future, and Megan’s... Megan’s is about the past, and more accurately, tom’s best friend, who incidentally is the best man.

When all secrets come to light during the worst rehearsal dinner that ever happened, Megan and Tom vow to call off the wedding. Except, as they wake up the next day, they’re stuck in a loop, repeating the same day, the same horrible dinner, time and time again. Why is this happening - and can they fix it?

I was so intrigued by the wedding-theme with a time-traveling twist, that I requested it on NetGalley as soon as I saw it. And boy, was I in for a treat! This book is absolutely BRILLIANT. The suspense! The twists and turns! The DRAMA! The heart-melting scenes! And Megan and Tom are such realistic, flawed characters, with real issues and who make real mistakes over the course of the book, and never take the expected path.

„The Rehearsals“ is a funny, romantic novel, that ask us to imagine what we might do if given a second chance at life —and at love— and what it means to finally get it right.

Quite an interesting storyline and it was quite funny in places with a nice ending. I really did enjoy it