Shelley is really likeable. She's tall so wears flatties, doesn't make a fuss and tries not to stand out.
With her colourful relatives that isn't always possible but it doesn't stop her trying.
During her hen weekend she makes discoveries about her fiance and her relatives.
Her fiance, Colin is wealthy, presentable and Shelkey feels is way out of her league.
Her best friend has got lost I the unhappy depths of motherhood nd her relatives are either uptight or given to overcharging- both ttitudes lead to problems.
Does Shelley sleepwalk into a second best marriage or make fuss - something even she can't decide.
I really enjoyed this book. Very different from the author's last, which I also enjoyed.

What a rollercoaster of a hen weekend with funny, sad and unsettling moments. I raced through it and did not guess the end which is always a bonus.

This book is written in past and present tense but I loved it. Its a very funny read. excellent for wanting to escape into a light hearted read. Based on Shelley's hen weekend . what she wants is sun, drink and an escape to the sea. what she gets is chaos.
brilliant !

Shelley is about to walk down the aisle. In flashbacks we are transported to her hen do in Spain nearly 20 years before.
There are problems from the off. Squabbling and disagreements from the minute they land. There are also some amazing jokes along the way. The inflatable banana. The aunt in the mobility scooter.. A perfect holiday read that will leave you with a smile on your face.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

A gorgeous summer read with an amazing cast of female characters. We start in the present where Shelley is finally getting married almost 20 years since she called her original wedding off.

We then travel back in time to the fateful hen weekend that changed everything for everyone.

A book of family, friendship and courage.

This is the second novel by Tracy Bloom I have read, and it was another great read. I actually read it all in one sitting! This book tells the story of an older bride on her wedding day in present day, and flashes back to 20 years earlier when she was first due to get married but it all went wrong in one weekend in Spain. Over time we learn how the person she was during that weekend in Spain turned her into the person she is now in the present. I loved the main character in this novel; I was rooting for her. There’s also a great cast of side characters who all have their own stuff going on too. Will everyone get their happy ending? I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it had some laugh lit loud moments. I definitely want to read Tracy’s back catalogue!

Shelley's hen weekend in Spain is disastrous from start to finish, made up of all age groups and quirky personalities, including being in the same resort as her fiancé. Will she marry him in the end? Entertaining from start to finish.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this nice feel good read, great storyline and great characters, would recommend.

A fun and entertaining read mainly covering a hen party with multi generational characters. An ideal book for holiday with some humorous and at times ridiculous situations but not implausible given the mix of ages and personalities of those involved. Brilliant portrayal of all the characters who were quirky and likeable apart from one, Becca, who was intensely annoying and dominant, she gets what she wants. Several background plots interwoven in the mix with twists and turns resulting in a somewhat unforseen ending.

The Weekend Before The Wedding by Tracy Bloom

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

One weekend, one bride-to-be, what could possibly go wrong…

All Shelley wanted on her hen weekend was to enjoy three days of sun, sea and sangria. But instead of being surrounded by the A-team of her closest friends, she somehow ends up with a Golden Girls-meets-the-Spice Girls B-list that includes her mother, a rebellious teenager, and a best mate ‘on the verge’.

The squabbling starts at the airport, and on arrival in Spain, Shelley barely has time to unpack her suitcase before getting an unwanted text - one that throws her wedding into doubt.

Shelley has got a BIG decision to make, but her unruly medley of nearest and dearest seem determined to confuse matters with their own problems.

My Opinion

I wasn't sure what to expect when I went into this book. This is an entertaining read when the girls get themselves into some highly amusing situations. In places the story is predictable, but all of it adds to the fun read that Tracy Bloom has created. With a lovely cover, this will make for a great summer read.

Rating 4/5

Shelley is invited to stay with her aunt in Spain just before her wedding with her close relatives and best friend for her hen do but things don’t really go as planned. She begins to have her doubts about her husband to be and is uncertain about what she should do.
There were interesting characters, although some quite weird and not all of them likeable, but that made the storyline more interesting.
A perfect holiday read

The Weekend Before the Wedding, Tracy Bloom’s latest book.
What a hen party! Shelley relives her hen party of 20 years ago, in Spain, while dressing for her wedding day. A mixed bag of characters, differing ages, together for the hen party and the hilarious antics that follow. Each character has a different personal, relatable, issue needing advice and help from the rest of the group.
A fun book, very entertaining and an enjoyable read.
Many thanks for the opportunity to read it.

A good summer read for holiday although not my favourite book from Tracy. It took a while to get into the characters but there are plenty of strong women alongside Shelley.
Thanks to Tracy Bloom and her publisher. Also to NetGalley.

A cracking read from one of my favourite authors, Tracy Bloom.

The story is told over a dual timeline and our main characters are all central players in a long awaited wedding. The book begins at the end really so at the wedding now and then looks back to how the bride and groom arrived there and the massive changes the whole family had been through.

Funny, sad, emotional, well written and a throughly good read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A funny slice of real life in a feel-good story. You know there will be a happy ending and the book is all the better for that, knowing that you can relax and enjoy the pre-wedding antics and worries that we can all relate to to some degree.

My previous outing with this author was ‘The Wife Who Got a Life’ which I greatly enjoyed - and this once is partly set in Derbyshire where I live, so that is added bonus.
It’s got the same mood-lifting, escapist antidote to the traumatic misery of the last couple of years, making for perfect summer holiday reading material.
It would make a great sit-com film, with a multi-generational cast of mainly quirky female characters enlivening the storyline of an older bride finally getting her ‘Mr, Right, ’ 20 years on from her hen party. And although the plot twist is somewhat predictable, this doesn’t in the least detract from the pleasurable reading experience.
I’ll definitely be reading a lot more of Tracy Bloom’s fiction from now on.

I wasn't too sure at first, the book wasn't my favourite genre, but as I continued through the book, it just got better and better!
The book was imaginative, well written and with plausible, varied characters. I did like the things that went wrong, although sometimes I felt that the author did arrange events so that they fitted with good lines that she had written! But the ending, and the events leading up to the ending when it became clear what the wedding would actually be, were great. I know that sounds odd, but I don't want to give stuff away that should be found as you read this funny yet serious book.

If you are looking for a fun, easy read whilst soaking up the sunshine, either at home or abroad, then I recommend The Weekend Before The Wedding,

With a fabulous motley crew of characters that Bloom really does bring to life, this is a book that will make you chuckle as you follow their antics. It is the perfect escapist read, a feel-good book that will leave you with a smile on your face.

The Weekend before the Wedding by Tracy Bloom was a book I decided to read after a couple of psychological murder mysteries. I wanted a change of genre and hoped Tracy might lift the mood a little. The book did indeed do just that. It was a light and somewhat predictable read. Although the main character, Shelley, was not a particularly stand out character, her aunt Nancy, Becca and Chloe made up for that. What I particularly liked about the book was the sound common sense advice and the personal journey of each character. All totally relatable. The twist was a given but that didn’t cause the book to lose anything to my mind. It just hit the spot for me. Three & a half but I’m rounding to 4 for the real life wisdom- especially Becca’s reverse psychology with Chloe 😃

The big day had arrived and all is as mad as it should be in the lead up to the ceremony the brides getting ready running late and well a few tears repairs to the make up. That kind of stuff.

But this has been one of the longest build ups ever one major well no I wont spoil it! So 18 year ago at the original hen party things were not as carefree as you'd want for a hen weekend in Spain. The groom was in Spain as on the final evening he was to meet Shelleys extended family. So there is Becca the best Friend obviously her Mum? And Mums sister they are staying at her place, Shelleys cousin with her daughter. Yep mixed aged and well families lets just say you can choose your friends. So there is a lot of humour that's fun to witness in the fictional world but would be a nightmare to have lived through.

There are some wacky characters like a lot of families have the teenager is lots of fun her. Mum and Shelleys Mum well they do their best but you're going to be glad they aren't yours, if you're is similar I'm sorry. It's a great read lots of fun laughout loud moments and an escape to someone else's pain. Shelley the heroine is fantastic you will feel for her, shes escaped her twin boys left with her husband. For the weekend,. The back stories are great and lead to even more fun. So 5 stars for helping me escape life for a while, and have a laugh.