I wanted to like this book. In a way I liked this book. I had to keep pushing myself to read it as far as I did, but I couldn’t finish. I DNF’d at 48%. There was nothing that caught my attention and nothing to keep me going. I found it boring. The way the dialogue was written was strange to me, and the book still needed some edits.

I still rated it a 2/5 star for the potential it could have had.

this.. wasn’t my favorite read. i had high hopes for it considering i was drawn in by the description but i was unfortunately let down.

i really disliked the MMC from the start and it really didn’t change all throughout the book. he was rude and kinda sexist and awful. the FMC wasn’t too much better, but a lot more enjoyable than Ben. i didn’t feel much chemistry between the two of them and kinda felt bad for Gemma for a majority of the book.

thank you netgalley + harpercollinsuk for the arc!

This book was a hilarious enemies to lovers with the perfect happy ending. these two characters had so much chemistry and laughter, it made me giggle.

this story was more based on the female character and her growth, but still included a fair amount on their relationship. it wasn’t like a classic romance and kept the spice off the page which i appreciated. it was a serious slow burn, yet the tension and yearning was so addictive.

Ben is so caring and sweet, and still loved Gemma despite their ridiculous miscommunication and hilarious hatred. These two at the start were so disgusted by each other it was actually so shocking to see them turn into such a happy couple.

The Italian setting was absolutely gorgeous, i wish to be transported into a cozy summer village sipping wine and lounging in the sun (preferably with out a bridezilla screaming at me) i loved the destination wedding scene

This is an amazing fake dating, enemies to lovers, summer rom com, you must read!

This book is fantastic. I absolutely loved it. It is full of fun and laughter. with the added romance. Loved the main character. Such an easy read.

When we first meet Gemma she lets just about everyone walk all over her, she takes on every task given to her, even if she doesn’t have the time, and over all she’s just a ‘pushover’. Gemma needed someone to help her find a way to express herself and stand up for herself and she found that in Ben. Even if he really got on her nerves at first and seemingly was one of those people that kind of walked all over her, he stepped in when she needed him the most and really helped Gemma out of her shell.

The book progressively got better and better, but the one thing I really couldn’t love about the book is falling for someone else when you already have a boyfriend. Other than that, this book was great! I would recommend it for a fun read and maybe even to a group a friends for a book club!

“The Wedding Date Disaster” was such a fun read! I found myself giggling at several moments, and I loved watching Gemma’s growth throughout the story—it was truly empowering. There are other book references sprinkled throughout were a great touch and made the book even more enjoyable!

The story turned out okay but the first 50% of the book was a bit underwhelming. I guess it's an enemies to lovers except the male lead was never a true enemy. She just didn't give him a chance.

I did not find the female main character, Gemma, likable at all. The male lead is what kept me reading. The story picked up at the halfway point and ended up having a pretty solid conclusion. This was not a light, fun rom-com this was a girl heavily influenced by her terrible family who was not self aware enough to recognize that someone was being obviously kind to her. A book focused more on Ben getting Gemma's attention and focusing on her book would've been a good read.

Female lead: Gemma - pretty annoying character
Male lead: Ben - pleasant but odd dominance emerging at the end that wasn't present throughout the other 95%
Gemma's family sucks. They're all horrible.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 netgalley & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲.

This is an ideal summer romance. I adored Ben and Gemma together. Ben's constant pining after Gemma despite her oblivion is my favorite aspect of this book. I read it all at once because I was so interested in it. The entire experience was excellent because it was enjoyable and simple to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect summer romance. When reading this I felt like I was there in Tuscany with Gemma and Ben. The scenery was just perfect.
I LOVED Gemma and Ben together. Ben just understood Gemma. He makes me think of the quote ‘to be loved is to be known’. They embody it so well. Ben just slowly pining after Gemma despite her oblivion is my favourite part of this book. I am a sucker for this. Even though Ben might seem like a jerk and come off as rude to Gemma at the beginning , I don’t think he is a bad person. His love and devotion to his brother was absolutely admirable.
Gemma’s people pleasing problem was portrayed so well. Her inner turmoil over her family’s demands was described very realistically. Her running herself into the ground just to please those around her was heartbreaking.
I just wish I could read that book again for the first time. It’s just perfection for me.

This is the perfect summer beach read. Gemma and her workplace rival Ben are a delight - I really believed in their animosity at the start and their gentle falling in love. The setting was gorgeous, the family dynamics hilarious and all in all, this was an easy breeze of a read. Light, fluffy and exactly what I needed!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really enjoyable if you can let go of the ridiculous premise and how close the plot and tropes are to a couple modern classics. That sounds snarky, but I truly don’t mean it to be. I enjoyed the hell out of this book and finished it in about a day and a half. I happen to LOVE The Hating Game and The Spanish Love Deception so the fact that this was this authors close approximation really didn’t
bother me.

I will say that I almost ditched this after the first 10-15 pages because the idea that people in publishing would be so in to their clothes, money, and status just seemed bonkers

Whilst I enjoyed this book, I read it really quickly.
I felt like the book itself was rushed; I didn't feel the characters were in depth enough.
It was similar but not as good as the hating game, enemies to lovers work vibe.

This book was a fantastic read! If you're a fan of romance, comedy, and a touch of drama, then this is literally the next novel you need to pick up. I found myself completely engrossed, reading it in one sitting. It was both fun and easy to read, making the experience delightful from start to finish.

I loved this. It was a very fun and quick read. I think I read it in one sitting. Without giving much away just know if you are a fan of weddings this would be a fun book you would like.

The Wedding Date Disaster by Kate Mathieson is the perfect mix of romance, humor, and a bit of drama, with a refreshing twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope. Gemma Evans, the protagonist, is a relatable character, thrown into a whirlwind of emotions after losing a coveted promotion to her workplace nemesis, Ben McDonald. The fact that she has to attend a family wedding in Italy alone, with her blind date turning out to be none other than Ben himself, makes for an explosive combination of tension, awkwardness, and undeniable chemistry.

I absolutely loved watching the dynamic between Gemma and Ben unfold. Initially, it’s hard not to root for Gemma—she’s been wronged, and Ben seems like the last person she'd ever want to rely on. But as the story progresses, you see a deeper side of Ben that is truly heartwarming. He’s not just the office rival anymore, but a genuinely caring person who goes out of his way to support Gemma, both emotionally and practically. His efforts to show her kindness and help her navigate the wedding debacle had me swooning. Ben's sweetness, mixed with his vulnerable moments, made him such an easy character to fall for.

The fake dating aspect of the plot adds so much fun and tension, especially with the beautiful Italian setting that serves as the backdrop for their evolving relationship. The destination romance element really elevates the story—Italy feels like another character in itself, adding warmth and magic to the entire situation. There’s also a perfect blend of workplace drama and family dynamics, which keeps the story grounded while Gemma and Ben’s romance blossoms in unexpected ways.

Gemma’s self-awareness journey throughout the book is also so satisfying. Watching her navigate her emotions, reflect on her choices, and eventually stand up for herself was such a rewarding part of the story. It makes the romantic payoff feel even more fulfilling.

Overall, The Wedding Date Disaster is a delightful read full of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy moments. If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and a good dose of romance with a twist of personal growth, this book is definitely for you. Ben will definitely steal your heart, just like he did mine!

This was such a fun read. It's enemies to lovers and fake dating which are two of my favourite tropes. It's also a slow burn aswell.

It's such a fun book and I loved the banter between Ben and Gemma.

This is the first book I've read from Kate and I'll definitely be reading more of her books in the future

Omg this!!!! Sooo goood . Enjoyed so much . This was definitely a fun book. It was hilarious in so manny sections. Definitely it has its moments where I wanted to shook the FMC Gemma down to her bones. But overall enjoyed a lot. Definitely one that we need with enemies to lover and fake dating as one of the main draws.

Solid 3 stars.

Gemma is a cute spineless jellyfish who works with arrogant Ben. When she needed a date to her narcissist sister's wedding, her own boyfriend won't go because it wasn't planned in advance. Co-inky-dink, her friend told her nemesis, Ben, about it, and he hopped to it. Pretend to be her stand-in boyfriend, Gemma thought she was set up on a blind date, who knew it'd be her worst nightmare.

As they go thru the wedding activities, predictably they see the true self in each other. Their hard shells softens, and communications grew. Surprise, surprise, they started to feel things for each other.. Their walls slowly comes down, and they slowly realized their feelings for each other.

Things I hate: the details on the first 1/4 of the book is too much, I know the author is trying to build the tension, but it took me 4 tries to get thru it. I hung on because I believe the end will be good. Another thing, the parents dynamic is as screwed up as can be, and for them to neglect a little girl and have her burden all the grownups feelings, that's another f-ed up. Also, yeah we get it, you want us to hate the half sister, she's a horrible bridezilla and her friends are bitches. No need to go to such depths, there are certain parts that were cringy as Gemma gone thru from being butt of jokes, to doing demeaning tasks, being talked down to, and being on gold-fish duty away from the true wedding party. That's just a tad much.

Now, things are not all bad, the way Gemma realized how her real boyfriend hadn't fought for her, how she realized 'radical honesty' can actually help her not be a doormat, and eventually realized she deserves better. Those moments made me smile.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for this ARC

I receivd this arc for providing an honest review for the book.
Gemma, an expat British in Australia doesnt like Ben and is having a hard time at work ever since he joined. To make matters worse, he is going to accompany her as her plus one to her favorite place, Italy. She is not lookig forward to this. This was such a fun and joyful book and i loved the editorial banter between Gemma and Ben and the growth the story sees in each of them. Kate Mathieson is an atuobuy for me now.

Absolutely loved this book. A slow burner but makes you want to read more. Gemma and Ben are such good characters. Loved every minute of this book. And I have never been to Italy but makes me want to go...