Member Reviews
This is a funny, charming gay romance about dealing with bridesmaids, Bridezillas and the person who persuaded your fiance to dump you at the altar.
So what if her motives may have been related to crushing on you? What she did was crushing TO you!
Hence, Aubrey McFadden may choose to remain single forever herself, but she's going to attend all of her friends' weddings with her head held high, because her one-time friend Monica is dead to her...
A frothy, funny offering with a generous helping of swoon!
Aubrey McFadden is Never Getting Married is a good, fun read. Other reviews pointing out this is Beers at the top of her game were all on point.
Aubrey’s friend group has decided 2024 is the year to get married. Five of her college friends are getting married and she’s either involved or attending all the weddings. Monica is dealing with the same thing as she’s also a part of the same friend group. The issue is that Monica is Aubrey’s nemesis and has been for 10 years when Monica was involved with Aubrey being left right before her wedding ceremony was to happen.
Aubrey and Monica are both great. This is told from Aubrey’s point of view and while I would’ve loved Monica’s pov, I don’t think we’re missing out on too much with not having it. I also like how Emma, Aubrey’s daughter, is portrayed. I have a niece the same age and could absolutely see her acting how Emma did.
So why didn’t I give it 5 stars? Let me tell you:
• Aubrey and Monica have known each other since they were freshmen in college when Aubrey started dating Monica’s best friend, Cody. Aubrey and Cody dated all four years of college but it’s stated again and again that Aubrey and Monica hardly know one another. How? How do you not know your best friend’s significant other? Or your boyfriend’s best friend? That makes no sense. Especially when you’re in the same friend group?
• Monica says she’s been in love with Aubrey since college…look at my point above, they hardly know one another so again, how?
• Monica has no clue Cody barely spends time with Emma. They are best friends; how does she not know how involved he is with his kid?
Other than those points above, I really loved this. It was fun and cute and while it doesn’t get too deep beyond the surface level, it’s a good way to occupy yourself for a couple of hours.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am never getting over how amazing this story is!
Aubrey’s friends are all getting married, but she is in no mood to celebrate, especially with Monica also being invited to each and every event. There is rumour that Monica has feelings for Aubrey, or at least she did years ago when Aubrey was supposed to be marrying Cody, but it was Monica who put a stop to that, and Aubrey is still hurting.
OH MY GOD! I loved this!!! There is no other way to explain how good this story was, than to describe it as addictive and moreish. The cover, the title, that’s what initially drew me in, especially as I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be a typical hearts and flowers kind of story about weddings. Georgia did not disappoint! She has delivered a hilariously funny story that I absolutely adore and will be reading over and over again!
Aubrey was a brilliant character. Her past had hurt her just enough for her to be bitter but not bitter towards those happily in love and getting married. She indulged in the weddings she was invited to, but failed very miserably at doing what she wanted to do most at them and avoid Monica. All the comedy moments that built the relationship between her and Monica at the start, were wonderful with a sense of rivalry and push back only coming from Aubrey, yet we took her side, Monica was the enemy until one minute she just wasn’t! There was so much more to Monica than our first impressions of her as the reader from the Prologue, Aubrey’s and her friends perceptions, that later in the story they were easily forgotten and replaced with admiration and hope for Aubrey maybe changing her mind about the never getting married thing!
I honestly can’t do this story justice with a review. The way it was put together, the characters, the way it was written, everything is honestly perfect and I won’t be forgetting it in a hurry! This one is up there, earning a place in my top books!
Aubrey McFadden's friend circle has scheduled five, yes five, weddings in the same year. They range from a destination wedding to a forest camp wedding complete with a campfire later in the evening to a standard local church wedding. But all weddings have one thing in common, her arch enemy, Monica Wallace. Monica is Aubrey's hated enemy due to the fact that Aubrey's ex, Cody, left her at the altar ten years ago and Aubrey is convinced that Monica, as Cody's best friend, had significant input in that decision.
After the first wedding is complete and wedding #2 preparation is underway, Aubrey begins to set aside of the deep-seated hatred for Monica as they begin to spend more time together. The loathing lessens with the passing of each wedding and instead turns into attraction and slow burn sexy chemistry.
Georgia Beers is an expert at writing slow burn attraction filled with lust, sexy scenes, and witty dialogue. This book epitomizes her specialty in this area. I honestly don't think that I"ll be able to look at a campfire smore the same again after a lust-filled scene (while wearing clothes) following one of the weddings. These are the type of memorable scenes that Beers leaves a reader to contemplate. 4.5 stars
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.Such a simple fun read! Right from the start you’re hooked. This is a great pallet cleanser.
Ms Beers knows how to write romance novels, most are good reading, some, a few not so good and then you have books like this one that reminds you just why “Georgia” is indeed a best selling author.
Monica Wallace is friends with the same crowd as Aubrey McFadden so you would think they would be used to hanging around with each other but Aubrey has a big problem with Monica. As Aubrey would tell you, it's hard being friendly with the person who ruined her wedding.
A few years earlier Aubrey was already to become the bride, ready to marry her groom Cody. They have been dating since highschool and the plan was to marry as soon as they were through college. Sure Aubrey was a little nervous, I mean she’s been planning this wedding since she was a small child. Now she just has to take her Dad’s arm, but before she even took her fathers arm then Cody comes, crying because he’s just not ready to settle down. Come to find out it was that no good Monica who decides to tell Cody he could be making a big mistake. He has too much to do, trips to travel around the world and well, live life.
Aubrey can’t stand Monica and has managed to avoid her all this time but time has run out. It seems every friend they knew decided this was the year to get married. Being a part of each wedding with non-other than Monica at her side. Great characters both Aubrey and Monica and a great supporting cast. Very, very nice read. Wonderful Read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
I’m a Georgia Beers fan. With a nod to Four Weddings and a Funeral, but without the funeral, Aubrey McFadden's friend group is having a year of weddings. This year she has four friends from college who are getting married. She is going to attend all and she is part of the wedding party at two. Her own wedding was called off when the groom fled right before the ceremony. She and her ex co-parent a nine year old child together. Aubrey has always had an intense dislike for her ex’s best friend Monica who she felt encouraged him to not get married. But Monica is in attendance at all of the weddings too. And funny thing, every time they meet she is hotter, nicer and harder to hate.
I enjoyed Aubrey and Monica as they moved their friendship forward. And the heat level is nice too. I like that there is the reality of having to work around Aubrey’s daughter being home. You know where it is going and it doesn’t spoil the story at all. I like daughter Emma and best friend Trina who is Aubreys cheerleader and sounding board. Beers is one of those authors whose books I often re-read for simple enjoyment and I can see myself reading this again. It isn’t perfect but I think anyone who reads it will enjoy it.
Lots of fun to read. Clever plot that moves along a time frame nicely. You end up rooting for both the leads whatever the outcome. It’s like watching sport when you’ve already seen the results, you still groan when the other side scores and have your fingers crossed that your team will triumph. Good dialogue for the child and age pitched appropriate. Loved the bits at the end showing the counts down to the weddings. Overall a big recommendation.
This was one of the funniest, heartwarming, sapphic reads that I've had the honor of absorbing in quite some time. Aubrey McFadden was left on her wedding day, and for ten years, she blamed an old friend (Monica) for encouraging her fiance to run. Ten years later, she has a TON of weddings to attend, and for good reason, she hates wedding. She tries to avoid Monica because of all the bad memories, but she happens to be paired up with her at every chance. As the novel progresses, they get closer and an attraction forms that Aubrey tries her hardest to deny. The love in this story is touching, heartbreaking, and stands the test of time. The author did a phenomenal job of writing a love that is worth waiting for. Amazing read.
My favorite Georgia Beers book so far. This lightly spiced romance reminded me a little of Four Weddings and a Funeral, except with a sapphic love story and only weddings. I loved Aubrey’s and Monica’s enemies-to-lovers dynamic and the hilarious tally about how well Aubrey was handling avoiding Monica at the end of each part. I also enjoyed Aubrey’s friendship with Trina, who was an absolute hoot, and wholesome mother-daughter relationship with Emma, who could not be adorable (which is saying a lot coming from me, since I’m not big on kids). The only character I didn’t like was Cody. He was a terrible friend, father, and former fiancé, and I feel like he got forgiven way too easily by all the other characters. I just wanted to send him to his room to make him think about what he’d done because honestly he was the worst.
My hatred of Cody aside, I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who has ever been to a friend’s wedding and wondered if it’ll ever be their turn.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.
This is about a girl who keeps running into the person she thinks is responsible for ending her wedding. It’s some of Georgia beers bests writing
Entertaining read with an interesting group of secondary characters. Since the read is told from Aubrey's point of view, it is difficult not to feel her mental and emotional pain of being left by her fiance' Cody, moments prior to the ceremony. Bummer.
Monica, is perceived by Aubrey to be the reason why the wedding was stopped. It has been a ten year, one sided hate feast. Monica, Monica, Monica what a likable character with a big as well as warm heart. Trina is Aubrey's best friend and provides some interesting and funny commentary. Emma is Aubrey's daughter and she is a breath of fresh air (most of the time). Enjoyed the self talk as it provides the thought process of Aubrey. I also liked Kimmy.
4 stars. Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Really, I love Bold Strokes Books and I've been reading work from this house for years and I am SO excited to get to do a review for an e-arc. It feels very fancy. I can't wait to do more.
This book follows Aubrey, who resolutely does not want to get married after getting hurt on her wedding day, as she keeps running into Monica at all these weddings. Aubrey does NOT like Monica. She does NOT. NOPE...or does she? Oh wait...
I found Aubrey to be a bit annoying throughout the book. I liked Monica, though. The story is well written and moves well. There's really not a lot of unnecessary...anything. It's interesting, it's intriguing, and it's fun. It did drag a bit at times but that helped the spark, or not spark? you'll have to see, between the characters play out. I'm giving it four stars instead of five because I find Georgia Beers to usually be a great writer, but this book wasn't as captivating as some of the other ones of hers that I've read. I still recommend it, and I am glad I read it. It was an enjoyable read overall. Aubrey's relationship with her daughter was sweet. I liked how the characters matured and grew up. I also loved reading Aubrey's friendship with Trina.
One of my problems was that there was some mention of Aubrey's opinion of the father doing his own thing and Aubrey being the main provider, such as when Aubrey notices that a family member at a campground acknowledges she singlehandedly raised her kid, but otherwise there wasn't what seemed to be any meaningful discussion around how this is so typical of males to leave and get to live whatever life they want and slot in a kid. Perhaps Aubrey isn't bothered as much by this as me, and certainly this is my own opinions getting in the way of the story, and also, it didn't go as into it as I hoped. But the book isn't meant to do that, and the book doesn't really go into any big topics in depth, and in the context of the book it was addressed enough, I suppose.
Thanks again for the e-arc, Bold Strokes. Looking forward to more. And thanks to Georgia Beers for the excellent book(s) and I already can't wait for her next release, as always.
<i>I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. </i>
I really wanted to love this. The premise and tropes are soooo up my alley, I love wedding stories— certain elements were so promising. The story even played out exactly how I would imagine, it’s just that it was done by telling the reader everything rather than showing it. The narrative would skip over huge swaths of time that really mattered to Aubrey’s mindset and emotions, and it didn’t seem like there was any real conflict or development by any of the characters beyond very surface level things. I also felt like Aubrey’s inner turmoil skipped around a lot in a way I found confusing; she would be very happy with Monica and sure of her feelings and then the next chapter she’d be like, “WHAT is HAPPENING?” There was a lot of manufactured drama and not enough genuine pining and yearning which I would really like to see in a story like this. We barely even got to see her truly hate Monica which is so fundamental to the story. It felt a little too easy.
Aubrey Mcfadden Is Never Getting Married by Georgia Beers
Well getting let on your wedding day would certainly put you off weddings for sure. And that's what happens to Aubrey, by when five weddings are happening in one year she's stuck sucking it up. Her goal get through them and return to her life of work and be a mom to Emma. Avoid her nemesis, Monica. That doesn't pan out.
Monica made the best decision she could and now ten years later we finally get the truth. Seriously, Cody is no loss for Aubrey and he comes off as a selfish man child. And as Monica and Aubrey are spending more time together the lines are blurred and hard conversations are finally had. Maybe things happened exactly as they were supposed to.
*3.5
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
In Aubrey McFadden Is Never Getting Married, we follow Aubrey navigating a difficult year, as most of her college friends are getting married and she's constantly reminded of when, ten years before, her fiancé was convinced by his best friend, Monica, to call off their wedding day of. While Aubrey has been avoiding Monica for years, they keep being drawn to each other during their friends' weddings and she starts to question her feelings.
This was a light and fun read. I really liked the premise and thought it was generally well-executed and engaging. Though it took some time, I really bought the chemistry between Monica and Aubrey and found the romance aspect to be well written. It took me a few days to finish the book, mostly due to my own lack of time, but, while I was reading, the pages just flew by, so it is a very quick read.
Some aspects, however, did not entirely work for me. First, for most of the book, I didn't really feel like I had a grasp of the characters' personalities, other than Aubrey being a dedicated mom and Monica being a businesswoman. I felt like the author could have taken more time to fully flesh them out, as the book is not too long. I also think this aspect was not really helped by my second point, which is regarding the time jumps. The book starts when Aubrey is left "at the altar" and immediately jumps to ten years later. Between the five weddings, there are also two to three months-long jumps. So, especially in the beginning, we don't really get to see what Aubrey's regular life and her relationships with the other characters in the book look like and I felt like there was something missing for me to fully buy the story. Lastly, though I mostly enjoyed the writing style, there were some repetitive expressions and remarks that bothered me a bit, the most notable being "he/she gave the word three/four/sixteen syllables" when someone said something really short, like "Oh" or "Yes", or the other way around.
Despite these slight reservations, I mostly enjoyed the book and recommend to anyone who enjoys a (mostly healthy) adult sapphic romance.
It is now nearly 10 years that Aubrey McFadden was jilted on her wedding day by her fiancé Cody, and Aubrey blamed his best friend, Monica Wallace for that. Needless to say, she disliked the woman immensely for 10 years. Aubrey now faces the prospect of attending 5 weddings in a year as all her college friends decided to tie the knot one after the other. And she had to avoid Monica in each and every one of them. Would she be successful? And does she want to be?
Enemies to lovers romance is my absolute favourite. But this is slightly one-sided. This is such a good book. Both the main characters are so likeable. I especially liked Monica. And the sexual tension between them are palpable. The layout of the book is good. Each chapter was around the time of each of the 5 weddings that Aubrey had to attend. The book is told from Aubrey’s point of view, but you could really tell how Monica feels as well. I also do like all the secondary characters, Trina, Jeff, Sarah, Bailey, Cody, Kimmy, Emma.
I must say that this has to be my favourite from this author. I absolutely loved it. I didn’t want this book to end. I hope to meet these characters again in her future books. Very highly recommended.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the moment you meet Aubrey, you can't help but fall a little bit in love with her. She has a great connection with her friends and family. And after the first few paragraphs, you want to hug her and take her home and keep her safe. (At least I did!) I really enjoyed that this book is laid out, not by chapters, but by phases of her life. The tension between Monica and Aubrey is well written and fun to watch unfold. It's hard to write this review without spoilers. Then there's Emma - so much I could say, but OMG, so adorable! Just read the book. It's great and you will love it!
Another great book from Georgia Beers! After Audrey is dumped on her wedding day, she needs someone to blame and who better than the person who talked her ex out of marrying her? A decade later Audrey and Monica meet again for a series of weddings, but instead of hatred Audrey finds herself unexpectedly attracted to her.
This was a great slow-burn romance, it was fun seeing Audrey and Monica fall for each other over the course of a year. As well, I enjoyed the realistic reactions of the characters. Both Audrey and Monica struggled with the sudden change in the status quo between them, and the build up to their relationship didn’t feel rushed. Overall, this book is a solid 4.3/5, cute and fun, worth the read!
I loved this book!
This book revolves around the title character, Aubrey. Aubrey thought she had life planned out. She is at her wedding, and right before she is getting ready to walk down the aisle, her soon to be husband, Cody, comes into the room and tells her he doesn't want to get married. He tells her that he had talked to his best friend, Monica, and she convinced him that he should not get married. She is devastated and plans to never get married or ever talk to Monica.
Fast forward and she is in 5 weddings and so is Monica. She avoids her, but keeps hearing from other people that the reason Monica told Cody to not get married is she is secretly in love with Aubrey. Aubrey had no idea and now that she knows, she is paying closer attention to Monica.
Of course, the more these 2 see of each other, the closer they become.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.