REVIEW/GIVEAWAY/AUDIO SAMPLE: SAVE THE DATE by MARY KAY ANDREWS

Series: Standalone
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 6/3/14
Format: ARC
Pages: 448
Source: Publicist
Rating: 4.5 stars


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A wedding florist finds love and trouble in this delightful new novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Ladies' Night

A savannah florist is about to score the wedding of a lifetime—one that will solidify her career as the go-to-girl for society nuptials. Ironically, Cara Kryzik doesn't believe in love, even though she creates beautiful flower arrangements to celebrate them. But when the bride goes missing and the wedding is in jeopardy, Cara must find the bride and figure out what she believes in. Maybe love really does exist outside of fairy tales after all.

Told with Mary Kay Andrew's trademark wit and keen eye for detail, mark your calendars for Save the Date

Long before I was a blogger, I was a READER. I mean, a non-stop, compulsive reader who constantly craved new-to-me authors and good books. My boss's wife was in a similar position, and lucky for me she had ridiculous disposable income and was very generous in giving me all her books. Most of the books were Women's Fiction (but we just called it Chick Lit), and this is how I was introduced to Mary Kay Andrews. I've always been a fan of Women's Fiction with a good romance thrown in, and Andrews just really hit that spot. I read Little Bitty Lies, Hissy Fit, Savannah Blues and Savannah Breeze in quick succession, but sadly, I haven't picked up her other books. (which I will remedy ASAP!)

My point is, I guess, is that looking back, I was grateful that a fellow reader recognized how desperate I was to find good books and that she introduced me to Mary Kay Andrews. And looking back, her books make me really happy. When I think about Keeley Murdock (Hissy Fit) and the completely epic way in which she lost her damn mind when she discovered her fiancé cheating, and when I think back on the brilliant friendship shared by Weezie and BeBe (Weezie and BeBe Mysteries) and the hilarity do the situations they stumbled into, all these memories make me smile. And knowing how much joy her books have brought into my life, I was more than happy when I received a request to review Save the Date.

Save the Date is such a big story, much larger than the book description indicates. Yes, there is a wedding crisis and it does have a big impact on Cara, as well as several others, but this is mainly her story. And it was so good!

Cara Kryzik is having really baaaaaad time of it. A florist with a fledgling business, everything that could go wrong, has. On the morning Save the Date opens, she wakes to another phone call from a difficult mother of the bride, then she realizes a busted cooler has cost her $12,000 in hard-to-replace flowers for said wedding, and then...she gets a call stating her business loan in being called in. By her father. Then her dog gets 'napped by a gorgeous, infuriating man, Jack, who believes the dog is his. (This issue is resolved quickly and it's so cute) This crazy dates sets our book off on a fast-paced, crazy journey and I have to say, though Cara has so much on her shoulders, she handles it all like a champ.

Cara's struggle to make her business successful, while dealing with crazed brides (and their mommas), a shady business rival, and a troubled employee, all made for a busy, busy read. Save the Date also has a really sweet romance between Cara and the would-be dog thief, Jack. More and more these days, I find myself gravitating to the more realistic book men. Jack was a genuinely likable guy who cared about his business (historical home renovations *sigh*), his family, and Cara. It was never a question of whether Jack was worthy of Cara's affection and trust, and that was a relief!

I thought Andrews did an excellent job of balancing Cara's professional and personal struggles. And for as much as I enjoy a good romance (and y'all know I do), I was also heavily invested in Cara's professional side. I appreciated the level of detail we get on the daily dealings of an in-demand florist. I also liked all of the wedding aspects, with the stressed-out families, the fiascos that are narrowly averted, and reveling in the finished result.

We also get a wee reference to BeBe and Weezie, which made me squeal like a little girl!

You know you've found an excellent book when you fly through five hundreds pages (per my ARC), barely noticing the length. The pace, the humor, the romance, and Andrews's uncanny knack for ending a chapter in such a way that I found myself "one-more-chaptering" the entire time, had me flying through this in under a day. If you're a fan of Mary Kay Andrews, or if you're interested in a story that will have you smiling, huffing and thoroughly entertained, do not hesitate to pick up Save the Date.

Favorite Quote

  "So, a happy ending. You've got a good business, friends, a house, a dog."

  "But in the meantime, Zoey left me. She got tired of hanging around, waiting for me to come home from work, to make her my number one priority.

  "You've still got the dog," Cara said, looking away.

  "And I've got high hopes for everything else," Jack said. "There's this girl I keep running into at weddings..." And then he did it. He actually winked at her.

  "You make me actually feel like I'm not a hopeless cause," Cara said, sitting back in her chair, feeling herself relax.

  "You're a work in progress, darlin'," Jack said. "Same as me."

 

 

 

I have an audio excerpt to share with you, from Macmillan Audio.   https://soundcloud.com/macaudio-2/save-the-date-audiobook-excerpt

 

 

I have one copy of Save the Date to give away! Must be 18+ years of age; open to US only.

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About Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of 22 novels including Ladies' Night, Christmas Bliss, Spring Fever, Summer Rental, The Fixer Upper, Deep Dish, Blue Christmas, Savannah Breeze, Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies, and Savannah Blues.
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