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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding by Wendy Wax! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation! Stay tuned for information on how to win a copy at the bottom of this post!

About the Book:

A wedding dress passed down through generations unravels the tangled threads of three women’s lives in a novel of friendship, family, and forgiveness from the USA Today bestselling author of Ten Beach Road.

Prized and stored away for safekeeping, the timeless ivory wedding dress, with its scooped neck and cleverly fitted bodice, sits gently folded in its box, whispering of Happily Ever Afters. To Kendra, Brianna, and Lauren it’s a reminder of what could have been, the promise of a fairy tale, and a friendship torn apart. But as Kendra knows firsthand: it wasn’t the dress’s fault.

Once closer than sisters, Lauren and Bree have grown up and grown apart, allowing broken promises and unfulfilled dreams to destroy their friendship. A successful author, Lauren returns home to the Outer Banks, fiance in tow, to claim the dress she never thought she’d wear. While Bree, a bookstore owner, grapples with the realities of life after you marry the handsome prince. As the former best friends wrestle with their uncertain futures, they are both certain of one thing: some betrayals can never be forgiven.

Now on the eve of her daughter Lauren’s wedding, Kendra struggles with a secret she’s kept for far too long. And vows to make sure the dress will finally bring Lauren and Bree back together–knowing they’ll need each other to survive the coming storm. (less)

My Thoughts:

The author, Wendy Wax, incorporated an idea from her own life into this story: a beloved wedding gown that is passed down through the generations of women in a family. 

Bree and Lauren were best friends, but not anymore. They grew up together, and their bond was as strong as sisters. They were, in fact, raised as sisters. What causes them to not only drift apart, but to have an insurmountable rift?

Bree owns a bookstore (LOVE IT) in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and she’s had a fairy tale wedding and is married to the handsome prince. 

Lauren is engaged and travels home to the Outer Banks with her fiance. She’s an author, and she wants to stake her claim on the dress that is rightfully hers. 

Both former friends feel unsure about the what the future holds. 

Kendra, Lauren’s mom, is holding a secret, and she is determined to bring Lauren and Bree back together… because soon, they’ll need each other desperately. 

I’ve loved several of Wendy Wax’s other books. She skillfully writes about strong women and the intricacies of female friendships, and she did so here, as well. I loved all the characters. There was something relatable about each woman. I enjoyed the history and importance of the dress and the traditions associated with it. 

Kendra plays a fascinating role in the story. She has harbored secrets that could widen rifts further, but she is determined not to let that happen. She wielded a lot of power and was thoughtful. My emotions ran the gamut with her. 

Overall, this is an engaging and memorable story about family traditions and secrets, friendship, and forgiveness. 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author:

I write novels that explore friendship, self-discovery and the challenges life brings us, leavened with a touch of humor. I’m proud of all my books and perhaps best known for my “Ten Beach Road” titles including the USA Today bestsellers, Ten Beach Road and The House on Mermaid Point, and for While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.

I was born in St.Petersburg, Florida and grew up on St. Pete Beach within spitting distance of the Gulf of Mexico. I went, appropriately enough, to Sunshine Elementary School where recess and art class sometimes took place on the beach, and the highlight of every school year was the annual fish broil.

It’s hard to be a type-A personality when you grow up in such a laid back environment, but I managed. Convinced that you were expected to know how to read BEFORE you showed up for school, I forced a neighbor friend to teach me to read at the age of five. I’ve been reading ever since.

Books, in all forms, are one of my greatest pleasures and best forms of escape. And they’ve had a major impact on my life.

I went to the University of Georgia after reading Gone with the Wind one too many times. For a while I re-read Margaret Mitchell’s classic yearly, saw the movie whenever it played within twenty miles, and could quote large passages from memory. Today I have a growing GWTW collection, and the time I spoke at he Margaret Mitchell House was an incredible thrill.last

After college I worked in radio, television, and film. Like Olivia in 7 DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS, I’ve done live talk radio. I hosted a show in the eighties called Desperate & Dateless, and while I was never locked in an apartment for a week with a webcam rolling as she was, I did fall in love. Happily, the man who swept me off my feet consults with financial types and understands the bottom line. Unlike Olivia’s nemesis, Matt Ransom, my husband has never, to my knowledge, advised anyone to ‘love the one they’re with.’ We live in Atlanta with our two sons.

***Book Giveaway***

For a chance to win a copy of My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding, please visit my instagram page!  Giveaway generously sponsored by the publisher. 

Have you read My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR