After nine years of waiting to get married and meticulous planning, it is finally Nicole Baxter's wedding day, and she is so excited to start her new life with Dr. Paul Schofield. It's a beautiful autumn September day in Cork, Ireland, the kind of day that many happy brides dream of ... but for Nicole, what starts out to be the happiest day of her life turns into embarrassment, humiliation, anger and devastation when Paul dumps her at the altar because he slept with Nicole's best friend Simone, who happens to also be a bridesmaid in their wedding! Feeling sad and empty with her whole life and everything she had believed in crashed down around her, Nicole is lost ... but maybe that's not such a bad thing ... with the help of her younger sister Evette and a group of new friends, just maybe it's the best way for Nicole to find herself again!

The Wedding Day is a lighthearted story of love, forgiveness, re-discovering oneself and second chances. Author Joanne Clancy weaves an enjoyable tale written in the third person narrative, set in the enchanting city of Cork, Ireland. This delightful tale follows Nicole Baxter as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery guided by her younger sister Evette and friends, who help her get through the humiliation and depression of her failed relationship, discover the power of forgiveness and understanding, help her become a better person, get a new perspective on life, and a second chance at love.

I loved following Nicole's story as it unfolded, especially the development of the reconnected relationship between Nicole and Evette. These two sisters are polar opposites, who bond together over a traumatic event and become friends and eventual business partners in a wedding planning business. Of the two, I have to say that I really liked Evette's free spirited and kind personality over Nicole's uptight and perfect personality. With Evette stepping up and helping her sister get her life back in order along with the help of some really cool friends: Ben, Liv, Jack and Sarah, Nicole is able to get past the hurt and anger towards Paul and forgive him (even though I wouldn't have, lol). Of the friends, I connected with Sarah the most, I loved her personality and outlook in life, especially the message that she gave to Nicole, to find her passion in life. I also loved this awesome statement that Sarah said to Nicole: "Getting lost is often the best way to find yourself. When you stop planning every little detail, that's when you discover the fun in life."

With an engaging cast of characters who are realistic and fun to get to know; witty dialogue and interactions; and an enjoyable storyline that mixes humor, emotions, friendship and love; The Wedding Day isn't your usual cookie cutter romance story, it has twists and turns and a surprise ending that makes it worth reading. This is a sweet story that will simply make you smile.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review, and for hosting a virtual book event for the author.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-wedding-day-by-joanne-clan... ( )

I was offered a free e-book version of this story and jumped at the chance. This was a very quick, light hearted book to read. The description sounded really good. A women, Nicole, Baxter, gets jilted on her wedding day in front of the entire church. Finds out her fiance has cheated on her. So she runs away and stays with her sister where she eventually makes new friends, finds her passion in life and seeks to forgive so that she can move on to be a stronger, better individual.

So I was a little bit disappointed by the book. It seemed a bit contradictory in some parts. Nicole has almost no relationship to her younger sister, in fact, the sister can't even be bothered to come to the wedding due to work issues. However, right after the disastrous wedding, Nicole drives to her sister's home (apparently there was no work commitment) and they seem like the best of siblings and Nicole winds up staying there for weeks...
It was an okay read. I wanted to keep reading to find out how it would end. I don't think I would have predicted Nicole's choice in men. Just okay for me. ( )