Review: Save the Date

Summary: 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 Andrews' trademark wit and keen eye for detail, mark your calendars for Save the Date! -- St. Martin's Press

As many of you already know, I'm a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews. So when it came time to pick a book to read on my train ride to New York last week, I decided that her latest novel SAVE THE DATE would be perfect. I absolutely love riding the train because it's quality reading time. I have to say that I think I made a pretty good choice!

SAVE THE DATE is a fun story about Cara Kryzik, a divorced woman trying to make a go of it on her own by opening a small flower store in Savannah. Cara's father likes to remind her that it's not easy to make a success of a business... and that he wants her to pay back the money she's borrowed from him. Cara truly believes in herself and her shop, and she knows if she can just get one big wedding that her business will take-off!

In the process of trying to score a major Savannah wedding, Cara has to deal with difficult brides, mothers of the brides, and even step-mothers of the brides; however, she also discovers that love can occur in the most unlikely place!

SAVE THE DATE is a sweet story with charming characters that is certain to entertain MKA fans this summer. It really is a great beach or pool-side novel with plenty of humor, a little romance, and lots of drama. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it definitely made my train ride fly by!

I've read quite a few MKA books over the past few years, and SAVE THE DATE is another winner. I absolutely loved Cara (even though she did have a few moments of cluelessness!), and I found myself rooting for her, to not only be a successful florist, but also to find true love and happiness. One things' for sure, Ms. Andrews definitely has the ability to create likable characters that end up in some very interesting situations.

Another thing I adore about MKA books is her attention to detail. That was especially apparent in this SAVE THE DATE. It's been a long time since I planned a wedding, but I remember pouring over magazines looking for the little things to make that day extra-special. In this novel, Ms. Andrews gave gorgeous descriptions of flowers, decorations, and dresses in addition to making the venues come to life. I think almost every woman loves the idea of weddings, and this novel features so many wonderful details.

Naturally, SAVE THE DATE had a good ending... and by that, I mean a fairy-tale one with a happy ending. And isn't that why we read books like this one? To make us feel good about life, love and friendship!

SAVE THE DATE could also be a fun book club selection. There is a reading guide available with eighteen questions (that's more than I was expecting!) Some of the themes you might want to explore include family dynamics, divorce, friendship, trust, success, adjustments, the meaning of home, determination/perseverance, and love. I actually was pleasantly surprised by the discussion guide, and I'm sure that most groups could discuss Cara's actions for quite some time.

Overall, I enjoyed SAVE THE DATE quite a bit and recommend it to anyone looking for a light, fun read this summer!

Thanks to Tandem Literary for providing a review copy of this novel.