The Weekend Before The Wedding By Tracy Bloom

‘The Weekend Before The Wedding’ is the latest book by Tracy Bloom.

All Shelley wanted on her hen weekend was to enjoy three days of sun, sea and sangria. But instead of being surrounded by the A-team of her closest friends, she somehow ends up with a Golden Girls-meets-the-Spice Girls B-list that includes her mother, a rebellious teenager, and a best mate ‘on the verge’. The squabbling starts at the airport, and on arrival in Spain, Shelley barely has time to unpack her suitcase before getting an unwanted text ̶ one that throws her wedding into doubt. Shelley has got a BIG decision to make, but her unruly medley of nearest and dearest seem determined to confuse matters with their own problems. Have they got what it takes to get her through the most important weekend of her life?

‘The Weekend Before The Wedding’ was the perfect book to get absorbed in, particularly during this beautifully sunny weather.

The story is written in the past and present tense leading up to the eventual wedding of Shelley. An older bride, her mother Peggy is relieved that’s she finally off the shelf and found herself a husband. To celebrate her nuptials, her friends whisk her away to the Spanish island of Andelica and there she has the unforgettable weekend ever, filled with mishaps, drama and plenty of laughs along the way.

I loved this story, the characters were such a magical and eclectic mix of personalities that made for such enjoyable reading. I loved Shelley, the older bride who’s always wanted to find the one but thought her day would never come. She’s quiet and thoughtful, unlike her outspoken and crabby mother Peggy, who’s not one for heart to hearts. Shelley is engaged to Colin, a bumbling idiot of a character that has stolen Shelley’s heart, he comes from a wealthy family and Shelley can’t believe her luck that he wants to spend his life with her.

Becca, Shelley’s best friend is looking to party and not have to look after her twin babies. Shelley’s aunt, Nancy is a fantastic woman, the older sister to Peggy, she’s wise and fun and never shies away from banging into people with her mobility scooter, her daughter Rosalind is more set in her ways, more conservative whilst Chloe, her teenage daughter who’s doing everything in her power to annoy her mother with her outspoken ways and drama. This perfect mix of women really made the book a wonderful story to get absorbed in and I really found myself warming to them as they wanted Shelley’s hen to be best time ever for her, but in doing so, they had to face dramas and conflicts but this only made the unique bunch even closer.

The past tense reflects on the dramatic hen weekend whilst the present tense, is Shelley’s wedding day and is a nostalgic journey down memory lane as the women reflect on the weekend away.

A story of new friendships and finding love no matter your age, ‘The Weekend Before The Wedding’ is a heartwarming and fun story that will have you smiling throughout.

You can buy ‘The Weekend Before The Wedding’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.