This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
‘Amanda’s Wedding’ by Jenny Colgan, her debut novel, published back in 2000, is a real classic.
90s girl-about-town Mel is adjusting to life without posh-boy Alex, whose attempts to make it big in the music biz have propelled him to the land of the free and Bruce Springsteen. Having omitted to mention his grand tour to Mel however, he has left our heroine a tad disturbed–grounds indeed for taking comfort in the arms of smelly, over-sized accountants with juvenile tendencies. Alex’s emotional return coincides with the news that Mel’s old “friend” Amanda, social-climber pas excellent (sic), has succeeded in getting herself hitched to Scottish laird Fraser for whom Mel has long harboured feelings of an X-rated nature. Before long, Fraser’s brother Angus and Mel’s friend Fran–an evil-mouthed, scary, man-hater–join forces in an attempt to rescue the scruffy Scot from the talons of the wannabe “It” girl, whose only interests lie in a double-barrelled aristo title and an ancestral pile.
This was the first chick lit book in which I felt I could truly relate to the characters. The protagonist of Mel isn’t just a dull, ‘nice’ girl to whom something bad happens. She’s self deprecating, sometimes sarcastic and has a bit of ‘oomph’ about her.
This book has it all. Wit, an excellent plot, emotion, and lots of gorgeous Scottish Men. As soon as I read it, I became a confirmed Colgan fan. I would completely recommend it to those of you who have not yet read it. It will have you laughing out loud by the end of the first page.
Rating 5/5
Buy ‘Amanda’s Wedding’ by Jenny Colgan here (and if you don’t believe me, just look at all the great reviews!)