This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Susan Lobban
Brides looking for an elegant wedding with a touch of old school glamour flock to The Bonneville Hotel in London. The hotel's events manager Rosie is always on hand to make sure each wedding goes to plan. As well as demanding brides, Rosie has her disorganised lothario of a boss to contend with, but she is convinced that doing the job of 10 people will pay off in the end. If nothing else, throwing herself into the romance of other people’s lives is the perfect distraction from her own disastrous love life.
One morning, whilst giving a prospective bride a tour, instead of finding chocolates and flowers in the bridal suite, she is faced with a naked man – the boss’s son – fast asleep in the Egyptian cotton sheets. Rather than a flying visit, Joe is here to stay and work alongside Rosie. This dishevelled surfer dude does not fit in with Rosie’s efficient planning, but she is determined that her aim to become general manager will not falter. Joe may have crashed the wedding (department), but Rosie knows how to deal with unwanted guests.
The book’s prologue introduces us to Rosie, just as she is about to walk down the aisle to marry Anthony. Unfortunately, her fiancé has other plans and her dream day turns into a nightmare. Fast forward a few years and Rosie is a well-established events planner at The Bonneville Hotel. Ironically, she specialises in weddings and her work day revolves around other people’s love stories. She is overflowing with romantic ideas for the brides she meets, but does not have a clue about her own life.
Rosie has worked hard to maintain the hotel’s reputation for classy weddings and uses the shabbier parts of the hotel to her advantage by highlighting the glittering history. Just as it seems her plans to be manager are about to be realised, a fly in the ointment appears. Joe’s unexpected arrival had me cringing for Rosie as you knew things were not going to go smoothly from there on in.Rosie is a highly loveable character and from the moment she was dumped I wanted her to have a happy ending of her own. I revelled in the finer details of each wedding she gave us a glimpse of and laughed out loud at the problems that were thrown at her along the way. I was particularly impressed with the way she dealt with an unruly bridesmaid or two! Joe’s entrance was inspired as it unsettled Rosie from the get go and she takes a long time to recover. Although a bit unrealistic, it was touching to see Joe’s confidence in wedding planning grow as he tried his best to be less of a hindrance.
The Honeymoon Hotel is a warm and charming place to be. Each character is a joy to read about and adds another element to Rosie’s story. Put your feet up and enjoy wedding season without having to get dressed up or endure any of the boring speeches!
9/10