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ljwrites85's review against another edition
4.0
This has been on my kindle since 2017 and I didn’t realise it, oops!
Annabelle is in the middle of one of the most high profile weddings she’s ever organised when she finds the mother of bride from hell dead at the bottom of a set of stairs. She of course starts to investigate putting herself in danger.
This was such a cute little cozy mystery! Fast paced and fun its perfect if you’re looking for something light hearted.
Two stand out characters for me were Richard, Annabelle’s camp caterer friend and Leatrice her nosey neighbour who loves a good mystery. They added a good dose of humour to the story, the back and forth between Annabelle and Richard really made me smile.
I did guess quite early on who the killer was but I read a lot of mysteries, it’s quite difficult to surprise me.
My only minor annoyance was Kate, Annabelle’s assistant who I felt was a little flat as a character, her main attributes being the fact she likes dating men and gets common sayings wrong.
I already have the second in this series which I’m looking forward to.
Annabelle is in the middle of one of the most high profile weddings she’s ever organised when she finds the mother of bride from hell dead at the bottom of a set of stairs. She of course starts to investigate putting herself in danger.
This was such a cute little cozy mystery! Fast paced and fun its perfect if you’re looking for something light hearted.
Two stand out characters for me were Richard, Annabelle’s camp caterer friend and Leatrice her nosey neighbour who loves a good mystery. They added a good dose of humour to the story, the back and forth between Annabelle and Richard really made me smile.
I did guess quite early on who the killer was but I read a lot of mysteries, it’s quite difficult to surprise me.
My only minor annoyance was Kate, Annabelle’s assistant who I felt was a little flat as a character, her main attributes being the fact she likes dating men and gets common sayings wrong.
I already have the second in this series which I’m looking forward to.
alexlcriddle's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun, entertaining cozy mystery. The writing flowed well and the characters were engaging and fully developed. I do wish there had been a little more romance, but I think that might come later in the series. I also felt that the ending was rushed and slightly predictable, except for Leatrice of course (one of my favorite characters). The world of wedding planning was an unexpected and amusing setting for a murder mystery.
srivalli's review
3.0
It is lighthearted, funny, and easy to read. I didn't have to stress about knowing the murderer or solving the crime. Not my kind of crime but definitely a cozy mystery and hey, it's got food.
shaifali's review
4.0
It was an amazing read and really something that had a mystery element that kept you hooked to the story. The reason I gave it a star less is because I had some small issues still with the book.
xandypp's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
ktbc's review
5.0
I listened to the 3rd book in this series on audiobook, a completely random find and an incredible delight. I went back to the beginning the moment the book ended to listen to Better Off Wed. The characters are hilarious. Their voices are wonderfully distinct. The mysteries are complex and feel realistic without becoming too heavy emotionally. The author expertly balances the humor and cozy aspects of this genre against the mysteries. Having just gotten married myself, I loved being in that world without any of the bridal pressure, and being able to see weddings as an industry from the industry side of things. It was almost like a laughter detox, and I loved it.
chelseaj91's review
3.0
The murder of a particularly difficult mother-of-the-bride has cast a pall on wedding planner Annabelle Archer's latest triumph -- and suspicion falls heavily on her sometime-business partner and friend Richard Gerard. Annabelle knows that even her trusted wedding emergency kit won't be able to salvage their careers if she and Richard can't find the real culprit.
It's no easy task since the slain matron was perhaps the most hated socialite in D.C., but Annabelle navigates through the city's colorful wedding industry and powerful social scene on the deadly trail of a killer. Always the bridal consultant and never the bride, she's seen her fair share of bouquet tosses. But there's no telling what surprises a ruthless killer will throw her way if she gets too close.
Ok, so this was...well, to be completely honest, I'm not too sure exactly how I feel about it. There's definitely potential here, but at the same time I got really frustrated and annoyed with several of the characters.
I really liked how Annabelle was trying to solve this, if only to clear Richard's name. Richard was mildly hilarious in all his minor freakouts, but some of them I was kind of confused about why he was having a meltdown. It was interesting the way that Annabelle got most of her information and I did like how she'd think through her actions. Oftentimes it was either as she was about to get caught by someone or after the fact, but at least she was considering a course of action. And I do kind of want her to contact Reese. There's definitely potential for something there. At least if certain people don't drive him away...
Leatrice was nice, but I really wished she'd just butt out. I mean really, she butts into Annabelle's apartment without notice, invites herself over for food, claims that Annabelle gave her a key (not too sure I fully believe that...based on other things her character did, I wouldn't put it past her to have somehow managed to nab a key from the super) and then wouldn't stop trying to set Annabelle up with Reese. Now, on it's own, that part isn't so bad, Annabelle clearly does need help in that department, but the fact that she glares at anyone else who so much as smiles at Reese just didn't work for me.
Kate was a little too much stereotypical hookup girl. Plus, what was with her mangled sayings? I mean, some of them I'll give you. But the way she mangled others felt almost physically impossible for someone with half a brain. And while Kate admittedly appears willing to sleep with anything male, she also seems to have a decent head on her shoulders. Although, she really can't drive, so maybe that's part of it.
I also had an issue with some of the editing. There were a few different spelling errors and also at the end Fern suddenly became Fem. Not sure if that was something to do with my NOOK or something that's throughout all the books, but it was a little frustrating.
All in all, this was a cute story and interesting way to start the series. I will likely be checking out the rest of the books eventually.
It's no easy task since the slain matron was perhaps the most hated socialite in D.C., but Annabelle navigates through the city's colorful wedding industry and powerful social scene on the deadly trail of a killer. Always the bridal consultant and never the bride, she's seen her fair share of bouquet tosses. But there's no telling what surprises a ruthless killer will throw her way if she gets too close.
Ok, so this was...well, to be completely honest, I'm not too sure exactly how I feel about it. There's definitely potential here, but at the same time I got really frustrated and annoyed with several of the characters.
I really liked how Annabelle was trying to solve this, if only to clear Richard's name. Richard was mildly hilarious in all his minor freakouts, but some of them I was kind of confused about why he was having a meltdown. It was interesting the way that Annabelle got most of her information and I did like how she'd think through her actions. Oftentimes it was either as she was about to get caught by someone or after the fact, but at least she was considering a course of action. And I do kind of want her to contact Reese. There's definitely potential for something there. At least if certain people don't drive him away...
Leatrice was nice, but I really wished she'd just butt out. I mean really, she butts into Annabelle's apartment without notice, invites herself over for food, claims that Annabelle gave her a key (not too sure I fully believe that...based on other things her character did, I wouldn't put it past her to have somehow managed to nab a key from the super) and then wouldn't stop trying to set Annabelle up with Reese. Now, on it's own, that part isn't so bad, Annabelle clearly does need help in that department, but the fact that she glares at anyone else who so much as smiles at Reese just didn't work for me.
Kate was a little too much stereotypical hookup girl. Plus, what was with her mangled sayings? I mean, some of them I'll give you. But the way she mangled others felt almost physically impossible for someone with half a brain. And while Kate admittedly appears willing to sleep with anything male, she also seems to have a decent head on her shoulders. Although, she really can't drive, so maybe that's part of it.
I also had an issue with some of the editing. There were a few different spelling errors and also at the end Fern suddenly became Fem. Not sure if that was something to do with my NOOK or something that's throughout all the books, but it was a little frustrating.
All in all, this was a cute story and interesting way to start the series. I will likely be checking out the rest of the books eventually.
dontmissythesereads's review
3.0
Book #42 read in 2006
An okay first book for the author. I would have liked to have a couple of clues to the killer's identity throughout the book. I could not participate in Annabelle's "a-ha" moment at all. I will give the second in the series a try before I decide whether to abandon it completely.
An okay first book for the author. I would have liked to have a couple of clues to the killer's identity throughout the book. I could not participate in Annabelle's "a-ha" moment at all. I will give the second in the series a try before I decide whether to abandon it completely.
lisalondonauthor's review
3.0
Check out my full review on my Lisa Latte Booktube Channel at https://youtu.be/DuBq-HxpnA0?t=607