Author: Holly McQueen
Review: Initially it seemed this book would be about Polly, the bride of the title. Returning home to England to get married to the wonderful Dev, she suddenly decides that she cannot go through with the wedding. This, of course, upsets her best friend Grace and her older sister Bella. Unfortunately Polly isn’t talking to anyone, especially about her cancelled plans. So the story is laid out through the alternating voices of Bella and Grace, as they try to coax out the story from Polly. They want to know what is wrong so they can fix it. Through this process we learn their stories, and Polly turns out to be the much needed cathartic projection of their own issues, a means to seeing their own problems form an objective perspective. If you are looking for a fun romantic comedy sort of book, Holly McQueen really delivers. But if like me you are always looking for some deeper meaning behind the story that can speak about life in general, something applicable to all our lives, well she also delivers there. Typically people in trouble will learn to gloss over their problems for the sake of happiness. They lose the ability to see the trees in their own lives because the forests of world are in the way. In trying to fix Polly’s relationship they are finally able to see the problems in their own. It is this new found perspective that opens their eyes; they begin to understand you can’t lift someone out of their problems if you are stuck in the mud too. Basically the message is marriage is a major life decision and should not be taken lightly. Too often people just jump in to quickly with the easy out of divorce blinding them to the hazards just below the surface. Both Grace and Bella are in relationships with the wrong guy, perpetually to be disappointed and unhappy. It shows how important it is to be married to the right person for the right reasons if you want a chance at success. Through Polly’s example they find a way to right their ships and then and only then are they able to help Polly. I was a little disappointed at how cavalier the break up of a relationship was portrayed. There is a whole lot of baggage to be worked through once a long term relationship goes bad, and for the sake of style (it is a comedy after all), the author just bypasses that. In real life they made the right choice in the end but it would have been a much longer and depressing road to recovery than time constraints allowed. But it does support the thesis that making the right choice in the first place is always the better option. A fun light hearted read well worth your time. Entertaining but plenty of things for a book group to dig into.
Publisher: Atria
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 403
ISBN: 978-1-4516-6093-7
Quick Review: 4 Stars out of 5.
Why I Read it: Hit a few of my likes, a romantic comedy starring a bunch of 30 somethings living in England. Where I Obtained the Book: Sent to me by the publisher for review.
Synopsis: And her older sister Bella couldn’t be more excited. Not only will Polly be home after five years in New York, but she’s coming back to marry the most perfect man on the planet, Dev. Dresses, cake, first dance … Bella’s looking forward to getting stuck into the arrangements.
Polly's best friend Grace is just as excited. She’s can’t wait to walk down the aisle behind her childhood ally, especially as the stylish Polly wouldn’t dream of dressing her bridesmaids in anything but the best, which will make a welcome change to the ‘mum-wear’ she’s adopted since her second child was born.
The only person who doesn’t seem to be bursting with enthusiasm is Polly. Which is why, before things can get any more chaotic, she calls the whole thing off. And there’s no way she’s going to tell them why. Some secrets are best kept hidden.
But she’s reckoned without Grace and Bella, who are determined to get Polly and Dev back together if it's the last thing they do. After all, solving someone else’s problems has got to be better than dealing with their own
Author Biography:
Holly McQueen has wanted to be a writer ever since discovering that the nuns at her junior school would let her off maths homework if she wrote a story instead. After unexpected detours via law, magazine journalism, and even musical theatre, she began writing her first novel in 2006. Holly lives with her husband in London. She still avoids math.
Other Reviews:
FYI: Here she is discussing here first book, The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder
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