View source for Mother of the Bride by Kate Lawson

{{infobox
|title=Mother of the Bride
|author=Kate Lawson
|reviewer=Jo Heffer
|genre=Women's Fiction
|summary=Jess and Max are getting married. Jess sets about organising her dream wedding with the help of her mum Molly. The only problem is that her stepmother wants to help too and she has very strong ideas that are directly opposed to what Jess wants. Then there's the wedding planner that Marnie has hired who comes with another set of strong ideas. Max has said that he is happy to leave the planning to Jess. However, when she starts telling him what she has arranged, he suddenly has an opinion too. Will they all be able to agree and will Jess end up wit the wedding that she has always dreamed of especially as the whole fairy tale event is being played out on local radio?
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=416
|publisher=Avon	
|date=March 2010
|isbn=978-1847561176 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847561179</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1847561179</amazonus>
}}

Mother of the Bride is the first Kate Lawson novel that I have read. I am so glad that I did as it turned out to be a fabulous read and has made me determined to read more by this great author. It has all the ingredients for an absorbing read with equal measures of humour and pathos. 

This is the story of Jess Foster who is busily preparing for her forthcoming marriage to Max Porter, willingly aided by her mum, Molly, and her stepmother, Marnie. It soon becomes apparent though that the women have different ideas, particularly opinionated Marnie who seems set on Jess having the society wedding of the year and even goes as far as hiring a wedding planner. Molly, on the other hand, agrees with Jess that things should really be kept simple. Thus the scene is well set for all the moods and mayhem which occurs when arranging a wedding. Will Jess be able to stick to her guns and arrange the type of wedding that she wants or will it just be easier to give in to other suggestions? 

Max is not much help either, preferring to let Jess get on with the arrangements, but then deciding he wants something different to what she has decided. Also, Molly starts to wonder exactly why Max is marrying Jess at all as he doesn’t seem that keen. He doesn’t even want Jess to move in to his house. However, he is quite happy for the wedding and the build-up to be featured on Molly’s local radio show. Could he possibly have an ulterior motive, and if so, what could it be? 

From the moment I picked up this book I loved it. I loved the story; I loved the characters; I even loved all the excitement and stress in the build up to the wedding. It was one of those books that I just did not want to put down. I think that one of the reasons it was so successful for me was because of Kate Lawson’s acute observational skills and her great attention to detail. Characters were described so well that I felt I really got to know them. Difficult situations were played out bit by bit making me want to squirm at Marnie’s over the top suggestions or Max’s social ineptitude. As Jess became more and more confused by Max’s strange behaviour, I felt every little slight or rebuff with her. At other times I shared her joy and delight, particularly when she tried on her stunning dress for the first time. 

I also really believed in the relationships between the different characters. At the heart of the novel is the relationship between Jess and her mum. This lovely warm relationship allows Molly to share in her daughter’s excitement and preparations, but also means that when she has her doubts, Molly feels that she has to express them even if it does mean risking the bond that they have between them. All the characters were extremely believable and by the end of the book I felt that I knew them all well. 

Mother of the Bride is a brilliantly absorbing read as well as the opportunity for a bit of escapism. However, I’m not sure I would recommend it if you are planning a wedding in the near future as it just might put you off. If you are not though, go ahead and enjoy it – it’s a fabulous read!

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. 

If you like the sound of this book, you might enjoy a couple of others on a similar theme – [[Wedding Season by Katie Fforde]] or [[Revenge of the Wedding Planner by Sharon Owens]].

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