View source for The Final Hitch by Samantha Scott-Jeffries

{{infobox
|title=The Final Hitch
|sort= Final Hitch
|author=Samantha Scott-Jeffries
|reviewer=Katie Pullen
|genre=Women's Fiction
|summary=Izzy is enjoying her new life as a wedding planner in Majorca, but when she has two proposals on the same night, is it her turn to walk down the aisle?  A fun holiday read.
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=320
|publisher=Little Black Dress
|date=June 2010
|isbn=978-0755352838
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0755352831</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0755352831</amazonus>
}}

Following her first outing in Samantha Scott-Jeffries ''I Do I Do I Do'', Izzy Mistry is back and comfortably settled into her life in Majorca as a wedding planner.  Izzy loves her job and certainly isn’t expecting to be planning her own wedding anytime soon, so is rather surprised when she finds herself being proposed to by two different men on the same night.  One of these men is her ex-boyfriend, Harrisson, and Izzy soon finds herself back in his arms, planning to start a new life together on the island.  But as they start to renovate their beautiful new home in the mountain town of Soller, the sheen on their relationship starts to fade, and Izzy is left wondering whether she made the right decision. 

Izzy is a sweet young woman, brilliant at her job and a great friend.  She is honest and kind but is just a little too eager to please.  As soon as Harrisson strolls back into her life and announces she’s his bride to his current fiancée, Izzy takes him back without much thought even though he has clearly hurt her in the recent past.  She is just a bit to eager to forgive and forget as she starts to make plans for their life together in Majorca, forging headlong into it without seeing the clear warning signs.  I can forgive her a little though as after all she is surrounded by weddings and all the frippery and frivolity that goes with them on a daily basis so no wonder she gets carried away. 

Life in Majorca is made all the more fun for Izzy by her friends.  First there’s Marta who helps her family run a vineyard, then there’s playgirl Remi, gay best friend Ray, and her glamorous boss Celia, all of who love her to bits and have her best interests at heart.  They are all fairly minor characters though and it’s a shame we don’t really get to know any of them particularly well as they are slotted into the novel only when needed.  

The best bits about this novel though, which are sure to make most readers green with envy, are Izzy’s fabulous job and life in Majorca. These two aspects of the book really stand out and provide some moments of pure escapism.  For me planning a wedding would be the ultimate headache but Izzy makes it look like the most glamorous thing ever as organises all the little details from dresses, venues, catering, flowers, favours, and candles etc. making it all seem incredibly romantic, not to mention easy to achieve. 

Setting the story against the beautiful backdrop of Majorca also helps make Izzy’s life seem like an idyllic dream.  Scott-Jeffries has clearly researched Majorca well, as she paints it in a beautiful light, with amazing scenery, local people, and above all food, which really makes the place come alive.  Izzy tucks into the local cuisine on a regular basis which I’m sure will make most readers hungry if not a little worried about Izzy’s waistline as she tucks away the bread, cheese and olives. 

The plot seems almost incidental to the details above and to be honest it just didn’t quite hit the spot for me.  It’s fairly obvious where Izzy is going to end up from the start and by about halfway through I became a little impatient and really couldn’t wait to get to the end, only really stopping to enjoy some of Scott-Jeffries fine descriptions. 

However, if you love weddings, the idea of being a wedding planner and the thought of life on a Mediterranean island this book is sure to banish the humdrum of ordinary life or make any day on the beach a good one.

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

Further Reading Suggestion: If this book appeals to you, you may also enjoy [[Revenge of the Wedding Planner by Sharon Owens]] or [[Wedding Season by Katie Fforde]].

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{{amazonUStext|amazon=0755352831}}

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