Sneak Peek: Save the Date by Allison Raskin
ON OUR BOOKSHELF
Save the Date
by Allison Raskin
A prerelease peek at a romcom based on the author's life.
As someone who has planned a wedding, the premise of this romance is something I would’ve strongly considered if I faced the FMC’s unfortunate circumstances… This is truly a bride-to-be’s worst nightmare come to life with a light-hearted (yet wholly educational) twist on finding a solution— and the right Mr. Right.
I’m grateful to have received an advanced reader’s copy of Save the Date via NetGalley!
The Sneak Peek
Emma Moskowitz is a couples therapist — and she’s really good at it! So good that outside of her growing practice, she has a book deal and she’s grown a loyal following on her YouTube channel, where she and her fiancé shared how they communicate and resolve conflict. And her fans loved it.
But when she’s unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé six months before their wedding, Emma finds herself in a downward spiral and unsure how to proceed or if she is even qualified to guide couples for a living, IRL and on her YouTube. But as she works through her post-break-up haze, she comes up with an idea: maybe she could still keep her life’s plan in place, if she can find a new groom to marry her on her planned wedding day. Nothing would have to change….
So with the help of her sister, she publicly shares her plan to find a new groom through Operation: Save My Date.
Over the six months counting down to her big day, Emma publicly shares her untraditional journey to the altar. She revisits her list of failed relationships, seeking out the one that got away. She opens herself up to past friendships and acquaintances to see if she missed a spark. She signs up for dating apps to see if swiping can find her a willing partner. She considers recommendations from her family.
With each date, Emma battles her insecurities — that she’s hard to love and even easier to leave. She second-guesses if her plan is worth pursuing… But she reminds herself that this is the perfect example of everything she tells her clients: that a successful marriage is built on mutual respect and sustained effort. And if she can find a new groom and successfully make it down the aisle in six months, well, she’s validated her own advice.
And as the days countdown, maybe she’s done too good of a job as she finds herself torn between Will, a charismatic podcast producer who feels like comfort but isn’t interested in becoming a replacement groom; and Matt, a sweet, recent divorcee who works with her brother-in-law and is eager to settle down. With the world watching (including her family and Emma’s book editor), who will she choose?
What Victoria Loved
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5
Emma is a relationship therapist and I think this is secretly a self-help book written as a romance novel, and I mean that in the best way because while it was entertaining, I also learned a lot…
When you boil down the plot of the book, it’s really just putting relationships and weddings under a microscope. It questions how much of the process is dictated by society and its expectations — What’s the proper timeline? Who’s the ideal partner? What makes a perfect relationship? And then ultimately, what does it take to keep it?
Yes, Emma’s journey to her second chance will have you cringing, cheering and laughing out loud. Her family (particularly her relationships with her sister and mom) will make you wish you could spend more time with your family (at least it did for me). And her friendship with Will will make you swooooooon.
But I think the best thing about this book are the tips and advice she gives couples for how to work through conflict and how to stay level-headed and maintain neutrality when things get sticky. Honestly, there are a host of learnings I’m taking away from this book, and I kind of wish we had transcripts from the podcast interspersed throughout the book to capture more of that wisdom (but also because I just needed more Will and Emma banter).
Emma’s journey (and her podcast with Will) introduces the reader to different types of romantic relationships and how / why they work… or don’t work — college sweethearts, soul-mates, instant love, slow love, an anti-marriage POV, life-long partnership, etc. But the bottom line is that all relationships require effort: “Romantic love was about compatibility on some level, but it was mostly about dedication and commitment.”
We learn that compromises come in all shapes and sizes.
We’re reminded not to judge relationship dynamics that we aren’t privy to — what might not work for us can work for someone else!
We’re encouraged to think of love and partnership from different perspectives, especially your partner’s to understand what they need and why.
All this is to say, that you’ll get so much out of this romance beyond Emma’s Operation Save My Date. But hopefully, you’ll also enjoy the banter between Emma and Will as well as the camaraderie and friendship she builds among her suitors (at least a couple of them). And if you need it, maybe you’ll be inspired to go find the love you deserve!
Pre-order your copy of Save the Date (Amazon) and read with me!
Favorite Scene
“Look, I’m going to be honest, it is really fucking hard to love yourself when your heart is broken. Your brain wants to collect all this evidence that proves you deserved to be left because it likes to make sense of things. It likes to point to a reason for all the pain. And the easiest reason my brain can come up with is that I suck. That I am not good enough to marry. But I want it on record, for both me and you, that I reject that reason.”
- SAVE THE DATE by Allison Raskin
Similar Reads & Recommendations
REVISITING PAST RELATIONSHIPS FOR A SECOND CHANCE: Exes & O’s by Amy Lea (Amazon)
Booktok Influencer revisits a list of exes to see if they could be her second-chance romance. Naturally, one might expect some bad blood, but this romcom was so sweet and charming. And a friendly reminder that maybe (just maybe) the people we meet in each chapter in life serve a purpose that ultimately leads us where (and with whom) we’re meant to be.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
HELPING HER FIND A PARTNER: First-Time Caller by BK Borison (Amazon)
An HoH Book Club Pick! Based on the classic romcom, Sleepless in Seattle, this fresh take will have you swooning within the first couple of pages. A mother overhears her daughter call into a late-night radio show asking for advice to help her mom find a partner. And when all of Baltimore falls in love with the mother’s story, she ends up on the radio show where the city listens on as she shares her journey.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
PODCAST WITH AN EX: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Amazon)
This workplace enemies-to-lovers romance features two “exes” on talk-radio dishing out relationship advice. True to the storyline, Rachel Lynn Solomon delivers witty banter, searing tension, and a must-listen to audiobook about a chart-topping podcast.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
BY THE AUTHOR: I haven’t read anything else by Allison Raskin yet, but stay tuned — she’s on my TBR!
Until the next chapter!
xo, Victoria
P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.
