Book Review for Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan

 

Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan

Published:  May 20, 2025 by William Morrow

Taken from Goodreads:  A modern comedy of manners about two mothers, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding

Penelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She’s a bubbly Southern Californian with a killer work ethic. He is smart and charming, with political aspirations. They are planning a spectacular California wedding, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights. Everyone is excited about it­­­­­­—except their mothers.

The mother of the bride, suave, Greek-born Alexa Diamandis, was a single mother by choice and does not understand why any woman would ever get married. The mother of the groom, Abigail Blakeman, is a garden-club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding were at the golf club. When a sudden twist of fate calls them into action, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning.

My Thoughts:  I am a mother of the bride as I write this review.   There are so many thoughts and actions in this book that I could relate to.  I enjoyed watching Abigail and Alexa make the wedding happen while keeping the bride happy.   It is a hard place to be and they had a few missteps and even more successes.   

Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding is a fun read.    There was no urgency for me to finish the book, the need to know was not there, but I enjoyed the family dynamics.  There was a unique relationship between the MOB and MOG, it was entirely relatable. 

This is a fun and easy read.   The storyline flows easily and is very entertaining.   If you have ever planned a wedding you will find something to relate to. 

 

Thank you William Morrow for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet Lian Dolan(taken from her website):  Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the USA Today Bestselling author of The Marriage Sabbatical, a People Magazine Best Book of the Week, published by  William Morrow in April 2024.  Her other books are Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife- all LA Times bestsellers. She’s written regular columns for O, The Oprah Magazine, Pasadena Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. She’s also written for TV, radio and websites.  In 2024, she was inducted into the Vroman’s Walk of Fame for her contributions to the literary and philanthropic life of Pasadena. Her next book, Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding, will be published in May 2025.

Lian is the producer and host of Satellite Sisters, the award-winning talk show she created with her four real sisters. Satellite Sisters began life as a syndicated radio show on ABC Radio, bringing lively talk and interviews to the airwaves. The Satellite Sisters interviewed everyone from Nora Ephron to Big Bird. The show was honored with 13 Gracie Allen Awards for Excellence in Women’s Media. From 2009 to 2023, Satellite Sisters remained a top-rated podcast for women. In 2017, Lian was honored as a Podcast Pioneer by Women in Podcasting.

A speaker who combines humor and heart, Lian has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Today Show and many local TV stations. She’s been a featured speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books, the Santa Barbara Celebrity Authors Lunch, the Literary Guild of Orange County Festival of Women Authors and dozens of other events at libraries, book stores, schools and women’s organizations across the country.

Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband Berick Treidler and two adult sons who live nearby but don’t come over as often as they should