Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The cover of this book was the reason I requested it, before I read the synopsis. While it did intrigue me a bit, I felt it was definitely a book about friendship and less about romance.

Tennyson and Melanie are best friends forever, until a deeply hidden secret is revealed at an unfortunate time, ripping apart the friendship for good. But what happens when Tennyson's son and Melanie's daughter fall in love, get engaged and need to plan a wedding in only a few months? The two women will need to set their differences apart for their children, but how can then when there's so much unsettled bad blood between them. When the realities of life start hitting the women at all the wrong times, they will only have each other to turn to, but will that be enough to fix the broken friendship?

I absolutely detested so many characters in this book. Melanie was one of the worst characters I think I've ever read, Kit was almost unbearable, and the kids were both a little annoying. Tennyson and her hot cop probably saved this for me, even though they both had annoying qualities themselves. I did enjoy the basic storyline of the long ruined friendship having to overcome obstacles and daily life, so it had potential, which is why I gave it the 3 star rating I did. I realistically would have rated it 2.5 stars if I could have. What irked me the most about this overall book was how repetitive certain sayings and actions were, to the point I was very obviously noticing the overuse of them, along with the strange and out of date point of views/stereotypes that seemed to be portrayed. It felt like a jumbled mess of everything that could happen, happening all at once. There were just too many ideas and storylines happening to be able to focus on what was going on. After writing this review, I feel like I should only give this book 2 stars, but maybe others will enjoy this more than I did.

I liked the outline of this book, but when I started reading it I was disappointed. The characters were shallow and cruel to one another. It improved slightly in the end, but it was not what I was expecting.

Thanks to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When you add one half Desperate Housewives, combine it with one half Bride Wars, sprinkle in a little Bridesmaids and a dash of Father of the Bride, you get Liz Talley’s entertaining and over-the-top novel, The Wedding War

Tennyson let go of the love of her life only to find that her best friend, Melanie, swooped in and married him. At Melanie’s wedding, secrets are revealed and lives are destroyed. Years later, another wedding brings Tennyson back to her home town and face-to-face with Melanie. Nothing is ever easy as these enemies now need to learn how to put the past aside and look for forgiveness as this upcoming wedding approaches. And, boy, what they put each other through! If you enjoyed the lol funny or cringeworthy antics of the movies I mentioned, then you’ll enjoy what goes down in this book.

While a lot of it is light hearted and loaded with crazy antics, we do watch as Melanie and Tennyson deal with their past, struggle with their present, deal with how they are perceived, and how devastating secrets can be. And we watch as they try to come to terms and reconcile with themselves and their combined past.

This tale, told in current time with flashbacks, could easily be imagined as a charming rom-com movie. It read just like watching one due to Luz Talley’s descriptions. It was the perfect book to escape life with! While I’m not a huge rom-com/chick lit fan, I did enjoy this book. It was a witty, entertaining, and redeeming trip.

No, just no. I can't remember the last book I rated this low, and I read a book every day. It's offensive, full of stereotypes that cross the line into racism, and features characters who are overbearing, MEAN, and entirely unlikable. It's also not a romance.

If you go into this with open eyes, your reading experience might be slightly better. The blurb makes this sound like a light-hearted read with some snarky banter, though it’s anything but. The overall tone is mean, harsh, bitter. And while I picked up this book because it was categorized as a romance (and I’ve seen this author on romance bestseller lists before), this isn’t a happily ever after kind of book.

If I was judging this on plot alone, it’d be a 2-star read for me. The racism drops it to 1 star because there were some lines that made me stop and stare. For a book that’s written in 2020, it sure didn’t feel like it. I appreciated receiving an ARC via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review, but this was a no-go for me.

Former best friends, Tennyson and Melanie are reunited when their children decide to get married. In this book, they try to outdo each other, during every step of the wedding planning, making a hilariously entertaining story. It’s a cat fight until the very end.

I laughed so hard during some of the scenes. It was like if anything could go wrong it would. But I also enjoyed the slow reuniting of best friends as came to terms on their past and learned they could still be friends if they put everything aside for a fresh start.

Melanie and Tennyson were best friends as kids. They promised to remain that way forever, but forever is a long time. That promise has long been broken now. Tennyson and Melanie haven't talked since Melanie got married, but now they are forced to get along since their kids are going to marry one another. This upcoming marriage brings up a lot of the unresolved hurt, the competitiveness between former best friends to be the best at planning, and a whole bunch of new secrets along the way..

This was a fun read. The characters are fun. Melanie being a typical stay at home underappreciated mom and Tennyson is a woman married into money and flaunts it like its no ones business. While I understand all the background and family issues presented for Melanie, I feel that it takes away from part of the wedding war. I would love to see a sequel with the ending we were left. I could only imagine.

Tennyson and Melanie were the best of friends, and now they’re mortal enemies. Now Tennyson’s son and Melanie’s daughter are engaged—what could possibly go wrong?? This is the setup for this book, and there are so many emotions on each of its pages. The relationships are tricky and real and complicated, which makes for a very compelling read.

This one wasn't for me. I wanted to like it. The premise was good, but just felt like both women were really whiney. Thank you for letting me read early!

What a fun and witty read! Talley does an exceptional job detailing a friendship gone wrong. Two ex best friends must come together for the nuptials of their children. Chaos ensues and the reader will find themselves giggling uncontrollably at the characters' antics! I hadn't read anything by the author prior to this one, but she is definitely a new favorite!

This book is a hilarious take on two old friends who haven't spoken in 20 years but now they have to reunite for their kids' wedding. Set against the antics of a typical wedding, they have to try to navigate their relationships with each other and everyone else in their lives.

Thank you to the author, Montlake Romance and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis sounded fun, and this could have been a witty romantic comedy with a touch of snark toward the wedding industry - which needs all the pushback it can get, IMO. Unfortunately, the author took a different path and wrote a book with two unlikeable main characters, lots of casual racism and gross generalizations, and some very strange and outdated points of view. Cannot recommend.

Teeny and Melanie are childhood friends and an unlikely duo. No friends could be more different. However, their differences instead of setting the apart seem to fill in the missing piece for each other--like the missing pieces of the best friend necklaces they exchanged as kids. But after both women date the same guy the friendship cannot make it past the fall-out -- when Melanie marries him. They were once friends but now are sworn enemies.

Years later they have been married, and their kids are grown and announce their engagement. And the soon-to-be mother-in-law is someone the mom already knows--her sworn enemy and childhood friend. How will they be able to get it together and pull off the perfect wedding in 3 months?

I loved this book of friendship, family and wedding hijinks (in fact, I read it in two days since I couldn't put it down). I wish I could share some of the hijinks, but I don't want to give away any spoilers! Let's just say it includes a cake incident and a rodent in the house.... I absolutely loved the characters and the heartwarming theme of friendship and possibly second chances, mixed in with wedding humor. A heartwarming humorous read.

The story of Meanie and Tennyson and their friendship turned rivalry was intriguing. What caused the first between tase friends? How will they navigate the unlikely wedding of their children? As the story progressed I both liked and disliked both women at different times. The idea that there is always more to the story than what is seen on the surface. There were scenes that were meant to be funny, though I do wish just a little more lightheartedness had come through. The storyline was heavy and a little more humor to balance out the tale is what I was expecting from this book. I enjoyed the story and the conclusion.

The Wedding War is a well written woman’s fiction novel that I enjoyed very much. The central themes of friendship and forgiveness are ones that really touched me and I could relate to.

Melanie and Tennyson were friends in their 20’s and a HUGE falling out. I mean ooops I married your ex boyfriend and spilled your family secrets falling out. Now their kids are getting married and they have a wedding to plan and the pain and hurt is still fresh.

Melanie and Tennyson have relationship issues of their own. I absolutely loved the theme of friendship between Melanie and Tennyson and trying to resolve their issues for the happiness of their children. My female friendships are so very important and valuable to me.

There are some heavy topics in this book that the author writes with such respect and dignity including suicide and grief. I appreciate how she handled these topics.

The characters were complex, complicated, flawed and well fleshed out.

The Wedding War is a book I can happily recommend, I only wish I could give

This was a fun book, but it fell short for me. I guess I was expecting more on the romance front, whereas this is more a story about friendship and forgiveness. It seemed like the story sort of dragged on at some points, like there were just a lot of filler scenes. It was fun to see both of the women’s perspectives and find out what they thought of different situations. It was funny and kind of cliche. This would be a great book if you’re looking for a light escape, I think I was just looking for a little more!

I was not a fan of this novel. The women were ruthlessly mean and self-absorbed -- but not in a fun-to-read way. Some of the writing seemed to border on racist (or microaggressive at the least). This seemed up my alley as a fan of Say Yes to the Dress and every wedding-related reality show ever, and I tried so hard to like it but could not.

I really enjoyed this book. Mostly predictable but sometimes that is what one needs to read to restore order to one's life. The characters were funny and I liked the way they connected. Very well written. 3 1/2 stars.

I did not like this book.

The characters were catty beyond enjoyable, there was racism and stereotypes throughout, and it was a struggle to even get through. The drama went beyond a fun entertaining read, and instead went straight to stomach churning.

SPOILER ALERT: This ISN’T a romance, but then again, it’s not billed as one. If you’re looking for one of Liz Talley’s sweet, fun romances, stop right now. But if you’re looking for a story about life including broken friendships, marriages in trouble, finding yourself…then this is the book for you.

First, I fell in love with Liz Talley’s writing eons ago when reading her romances. She’s talented and has a knack for bringing humor to the page, along with touching moments that just send a zing straight to your heart. So, when she released her first Women’s Fiction book, Room to Breathe, I one-clicked without a moment’s hesitation. And guess what? I loved it, just like I loved THE WEDDING WARS.

Now, these women are not sweet. They’re not even remotely nice to each other and sometimes to others, but life and circumstances have shaped them into the people they are now. And that’s life. Real life. We’ve all had moments we’re not proud of, but what I loved about this book, is the author’s ability to show these horrible sides of these women and then tell a tale of redemption and forgiveness. It’s a tale of facing your own demons and recognizing that you’re not perfect, that your life is not perfect, and growing up enough to own your own faults, as well as make the steps necessary to improve.

It’s not all dark and dreary and depressing. There are humorous moments. There are touching moments between the two once-upon-a-time best friends where you can see hope. And there are moments of enlightenment where you just have to cheer for both Mel and Tennyson to open their hearts and give each other a chance again. There are also heartbreaking moments dealing with a marriage in trouble, and some sexy moments as one of them starts to find love, real love and a chance at happiness.

I found the story funny, moving, sad, and hopeful. The writing sharp, witty, and thought-provoking. And while we don’t get our typical Happily Ever After like we do with Ms. Talley’s romances, we do get to witness the true strength of women’s hearts and souls and what they are capable of dealing with and handling.

Thanks to Montlake Romance, Liz Talley, Amazon Publishing, and Netgalley for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This title is so perfect for this book. After years of being apart, Melanie and Tennyson meet again when their children become engaged and start to plan their wedding. Once childhood best friends, the ladies are now enemies and despise each other. Their drama begins to complicate wedding planning...and everything ensues from there.

Drama begins as soon as the kids get engaged...and there is no shortage of it. Melanie and Tennyson’s antics are hilarious, but once you learn more about the root of their problems...it quickly becomes a beautiful story of forgiveness. I was so impressed with how the theme materialized in the book, and honestly didn’t see it coming.

I read this during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was a great escape. If you are in need of a beach or a pool read this summer and loved the movie Bride Wars, you’ll enjoy this book.