I am often powerless to resist a light-hearted romance because I find them to be great treats for my brain. I didn’t know what to expect from this one but I had a fantastic time with it!

The last of Poppy’s friends has just got married and seem intent of doing coupley things from now on. Having already been married and divorced by the age of 25, Poppy isn’t exactly champing at the bit to tie the knot again. Her ex Zac is getting married again but Poppy discovers something that could change everything and she needs to see him before his wedding. Can she make it on time?

At her friend Rachael’s wedding, Poppy meets Kat at the singles’ table. Kat is a sassy, no-nonsense whirlwind of a woman, who encourages Poppy to break out of her comfort zone and live a little wildly. She is exactly what Poppy needs at the start of the book and I’m not sure the rest of the story would have unfolded the way it did without her. I think I’d have liked her to have a bit more involvement in the build-up to the end but her presence was always a joy to be around.

Opening the novel at a wedding and placing our heroine at a very sad singles’ table was a great choice because it brought the tragicomedy vibes immediately. Everyone who has ever been single for a significant period in their adult life will know the utter despair of being overlooked and being ‘matched’ with completely unsuitable people. I laughed and cringed my way through the first few chapters and it got me on board with the story straightaway.

Some chapters take us back years before and show us how Poppy and Zac’s relationship developed. These chapters are very much of the mid 2000s and readers who were teens at this time (me) will be thoroughly transported to a very specific part of their lives. There are so many nostalgic pop culture references and an accurate depiction of awkward dating at that time, which meant that I lived in a warm, fuzzy bubble while reading these parts. I loved it so much!

No Ex Before Marriage is fun, flirty and heartwarming with a lovely satisfying ending. Our heroine doesn’t fall into too many cliches which I enjoyed and the core romance is very easy to root for. I also wasn’t entirely sure how things were going to end, which is quite unusual for a book like this. Definitely pick it up if you’re looking for a new contemporary with a host of love-to-hate characters and a cute love story.

*huge thanks to @netgalley and @bookandtonic for the eARC of this book*
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first of all, this is my first book by portia macintosh and i am very glad that i read and discovered this.
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this book is a heartwarming & entertaining story about poppy. this isn't just your typical love story. it also talked about the importance of friendship - real friendship - and family. that's why i probably liked this book a lot.
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it's so entertaining because there were a lot of things happening like ~ pretending to be a detective ~ and there were twists as well that i didn't expect.
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overall, it was such a fun and quick read! if you're looking for a light read, i would definitely recommend this book!

A lovely read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the story flowed nicely and was easy to v E carried along with the lovely story about love and friendship.

4 stars from me

Poppy and Zac met young and fell madly in love, they got married, life happened, they got divorced or so Poppy had always thought. But six years later Poppy finds out that her recently ,y deceased solicitor mother didn’t actually file the paperwork and it’s still in a drawer in her desk. So far not so bad but Zac is on the cusp of marrying famous internet influencer and daughter of movie star in huge lavish wedding in castle in Scotland. Poppy can’t make Zac a bigamist because of her beloved mothers mistake. She must make it right and get properly divorced so it’s off to Scotland we go,
This a was funny and moving, Poppy is likeable and reasonable I’m not so sure about Zac but he’s not bad. My only point to contention was that there was a derogatory comment made about about haggis and then in the next paragraph there is praise for black pudding which is basically the same thing but with added blood! Disgusting! As a Scot I find this most offensive. Haggis is the food of peasant gods! For shame.

No ex before marriage by Portia Macintosh.
While her friends join the "Wife Club" one by one, Poppy feels like that part of her life is done and dusted. Already married and divorced she's not desperate to go through all that again. But what if her divorce never actually went through...? After a shock revelation Poppy not only discovers she is still married, but that Zac is about to have his second wedding! Coming face to face with her (almost) ex-husband after six years apart is never going to be easy. And when Zac panics and tells his new wife-to-be that Poppy is family, things can't get much worse as she is welcomed with open arms as part of the wedding party! As the memories flood back, can Poppy really leave the past where it is? And can she watch the first love of her life walk down the aisle to say 'I do' once again?
A lovely feel good read. I did like the story. I liked the cover too. 4*.

Well, Portia has done it again!
Written a perfect, funny, heartfelt and ridiculously romantic book!
They are always good but this one is one of my favourites I loved Zac straight away, I would like my own Zac!
The story had some sad and hard hitting moments in it which just enriched it.
Fabulous fiction!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers and the author Portia MacIntosh for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

I liked this story, but I wasn't wowed by it. I found it a little slow to get going, and there were some sections along the way which would have benefited from being cut. I thought it seemed a bit far fetched, the "having to get to a Scottish castle on an island" plot, but there were some fun elements, much of the time provided by Kat, a great character. As for the main character, Poppy, I did like her. I thought some of her decisions a bit odd though. As for Zac, I wanted to like him, but it took awhile to warm to him. The ending was predictable, but it's the ending I wanted, so I was fine with that. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

No one really wants to be seated at the singles table, especially at your own best friends wedding, however with all of her friends firmly coupled up Poppy can’t help but feel like she has been pushed out of their little group being the only one not married. Well she was married once but now she is divorced, well so she though! As fate would have it, turns out Poppy is not actually divorced but with her husband Zac set to remarry in a few days Poppy has to set things straight and fast! Which is how she finds herself on a wild adventure with her new bestie heading to the Scottish Highlands to get divorced finally, or will she?

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I absolutely loved the sound of this book, No Exs Before Marriage was packed full of drama, comedy and such a heart warming story. I absolutely loved that this book was not just some love story but also shows how friends can change as they grow and sometimes all we need to do is voice our feelings.

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I really like that Portia always writes such real and relatable characters, and this was truly out girl Pops. I think we can all relate to how she felt in her girl group, I will say that Kat was the best thing to happen to her! That chick was crazy! I absolutely loved getting to see Pops and Zac reconnect and how naturally it all happened.

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Zac was definitely a cutie, I really liked the underlying tension that was there between him and Poppy throughout the book. I absolutely loved the way he just rolled with having Poppy and Kat crash his wedding weekend.

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I really liked the twist at the end to do with their divorce, this entire bit made the book all the more captivating. I loved that it wasn’t only Poppy that was growing relationship wise but her dad as well. I do have to say that I couldn’t stand Pops friends at all, talk about mean girls! But they did redeem themselves at the end. My only criticism is that I wish the epilogue had more, it just felt rushed.

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Overall this is most definitely a book that I would recommend! Not only does it have a feel good factor but it is genuinely a well written novel!

Another great book by this author, if you are looking for some lighthearted fun this is definitely the book for you. Great characters and storyline with romance and loads of humour means I read it in one sitting with a constant smile on my face

No Ex Before Marriage was a fun read for me since Poppy and I are the same age, and we both met our future husbands the same year. The story deals with some heavy subjects, but also has some very funny moments with Kat around! Overall, a perfect romantic comedy to read in January.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so cute. It was funny, a little sad, and full of friendship. Fake divorce is a new one for me. Poppy's mom has passed away. Her dad has discovered she never filed the paperwork for Poppy to get divorce. She pretended it all went through because she wanted them to stay together. So years later Poppy needs to find her ex and have him sign the paperwork. Problem is, he is about to get married. I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun fast, feel good type of book. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

tw: Miscarriage tw: Bereavement

I've read several of Portia Macintosh's books in the past and have enjoyed them. They're usually pretty light-hearted fun.

No Ex Before Marriage is still an often light-hearted rom-com, with some truly silly yet funny scenes. But, there was an unexpected depth that I hadn't been prepared for at times. That's not a negative. I love an angsty read. It always makes me connect with the characters much more. It just perhaps wasn't the best idea reading it on what would have been my own mum's 70th birthday, as the theme of bereavement is dealt with throughout the book.

Told in a mixture of real-time and flashbacks, we follow Poppy as she navigates life as the only (now) single woman in her group of smug married friends. Over the course of the book, we discover how she came to be single, having been the first to marry. Feeling like she no longer recognises herself, this is a story of unresolved feelings and second chances.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It left me feeling full of love for Poppy. However, because of the themes running through it of bereavement and miscarriage, please exercise caution if either of these may be triggering.

Overall Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 💓💓😂😭😭😭

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

I picked this book to read as I was stuck in a bit of a reading slump and it looked fun and oh my god it was such a good book to choose! It was engaging from the very beginning and I couldnt wait to pick it up and read more. The storylines very easy to follow and the main character is so likeable. You really will her to get her happy ending. Its a good storyline, simple but fun and I would definitely recommend!

This is an absolute hoot of a story full of misunderstandings, deliberate lies, and a whole raft of unfortunate events - and a new best friend who I really want to have in my life!

I always enjoy a Portia Macintosh book and I think this is probably her funniest yet. The premise alone is hilarious, and when I dived into the story I couldn't stop chuckling to myself

Another fantabulous read from Portia, a heartwarming, humorous & a truly delightful romp through feel good fiction.

It pulls on so many different emotions throughout its pages & the storyline an absolute winner.

Poppy was such a fun character, she's realistic, relatable & her antics with new found friend Kat were hilarious.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book & would recommend it to anyone looking for a lighthearted, fun read.

This is a fun, easygoing and lighthearted read. Poppy is a lovely character but feels left out as her friends are all married. Since her divorce she feels like she doesn't fit in.
There are lots of twists and turns in this book and it is well written and enjoyable. It is hard to go into detail without giving any spoilers away. I reccomend reading this book though.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my ARC.

It has always been the four of them in the Wife Club, and the first rule: is to talk about Wife Club all the time! But then Poppy doesn't feel like they're close as they used to, especially after her divorce. Her friends often made couple plans without including her just for being single. But then, what if... her divorce never went through?

I'm not sure why I requested this book in the first place. I think it's the title that lured me in, and it's best to say: I'm glad I did. For one, the summary is such a gain and loss. There was barely anything for readers to latch on to what the book is about, but then, going into this blind sure made reading this better than expected!

No Ex Before Marriage is a lighthearted, fun, and lovely story full of festive! I love how it was all full of twists; from making a new friend after being thrown into the 'single table", flying to Scotland to file a divorce, to reconnecting with your one true love. And for a short pages book, Macintosh got the top with the writing as the book was packed with a lot of emotion, multiple plot development, and well-rounded characters.

This brings forth for me to say, that I am enamored by Poppy! The book offers readers some flashbacks from when Poppy first dated Zac to the reasons things ended between them; giving more depth into their story. You can see the differences between those two-time frames where both of them are more grown in the present than their past decision whose timing wasn’t quite right the first time around. Poppy's character development was apparent even from a few flashback chapters that it warms you when things went right for both her and Zac in the end.

Even when there were times the plot felt ludicrous to me, the author ended up justifying them well by allowing the characters to communicate like a real grown adult than causing havoc and emotional destruction (unlike those miscommunication trope pundits that I truly despised). I rarely find books with reconnecting themes that I enjoyed, but this book proved me wrong!

If you want some fun and light chick-lit where two characters reunited under odd circumstances; pitched in with some loving and thoughtful friendship, I can't recommend enough for you to read this!

I really enjoyed this book so much! I love a good Exes to Lovers trope and this definitely lived up to its potential.

It was a little all over the place with the romantic interests so at first I didn’t know who to ship but that also made it exciting because it wasn’t an obvious choice for a bit there and I didn’t know what would happen!

Lots of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Short chapters. Filled with humor throughout. Bravo 👏🏻

Another lovely book by Portia. A book that I was drawn into the storyline and struggled to put down. Thank you for the ARC.

At the wedding of her last friend to get married, Poppy finds out that her friends have all turned into halves of a smug married couple. And their are doing couples’ things together, to which she is not invited, because she is single.

Or so she thought. A few days later her dad calls her. It appears her mother has never properly filed Poppy’s divorce papers, so she is still married. And her not so ex is about to get married again.

To prevent that Zac, who once was the love of her life, becomes an unwitting bigamist, Poppy and new-found friend Kat jump in a car and head over to Scotland, where the wedding party has rented an entire island. How they get onto the island to get Zac to sign the divorce papers is something they’ll figure out once they get there.

Loved this story. Loved Poppy. I was rooting for her all the way to the end.