Chicklit Club
 

NEW RELEASE

 
 

A Christmas Wedding- Paige Toon (2017)

 

Bronte's life is disrupted by an email from Alex - the man who broke her heart, the man she hasn't heard from in four years, the man she has still feelings for. He's coming to Sydney for work and will spent three weeks in the same building where she works. The few days of tension during which Bronte fears and, at the same time, hopes to see him have a toll on her so she decides to invite him for lunch and get it over with. But is she really over him? And will her relationship with her boyfriend Lachie survive even if they want different things?
I am a huge fan of Paige Toon so I was really looking forward to this short - although, luckily, not too short - story while (not very) patiently waiting for her new novel next year and I wasn't disappointed. I loved seeing characters from her other novels making cameos (especially Bridget and Charlie who, it seems, I can't never get enough of). The writing is captivating and keeps you glued to the page and the characters are realistic and engaging. A romantic and emotional book with a brilliant and perfect ending to a beautiful story. (NP)

Rating 9/10
 
 

Paige Toon has written a short story sequel to her 2014 novel, Thirteen Weddings. The summary of A Christmas Wedding says: "Four years ago, following that fated thirteenth wedding, Bronte fled the UK and has been happily burying her head in the sand ever since. But when an email lands in her inbox from Alex, it seems her past might be about to catch up with her right here in Sydney. Is it time for Bronte to finally face her demons?
With links to The Last Piece of My Heart, Lucy in the Sky and One Perfect Summer, this short story ebook sequel to Thirteen Weddings is a must for all fans of Paige Toon." A Christmas Wedding is out in November 2017.

 
 

Thirteen Weddings - Paige Toon (2014)

 

Bronte has a bit of an unfulfilled life working as a picture editor at a magazine and spending her spare time with her flatmate Bridget. With a keen eye for photography, Bronte is roped in by Rachel, a wedding photographer, when Rachel's assistant is ill. Bronte is rapidly thrown into the world of bouquets, brides and churches - her biggest fear. Trying to overcome the fear of churches and take impressive photos of wedding days turns into a more permanent hobby for Bronte and when she meets Lachie, a wedding singer, she begins to enjoy life a little more. But when an old one-night stand, Alex, turns up on the scene (who Bronte hasn't really ever got over) and begins to become a more lasting feature in her life, Bronte has to rethink everything she has ever thought about love, marriage and commitment.
It was a pleasure to be back in Paige's world with her characters, her writing and her sublime plots and, I know I say this every year, but Thirteen Weddings is her best book by far - very emotional and addictive. The characters go on such a journey and interact so perfectly together that you can't help but become emotionally attached to every single one and I was hooked right from the start.
This book has an almost love triangle feel to it and, much like Johnny and Christian in Johnny Be Good, you just cannot choose between either man - you want both of them to win the heart of the heroine. Alex and Lachie are polar opposites but have such a sense of needing to look after Bronte that they find it hard to accommodate each other - it becomes a bit of a testosterone-fuelled battle to see who can win the girl. Bronte was a really great protagonist and I loved her inability to make up her mind because it meant that as a reader, I also found myself unable to decide what I wanted to happen in the end. The book was perfectly paced, there was the perfect level of surprise and tension, and of course the much-needed humour and wit that Paige is known for. Flawless! (LL)

Rating 10/10
 
 

Thirteen Weddings, by Paige Toon, is about a wedding photographer with eyes on the groom. The summary says: "Last year, Bronte left Sydney for a wedding in England, where she met newly single Alex. After a night of passion they parted ways, and Bronte returned to Australia. Now working on a picture desk for a magazine in London, Bronte is about to meet her new colleague, who turns out to be all too familiar. Although awkward at first, as Alex is now engaged to the girl he was on a break from when they met, they soon become friends. In her free time, Bronte is a wedding photographer, so Alex enlists her to do his wedding. Unable to refuse, Bronte is stuck with the job. But as the two get closer, and the wedding day looms, it is clear that Alex and Bronte have unfinished business... Will Alex leave his bride at the altar, or will Bronte be forced to photograph the wedding of the man she herself should be marrying?"

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