Review - Mother of the Bride by Kate Lawson

This is a wonderfully funny, highly emotional, loving, warm and extremely realistic tale of how weddings can take over your entire life.  When Molly’s daughter Jess tells her that she’s marrying Max, Molly is firstly surprised then excited about helping her to organise the wedding that Jess has always wanted.  Max who is once divorced, and going through a busy time at work, says that he trusts Jess entirely with the wedding but the proviso is that he wants to do it quickly giving her a short time to organise it.  Molly’s radio show wants to record the whole process and while Molly and Jess originally weren’t keen, everyone else thinks it’s a good idea so they end up agreeing.  Molly’s ex-husband Jonathon and his extravagant and over the top, society wife Marnie also want to be involved and between them Marnie and the groom to be have a tendency to take over situations agreeing between them on involving Noo the wedding planner and they manipulate and rail-road Jess into doing things that she really wasn’t keen to do. 

Molly tries hard not to take offence and to stand up for Jess who is becoming increasingly miserable, but the whole situation gets completely out of hand and Molly develops a dislike for the groom who is showing no real interest in or commitment to her daughter or the wedding.  When Jess meets her brothers’ colleague the gorgeous Oliver and opens up to him about her concerns about Max, Molly wonders whether Max is the right one for her daughter or not!  She wonders whether she is just turning into the mother-in-law from hell or whether her concerns are actually genuine.  She dithers over whether she should voice her thoughts to Jess or just keep them to herself. 

This story is a fabulous read with a cliff-hanger of an ending that keeps you guessing what will happen right up until the very last moment.  It highlights the love that a mother has for her child and the way that she wants her daughter to flourish and live in a happy relationship with someone who will always love and respect her.   Another book that I couldn’t put down, a great holiday read.  It was a really comfortable read with characters who were easy to relate to.  Kate is very good at descriptions in her book, so that you can picture the places she describes and the people that she has created.   You almost become an outsider in the story!  Thanks Kate for another marvellous book.

Sue Welfare writes as Kate Lawson and Gemma Fox and is now back to writing as Sue Welfare.   She was born on the edge of the Fens and is perfect placed to write about life in East Anglia.  She has a family, sings in a choir, loves to garden and walk her dogs and enjoys photography and cooking.  She is also a scriptwriter, originating and developing a soap opera for BBC radio, along with the local town panto!   

Check out her website for more information on Sue, Kate and Gemma at www.katelawson.co.uk