Review: Wedding of the Season

I absolutely LOVED Lauren Edmondson’s debut novel Ladies of the House when I read it back in 2021 (review here). So, I had high hopes for her sophomore novel, Wedding of the Season. It didn’t quite live up to her first novel but it was still a really engaging read full of family drama and well-rounded characters.

Here’s the book’s description:

It's the wedding of the season and all of Newport is abuzz in this funny, joyous, whip-smart novel about two modern-day society families and the summer wedding that has the whole town talking...
Despite its beauty, Newport is a place Cass Coventry would prefer to forget. But after an extended absence, she’s back in her hometown to celebrate her sister’s engagement—even if she’s marrying into the family that famously stole the Gilded Age Coventry mansion out from under them a decade ago.
The moment Cass pulls up to the estate, she’s in for one surprise after another. The bride-to-be is hiding a big secret. Her mother has royal-wedding aspirations. And, when the date is set for only three months away, a local gossip blog makes the two families its new favorite subject.
It's not long before Cass's weekend in town becomes a full summer of frenzied wedding planning and society drama—but also idyllic sails, starry nights, and a former love. As the grand affair arrives, along with new truths about her family, Cass must finally face her own thorny past in Newport and decide how to honor the Coventry legacy in all its chaotic glory.

Wedding of the Season felt like a very gossip-y book - in a good way. Maybe that was because there was an anonymous gossip blogger writing about all the drama that was unfolding. But it was really quite delightful to sit by and read as Cass’ family’s secrets were revealed to the entire town. Who are also sitting by, absolutely delighted at the (further) fall from grace, and quite content to talk about the Coventry's behind their backs. And sometimes right in front of them. Scandalous!

I really liked Cass. She was flawed in a way that it would have been so easy to get frustrated with her and not care about her story but Edmondson made me care. She was a good person who had made some silly choices (ugh so silly) but it was nothing she couldn’t come back from. She was talented and cared about her family, as much as they infuriated her. She had layers which made her a really enjoyable main character to read.

I don’t know if it was because of Edmondson’s previous novel, which was a modernization of Sense and Sensibility, but I was totally getting Pride and Prejudice vibes from this one. Cass was a lot like Elizabeth, and her sister played the role of Jane, who is marrying the rich neighbour (“Netherfield Park is let at last!”). There’s a lot of pride and a hefty dose of prejudice throughout the book. Cass is convinced that her family is an embarrassment and she caused some of that embarrassment many years ago, which had her staying away from town for far too long. She was too self-absorbed to realize the pain she was causing and I found myself desperately hoping that she would figure it out and work to repair all the relationships she had been damaging by refusing to come home.

The setting of this book makes it a really enjoyable book to read in the summer. I really felt like I was in Newport, somewhere I’ve never been in my life. But I could really get a sense of the town and how it would have felt to grow up there, thanks to Edmondson’s writing.

Wedding of the Season may not have blown me away but I still very much enjoyed the time I spent reading Lauren Edmondson’s newest book. I’m really looking forward to reading whatever she comes out with next!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins/HTP Books, via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: Ladies of the House

I'm a Jane Austen fan who enjoys reading (and watching) adaptations of Austen's work. Not everyone does, and that's OK. (I'm more forgiving of adaptations in general than some readers, I find.) So, I figured I'd have a good time reading Lauren Edmondson's debut novel, Ladies of the House, which is a modern day retelling of Sense and Sensibility. I was wrong. I had a great time reading it. It might be my love of Austen influencing me but I absolutely adored this book from start to finish.

Here's the description:

No surprise is a good surprise. At least according to thirty-four-year-old Daisy Richardson. So when it’s revealed in dramatic fashion that her esteemed father had been involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy’s life becomes complicated—and fast.
For one, the Richardsons must now sell the family home in Georgetown they can no longer afford, and Daisy’s mother is holding on with an iron grip. Her younger sister, Wallis, is ready to move on to bigger and better things but falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible. And then there’s Atlas, Daisy’s best friend. She’s always wished they could be more, but now he’s writing an exposé on the one subject she’s been desperate to avoid: her father.
Daisy’s plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming, and quickly dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and accept the power of her own voice.

Like with any adaptation, Edmondson cut some characters and combined others. Some storylines were removed and adjusted to fit the flow of a modern story. It's been a few years since I've read Sense and Sensibility (and about as long since watching Emma Thompson's excellent movie adaptation), so I could only really recall the broad strokes of Austen's novel anyway. And those were the strokes that Edmonson made sure to make. Her Willoughby was perfection and Beau (aka Colonel Brandon) was wicked smart and an absolute sweetheart, just as he should be. The relationship between the sisters (only two - no youngest sister to be found in this story) and their mother was much better and healthier than I think Austen had ever written - but I loved that. Give me a great sister story and I'm happy - even happier when they get along well with their mother. There was a great scene in this story when Daisy and her mother, Cricket, wander around the National Gallery of Art. She says that she'd forgotten her mother was her ideal museum companion, since her father didn't care and her sister, Wallis, always zoomed through. I can't remember the last time I would have been at an art museum with my mom, certainly not as an adult, but the scene struck me so deeply and I wished the world wasn't locked down so I could go on an art adventure with my mom.

Speaking of the National Gallery of Art, there were a few scenes sprinkled throughout the story that would appeal to those wishing to do a bit of armchair traveling. The majority of the Washington, D.C. the reader gets is very political (which I enjoyed a lot) but there are a few moments where the reader, if they've visited the city like I have, will recognize attractions and be able to exactly picture the setting. 

The story, separate of all things Austen, is a gem. It is smart and amazingly feminist. I loved that Daisy was just a year older than me and absolutely killing it on the Hill. (Equally great was that the story wasn't super bogged down in politics.) I also freaking adored that she took no bullshit from Blake (aka Willoughby) at the end of the novel when he was trying to wrangle an apology out of her simply because his white frat boy self thought he deserved one. The epilogue gave me chills and I think I'm going to have to reread it a couple more times because of how powerful I felt it was. (No quotes here because 1. it's the epilogue and therefore the very end of the book and 2. I only have an advanced copy and can't confirm the finished text.) Wallis and Daisy had such a great sisterly relationship and I wished I could be their friend. 

You don't have to be a fan of Jane Austen to love Lauren Edmondson's debut novel - though Janeites will enjoy the nods to Sense and Sensibility. Ladies of the House is smart, entertaining, heartwarming, and feminist. I loved reading it and I think a lot of others will too. I can't wait to read what she writes next.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Graydon House/Harlequin, via NetGalley, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*