#Blog Tour #Book review of No Ex Before Marriage by Portia MacIntosh #Romcom  #Clean Romance @rararesources @Boldwood Books

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for No Ex Before Marriage by one of my favourite authors Portia MacIntosh.

From the blurb:

#Blog Tour #Book review of No Ex Before Marriage by Portia MacIntosh #Romcom  @rararesources @Boldwood Books

17/1/2022

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for No Ex Before Marriage by one of my favourite authors Portia Macintosh.

No Ex Before Marriage

It’s not over until someone says ‘I do’…

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?

Purchase Link

My thoughts:
Portia MacIntosh is one of my favourite authors as my local bookshop and my library card can attest. Her books are such a treat-lighthearted but with some serious issues explored on the way, with sweet and loyal protagonists, and incredibly entertaining plotlines. No Ex Before Marriage was no exception- once again five stars, Portia does it again!

The book opens with a wedding scene. The last of Poppy Walker’s childhood friends Rachael has joined the Wives’ Club. She might have gone a bit over top with relegating Poppy to a sad singles’ table, but Poppy is a good sport, she won’t spoil her friend’s wedding by complaining. Well, Poppy does have some things to be unhappy about. Her best friends have been excluding her from their social life. While Poppy was the first to get married, at the tender age of twenty four, she was also the first one to get divorced. Add her mum dying in a freaky car accident and her dad barely coping with his grief…What Poppy needs is love and support of her friends, but all she is getting is judgy comments. The single table would be an utter disaster, were it not for Kat, a fun-loving fellow pariah who reminds her to take every opportunity to live her life and have a good time. Then out of blue, Poppy’s Dad informs her that her divorce was never finalised and she has very little time to correct the situation before her ex gets married in a private ceremony in a remote part of Scottish Highlands and Poppy doesn’t think twice- she needs to save Zac, ‘the nerdy love of her life’, from becoming a bigamist.

The pace was great. Portia hits the ground running with the opening scenes and the road trip and then lets us absorb what actually happened to Poppy and Zac’s relationship through a series of flashbacks entertwined with the scenes at the Scottish castle where Zac and his influencer/ daughter of a movies star fiancee are getting ready for their wedding. It isn’t difficult to guess what caused Zac and Poppy’s breakup and when we finally got to discussing this heavy topic, I was very happy to see it was dealt with in an extremely sensitive way. It did add a touch of real life sadness to this very well-balanced book.

Poppy is a very likeable protagonist, although, unlike Portia’s other protagonists, she does come across as a bit weak- defeated by life? in need of a good hug and a fun night out with her friends? She’s serious and honest, and takes responsibility for her own actions. She doesn’t give up on her friendships, because sometimes life happens and you can drift apart, the important thing is to talk and make time for your lifelong friends. You’re probably going to hate Poppy’s friends at the beginning of the book and might not find it easy to forgive, but I bet it will make even more appreciative of Kat. Well, the more, the merrier, and there’s place in life for all kinds of friend, old and new.

I often see books described as heartwarming and uplifting and I don’t always agree with the blurb, but that’s exactly how this one felt. The message is great: live your life and do things, even though it might mean making mistakes because no one is perfect, live your life so that you don’t have regrets later, have fun and take care of your loved ones.
Highly recommended to anyone who appeciates a good British romcom.

Thank you to Rachel, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Author Bio –
Portia MacIntosh is a bestselling romantic comedy author of over 15 novels, including Stuck On You and The Plus One Pact. Previously a music journalist, Portia writes hilarious stories, drawing on her real life experiences.

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