"Romance Thursday": When Girlfriends Chase Dreams by Savannah Page

Genre: Woman's Fiction, Humor & Satire, 465 pages

Price: $0 FREE (at time of post)
*$10.19 paperback

Publisher & Date: Pearls and Pages. March 20, 2013

Book Link: Click Here

Listed Rating:  .8

Price I Paid: $0 (got it FREE on January 12, 2015)

My Rating:

My Thoughts: BFFs & Wedding Drama, But A Cute Realistic Lengthy Read

       My reason for choosing to read this book was for nostalgia's sake, plain and simple. However this book was anything but plain and simple. Sure it was a light read in that it could be taken at face value, but the book had some emotional depth in it's character's situations that were rather thought provoking, which was not at all what I was expecting. In fact this book is apparently the forth in the series of When Girlfriends by Savannah Page. Rest assured a reader can begin with this book or just read this book by itself, as I did, and I'll explain why.

        The book is about Claire Linley and her looong and rather tumultuous journey to walk down the aisle to say the words to finally become Mrs. Conner Whitley. Claire honestly thought that after getting that ring from her fiancé, Connor, in the awesome movie like proposal that all would kind of fall into place. However things just do not go her way and the whole DIY wedding is not working out for her, even with the aid of her BFFs, emphasis on the 'S'. Claire has Sophia the baker and chef (and closest BFF), Lauren the go get them businesswoman, Emily the photographer and traveling free-spirit, Jackie newly-wed to the rich husband with all the perks that come with it, and Robin the friend who has the cutest baby they all love Rose. How do I know all that? Well author goes over not just Claire's life but her friends lives as well. It's great if you aren't familiar with the series, but it makes the book too lengthy at times. Especially when the story is supposed to be about the wedding and Claire not everyone else in detail.

         Truthfully I was looking for light read, possibly RomCom, to just relax and remember my fond memories of being a bridesmaid for one of my BFFs. This book however, was so not about that, I've read books like that and this was not a light read laughing all the time book. No, this book went for reality with a touch of humor to help it along. Claire may have had disaster after disaster happen to her, and allowed the stress and worry turn her into a Bridzilla, whom I wanted to shake and shout at to get her attention, girl seriously needed a high dose of chill pill. I mean poor Connor just had to take it and her friends, Oh I got a bit frustrated at them, but not until two thirds into the story when things really seemed awful and bleak for Claire, did I really start liking the book. I know odd right? But finally real life dawned for Claire, she started figuring out the wedding wasn't going to solve everything so why should it BE your everything. I think that's a moral truth for a lot of situations not just weddings. 

        Overall, I liked the book. This was my first book that I have read by Savannah Page and it might not be my last. I wish the book just hadn't bee so lengthy, because at times Claire would ramble off and I felt myself wanting to skip pages going 'And this is relevant?' I suppose a reader wants to get to know the character and since the author seemed to be going for something more than a superficial story about planning a wedding, so I could see why she would give so much more dialogue and background, but it still felt too much. Despite the length I still loved Claire and Connor's story, their story alone could be a separate novel that would be super cute and great to read.  So if you want a good book with some BFFs, drama, wedding plans that go awry, and a book that's a bit lengthy check this book out.