Save the Date

 Mallory Kass

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Contemporary Fiction + Rom-Com

Summary

Save the Date by Mallory Kass is a rom-com that combines three fun tropes from different movies into one package. The book follows three women:

Marigold: The Bride

Movie: Sweet Home Alabama

Trope: The heroine is engaged to a perfect fiancé (Jonathan). She suddenly discovers she is still legally married to her ex-husband (Hugo), and the divorce papers were never finalized. She leaves her wedding rehearsal to go to Canada to finalize the divorce. Marigold rekindles feelings along the way.

Natalie: The Bridesmaid

Movie: My Best Friend’s Wedding

Trope: Natalie is the bridesmaid and her best friend. She’s also best friends with the groom (Jonathan) and secretly loves him. She helps a lot with the wedding, and emotionally, she is drained by her conflicted feelings between betraying Marigold or her own heart.

Olivia: The Sister

Movie: Picture Perfect

Trope: Olivia is so attracted to Andrew, but her heart is crushed when he brings a date to the wedding. Jonathan’s best man (Zack) suggests that the best way to make Andrew jealous is for him and Olivia to fake a relationship. And of course, we know what will happen next.

Characters

The characters are quite lovable here. I think the author did a great job with the characterization and their depth. This is not a single hero or heroine story. Mallory Kass made sure all the characters got their due in terms of their present ground as well as their backstories. The girls and their stories were very easy to distinguish from each other. However, because the plot follows predictable romantic beats, the characters sometimes feel guided by the needs of the trope rather than fully organic growth, making them engaging and likable but not always deeply layered.

Writing Style

The writing style in Save the Date is light, accessible, and easy to get into. It relies a lot on conversations between the characters. The chapters are short and rotate between the three girls’ perspectives in third-person style. The author in her story is more focused on internal thoughts and emotional tensions than on descriptive world-building. The prose is clear and polished, which serves the story efficiently. 

Atmosphere:

This is a wedding-centric atmosphere, which makes it emotionally charged—filled with drama and romantic tension in a good way. It is very suitable when you are in the mood to read something light and accessible, rather than heavy or angsty

Final Thoughts

Overall, I found the story to be a fun ride, following the three women with their different emotional stories. Yes, the plot follows familiar tropes and will feel predictable, but the execution of these tropes and the way they were combined into one big plot made things truly interesting. The epilogue was excellent and not expected at all. 

Readers who enjoy multi-POV rom-coms with a wedding backdrop should definitely check this one out. To me, it was a satisfying and engaging pick that earns a solid 4-star rating. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book. 

Key Themes

• Romantic Conflict
• Romantic Reconciliation
• Second Chance
• Wedding Backdrop
• Love vs. Societal Expectations
• Personal Growth
• Self-Discovery