Wedding Girl

Wedding Girl
Madeleine Wickham
Thomas Dunne Books, 2009. 327 p. Fiction

Milly adores wearing a wedding dress, the richness of satin and tulle combined with a delicate tiara and maybe just a hint of a veil. Of course the handsome man by her side only adds to the exquisite picture she knows she presents, but he’s really just the accessory--especially under the circumstances. As the cameras click, click away on those London steps, she smiles and enjoys the marriage she knows won’t last. (Fast forward 10 years) Perhaps that’s why she doesn’t hesitate to become engaged once again. It’s just so easy to forget she’s already done this before and it didn’t really count, not that first time anyway. But what will happen if Simon discovers that, well technically, she is still married.

For Americans, love with a British accent makes everything more tantalizing. Sophie Kinsella is the reigning star in chick-lit circles and she has claims to the Wedding Girl, although she’s writing under the pen name, Wickham. Kinsella/Wickham delves into some potentially heavy topics that all involve marriage: honesty in relationships, keep the baby/don’t keep the baby, the gay/straight dilemma and what to do when you’ve reached that blasé phase of middle marriage but, because it’s all accomplished with upper-class posh and plenty of chuckles it definitely won't leave you feeling mentally overtaxed. It’s a nice beach read if you can find one this time of year.

Language will be a deterrent for the conservative crowd and Kinsella fans might want to try Twenties Girl, a stronger, gayer novel with all the right touches of whimsy and humor.

DAP