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The Wedding Beat

by Devan Sipher (Goodreads Author)

3.42 of 5 stars 3.42 · rating details · 346 ratings · 100 reviews

Sometimes the best man isn't even in the wedding party...

Gavin Greene is a hopeless romantic. He's also a professional one: he writes the wedding column for a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, covering spectacular parties from coast to coast. But there's a thin line between being a hotshot reporter on assignment... and being a single guy alone on a Saturday night at someon...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published April 3rd 2012 by NAL Trade

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Community Reviews

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Apr 02, 2012 Bells rated it 5 of 5 stars

After being in a reading funk for a few weeks I needed a certain book to help me get out of it. When I received The Wedding Beat on my doorstep, I read what it was about and was instantly excited to read it. It was the right book that I needed at that moment and it had me tearing up while reading about Gavin Green's journey to find true love. I loved that this story was about a male character that just wanted to fall in love with the woman of his dreams. Finding "the one" is not easy for men eit...more After being in a reading funk for a few weeks I needed a certain book to help me get out of it. When I received The Wedding Beat on my doorstep, I read what it was about and was instantly excited to read it. It was the right book that I needed at that moment and it had me tearing up while reading about Gavin Green's journey to find true love. I loved that this story was about a male character that just wanted to fall in love with the woman of his dreams. Finding "the one" is not easy for men either and this story really showcases that as the main character Gavin goes through so many emotions while reminiscing about past loves and the one that got away. He also to deal with his somewhat dysfunctional family that will have you laughing whenever they appear on the page.

What makes it all more heartbreaking is that Gavin writes the wedding column at a major NYC newspaper. He interviews couples that are about to be married for his column and attends each of their weddings. He can't help but want what surrounds him as he doing job and wonders if he himself will ever find the right woman that will take that journey with him. There are times when he feels that he may be alone for the rest of his life and just when he has hope that he may have found someone, he's back to square one again. It doesn't help that he's pressured by his parents to find someone or anyone to settle down with and it makes people question why he writes the wedding column if it's something that he's never experienced in his life. He's very good at what he does, but there's one upcoming wedding that is just too much for him to take and places him in the uncomfortable position of doing something that he never thought he would do. Will being honest and true gain him all that he's ever wanted in life or push him away from the one that he's been waiting for.

The Wedding Beat is cleverly written by Devan Sipher and entertains the reader during an important part of Gavin Greene's life. It will make you reminisce about your own journey of love with your loved one. It will make want to grab onto them and hold them tight, because the journey is not an easy one.(less)

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Mar 21, 2013 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Ashleigh
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

Review: Gavin Greene is a peculiar man. Not just peculiar, he is definitely not what you would picture as a wedding columnist. As a man with a love for weddings and a strong desire to get hitched some day, he can’t seem to even get up the courage to be assertive with women. There is just something about him that makes you want to love him, while wondering how he has survived on the New York Streets so l...more Reviewed by: Ashleigh
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

Review: Gavin Greene is a peculiar man. Not just peculiar, he is definitely not what you would picture as a wedding columnist. As a man with a love for weddings and a strong desire to get hitched some day, he can’t seem to even get up the courage to be assertive with women. There is just something about him that makes you want to love him, while wondering how he has survived on the New York Streets so long unattended. When a chance meeting with a woman, named Melinda, at a house party where he was a +1, may just make his life finally come into focus. If only he hadn’t let her walk away without getting her last name or number.
With a burning desire to know this woman, and advice from a client on how to take charge, plus a best friend full of her own romance follies, Gavin is in for the ride of his life to find his perfect mate. Will finally finding her be everything that he wants or will he realize that fantasy may in fact be better than reality when it comes to love?

Melinda is the perfect woman, at least to Gavin. While she comes with her own secrets and a past that doesn’t lead to the best conclusions, she isn’t really introduced as more than a fantasy woman until the last half of the book. Her erratic and adventurous spirit would seem to be the perfect match for Gavin’s grounded and reality stricken behavior. But with her comes a slue of problems and hurdles these two much overcome to be together. With a hand full of lies, misinterpretations, a heart attack, cheating fiancee, and a best friend with a killer right hook, these two will have to really want it to make this relationship work.

This was a great story from an up and coming author that really showcased her personality and cheeky sense of humor. The story of Gavin and Melinda was well rounded, and while it did get a bit long winded in some parts, turned out just the way I had hoped it would. While the fun along the way really made these characters work for the ending, I found it enjoyable to have the HEA worked for instead of just a given. The suspenseful twist with Gavin’s best friend, Hope, was something that I had expected as a reader, and it made me love this book in the end. I can’t wait to see what is next from Devan. This book will be a re-readable one for sure.(less)

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May 23, 2012 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 4 of 5 stars

It’s no coincidence that the hero in THE WEDDING BEAT reminds the reader of the reporter in the movie 27 DRESSES but the similarity between the stories ends there. Devan Sipher writes a witty, laugh-out-loud funny story about hapless reporter, Gavin Greene. Sipher’s humor is low key and wicked. Lines like - “It was a cross between wedding kitsch and animal cruelty.” (when speaking of a wedding’s petting zoo) and “I liked being spontaneous. I just preferred to do it with a little preparation.” ar...more

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May 06, 2012 Beth Bernstein rated it 4 of 5 stars

Devan Sipher’s new novel The Wedding Beat (NAL/Penguin) is loosely based on his real life experience as the Vows wedding reporter for The New York Times. Sipher nails the guy’s perspective on romance with wit, warmth and insight. I was completely charmed by Sipher’s protagonist Gavin Greene’s plight to date in the not always ‘fair’ city of New York and find the right woman for himself, while interviewing and delving deeply into the relationships of the couples he is writing about for the newspa...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Marisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

The Wedding Beat is a unique and welcome look at love and romance from one man’s perspective. It has a fast paced dynamic rhythm that echoes the cadence and energy of New York City with a wonderful underlying pulse quickly capturing your imagination and immediately putting you in the mind’s eye of the protagonist - newspaper columnist Gavin Greene.

Gavin writes a wedding column for a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper and his job constantly surrounds him with happy couples who are about to take th...more The Wedding Beat is a unique and welcome look at love and romance from one man’s perspective. It has a fast paced dynamic rhythm that echoes the cadence and energy of New York City with a wonderful underlying pulse quickly capturing your imagination and immediately putting you in the mind’s eye of the protagonist - newspaper columnist Gavin Greene.

Gavin writes a wedding column for a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper and his job constantly surrounds him with happy couples who are about to take the first steps towards their ‘happily ever after’. Unfortunately Gavin’s own happy ending with the woman of his dreams is nowhere in sight. A single man, who is seriously re-thinking the ‘single’ part of his resume he has a slightly eccentric family, a demanding job and colorful acquaintances and friends. So it only seems par for the course that when Gavin does finally meet a woman who personifies what he’s been looking for she’s soon off to a new adventure. He doesn’t imagine things could get any worse until he finds himself in the unenviable position of having to write an article about her wedding.

The Wedding Beat has a male protagonist whose search for a happy ending is a journey we can all relate to. Gavin Greene is the kind of man I’d like to meet. He is written with an honesty that is refreshing and genuine. With charismatic secondary characters and a heroine who is both adventurous and elusive, this cleverly written debut novel comes alive with a quick wit that is keen, perceptive, sometimes sardonic, but always hopeful. As we follow Gavin’s road to love we begin to understand the relationships he has with his family and friends, his angst, his search and his choices.

The author of The Wedding Beat is journalist Devan Sipher. Mr. Sipher is a writer of the New York Times “Vows” column. His exceptional articles about the most intimate details of how two people meet, fall in love and marry is definitely not your typical wedding column. To read his articles is to fall in love with a man who knows about relationships and romance. When I received a copy of his debut novel I was excited to read his fictional take on a subject he has been chronicling for years. I found the same personal touch, insight, humor, and care personified in the book.

Author interview on B&N.com's Heart to Heart blog http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...(less)

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May 05, 2012 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

It’s no coincidence that the hero in THE WEDDING BEAT reminds the reader of the reporter in the movie 27 DRESSES but the similarity between the stories ends there. Devan Sipher writes a witty, laugh-out-loud funny story about hapless reporter, Gavin Greene. Sipher’s humor is low key and wicked. Lines like – “It was a cross between wedding kitsch and animal cruelty.” (when speaking of a wedding’s petting zoo) and “I liked being spontaneous. I just preferred to do it with a little preparation.” ar...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 22, 2012 Samantha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit-is-not-dead

First, I would like to send out a thank you to chicklitisdead.com--I won a free copy of this book from their website.

The Wedding Beat is another retelling of the familiar stories of loneliness as the career-oriented protagonist suddenly realizes that love has taken a backseat to ambition for too long and frustration in trying to find a single soulmate in a city of millions. What is unique about this novel is the perspective--in this case, it is a man who feels the need for a committed and fulfil...more

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Nov 18, 2012 LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-star, read-2012, format-print

I've seen this book described as a romantic comedy, but it's not. It's basically chick lit from a man's perspective. I'm more of a romance reader than a chick lit reader and, for that reason and a few others, I don't think this book was right for me.

That doesn't mean I disliked it. I loved Gavin's “voice” - he was funny, smart (when he wasn't allowing his desperate desire to find himself a girlfriend/future wife override his common sense), and sympathetic. I enjoyed Gavin's interviews with the b...more I've seen this book described as a romantic comedy, but it's not. It's basically chick lit from a man's perspective. I'm more of a romance reader than a chick lit reader and, for that reason and a few others, I don't think this book was right for me.

That doesn't mean I disliked it. I loved Gavin's “voice” - he was funny, smart (when he wasn't allowing his desperate desire to find himself a girlfriend/future wife override his common sense), and sympathetic. I enjoyed Gavin's interviews with the brides- and grooms-to-be, and I found the little wedding columnist details, like Gavin being unable to eat the food at weddings because it could be construed as accepting bribes, to be fascinating. Devan Sipher has been a wedding columnist for several years, and I think that real-life experience really showed.

As much as I loved how real some aspects of this book felt, there were times when I could have used a little less realism. I had hoped for and expected a fun, frothy read. Instead, Gavin's fears of being laid off and of being single for the rest of his life made this book surprisingly depressing. Judging from other readers' comments, I may be the only person who felt that way, but since the feeling hit me so strongly I almost DNF'ed this several times, it's something I think I should mention.

A good part of my reaction may be due to my own circumstances. I'm single, I don't expect to ever not be single, and, although for the most part I don't mind that, there are times when single person fears hit me hard. At one point in The Wedding Beat, Gavin's grandmother is caring for her husband as he lies in his hospital bed, and she says to Gavin, “'Who's going to take care of you?'” (125), inspiring Gavin to occasional fits of “I'm going to die alone” thoughts. To me, as a single person, it felt very, very real...and it was so not what I needed or wanted out of my recreational reading.

Gavin's search for someone to finally walk down the aisle with struck me as more desperate than romantic. I was never convinced that Melinda was the one woman, out of all the women in the whole book, that Gavin should end up with. In fact, when Melinda and Gavin first met, I actually flipped to the end to be sure that they really ended up together, because I was getting conflicting vibes. On the one hand, Melinda seemed nice, attractive, perfect (almost too perfect), and overall just the sort of woman Gavin has been hoping for. On the other hand, there was this line, a thought Gavin had after finding out that Melinda was a travel reporter who had volunteered at a girls' orphanage in Katmandu and taught English in a rural village: “She made me feel deficient as a journalist – and a human.” (31). I don't understand why anyone would want to be with a person who made them feel that way.

Gavin and Melinda had some nice moments together - my favorite was probably when Gavin almost made a fool out of himself trying to be Melinda's knight-in-shining-armor by helping her get back into her apartment after she locked herself out – but, now that I think about it, they spent very little time getting to know each other. Their happy ending came very suddenly, and I was never able to shake the feeling that they would eventually come to the realization that they didn't actually fit together. Gavin didn't seem to belong with Melinda any more, or less, than he belonged with Laurel, his ex-girlfriend, or even Brooke, a one-night-stand.

I'm conflicted about this book. I liked some aspects of it very much and found Gavin to be an enjoyable character. However, Gavin's worries about losing his job and about being single made this a more uncomfortable read than I expected, and Sipher was never able to sell me on Gavin and Melinda's romance.

(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Samantha Robey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gavin Greene is a writer for a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, but he doesn’t write a column on stocks or sports. No, he writes the wedding column, which suits this romantic at heart. Still reeling from a bad breakup, Gavin is searching for that right woman...and finds her New Years Eve night at a party. Melinda. Gavin’s One. But when she slips out early, Gavin is left to search for the woman whose last name he isn’t even privy too. Can Gavin find her before someone else sweeps her away?

I thou...more

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May 11, 2012 Meredith Schorr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gavin Greene attends a lot of weddings as the writer of the wedding column for The Paper. Unfortunately, the only wedding he really wants to attend is his own but he hasn't been able to find the right person. The one person who got close broke his heart. When Gavin meets Melinda, he falls instantly in love, but lets the opportunity to make a move slip away out of fear. After searching high and low to find Melinda again with no success, their paths finally meet again - when he is asked to write a...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I greatly enjoyed this book. No, immensely. Not just because I am getting married this month and am a sucker for anything with the title wedding in it, but because it is just that good. It has moments that are hysterically funny and those that are equally heartwrenching and touching. Not only that, but it is also ridiculously well written (which is probably important in a book where a big time article writer is the main character).

The prose was very tight and witty with a strong voice that reall...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Jillyn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of romantic comedy

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

Gavin Greene is a newspaper columnist who writes about weddings- something that he's never experienced himself. Unlucky in love, he wonders if he is destined to spend his life alone, a fly on the wall at others' happy affairs, or if somewhere out there is the future Mrs. Greene... And then he meets her. The One that he can't take his mind off of- but love giveth, and love taketh away. Just like that, the girl with the sunny smile is gone. He tri...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Patti rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars. I didn't hate it. It was more than ok in some parts, not that great in others. Personally, I don't get what anyone thought was LOL funny about this story, period. Am I missing something? I don't think I laughed more than once or twice. Sometimes he used amusing analogies, but it didn't make me pee my pants laughing. You want a funny contemporary romance story, read some Jill Shalvis or Kristan Higgins. This wasn't funny. It wasn't horrible, it wasn't exactly sad, but it was NOT funny....more

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Mar 16, 2012 Deanna Sletten rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves comedy/romance.

Recommended to Deanna by: Giveaway winner

Shelves: first-reads, giveaway

Gavin Greene wants to fall in love – really – but doesn't seem to have much luck. It doesn't help that he is surrounded by love all day, every day, because he covers weddings for The Paper. Then, on New Year's Day, Gavin meets the woman of his dreams only to have her swept away from him before he can get her phone number. He searches frantically for her for weeks and just as he is ready to give up, he finally finds her – he is being asked to write an article about her upcoming wedding!

The Weddin...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Katrina Alcantara rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's my first time to read a novel from a male's perspective, and oh- boy i really enjoyed it. This is not the usual chick lit you'd read where a girl go crazy over a man hoping he'd notice her. This is the other way around.

Well, there were parts where I think that Gavin's character is more appropriate for a female character (maybe because i'm fond of reading romance where the female is the romantic one), but overall the way how the story ended was really good! It's the typical ending you'd see...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Kathleen J rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I couldn't finish this book. I became tired early on of this nebbish kvetching---which he does continually throughout the book. My reaction to the protagonist's annoying internal thoughts (which was what most of the book was) was like nails on a chalk board. I wanted to tell him to just shut up and get on with it. Also I didn't find the humor all that funny and the romance wasn't very romantic. It was actually rather sad. About half-way through I gave up and quit. I gather most people liked this...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Hazel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

****SPOILER*****

Ok so I read this book partially based on the ratings which seemed solid. I'm not of the majority here in that I didn't give this book four stars. What struck me in this novel was that the protagonist, Gavin, sounded remarkably like a woman. It actually reminded me of the tone of voice of the female protagonist in Kinsella's I've got your number though less whiney. It also bugged me that Gavin was so very neurotic and insecure. In female characters they usually have some sort of...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Abigail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, contemporary-fiction, romance-contemporary, read-2012

I got this book from a First Reads giveaway. Thank-you! This book is scheduled for release in April.

The author, Devan Sipher, writes the Vows section for a New York newspaper. It's obvious that he's experienced with wedding details and has spent time interviewing folks in the throws of wedding preparation! The story is fast faced and every easy to read.

It's refreshing to read a story from the perspective of a male navigating the dating world. For anyone who's fumbled their way through online da...more

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Mar 23, 2012 *Babs* rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Romance, Comedy

Shelves: comedy, romance

Gavin is a man unlucky when it comes to love. You wishing him luck at times and then feeling for him in his pain. His annoying parents start to make a warm place in your heart.

I was hooked from the beginning. It was nice and funny at times to read a book from a males point of view. Devan brings a nice change to the romance genre. The journey Gavin takes is not easy and it makes you think of your own relationship with your loved one. The banter between the characters is light and fun to read.

The...more

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May 22, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

I liked this book told from the point of view of a male wedding writer for the NYT. He struggles to meet the right woman and the book details his romantic foibles as well as a few of the weddings he is profiling. I liked the relationships with his BFF, Hope; his younger brother, Greg; his grandmother in Florida; and his parents. Most of all I liked the twists which were unexpected, although I suppose if I were thinking far in advance, I might have seen one or two of them coming. Very quick read...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Megan Haynes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

Won this in the Goodreads First reads giveaway :)

Hmm. Couldn't put it down in some parts but some parts felt unnecessary; Like several of his dates seemed thrown in despite their lack of importance overall in the story, I suppose.

Melinda...well, I didn't like her. I wanted him to end up with Hope the whole time c;

Uhm, I suppose overall it was good, but too long for such a simple book, ya know? I spent way too much time on it and it's not like I'm different now or something. So I won't be reading...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, reviewed

Gavin is a wedding writter for The Paper, as well as a hopeless romantic. Yet, he still finds himself single in his thirty's, attending weddings every weeken for work. With his Best Friend at a New Years party he meets the girl of his dreams, who he allows to get away without getting her number. He spends the next few months covering weddings looking for her and learning what he needs to do or should have done.

That is until he finds himself covering Melinda's, the girl who got away, wedding. Wit...more

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Mar 28, 2012 The Bumble Girl {Margie} rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you like romance... the Nicholas Spark type of romance...
and if you liked the movie 27 Dresses... this is definitely a book for you to read today!

The Wedding Beat, which was released today, is funny, sweet and although it comes from a male point of view, it is a relate-able story for anyone who has ever felt that they have lingered around a moment too long in the dating-world.

This book is about a guy looking for true love;
But not just any guy - Gavin is a wedding columnist for a prestigio...more If you like romance... the Nicholas Spark type of romance...
and if you liked the movie 27 Dresses... this is definitely a book for you to read today!

The Wedding Beat, which was released today, is funny, sweet and although it comes from a male point of view, it is a relate-able story for anyone who has ever felt that they have lingered around a moment too long in the dating-world.

This book is about a guy looking for true love;
But not just any guy - Gavin is a wedding columnist for a prestigious well-known newspaper! Really! Who would have thought that a famous wedding columnist was not only still single, but not even close to being married, and no where near knowing what it's like to live and breath what he writes about every week.
For most of us, finding Mr. Right, or in this case, Mrs. Right, is not an easy task, especially for Gavin. Right from the start, we get to experience exactly what Gavin goes through while on assignment - on New Year's Eve! Seriously, how sad is it to be at a wedding, alone, on New Year's Eve... get the picture.
Gavin's story is perfectly written and fast paced, I felt his emotions, I felt sorry for him, I also got mad at him too - a bit whiny at times, he would feel so sorry for himself for being dumped and alone, it was quite comical. Who would have thought that men go through the same ups and downs as women do.

The only reason I didn't give The Wedding Beat 5 bumble bees was because of the ending. I have to be honest here - every romance story always ends in a good "happily-ever-after" ending. And even though this one does end on a happy note, it wasn't very good. It fell short and I really expected more for Gavin. I'm happy he got what he wanted, but I would have liked to have just a little bit more time... maybe another wedding to attend to...

And, to make the story even better, the author himself is a famous wedding columnist for the New York Times! You can find a few of his articles on his website, or, you can just pick up a paper sometime and read his column called, The Vow.
Oh, and there's a rumor that part of the movie, 27 Dresses, was inspired by him!
You got to read this book! (less)

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Dec 20, 2012 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, listened-on-audio, read-in-2012, contemporary-fiction

Devan Sipher’s The Wedding Beat is, if you’ll pardon the term, dude lit. Chick lit with a goatee. Sipher’s male narrator brings a refreshing change of pace to the classic city love stories I gobble whole — and I couldn’t help but fall for the cute, sweet and occasionally clueless Gavin.

This quick read is the sort of story I escape into during periods of extreme stress, you know? When you need something light, frothy and fun. Though the story meanders into deeper issues at points (the state of jo...more Devan Sipher’s The Wedding Beat is, if you’ll pardon the term, dude lit. Chick lit with a goatee. Sipher’s male narrator brings a refreshing change of pace to the classic city love stories I gobble whole — and I couldn’t help but fall for the cute, sweet and occasionally clueless Gavin.

This quick read is the sort of story I escape into during periods of extreme stress, you know? When you need something light, frothy and fun. Though the story meanders into deeper issues at points (the state of journalism, for one), the fast pace keeps you moving through Gavin’s adventures around New York — and into the ballrooms of the city’s fabulous brides. Those who love weddings will find plenty of details to pour through via Gavin’s assignments, and it was hard not to get in a bell-ringing, engagement-seeking mood. It’s obvious why Gavin, a single guy in his late thirties, would find listening to others’ love stories tedious after a while . . . and why he’d feel like “a wedding beat” was continuously pounding in his psyche.

Though never specifically named, Gavin’s paper is obviously The New York Times — and his attempts to survive cutbacks and lay-offs felt alarmingly familiar. The author’s modern touches — like the staff’s need to blog and tweet, aimed to keep our industry from becoming obsolete — were interesting and true. Delving into the author’s background, surprise: Sipher is a Vows columnist for the Times.

So, you know, Gavin is basically Sipher. And Sipher is Gavin. And rumor has it James Marsden’s character in “27 Dresses” is based on him — a storyline also woven into The Wedding Beat. So the plot thickens.

If you’re a fan of those types of movies (and I totally am), you’re going to eat this one up. With just enough romance to keep me hooked, Gavin is a quirky but loveable guy — a character you can’t help but want to be happy. Though he takes a few missteps in his quest to find the ever-elusive but unforgettable Melinda, he’s a genuine guy — and a very charming one. It was fun to read a romance from a male perspective — and penned by a male author.

So yes, The Wedding Beat: fun, quick and very enjoyable. I listened to the audio during three days of a super-long commute and wouldn’t have wanted to pass the time any other way.(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway and i enjoyed it very much :)

The story was very original and brilliant. Gavin was such a great guy and i was hoping the best for him. The book was such a page turner. I was very busy while reading this book but I'm sure if i had the time I'd finish it very quickly.

I read alot of YA but when i read the synopsis for this book i was very interested and was exited when i won it through a giveaway. I don't read much books in a guy's point of view but this book...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-fun, audio, own

Got this from the sale shelf at Audible - it sounds quite fun (a tiny bit like the set-up for the Katherine Heigl movie, "27 Dresses"). Total beach read.

UPDATE

I've listened to a few chapters of this and so far, it's delightful.

Side note: the parallel to "27 Dresses" is not a coincidence - I read an interview with the author and after he saw the movie, he decided if anyone was going to "steal his life," he should do it himself - he actually quit his job to write this book.

FINAL UPDATE

Laugh out lo...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Donna Kauffman rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is like spending 300+ pages with your very best guy friend who you secretly have a crush on. That guy who makes you laugh, drives you crazy, is always there for you…and who you wish would just kiss you already. The hero writes the wedding column for The Paper in NYC (aka The New York Times) as did the author of this book…and it is in turns hilarious, compassionate, hopeful, and downright awwwww romantic. I grinned throughout. I want to be the hero’s (and Devan’s) best friend. I feel li...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a must read for the hopeless romantic. Loved the characters, and pretty much fell in love with Gavin, the main character. It is smart and held my interest till the bitter end. Kudos to author Devan Sipher for the fabulous portrayal of love through a man's eyes. All too often we hear stories of love through the women's point of view; this is a nice change of pace.

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Apr 03, 2012 Lora Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sipher has crafted a wonderful romantic story that will leave you wishing the story never ends. Within the books, Gavin, Melinda and other characters are so developed that you can picture the story unfolding in your head — perhaps as a movie with Rachel McAdams starring as Melinda? If you are a hopeless romantic or anyone who enjoys an entertaining read, this is the book for you.

Read my full review at www.crazybookreviews.com!

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May 24, 2012 Kristine Pratt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

What a refreshing book! It's not often you stumble across a book that could be classified as romance from a male point of view. Especially one as honest and compelling as this one!

I really had a hard time putting this book down. From the moment Gavin met the girl of his dreams on New Year's Eve I was hooked. Melinda was spunking and endearing and definitely worth hunting down. Even when it looked like she would never surface again.

Can I add that I found myself falling for Gavin myself? Poor guy,...more

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Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

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Romance > Contemporary Romance

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About Devan Sipher

Born in LA.

I always thought that would make a good title for my autobiography. Not that I plan on writing one.

I grew up mostly in Southfield, Michigan, which sounds misleadingly bucolic for a suburb of Detroit with more than 27 million square feet of office space.

For the past five years I've been a writer of the Vows column at The New York Times, and I've written my first novel, The Wedding Beat,...more

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Quotes from The Wedding Beat

“There should be exit interviews for dating. Just a brief evaluation of the highlights and challenges of the relationship, and maybe a few questions like “So what exactly was it that motivated you to dump me?” — 6 people liked it

“Everything in life is a choice, and I was choosing to be happy.” — 5 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: The Wedding Beat Goodreads rating: 3.42 (346 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12417705-the-wedding-beat?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1325970363l/12417705.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12417705-the-wedding-beat?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher[/url]

The Wedding Beat

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