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Life in Icicle Falls #7
A Wedding on Primrose Street
There's nothing like a wedding!
The joy, the fun, the memories—the stress. As a wedding planner, Anne Richardson has seen mothers of the bride turn into Momzillas, and she's determined not to do that when it's her daughter's turn to get married. But once Laney gets engaged, all bets are off. Anne becomes obsessed with giving Laney the perfect wedding she herself never had. And that wedding needs to be held in Icicle Falls at Primrose Haus, the perfect setting.
Roberta Gilbert, owner of Primrose Haus, has been hosting events at her charming Victorian for thirty years. She's an expert on weddings, but not on mother-daughter relations. When her daughter, Daphne, comes home and decides to help with the business, the receptions become truly memorable—and not in a good way. Then there's the added complication of Roberta's gardener, who seems more interested in Daphne than he is in planting primroses…
Tying the knot is a business that has everyone tied up in knots!
The joy, the fun, the memories—the stress. As a wedding planner, Anne Richardson has seen mothers of the bride turn into Momzillas, and she's determined not to do that when it's her daughter's turn to get married. But once Laney gets engaged, all bets are off. Anne becomes obsessed with giving Laney the perfect wedding she herself never had. And that wedding needs to be held in Icicle Falls at Primrose Haus, the perfect setting.
Roberta Gilbert, owner of Primrose Haus, has been hosting events at her charming Victorian for thirty years. She's an expert on weddings, but not on mother-daughter relations. When her daughter, Daphne, comes home and decides to help with the business, the receptions become truly memorable—and not in a good way. Then there's the added complication of Roberta's gardener, who seems more interested in Daphne than he is in planting primroses…
Tying the knot is a business that has everyone tied up in knots!
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 28, 2015
232 people are currently reading
1509 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Roberts
111 books1,984 followersWith fifty books to her credit, both fiction and non-fiction, Sheila Roberts is a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller - and a fan favorite. Her books have sold over three million copies and have been turned into movies for the Hallmark, Lifetime and Great American Family channels. Before settling into her writing career, Sheila owned a singing telegram company and played in band. When she's not traveling, Sheila can be found hanging out with friends, playing tennis, and, of course, writing and reading. Sometimes she even remembers to post books she's read!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
April 28, 2020
A charming story despite the slow pace (the Readathon really quickened my reading), dull supporting characters, and sleepy setting (the boring Pacific Northwest). What saved it from getting 2 stars was its intriguing premise. What happens when a highly successful wedding planner is suddenly faced with the task of organizing her own daughter's big day? Will Anne support daughter Laney's wedding wishes, or will she become what she's seen so many other bride's moms turn into - a dreaded Momzilla, a control freak mother-of-the-bride? I was fascinated, and that is why I read on. A Wedding on Primrose Street is a comforting story, and its flaws do not lessen that appeal.
I have added 2 more titles from this series (Life in Icicle Falls) to my tbr list; they look interesting, and they might be quicker reads. Sheila Roberts has good story ideas, and hopefully, one of those books will be great. I look forward to them.
I have added 2 more titles from this series (Life in Icicle Falls) to my tbr list; they look interesting, and they might be quicker reads. Sheila Roberts has good story ideas, and hopefully, one of those books will be great. I look forward to them.
June 19, 2015
My Thoughts...
"A Wedding On Primrose Street" is book #7 in the (Life in Icicle Falls) series.
What can I say...This was another fun summer chick-lit book by Ms. Roberts. I always enjoy her books, and look forward to reading them. Of course it helps that Sheila Roberts is one of my favorite authors.
I was drawn into the book from the very beginning knowing it was going to be a fun summer read. Anyone who enjoys a feel-good story with some light-hearted romance will be delighted with this fun "Mind-Candy" happily-ever-after kind of romantic tale, and this story did not disappoint, I found it quite entertaining. I especially enjoyed the ending of the book, I didn't see that coming. It was what I think of as a surprise ending, but fun.
A great big THANK YOU to the author Sheila Roberts, for providing this book for me to read and review. What can I say except it was a great fun summer read and I enjoyed it so much I have awarded it 5 'Wedding Bell' stars.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers and authors I am under no obligation to write a positive review.
"A Wedding On Primrose Street" is book #7 in the (Life in Icicle Falls) series.
What can I say...This was another fun summer chick-lit book by Ms. Roberts. I always enjoy her books, and look forward to reading them. Of course it helps that Sheila Roberts is one of my favorite authors.
I was drawn into the book from the very beginning knowing it was going to be a fun summer read. Anyone who enjoys a feel-good story with some light-hearted romance will be delighted with this fun "Mind-Candy" happily-ever-after kind of romantic tale, and this story did not disappoint, I found it quite entertaining. I especially enjoyed the ending of the book, I didn't see that coming. It was what I think of as a surprise ending, but fun.
A great big THANK YOU to the author Sheila Roberts, for providing this book for me to read and review. What can I say except it was a great fun summer read and I enjoyed it so much I have awarded it 5 'Wedding Bell' stars.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers and authors I am under no obligation to write a positive review.
July 15, 2015
What an amazing book and so hard to put down! I just love my trips to Icicle Falls. It really reminds me of our trips to Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Anne is a wedding planner and wants her daughter to have the perfect wedding she never had. Laney wants to get married in Vegas. So will Anne turn into a MOMzilla like she has seen the other mothers become when helping to plan their daughter's weddings? Will Laney let her mom have her way?
Roberta owns Primrose Haus that has weddings and receptions. A quaint Victorian House. Daphne her daughter returns home after she leaves her husband and is in the process of getting a divorce. The two of them never seem to get along when they are in the same room. Can they work through their differences?
This trip to Icicle Falls has many surprises along the way. So sit back and grab your favorite drink and enjoy your trip to Icicle Falls. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I really enjoyed the mini stories at the end of the book about other couple from Icicle Falls and their weddings. Of course the recipes are an added bonus that I enjoy too.
Anne is a wedding planner and wants her daughter to have the perfect wedding she never had. Laney wants to get married in Vegas. So will Anne turn into a MOMzilla like she has seen the other mothers become when helping to plan their daughter's weddings? Will Laney let her mom have her way?
Roberta owns Primrose Haus that has weddings and receptions. A quaint Victorian House. Daphne her daughter returns home after she leaves her husband and is in the process of getting a divorce. The two of them never seem to get along when they are in the same room. Can they work through their differences?
This trip to Icicle Falls has many surprises along the way. So sit back and grab your favorite drink and enjoy your trip to Icicle Falls. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I really enjoyed the mini stories at the end of the book about other couple from Icicle Falls and their weddings. Of course the recipes are an added bonus that I enjoy too.
July 24, 2015
A Wedding on Primrose Street is yet another wonderful tale in Icicle Falls. This time its brides and moms. A real look at moms and daughters and the bonds between them. For Ann and Laney, planning a wedding should be a lot of fun. Especially when Mom is a professional wedding planner. But things don't always go as planned.. Poor Laney wants to please her mother, but at what cost to her own happiness. All the while, for Roberta, the owner of the wedding house on Primrose street, she needs to welcome home her very adult daughter after yet another failed marriage. These women have a lot to learn about each other, and the real emotions that fly around when one come home again. Can these moms understand their daughters and keep their relationships successful or will it all go down the drain? Well you will just have to pick up A Wedding on Primrose Street to find out....
June 10, 2017
A very sweet and cute book about weddings and love. I quite enjoyed it.
July 15, 2015
When you pick up a Sheila Roberts book you just can't put them down! A Wedding on Primrose Street won't disappoint. On this trip back to Icicle Falls you will find Mothers and daughters doing what they do best - agreeing and disagreeing. You have Anne who has been a wedding planner for years and wants her daughter to have the story book wedding she couldn't. Her daughter on the other hand wants a Vegas wedding. Laney wants to please her Mom but at what cost? Can they compromise?
Roberta owns Primrose Haus a beautiful home in which she holds weddings and receptions in beautiful style. Her daughter Daphne who is in the process of a divorce comes home. Can she help her Mom? Can they get along being together all the time? They both need each other and really need to discover this.
Sit back and enjoy yourself and some of the surprises that come along way. You will get to visit some of the ladies and I promise you will wish you were having coffee or tea and lavender cookies and catching up. Enjoy your trip back to Icicle Falls!!
Roberta owns Primrose Haus a beautiful home in which she holds weddings and receptions in beautiful style. Her daughter Daphne who is in the process of a divorce comes home. Can she help her Mom? Can they get along being together all the time? They both need each other and really need to discover this.
Sit back and enjoy yourself and some of the surprises that come along way. You will get to visit some of the ladies and I promise you will wish you were having coffee or tea and lavender cookies and catching up. Enjoy your trip back to Icicle Falls!!
July 28, 2015
IF I ever get married again I want it to be on Primrose Street in Icicle Falls!! Anne is a wedding planner, her daughter Laney wants the perfect wedding (in her eyes) but she wants to do things HER way, not her mom's. She has many ideas of her own. Mom doesn't like any of them!! Read A Wedding On Primrose Street and find out how this wonderful tale begins and ends?? YOU will enjoy every minute of this book!! Another great read by Sheila Roberts!!
July 20, 2015
A Wedding on Primrose Street is number 7 in the Life in Icicle Falls series and my first read in this series. When I started the book I did not realize it was part of a series and I did not have any trouble at all understanding what was going on. It is a cute little romance, a quick easy read. I liked the characters, loved the town. A place I would very much like to visit.
July 27, 2015
This book is a wonderful book! Icicle Falls is a dreamland of fun and romance. The weddings..... The planning....the bride....the mother of the bride..momzilla ... Oh how you share in all the fun! You feel like you are right there in the mist of it all! Definitely a book worth reading. You won't be disappointed!
July 28, 2015
As usual Sheila writes a magnificent book. I loved the extras at the end!!! I can't wait for the next installment of life in Icicle Falls. :) Sheila draws you into life in Icicle Falls, with characters that make you love them!!
July 21, 2015
I recently read A Wedding on Primrose Street by Sheila Roberts. This book is the latest in the Life in Icicle Falls Series. (#7, if I’m not mistaken).
The story mainly takes place between Seattle, where Anne, mother of the bride and a wedding planner by trade, is attempting to get her daughter Laney, to get on board with planning her wedding in a way that will be “tasteful.“ Anne thinks the perfect setting would be at Primrose Haus in Icicle Falls. Laney and her fiancé, on the other hand, want a wedding in Vegas and she wants to wear shorts to the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Roberta is the owner of a Victorian (Primrose Haus) in Icicle Falls and has been hosting events there for three decades. Her grown, soon-to-be thrice-divorced daughter, Daphne, is understandably disillusioned about weddings. The two have a strained relationship which heats up when said daughter moves home to help her mom in the family business.
As always, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with the characters that inhabit and visit Icicle Falls. When it comes to planning and holding weddings, there are bridezillas and momzillas, this book has it all. I do enjoy the way Ms. Roberts thinks. I always love the way she sees things. Perhaps my favorite from this book would be Autumn's (Laney’s friend) outlook: "You should've made him sweat." .... "No, that's psychology. Make 'em sweat. That way they appreciate it when you say yes." That brought back memories of my engagement to my husband, which was more than 36 years ago. Of course when I read the excerpt to my hubby, he just half-smirked and said 'go back to your book, dear.' If I didn't know better, I'd say Ms. Roberts took a page from *my* book!
<3 <3 <3
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm part of Ms. Roberts's street team. I got this book for free from the author for my honest review.
http://www.sheilasplace.com/a-wedding...
The story mainly takes place between Seattle, where Anne, mother of the bride and a wedding planner by trade, is attempting to get her daughter Laney, to get on board with planning her wedding in a way that will be “tasteful.“ Anne thinks the perfect setting would be at Primrose Haus in Icicle Falls. Laney and her fiancé, on the other hand, want a wedding in Vegas and she wants to wear shorts to the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Roberta is the owner of a Victorian (Primrose Haus) in Icicle Falls and has been hosting events there for three decades. Her grown, soon-to-be thrice-divorced daughter, Daphne, is understandably disillusioned about weddings. The two have a strained relationship which heats up when said daughter moves home to help her mom in the family business.
As always, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with the characters that inhabit and visit Icicle Falls. When it comes to planning and holding weddings, there are bridezillas and momzillas, this book has it all. I do enjoy the way Ms. Roberts thinks. I always love the way she sees things. Perhaps my favorite from this book would be Autumn's (Laney’s friend) outlook: "You should've made him sweat." .... "No, that's psychology. Make 'em sweat. That way they appreciate it when you say yes." That brought back memories of my engagement to my husband, which was more than 36 years ago. Of course when I read the excerpt to my hubby, he just half-smirked and said 'go back to your book, dear.' If I didn't know better, I'd say Ms. Roberts took a page from *my* book!
<3 <3 <3
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm part of Ms. Roberts's street team. I got this book for free from the author for my honest review.
http://www.sheilasplace.com/a-wedding...
July 20, 2015
I really enjoyed this story. It was a wonderful story of love and relationships. Especially the relationships between mothers and daughters. This is the story of four women. Anne is a wedding planner and her daughter Laney is getting married. She realizes as she is planning the wedding that she is becoming one of the Momzilla's that she deals with when planning other weddings. Laney and her fiance just want to get married in Vegas but Anne never had a proper wedding and doesn't want her daughter to have regrets. As the planning continues the relationship between mother and daughter gets more strained. Instead of Vegas, Anne thinks Laney should get married in Icicle Falls and although Laney likes it she realizes that it is not the right venue for her and her fiance.
The other mother and daughter duo we meet is Roberta, the owner of Primrose Haus, and her daughter Daphne. Daphne is back home after marriage #3 ends. She needs a new start and believes that Icicle Falls is the perfect place. Roberta loves her daughter but always wants more for her and in the process makes Daphne feel like she never measures up. Over the course of Daphne helping with the weddings at Primrose Haus, Roberta sees how much like her own mother she seems to be and it makes her re-examine how she deals with Daphne.
This story has great characters and there is so much going on. Once you pick it up and start reading you won't want to put it down! The conflicts between mothers and daughters is so well written and very easy to relate to.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story. Icicle Falls is a great place to visit.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review.
The other mother and daughter duo we meet is Roberta, the owner of Primrose Haus, and her daughter Daphne. Daphne is back home after marriage #3 ends. She needs a new start and believes that Icicle Falls is the perfect place. Roberta loves her daughter but always wants more for her and in the process makes Daphne feel like she never measures up. Over the course of Daphne helping with the weddings at Primrose Haus, Roberta sees how much like her own mother she seems to be and it makes her re-examine how she deals with Daphne.
This story has great characters and there is so much going on. Once you pick it up and start reading you won't want to put it down! The conflicts between mothers and daughters is so well written and very easy to relate to.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story. Icicle Falls is a great place to visit.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review.
Read
July 23, 2015Ahhh, Sheila has us in Icicle Falls again. Oh to be there where things are beautiful, quaint, delicious, full of fellowship, and good Chocolate! Of course there's a reason I separated delicious and good chocolate.
We see the lovely Primrose Haus and know weddings are coming. There are descriptions of weddings and interactions with people in weddings, including Momzillas.
We get to know Anne, Laney, Roberta, Daphne, Hank, Drake personally...oh, and as the song went (tv show) then there's Maude.
Sheila Roberts wove the tales between the characters, details of weddings,mother/daughter dynamics to a point where I had to gulp mid book because things were as if she'd been looking into my windows of my past a bit. There was even a description of a divorce that about hit close to home.....It may for you, too.
Ohh, but there was a hint of something not going to happen as the main plot was headed....oh yesss.....
Oh, no, was that just me???
Awwwhhh.....there it was.....the precious semi surprise ending that left me with such a smile......What a good author!!!
We see the lovely Primrose Haus and know weddings are coming. There are descriptions of weddings and interactions with people in weddings, including Momzillas.
We get to know Anne, Laney, Roberta, Daphne, Hank, Drake personally...oh, and as the song went (tv show) then there's Maude.
Sheila Roberts wove the tales between the characters, details of weddings,mother/daughter dynamics to a point where I had to gulp mid book because things were as if she'd been looking into my windows of my past a bit. There was even a description of a divorce that about hit close to home.....It may for you, too.
Ohh, but there was a hint of something not going to happen as the main plot was headed....oh yesss.....
Oh, no, was that just me???
Awwwhhh.....there it was.....the precious semi surprise ending that left me with such a smile......What a good author!!!
July 22, 2015
We are back in Icicle Falls and this time it's for a wedding! Sheila Roberts newest book A Wedding on Primrose Street brings us back to the lovely quaint town of Icicle Falls. Anne is a Wedding planner, whose own daughter Laney just got engaged to her High School sweetheart Drake. Laney and Drake want to get married in Vegas, Anne wants her daughter to have the big wedding that her husband Cam and she never had. Will Anne turn into a Momzilla?! Will Laney get the wedding she wants? Roberta owns Primrose Haus a beautiful quaint Victorian house, where she does weddings and receptions. Her daughter Daphne, who is in the process of getting a divorce( her third!) returns home. Daphne would love to help her mom, but can the two work together without driving each other crazy? I love the mother and daughter relationships , and I found myself laughing out loud a lot! Icicle Falls is a great place to visit! I can't wait to go back!
July 19, 2015
What happens when you put a bride-to-be, her mother (who is a wedding planner,)a almost newly divorced woman and her mother (an expert on wedding who has hosted them for over 30 years) together?
A you can't put it down book! The mother-of-the bride, Anne, knows how to plan weddings and wants her daughters to be everything she didn't have when she got married. But her daughter has her ideas that are not 'in line' with her mothers, but can't say no to her mother.
Daphne comes home to Icicles Falls to heal after her 3rd divorce bitter. But determined to make her mother proud, finally. Roberta has a secret that has made her critical of Dahne since she was little.
Put them all together and the fun begins. The wedding? You will have to read the book to find out how that ends. But I guarantee...you won't be able to put this book down.
A you can't put it down book! The mother-of-the bride, Anne, knows how to plan weddings and wants her daughters to be everything she didn't have when she got married. But her daughter has her ideas that are not 'in line' with her mothers, but can't say no to her mother.
Daphne comes home to Icicles Falls to heal after her 3rd divorce bitter. But determined to make her mother proud, finally. Roberta has a secret that has made her critical of Dahne since she was little.
Put them all together and the fun begins. The wedding? You will have to read the book to find out how that ends. But I guarantee...you won't be able to put this book down.
July 27, 2015
Another exquisite addition to the Icicle Falls series. It had my attention from the very first page and I simply couldn't put it down. Anne Richardson is a wedding planner, so when her daughter Laney becomes engaged Anne wants the perfect Icicle Falls wedding. Laney, not so much. Roberta Gilbert is the owner of Primrose Haus. The place for weddings and receptions. When Roberta's daughter returns home and wants to become more involved in the business, those receptions take on an interesting new flavor!!
This is a wonderful story of the struggles between Mothers and daughters everywhere. I truly entertaining read that I highly recommend!
This is a wonderful story of the struggles between Mothers and daughters everywhere. I truly entertaining read that I highly recommend!
August 17, 2015
A nice addition to the Icicle Falls series. I really enjoyed the build up of the different characters to the primary wedding, but I felt a little cheated nearing the end. We spend weeks and months building up the wedding and then suddenly fast forward to the ending (which you see coming a mile away.)
I like the introduction of the new characters to the mountain town and the parts they play in the overall series. I am glad to see multiple sides, one set of characters see the town as charming and the other see it as a hokey tourist trap. (One of these days, I need to see the real life inspiration for the fictional location.)
I like the introduction of the new characters to the mountain town and the parts they play in the overall series. I am glad to see multiple sides, one set of characters see the town as charming and the other see it as a hokey tourist trap. (One of these days, I need to see the real life inspiration for the fictional location.)
August 31, 2015
I wish I liked this book at all because I love the series and the author but I can't even bring myself to give it 2.5 stars and round to 3. Why? From the get-go I was annoyed with the controlling nature of the motb, Anne. I assume this is realistic but who wants to read 300 pages of a mom being a freaking idiot toward her daughter's wedding? And you can see what's going to happen from pretty early on. I didn't care for Daphne and her attitude. The writing is good, of course, but this is not what I want in my romance and I was very disappointed as it was a book I was looking forward to.
July 23, 2015
A Wedding on Primrose Street by Sheila Roberts
Two wedding planners, two daughters, childhood dreams changed or broken...
Will the journey taken by these moms and daughters survive through a divorce, a wedding engagement, and misunderstandings? Will inward realizations by all four add detours or clear the way to better mother-daughter relationships?
Follow us to Icicle Falls, to Primrose Street for yet another heartwarming novel by Sheila Roberts. Be prepared for the unexpected, the laughter and the tears!
Two wedding planners, two daughters, childhood dreams changed or broken...
Will the journey taken by these moms and daughters survive through a divorce, a wedding engagement, and misunderstandings? Will inward realizations by all four add detours or clear the way to better mother-daughter relationships?
Follow us to Icicle Falls, to Primrose Street for yet another heartwarming novel by Sheila Roberts. Be prepared for the unexpected, the laughter and the tears!
January 9, 2017
How does a Wedding Planner plan her daughter's wedding? We learn more about Icicle Falls plus a lesson on listening to what your daughter really wants and not what you want for her. The end of the book includes some recipes that I think I will save and also includes some wedding stories of other ladies as they are enjoying the reception. You really need to read on after the recipes!
# 7 of Life in Icicle Falls series
# 7 of Life in Icicle Falls series
June 28, 2015
A wedding planner has vowed that when it comes to her daughter's wedding she will listen to what the bride wants and not be a momzilla. But as the day gets closer, the bride is having second thoughts about a huge wedding and is talking Vegas. This series is set in the Northwest and is a nice place to visit. Always a romance with a happy ending and lots of couples who enjoy living there.
July 27, 2015
There's no better place to get married than Icicle Falls. Roberta makes her home into the perfect place to make beautiful wedding memories. Ann a wedding planner from Seattle wants her daughter to have the perfect wedding. Mother daughter relationships are tested. A Wedding On Primrose Street is a great summer read that will have you laughing and loving life in Icicle Falls.
March 8, 2019
In this, the seventh full length novel in the Icicle Falls series, you get another great story with a few of the characters from the previous books and a few of the places you've come to love along with a whole new cast and story line.
This book focuses on the marriage of Laney and her wedding planner mother Anne. They live in Seattle making a good bit of this story take place in Seattle between her wedding business, her daughter and husband, and other things like that. Anne is trying to give Laney the best wedding possible and this leads them to Icicle Falls and Roberta Gilbert's Primrose Haus, the perfect old Victorian wedding venue. Will Laney love it and Icicle falls as much as Anne does?
Roberta has her own set of problems now that her daughter has returned after yet another failed marriage. Her daughter just can't seem to find the right man. Now she's back and staying with Roberta for a time to sort things out. Will they be able to tolerate each other long enough to get through the impending nuptials?
I hope that all made sense. I have to admit to being a bit distracted typing this as my cat has decided it's now appropriate behavior to leap from the bed to the dresser to attack the TV. Anyway, this book is a really good addition to the series and if you have read and enjoyed those before this you will also like this one a lot. It's very good.
This book focuses on the marriage of Laney and her wedding planner mother Anne. They live in Seattle making a good bit of this story take place in Seattle between her wedding business, her daughter and husband, and other things like that. Anne is trying to give Laney the best wedding possible and this leads them to Icicle Falls and Roberta Gilbert's Primrose Haus, the perfect old Victorian wedding venue. Will Laney love it and Icicle falls as much as Anne does?
Roberta has her own set of problems now that her daughter has returned after yet another failed marriage. Her daughter just can't seem to find the right man. Now she's back and staying with Roberta for a time to sort things out. Will they be able to tolerate each other long enough to get through the impending nuptials?
I hope that all made sense. I have to admit to being a bit distracted typing this as my cat has decided it's now appropriate behavior to leap from the bed to the dresser to attack the TV. Anyway, this book is a really good addition to the series and if you have read and enjoyed those before this you will also like this one a lot. It's very good.
January 20, 2018
I just really didn't like any of the main characters. Anne and Roberta were annoyingly controlling. Laney was a wimp who could never stand up for herself; even her friends made fun of her bc of it. And Daphne never learned from mistakes; by the age of 30 or 40 or 50 she really should have gotten over the mommy doesn't approve of me bs and taken ownership of her life. Instead she quits her job, moves in with mommy, and mopes around with a terrible victim whoa is me whiny attitude. Just not very likeable characters in this Icicle Falls installment.
November 17, 2015
Originally published at Reading Reality
Although there are a lot of weddings in this entry into the Life in Icicle Falls series, this one isn’t really a romance. The weddings are all for romances that have already reached their happily ever after, we hope. Or to paraphrase one of the wedding planners, her job is to create a perfect wedding, a perfect marriage is not in her job description. Or capability.
Instead of a romance, this story is all about relationships. Specifically, mother/daughter relationships. And it’s mostly about the number of ways they go wrong, although things do get straightened out before the end. Mostly.
The story centers around two women who are both in the business of perfect weddings. Anne Richardson is a Seattle wedding planner who has just found out that her daughter Laney is engaged. Anne wants Laney to have the perfect wedding, a day that she will remember for the rest of her life with no regrets.
Roberta Gilbert is the owner of Primrose Haus in Icicle Falls. Roberta rents out the beautiful Victorian house for perfectly beautiful weddings, and helps coordinate the services of the caterers, florists and all the other myriad minions needed to pull off the event of a lifetime. But Roberta’s daughter Daphne is back home after her third failed marriage. Daphne wants to help her mother in the business and take few weeks or even months to get her life back on track.
Both Anne’s relationship with Laney and Roberta’s relationship with Daphne go through many trials by fire as the two mothers get together to create the perfect wedding for Laney. The only problems are that Roberta really doesn’t want her disappointing daughter Daphne anywhere near her business, and Laney (and her fiancee) don’t want anything like the wedding that Anne has her heart set on.
Readers get a ringside seat as both sets of mothers and daughters have to struggle their way through to a happily ever after for their relationships, as each of the older women has to reconcile themselves to the regrets in their own pasts before they can repair the present, and hopefully the future.
Although love does help conquer all, in this story, it’s really truth and understanding that finally win the day.
Escape Rating A-: Unlike most of the series so far, A Wedding on Primrose Street is a lot more women’s fiction than anything like a romance. There are a couple of romances that get off the ground in this story, but they are background to the main event. That main event is the relationships between mothers and daughters in both Anne’s and Roberta’s families.
Roberta ran away from home in the early 1960s, a pregnant high schooler whose boyfriend abandoned her and whose mother cared much more about her standing in the community than the plight of her daughter and future grandchild. Roberta’s escape to Icicle Falls to have her child was the best thing that ever happened to her. But she never did resolve issues with her own mother, and while she loved her daughter Daphne, held her to such high standards that Daphne never felt capable. When Daphne comes home, all Roberta sees is another result of her daughter’s terrible choices, and another round of disappointment. As far as Roberta is concerned, the only thing that Daphne has done right is to successfully raise her own now-adult daughter.
When Daphne comes home and wants to help her mother, who is in her early 70s and needs to slow down a bit, all Roberta sees is an endless series of business disasters until Daphne falls in love with another loser. She doesn’t see her own part in Daphne’s issues, nor does she see the woman that Daphne has become.
Anne Richardson, although more of a generation with Daphne than Roberta, has also spent her life in a tug of war with her daughter and her own past. Anne always wanted the traditional big church wedding, but married in haste at the courthouse when she found out she was pregnant, and that her fiancee was due to ship out with the Army for the Middle East. Anne is very happily married, but has always regretted that hasty wedding. She’s determined to pull out all the stops for Laney’s wedding, whether Laney wants those stops pulled or not. Laney is just young enough to want to please her mother, even knowing that what her mother wants is not what she wants. Laney is caught in the middle between her mother-the-steamroller and her fiancee who wants to have a destination wedding in Vegas. A wedding that is much more in line with Laney’s (and Drake’s) artistic and very non-traditional life and tastes.
Anne turns into something she dreads, a “Momzilla” and Laney runs and hides from the preparations she doesn’t want. It takes an intervention for Anne to be forced to look at what she is doing to her relationship with her daughter. And her husband.
This is a story that got me in the feels. The ways that things go right and wrong seems so true to life, that it hit too close to home, and to my own issues with my mother. So it was sometimes a rough go for me, not because it wasn’t a good story (it definitely is good) but because it often felt too real.
A Wedding on Primrose Street is a terrific story for anyone who has unresolved issues with their mother, but still wants to see a happy ending. And don’t we all?
Although there are a lot of weddings in this entry into the Life in Icicle Falls series, this one isn’t really a romance. The weddings are all for romances that have already reached their happily ever after, we hope. Or to paraphrase one of the wedding planners, her job is to create a perfect wedding, a perfect marriage is not in her job description. Or capability.
Instead of a romance, this story is all about relationships. Specifically, mother/daughter relationships. And it’s mostly about the number of ways they go wrong, although things do get straightened out before the end. Mostly.
The story centers around two women who are both in the business of perfect weddings. Anne Richardson is a Seattle wedding planner who has just found out that her daughter Laney is engaged. Anne wants Laney to have the perfect wedding, a day that she will remember for the rest of her life with no regrets.
Roberta Gilbert is the owner of Primrose Haus in Icicle Falls. Roberta rents out the beautiful Victorian house for perfectly beautiful weddings, and helps coordinate the services of the caterers, florists and all the other myriad minions needed to pull off the event of a lifetime. But Roberta’s daughter Daphne is back home after her third failed marriage. Daphne wants to help her mother in the business and take few weeks or even months to get her life back on track.
Both Anne’s relationship with Laney and Roberta’s relationship with Daphne go through many trials by fire as the two mothers get together to create the perfect wedding for Laney. The only problems are that Roberta really doesn’t want her disappointing daughter Daphne anywhere near her business, and Laney (and her fiancee) don’t want anything like the wedding that Anne has her heart set on.
Readers get a ringside seat as both sets of mothers and daughters have to struggle their way through to a happily ever after for their relationships, as each of the older women has to reconcile themselves to the regrets in their own pasts before they can repair the present, and hopefully the future.
Although love does help conquer all, in this story, it’s really truth and understanding that finally win the day.
Escape Rating A-: Unlike most of the series so far, A Wedding on Primrose Street is a lot more women’s fiction than anything like a romance. There are a couple of romances that get off the ground in this story, but they are background to the main event. That main event is the relationships between mothers and daughters in both Anne’s and Roberta’s families.
Roberta ran away from home in the early 1960s, a pregnant high schooler whose boyfriend abandoned her and whose mother cared much more about her standing in the community than the plight of her daughter and future grandchild. Roberta’s escape to Icicle Falls to have her child was the best thing that ever happened to her. But she never did resolve issues with her own mother, and while she loved her daughter Daphne, held her to such high standards that Daphne never felt capable. When Daphne comes home, all Roberta sees is another result of her daughter’s terrible choices, and another round of disappointment. As far as Roberta is concerned, the only thing that Daphne has done right is to successfully raise her own now-adult daughter.
When Daphne comes home and wants to help her mother, who is in her early 70s and needs to slow down a bit, all Roberta sees is an endless series of business disasters until Daphne falls in love with another loser. She doesn’t see her own part in Daphne’s issues, nor does she see the woman that Daphne has become.
Anne Richardson, although more of a generation with Daphne than Roberta, has also spent her life in a tug of war with her daughter and her own past. Anne always wanted the traditional big church wedding, but married in haste at the courthouse when she found out she was pregnant, and that her fiancee was due to ship out with the Army for the Middle East. Anne is very happily married, but has always regretted that hasty wedding. She’s determined to pull out all the stops for Laney’s wedding, whether Laney wants those stops pulled or not. Laney is just young enough to want to please her mother, even knowing that what her mother wants is not what she wants. Laney is caught in the middle between her mother-the-steamroller and her fiancee who wants to have a destination wedding in Vegas. A wedding that is much more in line with Laney’s (and Drake’s) artistic and very non-traditional life and tastes.
Anne turns into something she dreads, a “Momzilla” and Laney runs and hides from the preparations she doesn’t want. It takes an intervention for Anne to be forced to look at what she is doing to her relationship with her daughter. And her husband.
This is a story that got me in the feels. The ways that things go right and wrong seems so true to life, that it hit too close to home, and to my own issues with my mother. So it was sometimes a rough go for me, not because it wasn’t a good story (it definitely is good) but because it often felt too real.
A Wedding on Primrose Street is a terrific story for anyone who has unresolved issues with their mother, but still wants to see a happy ending. And don’t we all?
February 17, 2018
It took me a little longer than usual to really get into this book. Once I did, it really got my attention. This is a great story about mother-daughter relationships . Weddings can be a stressful time and often someone becomes a Bride/MomZilla. Wedding preparations really kept things interesting. I really enjoyed this book
September 7, 2017
Great story about weddings and the life around the bride and groom. I love these types of book which show you a glimpse into the life around weddings. I truly enjoy reading Sheila Roberts books. I will read the next book and have and will recommend them to family and friends.
November 16, 2020
Loved this story of a Mom who is a successful wedding planner, planning her daughter’s wedding as if it was her own magical wedding! Lots of character struggles and humor! Would love to see it as a movie!
May 14, 2017
It took me a bit to get in to the story. Roberta and her daughter reminded mms e so much of my daughter and I.
July 5, 2017
Enjoyable read. Virtually none of the romance you might expect from this author. More on mother-daughter relationships.
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