The Wedding Planner

Tybee Friends Forever #1

by Laura Brighton

Years ago her best friend betrayed her. Now she needs a favor from the wedding planner…but what is the personal price of forgiveness?

A fractured friendship creates new problems for Rachel, the Tybee Island wedding planner. When the daughter of her college roommate asks for help planning her wedding, Rachel is thrown into turmoil. In college Tammy had stolen the heart of Rachel’s forever man. Joshua Pennington and Rachel had plans for a future with a large family. The two women haven’t spoken in years, and Rachel has remained single and childless. Why does Nicole, a heartbreaking replica of her mother, come to her now?

Upset and confused, Rachel turns to her new friends, Julep and Sylvia, for support. In their book group, the three discuss life, love and family bonds more than literature. With so much going on, Julep calls a time out with Griff Sanders, the attractive veterinarian who’d brightened her holidays.

While Rachel considers saying no to Tammy and her daughter, Nicole quickly wins her heart. Something isn’t quite right. Tammy hides a secret that could change Rachel’s life. Meanwhile, plans for Rhett Tucker’s marriage to Esper stall. Feeling guilty about her motherly meddling, Julep finds comfort in creating seashell wreaths for her guests.

Julep’s daughters Whitney and Lulah help their mother establish her bed and breakfast, Julep’s Inn. But she can’t help worrying about Whitney’s attempt to reconcile with her ex, or Cassie’s new classes, which irritate her husband no end.

This heartfelt Tybee Friends Forever series explores the bonds of friendship, the foundations of love and healing a woman’s past. This is book 1 in a series of 5 books.

54 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2021

Reviews

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick little read by a new author to me. It was clean and I will be interested in following the series. I think this would count as a beach read. Light book that I needed after a couple books that focused on wars.
Three friends start a book club to share books they want to read. It becomes a time for more than just books but to grow closer and share past hurts and current issues. I don’t want to give away too much because it is a prequel to the rest of the series. But I believe if you are looking for a clean, quick read this might be just what you are looking for.
I received an e-copy of this book through BookSirens I am leaving a review as requested but not required.

[Laura Kjeldsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wedding Planner follows right along where Tybee Holiday Homecoming ends. Julep is settling in her home and her two daughters have moved in to help her. She has opened her house as an inn so she rents out two of the bedrooms. Whitney has quit her job to help her and be close to her ex for her son. Does she still love him and want to reconcile? Lulah is working at Griff Sanders' veterinary practice. Speaking of Griff, he and Julep have something going on and her friends want details.

Julep has joined a book club. Her girlfriends are there for her, just like she is for them. One of them is Rachel and she is going to be busy planning weddings. Julep's son is getting married so his fiancé is one. The other shocks her because it brings back some memories of a love she had and lost to her best friend. Will she be able to plan this wedding?

I love reading these books about family, friends, and second chances. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received an advanced review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following on from Tybee Holiday Homecoming, this novella is the start of a new series revolving around Julep and her friends. Just when things seem to be settling down, one event after another throws Julep, her family, and her friends off-kilter. Despite never having been married herself, Rachel has found joy in helping other young women plan their weddings, that is until a blast from the past throws her off balance. The relationship that Julep has formed with Griff is in limbo, and the wedding the family is planning seems to have hit a brick wall. By the time I came to the end of this fairly short read, my heart was in turmoil as I felt for Rachel, Julep, and their friends. Being a serial book, the story ends on a cliff-hanger. However, it is well written, emotive, and insightful. I received a copy of this novella as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Joy Mizell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a novella and ends with a cliffhanger!
The characters are well written and relatable. Looks like a blast from the past is going to rock Rachel’s world while poor Julep can’t let go of her forever man to move forward looking forward to what happens with Griff. Rachael is a wedding planner that Esper
wants to hire but has no clue about what she wants for her wedding! Juleps grown daughter Whitney lives with her at the Inn she helped create and is divorced with a her son Keaton who is having difficulty in school which brings us to her meeting the hottie Declan can’t wait to see where this leads!
All in all it’s a fast paced read with lots of twists and turns that make the reader want to keep turning the pages!!

[Jeanette Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just discovered a new author and I had to share. Her name is Laura Brighton. Her books are based on Tybee Island. Sounds like a wonderful place to live or visit.
This story is about The Wedding Planner on the island. Her name is Rachel. Rachel has suffered heartbreak in her early years. She thought she was over it but as the story unfolds she realizes she has much to learn about healing and forgiveness.

I was enjoying the story when it abruptly ends. What? I have to wait to the next book!! I will keep a look out for the next one as I have to find out if Rachel gets the answers she needs to move forward.

I received this for free from Book Sirens to give a honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. I have read another book by this author and enjoyed it. This seems to be similar as they are both set on Tybee Island with some of the same characters. This series follows Rachel, who is the wedding planner. We learn about Rachel's lost love and how she got involved in wedding planning. We also get to see some of her process with potential brides. It's all very interesting as each bride is different. Looking forward to reading more and actually experiencing a wedding.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start of another great story on Tybee Island where we are able to check in with characters we met previously. This is about Rachel, who is the wedding planner in the story, and how she opens up to her friends about her life choices but only after a lot of years. She’s never been married so it’s sort of an odd choice of professions but she really loves it. Her friend Julep shows up, and we get to check in with her and her family. And Sylvia is their “new” friend. Fast read, can’t wait for the next installment!

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wedding Planner is another series of short stories from Tybee Island. The reader catches up with Julep Tucker and her family, but this book focuses on Rachel, Tybee Island's wedding planner and friend of Julep and Sylvia. Can be read as a stand alone but I am gland I read the other series as it adds more depth to some of the characters in this book. Rachel faces turmoil because Nicole, her newest client, brings back an old heartache. Julep and Sylvia support their friend. Ms. Brighton creates warm characters and explores the bonds of friendship.

[Becky Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are such fun quick reads from Laura Brighton and I love them! This is about Rachel the wedding planner mostly. It starts out with Julep, Sylvia and Rachel sitting by the fire pit for their book club. The women get to discussing the Notebook and it brings some unexpected story from Rachel who has never been married. She was basically dumped by her old boyfriend for her best friend. Now Rachel is in for a wedding venue that maybe someone she knows. I want to live on Tybee Island!!!

I received an ARC for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins as three friends Julep, Sylvia, and Rachel are starting a three woman book club. Julep is a recent widow with four grown children, Sylvia and her husband were friends of Julep and Cals, while Rachel is a new friend to Julep from Sylvia.
Rachel has a wedding planner business. This is her story.
This is a quick read building on Juleps story and beginning Rachel’s story.
I love it and highly recommend it. Unfortunately, it does have a cliffhanger, but it is worth the read.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[Heather Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a digital arc of this book. I have never read this author before. I picked it because I liked the storyline and that it was going to be a series. I read the story within 24 hours of starting it and when I came to the end I immediately wanted more of the story. I can’t wait to read the next book. This one has a story of new friends and old hurts. If you’ve ever had a friend betray you, you will relate to one of the characters who has to decide whether to let an old hurt effect her current business. Fun and easy read!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short novella to introduce the many characters and the back story for her next book. The location seems nice for the weddings that Rachel needs to plan. There are two weddings that Rachel is scheduled to plan - one for her friend Julep's soon to be daughter in law and son and the daughter of her old college roommate who stole the boy that Rachel thought she was going to marry.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps I needed to read the first series before this one. I felt like I was plopped into a story that was already half way over.

The characters were interesting and I wanted to learn more about them. I was just too confused with what had seemed to have happened in previous books alhough this was a first in series.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of five short stories about Rachel, her wedding planning business, and her college years from long ago. Each book is a short story, around 60 pages each and this is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Brighton. Cute, fun story with lots of side characters and many sub plots and emotions.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short read that's left me itching to find out more. You can feel the closeness of the characters and they each have different personalities. Well written, really looking forward to the next one.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heading through heartbreak

So many pieces of the puzzle moving around for the Tuckers. Now their friends are also in the story!
Rachel's story breaks my heart and for all the heartbreak, even more is sure to come.

[Leea Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

weddings family.

This is another good book with Family , friends ties that are important in everyday life.
The Tucker family is still included along with added characters, situations and how they deal with
Life. Also unexpected events.

[Debi Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Read

This was a cute read. It is the beginning of a series that is a little confusing. But I am looking forward to reading the next book

[Gwen Hight · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wedding Planner

A good story about Rachel who is about to plan a wedding for the daughter of the woman that stole the man she loved A continuation story

[Ani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tybee Friends Forever series explores the bonds of friendship, the foundations of love and healing a woman’s past. This is book 1 in a series of 5 books.

In this book, 3 old ladies are introduced: Rachel, Julep & Sylvia. During a bookclub session discussing The Notebook, Rachel told her new friends about her best friend betrayal several years ago. Also, it mainly focus on Julep family and their relationships. To end with an expected call from Rachel's best friend daughter who is in need of a wedding planner.

[Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this book

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

More friends to love and enjoy!

The author welcomes us back to the lovely Tybee Island where we catch up with Julep Tucker's family and all their doings from the Holiday Homecoming series and begin to meet new friends as well. While this short book introduces Rachel, the wedding planner, Laura's writing style weaves all the major characters in and out of each book in the series. We will learn more about Rachel as we move throughout the books.

Laura tells these uplifting stories about warm friendships and loving family. Of course there are obstacles, but there are beautiful second chances and hope for a bright tomorrow. Come feel the southern charm that surrounds the people of Tybee and experience each and every HEA. I know I feel better after reading these stories and I believe you will too!