The Wedding Routine

by Kevin Rush

The Wedding Routine is a romantic comedy about Celia Cleary, a young ballroom dance champion from New Jersey, who makes her living choreographing wedding dances. Her business is failing, and her own romantic life is out of step, until she falls for a handsome French chef who resolutely refuses to dance. Quick witted humor, well-drawn, relatable characters and the warm Catholic spirit of an old Bing Crosby movie combine for a smart, enjoyable, and uplifting read.

183 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 20, 2021

Reviews

[Jim Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished The Wedding Routine and can’t remember when I enjoyed a book this much. Smiles on every page! The dialogue was witty and engaging and the family Thanksgiving segment ushered in many nostalgic memories. A great blend of humor, character development, and spiritual context. I am looking forward to reading more from this brilliant author and will be ordering the Lance and the Veil today.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clean, Light Romance Cliff Hanger

Overall 3.25 stars / 5

This was an enjoyable light, clean romance with a moderate plot. Because the main character Celia is a dancer, there are a fair number of dancing references. If you are not familiar with ballroom dancing, these may be a foreign language to you.

I appreciated the clean cut story, and the believable interactions and situations in the plot. I was able to easily fall into the story and root for Celia to find her HEA. The banter was pretty enjoyable, the characters distinct and distinguishable, and the story easy to read and follow. Overall, fairly believable and quick to read.

However, the ending was non-existent - almost like the end of the book was ripped out before the it was published, and the author wrote a weird old Hollywood movie dream-sequence to try and hide the lack of ending. It’s not really effective as cliff hanger meant to lure you read the next book in the series, since it leaves you with a “do what???” confusion at the end.

While I will probably read the next book in the series when it’s available, I won’t be waiting with bated breath on it, due almost entirely to how this story ended.

I received a free copy of the ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stands out among the other romance novels I read recently. The banter and humor are slightly more intelligent and nuanced (although some of the references were obscure enough that their meaning was lost on me). Family connections and traditions are treated more positively even when people are not on the same page. And the setting of the dance studio is unique (though some of the dance terminology was unfamiliar and not explained).

I wanted to get to know Emile better and wished that Janos wasn't such a caricature of a Hungarian Lothario. I was also frustrated that Celia didn't treat her employee Rupert like the loyal friend he was to her.

I enjoyed reading The Wedding Routine and I look forward to Kevin Rush's next book.

[Michele Rice Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult for Me

The humor in this book was not my style. It constantly made me pause reading or threw me out of the story, so I did not enjoy reading it. I had to put it down, and I did not want to pick it back up again. I did finish it. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic comedy.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and light-weight romantic comedy filled with lots of snappy dialogue and uniquely interesting characters. There's a somewhat old-fashioned tone to the story that sets it a bit apart from a lot of what I've been reading lately. The ending was a tad disappointing but I'm sure there's more to come.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked Emile and there was not enough of him in the book.

[John Vann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like this book at all. Cheesy and poorly written.

[Albert Mongillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a sweet and funny story.