What would you do if you received an email to review a new book from an author you’ve enjoyed before? You’d review it. What would you do if said new book were in a genre you usually don’t read? You’d review it anyway. Or at least I did. I am not a romance reader because I’m very picky about what I enjoy in a romantic story. So I mostly stay away from them and set out into another galaxy. But this wasn’t any other romance book. It is Mallory Kass’ adult fiction debut novel. AKA Kass Morgan, the author of the series The 100. This is an author that I’ve read before and enjoyed. So yes, if I have the opportunity to read her new book, even in a genre that can be a hit-or-miss for me, I’m going to take it. And I’m glad I did.
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy of the book. All opinions here are my own.
Title: Save the Date Author: Mallory Kass Publication year: 2026 Length: 336 pages (8 hours 54 minutes) Genre: Romance, Contemporary Pace: Medium Story focus: Plot & Characters
It’s the weekend of Marigold’s wedding. The famous influencer is marrying the handsome doctor of everyone’s dreams, Johnathan. But things don’t go as planned. A long-forgotten mistake is putting the wedding at risk, and Marigold is determined to fix it herself, leaving the maid of honour and best friend, Natalie, to hold down the fort. Although Natalie has a secret. She has been in love with the groom since college. So now she has to decide whether to put her feelings first or her friendship with Marigold. And if that wasn’t enough, Marigold’s sister, Olivia, who is used to cleaning up any messes that Marigold does, is determined to make this wedding happen and be the perfect weekend for their mother. Between secret loves and crushes yet to be discovered, the weekend is going to be full.
The story is told from the point of view of the three female characters: Natalie, Marigold, and Olivia. And this single decision was great to help the reader connect with all three women. While they are the three protagonists, they have mixed relations with each other. Natalie and Marigold are BFFs, but Natalie can’t seem to fit in Marigold’s world of celebrities. This creates a gap in their friendship. Marigold and Olivia also don’t get along too well since Olivia is a control freak and has been cleaning up Marigold’s mess for all their lives. Over time, it created a lot of resentment between the two, causing the sisters to drift apart. So these three women view each other in ways that might not be so positive at times. Having the perspective of each of them helps the reader to see the characters for who they really are instead of the perception that other characters have of them.
A fun part about this story is that there are three romance tropes. The fake dating, second chance romance and friends-to-lovers. Why choose only one when you can have three? Of all the romances, the one that I didn’t like as much was Natalie’s. Not because she is in love with the groom, but because I felt like that girl needs to swear off men and learn to have more self-respect. She is a very scared, stay-in-your-safe-zone kind of girl, rarely going after what she really wants, so seeing her chasing after a man instead of her dream life was a pity. The man was also her dream life, but still. I felt she should grow up more alone and then go after her man.
The male romantic interests were the sweetest. That’s usually where the romance stories lose me. But these ones were some of the best. Even when they had a reaction or made a comment that would lift my eyebrow, not only did the women call them out, but they actually apologised. Talk about green flags. Their relationships were all very simple. No drama. No annoying miscommunication. Only people trying to find out what their hearts really wanted.
For anyone watching out for their spice tolerance, if you know what I mean, there is one sex scene in the whole book that for sure isn’t closed door. The scene isn’t very long, but it’s explicit. So love them or hate them, or even if you don’t care about them at all, now you know. That’s my public service announcement. Spice quantity: low. Intensity: high.
Despite all the lightheartedness of the story, there is a darker topic. Marigold and Olivia’s mother is dying of cancer. So the wedding isn’t just a way for Marigold to reassure her mother that she will be okay and with someone who will take care of her, but also it might be one of the last big life moments the whole family has together. Their mother is also the sweetest woman, and the way she deals with something so heavy, it feels like a hug. The subject is treated very kindly, even when reflecting how people react to this sort of news. In a strange way, her speech was almost hopeful while her ending was a certainty. Don’t worry, there are no casualties in the story. But it is, without a doubt, the most emotional part of the story. And I have to confess that I had watery eyes by the end. And reading the acknowledgements did not help.
In the end, the book felt like a celebration of love. Of true love. Of unconditional love. All the characters had some cute moments. They all learned to be themselves while bettering themselves and proving that love accepts them for how they are without trying to change them. Olivia was still a control freak, but was starting to learn to let go of some things. Marigold accepted she could be a messy hurricane, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And Natalie was learning to come out of her shell and see that the world isn’t so scary after all.
Goodreads | The Storygraph | Literal | Fable
