There are many elements to making a good dish and the same can be said about a good book as both start with the same thing. It's an idea that turns into something much more.
The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini fully embodies that idea and runs with it. From the start, The Wedding Menu feels like it's changing the course and giving us an entirely different romance that you might glean from the cover.
While that might seem a little bit off-putting, there is something so different and unique about this romance. However, that's part of the reason why I wanted to share my review as I have a lot of thoughts about these characters, their journey, and their eventual romance.
I'd like to thank Gallery Books for sending me an ARC so I was able to read and review this one early for all of you.
The Wedding Menu will give you a taste of everything.
This story unsurprisingly begins at a wedding where Amelie and Ian meet. Amelie is a lover of all things weddings while Ian has no plans to get married. Immediately, the two click but reality comes rushing back when Amelie shares that she has a boyfriend, a long-term boyfriend. However, things quickly start to crumble.
Amelie's boyfriend, Frank shares that he's gotten a new long-distance job and must be apart. Frank uses this opportunity to suggest an open relationship and the two start that but with the condition that they'll get married once his position ends. If that sounds messy, it's because it is and because Amelie formed a friendship with Ian around that time.
As you might imagine, Amelie and Ian get closer when Frank's not there and it's clear they're falling for each other. Throughout this story, the lines are blurred so many times but one thing I enjoyed was that the romance wasn't easy. Sometimes after reading so many romances, things can feel a bit stale but Letizia Lorini did something different with Amelie and Ian. While it did feel like a true slow burn in that way, it was incredibly enjoyable.
Ultimately while the romance was central to the story, it also felt like Amelie's story. She went through so much during the course of the book and seeing her come out the other side was beautiful. The way she was treated especially by the older characters in the book was appalling. That's not even including her best friend and her absolutely abhorrent behavior. Even so, all of it felt like watching a soap opera and there's something so cathartic about that.
While The Wedding Menu might not appeal to all readers, the drama and push-and-pull between Amelie and Ian will have you hooked in no time.
The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini is out now where books are sold.