Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding
A Novel
Will be published approx. on 2. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-0-06-327066-4 (ISBN)
Description
Everyone loves-and hates-a big fancy wedding! From the author of Lost and Found in Paris and The Marriage Sabbatical comes a champagne-sparkling summer read about two very different women planning their children's wedding in glamorous Montecito, California.
You're invited...to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding.
Penelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She's a bubbly Southern California girl with killer work ethic. Chase is smart and charming and has political aspirations. They're planning a spectacular California wedding, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights, soaked in custom cocktails and romantic hashtags. Everyone's excited about Penny and Chase's wedding-------except their mothers.
The Mother of the Bride, suave Greek-born Alexa Diamandis, doesn't understand why any woman would get married. Ever! Raised in Athens and now perfectly situated in sun-splashed Montecito, California, she raised Penny as single mother by choice, supported by Lord Simon Fox, her old college friend who just happens to be an English aristocrat, and a wealthy circle of lady friends who call themselves the Merry Widows.
The Mother of the Groom, Abigail Blakeman, is a garden club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding was at their golf club. Especially because the Blakeman's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse-not that you would ever know it by looking at Abigail. Keeping up appearances is exhausting, but it is everything.
But when a sudden twist of fate calls them into action, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning. Despite their differences, Alexa and Abigail charge in to save the day. How far will two moms go to make their children's dream wedding a reality?
You're invited...to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding.
Penelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She's a bubbly Southern California girl with killer work ethic. Chase is smart and charming and has political aspirations. They're planning a spectacular California wedding, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights, soaked in custom cocktails and romantic hashtags. Everyone's excited about Penny and Chase's wedding-------except their mothers.
The Mother of the Bride, suave Greek-born Alexa Diamandis, doesn't understand why any woman would get married. Ever! Raised in Athens and now perfectly situated in sun-splashed Montecito, California, she raised Penny as single mother by choice, supported by Lord Simon Fox, her old college friend who just happens to be an English aristocrat, and a wealthy circle of lady friends who call themselves the Merry Widows.
The Mother of the Groom, Abigail Blakeman, is a garden club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding was at their golf club. Especially because the Blakeman's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse-not that you would ever know it by looking at Abigail. Keeping up appearances is exhausting, but it is everything.
But when a sudden twist of fate calls them into action, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning. Despite their differences, Alexa and Abigail charge in to save the day. How far will two moms go to make their children's dream wedding a reality?
Reviews / Votes
"Enticing...Dolan elevates her diverting story with plenty of sharp insights about middle age." - Publishers Weekly on The Marriage Sabbatical"Fast-paced and colorful, with hints of The Goldfinch and Malibu Rising, and more than one pitch-perfect love story-Lost and Found in Paris sparkles like the City of Light itself and will have you flipping the pages quickly as you're drawn deeply into its mysterious world of art, intrigue, and redemption." - Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names
"Reading Lian Dolan is like sitting next to a delightful and hilarious friend with a fine glass of champagne as she regales you with her enthralling adventures. Witty and ravishing, with an intriguing mystery, a grand love story and a quick-witted heroine, Lost and Found in Paris is magnificent." - Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah
"Dolan spins a story that is both heavy and light, spanning continents and exploring relationships. With a hint of Dan Brown and a splash of Jamie Brenner, this book will appeal to a variety of readers, especially those who enjoy character-driven fiction." - Booklist on Lost and Found in Paris
"A quirky novel that deals with weighty topics and emotions without taking itself too seriously." - Kirkus Reviews on Lost and Found in Paris
RSVP yes to this book! Pure joy, as crisp and sparkling as champagne. Lian Dolan's latest is a refreshing take on the wedding story, told from the happy-and sometimes not-so-happy--couple's mothers' points of view. Abigail and Alexa are both beautifully shaped characters, wise and wry and warm, and the dialogue shines throughout. Just the escapist read we need right now, with enough bite to keep things real, a gorgeous, bicoastal setting, and expert plotting. I loved it. - Amy Mason Doan, bestselling author of Lady Sunshine
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 202 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
218 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-327066-4 (9780063270664)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She is the author of The Marriage Sabbatical, Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena, and Elizabeth the First Wife, and is a regular columnist for Pasadena Magazine. She's also written regular columns for O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. She is the co-creator of The Satellite Sisters, an online community for women, and for many years was a host of their award-winning and top-rated talk show/podcast of the same name, which she produced with her four sisters. She lives in Pasadena with her husband and grown sons.