~ Blog Tour: No Ex Before Marriage – Review ~

It’s not over until someone says ‘I do’…

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While her friends join the “Wife Club” one by one, Poppy feels like that part of her life is done and dusted. Already married and divorced she’s not desperate to go through all that again.

But what if her divorce never actually went through…?

After a shock revelation Poppy not only discovers she is still married, but that Zac is about to have his second wedding!

Coming face to face with her (almost) ex-husband after six years apart is never going to be easy. And when Zac panics and tells his new wife-to-be that Poppy is family, things can’t get much worse as she is welcomed with open arms as part of the wedding party!

As the memories flood back, can Poppy really leave the past where it is? And can she watch the first love of her life walk down the aisle to say ‘I do’ once again?

You Can Purchase the Book: Amazon

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I am always excited to read a new Portia Macintosh novel as they are easy reads while still having depth and enjoyment within the pages. No Ex Before Marriage is another excellent novel that was a heartfelt exploration of romances and friendships. The story follows 30-years-old Poppy, who was the first in her core group of friends to get married when she was in her twenties. Now that her friends, Sally and Lindsey are married, it is time for the remaining friend, Rachael; however, all of them will not be married at the same time as Poppy is now divorced. Poppy’s journey in the novel begins as she is attending Rachael’s wedding.

When Poppy arrives to the reception, Rachel informs her that she is placed at the singles table and not at the head table because she no longer has a plus one. This was a great introduction into the friend group, as I really did not like them throughout the entire story, although some readers may not mind them as much. The best thing that comes out of Poppy’s new seat assignment is that she meets Kat, who initially appeared as the super outgoing personality-type, but gained a lot of depth as the story moved forward.  Kat and Poppy bond at the wedding and end up becoming friends. Kat even agrees to accompany Poppy when she discovers that she is still married and her divorce was never finalized. Her “ex-“husband Zac is actually getting married soon in Scotland, so Poppy and Kat head there to “crash” the wedding and have Zac sign the papers so he can legally marry his new fiancé.

At the Scottish castle, which is Zac’s wedding location, Poppy and Zac reconnect and it was bittersweet as there is a lot in their past that still weighs heavily on their minds. Initially, the reader is in the dark about their relationship, but eventually there are flashback chapters that weave together their story. Initially, I was not a fan of Zac, as he did not disclose his previous marriage to his fiancé, which just seems like a red flag. He may not have been my favorite character (that title remains with Poppy and Kat for a tie), but he did grow on me by the end. Throughout the story, Poppy begins to reevaluate her life to see how she wants to proceed in the future. There are many ups and downs with a nice central theme of the importance of communication. Overall, this was a very entertaining escape read and I cannot wait to read more from the author!  

**I give a special thank you to Rachel @rararesources,, the publisher, Boldwood Books, and the author for the opportunity to participate with this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**