Book Review - The Wedding Planner’s Guide to Stealing the Bride by Jeevani Charika

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Title: The Wedding Planner's Guide to Stealing the Bride

Author: Jeevani Charika

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 30th July 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Rule one of being a wedding planner, don’t fall for the bride.

Romance novelist Kalpana is about to marry the man of her dreams – or is she? The chaos of wedding planning is taking its toll on her relationship with the charming but self-absorbed Marcus, a prize-winning literary star.

Enter Sampath, the wedding planner skilled in uncovering what the soon-to-be-wed couple want out of their big day. Marcus wants a traditional wedding in Sri Lanka, but being the third generation of her family to be born in the UK, Kalpana doesn’t feel like those traditions are her own.

Forbidden feelings start to blossom, secrets are unravelled and identities are questioned. Living a love story that feels like it was written for someone else, Kalpana must take charge of her heart and rewrite her happily ever after before it’s written for her.

Almost certainly my favourite book from Jeevani Charika to date.  This was an absolute joy to read and I devoured every single word of it. 

This is a book that has made me really want to go on holiday to Sri Lanka, to the extent that at one point I just had to look at the prices for Christmas, just in case I could make it a reality.  It sounds like such a wonderful place, and so beautifully that I would love to experience it. 

But at least I got the author's wonderful descriptions while Kalpana and Sampath are there, with him planning her wedding to Marcus.  Marcus who I really didn't take to at all, and although for appearances sake he seems to adore his bride to be, I was rather cynical about his true feelings. 

Whereas Sampath is even a fan of Kalpana's romance books, and it was lovely to see how well the genre was being championed within this story against the backdrop to pure genre prejudiced people that look down on the genre, which is so authentic to the real life opinions and prejudice that romance authors receive. 

This is a wonderful look at multicultural relationships and traditions, and it was entertaining and informative. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and feel this is an author who is growing in confidence with every book she is writing at the moment. 

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.