Lian Dolan’s Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding serves up a deliciously witty exploration of contemporary wedding culture through the eyes of two vastly different mothers thrust together by circumstance. This sixth novel from the accomplished author of The Sweeney Sisters and The Marriage Sabbatical delivers a sophisticated comedy of manners that feels both timelessly relatable and refreshingly modern.
When Penelope Diamandis and Chase Blakeman announce their engagement, their mothers couldn’t be more different in their reactions—or their worldviews. Alexa Diamandis, a successful Greek-American travel entrepreneur from Montecito, raised her daughter as a single mother by choice and genuinely questions why any woman would willingly surrender her independence through marriage. Meanwhile, Abigail Blakeman, a Connecticut blue-blood with Daughters of the American Revolution credentials, initially struggles with her son’s choice of a bride who doesn’t fit her narrow definition of “their kind of people.”
Character Development That Sparkles Like Wedding Champagne
Alexa Diamandis: The Reluctant Romantic
Dolan crafts Alexa as a compelling protagonist who embodies modern female independence without sacrificing warmth or complexity. Her backstory—losing her mother as a teenager, building a successful business in California, and choosing single motherhood—provides rich texture to her character. Alexa’s relationship with her daughter Penny feels authentic, particularly in their professional collaboration and shared experiences traveling through Greece. The author skillfully reveals Alexa’s vulnerabilities beneath her polished exterior, especially when Penny begins pulling away during the wedding planning crisis.
Abigail Blakeman: More Than Meets the Eye
Initially appearing as a stereotypical Connecticut WASP, Abigail evolves into one of the novel’s most surprising characters. Dolan peels back layers of social conditioning to reveal a woman grappling with financial insecurity, social displacement, and genuine love for her family. Her secret job at the senior center becomes a beautiful metaphor for stepping outside one’s comfort zone. The author’s portrayal of Abigail’s growing appreciation for diversity—both cultural and economic—feels earned rather than forced.
Supporting Cast Excellence
The ensemble supporting characters add depth and humor without overwhelming the central narrative. The Merry Widows of Montecito provide delightful comic relief while representing female friendship and mutual support. Sarah Blakeman’s romance with Lloyd offers a refreshing counterpoint to the main couple’s drama, showing how love can bloom naturally without elaborate planning. Mayor Timothy Lynch brings political intrigue and serves as an unexpected romantic interest for Alexa.
Plotting: A Masterclass in Wedding Chaos Management
The Setup: Cultural Collision Course
Dolan expertly establishes the central conflict through the mothers’ opposing worldviews. The engagement party sequence brilliantly showcases their differences—Alexa arriving in striking yellow silk while Abigail frets over proper etiquette and party planning minutiae. The author’s eye for social dynamics shines in these early scenes, capturing the subtle warfare of forced politeness and cultural misunderstanding.
The Crisis: When Love Goes Off the Rails
The temporary breakup between Penny and Chase provides the novel’s emotional core. Dolan handles this plot development with surprising depth, exploring how external pressures and internal doubts can derail even strong relationships. Penny’s work stress and Chase’s political ambitions create realistic obstacles that feel contemporary and relevant.
Operation Butterfly: Comedy Gold
The elaborate scheme to reunite the couple at the Noguchi Museum represents Dolan at her comedic best. The logistics of coordinating wealthy California widows, Connecticut society ladies, and New York political figures reads like a sophisticated farce. The author balances the absurdity with genuine emotion, making readers root for the machinations while recognizing their slightly unhinged nature.
Social Commentary Wrapped in Silk and Satin
Class Consciousness and Economic Anxiety
Dolan weaves sharp observations about American social stratification throughout the narrative. Abigail’s financial struggles, hidden behind a veneer of old-money respectability, reflect broader anxieties about downward mobility in contemporary America. The contrast between Montecito wealth and Connecticut genteel poverty provides rich material for examining how economic status shapes social relationships.
Cultural Identity and Assimilation
Alexa’s Greek heritage and her daughter’s relationship with that identity offer nuanced exploration of immigrant experiences in America. The author avoids stereotypes while celebrating cultural richness, particularly in the authentic details about Greek customs and the extended family dynamics.
Modern Motherhood and Independence
“Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding” thoughtfully examines different models of womanhood and motherhood. Alexa’s choice to remain single and raise Penny alone stands in contrast to Abigail’s traditional marriage, yet both women face similar challenges in supporting their adult children while maintaining their own identities.
Romance Elements: Love in Multiple Forms
While ostensibly about Penny and Chase’s relationship, the novel’s most compelling romantic development occurs between Alexa and Mayor Lynch. Dolan handles their mature romance with sophistication, exploring how attraction and companionship evolve differently in midlife. Their chemistry feels authentic and their conversations reveal character depth beyond typical romantic fiction.
The secondary romance between Sarah and Lloyd provides youthful energy and represents love that develops organically without dramatic obstacles. This relationship serves as a foil to the main couple’s wedding-induced stress.
Writing Style: Elegant Prose with Sharp Wit
Dialogue That Crackles
Dolan’s gift for dialogue shines throughout the novel. Each character maintains a distinct voice, from Alexa’s cosmopolitan sophistication to Abigail’s proper New England restraint. The banter between the Merry Widows provides consistent humor while advancing plot and character development.
Pacing and Structure
The novel’s three-part structure (engagement, planning crisis, resolution) provides effective narrative momentum. Dolan skillfully alternates between the mothers’ perspectives, maintaining reader interest while building toward the climactic wedding sequence.
Attention to Detail
The author’s research into wedding planning, Greek culture, and East Coast society shows in the authentic details throughout. From the specifics of Montecito real estate to the intricacies of political fundraising, the background elements feel lived-in and genuine.
Areas for Improvement
Occasionally Predictable Plot Points
While the overall narrative remains engaging, some plot developments feel telegraphed. The reunion at the museum, while satisfying, follows a fairly predictable trajectory. Readers may anticipate certain character revelations before they occur.
Supporting Character Development
Some secondary characters, particularly Chase himself, could benefit from deeper development. While Penny’s work stress and personal growth receive substantial attention, Chase remains somewhat generic as the ambitious politician fiancé.
Resolution Pacing
The wedding sequence, while entertaining, feels slightly rushed compared to the careful character development in earlier sections. Some emotional payoffs could benefit from additional space to breathe.
Literary Context and Comparisons
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding fits comfortably within the contemporary women’s fiction tradition established by authors like Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner. Like Dolan’s previous works, particularly The Sweeney Sisters, this novel combines family drama with social observation and romantic elements.
“Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding” shares DNA with Helen Fielding’s work in its sharp social commentary and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Committed in its examination of marriage as an institution. Readers who enjoyed Christina Lauren’s adult contemporary fiction or Emily Giffin’s exploration of female relationships will find similar pleasures here.
Final Verdict: A Wedding Worth Attending
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding succeeds as both entertainment and social commentary. Dolan has crafted a novel that honors the complexity of modern relationships while delivering the humor and heart that readers expect from contemporary women’s fiction. The book’s exploration of cross-cultural relationships, economic anxiety, and midlife romance feels both timely and timeless.
While not groundbreaking, the novel represents solid craftsmanship in its genre. Dolan’s ability to balance multiple storylines while maintaining focus on character development demonstrates mature storytelling skills. The wedding industry satire adds contemporary relevance without overwhelming the human story at its center.