Circle the Date by Susie Beaty Green

 Title: Circle the Date
 
Author: Susie Beaty Green
 
Publisher: Outskirts Press

Published Date: June 27, 2012

Buy on Amazon: Paperback 

Author Website: http://www.susiebeatygreen.com/

Synopsis:

The Wedding Business is Booming! Best friends Lesley Manning and Patsy Gamble have it all figured out-especially when it comes to their dream job. They own a wedding planning business in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona, and there is a lovely rhythm to their lives. But when an unexpected client hires them to plan his wedding, things get complicated in a hurry. This witty, high-spirited book explores what happens when relationships are challenged and unlikely roads of romance are explored. So grab a glass of wine, sit back, and Circle the Date!

 

 

My Thoughts:

 
Circle the Date, by Susie Beaty Green, is a wonderfully written chick lit novel that is full of laughter, tears, and cringe worthy moments.  Beaty Green's novel is a short read at a little over 200 pages, however it is very satisfying and left me feeling happy.  If you are looking for a quick and lighthearted summer read, this book is for you.  I opened up Circle the Date while laying out in the sun one warm afternoon and was quickly drawn into the novel.

Circle the Date centers around best friends and business partners Patsy and Lesley.  The two met as college roommates and stayed best friends throughout multiple boyfriends, marriages, children, a messy divorce, and a successful wedding planning business called Circle the Date.  Circle the Date is the ultimate wedding planning business in Scottsdale, AZ that creates dream wedding after dream wedding and leaves satisfied bride after satisfied bride.  Each chapter in Beaty Green's Circle the Date is in the viewpoint of either Patsy or Lesley.

Patsy sketches the creative ideas for Circle the Date.  She has an 8 year old daughter, Maggie, and is married to Tom, who might just be the most perfect father in the world.  However, the passion has never been there between Patsy and Tom and while he is happy with the status quo, Patsy is always thinking about what could have been.  More specifically, what could have been had she not settled for Tom and instead married the love of her life, Gavin.  

Patsy can always count on Lesley to talk sense into her and make her realize that she has what many woman only dream of having: a husband who loves her in his own way, provides for his family, and is the best daddy out there.  However, Patsy's equilibrium is thrown out of whack when Gavin steps into Circle the Date to plan his and his fiancee's wedding.  When the sparks begin to fly between the two and the old chemistry is proven to be alive, Patsy must decide if she is willing to throw her perfect family away for the man who has haunted her dreams since college.

Lesley is a hard as nails, tell it like it is, woman that can curse with the best sailors.  She handles the budget for each wedding Circle the Date manages.  She has also been spurned by love.  She married Eric after college and they had their daughter Mary around the same time Patsy and Tom had Maggie.  However, when Mary was two years old Lesley discovered that Eric was cheating on her.  Picking up and moving back to her hometown, Lesley and Mary made a new family unit where they relied on only each other.  

Lesley started Circle the Date in order to provide for her daughter and to witness good and bad romance's.  Lesley has determined that she will be single forever, however we all know you should never say never and her world is soon turned upside down when a long lost love enters the picture.  Lesley soon has her hands full with trying to save Patsy from self-destruction, keep her booming wedding business afloat, and juggling her feelings for an old flame.

I truly enjoyed Susie Beaty Green's novel, Circle the Date.  The characters of Patsy and Lesley are 3-diminsional and very realistic.  The two also went through many changes from the start of the novel until the end.  Circle the Date is most definitely a book that I recommend, it is a terrific summer read!  If you are heading to the beach or even a pool, grab a copy of Susie Beaty Green's novel and enjoy!  

Susie Beaty Green

The author has provided me with a complimentary copy of her book, Circle the Date, for the purpose of review.