WEDDING ISSUES

Boston native, Elle Evans spent five years in Nashville soaking up sweet Southern hospitality and even sweeter iced tea. She now lives in Philadelphia with her husband and rescue dog Calypso, the first of many pets named for Greek mythology characters. Elle enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and attempting ambitious cocktail recipes. She writes under a not-so-secret pseudonym to maintain separation from her day job as a doctor.

“Elle Evans takes the reader on a wonderfully wild ride in Wedding Issues. Brimming with humor and heart, you’ll laugh your way to the very last page of this marvelously entertaining novel.”
–Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, coauthors of Forever Hold Your Peace

“A rollicking ride through the highs and lows–or the I dos and I don’ts–of the wedding and media industries. Elle Evans reveals truths about long-term friendship, ambition, and the heady intoxication of a crush. RSVP to this delicious debut.”
–Avery Carpenter Forrey, author of Social Engagement

“Bride Wars meets high society haughtiness in this laugh-out-loud, feel-good story of how far we are willing to go for love and friendship. Elle Evans’s voice sings–it’s sharp, witty, and full of flare. I am a fan!”
–Neely Tubati Alexander, author of Love Buzz

“You’ll giggle all the way through Wedding Issues, then immediately text your girlfriends that they have got to read Elle Evans’ delightful, timely debut. Evans delivers witty dialogue, an engaging plot, and lovely description in this story exploring the personal and professional lives of compelling and relatable women. This is the book you want to take on vacation, to bring to book club, to turn off the television to read. In short–a smash!”
–Lauren Edmondson, author of Wedding of the Season

1. Wedding Issues highlights stories of friendship amidst a season of romantic love. In your own life, how do you navigate the balance between friendship and romance? How do you think that balance shifts throughout the different seasons of life?
2. Despite having the best intentions, Liv’s people-pleasing tendencies put a strain on her friendship with Leighton. Do you think Leighton should have been more understanding of Liv’s good intentions? Or should Liv have been more aware of her actions?
3. Have you struggled with people-pleasing or putting too much on your plate? Why do you think that is, and how have you learned to say no?
4. Throughout the novel, Liv tries hard to please both her best friend and her cousin, despite the fact that they are competing with one another for the same bridal magazine cover. It is a common experience to feel pulled between friendship (or romantic love) and family—what do you think is the best way to handle that tension? Do you think Liv did a good job of it?
5. Aunt Charlotte is pretty ruthless—she sabotages Liv, blackmails her, etc.—yet Liv struggles to call her out and does not stop planning Kali’s pre-wedding events. Do you think she was scared to confront her aunt, or is it something else keeping Liv from standing up for herself? Have you ever been in a situation where you were being treated poorly by a family member—especially an older one—but struggled to stand up for yourself?
6. Why do you think Charlotte wants Kali to be on the cover so badly? What do you think about how she’s behaved regarding her daughter’s sexuality?
7. What do you think of the arguments for why Kali/Leighton should be on the cover of Southern Charm? Which bride-to-be do you think makes the most sense as a cover model? Who were you rooting for throughout the book?
8. When Liv  goes to Atlanta to see Kali and meet Greta, the two brides are only marginally interested in planning anything for their wedding—Kali tells Liv she’s mostly doing it for her mom. Do you think this speaks to a generational difference in attitudes about weddings?
9. Liv hopes to get Leighton on the cover of Southern Charm both because she’s a good friend and because she is worried about a line she crossed. Do you think her doubled intentions make her actions less meaningful? Do you think her attempt to soften the blow worked?
10. Kali doesn’t care much for wedding planning and is competing for the magazine cover to appease her mother. Do you think she sees how stressed out Liv is? Why do you think she chooses to remain in competition for the magazine cover (rather than dropping out) and what do you make of that decision?
11. Liv’s struggles with letting go of control. Is there a happy medium between full control and not caring at all? What do you think that happy medium will look like for Liv in the future? What does that balance look like in your own life?
12. What did you think about Liv’s decision to go on the Southern Charm podcast? How would you have felt if you were Leighton or Kali?
13. What did you like most about Wedding Issues? Did it end the way you thought it would?
14. Have you thought about what your wedding/pre-wedding events might look like? What choices were made in the book that you thought sounded fun? Which themes/decor choices would you have skipped?
15. How does the southern setting of the novel affect the story? How would the story have been different if it was set on the east coast, west coast, or the midwest?
16. Over Thanksgiving, while talking to Greta, Liv sends an important text to Will. Have you ever taken a risk like that? How did it work out for you?

One

September

It was my third breakup of the month. Seventh of the year. I should be a pro at this by now. I was a pro. And yet . . . the words still weren’t right.

“Aren’t you done?” Aditya twitched nervously. “You’ve had my phone for ten minutes!”

“Shh! I’m trying to concentrate.” I drummed my nails on the neon-green table and stared at the screen, willing the right words to appear. Aditya had asked for help crafting an it’s-over-for-good message to a clingy fling. They’d been on and off for months, but she ghosted him whenever he was ready to commit. It was time for Aditya to put his metaphorical foot down. Which happened to be my specialty.

Leighton reached over and snatched the phone out of my hand. “Hey, good to hear from you! I’m down to catch up, but I want to be honest—I’m looking for a relationship. What’s wrong with that, Liv?”

I bit my lip and replayed the words in my head. Hearing them out loud was crucial. That was my father’s first golden rule of negotiation: it didn’t matter what you meant, it mattered what they heard. I shook my head and reclaimed the phone. “The last part’s wrong. Gives her an opening.”

Leighton tilted her head, her honey-blond curls falling across her shoulder. “An opening?” she asked. In the twenty years I’d known her, she’d never once had a bad hair day. Witchcraft.

“She could say she’s looking for a casual relationship. Which—”

“A casual relationship?” Aditya interjected, sounding hopeful. “But that could be—”

“—exactly what he’d fall for!” I finished. Leighton laughed. “Aditya, this girl’s your own personal boomerang.”

He frowned. “Boomerang?”

“Every time you throw her away, she ricochets right back.”

Leighton grinned. “Okay, love that. Don’t be mad if I steal that line for an Instagram caption.”

I hadn’t intended to become the Relationship Grim Reaper. I’d sort of . . . stumbled into it. I had a knack for conversation. Not just fluffy cocktail chatter—tough conversations, the ones that scared everyone else. Asking for a raise. Persuading an enemy. Breaking up with an SO.

On our second day of classes at Vanderbilt Law, I’d coached Aditya through a polite thanks-but-no-thanks response to a post-first-date text. A classmate overheard and
asked for help with a tenacious ex-girlfriend. And then word spread. In my first year of law school, I’d broken up with nine people, asked out six, negotiated three raises, and convinced a dog-walker to switch from an hourly rate to a per diem.

“Hey, good to hear from you! I want to be up-front—I’m looking for something serious, and I’m just not feeling that with you. Wish you all the best. There.” I slid Aditya’s phone back across the table, savoring the satisfaction of a deftly worded text. “My work here is done.” I might not have my own love life under control, but at least I could help Aditya with his.

Aditya pressed send and spread his arms dramatically. “Done! Free at last.” He stood and ran a hand through his shiny black hair. “That’s my cue to leave, before I get tipsy
and start texting her again.”

“Sure you don’t want to stay for another drink?” I asked.

Aditya grimaced. “I wish. I’m way behind on prep for these malpractice interviews. Switching industries sucks. Catch you later.”

I glanced around the trendy Mexican restaurant, known as Insta-bait for its electric-green furniture and shockingly pink margaritas. The content-friendly décor was exactly why Leighton had chosen it. To my law school friends’ amusement, Leighton was an online influencer. She’d always had a knack for fashion and photography, a winning combination for someone growing up in the social media era. Her brand, Peach Sugar, was a blend of old-school Southern lady and feminist modernity (per her bio). She’d started a Tumblr in middle school, joined YouTube in high school, and was thriving on Instagram by college.

Since graduation five years ago, she’d been dividing her time between growing her brand and working part-time retail. As her closest childhood friend, I’d seen it all. I’d witnessed the time and energy she’d poured into Peach Sugar, and how hard she’d fought for every one of her seventy-eight thousand Instagram followers. Some scoffed at Leighton’s “fluffy” career, but they hadn’t seen her grueling content schedule or her three-inch-thick design sketchbook. It was hard work. I’d happily choose another Torts midterm over masterminding one of Leighton’s photo shoots.

For a full excerpt, click HERE.