Portobello Book Blog

One thing I really like about Sheila O’Flanagan’s books is the focus on the women characters. Although the title of this book might make you think that this might be light romantic fiction, there’s so much more to it than that.

Delphie is our protaganist and she’s a successful executive assistant to Conrad, his right hand woman and loves her work at the Cosecha company. When she is at her brother’s wedding, she gets a shock phone call which changes her life, And when I say shock, I mean shock. I literally gasped aloud! Suddenly, Delphie’s life seems to be unravelling before her eyes and despite her usual can-do attitude, her self confidence takes quite a blow.

There’s a lot to like about Delphie. She’s a strong, successful woman and happy being single despite her family’s constant questions about when she might settle down. As she points out, she’s got a steady job and her own rather lovely home – how much more settled can she be? Although, when she needs to find a plus one for her brother’s wedding and realises that she doesn’t have many male friends she can call upon, even she begins to question whether having a significant other in her life might not be a bad thing.

A lot of the focus of the book is on the expectations put on women to settle down and have a family, Throughout the book we see many of the female characters deal with work and family life in different ways. We see some women happily married with a family, others thinking that they should get on and have a child before it’s too late, others trying to achieve that work life balance that many working mums find so challenging and others happily single. There’s also a look at women in the workplace and the challenges they face, particularly if they work in a male dominated environment.

I enjoyed too the way the author explored friendships between women and the way they can be such a support to each other. Although rivalries and the way some women try to put others down is also shown. I think that there is so much in this book that women will be able to identify with and that’s what makes it such an enjoyable read.

I watched an interview with Sheila O’Flanagan on Facebook last week on the Hillingdon Libraries Facebook page which is still available to watch on line – you can see that here. She was kind enough to answer a couple of my questions and it was fascinating to hear about her inspiration for this book and others. I’d really recommend watching it.

On a very rainy day, I flew through the pages of Three Weddings and a Proposal. I thoroughly enjoyed this satisfying treat of a book, with its twists and turns and real understanding of what it is to be a woman in today’s world.

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the opportunity to take part in the tour and to publishers Headline for the review copy of the book. Three Weddings and a Proposal is available now in hardback, audiobook and ebook formats. Please support a local bookshop when ordering your copy if you can. Otherwise, you will find buying options for various retailers on the Headline website here: Three Weddings and a Proposal

From the back of the book

At the first wedding, there‘s a shock

The second wedding is unexpected

By the third, Delphie thinks nothing could surprise her. But she’s wrong . . .

Delphie is enjoying her brother’s wedding. Her surprise last-minute Plus One has stunned her family – and it’s also stopped any of them asking again why she’s still single. But when she sees all the missed calls that evening, she knows it can’t be good news. And she’s right.

Delphie has been living her best life, loving her job, her friends, her no-strings relationships and her dream house by the sea. Now she has to question everything she believed about who she is and what she wants. Is her mum right – is it time to settle down? Or does she want to keep on trying to have it all?

Each wedding of a glorious summer brings a new surprise. And as everything Delphie thought she had is threatened, she has the chance to reshape her future . . .

About the Author

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of nearly 30 bestselling chart-toppers, including The Women Who Ran Away, Her Husband’s Mistake, The Hideaway, What Happened That Night, The Missing Wife and All For You (winner of the Irish Independent Popular Fiction Book of the Year Award). After working in banking and finance for a number of years, Sheila’s love for writing blossomed into curating stories about relationships in all their many forms. http://www.sheilaoflanagan.com | @sheilaoflanagan Facebook.com/sheilabook