The Singles by Meredith Goldstein

Debut novel, The Singles by Meredith Goldstein, follows the single biggest fear of most single people – attending a wedding solo. Despite the bride, Beth “Bee” Evans, generous and thoughtful offer of a plus one for all of the guests at her wedding, five attendees decline and are consequently dubbed “The Singles”. The story follows the adventures of the five “Singles”, Hannah, Vicki, Rob, Joe, and Nancy. Hannah is the single bridesmaid pining over her ex with wishful thinking and hopes that the wedding will bring them closer together; Vicki is in love … with the characters in romance novels; Rob is single yet hopelessly in love with his dog; Phil can’t seem to find anyone that is better than Mom; and Joe is single yet hopeful for a chance (and romantic) encounter at the wedding. Author Meredith Goldstein weaves together each of their stories as they prepare and attend the upcoming wedding.

I found The Singles to be charming and heartfelt. I laughed and cried during a few scenes and felt as though the characters were developed very realistically. Although their lives are often sad, I felt that each of the five “Singles” had a very unique and interesting perspective that added to the overall feel of the novel. Their escapades really shine as they are woven together, each having a significant impact on the story as a whole. I absolutely adored the ending and was quite pleased with the way that everything turned out. Overall, a fun and often humorous tale that I think will be a big hit this summer.