The Wedding Day

Somewhat barmy Londoner Anni O'Harran-urged by her physician fiance, David Palmer, to vacation at his elderly aunt's empty Cornwall home-sets off on a summer holiday with her 12-year-old daughter, Flora, and visions of finishing her perpetually unfinished novel. Sister Clare and brood are just up the road in their own rental, but plans immediately go awry when Yank Matt Malone arrives. He's rented the house from the dotty aunt, but he amiably agrees to share it with Annie and her daughter. Matt is cute, and has his own writing project on the table. The inevitable Matt and Annie romance is telegraphed early on, but Alliott's insights into relationships urge one forward, as she covers everything from the give-and-take of sisterly bonds to the nastiness of custody battles. Alliott's portrayal of adolescents is spot on, and the rich inner lives of the adults, while often monologued, give this conventional romance depth. As the day of the nuptials approaches, it is unclear who, precisely, will be at the altar.