When author Bonnie Trachtenberg penned her novel, Wedlocked, I don't believe I was her target audience. Wedlocked is chicklit whose main character, Rebecca Ross is a Jewish American Princess from Long Island. On the other hand, I'm a football and rugby playing, cigar-smoking, whiskey-drinking middle-aged man who grew up in rural Iowa as a Protestant.

Yet I found the writing sparkling and every page brought a little gift in the form of an enlightened observation, a well-crafted phrase or a funny situation. Rebecca, our protagonist, annoyed me from time to time with her intolerance for all things smoking-related and for her penchant of sabotaging her chosen acting career. But she was hard not to root for, especially when she married the Worst. Husband. Ever. (As an aside, I gave my wife a copy; Craig Jacobs is one of the only non serial-killer characters who makes me look good.)

This entertaining novel has a satisfying end and is a tremendous value. You will be glad you read it.
( )

While the cover of the book gives the impression that the story is exclusively about the main character Rebecca's bad marriage. The book actually encompasses her life leading up to the bad marriage and what happens as a result of the rocky nuptials. The actual ceremony is understood to have happened sort of "between the lines," so to speak. The book is a before and after image in prose.
The prologue to the book is the immediate aftermath of the ceremony when Rebecca is undergoing the realization of her mistake. I was a bit confused at this point since I could not figure out if the ceremony took place or not. The next chapter starts in Rebecca's childhood, growing up with two sisters and a very marriage-minded mother in a strict Jewish household. To her mother's dismay, Rebecca is quickly influenced by her grandma Emma into a love for acting, movies, and theater. From there, the book walks us through Rebecca's pursuit of an acting career and near-absence of dating material.
Though Rebecca is likable enough, I had a difficult time relating to her career struggles, since I have little interest in that side of the business. I also did wonder if she was really as talented as she claimed to be, since her struggles were so great.
When a man, Evan, finally lays claim to Rebecca's heart, both Rebecca and Evan handle the relationship poorly and Rebecca abandons her suffering career with a broken heart. The man she eventually becomes "wedlocked" to, Craig, then shows up in her life, and a rebound relationship becomes a permanent one before Rebecca thinks to learn a bit more about her new husband. A honeymoon from hell makes the reality of her situation quite clear as Craig's bad behavior and numerous secrets get him in trouble with the Italian government, until a new friend, Michael, flies in to save the day.
Without spoiling the ending, I think Rebecca handled her problems remarkably well, with a little help, and ended the book with a humorous twist. If I suspend my opinions of the Hollywood-influenced methods of dating, marriage, and divorce that is so common in America today, the book was an entertaining read, and likely would make an even better movie. ( )

I enjoyed this book all the way to the end, which I have to admit was a surprise! Very entertaining, I give it 5 stars!

You can also read this review here: http://www.turningthepages.ca/2012/02/review-wedlocked.html

What happens when the man you married turns out to be the devil in disguise? On her wedding day, Rebecca suddenly realizes that the man she thinks she loves isn't all she imagined and she can't help but wonder, "What if..."

Ever the sucker for a wedding novel, I was assuming this story would be all roses and frilly lace, so I was surprised when it turned out to be more of a suspense driven story then a wedding one. However, that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

Broken into two stories... Rebecca before her wedding day and Rebecca after, I found the story energetic, entertaining and very well crafted. The fact that the reader was given the full story made it very easy to understand how Rebecca ended up marrying Craig when you know that her heart isn't fully into it. If I had to pick a half I preferred, I would definitely say 'Book Two'. It has such a quick pace with things flying at you from all directions. It really was an unstoppable read.

The characters in the book could be described as a bit over-the-top within their roles but it worked. The only character that I walked away from the book loathing was Craig. Ugg, scumbag city!

Overall, Wedlocked was a fabulous fun look into what happens when you don't marry Mister Right! ( )

Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the best days of your life. For Rebecca, it was the day she realized she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life and she is anything but the happy bride all her guests think she is. She finds out there’s a lot about her new husband she didn’t know, things he deliberately kept from her. Between the wedding and the honeymoon, Bonnie Trachtenberg takes the reader back in time to show what led to Rebecca’s awful decision, a ruined acting career and a broken heart. Then Trachtenberg shows us just how disastrous a honeymoon can be and the mysterious ways in which love works.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Wedlocked.” I laughed and cheered Rebecca on. It felt like she was a real person I knew. I was thrilled when she followed her dream to become an actress and I was angry on her behalf when her first love broke her heart. My heart went out to her when she realized she made a mistake by getting married. Trachtenberg is skilled in creating realistic characters.

I like the way Trachtenberg easily weaves together the present and the past without interrupting the flow of the story. Well, honestly, there’s not a single thing about this book I didn’t like. There’s just the right amount of humor and somehow, everything works out. I look forward to reading Trachtenberg’s next book.

This hilarious take on love and marriage will captivate readers and have them laughing out loud. The easy, flowing pace and genuine, easy to love characters make this book hard to put down. The entertaining and well thought out plot bring everything together to make this a truly great read. Women of all ages will love this book. I recommend this book for high school age and up. ( )