Lian Dolan joins the Author Spotlight to discuss her latest novel, Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding
Author Name: Lian Dolan
Book Title: ABIGAIL AND ALEXA SAVE THE WEDDING
Book Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: May 20th, 2025
Publisher: William Morrow
Welcome, Lian! How would you describe Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding?
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding is a comedy of manners about modern weddings and the pressure on everyone in the wedding to deliver a perfect day. Told from the point of view of the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom, two very different woman from different coasts and backgrounds, this is a story of love, friendship and guest lists.
What sparked the idea for this book?
The was a moment in the summer of 2021 when we all thought the pandemic was over (Spoiler! It wasn’t!) and it seemed like everyone in my social media feed posted about a wedding. Their wedding, their child’s wedding, the neighbor’s wedding. It was glorious! Big weddings, small weddings, micro wedding. Backyard or fancy club or city hall. People were getting hitched. And all those weddings made me think about what a random method marriage was for forming a new family. Sure, the two people getting married have a connection. But what about all the other people in their respective families that must fall in line to support the new couple? How do they fit into this new family? It felt like an idea I could examine in a book.
Did you do any research?
I’d been a lifelong wedding fan, reading the New York Times Wedding announcements since my youth. And I was drawn to any coverage of weddings, especially the floral design, the hoopla and the drama. But once I started in on this book, I dug deep on all the wedding industrial complex research I could find, especially at wedding-related sites in Connecticut and Montecito, California where the book is set. I studied everything from Instagram feeds of dress designers, event planners, cake makers, and engaged influencers to newsletters from Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings to many, many juicy Reddit threads on the worst weddings ever. Plus, I immersed myself in wedding movies and Say Yes to the Dress re-runs! Such fun, funny research. Donut walls? Who knew those were replacing cakes at weddings?
What drew you to writing comedic women’s fiction?
Humor is a filter I’ve used my whole life when viewing the world and my place in it. I’ve spent my whole career telling the stories of women. First, on the radio, then in magazines and eventually, in fiction. Those stories were about contemporary women told with humor and heart. At forty-five, I wrote my first novel and I thought there was a niche for stories about modern women and their lives but punctuated with observational humor about society and expectations. I’m not sure I could write anything without that filter!
Fans of which authors might gravitate toward your book?
My publisher compares my books to Emily Henry and Taylor Jenkins Reid. I think there are similarities to Diane Johnson and Jill Mansell in my work as well. My hero is Nora Ephron and I like to think my books would make her laugh.
What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
This is a book about love and the importance of female friendships in our lives, especially as we age. I hope readers sink into those two ideas as well as the fun of the plot. But there is also unexpected romance, actual wedding advice and good punchlines along the way.
What are your interests outside of writing and reading?
I certainly spend a lot of time at the grocery store and cooking dinner, so I must be really interested in those tasks. Roasting vegetables and making sauces and salad dressings rank very high on my list of satisfying endeavors. I also do a lot of yoga and gardening instead of pickleball, like everyone else I know. Finally, I belong to a middle-aged ladies’ dance troupe (!) and have a true crime podcast habit that I’m not proud of.
Where can readers find you?
My book tour schedule and information about my work can be found at my website https://www.liandolan.com . I’m touring in May and June from Montecito to Mystic, CT to New York City, so come see me! Or follow me on Instagram @liandolan. Finally, there are literally a thousand episodes of the podcast I created, hosted and produced for 23 years called Satellite Sisters at any podcast platform or at our website https://satellitesisters.com
Thank you, Lian! Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding is out TODAY.
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding
Everyone loves—and hates—a big fancy wedding! From the author of Lost and Found in Paris and The Marriage Sabbatical comes a champagne-sparkling summer read about two very different women planning their children’s wedding in glamorous Montecito, California.
You’re invited…to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding.
Penelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She’s a bubbly Southern California girl with killer work ethic. Chase is smart and charming and has political aspirations. They’re planning a spectacular California wedding, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights, soaked in custom cocktails and romantic hashtags. Everyone’s excited about Penny and Chase’s wedding—except their mothers.
The Mother of the Bride, suave Greek-born Alexa Diamandis, doesn’t understand why any woman would get married. Ever! Raised in Athens and now perfectly situated in sun-splashed Montecito, California, she raised Penny as single mother by choice, supported by Lord Simon Fox, her old college friend who just happens to be an English aristocrat, and a wealthy circle of lady friends who call themselves the Merry Widows.
The Mother of the Groom, Abigail Blakeman, is a garden club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding was at their golf club. Especially because the Blakeman’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse—not that you would ever know it by looking at Abigail. Keeping up appearances is exhausting, but it is everything.
But when a sudden twist of fate calls them into action, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning. Despite their differences, Alexa and Abigail charge in to save the day. How far will two moms go to make their children’s dream wedding a reality?
Author bio:
Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the author of five bestselling novels, including Helen of Pasadena and Lost and Found in Paris. Her latest novel, The Marriage Sabbatical , was a USA Today Bestseller and a People Magazine Pick. Lian has written regular columns for O, The Oprah Magazine, Working Mother and Pasadena Magazine. Her next book, Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding will be published in May 2025.
For more than two decades, she hosted and produced Satellite Sisters, a top-rated podcast for women that she created with her four real sisters. She’s also an in-demand speaker for women’s organizations, at literary and business events and at book clubs across the country. She graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband and two adult sons.