The Happy Couple

A wedding should be one of the happiest days of a person’s life, signifying a life-long commitment of love and companionship, publicly declared with those closest to you. Now, you may have one person who doesn’t want the wedding to go ahead. But what if you had a wedding where no one wished it was happening?

So, who’s coming? The Bride: Celine, who is more committed to the idea of becoming a famous pianist than becoming someone’s wife. The Groom: Luke, a serial cheater who doesn’t want a relationship. He puts up a cool, indifferent exterior, and uses sex to hide what he’s truly feeling. The Bridesmaid: Phoebe, Celine’s sister. She’s despised Luke since they first met, and is one of the only bridesmaids that Luke hasn’t slept with. The Best Man: Archie, Luke’s best friend and ex-boyfriend. No matter how many years have passed since their breakup, and no matter how much he tries to focus on his job or on drugs, he still yearns to be with Luke again. The Guest: Vivian, Luke’s other best friend and ex-girlfriend. She doesn’t want Luke back like Archie does. Instead, she prefers to sit back and watch the drama unfold.

A deliciously fun, fast-paced drama full of juicy secrets and gossip, Naoise Dolan explores the personal and societal motivations for getting married. What do people try to find in a marriage? How does society use marriage as a tool to solve problems, even if both parties are not entirely happy together? How much of yourself do you sacrifice for the façade of ‘the happy couple’?

Set in Dublin and London, Dolan’s novel is a witty and authentic examination of marriage, social expectations, and how our truest desires are the ones we keep to ourselves.