Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give

Ada Calhoun As the title of American author and columnist Ada Calhoun’s new book of essays suggests, it’s unlikely you’ll hear any speeches quite like these at forthcoming nuptials. Wincingly honest, there’s no place for soul mates and generic declarations of togetherness here. Instead, there’s resentment for missing flights, breaking bathroom taps and, more upsettingly, finding other people attractive – and coming clean about it. If this sounds cynical, it’s not meant to be. By and large, Calhoun is pragmatically supportive of love and those who seek it out. Hopeful, sensible and grounded in reality, her essays serve just as much guidance to those in long-term relationships as those embarking on them. 8/10