Score: 4.5/5 Bookmarks

Steam Rating: 0/5

Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin for gifting me a review copy of The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall.

Oh this book was just what I needed. I laughed, I teared up, I wanted to visit a mansion in the English countryside…

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. Not quite a wedding planner, more of a bride’s assistant. Generally, brides hire her to take some of the pressure off, help them with wedding tasks, and make sure things run smoothly on the day.

When Sophie is hired by the Marchioness of Meade to help her daughter plan her nuptials she is overjoyed. This wedding will make her career! There’s just one problem, the Marchioness’ daughter Cordelia really really doesn’t want Sophie’s help. In fact, she does everything she can to try and get her to quit, which includes some pretty crazy wild goose (or rather Swan) chases and shenanigans. But Sophie is the sunshine to Cordelia’s grump and is determined not to be run off so easily.

Initially, I was pretty annoyed at what a doormat Sophie was. The brides she works for ask for some pretty outlandish things, and she just takes it all. But as the story progresses she starts to stand up for herself more, and find creative ways to give the brides what they want without sacrificing her own dignity and self-worth.

This book was marketed as a romcom, and while there is a bit of romance running in the background I really wouldn’t call it a romance. It’s more a tale of female friendship, but I was 100% here for it. I loved watching Sophie come out of her shell, and Cordelia start to open up and be vulnerable with Sophie. The moments between the two of them were the ones that tugged at my heartstrings and had me turning the pages.

There are loads of extremely funny parts throughout the book too, especially the email vignettes between chapters where Sophie is interacting with various wedding vendors. They are bizarre and hilarious and you’ll find yourself eagerly awaiting the next one.

So grab yourself a copy (via the button below) and get ready to be thoroughly entertained!

Synopsis:

Sophie Breeze is a brilliant bridesmaid. So brilliant, in fact, that she’s made it her full-time job.

As a professional bridesmaid, Sophie is hired by London brides to be their right-hand woman, posing as a friend but working behind the scenes to help plan the perfect wedding and ensure their big day goes off without a hitch. When she’s hired by Lady Victoria Swann––a former model and “It Girl" of 1970’s London; now the Marchioness of Meade––for the society wedding of the year, it should be a chance for Sophie to prove just how talented she is.

Of course, it’s not ideal that the bride, Lady Victoria’s daughter, Cordelia, is an absolute diva and determined to make Sophie’s life a nightmare. It’s also a bit inconvenient that Sophie finds herself drawn to Cordelia’s posh older brother, who is absolutely off limits. But when a rival society wedding is announced for the very same day, things start to get…well, complicated.

Can Sophie pull off the biggest challenge of her career––execute a high-profile gala for four hundred and fifty guests in record time, win over a reluctant bride, and catch the eye of handsome Lord Swann––all while keeping her true identity a secret, and her dignity intact?

Heartwarming and hilarious, The Secret Bridesmaid celebrates the joys (and foibles) of weddings, the nuances of female friendship, and the redeeming power of love in its many unexpected forms.