The Secret Bridesmaid is a little bit romance and woman's fiction. For me, the real focus though was the friendship between Sophie and Lady Victoria. I loved how they warmed up to each other over the course of the book. I love Sophie as a main character, her antics, and her growth as a character. This book was definitely a fun romp!

4.5 stars

Sophie Breeze is a professional bridesmaid. She’s there for a bride leading up to and during her big day for whatever she needs, big or small. And when she’s tasked with being a bridesmaid to Lady Cordelia Swann, a seemingly spoiled, ill-tempered, snobby aristocrat--who she admired in her teen years, no less--she’s determined not to let Cordelia get the best of her. Not only is she faced with outrageous demands from Cordelia, but she also has other brides to attend to (many with their own strange requests), deal with other people’s expectations and assumptions about her (in particular her jerk of an ex), and manage her growing feelings for Cordelia’s sweet and charming brother, Tom.

The Secret Bridesmaid was hilarious. I smiled and giggled my way through this book, sometimes even laughing til I had tears in my eyes. I shed some actual, emotional tears too because there were some genuinely heartwarming and beautiful moments. The concept of this book was so much fun and it was executed so well. I loved watching the progression of Sophie and Cordelia’s relationship, and I enjoyed Sophie’s relationship with her cousin/best friend, Cara. It was also fun getting to see some of the things Sophie did for other bridesmaids, and the correspondences between chapters had me laughing myself silly. I do wish there’d been a bit more focus on the romance - it is a romantic comedy, after all - but the book was just so good, I can’t even really complain that it took a bit of a backseat.

The Secret Bridesmaid is highly entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny, and touching. It was an absolute delight to read from beginning to end, and is without question one of my favourite books of 2021 so far. I’d love to see it turned into a movie or even a mini-series.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I can never resist a great story set in one of my favorite places to visit... Great Britain! It's a bigger bonus when the story is a laugh out loud, squirt wine out your nose, and pee your pants romp (THOSE SWANS!!!!!)! While there is a bit of romance in The Secret Bridesmaid, it really is only a side story to the relationship between a bride who doesn't want her bridesmaid (and will do anything to get her to quit!) and the bridesmaid who will do anything to not quit. What could possibly go wrong, LOL? If you're looking for a fun friendship read complete with British accents, an unusual sort of cat burglary, and some swan whispering, this is the book for you!

Harlequin Junkie Top Pick!

I have been eagerly awaiting this book from the moment it was announced and let me tell you it blew my expectations right out of the water! The Secret Bridesmaid is quiet possibly the best book that I have read this year! I loved every second of this hilarious romcom/chick-lit novel with all of the zany antics that Sophie has to get up to all in the name of being a good bridesmaid.

Sophie was just amazing, I loved that we got to see her grow stronger and more confident as the novel progressed. With so much going on in her life she always made time for the people important to her all while balancing her role as bridesmaid to different needy brides. I have to say the Chewbacca one takes the cake for me, I would absolutely pay to attend a wedding with a Wookie in the bridal party!

Cordelia Swan was a complete treat! Fighting to get Sophie to quit every step of the way with all her outlandish requests was just comic gold. That entire swan scene was just hilarious! Though I will say from all the relationships formed throughout this novel Sophie and Cordelia’s was my favorite, I loved watching these two build their friendship even though it didn’t start off very smoothly. I liked that even though Cordelia was so hard on Sophie she actually helped push her out of her comfort zone. As for our boy Tom Lord Dashwell, he added the perfect amount of hottie royal and sweet romance. I loved that they both acted super dorky around each other but in the cutest way possible.

This novel so desperately needs to be made into a Netflix movie and asap! The Secret Bridesmaid was the perfect mix of hilarious wedding antics, sweet budding romance and a crazy new friendship. This laugh out loud, unputdownable novel is an absolute must read!

The reason I picked this book up is because the blurb sounded fantastic, like a movie I would enjoy, and it was a “read now” on Netgalley. I feel like it was meant to be because I haven’t read a book that has really made me laugh in awhile and I loved this one from start to finish!

If you are big on labels for books and are looking for a romance, this wouldn’t be it. The romance is a very, very minor thing but it was just the right amount for this particular book. Even though it was minor it still made me giddy from their first introduction. What this book does focus on, and does well, is friendship. It isn’t the best between Sophie and Cordelia from the beginning but I do like the progress of their relationship and the fact that Sophie never gives up even when times get tough and Cordelia can become a bridezilla. It made for a lot of laugh-out-loud moments!

Sophie and Cordelia also go through a lot of personal growth as well. Sophie has ex-boyfriend issues and remains consistent with her life and adds no pizazz to it. Cordelia has a rough past, paparazzi, and no friends unless you count her family and fiancée. I did like that both have family they can talk to and that they are present. The minor characters were great additions to the plot and I liked getting to know the ones that did have some bigger parts.

There are interesting formats like emails and text messages to really understand Sophie’s job as a bridesmaid. It was fun to read them and they were quite comical, haha.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend for those looking for a funny book that isn’t heavy with the romance.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid, hired by brides to be their secret psuedo-wedding planner. Her newest (and most challenging) bride, Lady Cordelia, is having the wedding of the year.

The book was fun - it’s marketed as a romance, but I definitely think it is more women’s fiction/chick lit. (The romance is minimal and near the end of the book.) I liked Sophie, and I found her life so interesting. I also really liked relationship rollercoaster of Sophie and Cordelia’s “friendship”.

Thanks to @NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC!Definitely check this out when the book comes out on 5/4/2021!

I'd watch the movie, but I wouldn't have picked this book for myself. Based on the description, I thought this would be a light, playful rom com - which is just my style. It's actually chick lit with a touch of romance, with only a handful of interactions between our couple and just one or two kisses. Think 27 Dresses or Bridget Jones (minus any scenes where the heroine spends more than 5 minutes at a time with her guy), and that's the general vibe here. The writing is solid and the tone is upbeat, but I definitely wouldn't call this a romance.

The story follows Sophie, a woman who has attended so many weddings that she's now a professional bridesmaid. People hire her when they need help with their wedding: filling out the wedding party, making plans, or just getting family members wrangled. Her newest job promises to be a trying one, and the difficult bride is just the start. There's also Tom - the unattainable, sexy, brother of the bride - to deal with, and while Sophie might like to dream about kissing him, he doesn't know anything real about her.

While this really wasn't for me, the writing was good. I enjoyed the low angst feel, and there's plenty of comedy. Had there been more scenes with Tom and some genuine interactions between them, I would've liked this more. Unfortunately, he knows absolutely nothing real about Sophie until the very end, and what he thinks he knows only scratches the surface. There are WAY more chapters without Tom than there are with him, so he's really an afterthought. Without that romantic element, the storyline definitely drags. It's not a short book, and you'd have to be loving the comedy for it not to feel incredibly long. It felt very long to me. This wasn't a win for me, but I'm sure chick lit-lovers will enjoy it. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this lighthearted comedy.

Sophie Breeze took her love of weddings and became a professional bridesmaid. (I have actually heard of this being an actual job and have now directed some of my friends to look into this as a career as they would be perfect.) In addition to helping brides with the planning of their special day, she provides a sounding board for them to vent to, cry to, or just talk to no matter the time of day. It actually is a very fun idea for a career, but it would be difficult to try and keep track of which name I was using for each bride and to remember that I am there as a professional and not an actual friend. Although Sophie has multiple clients in this story, the main plot focuses on her being hired to be a bridesmaid for Lady Cordelia Swann, who happens to be reluctant to keep Sophie on the payroll.

Sophie must become Emily Taylor for her new role as Cordelia’s bridesmaid and the antics between the two were highly enjoyable. This story is full of tons of outlandish requests and great banter between multiple characters. Cordelia has a hard exterior, but there could be more to her than meets the eye and Sophie is determined to crack the code. The two of them were a delight as it was nice to see their relationship evolve and to get to know the behind the scenes real life of Cordelia who has her public presence and her real one.

While there is a romance element to this story, it is definitely a side story in favor of Sophie and Cordelia’s relationship while Cordelia’s wedding draws near. I do wish that there was a little more to Sophie and Tom getting to know each other with just a little more interaction as they were cute together and I just wanted more. Their attraction to each other was obvious and there is a budding relationship, but I wish there was more as it was a lot less of a romance story than I originally thought.

The email and text exchanges featured in this novel made me laugh out loud more times, than I could count. I have been in multiple group chats where everyone chimes in with their own questions that could easily be answered if they read the opening text. I have also had customer service exchanges that, although not the exact ones as Sophie, were very similar vibes. There are many times that you just can’t help, but laugh as, even if these don’t occur every day, there most likely has been at least a moment where you have been in these types of exchanges.

In addition to Sophie’s professional life, the story explores her personal life. She has an ex-boyfriend that broke her heart a year ago. Not only is he around in some way since they share a core friendship group that hangs out every once in a while, he is now getting married to another woman. Sophie starts to question her romantic life and her general choices along the way. While Tom as a love interest does play some role in her emotional journey, I appreciated that a lot of it has to do with Sophie’s internal growth.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. It is predictable, but it was a captivating read that the reader enjoys going along for the ride even though they know the ending. I liked that the characters were in their 30s, but there were times where they felt a little younger. It did not bother me at all, but it was only an observation. All of the characters were very enjoyable and even the brides that appeared briefly were very amusing. The story’s pacing was great as it was a quick read, even though it was longer in length. This is a story that puts you in a good mood, as it was compelling with moments of humor and heart. It was my first novel by this author, but it will certainly not be my last!

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for a review copy of this entertaining and enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Sophie has dealt with many challenges in her unique career as a professional bridesmaid but Lady Cordelia= well, she's a whole new kettle. Cordelia's mother hired Sophie and she's not happy about it. Sophie does her best to keep things on an even keel, even as Cordelia does rotten things and even as she feels an attraction to the very off limits Tom, Cordelia's brother. Then Cordelia's BFF (not!) schedules her own wedding for the same day- very bad for big society- and Cordelia finds Sophie quite useful. This is as much about Cordelia softening - she's been burned by people who want something from her- and building a friendship with Sophie as it is about the romantic back and forth between Sophie and Tom. I adore Sophie and I warmed to Cordelia, who grows a lot. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's funny (there are some lol moments), it's light, it's charming, and it makes for a good read when you want a rom-com chick lit sort of read.

Thank you NetGalley, author Katy Birchall, and St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
5 stars
TW: mention of drug overdose
This was my first book by author Katy Birchall and it will not be my last!
This book is about Sophie, who is a professional bridesmaid. She makes a living being the perfect right-hand "friend" of the bride to help them plan for and to make certain their big day happens without any missteps.
Sophie is hired by Lady Victoria Swann, the Marchioness of Meade, in order to help Lady Victoria’s daughter, Cordelia plan her perfect day. While thinking this job will help her to prove how talented she really is, Sophie is excited to take on this bride. But Cordelia is not the typical bride and wants nothing to do with Sophie and her "help," and sets out to make Sophie's job a living nightmare. Not only does Sophie have to content with a bridezilla in Cordelia, but she also finds herself oddly attracted to Cordelia's older brother Tom. As Cordelia's big day is pushed up due to another high profile wedding planned for the same day, can Sophie pull together a dream societal wedding for a reluctant bride, while keeping things professional with Lord Swann?
This book was such a brilliant read! I loved the heartwarming feelings, the joys and mishaps of weddings, friendships, and unexpected love.
The book centered more around the development of Sophie's and Cordelia's relationship than the romantic relationship between Tom and Sophie. So I would not really classify this book as a rom-com, but more of a chick-lit comedy. I was so rooting for the friendship between Cordelia and Sophie. They both were wonderful characters and had a lot of growth throughout this book. I was really unsure about Cordelia at the beginning of this story, but as Sophie and Cordelia continue to work together planning the big day, they both begin to open up to each other and find a true friend in the other. I found myself not excusing Cordelia's behavior, but more understanding her actions due to the betrayals by her friends in the past. Sophie had a wonderful support system in both her family and her other friends. They really helped Sophie to stick with Cordelia and her shenanigans. I really enjoyed seeing how much Cordelia and her fiancé loved each other. '
The other weddings were such fun to read about. There were some really outlandish requests made by the brides, but Sophie was willing to accommodated them, which made for some laugh-out-loud moments.
Sophie and Tom were such an adorable couple. They both had some really sweet yet dorky moments, especially on Sophie's side. I would have liked to see their romance play out a little more. The text messages between the chapters were a great addition to the story. There were defiantly some facepalm test messages sent that had me cringing as well as laughing at the same time. Overall, this book held my interest from start to finish. I would highly recommend this book to those who ever thought planning the big day would be easy! I am looking forward to reading more books by this author!

The romance is not the main focus of this book, as it is more about Sophie and Cordelia's friendship, but I didn't mind that at all! I enjoyed seeing them go from enemies to best friends, and overall I had a great time reading this light and fun story. Sophie and Tom were also very cute, I always like a good friend’s older brother trope!!

This chick lit novel is so much fun! Sophie is a professional bridesmaid—not a wedding planner, but more of a wedding assistant to support the bride and keep her sane during a stressful process. She's hired by the mother of socialite Cordelia to help with the wedding of the season. Except bride Cordelia doesn't want any help, and considers Sophie to be an interference. A battle of wills quickly develops, with Cordelia turning into the world's worst bridezilla to pressure Sophie to quit. But somewhere along the way, the two discover that they're more alike than they think, and maybe what they really need is a friend.

I adore this book. It's fast-paced and funny, with well-developed characters and a strong undercurrent of emotion. I hope there's a sequel featuring Sophie and Tom's story. I'm not sure why this book is called a romance when the romance is barely hinted at—it's not even substantial enough to call it a subplot. If you don't like the term chick lit, you can call it humorous women's fiction—but it's not a romance or a romantic comedy. Calling it that is nothing more than marketing sleight of hand. Though it sometimes delves into serious subjects, the book is uplifting and would make a great beach read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall was a fun and fast read. Sophie Breeze is a wedding planner but she does it while acting as a bridesmaid. Her career is going well until she becomes the bridesmaid to Cordelia Swann, her most challenging bride yet.

The story felt more like chick lit than rom com to me, which worked here. The focus was on Sophie and her growth. Yes, we had mentions of the ex-boyfriend and a future love interest but that was a part of her growth rather than the main plot point. The main focus was the developing friendship between Sophie and Cordelia - and I loved that!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Life is one big mess and the world can be really shit. But at a wedding everyone is happy. Everyone is given a few hours of escape from the everyday. How many events can claim that?”

My friend Marissa raves about this book, so when I started to read it, I let her know. She said she was so sad that she already read it. That’s exactly how I feel. I’m so sad I’ve already experienced The Secret Bridesmaid, because this is one I would choose to read again and again as a first time.

This gave me a lot of Carrie Bradshaw Sex and the City. (Especially when she throws her head down on the bar and lifts it back up with the bar mat attached) feels. Sophie is a professional bridesmaid that helps brides on their perfect day. She’s in for a surprise when her newest, and most reluctant client is none other than Lady Cordelia Swann, royalty herself.

I laughed uncontrollably at the customer service emails. Y’all, I did event planning right after graduation at a Country Club and this is not far fetched. The “cook patrol” shirts had me absolutely rolling on the ground. This book was so much more than bridesmaids/bridal relationship, or any kind of love story. This was about finding yourself and trusting others to love you for who you are! Ugh, I loved it so much! The friendships (Cara + Sophie) were amazing and it really had me thankful for my personal friendships and all that I’ve dealt with in these past years.

As someone who has worked with event planning specializing in weddings, and loved the friendships of the close friends I do have, this book was amazing. It was cheeky, wonderful banter, and amazing friendship. Am I getting sappy? Probably. This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. Also, Chivari chairs will always be the answer.

Thank you SMP for the gifted copy. The Secret Bridesmaid is out May 4th!

3 quirky cute whimsy stars to this fun rom com by Katy Birchall! A fresh and hilarious take on the intricate logistics, family dynamics and all the emotions that go into wedding planning. Sophie lives in London and is a professional bridesmaid- a role that combines wedding planner, friend, therapist and crisis manager. She successfully helps brides from all backgrounds execute their perfect wedding day. She has never met a bride or challenge too complicated for her...until she is hired for Lady Cordelia Swann's wedding. A reluctant bride and a society wedding for 400 people...all within a few months? Sophie finds herself feeling overwhelmed.

This book left me charmed and with a smile on my face. As a bride in the midst of wedding planning, I could definitely relate to Sophie's wedding planning mishaps. There were several times I laughed out loud. A quick, fun heartfelt story with a reminder that love triumphs over everything!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the secret identity trope. The secrets and weddings went hand in hand. So inventive to have a bridesmaid for hire. Cute! Comical! Romantic!

I LOVED this book! It was a genuinely fun experience to read, and I felt better about life every time I put it down after reading it. I especially loved that the friendship romance (? we need a better word for the development and trajectory of a friendship!) between Sophie and Cordelia was front and center, and not the romantic relationship between Sophie and Tom (although I loved that, too). I've already recommended it to many of my friends!

If you are a big fan of weddings and wedding drama, then The Secret Bridesmaid may be the book for you!

This wasn’t the book for me personally but it is a fun and light read that romance and chick lit fans may really enjoy.

What I liked: The tone and voice of this book is fun and easy to read. I really loved Sophie’s friendship with Cara- they both have a ton of personality as well. The format is also unique, with a mix of Sophie’s hilarious business email situations and text chats mixed into the book.

The format is also part of what didn’t work for me though - a mixed media format sometimes can feel too abrupt to me, and in this case, it really took me out of the story at times. But some readers may love these bits! Otherwise, I felt like this was slow to pick up pacing-wise; I wanted a bit more action and romance earlier on to be more invested here.

Last, there was some language that always disappoints me to see in this day and age, including appropriation of indigenous culture (“spirit animal,” dream catchers as a wedding decor) and a character who makes an “I’m going to kill myself” joke, which is never ok to me. This detail may seem minor but both moments really took me out of the story.

I didn’t love this enough to keep reading past 30% given the above issues I had, but I do think many readers of this genre would enjoy this book! It’s just not the right one for me.

This was a pretty light hearted read and I enjoyed it for the most part. I did have a really hard time connecting to the characters and I don't know if it was the age or maybe just that I've never experienced anything like the MC does. I would recommend this to maybe an older audience (maybe 30s) just because the events in this book are definitely aimed at connecting to the experience of people in that demographic.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. She helps the bride plan the wedding and also steps in as a bridesmaid by pretending to have a friendship with the bride. Sophie gets a call from a mom inquiring about her services. Who is the lucky bride you wonder, the one and only Lady Cordelia Swann. Sophie is tickled over this so she can finally get some weddings of those who are in celebrity status. The only problem, Cordelia wants nothing to do with her.