3.5 rounded up - This was a fun British romantic comedy featuring Sophie, a professional fake bridesmaid who gets hired to help out brides on their wedding day (basically a wedding planner lite). When the mother of a bride hires her to help with her daughter's upcoming high society wedding Sophie has the challenge of a lifetime since the bride to be has ZERO interest in her help. Huge points for originality and full of humor and heart. Sophie ends up falling for the bride's brother but can't share her true feelings because of the NDA she signed. Lots of misunderstandings lead to some heartbreak on the way to the happily ever after. I'll be looking forward to seeing what Katy Birchall writes next.

3.5 ⭐️

Rounding up! I enjoyed this story! It was a light, easy read. I appreciated all the humour sprinkled throughout, especially in regard to Sophie’s dealings with companies and other bridesmaids. It took me a bit to get into the story, I did find it quite long, maybe some parts could’ve been shorter, there was a lot of aspects to this story. It was less about Sophie being a bridesmaid and more about her relationship with Cordelia and in turn, with herself. It was hard to read Cordelia at times! She’s truly nasty from the jump and I had a hard time understanding what everyone else saw in her, even closer to the end. Sophie’s journey and development was enjoyable but a bit topical, it could’ve gone deeper, especially since Daniel was present in the story. I wish her love interest was a bigger part of the story. All in all this is a good read! It did grab me once I got past the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. The story was fun and heartwarming. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Happy Publication Day 📖 #thesecretbridesmaid 📚
By @katybirchallauthor
Published by @stmartinspress

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my ARC which was my fave romcom I read in the month of February!!

Sophie is a bad ass #girlboss, and she is taking London by storm planning the best weddings undercover , she gets paid to put together the biggest and brightest events of the season with this 27 dresses meets Emily in Paris, can she pull off the wedding of Lady Cordelia?

🍾🥂 Funny /charming rom com
🍾🥂 snarky Cordelia you love to hate
🥂🍾 London streets and gardens with lush description..you want to move there by the end of the book!

I really love Female MC protagonists that are strong and able to carry on without mooning and longing for the crush on every page. I loved the description of her business, and the wedding planning it really was so much fun!..I loved this for the same reasons I loved Emily in Paris and #girlboss on Netflix we need more main characters like this promoting a girl striving for her dreams and her career and self care before any relationship.
All the hijinks with the older brother that was just the icing on the very good red velvet cake.
I would love this to be a Netflix movie, and I tagged Netflix film in my review. This book was my Valentines Day treat and it was better than any date I could have had!

The Secret Bridesmaid ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2


Author: Katy Birchall
Genre: Chick Lit

Sophie Breeze loves weddings. And she’s been in just about a billion of them. In fact, she’s great at being a bridesmaid. So it only made sense that when her cousin suggested she make being a bridesmaid a profession, that she make this into a full time job. Now at age 31 and living in London, Sophie is hired by brides from all over to pose as their friend, while helping them navigate the rough waters of planning a wedding.

Then Sophie is hired by The Marchioness of Meade to help plan the society wedding of the year for her daughter Cordelia. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and the ultimate invite to the wedding everyone will be talking about, but nothing seems to be going the way she expected it. The admired Cordelia Swann is down-right mean to Sophie, sending her on near impossible tasks in hopes that she will quit and making this is the biggest challenge of Sophie’s career.

Birchall’s book provides us with a cute, easy read that focuses on friendship. The characters are all likeable with redeeming qualities (except Daniel. We don’t like him). At times it felt a bit long, but a lighthearted read that made me very thankful for my own best friends! The email correspondence from other weddings she was involved in added a comical flare. Overall, I enjoyed the story and it was a nice change from the typical romance I usually read.

I really enjoyed this book about a bridesmaid for hire! Having been in a few wedding parties myself, I know that while weddings are a lot of fun, they can also be stressful and dramatic. The Secret Bridesmaid managed to capture all of that in an amusing, lighthearted way. I also really loved how a big focus of this book was female friendship. It's a complicated subject, especially when weddings are involved, and I thought the author did a great job of weaving that theme into the story. This book was the true definition of a rom-com, with both laugh-out-loud hilarity and swoony moments (but nothing too steamy). The story was a fun, fresh concept and an absolute delight to read. I'm sure this book will be making an appearance in many beach bags this summer!

Fabulously fun chick lit. Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. She secretly handles anything and everything to make a brides wedding day perfect and stress free. A mother hires Sophie for what will be the society wedding of the year, but Lady Cordelia Swann wants nothing to do with her. She is a bridezilla sending Sophie on outrageous errands. This is an enemies to friends story that is sweet and heartwarming.

I think if you are looking for a CHICK LIT story! filled with just a fun plot then you'll love this one!!!

Sophie Breeze is a professional bridesmaid hired to help with anything the bride may need to make her special day stress-free as possible. Her toughest challenge was when she was hired by Lady Victoria (a highly powerful family) for her daughter Cordelia's wedding. Who is the definition of bridezilla, while still managing her other clients.
Although the story was a bit too long, I really enjoyed this light-hearted rom-com/chick-lit book. There were several laugh out loud moments.

Thank you NetGalley, Publisher and author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/ 5 stars

The Secret Bridesmaid is my first book by this author. It is her adult fiction debut.

The story takes place in the UK and is sort of a combination between chick lit, women's fiction and a British rom-com.

The narrator is Sophie (31 years old-1st person POV). She is a professional bridesmaid.

I loved this premise so much. Sophie loves weddings. She has turned this into a full time job. She is hired to pose as the bride's friend. She works to help plan the perfect wedding. But the wedding guests don't know. The title is perfection.

I absolutely loved getting to see all of the weddings that Sophie was a part of. It made this book extra special. Also in between chapters the author includes emails and phone messages from brides and vendors. This really set the tone for the book.

This book does have some romance. But it's not really the main focus of the story IMO. Yes there are weddings. So the book does have a romantic feel to it. But the book focuses more on Sophie's job. I definitely wish that there had been more focus on romance.

The book is really about friendship. I loved Sophie's cousin Cara. And I loved the friendships that Sophie made with the brides.

The book was funny, but it was also charming. This was a quick, fun, light read. I really enjoyed it.

Sophie Breeze is a professional bridesmaid, like an event planner who doesn’t fully plan the wedding, but takes over where the bride can’t or won’t and she’s really good at it. Of course, it helps she loves weddings and happy endings, but that’s a different matter altogether.
When Sophie is contacted to work on the highly coveted wedding of Lady Cordelia Swann by the bride’s mother, she’ll try very hard to get the commission and get the job done, but unfortunately the bride is a difficult character to say the least and the very definition of a bridezilla all wrapped in one elegant package.
This was my first read by this author and it’s a comedy from beginning to end, like LOL hysterically in every chapter and though, as the blurb says, “celebrates the nuances of female friendship, and the redeeming power of love in its many unexpected forms”, it was far from a rom-com in my opinion. It is a good story about love and friendship between 2 very different women who take the long road to become true friends, but the romantic aspect of the story occupies less than 25% of the whole book.
The story is still worth the read, warm, heartfelt and with great characters and a very creative backdrop, but you can be disappointed if you go into it looking for a fun romance.

Happy Publication Day to The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall 🎉
.
Sophie’s business - she’s a secret bridesmaid with a sole purpose to help make the wedding easier for the bride. Without anyone knowing she’s not really friends with the bride.
Then she is hired to help Lady Cordelia by her mother and Cordelia is not amused.
.
Enter a dashing Viscount, hi-jinx, an ex-, and other brides. The heart of the story is the relationship between Sophie and Cordelia. Oh, did I mention it is set in England?
.
I love when authors use other means to communicate a story, and one of my favorite aspects were the notes and emails of Sophie’s. Literally I was laughing at the first one much the displeasure of my husband-who was trying to sleep.
.
Part rom-com, part female empowerment, with a sprinkle brilliance. I really enjoyed and I recommend. Not to mention the cover is gorgeous!
.
The hugest of thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC in return for my honest thoughts.

I absolutely loved this book - it was incredibly written! The book is about Sophie - a professional bridesmaid whose job is it to support the bride and be there for her. She’s great at her job and is everything for everyone - including working from her study (cupboard). Then she is hired by the Marchioness of Meade to help her daughter - Lady Cordelia Swann who turns out to be positively ghastly. Their adventures are hilarious - and their growing friendship made my heart melt. Throw in a hot brother - who is also a Viscount and this story is just perfection. This book is witty and humorous, the characters were lovely except for Daniel who is an a**. Definitely a must read for anyone who likes a great romcom.

This is the right book for these bleak times, highly entertaining and escapism at highest level.
I had a lot of fun, enjoyed the plot and rooted for the characters.
The plot is well developed and flows, the characters are likable and fleshed out.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Katy Birchall’s “The Secret Bridesmaid” grabbed my attention simply because of its book title. I knew I’d be in for some laughs, an interesting story, and the beautiful backdrop of London.

Sophie Breeze is hired by Lady Victoria Swann to be the bridesmaid for her daughter, Cordelia. Hating the very idea of it, Cordelia makes life a living hell for Sophie. What adds to Sophie’s pressure and inconvenience is Cordelia’s hot, much sought-after bachelor brother, Tom. He is conveniently always right there, all flirty and witty and unintentionally showing off his sexy forearms.

When I realized that this wasn’t an actual romance book (I see it as chick lit), I surprisingly wasn’t disappointed. I knew it would be light-hearted, funny, just a little on the romantic side, and more about who this woman is and what lead her to be a professional bridesmaid. Strangely, this was a fast-paced read for me. I was swept away by the belly laughter pranks and mishaps, the dialogue and especially Sophie’s inner commentary.

Sophie’s decision to remain with Cordelia the Bridezilla was frustrating, though; I’d have quit ages ago coz life is precious and I don’t need to put up with that crap. However, I was able to resonate with Sophie: the need to please everyone, ensuring that things go according to your plan, being invited to your ex’s wedding (really dude?), and the honour it is to be someone’s friend and sidekick.

Sophie’s surname Breeze is ironic because she is far from being “breezy”. This woman is in control and plays it safe by doing what is expected. She’s also a fighter. She almost gave up and damn it I totally would have, but like me, she has some good fighters in her life to help pick her up, redirect her, and relight the flame that makes her a sassy gal on fire. (cue Alicia Key’s “This Girl is on Fire”).

If you need a break between your smut books, I’d recommend this. Just go with it no matter how silly it seems. With the emotional rollercoaster of reads lately, this book offered me a story about a woman’s tenacity, the role of female friendships, and how being yourself always wins in the end.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Griffin for this much appreciated e-arc for an honest review.

WHAT A CUTE AND FUNNY BOOK!
It's been a while since the last time I found a chick-lit book that can make me laugh like this book!
I love the main characters especially Sophie Breeze! She's a professional bridesmaid and it's her full-time job! This book is Sophie's story and adventure with her job after she finally met with Lady Victoria’s daughter, Cordelia.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to finally read this gorgeous book as an ARC!

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 rom-com, 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. 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 and get ready to be thoroughly entertained!

I absolutely loved this book. Sophie is so awesome. I want to be her friend! The book was so full of humor and heart that it was hard to put down. It left me feeling warm and fuzzy. It made me feel smushy one moment and then had me laughing out loud the next. The adventures she has with her brides are absolutely hysterical. I was so happy to see Sophie step out of the shadows and into the spotlight. I will definitely watch for more books by this author as I loved this one. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am happy to give my honest opinion.

This was my first read by Katy Birchall and it was really cute. I smiled during the whole book and couldn't put it down.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. She hires herself out to help brides who don't want an event planner but need help in keeping their sanity during the wedding process. To her surprise, she's hired by a marchioness to help her reclusive daughter Cordelia.

This isn't a typical romance book. It's very much chick lit and a coming of age story. Lady Cordelia is the bride Sophie is hired to help and Cordelia doesn't want anything to do with her. Sophie is pushed out of her comfort zone with the crazy tasks that Cordelia gives her. Sophie learns to be sassy and stand up for herself. She learns to care about Cordelia and they form a true friendship. There is a bit of romance with Cordelia's brother Tom, just enough for a taste. The romance book lover in me would love for their story.

I would definitely recommend this book and this author. The emails/texts throughout the book about other weddings were hilarious. Cordelia was a really fun character and I would 100% want to be Sophie's friend. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I know people are going to hate on me but I did not love The Secret Bridesmaid as much as others did. I do not know why but I just could not get into The Secret Bridesmaid. I tried multiple times, trust me. It's just the characters personalities. I do not like how much a pushover Sophie is. I felt there is so much more for her. She needs to stop validating other people's opinions and focus on yourself. Who cares what people think? And don't get me started on her feelings with her client's older brother. I'm not saying it's a terrible romance story, it's just not for me.

This was a really fun and fluffy read! I definitely expected this book to be more romance focused, but I loved that the author chose to focus more on Sophie, our main character, as a person as well as female friendship. I loved reading about the growing friendship between Lady Cordelia Swann, who is determined to be a Bridezilla, and the professional bridesmaid she never wanted to hire, Sophie. That being said, I wouldn't be opposed to hearing more of Sophie and Tom's story *wink wink.*

Overall, this book gave me all the ~smushy~ feelings, but I do wish the word "sassy" did not appear quite so often. Also, it may have just been the format of my eARC but I found myself skipping past the messages at the end of some of the chapters.

This was my first Katy Birchall book, but I would definitely read more in the future! This was the perfect cozy read after my first week at a new job and I will continue to hold all of these characters in my heart for a while!

****3.75 stars****
*Advanced copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*