Thank you Net Galley and Boldwood Books for an early copy of The Bridesmaid. Trying to figure out the big secret was what kept me involved with this book. It was good, and I really liked the main character, she was kind while being in the middle of secrets. The big reveal was a shock, I never guessed it. Go grab some wine and get ready for this book, you will enjoy it!

When Sacha was 12 her parents decide to move from Hackney to take up the position of gardener and housekeeper at Saxby House and live in a cottage within the grounds. Sacha is a little anxious but also excited because the wealthy owners have a daughter the same age as Sacha - Caitlin and two younger brothers – twins. Sacha and Caitlin become ‘best friends’ although they only meet during school holidays as Caitlin is at boarding school.

The plot is split into two time periods – the period when the children were 12 years old and the period that spans the weeks before Caitlin’s wedding which Sacha is organising and attending as the sole bridesmaid. We are introduced to the characters whilst the women are on holiday with Caitlin’s other friends in a ‘not a hen holiday’. It is clear from the outset that this is an unequal relationship as Caitlin is the extrovert, demanding attention and manipulating others, in particular Sacha. Meanwhile Sacha bows to the inevitable, ignores Caitlin’s barbs, feels that she is lacking and that her closeness to Caitlin’s wealth endows her with a refracted glamour which further undermines her self-confidence. However, from the outset it is clear that she has a plan – a plan that will repay Caitlin for all the slights and hurts that she has imposed on Sacha since the day they met.

I enjoyed the structure of the novel, although it is not unusual to have the plot revealed through two time-periods I think it worked particularly well in this instance – enhanced by having only one point of view. We never get to hear what Caitlin thinks we are left to determine this by Sacha’s revelations and we have to trust the narrator, and I am not sure that someone who is so compliant in a toxic relationship is reliable. My point of view only.

I did not find this to be a psychological thriller but more of a mystery. What is the big secret? What is Sacha’s plan that is going to end all this? All this what? Secrets, I suppose. That said I didn’t expect the reveal to be what it was, but equally I couldn’t think of anything that would be so devastating to all concerned.

I enjoyed the characters, Chuck in particular. Probably impossible to like Caitlin, but we are only working with Sacha’s perspective here. Caitlin? I think she is comes over as a bit weak, and who in their right mind would take over organising a wedding for Caitlin – who clearly didn’t give a fig about the wedding. And Eve, and Josephine! Great characters.

Would I recommend it, yes, certainly. It kept me engaged and involved – really because I wanted the denouement and to know the secret but I wasn’t blown away so no five stars today.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I was unsure what to rate this. I really enjoyed this book and got sucked into it and boy was it ever a readable page turner...BUT it was not a thriller...not by my definition. This was more like a dramatic chick lit story with a bit of a mystery thrown in and I really liked it.

The plot was interesting and I loved the format of before and now. It is told from the singular point of view and you really got to know the two main characters because of that. I really appreciate Nina Mannings writing style and the way she keeps you wanting to know more. The whole time I was reading this I kept saying to myself "just one more chapter". I was able to read it in a single sitting...that must account for something. Also, I would definitely read more by Miss Manning and that is a big complement.

I am going to go with 3.5 Stars and round it up to 4 for the sheer readability factor.

This book had so much potential, however it missed the mark. I was bored throughout the entire book. Almost to the point of wanting to skim through, but knowing that I couldn't seeing as I had to review it.

I did not find the characters to be likeable or relatable. There was absolutely no reason whatsoever for Sasha to be as insecure as she was. Caitlin was a byproduct of her Grandmother and at the same time I could not understand why her own mother never thought to tell her the truth and find a way to work on their relationship.

The big reveal was very anti-climatic and honestly a bit of a letdown. Why do you have to continuously talk yourself into remaining friends with someone? That alone was a deterrent for me. From beginning to end this book just did not feel engaging. I think alternating between past and present and only having one narrative simply made the book drag out even longer.

This book just was not for me.

Genre: Mystery | Womens Fiction | Adult Fiction

Release Date: Expected 27th May 2021



A lot has changed in Sashas life as the years passed but one thing has always remained - Caitlin. They've been best friends since the moment they met as children and Sasha knew she would always do whatever it takes to make sure Caitlin is happy - from sneaking in magazines she wasn't allowed to read to keeping her darkest secrets.

Caitlin is the type of woman everybody is drawn to - she's successful and wealthy, but there's also just something about her that draws people in. She's the life and soul of every room she walks into, but she still chooses to be with Sasha even though she's the complete opposite of everything Caitlin is.

And now, Caitlin is getting married and it goes without saying that Sasha is going to be by her side and make sure the wedding is as perfect as Caitlin is. But as the day draws nearer, cracks start to appear in the foundation of their relationship and it doesn't matter how hard she tries she just can't seem to make Caitlin happy anymore. But Sasha thinks she might know exactly what's coming between them.

Their secrets have always kept them together - but could they be the thing that finally breaks them apart?

The Bridesmaid is a story about obsession and compulsion - about the intense power dynamics and toxicity that can seep into relationships and take over. Could a lifelong friendship really be something more sinister than it seems on the surface, and why? The stark contrast between our friends and illustrated expertly to an uncomfortable intensity - their class divide, their wealth, their hopes.

Journeying through the different timelines in their lives - their present day lives getting ready for the wedding and many years ago when their friendship and their secrets first began and we slowly unravel their history and learn the things they're hiding from the world and from each other.

This was an excellent and tense depiction of toxic, obsessive friendships and betrayal - the characters both utterly detestable and lovable all at once and I loved the idea of this story. But for me, as I progressed through the pages I slowly began to become less enthralled in their world. I found it moving too slowly and as we approached the conclusion there wasn't the climax I was hoping for and instead an unquiet calm when the final secrets come to the surface - it felt like nothing was resolved and left me feeling slightly deflated. But all in all, this was a great mystery - and I think it will hit hard for a lot of readers.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Nina Manning, Boldwood Books, and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book more than iI did. It really felt like a time filler. None of the characters to draw you in or are especially interesting, all seem a bit flat. Just turning pages to get to the end of the story. Three stars

My eyes were drawn to the Bridesmaid by Nina Manning right away. I just love the cover design!

The characters in this story meet as kids and become close friends even though the two aren’t on an equal playing field. Sasha’s parents work for Caitlin’s grandparents. Despite that, the two become close in what I think was a very toxic friendship.

Sasha always takes the backseat to Caitlin and she puts up with Caitlin’s narcissistic personality until… she decides she’s had enough.

Here’s the full synopsis:

From the moment they met as children, Sasha knew that beautiful, wealthy, and confident Caitlin would always be her absolute best friend. Sasha would do anything to make Caitlin happy. Even keep her darkest secrets…

The years have passed, but their friendship remains. And when Caitlin announces she’s getting married there is only one choice for the role of bridesmaid. Sasha will make sure Caitlin’s wedding is as beautiful and perfect as she is. Won’t she?

But as the big day approaches, cracks begin to appear. Because no matter what Sasha does, she never seems to make Caitlin happy.

And the secrets that once bound these two friends, now threaten to rip them apart for good.

This is the second book I’ve read by Nina Manning and I really enjoyed it! The Bridesmaid will be out on May 27.

#TheBridesmaid #NetGalley
Boring. Avoid it.
Sasha and Caitlin are childhood friends and now Caitlin is getting married and Sasha is her bridesmaid.
Something terrible happened in the past. And now Sasha would reveal it in front of her friend.
In every psychological thriller, something terrible happened, someone is watching or stalking but they present these simple situations perfectly and here, what's it? I was completely bored.
I don't understand why this book is listed as a psychological thriller. This is a really boring book. Boring characters, crappy narration and old dialogues.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

3.5


The characterization and relationships of all the characters in this book were fantastic. I loved the demonstration of power imbalance in the friendship which was super entertaining. I do admit that the ending surprised me, I was expecting something far grimmer than the conclusion so I was disappointed in the overall ending. but I found everything added up really nicely. The old manor setting sounded beautiful because of the well-detailed description and I got slightly jealous to not be able to see it for myself. The plot is a well-paced clue wise but it still took me three sittings to complete this when usually a thriller takes me one. There just isn't a big fear factor which I adore in thrillers and that's why I think it was harder for me to enjoy myself even though the friendship dynamic intrigued me. Overall this book has good characterization, entertaining relationships, a beautiful setting but I wished for something grimmer.

Nina Manning builds an interesting cast of characters and a premise that unfolds in a way that kept me reading until the end, although I must admit the ending disappointed. Most of the story was a slow build towards what I was hoping would be a carefully constructed surprise ending, but instead the last portion seemed rushed and more telling than showing. So great concept but the execution left something to be desired. But then again, I am picky. For readers who are just looking for a good distraction during pandemic lockdown or a distracting beach read, they'll like this. For those interested in authentic characters, clean story line and aha ending, not so much.
#netgalley

This book was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a thriller and this was just a mystery - with that being said, I feel let down a little by this book. I was excited to read it, in the beginning I almost didn’t finish it. There was so much random detail that I did not feel was necessary. The third fourth of the book was good, I considered upping my rating to a 4 star. Then when I figured out the ending before the ending, I felt like there was no true buildup and then I went back to 3 stars. There were still surprises & it was a good book, but not what I was expecting so I feel a little let down.

A wickedly twisted book that is amazing from start to finish. Loved the story and the way it was laid out for the reader. Great characters that come to life in your head and live there for a bit after the book is done.

I couldn't put this one down! I don't know where to begin with this thriller thrill ride. Twists and turns, surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. Nina Manning knows how to keep readers engaged.

I was so excited to receive the advanced copy of this book! I love a good female dominated thriller, yet, this book just missed the mark for me. I couldn’t get absorbed into the story, unfortunately. It does pick up halfway through, but by then I just wasn’t interested anymore. Perhaps some will like the slower pace- this just isn’t what I want in a thriller! Thank you to netgalley and bold wood books for the ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that I greatly enjoyed reading The Bridesmaid. I always love reading about female friendships, especially if they have a little bit of toxicity to them. I found this element in this book, and connected immediately with Caitlin and Sasha's characters. They were very well written, and I enjoyed the author's writing style. However, I did not enjoy the ending of this book. All of the build up for almost 400 pages about the friendship and then it just took another turn. I would like to read more by Nina Manning in the future.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. This story proves that those who hold your secrets hold all the power. I loved this book I like reading about the friendship dramas. And this book definitely did not disappoint!

This book is about a years long friendship, a very lopsided friendship at that. Basically Sasha one of the main characters decides she wants to get revenge on her best friend Caitlin after years of Caitlin not being a good friend to her at all. The book was okay, it had a decent pace and an okay ending. The one thing I didn't really care for was actually both of the main characters I couldn't find very many likable qualities about them. But overall the book wasn't horrible.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever been in a toxic friendship?

Sasha (a gardener’s daughter) and Caitlin (a billionaire heiress) forged an unlikely friendship when they were 12.
20 years have passed, though they still call each other “best friend”, Sasha knows that it has always been a single sided relationship. All these years, Caitlin never treats her as an equal.
Now Caitlin is getting married. Sasha finally decides enough is enough. Is there any better occasion to plot a revenge against your “best friend” on her wedding day as her bridesmaid?

This book was so brilliantly written that while I could feel all the painful and emotional draining experience of Sasha, somehow I could also understand why she wanted to stay in the friendship. And the ending was just wow! I totally didn’t see that coming!

Friendship is an interesting thing. When I was young, I only cared about the quantity (all cool kids seem to have lots of friends!). But as I entered my 20s, I started to rethink the meaning of friendship. Do I need friends for pleasures or do I need them for emotional support? It’s only natural that I cut tie with some “friends” who only care about having fun and were never there when I needed them.
Now I just entered my 30s and only have a few close friends. Though it’s an horror to the teenage me, I’m very happy now. Coz I know that these friends will always be there when I need them and we are inseparable like a family.

This book goes back and forwards in time, detailing the friendship of Sasha and Caitlin. I failed to like either of the two characters and found the pace a bit slow at the beginning. It picks up about a third of the way through but it is a bit over explained and I struggled to believe how this toxic friendship survived. Overall, a bit long winded and took too long for the big secret to be revealed. It fell short for me with the disappointing "secret" revealed at the end. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I kept reading and reading and waiting for the BIG REVEAL and thought I had it pretty much figured out. I mean, I literally thought I had this mystery IN THR BAG... boy was I WRONG!!!!!

Dark secrets, revenge, and twisted sense of belonging are what drove this entire novel and I was down for it.

I honestly loved every moment of it. The author did a spectacular job depicting characters and creating scenes that I loved and hated each character the way the author wanted me to love and hate them until she didn’t want me to and then Like a flip of a switch she was able to change my perspective on each of the characters. It takes phenomenal writing and brilliant scenes to do this.

A great psychological thriller!

I received an ARC from Netgalley to review.