Bad Luck Bridesmaid is about one woman who has failed to see three brides walk down the aisle, so now she doesn’t believe in marriage and Forever despite being head over heels in love with her boyfriend, who soon becomes her ex-almost fiance. Now they’re both in Ireland for her best friend’s wedding, who also happens to be her ex’s cousin. What has the makings to be a fun rom-com style story is actually very much women’s fiction. We really get to know the main character, Zooey, and her fear of marriage as she comes to terms with what it all means to her. Overall, I felt the story behind her being bad luck was flimsy at best, but her relationships with some of the characters were a lot of fun and it was nice to see her come into her own, to see her stand on solid feet about her feelings on marriage.

I wanted to like this one more. The synopsis had it sounding like a sweet rom-com. But it just didn't deliver. There wasn't much humor and it was more serious than I expected. The main character was annoying and I found myself wanting to shake her. There were some cute parts and I really enjoyed the setting since the book takes place in Ireland.

Overall, this was just okay and I was a bit let down. As long as you go into this knowing it's more women's fiction than a rom-com, you might be pleasantly surprised.

I really enjoy those always a bridesmaid never a bride stories so I was happy to have received and ARC of Bad Luck Bridesmaid via NetGalley from St. Martin's
This one is categorized as a fictional rom-com It's definitely a it's complicated vibe rom-com.
If it was Alison Rose Greenberg's intention to write characters you laugh at one minute and get frustrated with the next she definitely succeeds with The Bad Luck Bridesmaid. Zoe had me laughing one minute and completely frustrated with her the next minute.
Family, friendships, love and all the drama of weddings is at the heart of this one. Life is complicated, I was happy to have been along for Zoe's complicated journey.
I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

Based on the title & book blurb, I expected more of a Romcom. I should have known when we flew through the dating of Zoey & Rylan that this wasn't the case.

SPOILERS possible from here on: I knew Zoey had a problem with marriage, but I never felt like she gave a reason for this problem, or at least not a good one. It didn't seem like she could really articulate it herself. Rylan seemed too good to be true, but he wasn't. I don't understand giving this up & not figuring out how to make it work after she actually experienced missing him when he was gone. I guess I am too much of a romantic to get into a book like this.

I do like the strong female friendship, so maybe if this had been sold as more of an emphasis on the friendship then as a romantic novel, I might have liked it better.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this poor girl. Her self esteem takes a beating. I love how she eventually twisted her perception and saw that she want the issue. Cute book that I really enjoyed.

“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.”

Zoey is cursed. In the three weddings in which she has been a bridesmaid, zero brides have walked down the aisle. Being the common denominator, she begins to wonder if her uncertainty toward marriage and happily ever after is rubbing off on those around her.

Enter Rylan, the textbook definition of prince charming. Zoey and Rylan are ooey gooey for a time…until Rylan proposes, and Zoey slams on the breaks.

This was such a fun one. I loved Zoey's personality and snarky inner monologue. There were several times I actually laughed out loud.

Without saying too much, I wasn't sure I'd end up liking it overall until the very end.

3 to 3.5

This is exactly the sort of book that makes me glad I don't do stars, for I'd tie myself in knots over the "yes, buts" even knowing that nobody really gives a hoot.

That said, this was a fast read, though I think toward the end the author forgot about the "com" in "romcom" and took a left turn into women's fiction. Which is okay, except I felt a bit like someone had pulled a switcheroo on me, especially as I didn't really get where she was coming from (avoiding spoilers here).

The first half had plenty of the fun I looked for, especially these days, as first person narrator Zoey is bridesmaid for three friends, though none of the brides actually make it to the "I do." What happens then is lots of character interaction, strong female friendship, and some problematical bits with the guys.

Author is a good writer--I liked the characters as characters, and the pacing moved along. But when I reach for a romcom I want a romantic comedy all the way through, with the implied happy ending, roses and veils.

I have some mixed feelings about this one, to be honest. It's more of a romance (though there are certainly some rom-com moments) than I typically pick up. But, overall, I did like it and thankful that the publisher directly invited me to read this one. The titular character, Zoey, has been a bridesmaid three times at the opening - and not once has the bride made it to the "I do." This provides the basis for Zoey's own approach to dating - casual only. But soon she meets someone who has her questioning everything.

My main issue is the premise - it's just not convincing that Zoey is so marriage adverse just to continue her own teenage rebellion... This is also a lot steamier than the romances that I tend to gravitate towards. Greenberg really pushes hard for the central romance... and this just makes it unsatisfying.... There were definite moments when I contemplated setting this one aside without finishing it. But, there were also moments that made me laugh and even a few times when I was surprised to find tears in my eyes. In the end, I did like it - even if I didn't always like the main character. It's an interesting debut and I am curious to see what she will follow this one up with!

I went into this thinking it was a cross between a rom-com and a mystery. However, it was more like a contemporary drama than anything else. I probably would have liked it more if it was summarized closer to what it was.

Zoey Marks is certain she’s cursed. Every time she’s a bridesmaid there ends up not being a wedding. She’s not big on commitment herself either, if she’s being honest. This is a story about forging your own path, found family, and realizing that your soul mate may very well not be someone you’re romantically interested in.

Oh and there’s also a run-in with a falcon, a few dead mice, an Irish castle, the Loch Ness Monster (yes, in Ireland) and so many more hilarious adventures.

This book made me snort laugh but also had me shedding a tear or two. I loved Zoey’s character. She was real, and flawed, but striving to become the best version of herself. I loved the Jewish rep too.

If you haven't grabbed a copy of this one already you need to. Right now, go!

I don’t read a lot of rom-coms, but, after reading Bad Luck Bridesmaid, I will certainly be making an exception for debut novelist Alison Rose Greenberg.

I have a feeling that Alison is probably a super fun person to be with, because her book is full of wit and snark and all things laugh worthy. I can only assume that her sense of humor shines through in Zoey, who is everything a modern female character should be. 💗

If you’re looking for a way to amuse yourself by the pool or in the Arctic tundra where I’m currently located (with 5 inches of new snow and still snowing hard) Bad Luck Bridesmaid just might be it!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review! Link to post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY17PmJLDyH/

Zoey Marks can't decide how she feels about the institution of marriage.

It doesn't help that she had a front row seat to not one, not two, but three close friends pulling a Runaway Bride and breaking off their engagements in the midst of their wedding celebrations.

This book isn't really a rom com --- its a true celebration of what happens when women confront hard truths and choose their own course for their lives, even when the journey is messy and conflicting and complicated and hard.

Zoey was so relatable to me and I loved her growth throughout this book! If you like strong heroines and strong writing, you'll enjoy this one.

While this book was not my glass of Zinfandel, I can see that it may appeal very much to others, perhaps those younger than I.

F-bombs abound! A lot of hot sex, but not so much that this can be considered erotica.

All I could think of when I read this book was that it was the 1980's all over again but in reverse. Instead of the men not wanting to get bogged down with love and permanent relationships, now women (well, at least our MC Zoey!) didn't want to be in that position. Women are now being hard-@sses in their roles as business owners. Let the good times roll, as it were.

I am reading this book with the hope that it will stop being one long angsty monologue and evolve into something a little more absorbing. The idea of a bridesmaid being bad luck at weddings is good and had a lot of laughter potential, but that is not the path this author chose.

Minor Spoiler-don't think of this book as a romance. If you do, you will be disappointed.

* ARC was supplied by the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley, and the author.

This was an easy read and enjoyable, but not one I was super invested in. I felt like the pacing at the beginning was fast. Around 25% of the way in, I felt like so much had happened and was curious if it would continue like that. Luckily it didn’t, and I felt like the last half was better. I’m sure a lot of people won’t like the ending because it’s not what you would typically expect. I didn’t love it or hate it, but thought it was a nice way to wrap up Zoey’s story.

I went through a few years where I was constantly a bridesmaid in multiple weddings. It's always a fun time for the most part but every bride has different expectations for what they need from you... and it's super expensive. I was SO burnt out on weddings and bridesmaid duties by the end of 2019. During that busy bridesmaid period of life, I generally refused to read books involving weddings or bridesmaids.... and now that it's all over (including my own wedding last year), I'm down to read these books again. And thank god, because I usually liked them!

BAD LUCK BRIDESMAID sold me from the beginning. Three weddings as a bridesmaid, three friends who didn't make it down the aisle. Zoey is convinced she's the reason for these failed weddings. After all, she's never cared about finding love and commitment from someone. She even turns down her great fiance when he proposes. Cue the regret. During an overseas wedding that her ex, Rylan, will be at, she determines THIS bride will make it down the aisle, and hopefully she'll figure out what the hell is wrong with her.

This was truly a bizarre reading experience. I was pretty addicted to it and loved the first half of the book. Once she gets to Ireland after breaking up with Rylan though... things went off the rails. I will be the first to tell you that imperfect, messy characters are totally fine by me. People make mistakes and usually I can understand. I generally did for this one. However, the ending really threw me for a loop. It's really hard to discuss without spoiling everything but I will just say: don't go into this thinking it's a classic romance or even romantic comedy. There are some amazing parts and very fun writing (I'd definitely read this author again!) but seriously... embrace the mess and take the romance label with a big grain of salt. 


All in all... I mostly liked this but I also kind of hated it. It was a quick read from a new author I'm interested in reading more from, but I'm glad I had skimmed a couple of reviews and knew to lower my expectations a little bit.

DNF @50%

The first ⅓ of the book was told in the past and it was kind of weird. I can't really describe why other than to say that it felt different from the rest of the book. I got very invested in Rylan and was hoping for a second chance romance but then he has a date for the wedding and there is another guy entering the book and it just gave me an off feeling so I skipped and read a few chapters at the end.

I liked Zoey and appreciated that this was about her journey and being true to herself (which you should always be), but I guess because there was so much of Rylan in the beginning and they were so cute together it felt disappointing that there was no second chance. That ending was pretty brutal to me. The second half of the book (starting with when they were in Ireland for the wedding) felt very different in tone as well.

At times Zoey annoyed me, but I also get being up inside your own head. Part of me wishes I had hung on and powered through, but I know myself to know I would have been just as disappointed in the ending.

Thank you for the opportunity to review, this just wasn't the book for me.

This was an excellent rom com that alternated between being steamy, hilarious, and quite sad. The main characters have amazing chemistry and banter, and the real winner of the story is female friendship, and we love to see it. This book will make you think a lot about love and also society’s expectations for women to conform to wanting to get married and have children. CW: infertility.

This one just didn’t do it for me. I wanted more growth from the characters. I felt like they all started and ended the book generally the same people even if we learned a bit about them along the way. I couldn’t get into this. The characters were just not likeable enough. The premise had promise but the main character was trying to make everything about her. When clearly it was not. Yikes. This was was just okay in my book.

Thank you @NetGalley and @SMPRomance and @MacmillanAudio for my copies of the book.

Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.

Bad Luck Bridesmaid was a fun and sweet romcom that I really enjoyed! After a series of friend’s engagements end before their walks down the aisle, Zoey Marks realizes the problem just might be her - is she a cursed bridesmaid?! Zoey has all but sworn off committed relationships, but then the unthinkable happens and she falls in love. Soon, she has one more shot to prove she might not be the jinx and a walk down the aisle with the one might be in her future after all.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved reading Zoey and Rylan’s falling in love montage and seeing all of the flashbacks during their time apart. The author did a wonderful job of crafting a beautiful scene and her descriptions made you feel like you were really there with the characters. I loved the message of knowing your self-worth and loved that the main character (and her friends) didn’t settle for anything less than they deserved. Finally, I really enjoyed all of the pop culture references - as an aging millennial I too remember the thrill of getting Romeo + Juliet from Blockbuster.

If you love rom coms of yesteryears I would definitely recommend checking out Bad Luck Bridesmaid! Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.

Ohh ok, so this was a quick read. I liked the heroines personally and her idaf attitude but she also had me really frustrated. She none of her brides had made it down the aisle and considered herself bad luck. On the other hand it was relatively in the fact that some women just don’t want marriage. Love, yes. But they don’t need marriage. There is no shame in that. I guess the back and forth and and what happened with Ryland when he was with some else really brought it down for me. I still enjoyed some aspects about it.

After being a bridesmaid at 3 of her friend’s weddings where none of them end up actually getting married, Zoey has a negative view towards marriage & turns down her boyfriend Rylan’s proposal. 3 months later, she is asked to be a bridesmaid at her best friend Hannah’s wedding, where Rylan will be in attendance as he is Hannah’s cousin.

This book started off really strong & I really enjoyed it, but it went a little downhill in the second half. I really hated Rylan and I was getting annoyed with Zoey at certain parts of the book, she was definitely selfish & a bad friend at points! Overall though, I was invested & wanted to know what happened next!

This book is not a romance, so I would not go into it expecting a romcom, this book is definitely better classified as women’s fiction.