It looks and sounds like a rom com but this is not one. Zoey marks was a complicated character and I appreciated the message that everyone has their own definition of relationships but she drove me nuts. She en ever fully explained why she doesn’t want marriage but expected her boyfriend of plus years to understand it. It was convoluted and jittery and t my cup of tea. There’s no hea probably hfn but you get a great message to love yourself first.

Well this did not go how I had expected! I was willing to deal with and accept the sheer indecisiveness of the main character if she ended up making up her mind and growing up a bit, but ugh. This let me down.

This was an OK book for me. The main thing I am annoyed at is this is not a romance. Not even close. It is about Zoey questioning the institution of marriage, her life and what she wants out of it. I get so frustrated when the blurbs, and description of books come off as "rom-com" when they aren't AT ALL.

4.5⭐️

I really loved this book! I had a hard time putting it down once I started, and made sure that I didn’t rush through it because it was so good!
I really enjoyed getting to know the female lead, Zoey. She is independent, complicated, and, as we all are, still trying to figure things out. I LOVE her friendship with Hannah, and always wished to have a best girlfriend like that! They both know who the other is, what they’re about, what they need, and how to deal with certain situations.
I also really enjoyed the relationship aspect of this book. See Zoey and her guy meet, grow, and fall in love was amazing! He was able to smash through some barriers she had put up a long time ago, and it was fun to watch. Was he able to break through all of them, though?
The conversation towards the end where Zoey knows exactly what she wants and expresses it is very powerful. I LOVED that she was able to say what she wanted (and he what he wants) and the way it turned out is HOW IT WAS MEANT TO TURN OUT.
I don’t find this book to be typical and that is probably one of my favourite things about it (and don’t get me wrong, I love typical books!!!) I love it for its differences to other contemporary romance novels I have read, for it’s love and heartache and realizations. And sometimes it’s quite funny (I’m looking at you, Karen!!!)
If you’re looking for a book to read in February, consider adding this one to your list! Give it a try and, as always, form your own opinion.

Thank you to Alison Rose Greenberg, St Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
A young successful young woman struggles with the institution of marriage. Every time she is asked to be a bridesmaid, the wedding doesn't happen, and this has her questioning marriage – what it means and if it is the destination of all loving relationships.

What I Enjoyed:

I enjoyed the lack of tropes in this story. I was expecting a light and funny trope-filled tale, and what I sat down with ended up being a lot more complicated. This story almost thumbed its nose at the traditional stories and instead offered up something as complex as any relationship or marriage will ever be. It asked the questions that I'm sure many 20 and 30 somethings in a committed relationship ask – does love always have to end up in marriage, and if someone doesn't follow through on marriage, does that mean they didn't have a love-filled relationship? Can love and marriage exist separately, or must they be paired in a long-term relationship? The answers to these questions will be different for everyone, as they are for the characters in this story.

I also enjoyed that the story's pace remained quick without fail, even during the in-between times. I stayed focused and read the book very quickly without skimming or skipping…well, that's not entirely true…it has some very steamy scenes that did not hold my interest, and I did skip through those scenes. Steamy sex scenes are not my thing when it comes to reading or even watching movies and shows. So, the fact that I skipped through them is no reflection of the writing, just of my lack of patience with steamy scenes.


Characters:

Zoey Marks is the main character, and the story is told from her perspective. I can't say that I could relate to her because I really couldn't. I can't say that I liked her because I really didn't. But, I can say that I found her fascinating enough that my focus never waivered as I read Bad Luck Bridesmaid. She reminds me of the loud extroverts in life that I, generally speaking, avoid at all costs but that I also can't help but analyze from a distance. She is that gal.

What I Wish:

Everything about this story says RomCom – the cover, the title, even the quoted reviews – but, even though it has its funny moments and is wonderfully witty – I don't think it's a romcom because you can't expect all those things, as a reader, you expect to find in the genre. So, I wish that it had a title, cover, and quotes that had all pointed out that it's more of a Women's Fiction story or even Contemporary Fiction, rather than any subgenre of romance.


To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a Contemporary Fiction reflection on the value of marriage for everyone, look no further. This witty and intelligent look at the institution of marriage will have you laughing and arguing (or agreeing) with Zoey Marks with each turn of the page.

Such a cute, fun, and easy read! I devoured this one, could not put it down! The chemistry/spiciness between the characters was palpable. 10/10 recommend for my fellow romance novel lovers! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Alison Rose Greenberg brings a fresh perspective on discovering what you want out of life, but this is not a romance.

Zoey had been a bridesmaid in three separate weddings but had never seen the bride walk down the aisle. She dubbed herself the Bad Luck Bridesmaid and continued to question what role marriage could play in her life. When her best friend announced that she was getting married in Ireland to a man she barely knew, Zoey was determined to see her friend make her way down the aisle.

This book is absolutely fine, but it is not a romance and the marketing didn’t do it justice. This is not a second-chance romance; this is the story of a young woman trying to navigate her label as “bad luck” and explore her aversion to marriage. Zoey was unlikeable at times, but her journey to self-discovery felt authentic and Alison Rose Greenberg delivered well-timed comedic quips. A good chunk of this book takes place in Ireland, and that could have been a very romantic setting, but Greenberg never made use of her setting.

If you’re not looking for a romance, this might work for you!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley! This was a cute and light hearted rom com based on a woman ( Zoe) who believes she brought bad luck to three almost brides when they didn’t walk down the aisle and she was in each of their weddings as a bridesmaid. This leads to Zoe’s strong views about relationships and marriage. The story had some gaps which could have been explained more such as Zoey not mentioning to her long time boyfriend her 000000% desire to get married until he was proposing to her but other than that…pretty good!

A romantic relationship novel with loads of heart. I loved the relatable, complicated, strong yet vulnerable protagonist and the great chemistry with the leading men. I enjoyed the plot which explored love/self-love, relationships, and expectations, both societal and those we place on ourselves.

I really, really liked this novel which gave me a warm, feel-good, fuzzy feeling, and many laughs throughout. I thought the ending was very satisfying and worked with the themes of the novel. If you are looking for a great relationship novel that pulls you in and keeps you entertained and engaged, pick this one up!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts
One person’s dream come true is another person’s worst nightmare.

For Zoey that particular nightmare is a real problem once she finally falls in love.

This story takes us on a journey of self discovery like none before it as Zoey struggles to find her true life path.

For me there are goods and bads to what path Zoey ultimately chooses, but the fact is being true to oneself is always going to work in the long term for a happier life!

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Zoey is a mess and she thinks she is a bad luck bridesmaid as the three weddings in which she was a bridesmaid ended up being cancelled literally at the last minute. Her dating rule to not fall in love with any guy is her way of handling insecurities and issues in life, but this rule goes for a toss with handsome Ryler. However she cannot make herself say yes to his proposal and they breakup with great sadness. Then they end up n wedding party of her friend, Hannah and now it is on Zoey to get rid of her so called "bad luck" and deal with her mess with Ryler.

It took a long time to understand Zoey as she was not so likeable or charming. In a way she doesn't realize how much she was hurting others by not committing or by not clarifying her long term plans. But as the story continues, how her family and how her insecurities have shaped her personality and her nature to fit in evolved. The banter between them is fun and witty. I thought it would be more romcom but it was definitely women fictions as it states indeed. It is interesting to see main character completely different in personality and so unconventional!

Zoey has been a bridesmaid in three weddings, and in each wedding, the bride never made it down the aisle. Though she has always been career-oriented with no desire for love or companionship, the question has always remained in the back of her mind - is it possible that her indifference to love is bringing 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌 to the relationships around her? When Zoey meets Rylan, he surprisingly makes her reconsider her views on relationships and marriage but she still feels like something is missing… she still cannot picture herself far enough into the future to envision a 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓. When she is asked to be a bridesmaid for a fourth time, in her very best friend’s wedding, she is determined to break her “curse”, but she soon discovers that maybe she hasn’t caused that much misfortune after all.

This book is exactly what I needed to end 2021. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love, I smiled stupidly to myself in the lunchroom… I found much comfort in the fact that I could relate to Zoey on so many levels - her distaste for marriage, her Gilmore Girl references, her sense of independence, her reliance on Taylor Swift albums to get her through major life events. There is one scene, post hook-up before her bff’s wedding, where Zoey’s internal monologue had me literally 𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 of laughter! I have never laughed so hard at a book. In fact, Zoey’s dialogue throughout the entire novel is golden. @alison.greenberg wrote Zoey’s character to be so raw and honest with her thoughts and feelings, which is not only very relatable and refreshing, but I felt as if she was my own bff just divulging all of her truth - ugly or not!

I want to thank @stmartinspress and @netgalley for allowing me to read this novel prior to its publication. I will have my eyes peeled for future work by this author.

This is a hard book to rate. First, do not go into this book thinking it's a romance. There are some romantic elements in it, but if you try to follow them, you'll end up with a case of whiplash by the end of the book. I guess women's fiction fits it best as it also doesn't have the more lighthearted or comedic feel of a rom-com or chick-lit.

The basic plot is that Zoey, a successful, 30 YO businesswoman, has been asked to be a bridesmaid three times, but each time, the bride has backed out just before the wedding. For some reason, Zoey, who has always seen marriage and love as a trap, but who is currently in a relationship with pretty much the perfect guy, blames herself for the failure of the various brides to go through with the ceremony. After the third failure, she breaks it off with her boyfriend, Rylan, only to have to face him (and his new girlfriend) three months later when her best friend impetuously decides to marry a guy whom she’s only known for 6 months. Zoey is absolutely determined to get her friend down the aisle this time, hoping that this will help her solve her own ambivalence toward marriage and enable her to move forward with Rylan.

The book has a lot to say about being true to yourself, not being afraid to live your own truth, and embracing your own differences, even if the people closest to you find it uncomfortable, or find you to be too complicated (which is Zoey's favorite way of describing herself). I just wish the message had been delivered by a more sympathetic character.

Zoey is a hot mess. She’s the kind of woman who you cannot look away from and are almost magnetically drawn to, all the while conscious that she’s kind of a train wreck and a drama queen. I found it hard to be be inside her head for the entire book. I often wanted to shake her and tell her to just chill out, and I found it hard to understand why she was so dead set against marriage and commitment. Sometimes it seemed like she was against it solely because it was the conventional choice and she was bound and determined to always swim against the tide even when doing so made her unhappy. For much of the book, she was her own worst enemy.

I feel almost compelled to give the book 4 stars, solely on the basis of how well Zoey was depicted, (I think we all know someone just like her) but I have to admit that if I were going simply by my own feelings toward the book, I’d probably only give it 3 stars. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book and I could empathize a lot with main character Zoey. Totally relatable and realistic. A quick and easy read despite some tough themes. I can definitely see the story continuing and look forward to more by this author.

Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alison Rose Greenberg and St Martin's Press Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,

Available: 1/11/22

Bad Luck Bridesmaid follows Zoey, a typical NYC “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” type. But, there’s a twist: none of the brides that Zoey has been a bridesmaid for have ever made it down the aisle. Fiercely independent, Zoey falls for Rylan (I promise this isn’t a spoiler and happens very early on), and must come to terms with her beliefs on marriage (in Ireland, at her best friend’s wedding, might I add).

Insanely readable, I was hooked from the first 20% of the book, and couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next. In so many romance novels, the happy ever after involves the protagonist (whether she’s described as independent or not) saying yes to a marriage proposal. It was incredibly refreshing to read about a woman who has hesitations with marriage and isn’t afraid to not back down from these beliefs because of love.

Zoey is also Jewish, and mixed-religion marriage was also a point of discussion in the book, which I’ve read far too little representation of. Though the latter half of the book did worry me, I believe the author pulled off what she was hoping to do in a realistic way, and that there may be hope for a sequel in the future. And, there is a movie adaptation in the works, which I’d be thrilled to see come to fruition!

Overall, I walked into this with the idea that it would be another simple rom-com, but I was really impressed with this debut. Come for the NYC working girl romance and stay for all the chaos of you and your ex at an Irish wedding together.

If you’re looking for a romcom about weddings with a HEA ending, then this book is not for you. This book just wasn’t for me. The main character, Zoey, has been a bridesmaid 3 times when the bride got cold feet. She’s determined to stay single forever.

I wanted to like Zoey, but she’s an unlikeable character. She’s determined to go through life without being tied down, ie not married, and she doesn’t seem to care that she hurts people in service to her ideal. It’s truly “her way or the highway”, even for a wonderful guy she’s in love with and loves her back.
I had a hard time believing that she was as professionally successful as she was, success at that level requires flexibility, which Zoey does not possess in quantity.

In my opinion, there are too many references to her bad ass attitude, which does not excuse her prejudices and cruel behavior. She’s an entitled woman who, in 2 years of a relationship, apparently didn’t think it was important to let her bf know she wasn’t into long term commitment. Surprise!

She makes assumptions of people based on their looks, one friend’s fiancé was clearly unable to give his girlfriend an orgasm because he dressed like a southern preppy guy and played golf.

This could have been an enjoyable story of growth, showing why Zoey developed her attitudes and how she moved past them, but instead it’s a celebration of her desire to remain uncommitted. I can understand how this could be a positive, but Zoey was too stuck for me to view it that way.

I don’t like to give low ratings, because I know the author worked hard to produce this book, but this is deserved in my opinion. 2 stars. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rant On:

Zoey Marks is a remarkably dislikable main character. She is self-centered, and deeply disrespectful of her friends. She makes reference to her past time in therapy, but clearly she did not address the central issue that confronts her in this book, her fear of marriage.

It isn’t that Zoey is afraid of commitment. She moves in with her boyfriend without qualms. She has lifelong friendships with several women. She builds a successful business with a work colleague. Nothing in her privileged upbringing helped me to understand Zoey or her issues. What really turned me off, though, was her remarkable lack of self-awareness and complete selfishness.

I didn’t finish this book, so it may have redeeming moments in the last half. I just didn’t want to spend any more time with Zoey Marks!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought this was a really interesting book since it didn’t follow many of the main beats of a rom com. I liked Zoey but at times found her to be a little to “quirky”. I did like that in the end she chose herself which I thought was true to the character.

Zoey Marks is cursed. Ever a cynic in love, Zoey doesn't want marriage and every time she's a bridesmaid, the bride never quite makes it to the big moment of walking down the aisle. But when a man she didn't see coming rocks her world and what she thought she wanted out of love and life, Zoey is forced to make some tough decisions.

Prior to me reading this book, I read a friend's review letting me know this isn't a typical romance. Knowing that, I went in with open expectations and I am so glad I did. I picked this book up on a whim one morning and could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next and just when I thought I knew where the story was headed, it had twists and turns that had me second guessing everything. Were some of the situations over the top? Yes. But they added to the mess that was Zoey Marks.

I was enthralled with Zoey's character. She is not a typical romance heroine. Let me shoot you straight - Zoey is an absolute mess. She also doesn't believe in marriage. Not only is Zoey sassy, hilarious and gives zero F's, she is also super emotional and indecisive in life. She feels big and knows that the life she craves is not the stereotypical path people expect for women - marriage and babies.

I've seen a lot of wishy-washy reviews for this book, but I immensely enjoyed it. I loved the message of loyalty and friendship. I loved that Zoey was not a typical heroine. I loved that there was an unconventional ending that was super fitting for the main character. I loved how messy, emotional, and raw the story was.

Bad Luck Bridesmaid publishes January 11. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of the book.

After two failed turns as a bridesmaid, Zoey Marks thinks she's cursed and bad luck for love and marriage. Until she meets Rylan Harper. She begins to change her mind until a third failed bridesmaid stint. She and Rylan end in heartbreak with Zoey convinced she'll never have a happy ending.

Then Zoey's best friend and Rylan's cousin, Hannah, announces she's getting married and she wants Zoey to be her bridesmaid. Zoey has one goal: Get Hannah down the aisle all while keeping her head around Rylan and his new girlfriend.

💭 The beginning of the book makes Zoey seem ridiculous. Is it really her fault that the brides didn't make it down the aisle? Is she really cursed? But as the book went on, Zoey grew on me. Some of her insecurities were part of a deeper issue and I wanted her to find happiness. The antics at the wedding venue to make sure Hannah got married were hilarious. The ending was surprising to me, but not altogether disappointing. This was a great read!