This book was not what I expected - after reading the blurb I thought it would be a more lighthearted rom com, but instead was treated to more of a chick lit book. Unfortunately, this is not what I wanted at all, so I was disappointed. I think if the blurb had portrayed the book more accurately, this would have saved me from reading it at a point where I was not wanting something heavy.

If you want a women’s or chick lit book, this could be a good choice. I cried, a lot. I found it to be very emotional and the feelings/experiences of the MC to be tangible. The moments that were to be funny or embarrassing wound up being cringey to me, and I found the MCs to be unlikable when they get to the wedding. I’m not sure how to rate this one. It was well written, but I just didn’t want to read it. I wanted a rom com and felt bamboozled by the description.

I received an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions are mine.

Rating: 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest option.

Here’s the thing, this was easy to read…captivating even but also we have a prolonged prologue for the first 30% and then a reading journey that left me disappointed…you end up with a very MEH book. I wanted 27 Dresses in book format, it was not that book.

This wasn’t really a romance, it was women’s fiction story that ended (spoiler)
.
.
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Not even a happy for now but with her not being with anyone?

So as someone who normally writes long and pretty thorough reviews, I’m too annoyed to do so.

Unfortunately this was a 1 star read. The first few chapters felt like whiplash at how fast past events were thrown at you.
The middle of the book, I realized that this book was equivalent to a "trash magazine". Something that has high buzz and anticipation but then really does nothing for your life after reading it.
The ending had me hoping that maybe something will change for Zoey but to find out that she rebounds into the best man; left me speechless in a bad way. I found myself screaming "NO" on the inside.

The writing was disjointed, all of the the place and helped the reader feel disconnected. There was no character changes and really no plot. I was really hoping that Zoey would grow up but honestly I just didn't click with her. I found her irritating and rolling my eyes at her choices.

As I mentioned above, this book felt like a trash magazine, nothing mind blowing happened, no huge character developments or growth and I closed the book feeling so let down and dissatisfied.

This wasn't just a bad luck bridesmaid but also a hot mess bridesmaid too.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Publication date is January 11, 2022.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one was something...not sure what kind of something though.

Zoey Marks is a cursed bridesmaids. Every time she's been someone's bridesmaid, they end up not going through with the wedding. After the third strike, Zoey is starting to wonder if her ambivalence towards marriage has began to rub off on her loved ones. Then her perfect boyfriend proposes and Zoey says no. The two are heartbroken and left wondering what went wrong. Months later, Hannah, Zoey's best friend, is getting married in Ireland and she's asked Zoey to be her bridesmaid. Zoey is determined to get her best friend down the aisle to prove to herself that she's not cursed and then she'll be able to accept Rylan's proposal. Nothing can go wrong, right?

This was such a strange story, but I did generally like it. A lot of my ambivalence towards this book is to do with the writing style and pacing. The first 20% we get like a crash course of Zoey and Rylan meeting, their first date and then they've been dating for a year. It was a lot to happen in the first chunk and we didn't even really experience all of it. Zoey tells us like a brief summary of her relationship. It felt so odd to have this super whiplash dating and then after that everything slows down and revolves around Hannah's wedding which is like a week long vacation to it.

Zoey has a very big hangup about marriage, but even I still struggle to understand why she has this hangup by the end. She could never really explain it to Rylan or herself. I don't truly care about marriage hangups, but it was made into such a central point of tension, that I felt like we should've gotten a clearer answer. Which also leads me to my headcanon that Zoey is aromantic. Her ambivalence towards marriage and generally romantic coded things really resonated with me and I think had Zoey heard that term it might help her understand some of her own feelings. Also when she was saying how important her friendship with Hannah was, that really got me. I need more platonic soulmates between women in my books.

Rep: Jewish aro-coded female MC, white cishet male love interest, white Irish cishet male love interest, white lesbian female side character, sapphic female side character.

CWs: Alcohol consumption, infidelity, infertility, injury/injury detail. Moderate: antisemitism.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
My review for this book will seem messy, similar to our MC, Zoey. I’m not really sure what to think about it. Once I got past the first couple of chapters, I flew through it. The author had many witty one liners which made me laugh. Zoey and her love interest had great chemistry. Yet I finished the book feeling angry and frustrated.
The book starts with a few chapters of explaining. Explaining why Zoey is a bad luck bridesmaid. I felt as though this all could have been condensed to one simple prologue. There was a lot of telling, not showing.
Zoey and Rylan have their major break up moment, which led me to believe they’d both have time for some growth. But no. There was no character development in the last 70% of the book. I didn’t know who I should be cheering for in any of the relationships. And the ending was just disappointing for many reasons. I felt like this could’ve been a solid 4 star read, but it really missed the mark for me.

If you're in the mood for a page turning romance with a dose of depth, Bad Luck Bridesmaid is a good read for you. The story of Zoey, Hannah, and their path to true love and love and respect for their needs reads like a light romantic read BUT these characters have some spine and some depth as they traverse their romantic life to find what they TRULY want and what they are willing to give. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book and I could not figure out why Zoey’s friends wanted her in their wedding after all the nonwedding weddings she was in as a bridesmaid!
I wanted a fun romance book and what I got was an annoying woman who I never would want to be friends with!
I read the book hoping I would get to the point I would like at least one character in it. That did not happen for me.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This is my personal review.

I enjoyed reading Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg. Treat yourself to this fun story. Happy Reading!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher ~ Thank you ~ !! This is my honest and personal review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

1.5 stars.

Once again I go start a book all excited from the synopsis only to be disappointed upon reading...

Bad Luck Bridesmaid follows Zoey who is a "bad-luck bridesmaid" meaning that every time she had been a bridesmaid at a wedding, the wedding never ends up going through. Zoey has a negative view of marriage and commitment in general. When her boyfriend proposes to her, she rejects the proposal and they break up. Then her best friend ends up getting engaged and guess who is going to be the maid of honour? Yes, Zoey. She'll also have to encounter her ex and realize why she is the way that she is.

To put it bluntly, I didn't enjoy this book. The book is written in third person and past tense which makes the reader feel disconnected from the story. The whole book was "told instead of shown" which was disappointing.

I didn't like Zoey's character much at all. I felt that she was annoying and her internal monologue wasn't it for me. There were times during the book when she gave off serious "not like other girls" vibes but not in a good way. Even after finishing the story, I couldn't tell you about her character development because I didn't read about any.

The entire first 30% is just a summary of past events and it felt like it dragged on and on. It took me forever to get through just that first part, much less the other 70% of the book. While reading, there were no visual descriptions, and only after finishing the book did I find out that they were in Ireland. I would've liked to have descriptions of the landscape or just anything pertaining to where the characters were in general.

I was also confused about who the love interest was supposed to be. I initially thought it was Rylan but I went back and forth because it was very unclear. I didn't like Rylan as a love interest (or as a character really), and he and Zoey were just a mess. They had a lot of issues that could have been prevented if they just you know, communicated. Onto my next point, the cheating trope. As soon I read that part of the book I had to set it down and take a walk. I'm not a fan of the cheating trope it happened multiple times throughout the book. There wasn't much remorse from Zoey or Rylan either which had me feeling sorry for Rylan's (now ex) girlfriend. The OW trope was also not done well and was definitely unnecessary. Zoey and Rylan didn't even end up together anyway so I am failing to see the purpose of this trope.

That brings me to my next point, the ending. At this point, I was pretty much skimming through the book, and I had to read the ending twice because I really went "Wait what? What was that?" Like I said she doesn't end up with Rylan but what ends up happening was that she gets "closure" (it wasn't really closure as it still left many questions to be answered) and 5 seconds later she jumps into the arms of another man? Okayyy... There was no chemistry between her the guy that she ends up with (or Zoey and Rylan either) so I just don't understand how all of that happened. I think that Zoey just needs to work on herself, and figure herself out before going into another relationship.

Overall, this book was just a mess. While I think that this author has potential I wouldn't recommend this particular book because of the characters, the writing, and the plot.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Release Date: January 11, 2022

Additional Information
Spice? To be honest I don't remember at all but maybe some vague scenes
Cheating? Yes
OW/OM? Yes

Condensed review to be posted to Indigo.ca.

"I think that too often, women take pieces of themselves they have no reason to hate, and they carry those pieces around like failures....Maybe our complications would become our backbones instead of our scarlet letters."

Zoey is the self-proclaimed Bad Luck Bridesmaid. She gave herself this title after three friends in three separate weddings didn't make it down the aisle with her as a bridesmaid. Between this and her upbringing, Zoey is a committed, non-committal person when it comes to relationships. That is, until she meets her perfect match, Rylan. However, Zoey still isn't sure of what she wants in life and love. When her long time friend, Hannah, announces she is getting married Zoey sees this as the perfect opportunity to turn her luck around and wrong a messy break-up.

This book is an instant rom-com classic to me! If someone made this into a movie I would be at the theatre to watch it in a heartbeat. Most of the characters were easy to like and I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, I found Zoey very hard to like in the beginning. The fact that she was told by MANY people that she was not at fault for the weddings she was involved with not happening, but she STILL used it as a reason to not get too involved with people kinda drove me insane. The mistakes of others in completely different situations than you, and when those people end up being happier in other relationships, have very little relation to what you do with your life and what can happen in your life. Every time Zoey let this bother her I found she became very selfish and put the needs of a lot of people in her life second to her being overdramatic. I get that we need a problem to move past in a story but I think she could have been more open with Rylan about her fears.

I did appreciate that even though this was a rom-com it was still serious in it's message of staying true to yourself and your feelings and to not compromise your beliefs to simply please someone else.
I definitely think fans of Christina Lauren's writing would enjoy this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Zoey Marks has been pegged as a the Bad Luck Bridesmaid as none of her friends have made it down the aisle when she has been in their weddings. This has made her hesitant to commit to her own personal relationships. When she meets the perfect guy she thinks she has it all, but yet she is still isn't sure what she wants.

When her best friend gets engaged and the wedding is in Ireland, Zoey will face the decision of her life.
I really enjoyed this book as it was quite different from your normal rom-com.

This was a fantastic debut novel. I can't wait for more by this author! This is sure to be a top 10 in 2022!

Ten years, three weddings, no marriages. After watching her third bride not make it down the aisle, Zoey concluded, as the common factor, that she was a bad luck bridesmaid. When her ride-or-die bestie asks her to be in her wedding, Zoey saw this as her opportunity to change her luck, and perhaps, change her ideas about “forever”.

I recently featured this book as one that was NOT what I was expecting, but I enjoyed nonetheless. I went into this thinking it was a standard rom-com, and though it was quite humorous and filled with shenanigans, a rom-com it was not. The story was about being true to yourself and embracing all your parts, for better or for worse.

When Zoey started taking me down memory lane, sharing her bridesmaid background, I was won as a fan. I found her interesting and witty with just the right amount of snark. I also admired her drive, ambition, and ability to standout. I didn’t necessarily agree with her stance on romance, but I was over the moon when she fell in love for the first time. Rylan and Zoey seemed perfect together, and their relationship produced all the gooey feels in me. Their broken engagement devastated me! But, there was still hope, and Zoey’s plan to get her bestie hitched.

The latter part of the book focused on the wedding, and we got to go to Ireland! I had stayed near where this story took place, at Dromoland Castle, but reading about Ashford Castle had me curious and wanting to go there too. I could see all the shades of green, and I loved that Greenberg let me enjoy so much of the resort. It was also the setting for many of the hijinks I was expecting. Many laughs were had, but there was so drama too. It was all well balanced though, and I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the story as I tried to figure out where it was going.

As I previously stated, this was not the rom-com I was expecting, but there were so many things to love. There was a focus on the friendship between Zoey and Hannah which was wonderful. Their bond was one to envy, and I liked that Greenberg didn’t shy away from the ups and downs those in long friendships can experience. But it was about finding that person who loves all your parts. That person you can be your true self with. They don’t want to change you, but accept that this is who you are. That really hit home with me.

Overall, I appreciated this interesting and thought provoking look at “the difficult woman” stereotype and the exploration of love in all its forms. There were parts that made me laugh and cry, and I am happy I took this journey with Zoey as she found a way to love all the parts of herself.

The blurb for this book hinted at a much different story than the one I read. Bad Luck Bridesmaid is marketed as hilarious and also described as joyful, I had a difficult time finding the joy or the humor. For me, the protagonist is so selfish and cruel that I couldn't justify cheering for her. It's puzzling to me how a debut novel can stray so far from the genre expectations for a romance novel. The abundance of backstory is difficult to wade through. The protagonist and her friend Hannah have a strange dysfunctional friendship. There isn't a happily ever after and the arrival of Ezra into the story is confusing. The conclusion is weird and twisted and doesn't qualify as a happily for now.
Commitment fears and an unwillingness to get married seem to be the protagonist's motivations, but she never bothers to have a conversation with her boyfriend about her refusal to marry. She claims to be heartbroken about the failure of the relationship, but walks right into the arms of the next guy in less than an hour. While I get that some readers want a story portraying a strong woman who is willing to challenge the traditional definition of marriage, this one is a disappointment on so many levels.
Thanks for the opportunity to read an ARC. I'm definitely not the target audience for this book.

“I think that too often, women take pieces of themselves they have no reason to hate, and they carry those pieces around like failures. If enough women stopped apologizing, then maybe there’d be less of an expectation for us to always burn bright and stand still. Maybe our complications would become our backbones instead of our scarlet letters.“

Bad Luck Bridesmaid was not the light, fluffy rom com that I was expecting with this cover. It went deep! This was an incredibly addictive book… much like the main character, Zoey’s, personality, this book was complicated, unpredictable, and open to any future. I think because I don’t relate to Zoey’s personality very well, I struggled to see from her point of view. Her problems and the main conflict in this book evolve around her security blanket being the “spark of the unknown.” But I did love the narrative throughout the book that women don’t all play the same role, and shouldn’t be forced into the role that society thinks they should take. I’ll be ruminating on this one for awhile!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I thought this book was going to be a light and fluffy rom-com, and I love those. This book is not that. This book is a contemporary with romance thrown in. Yes, there is some spice in the romance, but it is not a romance. This is a story about Zoey and her figuring out who she is. This book is about what it is like to be a woman, and manage all the pressures and expectations that come with it. This was an outstanding debut novel by Alison Rose Greenberg. In short, I loved it. I could not put it down. It made me laugh, it made me cry (sad tears) and it made me cry some more (happy tears).

The characters in this book were so well written. I enjoyed Zoey as a narrator in this book. She is a flawed individual and understands her flaws. She also has an understanding of her worth, and value. To me, she was a likeable, and loveable character. She deserves someone who would move mountains for her. I also didn't hate her love interest, Rylan. He knew what he wanted and I felt for him when Zoey turned down his proposal. I felt for both of them. The author made me feel so invested in the characters lives that I hurt when they hurt.

I liked how Zoey felt she was a bad luck bridesmaid, because she was 0 for 3 in brides making it down the aisle when she was in the wedding. She wants to turn her luck around when her best friend, Hannah, asks her to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Through a bunch of different catastrophes, Zoey shifts focus and perspective on her luck.

I have seen some say they do not like how the book ended. I can see that if you go into this book as a romance. This book had the perfect ending to me. It could not ended any other way for Zoey.

Alison Rose Greenberg is a new author on my watch list and I will pick up her future novel. I think she writes well developed characters with heart and is a good addition for any one to pick up. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

After being a bridesmaid three times and seeing those three brides fail to walk down the aisle - Zoey definitely believes that she is bad luck! But its definitely a matter of perception and she does not know the full story.

I was intrigued by the cover - was thinking it would be a Rom-Com and was pleasantly surprised to see that that was not that. I love Zoe's voice as the narrator - she is flawed, just like all of us and knows it. Her relationships always go through their ups and downs and I love the supporting characters of the book. And seeing the locations be brought to life - I felt transported.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me read this one early!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'll admit that Bad Luck Bridesmaid had its entertaining moments. Other than that, I wanted to put every character in a chokehold (or something). It just felt like a constant whiplash, and I didn't really care about the characters anymore.

In the beginning, sure, I guess I liked Zoey and Rylan's relationship. Then things went downhill, and on fire, pretty quickly. Long story short, it was a huge hot mess. One I couldn't look away from either. Once you think things will make the characters take a step back and reflect, another thing knocks you off your feet and you are just left dazed and confused.

As for the romance part, I just wasn't a huge fan of this. I could see it becoming a romcom movie on Hallmark or Lifetime though. Just because of the drama that unfolds throughout the entire thing. I think the ending could have been a bit better in my eyes since it doesn't really feel like a happy one to me.

Other than that, I'm glad that I got the chance to dive into this. It had potential to be something different but fell flat for me.

Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg

This book was such a surprisingly deep and wonderful story! I was expecting a cute rom com but this book was so full of emotion, honesty and self analysis, it totally blew my mind.

Zoey has been in 3 wedding parties and never once seen the bride make it down the aisle. She fears she is bad luck and really begins to question whether marriage is worth it. This book dives deep into the idea of marriage and explores how tied people are to the idea of it. Personally, I am completely a believer in marriage and was married with kids at 23. But I really loved Zoey and completely understood and appreciated hearing her thoughts and how complicated her feelings were.

When her best friend gets engaged and plans a very quick wedding she is once again in the role of bridesmaid and has to face her feelings head on. While also dealing with the potential breakdown of her own relationship.

This was an amazing book, I will be recommending it to everyone and I’m sure I will be seeing it all over bookstagram when it comes out in January! I think it would be a fantastic movie as well. The side characters were amazing (team Ezra 😍) and while taking on a rather serious subject this book had me laughing out loud. 5 stars from me!

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my advanced copy!

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I asked for this book because I thought it was going to be a super cute romcom and a nice break from my heavy reads. I understand what the author was attempting to do with the ending, but the execution of the idea just didn't work. The main character is kind of garbage, under the claim that she's "independent and doesn't need a man to make her happy." Fine, no one said your happiness depended on being with someone else....but if that's how you REALLY feel, don't be toxic to other people. Don't lie to them and gaslight them.

This book left a really gross taste in my mouth, and is only rated 3 stars because I liked some of the jokes in the beginning/middle of the book.

A bit too predictable romancey for my taste but not bad.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this.