I didn’t love the MCs voice, how the story was told…idk something about it.

Also I felt like there was too much “look a lesson learned”. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good romance that the MC learns something about herself and life and you can feel the change but this was too… clearly stated?

Also. While it ended as it seemed it would from early on, it took a bit long to get there.

All that to say I’m still giving it 3⭐️ Because it’s happy at the end? But like maybe 2.8.

Bad Luck Bridesmaid was a cute read, although it did feel like the storyline was a little disjointed.

Zoey has been a bridesmaid three times in ten years, and not once has a bride made it down the aisle. When she meets the perfect guy, Rylan, her distrust of commitment and marriage come to the surface. Even more so when Rylan proposes to her. When Zoey’s BFF, Hannah, announces she’s getting married, though, Zoey is determined to see Hannah to the alter.

My biggest issue with the timeline of the story, was the reader was taken through each of the failed weddings and Zoey meeting and getting closer to Rylan before the story starts to really take off. If we ha started the story with Zoey meeting Rylan and the failed weddings as “flashbacks” I think it might have worked better. Especially as Zoey is participating in Hannah’s wedding weekend in Ireland.

Since the third bride to not reach the alter is the tipping point for Zoey to run from Rylan’s proposal, the ending was expected.

I did enjoy this book, but it was definitely not my favorite romcom book this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

A quick and fun read, but with some flaws. Spoilers ahead. Touches on deeper themes: friendship, societal expectations of women, infertility - but brushes over them a little too quickly and breezily in my opinion. Really wish we hadn't had the main character confront these things then end up with a romantic interest, would have felt more powerful if she had been okay on her own.

Some minor editing misses - at one point the main character is in a backless dress - which she sheds to hang out in her underwear and bra for awhile... then puts the dress back on to have another character comment on her lack of a bra???

I would read another by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook ARC of this book. I am kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. I loved the messy characters, love and heartbreak, along with some crazy scenes. A very quick but enjoyable read for sure.

Not a traditional romance, which is important to know going in. I wasn't aware of that so I was a bit surprised. Nevertheless I enjoyed it. Well written characters, messy/dramatic stories, heartbreaking but uplifting as well. I may have shed a tear or two while reading.

I typically love a good romcom, but this one just fell flat for me. I just couldnt really connect with the characters

I loved this book so much. Like so, so much. It’s hard to live in a world where you are supposed to want one thing and people act like what’s wrong with you if you don’t. As if people aren’t individuals who could want different things. This book spoke to me. And it was also really funny.

Bad Luck Bridesmaids is a mix of things I like and things I really didn’t enjoy. I think the main drawback for me is Zoey. Though I admire her strength of character and unwillingness to settle for anything less than what she has always wanted for her future, she also comes across as deeply cynical and judgment of her friends and their life choices. In some instances, she is downright mean in her assessments of people. She’s her own worst enemy and continually creates way more strife for herself than is necessary. Ultimately, I can respect that she stays true to herself and makes some pretty tough choices, but her likeability was a big fat zero for me. The first half of the book is dedicated to Zoey and Rylan’s relationship, and I enjoyed being along for the ride as their relationship grew. Found myself incredibly frustrated in the middle, and then bounced back for the wedding portion of the story. It’s during the wedding part of the book that we meet Ezra, the grumpy groomsman who is determined to break up the marriage. The interactions between Zoey and Ezra were some of my favorites. All in all, this was a book that was easy to fall into and made me want to keep reading. The writing was solid and I found myself laughing out loud more than I anticipated. I also enjoyed how the story ended – which I wasn’t sure I would up until the very last moment. I’d be interested to see what comes next from Greenberg. Bad Luck Bridesmaid would have been a hit for me if I hasn’t disliked Zoey so much. 3 stars.

This is a different kind of book with lots of humor. I would've loved a little more romance on the plot, but I like the self-discovering part of Zoey. it was overall entertaining.

I would have loved this more if Zoey had not been OBSESSED with herself as the bad luck bridesmaid. I get that it is the title. I just wanted her to be happy so bad.

Zoey is bad luck, or at least that's the way it seems. Always the bridesmaid, but never a bride - in all the weddings she's participated in the Bride has left her partner at the alter. These experiences seem to infiltrate into Zoey's dating life as well, limiting her willingness to commit to a man, no matter how perfect he may be. But when her best friend, Hannah, decides to marry a man in picturesque Ireland, she has to face her fears - her fear of ruining her best friend's wedding, and her fear of men who want to marry her.

This book was simultaneously hilarious and real. Zoey is a relatable character who demonstrates the balance between independence and ambition with finding companionship. I truly appreciated the progression of this plot and the build up of the characters. Some predictable moments and some pleasant surprises. This did not follow the progression of a traditional rom com, and really highlighted Zoey as a strong, independent, woman. It also reduced the pressure on many women to "find the one" when that may not be realistic or the goal of everyone. instead, prioritizing listening to your needs, and having some fun along the way.

More of a journey to self-discovery than a romance (which isn't a bad thing, just unexpected) and I found myself slightly annoyed by the main character sometimes - but this was a quick, easy, overall enjoyable read.

#badluckbridesmaid #alisonrosegreenberg #stmartinspress when Zoey is a bridesmaid in three weddings that have all ended in disaster what could go wrong when asked to be in the fourth? This is about Zoey discovering her self. Light on the romance. And a little funny. I wouldn’t call this a romcom book. More like woman’s literature. #netgalleyreview #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bridesmaid #badluck #womansliterature

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

I was unable to finish this book. I simply could not get into this story, and I am not able to finish reading this book.

I definitely thought this was going to be more second chance romance based on the description. This book was fine overall- I didn’t love the main character and I was not exactly rooting for her either. I felt like this book struggled with pacing and also being very telling not showing since it was written with a first person perspective.

Zoey Marks is preparing to get again be a bridesmaid(a role she has previously had challenges with each time previously), but this time her best friends cousin( the one who got away), will be there.

I didn’t like Zoey really- she contradicted her own stances and positions on things( eg her questionable feminism) and then explains it away by saying she is complicated. I get that women are mysterious and complicated but Zoey takes the cake in her self importance of her different-ness and complication. It just made some of the diatribes hard to read at times.

It was quick but I probably would look twice before reaching for this author again. I appreciate the opportunity to read this through NetGalley and St.Martin’s publishing.

This book wasn't terrible but I had quite a few issues with the main character and the way she talked about other women. For someone who was very "pro feminism" she said a lot of anti-feminist things and even acknowledged it at some points and I just . . .was not vibing with this book at all.

Also, the first 30% percent is all flashbacks of her previous relationships and I just don't know that it was so necessary.

Again, not terrible, but I didn't have a good time.

This one is super hard for me to review, first because it isn't actually a romance novel. It's women's fiction with a hint of love/romance thrown in for good measure I guess. The second reason is the author has a good grasp on world-building, character development, plot, etc, and truly pulled me into her imaginary world. However, I disliked the main character's basic personal philosophy on self-control and marriage/love, her extreme self-centeredness, her tainted view of marriage/love/the world, and her non-stop inner dialogue. (She uses her full name in her internal dialogue repeatedly, "I, Zoey Marks,..." and her reasoning for everything in her life that doesn't go her way, is that she is "complicated" and misunderstood or mistreated because she is a "complicated" woman. Even though I'd say she is non-traditional at best) So, what do I review...the writing ability or the actual story/characters created? I decided to go with a combo. Had Zoey been less "complicated" (read as self-centered and pouty/fit thrower) I would have really enjoyed the book and completely stood behind her choices about her life and how she wanted to live...so I'll be reading more by the author to see if it was just a character thing...

Yikes! DNF 50% in. The self discovery was a snooze. Slow start, the middle was never ending. Hot mess express. Not for me.

This book wasn't quite as romance as I expected. I'd classify it as a coming of age almost with a romantic topic (marriage). It was a quick read but I just wished for a little more story development out of many of the plot lines. We breezed over the 3 bridesmaid failed marriages so fast that, as a reader, I wasn't fully feeling the same impact that it left on Zoey. It was a nice book, but not one I think I'd read for again.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!