An absolute gem! The writing is beautifully crafted, drawing you into a world that feels both familiar and wonderfully unique. I couldn't put it down! Highly recommend to anyone seeking a captivating read.

I started reading Always the Bridesmaid knowing nothing about it, only to discover it is the fourth book in the Brits in Manhattan series and I had not read any of the others. Usually this is not a problem, but here I felt at a distinct disadvantage. Part of the problem was the characters from the other books featured quite heavily, especially in the first half of the book, and not knowing their backstories just left me confused.
All the characters in this friendship group are gathered in England for Jess and Jake’s wedding, and have rented a large house in Surrey for the week of the celebrations. Due to unforeseen circumstances the main characters in this book, Sarah and Charlie, are forced to share a room despite having only just met when he picked her up from the airport. To say they do not get off to a good start would be the understatement of the year – I did not like either of them much, and was unsure whether I wanted to continue reading.
Sarah works as a legal secretary in Manhattan, and Charlie is a stand-up comedian in London. As we gradually learn more about them (perhaps this is why you need to have read the previous books), their behaviour is easier to understand. My opinion of Charlie improved a lot quicker than that of Sarah who I could not relate to. I enjoyed the second half of the story much more, as Sarah stays on in London after her friends have gone home with the intention of seeing the sights, and Charlie offers to be her guide. They start to get to know each other and the burgeoning attraction is much more believable. I especially liked the rom-com film references, but have to say that most of Charlie’s comedy routines did not make me laugh. I’m glad I persevered as I enjoyed Always the Bridesmaid, but will not be going back to read the others. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

Before hopping into the actual review I want to say two things. One, thank you for the ARC. And secondly, I can't rave enough about how cute this cover is! It's what immediately drew me into the book. This book is a dual-POV that follows Charlie & Sarah. I wish I had known this was part of a series, because this follows a HUGE friend group (all of which have found their HEA already), and it was difficult to follow along since this was my first time meeting so many of them. If you're someone who's read from the beginning I know you'd love all these glimpses of all these characters making a reappearance and seeing how they all are now. Now, Sara's best friend is getting married and is having their wedding in the UK. Since the death of her husband, Sarah has always found weddings difficult, but you wouldn't know that since she's too busy making her best friend's wedding perfect. And Sarah has no time for grumpy Charlie, who her friends are obviously trying to set you up with). Of course there's only one room rental available. Which leads to her spending a lot more time with Charlie and realizing there's a lot more to him than being the "funny" one in the group.
This one took me a little while to get into, but mainly because I joined in at the 4th book of the series. I fell in love with Charlie's character, and loved seeing his relationship with Sarah change throughout the story. This was a cute, quick read. 3.5⭐s

I loved this book. There were great moments of pure laughter and I couldn't put it down! This is a book once you start you won't stop til it's done! Absolutely stunning!
I just reviewed Always the Bridesmaid by Laura Carter. #AlwaystheBridesmaid #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This book was soooooo goood, i cannot believe it, i mean this has all the vibes of the old good british romcom and i love those, please read this book.

Always the Bridesmaid is part 4 in the series Brits in Manhattan. I have only read part 3 in this series since I missed that it was a series.

Unfortunately I had a bit of problems with feeling the characters and for me it was an almost DNF because of it.

I kept on reading it because I hoped that I would enjoyed it since it includes a second chance of love and that I enjoyed the third book.

Sadly to say it wasn't a book for me but I'm grateful for the chance to read it.

Sarah is thrilled about her friend Jake's wedding to Becky but faces delays flying to London due to work issues. Drew, Jake's brother and Sarah's boss, arranges for Charlie, a comedian, to pick her up. Despite a rocky start, they end up sharing a room at the wedding venue. Their journey to London leads to a blossoming romance. Charlie is portrayed as a realistic character, adding depth to the romantic comedy. The book is delightfully British-themed, with a slow-burn romance and plenty of humorous moments. The dual points of view provide insight into Charlie and Sarah's conflicting emotions. The story strikes a perfect balance between reality and fiction, with tear-jerking emotions complementing the humor.

Although I still thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was my favorite trope: Enemies to lovers, I also struggled because it was less than 300 pages, and I struggled with the MFC believing that she was 'cheating' on her dead husband if she pursued a new relationship. I've seen stories where someone never moved on because they loved their significant other that had passed away so much, but they also didn't have feelings for anyone else, nor did they almost kiss others. However, I truly loved the development of Charlie and getting to explore his background and the details it brought forward from being a foster child and have a rough background. That's personally something I can somewhat relate to, and think isn't seen enough in books, there are plenty of people from good families, and unless you're the 'bad boy' not enough from rough back grounds!

I did give this a go and unfortunately struggled to connect with the characters and writing style.
Thank you for the opportunity to read the title :)

This book was in general a fast paced book which was fairly easy to read and get through, and I also liked the slow burn ish trope in this book. However, I found that the humor in this book felt very forced and there were just some parts that I think was supposed to be funny but was more cringeworthy.

Sometimes, a book falls into that "meh" zone, where it neither wows nor disappoints you. Laura Cater's take on the bridesmaid experience didn't quite hit the mark for you. The story may have lacked that extra spark or unique twist to elevate it from mediocrity.

Characters? Meh. Plot? Meh. Writing style? Well, you get the idea.

Perhaps "Always the Bridesmaid" didn't stand out in many stories about weddings and bridesmaids. It happens. Not every book can be a blockbuster, and sometimes, a "meh" read is just what you need to appreciate the gems when you find them.

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me. It felt really slow and was not very interesting for the most part. I think I needed to have read the series beforehand.

The plot is a perfect mix of humor and genuine emotion, making it a delightful read. If you're a fan of feel-good romance with a touch of humor, this book is a must-read. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey with the characters and found myself smiling along the way. Laura Carter's storytelling is a breath of fresh air in the romance genre! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

I unfortunately did not manage to finish this title, at 20% into the novel I felt the writing was cluttered and I could not get a handle on any of the characters. Sorry it's a no from me

Really loved the story and plot. The characters were very loveable and I was hooked from chapter 1. Great rom com story for everyone who loves a great romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Always the Bridesmaid by Laura Carter. This is the fourth book in the Brits in Manhattan series. Since Sarah’s beloved husband passed away, she has taken care of her group of friends— organizing all the little details and events of their lives. Now, she is off to the UK for her friends’ wedding and is picked up from the airport by London comedian Charlie, who immediately rubs her the wrong way.

I enjoyed this light, easy read after a few back-to-back heavy novels.

Thank you to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my opinions.

This book is the fourth in the series, it follows. The same group of friends, but is set in London for Jake and Jess’ wedding. Sarah is the bridesmaid who has it all covered, both is secretly struggling with her grief as a widower as she watches her fitness so happy in love. On top of the comedian Charlie really gets under her skin and they end up having to share a room together! As she is forced to spend more time with Charlie she begins to see a different side to him. When he offers to show her around London and be her tour guide, she begins to enjoy their time together. This book made me miss my last visit to London. Charlie and Sarah both have difficult pasts, can they both overcome those to end up together?

This had some strong parts for me but also didn't connect for me, perhaps cause the title doesn't quite fit the real story

First of all... the amount of books with this title... sheeeeesh

I didn’t really like the writing from the beginning since it seemed to infantile and like the author was trying so hard to be funny through her characters, but it came off as weird rather than funny.

After realizing that the characters didn’t really get along, I decided to finish it in the hopes that things would get better. Like I knew this was meant to be dislike to lovers, but their interactions and banter was uninteresting and lacked the chemistry, and things only continued to get worse.

The book overall could’ve been seen as fun and entertaining but the MMC wasn’t… very charming? He wasn’t a typical macho MMC but a standup comedian and well funny and weird. But sometimes the weirdness just got icky to me. Other times it was fine but sometimes he would annoy the hell out of me.