Book Review - Bad Luck Bridesmaid
I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Alison Rose Greenberg
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publish Date: January 11, 2022
Format: eBook
★★★★★
This book is perfect for those that like: Messy Heroines, Stories with Heartbreak, or Staying True to Oneself
You might not like this book if you aren’t into: Unconventional HFNs, Storylines Involving Infertility, or Characters who Cheat
Favorite Line: "Overextend? I got stranded half-naked on a lifeboat and survived the Loch Ness Monster. You requested Bono."
The Book
It’s official: Zoey Marks is the cursed bridesmaid that no engagement can survive. Ten years, three empire waist dresses, and ZERO brides have walked down the aisle.
After strike three, Zoey is left wondering if her own ambivalence towards marriage has rubbed off on those she loves. And when her building distrust of matrimony culminates in turning down a proposal from her perfect All-American boyfriend, Rylan Harper III, she and Rylan are both left heartbroken, leaving Zoey to wonder: what is it exactly about tying the knot that makes her want to run in the opposite direction?
Enter Hannah Green: Zoey’s best friend, who announces that she’s marrying a guy she just met (cue eye roll). At a castle. In gorgeous, romantic Ireland, where Rylan will be in attendance, and Zoey will be a bridesmaid. It’ll be fine.
Okay, the woman definition of fine (NOT FINE).
Determined to turn her luck around, Zoey accepts her role and vows to get Hannah down the aisle—all the while praying her best friend’s wedded bliss will allow her to embrace marriage and get Rylan back.
But as the weekend goes on, Zoey is plagued with more questions than answers. Can you be a free spirit, yet still want a certain future? Can you have love and be loved on your terms? And how DO you wrangle a bossy falcon into doing your bidding?
The Review
One of the by-products of reading a lot is that you start to notice patterns and clues of what’s coming in any given story. This is helpful if you are, say, a mystery reader and want to be sure to solve the case, but this is not such an ideal skill when reading romance novels. The danger here is that when you recognize what is usually a typical trope or hint in the story, you start to have Expectations about where the story should go instead of where the story needs to lead you.
This was my problem with reading Bad Luck Bridesmaid. I got a horrible case of Story Expectations. Now, here’s the part where I tell you that I am 100%, absolutely, without a doubt entirely obsessed and in love with this book. But it also 100%, without a doubt didn’t start out that way, as my friend, Myria can attest to based on the sheer number of spiraling messages I sent her while reading. By coincidence, we both started reading it at the same time, but she sprinted through it, loving it all the way, whereas I, deep in my Story Expectations Fever, faltered the moment that the story didn’t go where I Thought it Should Go. I messaged Myria with one last, “At least tell me there’s a HEA/HFN at the end", to which she replied, “Let’s just say it ends the way it’s supposed to.” Y’ALL. I WAS NOT HAVING IT. I wanted, no NEEDED the resounding, “Don’t worry! Just trust the process!” reply.
I stopped reading for days after that.
Myria finally won me over with encouraging messages to just keep going and to push through and finish, no matter the outcome. I am forever grateful for her nudging because without it, I would not have read what I think is one of the most brilliant works I’ve read in a while. This story was so many things at once – second chances, finding oneself, found families, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity – which seeing it in a list like that it seems like it would be too messy with all of those tropes, but I promise you that Alison Rose Greenberg weaves it all together beautifully.
There’s so much more that I want to say but in order to do that it would involve me revealing parts of the plot that would ruin the experience for anyone that wants to read this book. Let me just say this…
This book was both hilarious and heartbreaking. There were parts that I legit cackled through and parts that were so painful that I was literally holding my breath while reading. I can’t express how much I not only identified with Zoey but also how much I wanted to punch her. She was the most perfect, imperfect, messy heroine of my dreams. I love her so much and I want to protect her at all costs.
If you’re looking for a romance with a bit of angst but a nice, neat HEA, this book is not for you. If you are willing to go through a LOT of highs and lows and at times, BONKERS situations, and come to a satisfying HFN, then, I highly recommend that you take a chance on this story. And then come and tell me what you think, because I could talk about this book forever.
The Author
Alison Rose Greenberg is a screenwriter who lives in Atlanta, but is quick to say she was born in New York City. While attending The University of Southern California, Alison took her first screenwriting class and fell head over heels. A journey from screenwriting led to marketing jobs, before coming full-circle back to her first love. Alison speaks fluent rom-com, lives for 90’s WB dramas, cries to Taylor Swift, and is a proud single mom to her two incredible kids and one poorly-trained dog. Bad Luck Bridesmaid is her first novel.