This romcom retake on Father of the Bride brings a fresh and humorous perspective on dealing with change, falling in love, and family dynamics. Pippin Marino is a relatable protagonist who struggles with letting go of the past, but finds comfort in her best friend Toby's return to Boston. As Pippin navigates through planning her twin sister's wedding and dealing with the potential sale of the family restaurant, she finds herself in a surprising situation when her friendship with Toby takes a romantic turn.

The author's witty writing style and hilarious mishaps add a lighthearted touch to the story, making it an enjoyable and engaging read. The lasagna references throughout the book provide a delicious and humorous tie-in to the Marino family's Italian heritage and the family restaurant. Overall, this romcom is a delightful read that will leave readers rooting for Pippin to embrace change and find her happily ever after.

Sister of the Bride is a great rom com homage to Father of the Bride, down to the whole “falling in the water at the in-laws” bit. It definitely had its own spin and style, but lovers of the movie will for sure like this. Toby was a great love interest character and Pippin was incredibly relatable. I was distracted a bit by their terrible names (Pippin and Polly) but I got over it as I dived deeper into the story. I will definitely read more by this author. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for this e-arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Lauren Morrill for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair, honest review.

I liked the cover of this book and I loved the dedication!

The main character, Pippin, took a bit to grow on me. I didn't like her initial outbursts with her sister, but she ended up with redeeming qualities! Toby, her best friend, was easy to like/love (his "dad" jokes were great!). This friends-to-lovers trope (#guyfallsfirst) was fun and the "spicey" scenes weren't cringey.

I wished there was a bit more depth to the sale of the family restaurant and maybe a bit more between "Pepperoni" and "Pizza" but overall this was a fun read.

3.5/5 stars
Spice level 4/5

Thank you, NetGalley and Yellow House Media, for the e-ARC. First of all, the cover is gorgeous and draws you right in. Second of all, upon opening it, that deduction is one of the best I’ve ever read, and if this laughing out loud line was anything to go by, I knew I was in for a great time. The story didn’t disappoint. The main character, Pippin, is easy to fall in love with. There were bits that felt underdeveloped (such as Toby’s family), but overall I enjoyed this read.

Morrill does an excellent job of capturing the chaos and excitement of wedding planning, while also delving into the complexities of family dynamics and the fear of change. Pippin is a relatable protagonist, and her struggles to adapt to the changes in her life will resonate with readers. The romance between Pippin and Toby is sweet and satisfying, and their banter will make readers smile.

Overall, Sister of the Bride is a delightful summer read that fans of Father of the Bride will thoroughly enjoy. Morrill's writing is engaging, the characters are likable, and the story is both heartwarming and humorous.

I really enjoyed “Sister of the Bride” from Lauren Morrill. This story is about Pippa learning to adult. She must learn to accept her sister getting married after a whirlwind courtship, feelings for her best friend Toby who suddenly becomes “hot” to her and her mother and grandmother selling Pippa’s family home and the restaurant that she manages in Boston. Pippa has so much going on that she has a hard time keeping it all together but I loved reading it. Pippa is very likeable and accepting of others and is a bit of a control freak. Honestly, she seems like someone I would have as a good friend. Absolutely loved the book and look forward to another story from Morrill.

A big “Thank You” to NetGalley and Lauren Morrill for providing me with an advance copy in return for an independent, honest review.

An incredibly sweet, tension-filled romance. I love a good friends-to-lovers story and this is up there with my favorites. I adored both Pippin and Toby - they were both really well-developed and fun to get to know. I loved all the supporting characters too, especially Dr. Nora's wisdom.

There were a few points that felt repetitive, but may be helpful for anyone who reads this book more slowly. I went in prepared to hate the dad joke texts, but ended up appreciating them once the reasoning for them was given - it only added to their sweet friendship.

I hope that Lauren writes more adult romance because this was a great read and my new favorite book of hers.

My goodness is this a adorable book filled with tension and good dad jokes( even if Pip would disagree I LAUGHED at EVERY SINGLE ONE)
It had me worried about whether they would ahem ahem but I will let you find out for yourself.
3 starts for all the cutnes and friends to lovers extravaganza of this book!

Pippin and Toby - oldest and best friends. This is a delightful and easy read as these two move from friends to lovers to the backdrop of changes in Pippin's life. It's funny and charming. Pippin is smart and relatable and committed to her family heritage and business. There's lots of food, and laughs and shenanigans around Pippin organising her sister's wedding. I loved it! It would have been good to find out a bit more about Toby but he was so sweet on Pippin, and they had great chemistry - a perfect mix of swoon and steam - and Toby was a bit bossier than I expected ;)
I thoroughly recommend this sweet read!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair, honest review.

Pippin Marino has a hard time with change, and really, who can blame her? After her dad's unexpected death 8 years previous, she's thrown herself into running the Italian restaurant that has been in her family for over 100 years. Meanwhile, her twin sister Polly returns home from abroad with nothing other than a fiancé. When Pippin finds out that her mom and Nonna want to retire and thereby sell the restaurant, amidst planning Polly's whirlwind wedding, she nearly loses it. Cherry on top is that, after undergrad and med school, her (suddenly very hot doctor, hello Grey's Anatomy) childhood best friend is freshly single and back in town. When everything is already changing, a kiss changes more, and Pippin is left to deal with the aftermath.

Actual rating: 4.5/5 (alas, Goodreads and the inability for half stars)

I want to start this review by emphasizing how much I truly enjoyed this book. It is a romance novel, but it is also a novel about family, growing up, grief, and learning to accept change. This book manages to juggle all of these without dropping any one of them, and it is a testament to Morrill's talent as a storyteller. Pippin is an incredibly well-written character, she feels like someone you could meet at any moment while walking down the street. The cast of this novel is rather small, with some side characters who appear one or two times, but each one of them is lovingly eclectic and unique. I really felt for Pippin throughout this entire book, and her story was quite moving, especially with how everything ended. I love love love that this book does not sacrifice plot for the romance, but rather weaves the two together in a lovely way. Morrill is an incredibly talented writer, and it really shows in this book.

Now. I know what you're all here for: the romance. Before this book, I would not describe myself as a friends-to-lovers aficionado (been there done/currently doing that in real life, it's not fun), but this book was so adorable, it might've changed my mind. Toby Sullivan, hot doctor, is a perfect, fun male lead for this book. He matches Pippin's intensity in a way that is refreshing to read, and their long term friendship and mutual understanding means that we don't fall into the dreaded miscommunication trope. Beyond how much of a golden retriever this man is, his dirty mouth is something else, as well as those steamy scenes, but I'll leave that for you to discover. Their relationship feels authentic and genuine, and I will emphasize again, has HEALTHY COMMUNICATION. Ah! It's so refreshing. I hope you love them as much as I did. I think I could genuinely read a cute domestic novella just about their relationship after this book.

Finally, onto to the things I didn't jive with as much/the dreaded critiques. I think they can all be summed up in this: the book could've been a little bit longer. My e-copy was just about 250 pages, and while the book is well written, the variety of themes tackled here made the pacing feel a bit off for me. The beginning was a little too slow, and the end was a little too fast. The entire book builds up to the wedding, only for the event itself to be resolved in about half a chapter. I would've liked to see more of the nitty gritty, things going wrong, as well as more of the brides on the wedding day (QUICK NOTE: yes, I said brides, I loved the LGBTQ+ rep, especially how it wasn't treated any differently than wedding planning for a heterosexual relationship would be). I felt like I didn't know very much about Polly's fiancé Mackenzie, other than Pippin's initial thoughts about her, and I wanted to see a bit more of the relationship of Polly and Mackenzie. Additionally, I didn't quite like that when Pippin is upset about the wedding and the selling of the restaurant, everyone is against her. Maybe it says more about me, but I think I would've reacted exactly as Pippin did.

To end on a positive note, I would definitely say I can recommend this book. Even if I had some critiques, I genuinely enjoyed it, and loved the story, the characters, and Morrill's writing.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Lauren Morrill for this E-ARC!

Sister of the Bride was adorable. I related to Pippin so much, I had a sibling get married really quickly and out of the blue and a lot of the thoughts she has - though looking at it written on paper they seem kind of selfish - I thought them all. I absolutely love a friends to lovers romance and Toby is a dream book boyfriend. Their romance is so sweet and you can really feel the love between them, both platonic and romantic.

I would happily read another ten chapters of them just being happy together. I also would love to read more about Poppy and Mackenzies romance!

I loved the communication between Pip and Toby, though Pip had a lot going on and was constantly trying to hold of the reality of her feelings I really loved how open they were with each other - I loved that there were no big bad secrets that would come up later to cause drama - it was all trust which was so nice to read.

I would totally recommend this book to anyone who wants a good, sweet, spicy romance that doesn’t have a catastrophic break up in the third act this is the book for you!

Thanks to Netgalley, Yellow House Media and the author, Lauren Morrill for providing me with a e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I do really recommend picking this up when it hits shelves on September 12th!

I really enjoyed this story, but the ending felt rushed. I was at 90% of the book, and i still didn’t read about the wedding or how Toby and Pippin’s relationship/friendship would sort itself out. I wanted more communication between the two of them about their true feelings, and I wanted more about the wedding itself. The story focused on all of the plans, but I didn’t read much about the actual event.
Overall, I think this was a fun story with some steaminess. I love a friends to lovers story, and this delivered!

3.5

pippin had the tendency to be annoying at times. nothing ever happened to other people or AROUND her; any breath of change was commonly perceived as a personal affront. i will say… i warmed up to her the back half of the book, once she kind of got over herself. i WILL praise her handling of the jen wrench right at the end - very mature of her. i love a good friends-to-lovers, especially if the guy falls first (and BOY what a guy toby was OOF), but i think the whole i-don’t-want-to-reach-for-anything-more-because-i’m-worried-about-our-friendship conflict that comes with the trope is getting a bit old. the pippin x toby scenes (spicy & otherwise) made everything else worth it!

#netgalley

It was cute, being able to watch the romance blossom but...there wasn't enough romance. Friends to lovers was done well here but this wasn't my favorite.

Absolutely loved this book! I was so excited to be approved to read this advanced copy on NetGalley. This book was my first read by Lauren Morrill, but will not be my last. I love all the characters in this book. Pippin and Toby relationship was so sweet to watch blossom with the dad jokes and Pippin realizing her feelings. I do wish we got a little more of their romantic relationship, but I was very pleased with this book.

As a friends-to-lovers story, it was adorable. However, I felt like we didn't really see them explore their relationship more, it felt rushed, and still not enough happened.
I liked all the preparations for the wedding and how much Toby supported her in everything (he was perfection), but again, we didn't see much of the wedding itself.

A cute read with some steam and a great book boyfriend!


Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pippin Marino is going through a lot of changes all at once, and she is not handling it well! Her twin sister, Polly, returns home from studying in Europe, and she is engaged! Polly asks Pippin to plan her wedding for her, and she only has four months to do it! Also, Pippin's mom and grandmother want to sell their family restaurant and their home. So now, Pippin is losing her sister, her job, and her home!

Pippin has one good thing going for her: Toby Sullivan. Toby and Pippin have been best friends since they were little kids, but Toby has been in school in California for 8 years. He is finally back home in Boston to begin his residency program at a hospital. Pippin is so happy to have her best friend back, but her sister and her friends start to plant ideas in her head about Toby that make her rethink her friendship with Toby. Could they be more than friends? Could she risk her friendship with him to see if they could be more?

Things change with Pippin kisses Toby, and she feels so much with him. Unfortunately, she panics, and she pulls back from Toby. Will she be able to push forward and tell Toby how she really feels about him?

As Pippin goes through so many personal and professional changes, she has to rely on Toby to support her career change and wedding planning. He goes to dress fittings and cake tastings with her, and he is really there for her.

Toby is a gem of a character. He's a doctor, he's hot, and he supports Pippin. What more could you ask for in a book boyfriend?

I really enjoyed this story, but the ending felt rushed. I was at 90% of the book, and I still didn't read about the wedding or how Toby and Pippin's relationship/friendship would sort itself out. I wanted more communication between the two of them about their true feelings, and I wanted more about the wedding itself. The story focused on all of the plans, but I didn't read much about the actual event.

Overall, I think this was a fun story with some steaminess. I love a friends to lovers story, and this delivered!

Thanks to NetGalley and Yellow House Media for an ARC of this book.

All I have to say is that I was left wondering if ice cream will ever be as satisfying again!
Five stars

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.