Cover Image: For the Love of Friends

For the Love of Friends

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Member Reviews

This book hilarious. I found the main character, Lily to be so relatable. Going through her ups and downs of navigating post college life of being wedding after wedding. So Lily writes a blog about her experiences and boy are some of the stories funny. I loved it. It reminded me of The secret Bridesmaid which was a 5 star read for me. Loved the sweetness of this love story.

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⫷ The ARC copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange of an honest review ⫸

✔ Friends to Lovers
✔ Divorced H
✔ Bridesmaid or Maid of honor of five weddings


Anyway, it was okay? The characters were awful honestly. I only liked grandma, Lily's sister-in-law and Becca I guess. Either way at least it wasn't an awful read. I really wanted an epilogue with some future contents. Why don't authors write that? Gah! The writing was alright. I just don't know why should I actually like or root for the couple? Because the whole book was about Lily and her journey of being a bridesmaid. Not much of a character building or romance between the lead couple. Overall, it was a tolerable read.


Trigger Warning : Body shaming.

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For The Love of Friends by Sarah Goodman Confino was a laugh out loud funny book about a girl, Lily, who is in her early 30s. Lily is trying to figure her life out and while doing so finds herself being a bridesmaid in five weddings in one year. Basically the end result for Lily is deciding to run a blog detailing all of the weddings and wedding parties to help her pay for everything. Imagine 27 dresses meets gossip girl and you have a somewhat good idea on what to expect when you pick this book up.

This was one of the most fun books I’ve read this year. The story and writing were refreshing, the funny moments are well delivered, the tense moments are believable, and there are some really emotional and heart warming moments near the end too! PLUS there’s a super flirty slow burn relationship that i was absolutely melting for from the start.

This book has everything you need in a good old fashioned romcom.

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Thirty two and single, Lily Weiss ends up committing to serving as a bridesmaid in five weddings in six weeks for three of her best friends and her two younger siblings. When all the party planning, favor making, dress fittings, and expenses start to add up and wear out her nerves, Lily starts an anonymous blog detailing the hilarity of it all. Her blog’s following continues to grows until Buzzfeed picks it up and suddenly Lily is exposed. As the brides and their families are horrified at Lily’s descriptions of them and the events leading up to their big days, Lily is left isolated and alone. Can she make amends and recover some of her life?

Smart, funny and realistic, For The Love of Friends is one of, if not the best Rom-Com I’ve read this year. It deals with real issues like body size shamming and different income levels in such a humorous but compassionate way. Lily isn’t the perfect heroine, claiming she did nothing wrong, but rather owns up to her choices and the resulting fallout. Excellent must read in my opinion!

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Humor, fun and such a feel good book! I adored this book and recommend it to to those that need a relatable, laugh out loud read! Sara Confino is on my radar big time!

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As someone in my late 20s, it was a really nice change to read a book focused on a 32 year old, single female, who, when she ended up being asked to be part of 5 weddings, started an anonymous blog all about it.

This was fun, summery, refreshing read, and just what I needed to distract me from real life!

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When you are in search of something fresh, funny and relaxing, what better than a book about a young woman living her single life through weddings? And what about a fascinating blog that reaches people in a way that not so many are able to?
This is the kind of book that you would put into your bag when travelling: very easy to read but also very difficult to put away.
I really loved reading it! Definitely perfect for those who are willing to read something easy while oh holiday.

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I may be an old married woman (anniversary #17 is coming up this December) but that didn't stop me from adoring this book about weddings!

Lily is 32 and single (her Jewish mother's worst nightmare!) when she finds herself a bridesmaid in five different weddings over the course of six weeks. (That two of them are for her much younger brother and sister makes it that much more painful.) With her friends and family going wedding crazy, Lily needs a place to let it all out so she starts an anonymous blog called "Bridesmania" where she vents about all of the ridiculousness she experiences. And there's a whole lot of it - her hook up with a groomsman whose name she doesn't know, a request to change her hair color to match the other bridesmaids, a bill for thousands of dollars for a bachelorette party she can't even attend and playing babysitter for her grandmother who has no filter and likes to be naked is just a small glimpse at the indignities she's forced to endure.

Confino's writing is sharp and funny but also has a lot of heart. Some people may think the brides (and other bridesmaids and mothers of the brides) in this book are over the top but I know women just like them and while Lily's snarky online posts may seem mean, I can see why she needed an outlet. And, despite her frustration, Lily is always their strongest ally even when some of her friends didn't deserve her.

I just recommended 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦 to someone by calling it the book equivalent of Bravo show about bridesmaids you'll laugh, you'll cringe and you'll want to binge it in one sitting. 4.5 stars

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy to review.

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I’ve never been a bridesmaid, but I have my big wedding in just over a month, and let me tell you: reading For the Love of Friends amid final preparations and planning was a wild but enjoyable experience.
The story follows Lily, a single (much to her mother’s chagrin) thirty-two-year-old surrounded by happy couples getting engaged and married—five to be exact. And she’s a bridesmaid in every one of the weddings, which all happen to fall within the same six-week period. It’s enough to stress to make anyone snap. So, since she’s a talented writer, she starts an anonymous blog as a place to vent.
Between the high-strung brides, moms from hell, constant body shaming, and her dwindling bank account, Bridesmania helps her prevent a nervous breakdown. And Alex, a sweet groomsman from one of the weddings who has become a confidant, doesn’t hurt on that front either. But as the brides get crazier and crazier, the blog gains more and more popularity, threatening not only her anonymity but her relationships with her friends and family and her potential relationship with Alex.
I loved this book. From the blurb, I was a little afraid that the romance element would be scarce, but Sarah Goodman Confino perfectly blends the story of Lily and her five weddings with a romance. The slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance was perfect. I loved how it allowed there to be equal focus on the chaos of the five weddings and the conflict Lily’s blog ends up creating. I also just loved Alex. He’s sweet, supportive, and charming in an adorably quirky way.
The side characters were so much fun, especially the cooky grandma and Lily’s dad. As a Marylander, I loved all of the little references to the area, and it made the book feel all that much more immersive. Overall, For the Love of Friends was a fun and easy read I didn’t want to put down. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Sara Goodman Confino’s writing in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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4.5 stars

Sara Goodman Confino has crafted a hilarious and highly relatable story of romance, friendship, and the extreme lengths that one woman will go to in order to keep sane while serving as a bridesmaid in 5 weddings over 6 weeks.

Utilizing all of the classic tropes that make romcoms so fun, Confino keeps the narrative remarkably down to earth as her protagonist Lily deals with changing friendships, dating drama, and parental prodding to finally settle down. The dialogue is snappy, the characters are well-defined, and the lessons about life and love are incredibly poignant.

What I appreciated most about this book was that Confino did not shy away from having her characters face real consequences for their actions rather than have everything wrapped up in a neat little bow. The only thing that I could find to complain about was that it does run just a bit too long for me. If you are a romance reader and don't have this on your anticipated list, get on it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

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I basically devoured this book over two reading sessions. It's such an adorable and well-written story that I had no problem flying through it, waiting to see what antics our MC, Lily Weiss, was going to get herself caught up in.

As a thirtysomething-year-old woman, I really appreciated the MC's age and perspective. She still remembers fondly her twenties but knows she's kind of past them, although she can still enjoy all the flirting and flare without feeling like she's a hundred years old. She's young, she's fabulous, she's quirky—I absolutely loved her.

Was the plot mildly predictable? Of course. Did I love the book any less for it? Absolutely not. Despite knowing the trouble Lily is likely to get into down the line when she starts blogging about her friends' weddings, you just want to sit back with a bowl of popcorn and watch it all go down—and you are not disappointed.

The author does such a great job of distinguishing the character's voices while centering Lily's. She's witty and fun, the banter is exceptional, the girl drama cringe-y in the best way (I mean, come on...five weddings?! You know there's going to be drama!). A great read for the end of summer!

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I absolutely loved this. This is a book which totally lived up to the blurb, for me. Lily is bridesmaid in 5 weddings over the summer and she finds it all a bit much. She starts a blog and it goes viral! It’s a very American concept which I feel is totally different to the UK. But this didn’t make me love it any less. 5 stars without a doubt.
Would 100% make an excellent film or series!

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Warning: Conflicting thoughts on the way. I am nor much fan of betraying my best friends over some boys or for anything in the case. So when I saw Lily betrayed the trust of the five brides (sister, sister-in-law, lifelong friend, college roommate, and work best friend) it was a complete gone case for me. But sometimes we are supposed to do in the situation we do it for our survival.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a free review.

I can't even imagine being in 5 weddings in one year, not to mention the fact that these 5 weddings take place over 2 months. Then to make the fact that your are single worse 2 of the weddings are for your younger siblings.

32 year old Lilly is a Public Relations Representative for a science foundation. She agrees to take part in the weddings but then as she watches the brides get crazier and crazier she decides to write a blog. What happens is funny and makes this story wonderful to read.

This book is charming and funny. I couldn't put it down. The author wrote this story well enough that you are able to feel the highs and lows of Lilly. This is a great summer read.

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I’m conflicted about how I feel about this book. On the one hand, Lily betrayed the trust of the five brides (sister, sister-in-law, lifelong friend, college roommate, and work best friend). On the other hand, some of the bridesmaids were vicious and her friends didn’t have her back. So the choice to air her feelings in an anonymous blog was born from feeling criticized and found lacking by the women in her life who should love her unconditionally and defend her against bullies. Was she stupid to publish the blog from her work computer? Hell yes. Was she justified in being hurt by the insulting, cutting remarks made by the mean girls? Again, hell yes.

The slow burn romance is sweet, but ultimately takes a backseat to the heavy-handed treatment by the brides (and momzillas). One of the recurring criticisms that becomes almost too much to take is the fat-shaming, which, combined with other disparaging remarks about Lily’s physical appearance and the fact that she doesn’t fit the image the brides have for their weddings, borders on the absurd. It’s frustrating that Lily doesn’t defend herself but resorts to spewing her frustration out in her blog. When the final denouement comes, the hypocrisy of the self-absorbed brides is the final straw. Ultimately, it’s an easy read, but be prepared to be frustrated.

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Synopsis: Single and 32 years old, Lily Weiss finds herself suddenly the epitome of “always a bridesmaid, never the bride” when she agrees to be part of the bridal party in the weddings of her three friends and two younger (yikes) siblings - all happening within a 6 weeks span! To cope, Lily soon begins cataloging her experiences (cue tons of wedding drama: bridezillas, controlling mothers, filterless grandmothers, and countless pre-wedding events) on an anonymous blog. What happens when her secret blog doesn’t stay that way?

My Thoughts: Don’t mistake this as your typical romcom! It has far more to do with Lily’s friendships and family (though weddings come with love 😉). It is warm and hilarious with an appropriate amount of chaos - between the enormous financial cost of being a part of 5 weddings, appeasing family members, the pressure that everyone around you is finding love, and learning what being a good friend looks like. Lily is a witty and relatable character who you will root for throughout the book. Great summer read, truly 5/5 ⭐️!

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Synopsis: What do you do when the people closest to you and then some all ask you to be in their weddings in a matter of weeks apart? You say yes of course. When Lily says yes she quickly finds that she needs somewhere to vent and to tell all the crazy stories that are happening to her. Little does she know that being anonymous isn't always secure as it is supposed to be.

Thought: In this funny, relatable story of 27 dresses. Sara tells stories of what it is really like to be in weddings. While it is supposed to be about the bride and groom and their love for each other it really does involve so many other people and their opinions. This picture is a little bittersweet for me because of COVID so many couples were unable to have the weddings of their dreams and I wish like crazy that I could have dealt with even a little bit of drama for @cooke_books wedding. But I still have hopes of celebrating with her! Also isn't it interesting how depending on who is in your life when you get married how that can drastically change who is in your wedding party. I'm so glad that @rowlandreads was able to attend my wedding at the start of our friendship but it is interesting to think if me or her would be getting married now if things would be different. All that to say I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

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Oh man the anxiety of being in a wedding multiplied by 5!! No wonder our main bridesmaid Lily started a blog to vent and possibly make some side money to pay everything. 

Q: Have you ever been in a wedding?

If not, it's expensive to be in the wedding party, between dresses/suits, stag weekends, parties, outfits, being available, hair, makeup, nails, shoes , hotels.... The list goes on.

I mean the guest has some if this but there's more pressure on the wedding party.

Lily is feeling the pressure from two of the weddings and the others are ok but have a few odd ball moments. In the end everything blows up in her face and they find out she's been venting but I hate that it's all Lily's fault. Like I get it's their day but they were raging B's like the whole time. And people can't guess things or know to keep including you even when they tried. It's not fair to get so mad at someone who doesn't know intimidate details you never told them.

This ended super cute, after a lot of anxiety and turmoil of the fallout. But you know weddings are funny things. Some ppl see them as huge parties (me) or social standings or me moments (bridezillas). 

👰I was lucky I didn't have my mom, sister, sister in law or mother in law say or do anything to influence my decisions. I think I may be a more quiet intimidating Lily type idk. I had no idea what I was doing while planning lol. My mom only wanted me to do the reveal of bride groom at the wedding and not before which I wanted to get the pictures out of way but since she didn't say a word throughout and ending up buying me two wedding dresses cause I bought a $100 dress from China (it was supposed to replicate a Casablanca dress I didn't want to ask for) that wasn't what I expected, I did it.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you @letstalkbookspromo @saraconfino @amazonpublishing for including me on this book tour! Thank you for all this awesome book swag too I'm enjoying it! ☕

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Single thirty-two year old Lily Weiss is going to be a bridesmaid in 5 weddings over 6 weeks. The weddings are a childhood best friend, a college friend, a work friend, her sister, and her brother. This book takes us on her journey through the excruciating year preceding the weddings.

Lily's works in PR for a science foundation, but has always dreamed of writing more creatively; she studied journalism in college. As she navigates bridezillas, momzillas, and other bridesmaid(zillas!) she decides to start an anonymous blog. Originally she thinks she might make some extra money to offset the cost of so many weddings, but it really becomes the perfect way for her to vent about how awful everyone is in the wedding planning process. Lily doesn't hold back as she blasts pretty much everyone. Fortunately it's an anonymous blog, right? The brides will never read it, right? That sounds too good to be true, right? Right!

This books is for you if you love reality tv! There is wedding, family, and bridesmaid drama galore! It gets pretty vicious and there are definitely characters you will love to hate. I am glad I am well past those years (and also glad that I had a very low-key wedding; I couldn't have handled the drama). That said, without any spoilers, I was pleased with how the story wrapped up.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I read this book instead of interacting with my friends and I don’t regret it.

Lily is 32, single, and has just been asked to be in five weddings, one in May and four in June. She decides to start a blog about her experiences with each bride; her childhood best friend, her work best friend, her college roommate, her younger sister, and her soon to be sister-in-law. I appreciated how honest the commentary on bridesmaid dress shopping was and the costs associated with being in a wedding. All of the experiences Lily had seemed plausible and genuine.

I found myself laughing at the emails and blog posts. It was an engaging, snarky, and fun story. The moments with Lily and Alex were great and I especially enjoyed the scenes where they passed notes through Starbucks coffee orders.

I do wish that the air had been cleared early on about what had happened to kick off the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

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