The common idea is that every little girl looks forward to her wedding day with heightened anticipation and joy. But weddings are also the coming together of two dangerous forces: families and alcohol! What secrets can erupt at a wedding? Which won't? And how long, exactly, has everyone been preparing for this moment? Enter The Bridesmaid! Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Childhood friendships can run very deep. Someone you meet during a blistering summer holiday can stay a part of you for the rest of your life. A friendship as intense as Caitlin and Sasha's, who see each other during the former's school holidays when she returns to her family's Saxby estate, is bound to be life-altering. As both girls grow into teenagers they experience some of the trials and tribulations of girlhood together, yet the chasm of class remains between them. Neither Caitlin nor Sasha will ever forget that the latter's parents work for Caitlin's grandmother. Friendship is complex this way, both a thing that can erase social differences and something that can starkly highlight them. Manning explores this in The Bridesmaid, as much as the format of a suspense thriller allows, and shows the after-effects on Sasha to grow up near, yet always excluded, from immense wealth and possibilities. I do like some social commentary in my thrillers, so I was glad to see that Saxby wasn't just used as a glamorous backdrop.

Sasha is planning Caitlin's wedding and it all needs to be perfect. It needs to be perfect because she has something prepared, a surprise that will most likely break her friendship with Caitlin but will unburden her nonetheless. Does it have to do something with the Saxby estate and its many closed doors? With Caitlin's soon-to-be-husband, Chuck, who is on very friendly terms with Sasha? Or maybe it is to do with that one fateful night at Saxby of which Sasha never speaks. Moving back and forth between the last decades of the twentieth century and the wedding preparation, Manning creates a tight web of memories and moments, each raising the stakes chapter by chapter. In The Bridesmaid Manning addresses the tension between mothers and daughters, the pressures to be perfect, and the dangers of a too-tight friendship. Sasha is our narrator for both the past and the present and as we see everything through her eyes we can't help but be on her side. Although I occasionally found her a bit much in the present, her past experiences always helped me see her in a different light. The twists come hard and fast at the end and, for once, I was genuinely surprised. I had raised an eyebrow, here or there, at the breadcrumbs dropped by Manning, but I had not expected where she was leading me. With all story-lines tied up, some almost too nicely, I could see how the threads had been spun from the very start.

I had seen Nina Manning's other thriller and suspense novels around but this one was the first I picked up. I really liked the way in which she dug into and explained the little insecurities that shoot through a friendship, the desperation you can sometimes feel to be liked, the harsh blow of rejection. The Bridesmaid does start a bit slow, but this is largely due to the fact that Manning spends the first third of the novel on carefully setting up all her chess pieces. While this could have sped up, it did mean that once the plot really took off we were all properly centered. Although she does her best to flesh out all the different characters, there is something of a remove when it comes to Caitlin and her family. Perhaps this is an intentional distance, as Sasha feels this distance too, but it means they occasionally run the danger of feeling like rich people caricatures. Overall, however, I couldn't bear to put The Bridesmaid down for long. I read it in a whirlwind, sneaking in chapters in between classes, naps and other responsibilities. I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on Manning's other novels.

I greatly enjoyed The Bridesmaid and raced through it. Although it starts of slow, I simply couldn't put it down until I got to find out what major secret lay at the heart of the Saxby estate.

Reading Between the Wines book review #67/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3.5 🍷 🍷 🍷1/2
Book 🎧: The Bridesmaid
Author: Nina Manning
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction
RELEASED on May 27, 2021!!! GET YOUR COPY TODAY!!
Recommended to readers who a frenemy type relationship with a mystery and closets full of skeletons.

Sipping thoughts: Told in past and present timelines that is not confusing and easy to follow, The Bridesmaid, shows that sometimes with friends like that who needs enemies.
There was a clear mystery from back when Sarah and Caitlin formed a friendship and what transpired years ago finally come to light. I went through so many theories of what happened and was able to figure out the reveal. But even after that, Manning left one small reveal that I did not see coming. This was not a gasping, OMG thriller but I enjoyed it and would recommend.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @BoldwoodBooks for an advanced copy of @TheBridesmaid

#TheBridesmaid #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #generaladultfiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller #WomensFiction

Synopsis: Sasha’s life completely changed when her parents accepted their jobs at Saxby estate. She was swept up in a whirlwind of extravagant parties, newfound etiquette and family dynamics, as well as plenty of secrets. This is also where she met her best friend Caitlin. But as the years pass, and the secrets pile up, Sasha is starting to question if their friendship is going to last… especially after the surprise Caitlin has planned for Caitlin’s wedding…
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Standout Quote: “I would have to deal with the aftermath of my feelings, the sadness that I knew would turn to anger, or worse still, thoughts of revenge, and how one day, who knew how long from now, I would have to get even with Caitlin.”
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My thoughts:
This book is the perfect example that money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy an estate big enough to have plenty of closets to hide away a family’s many skeletons. It closely follows Sasha and Caitlins’s friendship and leaves you questioning the lengths some people will go for their friends, or to hide their family secrets. This book was my first introduction to Manning’s writing style and I truly enjoyed her ability to create characters and a world that was simultaneously lavish, glamorous and addicting, but also dark, twisted and toxic. This story will make you think twice about who you invite to your wedding, and who you consider a friend…

Told in dual timelines, this story is thrilling! Two women have been best friends for a very long time but not everything is as it seems and both have kept secrets from each other. This novel kept me there the whole way through and I will recommend his book to anyone who enjoys page-turner thrillers with the malice of women at its core.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I read this on a plane ride then quickly finished it as soon as I got home. At first, I thought I hated all of the characters and that they were bad people. I had it in my head the entire time that my review would touch on how awful every single person in the book was.

As it went on, I realized that there were more moving parts to the story than I realized. The book flips back and forth between near-present and past events, as the book spirals into a dizzying conclusion at super posh Caitlin's wedding. Sasha, the bridesmaid and narrator, takes us through the early years of her and Caitlin's relationship, up until the day of her wedding.

Caitlin's family is one rooted deeply in secrets and deception, focusing on their "good image" and being incredibly wealthy. Sasha dives into their world once she becomes friends with Caitlin, and begins to uncover some of their dark secrets. The girl's share a close friendship that they maintain over the years, still considering each other best friends despite all they have been through....

I loved the writing style of this book and will definitely be checking out more from this author. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Ruth Ware, Riley Sager, Gillian Flynn, or similar authors.

**Thank you to NetGalley and BoldWood books for the eARC of this title in exchange for honest feedback!**

What is the mystery? In the way the friendship is described between the main character Sasha and her best friend, is so hard to imagine.

Caitlin is Sasha’s best friend who is getting married, but the way the story is written in flash back makes me question how in the world did the two end up being best friends when there have been situations all along the way where if one is mistreated in this way, the friendship would be over. Sasha has some guilt over the friendship and even though they come from two different walks of life does not mean she owes it to her friend to stand by her and be the bridesmaid or even have to make this wedding special. There are hints of betrayal sprinkled in and how Caitlin’s family, as rich as they are, are very troubled and no one addresses it. Sasha wants to fit in with this lifestyle yet can not see the oddities but feels them when she spends time with the family.
The only reason I was able to stay engaged to continue reading was to uncover the mystery. The story is well written but not sure the mystery was worthy of uncovering. There was nothing about Caitlin”s family admirable or likeable and the way Caitlin’s mom is painted as if she is a snob yet there were parts trying to redeem her as a victim, makes me not care about the family.

This story did make me think and I liked it was not a thriller mystery but more of a family relationship drama story.

The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning is a unique psychological thriller which manages to turn everything on its head. What we have here are very twisted people in twisted, oppressive surroundings, doing weird things and acting strangely most of the time. 

This book is chilling and twisted. It makes us think one thing and turns it over into something else later. The author cleverly uses the facades humans wear at all times of all situations with various people to tell a story which is dark and uncertain at most times. The travel of the lead character among these people and her finding out exactly who and what she was, was rather uplifting to read. But the atmospheric of this book is definitely not for me. 

I had a small issue with the pacing of the narrative and how immersive the book was. It took more than half of the book to feel the story was gripping me. And so, this book is a 4 star for me. 

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC and the opportunity to review the book.

This book moves between the past and present and outlines the friendship of Sasha and Caitlin and how it is impacting upon them in the present. The book does give you a few red herrings and some characters who you are led to have a certain view about are able to redeem themselves. Overall, a good read!

** spoiler alert ** 2.5 stars rounded up. This was just meh ok. I didn’t find anything shocking or any amazing twists and turns which I was expecting. I’m also totally confused by one ‘reveal’... I know I was supposed to believe something and then it turn out something ELSE was happening... but that something ELSE doesn’t actually fit with what the character was doing or feeling or saying. Read below for spoilers...


*SPOILERS*
Basically we’re led to believe that Sasha and Chuck are having an affair, although it never actually mentions what they’re doing. Instead they’re just going into a building and coming out flushed an hour later, feeling satisfied with what they have done. The reveal is that they are going to see Caitlyn’s twin sister who was given away at birth due to birth defects.
BUT Sasha claims half way through she is cheating on Oscar. The story leads us to believe that there’s nothing else possible going on. Sasha’s guilty. She’s just the same as Oscar’s cheating ex-wife.
At the end she scoffs at Oscar’s question about whether she is having an affair, like he’s dumb. But she was having an emotional affair with Chuck, without a doubt. The night before Chuck and Caitlyn’s wedding, she has to talk him into going through with it and they end up sitting in the wedding venue holding hands and touching heads for hours. Why would this be what they need to do when they’re dealing with a disregarded twin sister?

The whole thing just threw me. I got that it was a red herring and I was so intrigued as to what was happening. To be honest I assumed there was something else going on but they were still sleeping together too!


What I did like:
The reveal at the end clinched it for me to the 3 star rating. I liked that Ava’s character was redeemed and it made me feel something for her - it made me have feelings, in-line the rest of the book!

Thank you to Rachel at Random Resources Tours for my invitation to the blog tour and to Boldwood Books for my copy of the e book.

The story is set around Saxby House and two friends Sasha and Caitlin. They have had very different upbringings Sasha moved from London as a child with her parents and Caitlin is the granddaughter of the wealthy Clemontes who live at Saxby House. Sasha’s parents work for the Clemontes and they live in the grounds of the house and the two girls become friends.

They have very different backgrounds and Sasha really feels the difference between them especially when Caitlin refers to Sasha’s Dad as ‘staff’. The story takes the reader from the present just before Caitlin’s wedding to the past when they first met and grew up together. It is apparent from the outset that Sasha has a secret she has hidden from Caitlin. Caitlin’s mother Ava is a piece of work and uses ever opportunity to highlight the class differences between the two girls.

Caitlin also has a secret and one she shares with Sasha. The dynamics of the relationship is very destructive and I couldn’t really understand why they continued it.

This is a really compelling read from the outset, sprinkled with secrets, lies and deceit. It has a really tense edge to the writing as if something could just explode at any time which makes you just read on and on. As the book progresses the tension heightens and I could not put it down. As the two girls grow up the friendship continues but it is not a good one. There are some great characters that really add to the story, Hackett and Chuck who are a major part of the girls lives.

As the wedding gets closer so does the suspense. This is a really great thriller, I loved the big house, family dynamics and class divide. It felt quite Christiesque with a very modern slant. Twisty and unpredictable a fantastic read!

4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙨. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

The brand new psychological thriller from international bestseller Nina Manning is full of secrets and suspension but was also kind of a letdown. I don’t like writing reviews like this but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. There was a lot of built up suspense regarding the “big secret” but in my opinion and based off of the reactions of the characters when it was revealed, it was super anticlimactic. It just felt like no one really cared besides the main character Sasha, so what was the point of it all?

The booked moved slowly and it never really made sense to me why Sasha and Caitlin were “best friends”. Sure they became friends because of close proximity, but Caitlin was a total bitch. I don’t care how much money Caitlin had, if I was Sasha I would of stopped being her friend a long time ago! The book goes back and forth from the past, when the girls were 12-14, to the present time getting ready for Caitlin’s wedding. And in my opinion the past chapters were far more interesting then the present. The beginning is a little confusing but it was all explained nicely by the end, especially with the last chapter by Ava, Caitlin’s mother who was made to be the villain but was misunderstood. Overall it was a well written story, but was predictable and lacked action (and needed a better twist).

I enjoyed this suspenseful book. This is a new author for me and I look forward to seeing what is next for her. This is a well written story that is full of action and just a great story. The characters are relateable and truly bring the story to life for me. This is a story of revenge and secrets. The bride, Caitlin has a secret from the past and her best friend, Sasha is about to reveal it and turn her life upside down. I enjoyed the twists and turns that left me turning pages fast. This is an engaging story that is fast paced and overall just a great story. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, it is one of that books you just have to finish in one sitting. Full of suspense and intrigue, well written, great plot good characters. Recommended.

An interesting story of two friends who have taken different paths and now have come together for one of the girls weddings

I found the relationship to be too unrealistic which changed my perspective of the story.

This review is long long overdue, but I finally finished! (Even if I technically finished at 3 AM which is not good for my sleep schedule but whatever, this book was worth it)

The Bridesmaid has such an alluring, unique premise that immediately drew me to the story. The book starts with a bang, getting right under a reader’s skin and foreshadowing an unsettling future. As the first bit of this story is keen on the descriptions and details, the storytelling is a bit slow. This pace greatly picks up however as the plot begins to move forward and different experiences of the past come to light.

The style is very atmospheric, really going into detail about the environment, the emotions, the whole aura of the setting. The dual timeline format of this book is very effective as you can see how different relationships were formed and grew over time. The jumps from past to present made this a fairly unique form of storytelling, and I found myself looking forward to the tidbits of the past to see how certain situations turned out the way they did. The back and forth added so many layers to this story, further contributing to the buildup and impact of the reveals.

I do find the whole “I have a secret, I wonder what’ll happen if I tell someone” situation to be a bit... repetitive? It just stuck out a bit while I was reading this, especially in the beginning, though this is pretty prominent in mystery/thriller-type books in general.

I didn’t actually like the characters throughout the first half of the book, which honestly did add to the very unsettling style of this mystery. I never really knew who was in the wrong and who was in the right throughout this! Each character had a dark, immoral side along with other somewhat redeeming qualities? This made for such a creepy, eerie form of storytelling with lots of very effective suspense and foreshadowing. What I did love was how you could see the motives behind every character, and why they act the way they do. Different perspectives reveal different aspects of these characters, and things are often not what they seem.

I also very much loved some of the minor characters and their supportive nature towards the main characters. Even as they didn’t play much of a role in the actual mystery element, they didn’t cause further problems for our MCs thus making me like them much more as a whole.

I did feel like the critical reveals were a bit rushed and very much packed towards the end. The first reveal definitely caught me by surprise and worked really well with the plot of the book, but the ones afterward were a bit dimmed due to how they just kept piling on top of the first one. This book I feel would be characterized less as a mystery and more like a collection of unraveling secrets and various truths of the Saxby Hall and its family.

I loved the different themes explored throughout this book and how Manning did not shy away from showing all the sides of her characters, as ugly as they may be. The suspense and drama are prominent in this story, making this such a page-turner! I was glued to this until the AMs!

I had a really great time with this story, watching as secrets come to light, relationships are unraveled, and new, hidden sides of characters are revealed. The twisted friendship along with the mysteries of the past made this such a dark, suspenseful read! I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an atmospheric mystery with twists and turns at every corner and eerie, unsettling relationships waxing and waning throughout the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a complimentary copy of this book!

Childhood friends Sasha and Caitlyn are the main characters in this novel that delves in to privilege, being in someone's shadow and a wedding.

Caitlyn is about to marry and she wants it to be perfect, unfortunately Sasha know a secret that could not only ruin the wedding but the entire foundation of the family.

I don't think this is really a thriller, more of a novel about an uncomfortable dynamic between friends and the danger of secrets.

Average

The Bridesmaid is a new thrilller centered around two childhood friends: Sasha and Caitlin. Sasha and Caitlin met when they were kids at Caitlin's family estate. From then to now Sasha has always been in Caitlin's shadow, falling up short and as second best when it comes to their friendship. As shallow as their relationship may be, Sasha carries a secret about Caitlin and her family that's threatening to unravel her in the lead up to Caitlin's wedding day. The novel follows Sasha and Caitlin in alternating timelines as we're lead to both Caitlin's wedding day and the reveal of a secret that could threaten to ruin a family as they know it.

This one had such huge promise for me - I love thrillers, love a good alternating timeline, and love family drama. However unfortunately the story fell short for me. First, I wouldn't really call this a thriller, maybe suspense would be a better fit. The story is SO SLOW - don't get me wrong I love strong story building but I felt like a lot of the time we were being fed unnecessary details that ended up slowing the pace and the 'thrills'. When we finally reached the 'secret' reveal, it felt like we had absolutely worked to get there, worked so hard that the reveal fell a bit short for me.

The alternating timeline, while sometimes a really strong storytelling tactic, did get quite confusing at times. We're moving through the past and present simultaneously and at a different cadence each chapter - sometimes we'll jump 2 weeks, the next time we'll jump 2 months. I appreciate that it''s likely meant to really build the story but it took me a while to get into the groove of the timeframes.

I also can say I didn't like one character in this book. That may have been intentional however it does make it even harder to care about where it's all going.

The premise of this novel was so strong and though I didn't love the ending, it did genuinely surprise me (which is always a 'pro' I think for a thriller). However, the ride to get to the ending didn't quite match the pace of the last 50 pages.

What’s better than a recipe for disaster to make a good novel. Best friends for many years, who share secrets from their past, secrets that if told by the other could rip them apart! The story unfolds from alternating timelines, which I really enjoy in a novel. I find that it adds up to the mystery and suspense, and keeps you wanting to know more as you read on and slowly gather pieces of the puzzle to complete the whole picture of what is actually going on and why. I enjoyed reading chapters about the past when the girls Sasha and Caitlin were young and reading about their friendship and secrets.

I enjoyed how the chapters were short and weren’t lengthy at all. Some chapters for me were a bit slow and at first it took some time to build up speed for me to fully get into the book, but it was worth the wait! So much drama, secrets, and betrayals. I love it!

A book that I would recommend if you like psychological thrillers!

Caitlin and Sasha have been best friends since childhood. The pair met one another whilst Sasha’s family worked within the kitchens of Saxbury estate, which was owned by Caitlin’s family. This vast difference between their wealth and standing within the community puts some weight on their friendship, and in other circumstances the odds of them becoming friends are pretty slim. Despite all of this though, the girls remain close friends, that is until Caitlin announces her impending wedding.

The story is told from the Sasha’s perspective, alternating between the present where she is helping to prepare for Caitlin’s wedding, and the past – which shares memories of Caitlin and Sasha’s friendship as teenagers. Sasha has always felt as though she has been living in Caitlin’s shadow, and as she allows us an insight in to their past, it becomes apparent that their friendship is far from ideal. Sasha decides enough is enough, and uses her position as bridesmaid to expose a secret regarding Caitlin’s family.

Both Caitlin and Sasha are characters that I felt unable to really connect with. Sasha comes across as being rather naïve at times, yet she has been holding on to this secret for many years biding her time for the opportunity to expose it.. And then there is Caitlin, who shows little respect for her so called friend, and talks down to her quite frequently. I must say though, that this disconnection with the characters actually allowed me to immerse myself in to the story a little more, as I felt as though the characters have been created to be ‘disliked’ in many ways – I may be wrong about that, but that is how I found them.

The book is well written and has plenty of drive and drama throughout, and despite working out what the ending would be, there were many twists and turns throughout I hadn’t anticipated at all. Full of suspense and harboured secrets, this was an enjoyable enough read that I am sure others will enjoy.

‘The spiral of lies that had been so tightly entwined like a brand new ball of wool had to begun to loosen in my mind.’

This book definitely has all the ingredients of an excellent psychological thriller. I loved the opening, which takes us to a crucial moment where Sasha is determined to confront her oldest friend, Caitlin about something which happened a number of years before.

I do love the use of a dual timeline and Nina definitely uses this to her advantage and to the benefit of the reader in this book as it ramps up the tension and keeps us hooked. There is the mystery of the secret/revelation throughout the book that keeps you hooked too.

I enjoyed the exploration of the friendship between Sasha and Caitlin, the way it develops and disintegrates, and the power shift from the upper class Caitlin to the working class Sasha due to this revelation.

I would definitely pick up a book by this author in the future and would recommend her books to fans of Arianne Richmonde and Sam Hepburn.