BAD LUCK BRIDESMAID by Alison Rose Greenberg is the story of Zoey, a happily single woman who believes she is responsible for a series of apparent marital disasters, dubbing herself the Bad Luck Bridesmaid -- choose her and your marriage is doomed. Her lifelong book of rules for living life is blown up when she meets up with her own dream partner and agonizes over her adamant refusal to promise forever to anyone other than herself. Wonderful characters and situations drive the story forward, complete with terrific passages and laugh out loud moments. I received an early reader copy of this novel and my opinions are my own and unbiased.

Will the fourth time be the charm? Will Hannah, unlike the last three women for whom Zoey was a bridesmaid, make it down the aisle? And what about Zoey's own relationship? Zoey turned down Rylan when he proposed- she has complicated feelings about marriage- and she hasn't seen him since but there's no way to avoid him at Hannah's wedding. While this has a lot of humor (and some steam) it's also got a heroine in Zoey who is reflective and thoughtful, if sometimes a bit baffling. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Not exactly what I expected (especially the end) but it's a good read.

Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub date: January 11, 2022
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book started out really fun. I throughly enjoyed the backstory to why the female MC is a wedding jinx combined with the details of her relationship with Rylan. I felt like this was the part of the book that not only shined but also had a semblance of realism to it.

The rest of the book? It was just meh. It dragged a bit and just didn’t capture the same engagement as the first 1/3 or so did. I found Zoe exhausting at times and that made me not want to read the book.

Overall, it’s still worth a read if you’re looking for a solid contemporary romance. But, be prepared for the second half or so of the book to drag at times and have a noticeable tonal difference than the first half.

Thanks goes to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this gem that comes out next week!

Zoey Marks must be cursed. I mean, why else would she be 0-for-3 in actually getting brides down the aisle when she's one of their bridesmaids? This curse keeps her from being willing to fully commit to her longterm partner, Rylan Harper III. They are forced to reunite when Rylan's cousin/Zoey's best friend is going to be getting married in Ireland after a whirlwind courtship, especially in Zoey's mind. Is her curse going to ruin her best friend's chances at happiness? Is she ever going to come around to wanting to be married herself? Read this one to find out!

I'm incredibly impressed that this is #alisonrosegreenberg 's debut novel because there is truly so much going on with it. I really expected it to just be absolutely cringey, another one of those "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" love stories but it wound up being so incredibly much more. I found this book had so much more to do with Zoey coming to terms with the fact that what she wants for her future might not be what the rest of the world expects her to want. I absolutely loved digging deep in the lifelong friendship of Zoey and Hannah and how they've grown together their whole lives. I was very highly impressed and want to suggest this one be added to your TBR. As I said, it comes out next week so get ready!

4/5 stars for me

#bookstagram #badluckbridesmaid #forceofnature #romanceread

You don't want Zoey Marks as your bridesmaid as you might not make it down the aisle. So when Zoey's best friend ask her to be her bridesmaid she is worried that her friend won't make it to the altar. Also Zoey doesn't want to get married ever and when her boyfriend proposed she said no and was broken hearted about the lost. A book about being honest with yourself and what you want. That it is okay not to want what society thinks you should want.

There were funny parts of the story and the ending is not what I expected but I think that was the author's point. People might have a different version of what their happily ever after is and that is Zoey. It was a fun read.

I could not have picked a better read to kick of 2022! I loved this. It was funny, fast-paced and emotional. The plot kept me guessing and I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed the ways in which this was not a traditional romance. There were several times where Zoey made me feel seen on the page and I appreciated her conviction and all the ways she fought for herself and her ideals. I can't wait to encourage my girlfriends to pick up BAD LUCK BRIDESMAID when it is published!

Bad Luck Bridesmaid is, first of all, not what I expected; and second of all it’s a complex rom-com that defies the norm. Zoey is a very complicated protagonist, something she admits to, as do her friends and her lovers. She’s convinced she’s bad luck at weddings, and she also is firm in her belief that commitment and marriage are not in her DNA. Both of those beliefs come to a head when her best friend gets engaged, and one of the wedding guests is the man she loved and let go, with another woman on his arm. The romance becomes almost secondary in this book, as it becomes more about Zoey reflecting on her life, her dreams, and what she needs to be happy—along with all of her complications, her quirks, and everything that makes Zoey who she truly is.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the audiobook.

Hmm…what did I just read? I would not categorize this as romance or even rom com. Where do I start with this? Here are some of my issues with this book:
- Zoey - she is a strong female that focus on her career and thinks she is the cause of weddings that doesn’t happen because she is bad luck
- Ryland and Zoey’s actions. It just infuriated me what they did during the wedding in Ireland
- Ezra, this felt so unnecessary in the book. We needed to see more of his interaction with Zoey for this development to be real
- the ending, how does someone love someone so much just moves on so quickly.

The narration was great but this book was just a train wreck weekend that the HEA did not feel believable.

This book perfectly straddles the line between romance and women's fiction. Zoey Marks was a beautifully flawed character that truly represents the modern woman. She is professionally ambitious, romantically adventurous and skittish, and makes some less than wise choices at times. We have all found ourselves hugging a toilet bowl at one time or another and Zoey makes it feel ok to be that girl. This story is deeply internal, focusing on Zoey's personal growth and change. I loved so much that the author found a way to make a flawed character to be totally normal and acceptable. There was so much to love here that it is hard to pinpoint it but I highly recommend this to anyone who feels like they aren't enough because Zoey proves she is. We all deserve someone willing to move mountains for us.

This is about Zoey who has now been a bridesmaid 3 times and none of the weddings have ended with a I do. The 1st time it happen she thinks nothing of it. The 2nd time is in a coincidence? By the 3rd time she knows she's cursed. That leaves her shaken and turning her life upside down.

Zoey has always marched to the beat of her own drum. She lived life for herself and no one else. She never wanted to do what everyone else wanted her to do. She was happy not being tied down.

Her best friend since childhood Hannah is trying to get her to take a chance one a actual relationship not just a casual relationship.

Enter Rylan Hannah's cousin who she sets her up with. There's something about him that makes her want to throw out the book. He's someone like no other she can see a tomorrow with him. But he wants the next step and get married. Zoey doesn't know if she can say yes today or ever. Love has always been something doesn't seem to last look at the 3 failed marriages she was a part of.
Then everything falls apart and she's left broken and questioning everything.

Then Hannah is getting married and Zoey to be her bridesmaid. Zoey isn't sure on what to do. If she can get Hannah down the aisle maybe a forever love is something she can have for herself.

I really enjoyed this book and how it's a love story but not a typical one you get a lot if the facts from the beginning.

And I love that she is a strong woman who doesn't need to follow the normal.

Thank you NetGalley for the Audio and the E-Arc for exchange for my honest review. I switched between the Ebook and Audio throughout reading

If you want a feel good romance novel that goes down easily….this isn’t the book for you. Don’t let this charming cover and seemingly fluffy blurb mislead you! Bad Luck Bridesmaid is unconventional in all the best ways. Don’t get me wrong, there’s romance and lot’s of spice. But at it’s core this is a book about being true to yourself, men be damned. And I loved it.

True, some sections get kind of rambly and long-winded…but I love Zoey’s wit and charm. I loved watching her struggle with her internal battle and I loved her devotion to her friends. This book is honest and raw yet charming and so, so fun!

The characters are *hot*, the banter is witty and sexy, and the plot is captivating. I went into this book blind and loved every second of the journey.

Zoey is bad luck when it comes to weddings - she’s been a bridesmaid 3 times but not one of those brides has actually made it down the aisle. After the 3rd time, Zoey feels an intense distrust of marriage which leads her to turn down a proposal from her perfect boyfriend, Rylan. But when her long-time best friend asks Zoey to be her bridesmaid, Zoey is determined to break her curse and get Hannah down the aisle.

The cover of the audiobook I received had the tagline “This is not a rom com. You have been warned.” I’ve seen that tagline has been changed, but after looking at other reviews, I really think they needed to keep it because going in without the rom com expectation really helped me to enjoy this one.

This book had great character development. Seeing how Zoey grew and how self-aware she was made for a great journey. It was amazing to see her really accept herself by the end, and it made this story feel very real. That being said, it did start to drag in the middle and felt a little long for a bit.

I switched between ebook and audiobook for this one and really enjoyed both. I thought the audiobook was really well done and enjoyed the narrator.

Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copies.

Bad Luck Bridesmaid initially seemed like it would be a sweet and light-hearted romcom. While it still has those moments sprinkled throughout the story, it turned into an unexpected tale. The story begins with the narrator, and main character, Zoey Marks in her early twenties as she prepares for her first opportunity as a bridesmaid. Things do not go well during the engagement party and the wedding is eventually called off. Flash forward a few years and Zoey is asked to be a bridesmaid in another wedding and then another with things not turning out and a wedding fully takes place. This leaves Zoey wondering if it is her that is making these potential marriages crumble, which leaves her to wonder about her own love life. She claims that she is happy on her own and has no plans to get married, but her best friend Hannah sets her up anyway with her cousin, Rylan Harper III.

As the synopsis of the story states, Rylan eventually proposes to Zoey and she says no, which leads these two characters to become exes. Matters are further complicated when Hannah announces that she is getting married and both Rylan and Zoey will be in attendance. As Zoey is not a fan of marriage, I like that she stuck with her morals even though she loved Rylan, however, I do not understand how this ended up working. For me, I could not comprehend how this was not a topic of conversation at any point along the way as this would affect my enjoyment of the aftermath. I think this is also where I started to not connect with this story as there is another event after the break-up with Rylan and Zoey that I do not agree with before Hannah’s wedding part of the story takes place. While I do not want to spoil the story, it was just an element that does not sit right with me. Once the story moves forward to the wedding, the reader gets to meet Graham, Hannah’s fiancé, and Ezra, Graham’s brother. The story becomes further complicated as Ezra and Zoey both do not think the wedding should move forward.

This story explores ideas like, is love enough, should significant others know everything about each other, is marriage the goal for relationships, etc. As the novel explores these ideas rather than deliver a more straightforward romcom, a reader’s own ideals could factor into the story, although it may not completely affect their overall enjoyment. This story has romance weaved throughout with a possible love triangle, yet it still is not a full romance story as Zoey goes through a lot of internal development instead. The romance side of the story was very small considering I expected it to be the main element. Zoey herself has many likable qualities, but there were many moments where she came across as selfish and did not communicate well. I did enjoy the fact that she was unapologetically herself and made mistakes along the way, so she was a character that the reader could root for. Overall, this was a fun story that was unexpected and I would be interested in reading more from the author in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Not gonna lie, I spent a significant amount of time wanting to throat punch the heroine. She is a complicated person and gives big “not like other girls” energy.

Zoey doesn’t want to get married. She just wants to keep her options open. So when she meets someone who could be The One, she still can’t commit to Forever.

Did I mention that The One is her best friend’s cousin? Who, after she rejects his proposal, is attending said friend’s wedding?

While the book would have you believe that the main story is about failed weddings and trying to avoid those traps, the overall theme is accepting yourself as you are and advocating for what is true for you.

I may have wanted to set every single character on fire because they are HORRIBLE decision makers, I was still entertained.

3.5 stars.

Zoey is strong, complicated woman who does NOT want to be nailed down by any relationship or man. Zoey is a free spirit and loyal friend, but she might just be cursed. Three weddings and none of her friends have walked down the aisle. Is she the bad luck bridesmaid?

I really connected to Zoey because she's true to herself, she's emotionally messy, she's a strong-willed person, she can be complicated, but she's also loyal and caring. I will say she did get on my nerves sometimes, but to me that made her feel more real and flawed.

Zoey and Rylan's relationship is romantic and sexy and they broke down each other's walls and made each other better, so it was interesting to see how the turned-down proposal led them both down different paths. Zoey questions her choices but stays true to herself, all while being there for her BFF as she gets married in Ireland.

Not going to lie, I did sometimes want to shake Zoey because honestly her decision to not want to ever marry doesn't seem to have a valid reason. Unless I missed it, I didn't feel like I understood WHY she wouldn't ever marry. Also, the fact that she was so sure she was cursed and brought it up over and over and over again started to get on my nerves. Especially since she couldn't see what was so obvious: that it was way better for her friends to not be married.

Overall, I really enjoyed this sexy romance because it's very real and messy but still romantic and cute!

Not your typical RomCom story. This one takes you though the life of Zoey her climb in the corporate world and her bad luck as a bridesmaid, in her eyes anyway. Zoey blames herself for friends not walking down the aisle on their wedding day....marking herself as the bad luck bridesmaid who jinxed their happily ever after. Zoey swears she will never herself want to find the one and get married. The story takes you on a journey where she finds herself falling in love and wanting to be with someone but when a proposal catches her off guard she can’t commit to yes and he can’t commit to maybe. There are some laughs in the story but it weaves you in and out of Zoeys friends, childhood, lover and others on the way while she tries hard to figure out who she is and what she wants while trying to save her best friends wedding from not happening. I enjoyed the read but found it a bit over done at times. I wanted to know what happens but I found myself wanting to forgo some of the ongoing drama. Somethings felt a bit unfinished too.....

I received a copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. I would recommend this book to friends and my book club....it would be a great book to dissect.

Zoey has been a bridesmaid in multiple weddings…but each of those weddings had issues (i.e. bride was left at the altar, etc). Because of this she feels like she is ‘bad luck’ and doesn’t believe in marriage herself.

However when she meets Rylan she falls head over heels in love. Does Zoey figure out that true love actually exists or that her superstition of being the ‘bad luck bridesmaid’ trumps all?

Some steamy romance scenes added to the fun quick read. Three stars. I’ve never read anything by this author and I would definitely give her other books a try as well.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC!

Sadly I didn’t love this one. I think it is because I disliked the main character so much. Zoey was so introspective and all of her inner dialogue was repeated throughout the book. I also didn’t agree with many of her choices.

The ending was a bold choice and one that I probably would have agreed with if I understood the main character's motivation or if it made more sense to me.

There is some steam in this book and I think the steamy scenes are very well done.

I also enjoyed the part of the book that was set in Ireland. I visited Ashford Castle many years ago and remember the falcons very well. Kudos to the author for working them into the plot!

Bad Luck Bridesmaid is women's fiction. Definitely go into this book knowing that it is women's fiction mixed with some romance vs a rom-com.

The narrator is 31 year old Zoey (1st person POV). She thinks of herself as a bad luck bridesmaid. This book is about her journey.

I thought that Zoey was a very interesting character and I enjoyed her very much. I absolutely loved her friendship with her best friend Hannah. And I loved everything about Ireland.

But the author did something at the beginning of this book that wasn't my favorite. Zoey had some trouble at weddings in the past. The author has her thinking about the past. I get why the author wanted to start off by showing us that Zoey had bad luck as a bridesmaid. But I don't like having the story told this way. And I could not wait to get to the present.

Truthfully this book was not really what I was expecting. There were parts that were light and funny. But there was also a much more serious side to the book.

The romance in this book was strong. And I liked the second half of this book. Zoey's thoughts about romance, life and weddings were different and intriguing. Also I was really not sure how this book was going to end. The end was definitely interesting.

This isn't a traditional romance. It is much more of an Adult Fiction focused on women and the expectations placed upon them, with a hint of rom-com. This book goes into depth on a lot of things, not just love.

Zoey Marks is a successful woman who believes in being confident in yourself and not apologising for it. Having grown up with parents who hold a lot of expectations for her, she prides herself on staying single. Not understanding the spell of ‘love’ that all of her friends have seemed to scum to, she is unwilling to change for a man.

"I think that too often, women take pieces of themselves they have no reason to hate, and they carry those pieces around like failures.”

She is a feminist, who just so happens to have terrible luck when it comes to being a bridesmaid. With too many weddings having gone wrong while she’s been a part of the party, she doesn't want the same to happen again. On top of that she has her complicated relationship with Rylan, the first man to ever make her question her thoughts on love and marriage.

This talks about a lot of important things when it comes to being female and the idea of marriage. I really appreciate that message. I hadn't known when going into reading this book that it wouldn't just be another romance, so I didn't spend a lot of time looking for that element. That does affect my review. I think as long as you know going in that this isn't that kind of book, you’ll really enjoy this!