This was an easy read but was not what I was looking for. The idea of bridesmaids getting together on Facebook to air their issues and lend an ear is a good one, but I could have done without the political discussion and references to the 2016 election (I’m still burned out, I guess 😂). Overall, its a fun read - perfect as a vacation read!

WOW! what a book! will be suggesting to my followers. I know this will be popular once others start reading it

This book was wild! Highly recommend if you enjoy reading about dysfunctional families including between daughters and parents and between sisters. The description says it is a “captivating novel of family, Facebook groups, and bridesmaids gone rogue” and I would certainly say all of that is accurate. Overall a pretty fun summer read if you get sucked in by drama. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the copy via NetGalley.

DNF at 40%. I just couldn't do it. The family dynamics, the caricature-like characters, Iris' inability to stand up for herself in a healthy way --- it was just all cringe-y. I also just felt like it perpetrated the stereotype that single women who are bridesmaids are always so bitter. no thank you!

Thank you St. Martins for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of the book

Iris Hagerty has been a bridesmaid for so many of her friends that she is going broke. She's stretched so thin it's been tough and her credit cards are racked up and are at their limits. Her sister Jasmine has now reached out to her and asked her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. Worst of all there is a contest to see who is worthy of being her sister's Maid of Honor. Iris posts on reddit about her experiences as a bridesmaid and gets so much of a positive reaction that she creates a private group on Facebook which ends up turning into a large closed group.

The book is quite humorous for the most part - it feels like it could be turned into a cute and funny movie or series targeted at women. Overall it was enjoyable though at times it was a bit over the time but I did enjoy it and had some good laughs while I read it. I wasn't sure what the book would be about when I first read it and thought there was a good chance I wouldn't enjoy it but I did. I would rate this book 7.75/10.

I'm not always a fan of rom-com but this was very clever and well-written and I devoured it! Iris and Jasmine are sisters but have been estranged for years when Jasmine asks Iris to be in her wedding to David. Jasmine likes David immediately but her young son, Mason takes precedence and she always has his best interests at heart. Jasmine is one of those women who thrives on being "Insta-famous" and is constantly taking selfies and posting them along with her new line of dog shoes (yes, you read that correctly)! In the meantime, Iris has opened a Facebook group called The Bridesmaids Union as she's single and tired of being "used" as the one to do everything for bridal parties. And then things get complicated....Lots of great. humor, pathos, sarcasm, but delight and forgiveness as well. Totally worth reading whether you're married, single, divorced, or considering marriage!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a good book about a woman who becomes a moderator of a Facebook bridesmaid venting group and loses control with taking care of both the group and being her sister’s maid of honor. I liked the plot of the story as I thought it was unique and different. I also wanted to see how a male author can pull off writing a female’s pov. The pacing was great in this book and I enjoyed the many conflicts thrown in. There was a good bit of humor but I have to say that the politics and religion topics kind of threw off this book. Without it, it would have been so much better.

So this book is written in Iris’ pov and I enjoyed her character. She is a single mother who needs a place to rant but also wants to make her family happy. She was such a pure, relatable character and her development throughout the book was great. There were also many side characters in this book whom some you will hate and some you will love. They were very involved with the story and helped the MC on her journey. I enjoyed the family theme in this book but was disappointed with the lack of romance. This book is tagged as romance so I was expecting something as a huge romance lover.

The ending was great and I enjoyed the overall story. What just kind of threw it off for me was all the politic and religion talk which was not necessary to the story. Overall this was a great read and I think many readers who have been bridesmaid will relate to this story.

This was a unique book. Seemingly lighthearted to deal with the struggles of being a bridesmaid, even a habitual bridesmaid, but it often took a turn to more serious subject matter.

Sometimes the main character, Irís, didn’t sit well with me. I felt preached to at times, specifically when discussing the parenting struggles and solutions she faced in the book. Some plot points seemed far fetched as well.

Overall, I enjoyed the read, it was easy to relate to a women struggling to pay for all the expenses that go hand and hand with being a bridesmaid, as well as the time commitment and the mental load! I also found Iris’ struggle with her parents post-2016 election to be relatable. And the unsolicited advice and judgement she often received from the older generations.

Families can be very messy, this one takes the cake. Religion, politics, sibling rivalry, parental favorites, over the top wedding plans for the spoiled bride, creepy boss, single mom, kid tantrums, something had to give. Iris is tired of her sister's Maid of Honor demands and creates a Facebook group to let off steam regarding bridezillas. As usual social media becomes toxic and blows her world apart.
Witty banter, crazy internet influencers, good honest friends and forgiveness make this a fun read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. Thanks you St Martin's Press for this funny ARC.

This book was adorable in a weird way! After being fed up with all the BS that comes with weddings, Iris brings together a group of bridesmaids online who feels that same as her!
This was a fairly quick read and was filled with some humor as well.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC of The Bridesmaids Union.

This seemed like a fun story of caution about the perils of the wedding perfection trap and social media and for the most part delivered on that.

I found the story to be meandering and hard to track. The generous backstory and family drama felt unnecessary at times.

I liked the relationship between Iris and her son. That was an endearing part of the story.

This was a quick read and funny but I found some parts lacking. It also felt over dramatic, between the politics and venting.

Weddings, Bridesmaids, Humor and romance - great combination - Happy reading!

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley. And these are my honest opinions about it.

The Bridesmaids Union by Jonathan Vatner is a fun summer read. Especially for the bridesmaids who have had to deal with a Bridezilla in their lifetime. Iris has been a bridesmaid too many times and has felt taken advantage of along with the staggering amount of credit card debt from being in weddings. She starts a Facebook group so she has an anonymous place to vent and boy does it get exciting. Overall a fun, cute read!

A fast paced read, with a ton of relatable moments. I am so glad my husband and I eloped lol.
I imagine that a brides biggest fear is her best friends talking badly behind her back (besides having her groom walk out on her). Not only that but these best friends chosen to be bridesmaid have a dedicated group where they exchange stories! Oh dear, welp.. how can this go wrong?
An entertaining read, with some gasps and awkward moments, page turning all the way!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The problem wasn't that it was totally predictable (which it was, but sometimes that's ok!), but it was that it was just not enjoyable. The constant mentions of family problems due to the 2016 election, the rude Christian parents, the rushed unrealistic ending...it just made for an overall unpleasant reading experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. Sorry that this one just wasn't it for me.

Iris has been a bridesmaid too many times and has felt taken advantage of. After the last wedding, her sister (the golden child in the family) announces her engagement and Iris is selected as the maid of honor. Iris needs to get her feelings out and she starts a Facebook group so she has an anonymous place to vent. It’s a private group and Iris puts every type of setting in place to ensure that no one she knows will be able to join the group. It turns into a great place for people to vent their frustrations. Surviving her spoiled sister’s plans seem to be even harder than she imagines. This was a nice take on family, weddings and social media. I enjoyed it very much.

Also posted on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the Facebook posts were hilarious as were many other parts of this romcom. I also liked the overall storyline and the lessons behind social media in this. I thought the characters were fun and I was really rooting for Iris. If you enjoy romcoms this should be on your list!

The fictional Bridesmaids Union was created as a private Facebook Group by Iris to chat with other like-minded, taken-for-granted, disgruntled bridesmaids as they spent money they didn't have, made plans they didn't want and went out of their way for the bridezillas in their lives. Iris was a over-achiever in the bridesmaid category, serving as a trustworthy maid to many ungrateful friends and now for her sister Jasmine, the youngest sister and parents' favorite. Elder sister, Rose, known for her smarts and fuller figure, but not her attractiveness or style, moved to Florida for her career and as a bonus, avoids the family drama. Rose is by far the most likable character in this book and I wish more of the focus of the story had been about her background and life experiences. Jasmine seems to have a heart underneath all of her Instagram filters and beauty armor, but it is waaaayyy deep down. Iris is frustratingly a door-mat, agreeing to whatever popular person is in her life that she wants to impress. As the story progresses, she does a bit too, but it is a very SLOOOOW progression. Their parents are very conservative Christian, always commenting on how they need to get good men in their lives, go to church and not embarrass the family. Mother Connie, especially is harsh, as she monitors her daughters' appearance, beauty, style and weight. It is mentioned many times in the book that Iris ("a size 8" which is very slender!) needs to loose weight. I would understand if this were just coming from her judgmental mother, but it seemed to pop up everywhere. Her sister Jasmine ("a size 2") was deemed PERFECT throughout the book. Rose is only distinguished (and not in an admirable way!) by her intellect and derided for her healthy appetite and fuller figure. This was truly unfortunate as this just adds to everything women see, hear, read that says their body size determines their worthiness. There was political discussion, especially concerning her conservative parents, but it would have been more meaningful had it been in some context (voting rights? racism? LGBT family?) instead of just randomly popping up to remind readers how their views differed from Iris. It would have been great for the parents to have a breakthrough about how their often hurtful comments affected those around them. The Bridesmaids Union was joined by Kyle, a gay man who was going to be in his former boyfriend's wedding party but wanted to win his ex back before the wedding. Kyle was interesting and funny but I really would have enjoyed it more had Kyle had his OWN story (the way the book played out could have been triggered by some other means) and Iris have hers as they really didn't mesh well and it was distracting from the main story (more time could have focused on the main characters). Kyle had a big enough character--funny, charismatic, engaging, to be the star of his own story. This was an enjoyable read--great for summer!

Single mom Iris works in a job that she hates and is in credit card debt up to her neck because of all of the over the top weddings that she's been in. In a fit of rage after feeling completely unappreciated, she starts a private Facebook group to complain about bridezillas. As you can imagine, the group is not really as private as she'd like it to be and you can see the train wreck coming. Everyone is crazy in this story in different ways and there are times that Iris is kind of unlikable. Regardless, I found the story readable and relatable. Triggering for those like me that get short of breath reading of credit card debt! Also may be triggering for Trump voters as Iris has a tendency to put her family and friends in buckets-those that voted for Biden or Hillary and those who voted for Trump.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.