The book was such a lovely, heartwarming, friends to lovers story. The story is about Pippin Marino, whose life is going through many changes, but her best friend Toby is always by her side. In these circumstances, Pippin can't help but entertain romantic thoughts about Toby.
The book was really funny!!!! I laughed many times, and the dad jokes are something else. They are so hilarious!!
Pippin and Toby were super cute. I think they are the best example of realistic progression friends to lovers. The other characters were lively, too. Especially Pippins family.
The book is very well written. The author just gives the right amount of spice and smut. Perfect! I think Toby didn't get as much attention as he should have been given. The story is narrated from Pippin's perspective.
The ending felt a bit rushed for me, that's why it isn't five star.
All in all, this is a very good book!! I recommend it to everyone.
Rating ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 5

Pippin Marino‘s life has been packed with stress ever since her dad passed away and she‘s taken over the family restaurant. But she loves her life just the way it is and since not only her twin-sister returns home from her time abroad but her best friend unexpectedly moves back to their home town, her life is about to get even better. Or is it?
Because her sister comes home with the surprise of a fiancé which would be perfectly fine if it wouldn‘t be completely out of character for her. And on top of it all, she starts developing feelings for her best friend and is scared to ruin their friendship. An absolute nightmare for Pippin, a certified change-hater.

I truly enjoyed this book a lot! The complexity of the siblings-dynamic was depicted realistically, Pippin‘s worry for her sister and yet her willingness to do everything to help her was very accurate. And don‘t even get me started on Toby, the sunshine boy who has quickly made it on my book-boyfriends list. A well done Friends to Lovers is my kryptonite and this was Friends to Lovers at it‘s best!

Morrill did an incredible job of keeping the reader entertained all throughout the book and creating a plot that is both relatable, funny and emotional.

Sister of the Bride releases September 12th 2023!

Big thank you to Yellow House Media and Lauren Morrill for providing me with an earc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful friends-to-lovers story wrapped in a cosy, delightful world.

Even though there was a little bit of a slow start, I felt myself wrapped up in this cute romance pretty quick. Pippin and Toby had great relationship development, and I enjoyed reading their story.

Pippin, ever the organziation genius/ pessimist could be at times frustrating. I can't deny I caught myself wanting to scold her throwout the book here and there, but she pulled through in the end.

All in all, a delightful read, I would recommend to anyone looking for a nice, easy romance!

Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book. The book is to be released on September 12, 2023.

Love this book!

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Sister of the Bride by Lauren Morrill is a gorgeous adult debut!
I was thrilled to have been approved for this story. The gorgeous cover is so pretty and really eye catching.
My first time diving into this authors work and I’m pleased to say it won’t be my last!
I really loved this novel, Morrill's writing instantly drew me in. Her writing style was on point and I honestly loved it.
And her characters are to die for! I loved watching Pippin and Toby’s relationship grow into something spectacular.
Sister of the Bride will be a fantastic summer read. I loved everything about it and I’m pretty sure others will also.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Yellow House Media for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This started off slow but I liked it eventually, so 3,5 stars rounded up!

Pippin and Toby have been best friends since they were kids. Toby is back in Boston after spending eight years in California and Pippin starts seeing him in a different light.

I really enjoyed the romance. It was believable, the chemistry was great and they both made sure that there was no third-act breakup, so no drama, only fluff!

Toby was a golden retriever with a dirty mouth and as we all know it’s the best combo there is. He was adorable, mature and almost perfect (and the spice!!!🔥🔥🔥😮‍💨) Almost perfect though, because unfortunately he had had a girlfriend during his California years, which ruined the “it’s always been you” element for me.

Pippin was a little lost at times, but there was a lot going on in her life so we can forgive her.

However, there are reasons why I didn’t rate this higher.

There were two details which bothered me enough to mention. The first thing, accent shaming is not cool, the second, whatever your political preferences, a romance novel is no place to point out which US presidential election results you celebrated.

Another thing, the beginning was dragging, there was a lot about Polly’s new fiancée, the wedding, and all sorts of things that had nothing to do with Pippin and Toby. I would’ve preferred the background story and the main storyline to be more interwoven because it felt like reading two separate books.

All in all, after you soldier on through the first 30-ish% it’s a good romance!

TW:
-loss of a parent (mentioned)
-grief
-light ow drama

Thank you Yellow House Media and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the nods to Father of the Bride! However, I did feel like the romance was rushed. So often during reading I wished for Dual POV so I could get into Toby’s head. I didn’t realize how much I would miss that.

I also felt like Pippin was a little hard to believe sometimes.

Overall, I have it a 3 star rating. Definitely Mature Content - 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3 1/2.

Cutest illustrated cover I've seen in a long time. Unfortunately, the title doesn't fit the main trope.

This is a best-friends-to-lovers story. Pippin and Toby have been best friends since childhood. He went away to be a dr and now he's back in town. Pippin is busy with the family restaurant and helping her twin sister organize her wedding.

Sometimes I get frustrated with best friends trope because one of the characters is always "I can't ruin the friendship" and that just goes on forever. Thankfully, that part was not a drag.

Language and explicit scenes.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Very cute love story paired with a family saga that I loved. I will definitely read more by this author.

One of the book's standout features is the friends to lovers trope, beautifully portrayed throughout the narrative. The author skillfully crafts delightful development of a romantic relationship between the main characters, drawing readers in with their palpable chemistry and endearing interactions. The tender moments shared between them are sure to make readers swoon, perfectly capturing the essence of a true romance.
Moreover, the book's focus on family problems adds depth and complexity to the plot. The main character's struggles with familial issues lend authenticity to the story, making it more relatable and resonant.

Sister of the Bride follows Pippin Marino who cannot handle change, as microscopic as it might be. She's running her family's restaurant, living in her mother's attic in the room she used to share with her twin sister, and she has absolutely no plans to better her life.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I really could not find a redeeming quality in Pippin. She was so unsupportive and judgmental of everyone around her. Her sister's fiance was serious and Pippin just could not imagine how her sister could like her. She's barely met her and she's already calling her a robot and believes the relationship will end in a matter of days.

The pacing also didn't work for me. The engagement happened at around 20%, but we already knew about it from the synopsis. The book could have been better if the story started with it, but instead, we had to read about Pippin making lasagna for a whole chapter. The romance lacked depth and the ending felt very rushed. I feel like the book was more about the sister's relationship and Pippin growing up than about her and Toby.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond just it’s obvious hat tips to Father of the Bride, Sister of the Bride reminded me of 1990s romantic comedies, in the best way. It’s a quick read, and while it certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, the banter and chemistry between Pippin and Toby more than makes up for any familiar storytelling and plot.

I love the queer rep (the Bride in question is Pippin’s twin sister Polly, who is marrying investment banker Mackenzie after the pair met and had a whirlwind romance in London), and the “he falls first” is a trope I always love. The story hums along - there could be some slowing down and developing some of the restaurant backstory, but there is something to be said for a quick & snappy read!

4 stars for the warm and fuzzy feeling I got by the end. Thanks to NetGalley and Yellow House Media for the ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley, author, and publisher for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. First, how cute is that artwork on this book! I saw it it and it was just so charming and delightful. I found the inside of the book to be equally charming and fun. This book is a friend- lovers and I would read again! 3.7 out of 5 stars.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was delighted to be approved just a few days ago. I honestly almost gave up hope of getting this book, and it came at the right time. I've read Lauren Morrill's YA books and found them delightful. It was no surprise that I loved the main characters and 2ndary characters in this adult friends to lovers romance.

If you ever saw Father of The Bride , you might recognize some similar moments and themes, but Morrill changes things up to be more modern and original. Polly and Pippin are twins, and while Polly just finished a fellowship in London, she comes home to Boston, engaged to her girlfriend MacKenzie, who was consulting in London with forensic accounting or computer science thing for a bank. Pippin is our main female love interest, whose best friend Toby just came back to Boston to begin his residency as an ER doctor. It was supposed to picture him as S1 ER George Clooney with curls. There is obvious chemistry between the two right away, even with his dad jokes.

I understand why Pippin is afraid to mess with the friendship. Her past dating other guys has not worked out. She helps run the family restaurant, Marino's, an Italian restaurant in Beacon Hill. Ever since her dad suddenly died when she started college, Pippin has been managing the restaurant and living with her family including her mom and Nonna and twin sister, after she came home from working on her PhD in art history.

Things start getting interesting after Polly asks her twin to help plan her wedding, and her mom announces plans to sell the building and restaurant. Pippin leans on Toby for support and has a hard time resisting her attraction and feelings for him. If only she could get out of her own way and admit her feelings were more than platonic. I loved the movie and tv references with When Harry Met Sally, The Wedding Singer, medical TV dramas Grey's Anatomy. That tied in with Toby wearing scrubs as an ER doctor. I was picturing Luigi Sottile from Chicago Med for Toby, actually. (He plays Dean Archer's son Sean)

This book was nearly perfect. I just had a little issue with how immature Pippin acted in the wedding gown boutique. She apologized to her twin, but still.

4.5/5☆ TW for grief over losing a parent. R rated for racy scenes and language (didn't bother me, but author usually writes YA, so be aware) release date 9/12/23.

Gosh I absolutely ate this book up. I adore Pippin and Toby. I enjoyed the pace of the book. And the first spicy scene, I too would be like Pippin on that following week. This is definitely a “He Fell First but She Fell Harder” book for me and I loved it.

I give this book a solid 4.5. I'll even push it to a 5 star actually.

Reading this felt like watching a romcom. It was fuzzy, warm, funny, adorable, sweet, left me on the edge of my seat and had me blushing giggling and kicking my feet from start to finish.

— For someone who doesn’t do well with change, Pippin Marino sure is dealing with a lot of it. First her twin sister returns from Europe with a fiancé and a plea for Pippin to plan the wedding. Then her mom announces plans to sell the 100 year old family restaurant that Pippin has been running since her father died.

But at least there’s one good development in Pippin’s life. Her best friend has Toby Sullivan surprised her by moving back to Boston. Having him back is the one bright spot amidst her summer of panic, especially when he offers to help her plan the wedding.

But then one kiss changes everything. —

Pippin is incredible. The fact the she freaks out over everything is relatable and we can't even fault her either - she has entire life imploding around her and it's too much to handle at once.
Sure, sometimes I felt like getting inside the book and hitting her on the head with a frying pan to see if she regained her senses. However, I'm willing to bet that's exactly how my friends feel when I'm having my own breakdowns so who am I to judge really?!
Watching her slowly realize hear feelings for Toby was so incredibly beautiful in a way. It was sweet and I had my heart in my hands waiting for that pin to drop and her to understand.

And Toby. Oh God, Toby!!! What a huge golden retriever. An actual cinnamon roll. He's so sweet, soft, calm, hot as sin, a doctor and FUNNY! Literally a 10/10. He climbed up the steps to top3 favorite book boyfriends real fast. I folded as soon as he showed up and couldn't prevent falling for that 6 foot something softie/hottie even if I tried. The way he's the one person who truly knows how to help Pips, how to calm her down, and that deeply knows her completely is so cute. I don't even have words...

Literally the only flaw I could point at this book would be the fact we don't have a dual POV. There were some specific scenes where I would give EVERYTHING to have Toby's POV. To find out more about him and know what was going through his head and what he was thinking.

I look forward to read more books from this author because I've been clearly missing out!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

I had a great time read this Book. The characters are amazing and the storyline amazingly entertaining with plenty of steam and twists to satisfy my reading needs. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This book is very cute and envokes all the feelings that a good Romance book should. I love the friends to lovers trope in this book and I think it was written very well. The plot is heavily centered around family problems and situations that affect the main character.I rate this book a four out of five stars becuase although I did enjoy it there was not an element that pushed it over the edge to five stars. Overall this was a throughly engaging book and a great read!

Sister of the Bride is a remarkably cute friends-to-lovers contemporary romance. We get a full steamy scene, with a few not-quite-all-the-way scenes thrown in for good measure. There’s dirty jokes, and heavy references to ~adult~ things that I fully appreciated.

I LOVE BOOKS THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M WATCHING A ROMCOM!! ROMCOMS ARE BACK!!!!

For someone who doesn’t do well with change, Pippin Marino sure is dealing with a lot of it. First her twin sister returns from Europe with a fiancé and a plea for Pippin to plan the wedding. Then her mom announces plans to sell the 100 year old family restaurant that Pippin has been running since her father died.

But at least there’s one good development in Pippin’s life. Her best friend has Toby Sullivan surprised her by moving back to Boston. Having him back is the one bright spot amidst her summer of panic, especially when he offers to help her plan the wedding.

But then one kiss changes everything.

I loved how real the characters were in this one - flaws and all. Pippin's reaction to everything was quite bad at first, but she realizes it and makes amends. Can't really blame her though as everything in her life was imploding(but I also loved how Mackenzie's mom Nora gave her a reality check too). And as someone who also hated change, I found her relatable. I loved how snarky she was(even when she's being judgemental😂). Her relationship with her family especially her sister - Polly is amazing! It takes a while for her to warm up to Polly's fiance Mackenzie, but she does begin to appreciate her slowly too!

On the other hand she's always been the closest with her best friend Toby and I loved the slow progression from friends to lovers here! It's not one of my favorite tropes but it worked out so well in this one and it felt so believable! Also, we could truly feel how close they were even if we didn't have many recollections of their past because the connection is always present. So, I was rooting for these two to end up together and waiting for Pip to get over her fears and face her feelings for him.

Toby is such a cinnamon roll because he's so cute, patient and funny! Those dad jokes at the beginning of every chapter were hilarious and he was always there for her when she needed him!🥺 Also, he's willing to wait for her because he knows her difficulties and he understands that she needs time. And extra points for no third act breakup or drama. I feel like we can't find a romcom book without that these days, so I really appreciated the fact that there wasn't anything like that here 😂

Overall this was a great read that had some amazing and real characters with a really cute romance too!❣️✨

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute read for sure! MC van be a bit annoying at times (worrying over everything) and it takes a while for the feelings to be recognized but a fun read!