1 star

DNF p. 84

Adrianna Kensington, daughter of fantastically wealthy Leopold Kensington, is getting married. However, a killer is on the loose. One of the bridesmaids is killed and it appears the killer may be another bridesmaid…is it the same person who kidnapped Adrianna years ago? Private forensic attorney Holly Stone is on the case.

Ugh. Is Cate Quinn aware that law enforcement has, you know, rules? Standards? That a private citizen like Holly can’t come in and just start taking evidence and doing whatever she pleases with it? That the evidence would then be useless? That there’s a little thing called chain of custody? That, at the very least, she would have to be hired as a consultant with a contract? Every police officer I saw in this book would be fired immediately.

I hate books like this, where, I guess, we are supposed to pretend like the basic rules of life just don’t exist. What’s next, no gravity? I threw it down in disgust.

I find that I really enjoy Cate Quinn's writing! This doesn't release until November but I was able to score an early copy from NetGalley. So glad I read this! I did figure out a main part of the story pretty early on but it didn't ruin it for me. Reading about PR and how things get twisted just for headlines or images/branding is so foreign to me. Great Book
It kept me invested and fully interested throughout.

2.5-3.0 star
I requested the book based on the cover. (loved it) Rich people drama add twists and turns, I'm interested. The story-line was good, with a strong ending...but....I didn't really like any of the characters especially Holly.
It felt like the author was going down a checklist of boxes and I find that off-putting by at least one star. (just my opinion)

I would be interested in a prequel about the school itself because of all the drama and horror the girls went through. That would make a great fall-vibe read. Overall I think a lot of people will love this book for me it was just "I liked it."

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review The Bridesmaid.

This book was great! It was very well written, the plot was well thought out and I really enjoyed the characters. I love the suspense!

Holly, a forensics scientist, is recruited to solve a murder for one of the most famous socialite families. The family has quite a reputation for trouble and making up the rules as they go. As Holly is investigating the murder of someone she once knew she realizes there is more than meets the eye. Holly has a unique way of viewing crime scene which allows her to pick up on things that other criminal investigators miss. She is hired and given 24 hours to solve the murder of a bridesmaid. While investigating Holly discovers some uncovered dark secrets that the wedding destination has been holding onto for generations. The book will.keep you guessing who the real killer is. The Bridesmaid is a story that makes you wonder what secrets the people closest to you keep. How far will you go to help the ones you love? This is a must read!
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was my second Cate Quinn book (the first being "The Clinic") and I am officially a Cate Quinn fan. She managed to not only tell a story that was twisty and suspenseful but also clear enough to be able to follow the occasional flashback. There was just enough background detail so as to add to the story, instead of convolute the plot. Each character had a reason for being there and added one more layer to this psychological thriller. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark publishing, and the author for the e-ARC.

Officially a Cate Quinn fan. Read "The Clinic" last year and LOVED it (learned things from it that I found fascinating), so decided to take a chance on this book, and it did not disappoint.

"The Bridesmaid" was really well done, and I couldn't put it down! Adrianna Kensington is the heiress to a nightclub fortune and about to get married when one of her bridesmaids is brutally murdered. Enter Holly Stone, an expert-in-forensics-turned-replacement-bridesmaid. Her ties to the murdered bridesmaid drive her to find the killer, but EVERYONE has a secret.

The story was a LITTLE predictable, but again really well done. Holly is a fantastic main character - smart, quirky, and doesn't care what others think of her. A STRONG female lead, and if there's one thing I love in a book, it's a strong female lead.

4.5 stars - Highly recommend - it's dark, it's suspenseful, it's not entirely what you expect. Great read.

A wealthy socialite bride-to-be is not going to have the ultimate wedding that she was planning for. Only a few days before the wedding, one of her bridesmaids is found murdered in a very disturbing way. A replacement bridesmaid, Holly Stone, is brought in to infiltrate the event and see if she can uncover the murderer. But Holly’s not your typical celebrity bridesmaid because she isn’t famous, wealthy, or glamorous. But she has the forensic know-how to catch clues others miss. If she can pull this off, her accomplishment will be as notorious as the wedding itself.

I wasn’t too fond of Holly’s character, but she grew on me as the story progressed. It’s not because she was more goth than glam, but that she was too much so to be believable as an esteemed forensic attorney. Which doesn’t sound like an actual career, nor does it sound right when she says she works freelance as a forensic... what exactly? Isn’t that always handled by law enforcement agencies? I don’t know, I just didn’t think about that too hard and let it spoil the fun of the story.

None of the actual bridesmaids are that appealing either, but I think that’s the point. Because of the circumstances of the crime, it’s determined early on that only a bridesmaid could have killed one of their own, so the readers are given plenty of ammunition as to why each one would be a capable suspect. Much of the plot revolves around a wealthy boarding school they attended as children, but that’s not even alluded to in the blurb, so I can’t give anything away about that.

But the plot becomes pretty intricate, and the author is great with characterization. As the narrative is told from multiple alternating viewpoints, you would think it gets confusing to keep up, but it doesn’t at all. And it’s a really gripping story, not just a breezy, quick read. I enjoyed it so much, I immediately started reading another book by this author and am loving it, too. This author’s writing just clicked with me, especially how she ended the story. I’d definitely recommend!

The Bridesmaid was pretty entertaining with a lot of rich people drama. I enjoyed our main character Holly and the little touch of romance that she had. I do think there were some fairly unbelievable moments in the plot and I don’t think that I’m 100% satisfied with the ending.

A high maintenance bride and bridesmaids that have some sort of past from a boarding school as girls get together on a island after a kidnapping and a murder? What could go wrong? This story had lots of intrigue and kept me glued to it. I suspected multiple people as the killer and still had it wrong. Really loved the characters and dynamics of this one. Highly recommend!!

This is the second book I’ve read by Cate Quinn, the first being The Clinic. I find that I really enjoy Cate’s writing. This is a fast paced novel that starts off right in the trenches of the murder. Adrianna is our bride and one of her bridesmaids has been murdered. Holly, our forensic expert, also happened to know the person who was murdered, now is playing as the new bridesmaid. And is swept away to the island where the wedding is going to take place. Will the murderer be found or will more bodies pile up?
The whole concept of the book I really liked, I thought the execution was done really well and also the pacing kept me entrenched in the book. It will definitely make me come back for more Cate Quinn novels in the future!
Thank you to Sourcebook Landmark for the complementary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Bridesmaid kicks off with a bang and immediately pulls you into its fast-paced, high-stakes world. It has all the makings of a great thriller—secrets, lies, an elite setting, murder, and even a touch of boarding school trauma. Add in the tension of a wedding, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for suspense. The mean girl dynamic adds an extra layer of intrigue to the already volatile mix.

While the plot is fairly predictable at times, the luxurious setting more than makes up for it. Set on a private island and populated by a cast of suspicious characters, it’s impossible not to be captivated by the high society backdrop. The story’s pace keeps you guessing, but I did find myself wishing for a deeper connection to the characters—other than Holly, who is the most fully realized character in the book.

Though I was fully engaged throughout, the book felt rushed toward the end, which left me wanting a bit more depth and resolution. That said, The Bridesmaid is a quick, compelling thriller that delivers the kind of suspense perfect for a binge read by the pool.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This is a fun romp of a mystery that will probably take it directly to production as a TV movie. Holly is a blue haired forensic expert who becomes involved with the mysterious Kensington family after a bridesmaid is found dead. The bridesmaid was Holly’s former beloved boss and mentor, Simone. Despite the fact that they were estranged, Holly decides to find the mysterious murderer, who had perhaps been involved in an earlier kidnapping.

The bride is well portrayed as a stereotypical “Bridezilla”” who is the focus of the mayhem. The characters head for the Kensington private island Elysium for the lavishly planned wedding.

It’s a good read with 2 characters who give it a zing with their mismatched, yet sexual, tension…Holly and policeman Fitzwilliam.

This is certainly a good read, entertaining and mysterious, filled with interesting characters.

Will Holly get follow-up books? She is certainly an interesting enough character! Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

This is my first Cate Quinn and I loved it. Very twisty and dark. This is one invitation I would have had to not accept! Filled with different characters that are likable and some that are not so much. I enjoyed not being able to figure this one out and it kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the character of Holly and would love to see a sequel or spin off with this character.
Thank you NetGalley, Cate and Orion for the ARC. All comments and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! I liked the multiple POV and the spunky protagonist, I hope we get more of Holly in the future. Fun and fast-paced, with lots of red herrings. Just the way I like my novels! I did not guess the ending.

This is the second book by Cate Quinn that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. She is a wonderful writer and her character arcs are great.

I could easily see this story adapted into a TV series—it has all the ingredients: drama, scandals, murder, kidnapping, a high-profile wedding, and an intense investigation. It’s fast-paced and pulls you in almost immediately.

That said, it did feel a bit drawn out at times. Still, it managed to stay engaging and intriguing throughout. Holly, the forensic investigator, brought a fresh perspective to the plot, while Adrianna was the undeniable drama queen of the story.

This was the perfect summer binge read for me. I mean, when a bridesmaid at the wedding of the century is found dead in a gruesome way, how can you not want to dive in? Just go for it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for letting me arc read this. It's a story full of twists and unexpected turns. I did enjoy the story and all of the details. It did seem a bit too drawn out but I still enjoyed it! I definitely did not see the ending coming and it kept me guessing.

Cate Quinn just wrote another great book! The Bridesmaid is available in November. It's going to be a best seller. Pick it up!