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!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Bridesmaid by Cate Quinn due to be published November 4, 2025.

Adrianna Kensington, ultra rich Daddy’s girl, is getting married. Will any of the bridesmaids survive until the wedding?

This was a fast read and very entertaining. The plot evolves with all the wedding preparations, the lives of the bridesmaids, the bride’s family, and a very unconventional forensic analysist, Holly. She, along with her NYPD partner, follow Adrianna and her friends to the mysterious island, Elysium, where the wedding is to take place. Along the way, they investigate the mysterious deaths of a couple of the bridesmaids.

I loved Holly’s character and hope there is another book with her and her partner, Fitzwilliam!

#NetGalley #CateQuinn #TheBridesmaid #SourcebooksLandmark

Cate Quinn's latest novel, "The Bridesmaid", was a keeping the pages turning into the night type of book. It grabbed you from the first page and didn't let go!

I thought this story was amazing! I enjoy a good murder mystery, and the Bridesmaid did not disappoint. Holly, the forensic tech who works with lawyer Simone on the TV show Wrongly Accused, recently had a falling out with her boss. She's as surprised as anyone to find that Simone had been selected as a bridesmaid for the rich and famous Adrianna Kensington, the heiress to the Kensington fortune and former victim of a kidnapping attempt on her 21st birthday. The other bridesmaids, Silky, Ophelia, Petra, and Adrianna's half sister Georgia, are keeping secrets of their own, and all of the action comes to a head right before Adrianna's wedding. Elysium, the Kensington private island, may be more than just a luxury resort, as painful memories from the girls' time at the Kensington Manor School are brought to the forefront as the island was its pioneer site. I thought the pacing was good, with lots of suspense, and enough action to keep the reader interested. The forensic details sprinkled throughout were a nice touch, and I would definitely recommend to fans of thrillers or murder mysteries set in swanky locales.

Thank you NetGalley & SourceBooks for allowing me to read this ARC.
The Bridesmaid by Cate Quinn will be released on November 4th. it was super fun, like reading an episode of your favorite detective TV show.
Forensic attorney Holly Stone goes undercover as a bridesmaid after one of the original bridal party is murdered just weeks before a high-society wedding. As she navigates the world of the ultra-wealthy and clashes with the demanding bride, she uncovers dark secrets among the bridesmaids. With another killer potentially in their midst, Holly must solve the mystery before the wedding turns deadly again. Short chapters, fast paced, a lot of POV, I honestly had a really good time with this one!

First off, my only complaint: it was a bit long-winded. It took longer than I felt necessary for the story to move along and reach its climax. Did that ruin the story? Not at all. But it definitely could have moved a little faster. That being said, I quite enjoyed it. Several times I had thought I figured out the murderer, and I was wrong every time. There were several characters that were not very likeable and easily fit the mold for the murderer. I found the actual murderer to be the last person I suspected, which I appreciated. I don’t like guessing the end before I get there, I love being surprised. The author pulled the story together quite nicely, slowly unraveling the dark history between the bridesmaids. That helped explain a lot of what the story was about, and it was well-timed. I like the main character and would definitely like to see her in another book.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Bridesmaid by Cate Quinn is about an over the top wedding where everyone’s rich, beautiful, and secretly terrible. This book is a twisty and drama filled thriller that had me hooked. Holly Stone is a forensic attorney who has zero interest in this high society nonsense, yet gets roped into going undercover as a bridesmaid after one of the originals ends up dead. Between all the secrets, lies, and backstabbing this book has it all! Highly recommend for your next beach read or weekend binge.