Sophie Breeze is a bridesmaid for hire. She’s not a wedding planner, but more like a PA for the bride and she’s really good at her job. But can she survive the ultimate Bridezilla who is determined for her to quit? I LOVED this book. It has the perfect combination of friendship, love, and humor. It reads quickly and you fall in love with all the characters.

This a unique and adorable work of women’s fiction with a touch of romance! Sophie Breeze provides professional bridesmaid services, offering brides help with wedding planning as well as a reliable shoulder to lean on. Her life is hilariously disrupted when she is hired to assist with a royal wedding involving a bride who will do nearly anything to get rid of her. I felt such joy reading this book as I laughed out loud at the many outrageous scenarios in which Sophie finds herself. Devoted and witty, Sophie is a delightfully complex character with her own set of quirks. I was glad the novel primarily focused on her and her relationship with Cordelia (AKA the ultimate bridezilla), rather than over-emphasizing romance. This book is perfectly balanced and it has all the makings of a perfect escape read that you just can’t help but enjoy. Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you.

What a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This book was smart. Funny. Brilliant! Amazing characters. And the writing was on point!
Just really enjoyed reading this! Thanks NetGalley publishers and author!

The Secret Bridesmaid was a thoroughly amusing and fun romp. The characters were rich enough, but everything stayed relatively light. The bridesmaid duties vignette at the end of each chapter frequently made me snort-laugh, and I ended up staying up past my bedtime to finish it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. I loved this fun and fresh story of friendship and love. Sophie is a professional bridesmaid in London and has been hired for the biggest society wedding of the year. The bride Cordelia is a nightmare though and Sophie is developing feelings for her older brother. Watching her keep it all together is entertaining and ultimately sweet.

This book was a ton of fun with some actual LOL moments! I'm a sucker for when authors include fun things at the end of chapters that subtly move along the plot (text conversations, email exchanges, receipts, etc.) and this had some great ones. If you're looking for something light and fun (while a little predictable), this is a great choice! Would also be a great read while on a bachelorette party!

I absolutely loved this book! Sophie was immediately someone I wanted to be friends with. The professional bridesmaid was such a fun concept (I mean, this isn't really a thing...is it?) I loved how she handled all of her brides and especially loved (and laughed out loud!) at all of the email/text correspondence included between Sophie and her brides/vendors.

Cordelia was....awful. But I have to say that I felt for her. It was obvious from things her mom had said that there was a reason for this. And every time Sophie would start to chip away and get closer I was so hoping we were getting somewhere, and then Cordelia closed off again. So many parts had me laughing out loud - between the swan whisperer and their conversation in the shady bar.

Obviously the little bit of romance added in was super sweet! My heart broke for Sophie when it came to Daniel...but she handled it so well - and it forced her out of her comfort zone a little! Then there was Tom...and I loved how it was all handled. I appreciated the focus being on the friendship in this story but obviously fully enjoyed the little bit of romance added in to.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone wanting a light, fun read about friendship and love.

What a fun read! I love a book that sucks me in. It was happy, upbeat, and positive. The writing was quick paced and well written. What a cool job to be a secret bridesmaid and make weddings a happy and easy day for brides! The main character is fun and quirky. You just want her to have her happy ending throughout the entire book. She’s wholesome and the writing brings such positivity. The story was cute, if predictable. I would definitely suggest this as a beach or pool side read.

Sophie is great. I’d love to have her job but to work with Lady Cordila’s daughter I’d have to take a hard pass on that one. You can guess what happens but you won’t believe what she goes through to get the brides down to the altar. The red hair request was a little over the top!

I was looking for a fun, light-hearted book to read and this book more than delivered!

Sophie Breeze is a professional bridesmaids helping brides and their families plan the wedding of the bride's dream. Sophie has a natural gift of helping brides stay calm and give them the support they need during the wedding process.. So when Sophie is offered a chance to be a bridesmaid to Lady Cordelia, the daughter of a Marchioness, Sophie thinks she's up for the challenge. But little does Sophie know that this job will push her skills as a bridesmaid to the limit.

There were so many laugh out loud and sweet moments throughout the book. Katy did a fantastic job of crafting charming and endearing characters that you can't help but love. And even though there are some romance elements to the book, at it's core the book is about friendship and self-love.

If you're looking for a fun, upbeat and wildly entertaining book, I can't recommend this book enough.

The Secret Bridesmaid will be released on May 4, 2021.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

A special thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sophie Breeze has the coolest job on the planet. She's professional bridesmaid, where she aims to support the bride, keep the day organized and calm, all while convincing everyone at the wedding that she's been a friend much longer than expected. Most brides are ecstatic with her services, but not Lady Cordelia Swann, who makes it her life's goal to get Sophie to quit.

The Secret Bridesmaid is fun and entertaining! The plot is super unique...I really loved Sophie's job and all of the hilarious emails and texts with other brides at the end of chapters. The book is definitely more chick-lit than romance, but I liked the relationships between Tom and Sophie. I also loved the British phrases and words; it really made me miss London!

While I really disliked Cordelia at the beginning, I found myself slowly rooting for her, especially with the arrival of her frenemie Annabelle. Cordelia is super surprising, revealing layers as she becomes more comfortable around Sophie. And the hoops she makes Sophie jump through are beyond. I loved all the antics they got into.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read that I enjoyed!

This is the best book that I have read in ages! Witty, romantic, sweet, everything I needed! I have never read or heard of this author, however, she now has a huge fan, I do not exaggerate when I say I laughed so hard, I woke my husband up in the middle of the night! I didn't care, it made me happy from the first chapter to the last! I hope there is a follow up with Sophie, the professional bridesmaid, and sexy, handsome, sweet Tom! This would make the best Rom - Com.
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

FIRST IMPRESSION:

I saw this cover and I thought "My God, that's pretty!" Then I read the blurb and I. Was. Sold! Did I just heart "British rom-com"? "The society wedding of the year" and wedding drama? This is starting to sound too good! But no, wait! A "professional bridesmaid"? Oh my God, sign me up because this is everything my chick-lit heart craves for!

THE STORY:

The story is pretty straightforward. We have Sophie, a professional bridesmaid who is damn good at her job, and her opportunity of a lifetime in the form of the biggest wedding in British high society. But see, Sophie gets hired by the bride's mom, not the bride, and this diva bride is dead-set on managing her wedding, no matter how crazy things get. Then there is the fact that Sophie is working under a secret identity (all part of being a professional bridesmaid), pretending to be the bride's friend. But now Sophie is attracted to the hot brother of the bride! Forbidden love, much? The story follows Sophie's HILARIOUS wedding shenanigans as she navigates through the toughest wedding she had orchestrated her whole life!

I loved this book so much that I read it in less than 24 hours! That's roughly 320 pages in a matter of hours, and my normal quota is maybe 100 pages a day since I have to balance life, blogging, studying and everything else in a since day.

In my opinion, this book deserves to be read based on how fun this blurb itself sounds, okay? But that's not how a book review works, so I'm going to give this a fun twist and list my top 5 reasons why you should read this. Note that's 5 reasons for the 5 stars I gave this book!

1. The first book that ever made me tear up laughing!

Katy Birchall nails the humour in this book! Holy crap, the amount of laughter this story forced out of me (because I try to be a stoic reader or people start asking me what's funny *sigh*) is insane! I locked my room door because there was a constant stream of tears running down my face! Guys, if you need a pick-me-up on a rainy day, THIS. IS. IT! Read this and you'll be on cloud nine. Or wheezing. Either way is fine with me.

2. Heartwarming female friendships that kept me spamming my best friend's messages.

I honestly did not expect the theme of female friendships to play a big role since the book was labelled as a rom-com, so this took me by surprise. At the end of this read, I was so nostalgic about all my friends scattered across the globe (perks of studying abroad!) and hating the crap out of the quarantine solitude. And if I ever met these characters in real life (fat chance!), I would cling to them for dear life! On a more serious note, I love that the female friendships were all about growth, family and fun. Also, I miss my friends, okay?

3. Professional. Bridesmaid.

Are you surprised this wasn't the top reason for reading this book? Haha! Can someone tell me if being a professional bridesmaid is a real thing? I love that Sophie wasn't just desperate for a job and had no choice but to be a professional bridesmaid, but she was very passionate about her job! Sophie's passion was so infectious that even I wanted to try my hand at this profession! Also, doesn't hurt that I'm a sucker for weddings!

4. An empowering, boss babe MC.

Running your own business is scary, okay? I get scared just thinking about it. But it was refreshing looking at Sophie's self-employed life. It might be relatable to many people who are working from home these years as well. I loved reading about her at-home work routine and her setting up appointments, getting jobs done. It was just empowering to read about the female MC working throughout the book. It was also so satisfying to watch Sophie grow into her own throughout the story and I was cheering her on till the very end!

5. The romance was there but it didn't cloud the whole story.

Sophie has the hots for the bride's brother, we have already established that. And it's a very sweet, wholesome romance, let me tell you. But it was more of a side-story, than an integral plot point. And I loved that. The love interest is such a sweetheart and I was rooting for them, but I am glad that that wasn't the most important thing in this book. It somehow made the story richer and more wholesome that way. In a way, that made it easier for me to relate to Sophie (probably our workaholic personalities coming out to shine) and I got so invested in Sophie by the end of this read.

FINAL VERDICT:

The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall delivers on all the hilarious wedding mishaps, wholesome female friendships and sweet love that it promises. This book is perfect for anyone who loves a good laugh-out-loud chick-lit novel, or even anyone who's missing their friends during these pandemic days. One of my favourites of 2021 without a doubt!

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Omg. This was REALLY cute. It was not so much a romance as it was a lovely story of friendship. Cordelia was awful, truly at the beginning of the book. It was wonderful to see Sophie and Cordelia bloom into a beautiful friendship. Tom was more on the back burner but it was very sweet. I love to see someone who is protective like Sophie and Cordelia. They were made to be friends. I really enjoyed this one.

This was super funny! I loved it, and the cover is so pretty! Thank you to Netgalley for this arc ebook!

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect rom com fun escapist fiction read I needed to keep my mind off all of the Covid quarantine lockdown insanity! I laughed so hard at many points in the book at Sophie’s exploits! I also learned a lot and when weddings resume l’m definitely going to see if I can find a wedding fixer like Sophie! I can already see the movie version of this in my head. I also loved that while it had a romance subplot, the development of the friendship between Sophie and Cordelia was given more prominence in the story. I loved the evolution of Cordelia’s character from mean girl to a good friend. Definitely will read Katy’s other books now that she’s on my radar! Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to provide my honest feedback on this wonderful book!

Whether one defines this as British chick lit or romantic comedy, it is absolutely delightful and such a pleasure to read. Full of both heart and wildly appealing characters, this story of the developing professional relationship that leads to friendship between Sophie and Lady Cordelia is full of laugh-out-loud moments. But there is also plenty of emotion and a seemingly "off limits" older brother. This is my first book by Katy Birchall but it will certainly not be my last. Highly recommended.

I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was SO SWEET! It was a pretty quick read but truly a wholesome plot! I really loved that the central narrative focused on the development of a female friendship; it was really special to get to read about and really, really well done! Sophie, the main character is wildly likable and relatable which made this book extra fun! Overall, super enjoyable read!

Whatever you are doing stop and read this book!! I laughed, I cried, I smiled often. This story was a quick read about Sophie (Emily) who is a bridesmaid for hire. I was routing for her the whole time and I absolutely loved every moment of her journey. The character development was wonderful as Cordiella pushed her out of her comfort zone. This book had me reading late into the night the finish as I couldn’t put it down. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read.

Whatever you do, do not read this book in public. If you do, and start laughing out loud, well, I warned you. The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall is hilarious. Sophie has found a niche as a bridesmaid for hire. Not a wedding planner with her own vision, a bridesmaid there to support the bride’s vision. It is brilliant really. She poses as a friend of the bride and is there to solve problems and run errands. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime and adopts the proper cover story to fit in. The bride clearly doesn’t want her and Sophie falls for the bride’s brother even though he doesn’t even know her real name. When all heck breaks loose, Sophie picks up the pieces to move on. But it ties up nicely, and everyone is better off in the end.

The “in-between” pieces that give the color of what Sophie’s job is like on a daily basis are the hilarious part. The texts, emails, and group chats are ones you can imagine in your real life, but just a little more over the top.

This is a quick read with characters you love (and some you love to hate). It is a quick read that will leave you smiling in the end.

I am thankful for the electronic copy of this book I received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Fabulously fun chick lit. Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. She secretly handles anything and everything to make a brides wedding day perfect and stress free. A mother hires Sophie for what will be the society wedding of the year, but Lady Cordelia Swann wants nothing to do with her. She is a bridezilla sending Sophie on outrageous errands. This is an enemies to friends story that is sweet and heartwarming.

Sophia is quiet, people pleasing and is successful at not being the center of attention. Cordelia doesn't trust anyone but her fiancé and family. She can't fire Sophia but she can make try to make her quit. The story throws in extra snippets of other wedding adventures to add to the humor or the story. The focus is on female friendship but there is a bit of a romance potential with handsome brother Tom. And his is a viscount!!!

Clean romance with some cursing. Enjoy on a day when you need something to make you laugh and smile. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC ebook in exchange for a honest review.

I really liked this book. The concept was really original and I liked all the characters. It took me a long time to warm up to the main bride, but eventually I came around. Sophie was a great character and I liked all the things she learned about herself throughout the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely LOVED this story.

It is a cute, light hearted, funny story about friendship & a dash of romance that will make you feel warm and giggly throughout (there were multiple times where I actually laughed out loud)!

Sophie is a hired bridesmaid, like a wedding planner, but working undercover as a bridesmaid. She's been hired to help plan the wedding of the year which is set to be no easy task with a bride who is seriously against the idea. Sophie is immediately tested and thrown obscure tasks to try and throw her off, but that doesn't stop her!

The friendship that Cordelia and Sophie build throughout the story is endearing and the true love story here. But, we also get a hint of a future love story to come!

A special thank you to Net Galley & St. Martins press for this advanced copy! The Secret Bridesmaid is on sale May 4th, 2021 and I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy!

What a fun read! Cute, fun and a topic that’s new to me. I can say now I’m intrigued by the thought of a professional bridesmaid. Fast paced enough for one sitting or you can linger with a nice cuppa.

I seriously have a soft spot for a British rom-com read. Add in modern British aristocracy, a professional bridesmaid, crazy hilarious and ridiculous brides, mean girls, a handsome Lord, practical jokes and a stately English home and I’m really sold!

This is a fun, light-hearted and quick read of Sophie and the brides she plans weddings for under the guise of bridesmaid/friend. One of those brides is Lady Cordelia, whose mother, the Marchioness of Meade, has secretly hired Sophie. To put it mildly, the Lady has no intention to warmly welcome Sophie into to her wedding, circle or life. Can Sophie plan and pull of the wedding of Cordelia’s dreams and the society event of the year - all while avoiding all manner of hiccups, a bit of a hunky aristocratic distraction and keeping her secret role under wraps??

This was reminiscent of the movie The Wedding Planner, with the interspersed antics of various bridezillas, combined with a Sophie Kinsella novel, staring a quirky heroine who’s always in a mess, but has a good heart and you can’t help but love. The closed door romance is completely charming, full of misunderstandings, and I just wished for a little more of it. Overall, a fun escapist read!

This book was marketed to me as a romance, and love is certainly at its heart – but more than romantic love, this delightful comedy is mostly about celebrating love between friends. To which I say, yes! more, please!

Sophie Breeze is a professional "secret bridesmaid": for the bride who wants to plan her own wedding but needs a little extra support, Sophie will pose as a friend and lend emotional and organizational support. A starry-eyed romantic, she loves her job – until she's hired by the Marchioness of Meade to be a secret bridesmaid for her daughter, former teenaged It Girl Lady Cordelia Swann. Cordelia's experiences have made her distrust new people, and she pegs Sophie as a social climber right off and is determined to make her quit. Can Sophie break through Cordelia's walls and be the friend she needs in the midst of the high society chaos?

It's always good to see writers taking friendships seriously – because romantic love is far from the only valuable form of love, despite how much attention it gets in pop culture – and this book is chock-full of fantastic female friendships. Despite a rough start… and middle… Sophie and Cordelia eventually forge a true bond as they challenge and fight for each other. And, of course, Sophie's also supported every step of the way by her loyal friends and family – especially her mom and her cousin, Cara (I swear, the text chains between Sophie and Cara sound exactly like me and my bestie). The Secret Bridesmaid is a true exploration and celebration of female friendship, and I walked away wishing I could be part of this funny, sassy (you'll get it when you read it) circle of women.

(But don't worry, romance lovers: there is also a side plot romance with a charming viscount, and it is a lovely addition to the tale.)

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

it was such a fun read! i literally read this book in one sitting. it was funny, cute and adorable. there wasn’t really a lot of a romance here (and i did expect it to have a lot) but the story itself was so great and entertaining that i didn’t even have a problem with that. the growing friendship of sophia&cordelia and their development as characters was absolutely amazing. it’s a book i will definitely recommend. 4 stars.

- arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

London, royalty, weddings galore... what's not to love?! I enjoyed this book and cheered Sophia on through her hijinks (of which they were many, some of which were literally LOL moments). Sweet and fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I’m normally not the type to give 5 stars to a chick lit/romance book, but this one deserves it. It’s so cute, funny, and exactly what I needed.

Sophie Breeze is a professional bridesmaid. She’s hired by brides to play the role of a close friend while keeping all wedding things in check. She handles everything from toilet situations to dressing up as ridiculous characters for her brides’ themed weddings. Sophie meets her match when she’s offered a huge opportunity for the Marchioness of Meade — Lady Victoria’s daughter Cordelia, whose having the biggest wedding of the year in just two months. Cordelia wants nothing to do with Sophie and proclaims it her mission to make her job a living hell. Throw a hot, older brother into the mix and you’ve got yourself a story!

Let me start by saying this book is heavy on the British verbiage, but not enough to where it’s difficult for Americans to read. I did learn that people in the UK call a bachelorette party a “hen.” You learn something new every day!

This is an entertaining, fun, laugh out loud read. I don’t laugh at books very often but this one did it for me. I also found myself checking to make sure no one was looking at me smiling ridiculously for these characters. I love Sophie’s personal development as she learns to take some chances and be “out there.” I even came to love Cordelia and the way she brought Sophie out of her shell. I think these two make up a perfect friendship and really loved that the book focused more on this than the romance side. Their banter is great and I can personally relate to Cordelia’s reactions as being the more unemotional friend. Is it predictable? Yes. Did I care? Nope! I would love to see a sequel with these two. Moral of the story is — 1. Everyone needs a Sophie in their life and 2. Don’t hesitate to add this book to your #tbr.

Thank you Net Galley & St. Martin's for providing a copy to review!

The Secret Bridesmaid took me by complete surprise. A laugh out loud, women’s fictions I loved the glimpses at all the bridezillas (Star Wars wedding an absolute favorite) and watching the friendships blossom between Sophie and Cordelia. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family.

This book follows a professional bridesmaid as she plans the wedding of the season in England. I found it funny and loved how the main character grew through out the book. I really disliked the bride at the beginning of the book but by the end loved her. I really enjoyed this book.

British rom-coms are my kryptonite and this book killed me! There were so many funny moments, endearing moments, and frustrating moments and Sophie persevered through it all. Sophie is the friend you want to have by your side, and Cara is the friend you need to get through the awkward situations. I can’t imagine being a professional bridesmaid but Sophie is a trooper and the conversations with the different brides were hysterical. I’m so happy I got to read this book; it definitely reminded me of the Shopaholic series and that’s a great thing. This is the book you need to read during these crazy times or when you just need a good laugh.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s for the arc.

this was a blast!!!! I really enjoyed the romantic elements, but more than that I appreciated that it was so much MORE than a romance. The plot was super fun and I loved the setting the author built for us. I wish some side characters had been fleshed out just a tiny bit more, but it really didn't impact my enjoyment at all! It really had Sophie Kinsella vibes which is a huge compliment in my eyes :)

Loved it, I love the concept of a secret bridesmaid. I loved the setting and the royal aspect of it all. I fell in love with the characters and the storyline great read!

OMG I loved this book!

Sophie is a "professional" bridesmaid, hired by brides to assist them with wedding details and make sure things go smoothly on their "special day".
The mother of a royal society bride-to-be hires Sophie to work with and for her daughter Cordelia, who is newly engaged. Lady Cordelia is completely against the idea and as a result, incredibly nasty to Sophie, hoping to run her off.
But Sophie wants to keep her client since it would be beneficial for future business so she has to find a way to work with her and eventually agrees to do whatever Cordelia asks, or she has to quit.
The resulting story is really fun, well-written and so engrossing I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down. Birchall does a great job of fleshing out the characters and creating a story so amusing and compelling, I guarantee you'll fall in love with it too!
This book is a do not miss for any rom com lover's book tbr list!

In this classic British rom-com, readers are introduced to serial bridesmaid Sophie Breeze. In fact, Sophie is so good at being a bridesmaid that she has made a successful career out of it. After all, why hire a wedding planner when you can hire Sophie to take care of all your details while posing as your best friend that no one has ever met? In fact, Sophie is so good that she finds herself posing as the friend/bridesmaid of a bride from one of Great Britain's most aristocratic families. Too bad the bride is an utter nightmare, her brother is fabulous but...um, an actual aristocrat, and things are never quite what they seem, even for Sophie. What ensues is a fast-paced, beautifully written story to warm every heart and to prove that love is often unexpected and that friendship can come out of the strangest circumstances. Author Katy Birchall has created a scrumptious read worth picking up again and again.

What a fun book! The Secret Bridesmaid is the tale of Sophie, a bridesmaid for hire, who is working for the royal wedding of the season....and the bride from hell. This book is much more about friendship and personal growth than it is about romance, though it still has that light romantic comedy feel. The characters are all well-written and hilarious. This is the perfect vacation read!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Very witty and engaging! I love that the story was more about friendship than romance for the main character. Of course, having a hunky romantic interest didn't hurt!

In a word, this book is charming. It was a quick read that I finished in one sitting, and the royalty aspect isn't overdone or stuffed down your throat. The bridezilla issues that Sophie handles are humorous and well-written.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, I really did! I will say that reading through some of the text messages was confusing on who was saying what and I wish that was more clear!

I’m pretty sure I found my favorite read #2 for this month!🥰

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid - the girl who is hired by brides to be their right-hand woman, posing as a friend but also working behind the scenes to help plan the perfect wedding. When Sophie is hired by Lady Victoria Marsh for her daughters upcoming wedding, it should be the chance for Sophie to show how talented she is. But Cordelia Swan isn’t an easy bride and Sophie finds herself attracted to Cordelias off limits brother. Many challenges face Sophie as she helps pull off one of the biggest weddings of the year. Can she do it?

I loved this book y’all🥰 I wasn’t really sure about it going in, but I actually really enjoyed it! It wasn’t a straight up romance, but more about friendships, growing and learning what you want. I enjoyed watching Sophie’s journey and the friendship grow between her and Cordelia. When you find your tribe, you know they’ll be there for you no matter what.

This book will be published May 4, 2021 and I think will make the perfect summer (or really any time of year) read! 💙

Rating: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪 / 5

First, I would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Secret Bridesmaid! I hadn't heard much hype about this one previously and it sounded so cute! I really liked it a lot and currently British rom-com is my jam! This had me cracking up and Sophie makes me want to be her best friend! My heart was happy and yours will be too!!

This novel is an engaging rom-com with perfect pace, a lot of humour, and appealing characters. The heroine, Sophie, is a professional bridesmaid--basically an undercover wedding planner who poses as the bride's friend while coordinating events behind the scenes. She has recently been dumped by her longtime boyfriend, but her business is thriving, so much so that her services are requested by the Marchioness of Meade for the wedding of her daughter Cordelia, a well-known socialite. The problem is that Cordelia doesn't want Sophie on the scene, and does everything in her power to make the "bridesmaid" quit. The ridiculous adventures that follow are entertaining and the romance that develops with Cordelia's brother is sweet, but the heart of the story is the friendship that develops between Sophie and Cordelia as the novel progresses. A misunderstanding late in the story leads to a final crisis and endangers that friendship, along with the fond relationships developing between Sophie and the rest of Cordelia's family. The epiphanies that both Sophie and Cordelia experience as the story progresses are believable and touching, the narrative moves along swiftly, the writing sparkles, and the happy ending is satisfying in true rom-com style. The Secret Bridesmaid is romantic comedy at its frothy best.

The Secret Bridesmaid is a laugh out loud romantic comedy by Katy Birchall. It centers around Sophie, who is so good at being a bridesmaid that she has made it her profession. Brides hire her to assume the role of a bridesmaid and Sophie adopts a new name and fake story of how she knows the bride so that no one (even the groom) knows that Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. When she is hired to work a huge society wedding, she thinks this could be the opportunity she needs to push her career to the next level. However, the bride wants nothing to do with Sophie and is determined to make her quit.

I really enjoyed this book! Sophie is an extremely organized type-A protagonist but it was demonstrative of how much she cared about her brides and doing her work well. The tête-à-tête between her and Cordelia was absolutely hilarious and I legitimately laughed out loud during several passages (there's a scene involving swans that was *chefs kiss*).

The romance was sweet but not the focus of the book. The Secret Bridesmaid had more depth than simply following the meet cute, driven apart by a misunderstanding, then reconciling because they can't live without each other rom-com trope.

I loved Sophie's group of friends/support system. They were very relatable characters and I appreciated how genuine these friendships felt. Sophie's cousin Cara was one of my favorite side characters and her consistent presence throughout the book as someone Sophie leans on was reminiscent of close relationships in my own life.

This is a heartwarming story and I give it four stars! I think fans of sweet romantic comedies will love this book. I will definitely read Birchall's future books and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy of The Secret Bridesmaid in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a delightful read!
I was rooting for the hate to love friendship between Sophie and Cordelia. Even though Cordelia starts off acting like a spoiled brat with very few redeeming qualities, you start to like her little by very little, despite her determination to push Sophie away.

Secret Bridesmaid was not a romcom in my opinion, at least not in the way I expected it to be, but that was ok it was so much more than that. It was a comedy and there was some romance but it was more about the friendship between Sophie and Cordelia and the drama around it.

The romantic buildup between Sophie and Cordelia’s dreamy big bro, Tom was a lovely side note to the main storyline. I’m normally all about the sexy, centerstage romance but I didn’t really miss it in this case.

If you’re looking for a witty, female friendship comedy with a side of romance and man swooning, you will absolutely love this.

This review will be posted to The Romantiquarian book blog and Goodreads

Cute, Cute, Cute book! Loved this heartwarming, sweet and very funny story! The characters are lovable, relatable, and will keep you turning page after page. Highly recommend and perfect for a beach read!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the romance and the shenanigans, but I really enjoyed that this was deeper than a typical romance book. The characters were well developed and the plot did not just focus on the cute boy and girl, but on all aspects of what was going on in the girl's life. This book was an easy, cute read. A perfect book to take to the beach this summer. The Secret Bridesmaid touches on the love and support of family, the importance of having the right kind of friends in your life and that Titles do not mean much past introduction. Creative and fun, with a perfect ending. I definitely recommend this book.

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

Well this was a heck of a lot of fun! I couldn’t put it down! Between the antics and banter and secrets and royalty angle, I was engulfed completely in this oh-so-fun read! It has the right amount of heart, self-journey, friendship, love, family, and scandal. Gah. I just can’t stop smiling.

What a joy! I highly recommend to everyone that loves weddings and banter! Pick this up! Pre-order now! Do whatever you need to to read this awesome book.

Weeeeeeee! I feel like I’m floating and this story is the reason.

It’s the perfect book.

Thank you netgalley for the advance copy.

The Secret Bridesmaid was a cute, funny (um, Chewbacca!), easy read, and has great substance. This was my first Katy Birchall book, but I will be sure to check out her others!

The main character, Sophie, loves weddings and loves helping those around her. One day it's suggested that she combine those two things, and she becomes a professional bridesmaid, such a fun and interesting idea! This story makes me want to look into becoming a professional bridesmaid myself (who doesn't want to be someone else and go to lots of weddings!?!)!

I loved the characters, and felt they were well developed. The story focused on one specific wedding, but I loved seeing the shananagans of the other weddings she helped with through text messages and emails throughout the book.

I love that this book didn't just focus on love relationships, but also friendships. I highly recommend this book for those looking for a fun read that's romance, but focuses on relationships in general more than just romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

A Great fun rom.com great characters a unique story about a professional bridesmaid helping brides and finding love.