Weddings can be high stress times between the couple, their families and friends. Everyone seems to be very opinionated and it can be such a dramatic time. Throw in a bridesmaid with a cancelled wedding, a bridesmaid with baby daddy issues and two bridesmaids who share a man with all the drama, this book was full of drama!

I like a book that centers around the crazy of a wedding, it makes me think back on mine and appreciate the little drama that I did have! It is so intriguing how much stress we put on the one day and how it can possibly affect relationships for a lifetime. I almost wonder why we do the who show anyways!! This book made me think about how heightened it can get and how it can affect way more than just the bride and groom.

This book was a little too zany for me. It just felt a little too over the top and I was disappointed that I called the major plot point way too early. It was a good break from some serious reading, but I definitely rolled my eyes a few times!

Told from the point of view of Jane, bridesmaid for her friend Rachel. Will she get together with her flatmate Freddie? will all the secrets being kept by the other bridesmaids be revealed and will the wedding go ahead?

An entertaining read - another great book from Zara Stoneley!

Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley is one of those books that will make you laugh, cry and shock you all at the same time.

Jane has been dumped by her fiance during her hen party by text. She has moved in with Freddy, one of her high school friends and is barely keeping it together with her crazy boss and her mother demands.
When her best friend Rachel chooses her to be her bridesmaid she accepts although she can't stand Rachel's soon to be husband.What's more Rachel has invited few other high school friends to be bridesmaids as well and Jane has to keep all of them happy.

This is like high school all over again-lies, petty squabbles, deceits, secret crushes, romances and drama.

I enjoyed this laugh out loud, romantic comedy very much. Characters are realistically portrayed, with all good and bad traits. It is so down to earth and heartwarming.
It is so engaging and highly entertaining, A perfect feel good book.

The blurb for sure summarises what you can expect from this new Zara Stoneley book. Definitely the most hilarious, feel-good rom-com of the year. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride because this book has lots of excitement in store for you.
As you might have already guessed, the whole story revolves around the preparations of a wedding. Added to this is the fact that our chief protagonist, Jane, is dumped at her hen do and is sworn off weddings. And other bridesmaids have their own skeletons which are threatening to come out at any moment. Yes, folks! We are going to have our hands full.
There are relationships made and unmade and a heartwarming fairytale ending (talk of true love!) that is both realistic and magical. Cosy and comforting, 'Bridesmaids' is the perfect gem for summer holidays with the most charming romantic mix -- a cute kitten and a cute guy along with it. Sigh!

4.5 STARS

Bridesmaids is a funny story about friendship and love!

I knew right from the first chapter this was going to be a book I enjoyed. Jane is absolutely hilarious. It begins she says with a lie she told her best friend, Rachel. You see, Rachel, is getting married, and Jane isn’t really about marriage these days. Her ex-fiance dumped her by text while she was at her hen party. However, she adores Rachel, so she decides to keep her honest opinion to herself even though Jane isn’t Rachel’s fiance’s biggest fan AT ALL!!! This is the beginning of a book full of humor, love, friendship, and secrets...and maybe betrayal! It culminates in the best ending I have come across in quite a while.

Jane, Rachel, Sally, Beth, and Maddie have been friends since they were young. Life has taken them all in different directions except Jane and Rachel. They have remained close. Each woman is very different. Rachel is the sweetheart! She has the biggest heart, forgiving others for the wrongs they have done. Beth is a single mother who is hiding a GIGANTIC secret. She won’t divulge who the father is. Maddie thought she had her life planned out when she was young, but she discovers she doesn’t. Sally is the one who has to be in control, and by the way, Maddie and Sally are in love with the same man. He is married to one of them. As you can imagine, this is a book filled with drama, yet there is also quite a bit of laughter as well. Our heroine, Jane, is the one who holds these women together. She has a problem of her own...she may be falling for her flatmate. All your questions will be answered, and all their secrets will be revealed. Read on to find out how it all pans out!

Not only is this a romantic comedy, but it’s about friendship and how it changes over the years. These women knew each other like no one else when they were young, and now, each have their own secrets they are keeping from one another. Can they find that special bond between them again? This is a gem of a book about love, the changes life throws at you, and lasting friendship!!!!

Those with children, or those who have been around children, know that they are OUTSTANDING at doing things to shock people. Now, there is a little boy in this book who goes by the name of Joe. He sounds a cutie to be honest, and that was before he timed something perfectly!

Have you ever watched the rom-com 'Bridesmaids'? Remember the scene where the characters are in an extremely posh, extremely expensive wedding dress shop when suddenly their stomachs make sounds to be people with IBS to shame. You know the one I'm on about? Yeah, that's the one...the one where you should have just put your carrot stick in your hummus for your mid movie snack**. Don't fret, baby Joe didn't do what THEY did - there was only one of him, obviously. However, his perfectly timed, similar incident in a similar shop had me bursting out laughing screeching, 'GO JOE!'. Let's just say that karma is a bitch, and so is a particular character - he got her right where it hurt!!

** carrot stick? Try family sized bar of chocolate....

Apologies...I veered off a little bit...

Be prepared for mega amounts of drama in this book. Every single character has an entire cemetery of skeletons in their closets, with some of them waiting to do more damage than others. The main character, Jane, has a huge heart and is willing to do anything for anyone, even if it makes her upset or makes her run around like a blue bottomed fly. She's had her heart broken big time and is now afraid to put her heart back out there in case it happens again. The perfect person to be a bridesmaid for her best friends wedding!!!!!!!!!

I adored Jane's character, even if she annoyed me at times due to her stirring the pot and refusing to set the record straight instead of turning a situation into a 'he said she said'. Granted, she wasn't the only one to do that and yes, I won't lie, it did annoy me because they were grown adults who were caught up in playground antics which could have easily have been rectified if they, surprisingly enough, actually spoke to each other! Too easy though, I know. As for her roommate, Freddie - I want one....

Beth, one of Jane's old school friends, is an absolute legend. Omg. She is the person who will see someone looking like they have just been dragged through a hedge backwards, and tell them exactly that. Yes, I know that people like that get people's backs up because of the, erm, bluntness of their words (I may or may not be speaking from experience), but wouldn't you rather honesty than fakery? Again, yes, I do know that there is a way of saying things. Unfortunately I haven't worked that out myself yet!!!

If you think that 'Bridesmaids' is going to be a sickly sweet, candy floss type of read due to the pretty in pink cover, then you will be most mistaken. I don't do candy floss reads at all, and I can safely say that Zara Stoneley's new book is anything BUT! It's hilarious. It's down to Earth. It's modern. It's romantic in the 'staring you in the face' sort of way. It's relatable. It's cosy. It is a bloody brilliant book which puts relationships of all shapes and sizes to the test, proving that if they're true and meant to me, any relationship or friendship will stand the test of time.

I loved how relaxed and engaging Zara Stoneley's story telling was, speaking to her readers as though they were best buddies instead of the ones on the other side of the paper. This author constantly surprises me with each book she produces, putting romance in the spotlight in an extremely realistic, relatable way which even makes the most UN-romantic of people, IE me, want to grab a piece of the action! And of the cake....

A fun, bubbly, entertaining romcom from Zara Stoneley. A bride, a group of bridesmaids and a wedding but a whole pile of secrets - what could possibly go wrong? Things, of course, do - but it's a fun ride and friendship prevails overall. Sweet, amusing and perfect escapism.

The fabulous Zara Stoneley is back with a captivating, effervescent and irrepressible romantic comedy that has got unputdownable written all over it: Bridesmaids.

Jane thought that she had life sorted: she was going to marry the love of her life, had a job she absolutely adored which allowed her to indulge in her passion for photography and was destined for a lifetime of domestic bliss and marital harmony – until things went belly up during her hen night. Her fiance Andy chose that very moment to tell her he didn’t see a future for them, leaving her alone, humiliated and with her entire life in tatters. All her hopes and dreams for the future had been smashed into a million tiny pieces, however, luckily for Jane she has her good friend Rachel by her side to help her pick herself up, dust herself off and show her that this is merely a bump in the road and that happiness can be within reach – even when you’ve been dumped and your social media influencer boss is driving you potty with her incessant demands, diva tantrums and lack of any sense whatsoever!

Things have certainly got better for Jane in the last couple of months. Her boss is still a nightmare with an Instagram filter, but she cannot imagine doing any other job, she has managed to find a flat share with an old friend from school, the gentle, charming and completely gorgeous Freddy and she is slowly but surely getting on with her life and enjoying herself as a single woman. Rachel had helped her to put herself back together and she would do absolutely anything for her – even be a bridesmaid for her wedding when being surrounded by wedding cake, confetti and tulle is Jane’s idea of hell. Still, Rachel was always there for her and Jane would not miss her wedding for anything – if even if she has some reservations about her best friend’s groom to be!

Rachel’s other bridesmaids have got their own problems to contend with. Maddie and Sally do not have anything in common except that they are hopelessly in love with the same man! Beth has just had a baby, but she is keeping mum about her baby daddy. Is the father someone with whom she had a one night stand? Or someone who is much closer to home? And then there is Rachel’s intended bridegroom who isn’t the Prince Charming she thinks he is…

Can the bridesmaids manage to persuade Rachel that she is about to marry a prized rat? Will they stop the wedding? Or will they all end up finding their own happy endings?

Zara Stoneley is on top from with Bridesmaids. Funny, heartwarming, emotional and sparkling with humour, charm, heart and warmth, Bridesmaids is a tale of friendships, second chances, fresh starts and moving on that will resonate and delight readers everywhere. Zara Stoneley has this wonderful ability to make readers roar with laughter on one page and cry on another and Bridesmaids is certainly no exception.

Fun, fabulous and feel-good, Bridesmaids is a compulsively readable romantic read from one of the best writers in the business: Zara Stoneley.

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APRIL 28, 2019 BY KATEEDIT

Zara Stoneley: Bridesmaids


Review:

If all weddings were like Rachel’s, I might be encouraged to attend them more often! Bridesmaids is full of drama, and I was never sure in which direction events would take the reader. I was eager to find out if Rachel would get married without a hitch and was hooked until the end following every kiss, argument and unfortunate incident!

Bridesmaids is narrated by Rachel’s Maid Of Honour, Jane, and Stoneley’s writing helped me to feel as if I was talking to my own best friend. I laughed with her and cried with her and felt angry as she did. I was able to feel involved in her circle of friends and I also enjoyed meeting her parents, and of course  Freddie. The characters are so well drawn that it is impossible not to respond to them and be drawn into their narrative.

Although Bridesmaids is full of humour, it is also an astute look at how friendships and romantic relationships develop over time. As Jane often acts as confidante to the group  the reader is also privy to many of their secrets, so the themes of infidelity  parenting and marriage breakdown are explored. I loved how this was done sensitively so that I was able to think about my own feelings as the subjects were raised.

Favorite Quotes:

He has been ‘he who must not be named’ for quite a while now. Mainly because hearing his name led either to an irrational outburst (from me), featuring lots of swear words, and descriptions about what I’d like to do to various parts of his anatomy, or, and this was so much worse, horrible, snot-inducing tears. Don’t you hate it when that happens, when you end up inside out and can’t stop?

I cut his head off all my photos. And a triangle out of the crotch area. And looked if Amazon Prime supplied Voodoo Dolls. They do, just in case you need to know for future reference.

Sally was the girl at school who either already had it all or was damned well going to get it soon. You know the type? You get that longed for pony, next minute she’s got a unicorn. A pink one, that makes dreams come true and farts rainbows.

I’m more Krispy Kreme doughnuts than quinoa, if you know what I mean. And most of that healthy stuff just seems to get stuck in my teeth and annoy me for the rest of the day. Whoever thought a rice cake was a good idea? I mean, who dreamt that the words rice and cake should even be in the same sentence?

‘But I’ll get over it. Plenty more fish in the sea,’ she raises an eyebrow, ‘just not that particular sprat.


My Review:

My perusal of this cleverly crafted tale was rudely interrupted by occasional outbreaks of giggle-snorts and one particularly vivid scene involving a sick infant in a bridal shop that erupted in spasms of laughter that ceased all further reading until normal respirations and clear vision was regained. Ms. Stoneley’s quirky cast of characters and engaging storylines hit all feels in a highly entertaining and pleasantly appealing manner. This was a fun read with a badly behaved groom, poorly kept secrets, and reams of sharp wit and clever snark. A new addition to my Brit word list is bint, which Mr. Google tells me is derogatory (and possibly offensive) slang for a female in the UK but is also used as a cheeky form of endearment in Western Sydney.

What do you think would happen if you got a group of girls together from high school to be your bridesmaids? Girls that have not seen each other in years. That may technically be a bit of frenemies? You guessed it, you get an entertaining read that will have you literally laughing out loud!


Jane has been a bit down on her luck lately. She just got dumped the night of her hen party by her fiancee Andy via text! He just wasn't feeling it. She struggles to find a flat she can afford on her own and finds that is going to be next to impossible. So she ends up moving in with the self proclaimed geek from high school Freddie. Except Freddie is no longer a geek. Unfortunately for Jane he is in love with some mystery girl. Her boss is literally a nightmare who thinks Jane is at her beck and call. Just when it couldn't get worse, her best friend Rachael springs it on her that she is getting married and wants Jane to be a bridesmaid! Add to the equation that Jane despises Rachael's soon to be husband!


Oh my gosh this had me gasping at the crazy antics these girls were capable of. The lies, deceit and secrets kept among themselves was shocking. It was like high school all over again! As the big day nears Jane is struggling to keep it together. These other bridesmaids put the D in drama! As Rachael's BFF Jane is expected to rein them all in and keep the peace.


Does the perfect wedding go off without a hitch? Did the girls manage to come together to make it a perfect day for Rachael? A delightful rom com that will have you smiling and laughing until the very end! Adorable, fun and zany! You are sure to love this one!


I am so excited that I got to come along on this blog tour! This is my first book by Zara Stoneley and you can sign me up as a fan. Her light, fun, quick and hilarious book brought a smile to my face.

Loved this one, exactly what I needed to read! I read this on a flight to the US and @zarastoneley draws you in immediately, sparking curiousity about what these secrets are.

There is so much to like about this book, a love story, humour, relatable situations, heartbreak...it has it all.

The story centres around Jane as she takes on the role of being bridesmaid to her best friend, Rachel. Jane doesn't have the best history with relationships but I won't spoil anything there.
This reminds me of so many situations I have been in and heard about from friends. Weddings bring together people who were maybe friends years ago, or complete strangers who all have a single friend in common...both of which can be awkward situations to navigate!

There are a lot of twists and turns to keep up with, and quite a lot of characters to get to know. I worked out some of the twists ahead of time...but there are some great ones that I didn't see coming!! Solid novel that I'll be recommending to everyone! Thank you to @netgalley and @harperimpulse for the opportunity to review
#libraryatsevern #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #igreads #bookshelf #goodreads #netgalley #bridesmaids

Anyone who’s ever been involved in planning a wedding, whether it’s their own, or a friend or family member’s, knows that the final product (everything and everyone looking beautiful, smiles all around, hugs and kisses etc. etc.) certainly doesn’t tell the full story! Not by a long shot!

Bridesmaids is the story of Rachel’s journey from engagement … to marriage, told from the POV of her best friend Jane. It involves the re-emergence of 3 of their old high-school friends, and a brand new set of problems, secrets, complexities, issues, and did I mention secrets … and complexities? So if Jane thought that navigating their teenage friendships was difficult, this is going to take it all to a whole new level!

To add some extra excitement into the mix (like she needs it), Rach’s announcement of her engagement didn’t exactly come at the best time. Jane was recently dumped by her own fiance … on her hen night!! She’s had to move out of their apartment and is now in a flat-share with Freddie – the school geek, who isn’t actually such a geek any more and she’s working for an absolute witch of a boss. To say that her self-esteem has taken a bit of a knock would be a slight understatement.

Stoneley’s writing is light and oh, so very funny. She’s wry and witty and clever in all the right places and describes every situation with such humour that even some of the scenes that really aren’t so amusing are softened with just the right tone, and the perfect timing. You can almost picture it all on screen in front of you. This would translate so well onto film, and I’d definitely go and see it.

I could really identify with the characters here and I think every reader will be able to do the same. Rachel’s a bit of a Bridezilla, and while Jane is determined not to let her best friend down, Rachel doesn’t really strike me as the type to offer anyone else the same courtesy. This is her wedding and she’s damn sure everyone’s going to remember that!

There are surprises, disasters, twists galore and nothing goes according to plan. Jane wishes every single (yes, she reminds herself that she’s single) day that she didn’t have to go through with all of this, but then reminds herself again that Rach is her very best friend. But how on earth will this actually all end? She just can’t see how it’s all going to work out, because, did I mention the secrets … and the complexities?!

This is a funny book with some really inspired, laugh-out-loud moments. I can’t wait to read some of Zara Stoneley’s other books, and I give this one 4 confetti-covered stars!

I have given Bridesmaids FOUR stars!



This is the second book I have read by Zara Stoneley and she does not disappoint!



Bridesmaids was so funny and entertaining and had me laughing right from the very beginning. I mean what could possibly go wrong when you get a group of friends together, that haven't seen each other since high school? Well, everything that's what and Zara captured the tone of this story, perfectly!! Her writing is flawless. It was witty and so cleverly written that I couldn't put it down, it was absolutely hilarious and well worthy of a read!

Jane and Rachel have been best friends since childhood and when Rachel gets engaged and asks her to be one of her bridesmaid, Jane can’t say no, even if she doesn’t really like or trust the groom. Getting their high school gang back together for the wedding, Jane wants to make sure that everything goes smoothly so she has to make sure that Sally and Maddie don’t fight over the man they are both in love with, while trying to figure out who is the father of Beth’s baby. At the same time, she has to deal with her real and complicated feelings for her flatmate Freddie and screen the calls from her crazy boss.

Jane is such an engaging and funny character. Between dress fittings, hen parties, secrets, jealousy, suspicious fatherhood, and past and new loves, Jane gets herself in hilarious situations that made me laugh out loud page after page.

Once again, Zara Stoneley didn’t disappoint. BRIDESMAIDS is an absolute must-read, an heart-warming, refreshing, and hilarious novel about love and friendship with a beautiful and adorable cover and entertaining characters that you can’t help but adore.

I am so excited to be able to share with you my review for the latest gem the brilliant Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley. I loved The Wedding Date which I read this time last year and was so excited to hear she had another book coming out.
If you are looking for a light hearted read then this is the book for you, it is full of love, laughter and some rather large secrets. I devoured this book in just a couple of short days as once I had started reading I wanted to know what was going to come next and whether or not Jane would follow her head or her heart in all the decisions she kept needing to make.
A brilliant story about friendship and how sometimes what might be the right decision is the hardest decision to make where your closest friends are involved. As this story progresses you begin to realise that there are more secrets coming out of the woodwork and as each person confides in someone else in the group confusion and doubt begins to creep in. As I got further into the story, I found it harder and harder to put down as I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I love the characters that Zara Stoneley creates, she describes them in such a way that they feel like they are your best friends as you are reading about their latest dilemmas and you hang on each word to see what comes next. Another brilliant read from the extremely talented Zara Stoneley and I can't wait to see what comes next.

I must admit, I had such a fun time reading Bridesmaids. I wasn’t sure at first what I was getting myself into because I never expected the story would be told in the first person point of view. So, needless to say I was a bit surprised. But, Jane is a fantastic and loveable character who I warmed up to easily and quickly enough. Jane is getting over a breakup with her fiance after being dumped at her hen party via a text message. While feeling sorry for herself and her life, she soon finds out her best friend, Rachel is getting married and Jane has a big secret she has been hiding about Rachel’s fiance Michael. How is jane ever going to get through being a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding?

If you think that Jane has problems? You should meet Rachel’s other friends in the bridal party. Sally is married to maddie’s ex-boyfriend and while Maddie pretends to be okay with it, that couldn’t be any further than the truth. Then there is single Beth with her new baby. Who is the father you ask? Beth’s lips are sealed for now. Four women each with their own set of problems try to help and fix each other often times in hilarious ways. What ensues will warm your heart, make you laugh and wish that each of these women were your friends.

Marriage/Bridesmaid’s themed books have been sprouting up all over the place in the book world recently and while I have enjoyed most of them, Bridesmaids really hit a home run. I can see why Zara Stoneley is a fan favorite. Stoneley easily pulls you into the story and into the lives of four friends through the good times and the bad. While some of the women are at the lowest points in their lives, I can easily see so much character growth as the story progresses and in a way they each find themselves along the way.

Bridesmaids is an uplifting humorous take on life, love and marriage that will leave you laughing and rooting for the girls all the way through. If you love a story you can sink your teeth into and one you will enjoy immensely then you definitely will want to pick up a copy of Bridesmaids. It is definitely well worth the read. Just know it will be hard to put down and you will find yourself reading well into the evening while smiling at the adorableness of this story.

Oh wow wow wow where do I start to describe the sheer joy that is this book? By far my favourite Zara Stoneley creation......this story had me giggling into my kindle with a laugh a minute at the turn of every page.

The writing was warm and witty and welcomed you in like an old friend with a big hug and a glass of prosecco. I truly felt like one of the girls by the closing chapter and was bereft to see the story conclude.

The cast of stellar characters were an all out triumph, I loved each and every one for different reasons and felt they worked together to create a star studded story filled with madcap antics and a love rat or two thrown in for good measure.

Jane was a roaring success as far as characters go. Her life has certainly been anything but plain sailing and I was torn between wanting to give her a hug or shake her to wake her up to the life and love passing her by. But how could you not instantly take to her scatty, well meaning ways......and let's just say the shoe incident has shot her right up into my top ten favourite character list #crying

Well it's a standing ovation from me for this gem of a read. I could go on and on about how much I love this book but it's much easier to simply say download it now...... you're wasting precious moments that could be spent chuckling into the pages of this incredible story by delaying a second longer. Well done Zara, another roaring success in my eyes.

This is the first book I've read by Zara Stoneley, and I have to say... I loved it! Fun, flirty and fabulous - the perfect elements for the perfect light-hearted read.

Dumped on her own hen night, Jane is understandably a bit anti-weddings. But not as anti as everyone around her thinks she is, she has her own reasons for casting doubt when her best friend announces The Wedding of All Weddings.

Add to that some friends Jane hasn't seen since school - not all of whom were bosom buddies - and the friends' reunion isn't without it's own issues... the girl who had everything but the boy, now has the boy who was everything to the other girl, and the girl who was the life and soul of the party is keeping her lips sealed about the father of her baby - except secrets have a way of coming out.
A series of misunderstandings, assumptions and accusations lead Jane, the panicky chief bridesmaid, a merry dance as she tries to ensure everything runs smoothly for her friend.

It's a wonderful mix of characters and their secrets and lies. Jane is wonderful; despite her own heartbreak she is determined to do the best for her friend but is torn between telling her the truth and protecting her from it.

Then we have the husband-to-be - has he changed for the better? And the ex-husband-to-be is back on the scene... and the perfect but spiky Sally who is determined to hang on to her man, but is he really hers to keep?

And to complicate matters, there is Jane's other best friend, flatmate Freddie, who is actually rather hot. But Jane is scared of risking that friendship by taking anything further.

Bridesmaids is a fun, frenzied, chaotic read which sweeps the reader along on a wave of hilarious situations and misunderstandings.

Rich, fruity layers with beautiful, sweet icing on top, it's the perfect book version of a wedding cake!

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and @rararesources for the advanced reading copy.

Whoever wrote the blurb should be fired.

What you got from the blurb: four -or five- friends in a journey to make one of them have the best wedding ever. I imagined something like changing povs, fun times, the general chicklit-ness and romance.

What you <i>actually</i> got: single POV from the protagonist with a lot (and I mean A LOT) on her plate, cameos from her friends, a confusing relationship with her roommate, and a string of douches.

It did not mean that it was bad. It was just something I did not expect. And because the blurb put several other characters before our protagonist, I had to went back and check did I get the right book lol.

But overall, the book was pretty meh for me.
<img src="http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/meh2.gif"/>

I do like the friendship between Jane and Rachel, but I was not sold on how Jane and her man happened. And when I mentioned Jane had a lot on her plate, yeah, this book was like that.

In the other hand, I can see how they could make a tv movie from this. I'd watch it.

<i>(I received a digital ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)</i>