I requested this one so long ago and sadly I've actually had no desire to pick it up. I cannot comment on this book and therefore, I have given it a middle grading.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Sophie loves being a bridesmaid, so much so that she makes a living at it.
But being a bride’s right hand woman when they don’t want you to be there can be quite difficult.
This is the story of being kind, of staying true to yourself with some sky diving

Now this is being shelved a lot as a romance – and I read it after writing a post about romances set at weddings and being reminded that I had it in the backlog– but I think it’s actually closer to some of the women’s fiction I used to read back in the early 2000s, when it was being called Chick Lit (and although I have problems with that as a phrase, it is a useful descriptor in this case). It has a romantic element, but it’s not at all the main thrust of the plot. This is about Sophie trying to win over the prickliest and most hostile of clients and also figure out who she is after her own long term relationship ended. With lots of humour. Now some of that humour is a little too cringe/embarrassment-based for me, but I often found that with authors like Sophie Kinsella too and I know that other people love it.

That aside, I did really enjoy reading it – I miss books like this, or at least my memories of books like this – where they’re funny and female-centered with some competency porn in there too. It also has an added side of stately homes and rich people problems, so it’s ticking a bunch of my boxes.

Really great fun - having to keep your secret of being a paid bridesmaid - and having to “know” complete strangers. Loved it.

This turned out to be a fun weekend read. I enjoyed the concept of a professional bridesmaid and the contrast between Sophie and Cordelia. I also enjoyed that the focus was more on the female friendship than the romance.

Quirky, fun and easy to read. I loved Sophies character, and really enjoyed this book. Cordelia is the ultimate bridezilla, and really made me laugh.

I was totally absorbed in the antics of these two ladies.

This was the first book I've read from this author and it was just okay. It was hard for me to get into and the characters didn't keep my attention.

I was really excited to read this book and have a lovely romance and even though that is what I got with it being about a wedding I was surprised more that this was more focused on friendship which personally I enjoyed a lot more. I do think that the character development with all the characters was really well done and we could understand why all of them acted the way they did. Not only this but the third act drama made sense and felt so natural a way to break things up between everyone. Having other wedding information in this such as texts and e-mails with different companies was a nice touch to show that Sophie was working with other clients and showing her dedication to her job as well.
This book had me smiling and laughing out loud which was lovely.

This is the first book I have read by Katy but I will be making sure it isn't my last.

I feel as though everyone needs to read a few books like this in their lifetime. This book focuses on female growth and strong female friendships - with the romance element only being a minor side story.

Sophie Breeze is a remarkable character. She is relatable and easy to connect with on many levels. The way the story builds on her growth as a person is portrayed extremely well, and you can see her stepping out of her comfort zone bit by bit as the story progresses. She no longer wants to be that 'boring ex-gf', and boy does she leave that label behind.

The little tasks that Cordelia sets Sophie are ridiculous so to speak. But they are also smart, witty, and funny. I loved Cordelia's and Sophie's friendship so much. I think most people got the wrong impression of Cordelia as they were first introduced to her character, but her development was also executed extremely well and I ended up liking her just as much as Sophie. Watching their friendship blossom was better than the romance element of the book for sure!

The ONE thing that I will say is - the little snippets of emails/texts about other weddings? I know this all relates to Sophie's job and that is a huge part of the story. I just felt as though they were randomly inserted and didn't seem to relate to the story in any way. However, they did give me a chuckle, so I guess you can't complain too much.

Overall, this was a fun, laugh out loud story that has a bold representation of female growth and friendships and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Absolutely adored this book! Chick lit has a tendency to veer into the absurd and oftentimes too-stupid-to-live territory, and this one thank goodness did not. There are absurd moments, but the humour in them carries it through, and helps buffer the rest of the drama happening around (loved the little bridesmaid crisis vignettes at the end of every chapter - more than a chuckle to be had there)
I also enjoyed the depth given to the characters. Both Sophie and Cordelia are people you get to discover throughout, and as the unlikely friendship develops, it is heart-warming and beautiful to watch. The ending was also beautiful (though it did leave me with questions I felt an epilogue would've answered - like, how did Annabel's wedding go? I can't be the only one who wondered!)
I could not put this one down, pulled an all-nighter to get from 8% all the way to the end - totally devoured it, I'm not ashamed to admit
It's not a romance, but this is chick lit and female friendship as it should be done (and as it was when the genre did get started decades ago)

Something a bit different. You don't see many books about wedding planners who masquerade as the brides best friend and a key member of the wedding party.
While unlikely at times, and predictable at others it was still a very enjoyable read.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for approving me for an ARC of this book.

This has been sitting on my NetGalley shelf for a while now and I am kicking myself for leaving it so long to read. I had a free Audible trial so I opted for the audio version and I finished this book in a day!

I was laughing out loud from the beginning, the humour radiated off the pages and kept me smiling the whole way through. I personally loved the mixed media sections at the end of the chapters, these provided a lot of entertainment, particularly the emails about the misprinted t-shirts!

Sophie as the main character was likeable from the start. I found her job fascinating and loved how she handled difficult situations, she has the patience of a saint. When Cordelia walked on the scene it was clear that Sophie was going to have her work cut out for her but I got the feeling there was more to Cordelia’s story than meets the eye. You have to applaud both Sophie and Cordelia for their determination to succeed, their waring certainly added the entertainment factor.

Tom was the swoon-worthy romantic interest we all wanted. His caring nature and ability to bring Sophie out of her shell were endearing, they were a couple you wanted to see together from their first meeting. I also have to applaud Johnathon and his laid-back approach to life. I found his dialogue inputs funny and felt he was genuine. His conversations with Sophie showed how smitten he was with Cordelia and he felt like the hidden gem of the book.

This was an entertaining, amusing and fun-filled read from cover to cover. Katy Birchall has a fantastic sense of humour and I can’t wait to see what she produces next!

4 1/2 ⭐️

The Secret Bridesmaid is a laugh a minute romantic comedy!

I can’t believe I have put this book off for so long as it is brilliant! Who wouldn’t want a perfect and professional bridesmaid 🥰

I absolutely love weddings so hearing some of the crazy things Brides request was just perfect - although Chewbacca was maybe a little extra!!

We definitely need a sequel or novella for “The Secret Bridesmaids Wedding” 💒

A fun summer read... but not unputdownable. I didn't feel like the romance was the central focus - there was a lot more interaction between the bride and the main character, but that's not problematic! It was less a romance novel than a book about friendship, and about finding yourself. Sophie's development was superb. The female characters were richly developed, though I felt Tom was a little two-dimensional. I did find it enjoyable to read a book set in GB. Overall an enjoyable book with a lovely writing style, would recommend giving it a read!

I really enjoyed this book, and loved the wedding theme running throughout. However I must say I don't understand why Sophie needed to be kept a secret, and don't see why that was necessary to the story. It isn't something I felt was properly explained enough for me. I also saw Sophie falling for one of the bride's brothers coming from early on, and felt it rather predicatable.

This actually a romcom which brought me joy! Very easy to read and a great storyline. If you're looking for something ground-breaking, this isn't it, but I can guarantee you'll have a good time anyway!

The Secret Bridesmaid was a heart warming novel of a young women who enjoyed giving everything to her job as a secret bridesmaid, one of her hardest roles takes her on a journey of love, hate and everything in between. A must read!

Funny, sweet and light - The Secret Bridesmaid is a perfect summer read. The concept was original and Sophie was such a likeable main character. And love the cover!

Absolutely loved this book - so funny and entertaining and a really novel storyline! A little predictable at times but overall I really enjoyed it and will look out for more from the same author! Thanks to netgalley for an erc of this lovely book.