I absolutely loved this charming, fun romantic comedy. I sat and read the book all in one go over a nice evening of self pampering. The writing was brilliant, witty and light making sure to cover all of the stress and joys of weddings. Sophie was a relatable character with a slightly unusual job but remained engaging and responsive to all of her brides no matter the situation. The development of her friendship with Cordelia and the celebrations and feelings of togetherness that were interwoven within the book were an absolute delight.

What a fabulous book!
Honestly, I was hooked from the start and had I not been in the midst of a week from hell at school resulting in me falling asleep way too fast, I would have finished this in one sitting!
Sophie has found herself the perfect job - a professional bridesmaid. Each wedding she cultivates a secret identity and pretends to be a close friend of the bride, who will have hired her to make their special day perfect, under the guise of a best friend bridesmaid.
It's all going swimmingly, until she ends up with a job she never thought she would, ever, be considered for: Bridesmaid to Lady Cordelia Swann, a socialite Sophie followed and tried to emulate, as a teen.
But this is one tough cookie of a client, determined to relieve herself of this new 'friend'.
Oh, and it doesn't help that she has a HOT brother who doesn't know her real identity, but is keen to get closer to his sister's 'friend'.
I can't explain how much I enjoyed the whole book. Sophie is an interesting character, who puts the needs of others way ahead of her own. A great quality in a bridesmaid, but not so great for herself.
Cordelia is a character you probably want to slap initially, but she grows on you, then you find yourself with. soft spot for her.
And Tom, the HOT brother? Well, I think I'll be surreptitiously checking out men's forearms more often, now, thanks to Sophie's obsession with his.
Highly recommended, and such fun!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, amusing romance, which I did enjoy reading. The Secret Bridesmaid is a story about exactly that, a secret bridesmaid who is hired to be there for the bride on her big day, no matter what they desire or how badly behaved they are; and believe me, there is some pretty bad behaviour in this book. It is well written and highly entertaining, it certainly had me laughing at times. I did find the added text messages and emails about other weddings detracted a little from the story, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment.

The characters were great, Sophie was lovely, funny, kind and very patient. Cordelia is such a prima donna that I was amazed Sophie put up with her, but some of her antics are hilarious. Then there are all the others who played an intrinsic part in the story, none of them surplus to requirements. There really were a wealth of characters in this story, I particularly liked Tom and Jonathon.

I would recommend reading this story, it's light, entertaining and an easy romance read. I will be checking out others by this author.

What a perfect take you away from it all read, a fab easy read, with a great story and great charecters, loved it

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought this was a feel good, uplifting read. It had a slow start in my opinion and it took a while for me to really get into it. I liked Sophie and after initially not liking Cordelia found she started to slowly grow on me as the book progressed. I loved the humour in this book and was laughing out loud at times, and thought this was a funny, mostly engaging and light hearted read more about friendships and loyalty with the romance side taking a back seat. At times though I felt the book was a bit too long and my interest did dip slightly and I found myself skimming some of the pages. Overall a very easy going light read and a refreshing change from what I normally read. 3.5 stars

This is Katy Birchall's first book written for an adult audience and all I can say is: "Write more!". I really enjoyed the way the relationship between the two main female characters was developed. The bride was "flawed" but Birchall managed to ensure that the reader still rooted for her to be redeemed. I honestly couldn't put this book down, that's how much I enjoyed it and I haven't felt that way about this type of novel for a long time. The story is more about the importance of real friendships and self-belief than it is about romance. I will be looking out for future titles now that I've discovered Katy Birchall.

A secret bridesmaid! I wish I had been able to hire a professional bridesmaid like Sophie to ease the stress of planning my wedding!
This novel is a humourous approach to wedding planning, with many references which anyone who has been a bride, bridesmaid, guest at a hen party will recognise and enjoy. Sophie has encountered the full range of brides in her job, (which actually sounds really interesting, anyone fancy a career change?!) but when she is hired as a secret bridesmaid for a huge society wedding by the obnoxious Lady Cordelia’s mother, things get much more complicated...not to mention the bride’s handsome brother...
I ADORED this book! It was charming, funny and such a happy read! Highly recommended for escapist reading as lockdown continues. I will be buying as gifts for friends when published.

As a professional bridesmaid, Sophie is secretly hired by brides to be their right-hand woman, ensuring their big day goes off without a hitch. From wrangling rowdy hen dos to navigating last minute portaloo cancellations, there's no problem she can't solve.
So when she's employed by an actual Marchioness to help plan the society wedding of the year, it should be a chance for Sophie to prove just how talented she is.
Of course, it's not ideal that the bride, Cordelia, is rude, difficult and determined to make Sophie's life a nightmare. It's also a bit inconvenient when Sophie finds herself drawn to Cordelia's posh older brother, who is absolutely off limits. And when a rival society wedding is announced, things get even more complicated . . .
This book is billed as a laugh out loud comedy and it certainly delivers. I loved the concept of a secret bridesmaid and this is my first book from Katy Birchall but it wont be my last if she carries on writing in this style. I demolished it within about 24 hours. Thoroughly recommend

A bubbly and charismatic romance that kept me hooked from page 1! Perfect for fans of Lia Louis and Emily Martin

Here we meet Sophie. Professional bridesmaid. Professional friend. She’ll make sure your big day goes off without a hitch.

After a recommendation Sophie finds herself working for a very high profile family and bride. Cordelia is a very demanding and high maintenance client and Sophie is constantly trying to prove herself. Add to mix a gorgeous, down to earth brother and Sophie’s job just got a lot more interesting.

This is a fun and easy to read story that flows very well. A little far fetched at times but that’s just the escape we need, especially at the moment. This would be a fabulous holiday read (or sat in the garden with a cold drink at the moment).

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic, feel-good read! I flew through this book in 2 days and didn't want to leave the characters once I'd turned the final page.

Sophie is a brilliant bridesmaid. A BRILLIANT bridesmaid. So brilliant in fact that she makes it her full-time job, helping brides to plan and execute their dream wedding. But Sophie's newest client, the obnoxious, infuriating Lady Cordelia, who's mother hired Sophie for the big event, is determined to make her life a living hell. And with a gorgeous brother thrown into the mix, this wedding is proving to be more complicated than Sophie ever thought...

If you ever need a fictional best friend, Sophie Breeze is the girl for you. She's an incredibly relatable character who lights up a room and makes everyone feel like they are the most important person out there. Her bubbliness is infectious, and her sense of humour lifts the whole novel so much that you can't help but smile. Cara, her cousin and best friend, provided a beautiful springboard for this character to shine. I simply adored reading from Sophie's perspective and found myself rooting her on the whole way!

Yet this novel isn't all sunshine and butterflies. Cordelia, the bridezilla from Hell, is so arrogant and unpleasant that it makes you want to hurl the book across the room just so that she can get a bit of just dessert. Her character is expertly written in such a way that really makes you seethe each time she so much as sends a text.

The characters are really the driving force behind this novel, but that does not mean to say it doesn't have a worthwhile story to go along with it. Katy Birchall really knows how to get you hooked on drama. I particularly enjoyed the little glimpses of email exchanges from clueless wedding business and prop providers that Sophie has to deal with. A very clever little addition.

While the plot felt perhaps a little bit underdeveloped in some areas (do we ever find out who on Earth this Graham Slater is?), it's really refreshing to read a bit of chick-lit where the romance isn't the b-all and end-all. Overall a fabulous read that is perfect to snuggle up with and smile.

This was such a pick me up and really brightened up my day! It's humorous and heartwarming and thoroughly immersive. I'd finished it before I knew It! I read it in one sitting and am on catch up now !
This is escapist fun and the characters really do make you laugh out loud at times! Sophie is such a lovely character and gets herself into some scrapes , all in the name of pleasing the bride.
Even the entitled characters are relatable , Cordelia is prickly at first and puts Sophie through the ringer in an effort to encourage her to quit.Tom is swoony as the love interest . It's a constant will they won't they scenario as Sophie thinks the attraction is one sided . I thoroughly recommend this book and think it will appeal to readers who enjoy Zara stonely

Book review 📖 The Secret Bridesmaid by @katybirchallauthor ✨ huge thank you to @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the advanced copy of this, my favourite chick flick of 2021!

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid: she’s a secret wedding planner, the ultimate shoulder to lean on in the run-up to the wedding, and the person making everything run smoothly. She helps make everyone’s Big Day go perfectly...until she’s faced with the a very high profile, difficult client.

There are fun twists and turns, charming characters and genuine laugh-out-loud moments, as well as a really heartfelt plot. It’s a gorgeous chick flick and story of empowering female friendships. I absolutely loved this book: it’s the perfect pick-me-up for right now! Every person should have their own Sophie ❤️

The Secret Bridesmaid is published on May 18th. Definitely one to look out for! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 from me 🥰

I am afraid this book did not catch my imagination at all. I found it unbelievably.
Just not for me.
I am not saying it is a bad book but I need a book that could be real life and this book did not deliver.
Sorry

Secret bridesmaid Sophie meets one of her toughest client yet can she deliver as promised and help make her big day go ahead without any hiccups? Will ugly secrets from the past stay in past? Is a nee love blossoming? A very funny laugh out loud read which I enjoyed from start to finish thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this.

I've just read The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall and it had me hooked within the first couple of pages. I enjoyed the storyline and liked that it was about a 30 something year old. The main character is likeable with a sense of humour I could relate to. It made me emotional in a couple of places because I bought into how the character must have been feeling. I would definitely read a sequel should Katy Birchall write one.

“My name is Sophie Breeze and I’m a professional bridesmaid.”

Sophie Breeze LOVES weddings. She even loves being a bridesmaid, she’s good at it- so much so,she’s made it her full-time job. She gets to pose as a friend,help behind the scenes and plan the perfect weddings.

Until she’s hired to plan the society wedding of the year. Sophie can finally prove just how talented she is.If only the bride (Cordelia) wasn’t the aristocratic equivalent of Miranda Priestly.On top of all the Herculean tasks she’s been set, Sophie becomes drawn to the brides’ very off-limits older brother, Lord Swann.

With rival weddings and swan shenanigans Sophie must keep her identity a secret and her dignity intact.

The Devil Wears Prada meets The wedding Ringer in this hilariously funny Contemporary Romance.

I absolutely loved everything about it, there were soo many comical laugh out loud moments I couldn’t put it down. Sophie as a character was incredibly likeable (always important in a protagonist) and her interactions with Cordelia (the bride) were marvelous.

Although Cordelia is introduced as the archetypical self-centered mean girl- with outrageously diva-ish demands,she becomes a really interesting and dare I say- loveable character.

Overall, this was an incredibly funny and enjoyable read- I cannot express how much I loved it. If you love Contemporary Romance or Rom-Coms (especially the wedding related kind) then I’d absolutely recommend giving this a read.

Also a huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Net Galley for the digital ARC.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid, hired by brides to help their wedding day and preparations run smoothly. She loves her job, until she is hired by a socialite's mother. ... Laugh out loud moments, a well written, feel good story.

I loved this book, in fact, I devoured it! Really easy to read, light hearted.. Sophie is a professional bridesmaid and has worked with some challenging brides but the latest one is a real challenge.. A charming brother too, how lovely. A really enjoyable book, well written with a good plot line which made me smile and cheer Sophie on and hate her ex boyfriend too.

A really funny book that I thoroughly enjoyed and didn't want to put down!
Sophie is a professional bridesmaid, hired to make every wedding run smoothly and to plan! There are numerous problems she has to solve and the emails that you see throughout the book from her to suppliers are hilarious! Also some of the things she is asked to do made me laugh out loud!
She is asked to be the professional bridesmaid to Lady Cordelia Swann by her mother, however Cordelia has other ideas! Cordelia goes out of her way to make ridiculous demands for Sophie to meet!
I did think reading this that I would quite like to be a professional bridesmaid but I am not sure i would deal with events as calmly as Sophie! Definitely one of my favourite books!

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