Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romantic Comedy

Release Date: Expected 4th May 2021



Sophie is the bridesmaid. Always.

In fact, it's her job to be the best bridesmaid you could ask her. Offering her services to expectant brides, she dons her new identity as a childhood friend or distant cousin to make sure the wedding goes off perfectly and then dissapears into the background, leaving nobody knowing the secret. So when she gets a referral to work on the wedding of the Lady Cordelia, daughter of the Marchioness - it's set to be her biggest challenge to date. This could put her business on the map (secretly, of course) and give Sophie the chance to experience how the other half live.

But Cordelia isn't too happy about this arrangement - she doesn't need or want friends whether they're fake or not. The living embodiment of every Bridezilla story you've ever heard, who is dead set to get Sophie out of her life for good. And as she gets to know the Swann family, including Cordelia's amazingly handsome older brother, it looks like there might just be more than meets the eye.

This book was a witty, adorably funny read that wasn't at all what I expected. Sophies' antics as she manages her very diverse cast of brides and all of the hilarious distasters that can happen planning such an important day.

Sophie was immediately loveable - the exact opposite of Cordelia.

This was a truly heartwarming story that went to places I'd never expected - showing the many, many faces of our cast of characters in the most absurdly wonderful and heartbreaking situations they find themselves in. A beautiful story about friendship, family and just a little glimmer of romance.





RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Katy Birchall and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley for opportunity to read Katy Birchall’s first adult novel.

A good romcom , amusing, fast paced and highly entertaining. In the early stage of reading I felt this book might be unsuitable for an elderly reader, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s good for a laugh, despite the intermittent WhatsApp and messenger interruptions (I’m not a fan of social media!), so putting that aside, I actually enjoyed not having to overly concentrate and could appreciate the author’s talent, mix of characters and imagination.

The story line is inevitable with the “professional” bridesmaid becoming a close friend and ally to an initially hostile autocratic client ... and falling for the bride’s brother.

First the positives............I really really enjoyed the book, it’s an easy light-hearted read with likeable characters - even the one who starts off decidedly unlikeable! It’s a book about female friendship and loyalty and of course romance and weddings - what’s not to like?

The negatives: it’s hard for me to read unedited books, it takes a bit of the enjoyment out of the read for me. When one person’s dialogue runs into the next with no gaps, leaving you to have to re-read and take a bit of time to work out who’s saying what?

The storyline: a professional bridesmaid, who is really a wedding planner who pretends to be a close friend taking on an agreed fictional name and persona, just seemed too far fetched for me. For all I know it may be a real thing but it just seems a bit crazy, especially if you take a client who is a famous marchioness who’s wedding is going to be splashed in newspapers and magazines, you’re fictional persona would soon be uncovered! Did that spoil it for me - no, not at all!

All in all, I give it three stars and I still recommend it as a light hearted happy ending read!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a light hearted and me laugh in place. Would love to read more of Katy Birchall books. The story is about romance, love, friendship and loyalty.
I loved the characters and warmed to them straight the way. The story grabbed straight the way till the end. The story is about Sophie and her business is being a bridesmaid to totally strangers. She comes a cross Cordelia who’s mum has hired her to help Cordelia wedding. Cordelia is not happy about this and Sophie comes across some challenges.
I definitely recommend this book and give it 5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Katy Birchall for letting me read this book.

A thoroughly fun and entertaining book. Hilarious in parts with a good observation of quirky events, from the sublime to the ridiculous but all totally believable in their own way. Good characters and utterly brilliant for a good light read and the possible ridiculousness of expectations and demands of weddings and brides. Loved the email exchange where everything is set out clearly in the original email but all the recipients then reply asking questions already set out in the beginning. How true!!

What a great light hearted fun read. For me there was everything a good romcom should have. Great characters and lots of laughs. The part where Sophie was being a swan whisperer was just brilliant.

If we ever get round to going on holidays again this is a must have book for the suitcase

Sophie makes a living as a professional bridesmaid and she bends over backwards to ensure that even the most formidable of brides get their day. Dress up as Chewbacca? No problem! Speak with swans, you've got it!

This book was a light-hearted refreshing read, with a whole host of colourful and charismatic characters.

Thank you netgalley for the advance read copy, I loved it!

I really enjoyed this book it certainly cheered me up no end with all its funny moments throughout.
It was a feel good rom com of a story with characters I fell in love with I actually closed my kindle with a sigh and it has certainly left the door open for a sequel,,,I for one would love that .

Nice easy to read book on a slightly different subject, that of being a 'professional' bridesmaid. It's such a brillaint concept! You do all the things you would do itf you were being a bridesmaid to your best friend , but you get paid for it. It's fine until the worst bridezilla in the world comes along, dragged by her mother . Sophie has to use all her understanding and charm to get through the misery that is. Lady Cordelia.
Thank you for the chance to read this book. It's an easy and pleasant read for a cold day.

Thoroughly loved reading every single part of this book! Sophie is a brilliantly written character who can’t always see the benefits of playing it safe. I loved the friendship that developed between the Cordelia and Sophie. I felt that Cordelia needed a Sophie in her life.

Through all the dramas and fallouts, I really was just wishing for a happy ending for Sophie. I just wish we could have found out more!

A thoroughly enjoyed book. The characters are lovingly crafted and the main character is a joy- who wouldn’t want Sophie as a friend? The idea of a professional bridesmaid is inspired and Sophie fulfils that role perfectly, with just the right amount of personal angst to stop her being a bore. I love the fact that the main storyline is interspersed with snippets from Sophie’s other engagements- each one different in their own way and also email conversations with suppliers - I really feel I must see the stripper and his circus skills.... All in all a delightful book, which could easily have a sequel. Did Sophie take over Annabel’s wedding? Did she waltz into the next quiz night with a lord on her arm? Did she ever get an office bigger than a cupboard? A perfect feel good book for any time of the year.

The story - ⭐⭐⭐
The writing - ⭐⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐

This was an easy read, it was pretty predictable, but no less enjoyable for it. I do wish a couple of the side characters & relationships could have had more development (Tom, Jonathan, Lady Meade...) but the characters were likeable, there were funny moments and it's a definite feel good read.

Fave quote - 'Nobody in their right mind has ever eaten a burger and said, 'You know what? I wish this was an eighth of it's size''

Fave moment - Cordelia's spontaneous hen party, as she finally starts to open up

I loved this story about Sophie who is a professional bridesmaid supporting brides through their big day. The book has some laugh out loud moments but my favourites are the little extra added moments at the end of chapters which are in the form of emails or texts about some of the crazier aspects of weddings. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun summer read.

A really great story with laugh out loud moments, really enjoyed the developing friendship between the bride Cordelia and her professional bridesmaid Sophie.

An absolutely brilliant read, just what I needed today! The main character was a joy to follow, and all the other characters felt real and dynamic too. Honestly, if you love Rom-Coms, give this book a go, I absolutely could not recommend it enough.

This was a fun, easy-going read which held my attention all the way through. It was predictable but sometimes that's all you want from a book: a well-paced story which serves as pure escapism. The aspect of it that was the most relatable and enjoyable is how it is an ode to female friendship with the rom-com elements as more secondary. That I think will be the main draw as readers recognise the value of our close friends and the family members we effectively choose.
It was also a nice study in class dynamics and the negative perceptions of the main character Sophie's profession which I think many will also relate to.
A nice, diverting way to spend a few hours and get lost in a warm and cosy story with likeable main characters.

Absolutely brilliant.. A great story I loved it. What a job Sophie had. . .I loved the email exchanges. You did guess who did the leak but it did not spoil it.. Jonathan was a lovely character. As for Cordelia you must read the book. A must read

I loved this book so much. I love rom coms about weddings generally, but this was one of the best in that sub genre that I’ve ever read. It was so funny! And I loved the characters (even when Cordelia was being a diva). This reminded me of Lindsey Kelk’s writing so if you like her books, check this one out too. I will definitely want to read more from this author in the future. 4.5 STARS!

I really enjoyed this book. First book I have read by this author & will definitely read more. Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid, terribly organized, she excels at calming nervous brides, and keeping everything running smoothly as she keeps a low profile. Fortunately she loves her job, until she gets the client from hell. Lady Cordelia Swann is getting married. She has no friends, so her mother hires Sophie to be “Emily” a childhood friend and bridesmaid. Furious with her mother’s meddling, Cordelia makes it her mission to be so cruel to Sophie that she’ll quit. Sophie hangs tight,it doesn’t hurt that she’s madly attracted to Cordelia’s older brother. A fun romp with humorous wedding anecdotes. Likable characters and a happy ending.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.