Bad Luck Bridesmaid
A Novel
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Most Anticipated Romance of 2022 by Goodreads
"A compulsively readable, witty, and humorous novel about the pursuit of a happily ever after...with oneself." - Tif Marcelo
Whip-smart, heartfelt and joyful, Alison Rose Greenberg's Bad Luck Bridesmaid is a celebration of complicated women and a power-anthem to live your truth.
Happy Ever After.
On Her Own Terms.
It’s official: Zoey Marks is the cursed bridesmaid that no engagement can survive. Ten years, three empire waist dresses, and ZERO brides have walked down the aisle.
After strike three, Zoey is left wondering if her own ambivalence towards marriage has rubbed off on those she loves. And when her building distrust of matrimony culminates in turning down a proposal from her perfect All-American boyfriend, Rylan Harper III, she and Rylan are both left heartbroken, leaving Zoey to wonder: what is it exactly about tying the knot that makes her want to run in the opposite direction?
Enter Hannah Green: Zoey’s best friend, who announces that she’s marrying a guy she just met (cue eye roll). At a castle. In gorgeous, romantic Ireland, where Rylan will be in attendance, and Zoey will be a bridesmaid. It’ll be fine.
Okay, the woman definition of fine (NOT FINE).
Determined to turn her luck around, Zoey accepts her role and vows to get Hannah down the aisle—all the while praying her best friend’s wedded bliss will allow her to embrace marriage and get Rylan back.
But as the weekend goes on, Zoey is plagued with more questions than answers. Can you be a free spirit, yet still want a certain future? Can you have love and be loved on your terms? And how DO you wrangle a bossy falcon into doing your bidding?
"Laugh-out-loud funny in places and heart-rending serious in others, Greenberg's debut is a unique romance strong on friendships and the importance of being true to oneself that also explores an alternate route to a different happily-ever-after. " —Booklist
"An unconventional love story for independent women." —Kirkus Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Debut author Greenberg pairs a marriage-averse woman with a man looking for forever in this bittersweet treat. After serving as a bridesmaid in three weddings that never actually culminated in marriage, advertising exec Zoey Marks is convinced she's "the bad luck bridesmaid." Despite witnessing her parents' happy, decades-long marriage, Zoey has no interest in spending forever with one person. Then she meets Wall Streeter Rylan Harper III, cousin of Zoey's bestie, Hannah, and against her better judgement, she falls hard. But Rylan is laser-focused on the future, and when he proposes after about a year of dating, it's the end of the road. Zoey's heartbroken—until Hannah's destination wedding, at which Zoey is once again a bridesmaid, gives her the chance to break her curse. Still, compromise may not be in the cards for these complex protagonists. Zoey is a nuanced heroine whose skepticism of commitment may grate on some rom-com fans, but the narrative thankfully never punishes her for her stance. The clash of ideals makes for meaty romantic conflict, though it's painful to read some of the more fraught scenes. This multilayered, skillfully plotted novel won't be for all romance fans, but it's still a celebration of love in all its forms.
