Bad Luck Bridesmaid
A Novel
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A witty and joyful novel about navigating love, marriage, and friendship on your own terms.
Whip-smart, heartfelt and humorous, 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.
Zoey Marks is officially the cursed bridesmaid that no engagement can survive. After strike three, she's left wondering if her own ambivalence towards marriage has rubbed off on those she loves. When her distrust of matrimony culminates in turning down a proposal from her perfect All-American boyfriend, Rylan Harper III, Zoey is heartbroken and questioning what exactly about tying the knot makes her want to run.
Enter Hannah Green: Zoey's best friend, who announces 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. Determined to turn her luck around, Zoey accepts her role and vows to get Hannah down the aisle—all the while praying her friend's wedded bliss will allow her to embrace marriage and get Rylan back.
But as the weekend unfolds, Zoey is plagued with questions. Can you be a free spirit, yet still want a certain future? Can you have love and be loved on your terms?
"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.
