This one did not hold my attention. I tried reading it multiple times and everytime, something else would grab my attention. I think I read 14 other books during the time I tried to get through this ARC.

Wowza, what a book! I loved the way that this was all woven together. I was sucked in from the very beginning and couldn't put it down.

The Bridesmaid centers around two children who grew up together and became best friends. A friendship with people from two different backgrounds. Caitlin is rich, spoiled and attention seeking from her parents. Sasha is much lower class but is loved much better by her family.
In multiple timelines told by Sasha. After reading some of the things that Caitlin does that are horrible, one would wonder why Sasha can withstand the friendship. Along the way Sasha learns some secrets of Caitlin's family. Years after the friendship began Caitlin is now getting married. Sasha as her maid of honor feels more and more like the secrets need to come out.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Initially the plot really drew me in, I LOVE anything wedding related and a wedding thriller seemed right up my alley! However, it was very slow going. I struggled to get into the plot and connect with the characters. The ending fell a bit flat for me as well.

I enjoyed Nina Manning's Her Darkest Fear, The Daughter In Law, and The House Mate, so I was excited to read The Bridesmaid. I had a hard time putting this one down, and I stayed up reading each night until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. The characters were very well-written, and I especially liked Sasha and Chuck. I liked that the story was told in two different timelines, and I thought the ending was great. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review another amazing novel by Nina Manning. : )

This is a decent thriller with plenty of twists that kept me guessing throughout.
It’s certainly not my favourite book by Nina Manning but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Thanks for letting me read this interesting story, about two girls one from a wealthy family and the other whose parents were the gardener and housekeeper to their stately home.
The two girls grew up together, but Caitlin was sometimes not nice and they had their differences.
Caitlin was going to marry Chuck, and Sacha was organising the wedding.
There were a lot of secrets in Caitlin family, and Sacha knew them.
All would be disclosed on the wedding day.

This story follows the journey of Caitlin and Sasha who met when they were 12 and Sasha’s parents worked at the estate owned by Caitlin’s family. Set across three time periods, the story tracks the friendship between the two girls and other secrets hidden by both of them. Caitlin is easy to dislike and Sasha seems to be both afraid of her and enamoured with her. This was a great story with some brilliant twists that I did not see coming at all.

What a thriller! You know there will always be a lot of drama around a wedding and this book takes it to the next level! The story slowly leaks out the truths of the past letting the reader know how sad the lives of these privileged people really was. A great psychological drama that I think readers will enjoy.

I was just a tad disappointed with this book.

I liked the concept although did not particularly like any of the main characters, and to be honest I was underwhelmed by the big reveal. I know authors love to misdirect readers but in this case I feel that Ms Manning took this concept a step too far by insinuating a fairly obvious and unsubtle plot line and then throwing the reader completely off track.

Nonetheless I sort of enjoyed the story but would find it hard to wholeheartedly recommend to others.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Two best friends for years (since they were 12) Caitlin is now getting married and Sasha is helping her The book goes into details of their friendship, how it started, how it grew its up and its downs.
I will say though, in a weird way, this reminded me of many books I read that deal with friends. A lot of times its never an equal friendship. Caitlin is completly dominate over Sasha and Sasha just takes it. Again, a dynamic I have read in many books.
The ending wasn't too much of a big reveal for me as I kindof figured it out as the story went along, but the book was still good and I found myself up all night telling myself "One more page".

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book had all the makings of a great story but it just fell flat for me. It was a quick read and not a bad one but for me, I guessed most of the twists and wasn’t that surprised by or interested in the grand reveal. This just wasn’t the book for me. Others seem to have really enjoyed it though, so definitely give it a try.

2.00 stars
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From the moment that Sasha met the beautiful, wealthy, and loveable Caitlin, she knew the two of them would grow up to be best friends. The two girls spent their childhood growing up at Saxby house where they form a friendship riddled with lies and dark twisted secrets. As the year's pass, the two remain friends, and when Caitlin announces she's getting married - that leaves Sasha with the task of being a bridesmaid. Sasha tries her best to make Caitlin feel special on her special day, but no matter what she does, it never seems to make Caitlin happy. As the big day approaches, Sasha has a secret of her own, one that would possibly end her friendship forever.

Reading the synopsis I was very intrigued, it's branded as a thriller, but in my opinion, it was lackluster suspense sprinkled with a dash of mystery. The book was 99% build-up to the wedding with some flashbacks of when the girls were younger so we get a better picture of their relationship growing up. The entire book hints that Sasha has a *big* secret that will ruin the wedding, we're given no hint as to what it could be - but when we find out what it was, I was left a little discouraged since the book had so much buildup for little to no pay off.

If you're looking for an easy-read mystery, I would suggest you pick it up, however, it just didn't hit the mark as a binge-reading thriller I had been hoping for.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great book.
Draws you in from the start and you won’t want to put it down
Thanks NetGalley

Toxic friendships secrets and lies are often the perfect ingredients for a twisty thriller, The Bridesmaid is no exception. A Friendships noir with relevant social commentary this thoroughly compelling and entertaining slow burn has a dark secret at its heart.
This is a really fast, easy read that kept me invested from start to finish. It’s one of those popcorn thrillers you want to devour greedily and struggle to put down.
I highly recommend to my fellow thriller lovers and can’t wait to explore more of mannings work.

Really enjoyed this fun read! It was a quick read and easy to understand. I enjoyed the way that it was written and had a fun time reading it. I will be recommending this one.

Thank you for NetGalley and Nina Manning for providing me a copy of this book to enjoy for my honest opinion.

Manning's Thriller, The Bridesmaid started out with everything that I like: gorgeous house in the English countryside, dual timeline, wedding based drama and secrets between friends. Such a cozy read for this time of the year in Australia (socks, blankets and tea weather doesn't happen often). I very much enjoyed the first portion of this book particularly due to the setting and the comforting nature of the protagonist's relationship with her family.

Unfortunately, however it was the ending that let me down - I just didn't get the thrills that I desired. A very predictable trope to end the story but glad to have read it overall . It took me a very long time to finish.

I do recommend checking this book out and seeing if you enjoy it. If you enjoy Thrillers set in the UK, I do recommend this one for a comforting read.

The common idea is that every little girl looks forward to her wedding day with heightened anticipation and joy. But weddings are also the coming together of two dangerous forces: families and alcohol! What secrets can erupt at a wedding? Which won't? And how long, exactly, has everyone been preparing for this moment? Enter The Bridesmaid! Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Childhood friendships can run very deep. Someone you meet during a blistering summer holiday can stay a part of you for the rest of your life. A friendship as intense as Caitlin and Sasha's, who see each other during the former's school holidays when she returns to her family's Saxby estate, is bound to be life-altering. As both girls grow into teenagers they experience some of the trials and tribulations of girlhood together, yet the chasm of class remains between them. Neither Caitlin nor Sasha will ever forget that the latter's parents work for Caitlin's grandmother. Friendship is complex this way, both a thing that can erase social differences and something that can starkly highlight them. Manning explores this in The Bridesmaid, as much as the format of a suspense thriller allows, and shows the after-effects on Sasha to grow up near, yet always excluded, from immense wealth and possibilities. I do like some social commentary in my thrillers, so I was glad to see that Saxby wasn't just used as a glamorous backdrop.

Sasha is planning Caitlin's wedding and it all needs to be perfect. It needs to be perfect because she has something prepared, a surprise that will most likely break her friendship with Caitlin but will unburden her nonetheless. Does it have to do something with the Saxby estate and its many closed doors? With Caitlin's soon-to-be-husband, Chuck, who is on very friendly terms with Sasha? Or maybe it is to do with that one fateful night at Saxby of which Sasha never speaks. Moving back and forth between the last decades of the twentieth century and the wedding preparation, Manning creates a tight web of memories and moments, each raising the stakes chapter by chapter. In The Bridesmaid Manning addresses the tension between mothers and daughters, the pressures to be perfect, and the dangers of a too-tight friendship. Sasha is our narrator for both the past and the present and as we see everything through her eyes we can't help but be on her side. Although I occasionally found her a bit much in the present, her past experiences always helped me see her in a different light. The twists come hard and fast at the end and, for once, I was genuinely surprised. I had raised an eyebrow, here or there, at the breadcrumbs dropped by Manning, but I had not expected where she was leading me. With all story-lines tied up, some almost too nicely, I could see how the threads had been spun from the very start.

I had seen Nina Manning's other thriller and suspense novels around but this one was the first I picked up. I really liked the way in which she dug into and explained the little insecurities that shoot through a friendship, the desperation you can sometimes feel to be liked, the harsh blow of rejection. The Bridesmaid does start a bit slow, but this is largely due to the fact that Manning spends the first third of the novel on carefully setting up all her chess pieces. While this could have sped up, it did mean that once the plot really took off we were all properly centered. Although she does her best to flesh out all the different characters, there is something of a remove when it comes to Caitlin and her family. Perhaps this is an intentional distance, as Sasha feels this distance too, but it means they occasionally run the danger of feeling like rich people caricatures. Overall, however, I couldn't bear to put The Bridesmaid down for long. I read it in a whirlwind, sneaking in chapters in between classes, naps and other responsibilities. I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on Manning's other novels.

I greatly enjoyed The Bridesmaid and raced through it. Although it starts of slow, I simply couldn't put it down until I got to find out what major secret lay at the heart of the Saxby estate.

Reading Between the Wines book review #67/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3.5 🍷 🍷 🍷1/2
Book 🎧: The Bridesmaid
Author: Nina Manning
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction
RELEASED on May 27, 2021!!! GET YOUR COPY TODAY!!
Recommended to readers who a frenemy type relationship with a mystery and closets full of skeletons.

Sipping thoughts: Told in past and present timelines that is not confusing and easy to follow, The Bridesmaid, shows that sometimes with friends like that who needs enemies.
There was a clear mystery from back when Sarah and Caitlin formed a friendship and what transpired years ago finally come to light. I went through so many theories of what happened and was able to figure out the reveal. But even after that, Manning left one small reveal that I did not see coming. This was not a gasping, OMG thriller but I enjoyed it and would recommend.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @BoldwoodBooks for an advanced copy of @TheBridesmaid

#TheBridesmaid #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #generaladultfiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller #WomensFiction

Synopsis: Sasha’s life completely changed when her parents accepted their jobs at Saxby estate. She was swept up in a whirlwind of extravagant parties, newfound etiquette and family dynamics, as well as plenty of secrets. This is also where she met her best friend Caitlin. But as the years pass, and the secrets pile up, Sasha is starting to question if their friendship is going to last… especially after the surprise Caitlin has planned for Caitlin’s wedding…
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Standout Quote: “I would have to deal with the aftermath of my feelings, the sadness that I knew would turn to anger, or worse still, thoughts of revenge, and how one day, who knew how long from now, I would have to get even with Caitlin.”
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My thoughts:
This book is the perfect example that money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy an estate big enough to have plenty of closets to hide away a family’s many skeletons. It closely follows Sasha and Caitlins’s friendship and leaves you questioning the lengths some people will go for their friends, or to hide their family secrets. This book was my first introduction to Manning’s writing style and I truly enjoyed her ability to create characters and a world that was simultaneously lavish, glamorous and addicting, but also dark, twisted and toxic. This story will make you think twice about who you invite to your wedding, and who you consider a friend…