The Secret Bridesmaid

This is a great fun feel good read. I loved it from start to finish.
Sophie is a fantastic bridesmaid, a best friend to the bride, adept at handing any unexpected situation at wedding and reception, she organises fantastic hen-do's she makes sure that everyone has a great time. She is what every nervous, harassed bride needs to help them make their dream day a reality. Except she is not really an old friend of the bride. She charges for the service, but only her and the bride know that. Sophie loves weddings and loves brides, she has the best job in the world.
Then she gets roped into helping with a big society wedding, this could really make her career, but the bride is a nightmare and is trying to make life as hard as possible for Sophie.
I was a bridesmaid once, I was not a particularly good one, having no idea what the role would entail. Reading this book gave me some serious guilt issues that I had to work through!
There is plenty fun to be had with this, the brides outrageous demands, crazy hen-do plans, unconventional wedding outfits. It is a very entertaining read. There is a romance element but this is quite understated and just adds to the feel good factor as the book ends. And this is absolutely a classic feel good book. A nice bit of escapism, the power of real friendship and proof that there are good people in this world, what more could I want?

An enticing romantic comedy that feels so right for this time of the year! A lovely protagonist and her group of friends will definitely give you a laugh!

When I realised that Katy Birchall had previous written for young adults I was a worried that The Secret Bridesmaid would be aimed at this age group. After I'd read the first page it was obvious that this was an adult contemporary romance which is extremely funny and entertaining.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid, just like a wedding planner but secretly employed by the bride as her best friend and bridesmaid.
Sophie is the zen to all her brides' hysteria, calming them down, while offering an alternative to their ludicrous requests.

Lady Victoria, the Marchioness of Meade, engages Sophie's services for her daughter Cordelia's high society wedding, except Cordelia is adamant she doesn't want help, continually acting a prima donna by making the most outrageous demands in an attempt to force Sophie to quit. If Sophie succeeds to create the society wedding of the year it will make her career, but can she work with Cordelia's insulting behaviour and requests that become more and more outlandish.

Running through the book are messages from Sophie's other brides and wedding suppliers, all with one thing in common, additional problems for Sophie.

An easy to read and funny book, recommended whether you like weddings or not!

ARC generously supplied by Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley, this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased.

This book was charming, funny and well written. The plot was different to anything I’ve read before and it was lovely to see a female friendship taking the lead in this plot rather than your usual love story. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family when it is released and looking to read much more from this author.

Absolutely couldn't put this book down. It is an escapist and truly joyous read during this third lockdown. Want to get out of your head? Wish you could remember what real life was like? Then don't miss out on this one! Katy's voice is so fresh and enjoyable, you just get caught up in the moment. I wish I could be attending weddings, making new friends and falling in love. But for now, The Secret Bridesmaid will have to do for all my escapism! Highly recommended!

I loved this book; it was funny, sad, moving and just such a lovely story. I enjoyed every line of it and didn’t want to reach the end. A real feel good story, absolutely perfect for 2021. I can imagine it making a wonderful film. Definitely one to recommend.

The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall

Sophie is the secret bridesmaid and Lady Cordellia is the society bride.


An absolutely fabulous well written book . I loved it.

It was humorous, cringe worthy and all at the same time. At times you felt so sad about the life of bridezilla ( Cordellia) who on one hand has such privilege but in others feels like she’s worthless

. I couldn’t put the book down a page turner from beginning to end.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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

Just simply fabulous. Silly, romantic, funny at times and all working towards a beautiful ending. The secret bridesmaid herself is loveable, she has odd moments, and wrestles feeling inadequate and unloved however is propped up by great friends, a great cousin and parents that you want for yourself! I read the book through all in one go and it was absolutely worth it!

I really did enjoy this book, especially in this bleak world at the moment it was a great escape! An uplifting and fun plot about a professional bridesmaid, it really was funny at times and I did really like and relate to the characters. A well written plot which is perfect for fans of Sophie kinsella and Paige toon.

I really enjoyed this book and i hope there willl be a series regarding the Secret Bridesmaid geeat read.

The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall an adorable five-star read. This will be one that will divide opinion, as lots of people wont like one of the main characters, and I don’t think we should until we get to know her, as she just isn’t a likeable person. But that’s what makes this such a great read, it is a romcom and it has some of the funniest moments, I snorted red wine and my husband thought I was dying as I was laughing so hard at one point. Each of the characters in the story played a great part, there wasn’t anyone there to just fill the page. Tom and Sophie's romance was so sweet, and charming and really added a levity to this story, but what I loved most was Cordelia, she played her part so well I honestly think she may be one of the best written characters I have ever come across, she was a brat, but I knew where she was coming from, then when we find the truth, it just confirmed what a great character she is. Sophie was adorable and simply a bridesmaid I would love to have, I did not have any and I wish I had a Sophie in my life back then. But most of all I would love Cordelia to be real, I would love to sit at a bar and discuss scandalous things like how hot her brother is. Do not miss this story as I am sure it will be one of the best reads of 2021.

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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Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. She secretly makes sure the hen party and the wedding goes to plan. When she gets a job as Lady Cordelia bridesmaid she makes life as difficult as she can for Sophie.

This is such a fun, light-hearted read. I found it so funny and entertaining. I enjoyed all the characters and getting to know them. The bridezilla moments were hilarious. I loved it, it was a much needed escape

A lovely, easy, breezy read that I whizzed through and thoroughly enjoyed. The story had a great concept and the characters were well written. I loved Sophie and particularly enjoyed the 'off camera' moments beginning each chapter, such as emails that would have had anyone else tearing their hair out! She met every challenge with aplomb leading to several laugh out loud moments. Just the tonic for a lockdown winter day.

Sophie is the perfect bridesmaid and she should be it’s her job.
Posing as a friend of the bride Sophie takes over the jobs that the bride hasn’t the time to do. Sourcing exactly what’s needed and makes sure everything runs like clockwork.
Then she gets the impossible client can she win her over?

The Secret Bridesmaid is my favourite type of holiday read - happy, descriptive with a touch of drama and a happy ending. It was such an enjoyable and easy read.

Loved this book! Hilarious and relatable. For readers who are fans of The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read. Sophie Breeze... professional bridesmaid ends up with diva and thoroughly unpleasant Lady Cordelia Swan as a client- who makes it quite clear that she really wants nothing to do with 'Emily aka Sophie' who has been hired by her parents .
After hilarious events, disasters, misunderstanding and falling for Cordelia's brother..the real Cordelia emerges and so does friendship and romance.
Loved the way the book swopped between Sophie's relationship with Cordelia and emails/ letters/ conversations between Sophie and her other demanding brides.
Really enjoyable read..Will be looking out for more by this author.. Highly recommend.

I absolutely loved this book. The story of our secret bridesmaid, Sophie, hired to take in the world's worst bridezilla. A funny, enjoyable read which had me howling with laughter at times.
I would highly recommend this book . It's a real good uplifting read. Loved, loved, loved it.

#secretbridesmaid # funny # chicklit # buyitnow

This light hearted, funny, chick lit book was an absolute joy to read. First adult novel I understand from this author but please write more.
Sophie is a professional bridesmaid, being that person the bride can't do without, in her run up to her wedding.

She lands the biggest commission of her career.....hired by lady Meade to befriend her daughter, lady Cordelia, in the run up to her large aristocratic wedding. However....Cordelia makes it very clear that she does not like, nor wish to work with Sophie. This hilarious tale follows the mayhem on the run up to Cordelia s wedding.....absolute must read.

I absolutely loved this smart, funny, wholesome tale of a professional bridesmaid who's hired to help a reluctant and, frankly bratty, bride plan her society wedding. Sophie's made a career of being a discreet addition to a wedding, a friend slash assistant, with a subtle helping hand and expert career in crisis management. But when she's hired by the mother of the bride to help socialite Cordelia plan the biggest wedding of a year, this is Sophie's biggest challenge yet. Then, when a rival wedding is announced for the same day, Cordelia turns out to be an absolute nightmare diva bride, and the bride's brother turns out to be something of (a lot of) a dish, things start to get complicated.
Sophie's a great main character, and the central relationship of the book, between her and spiky, defensive, frankly horrible sometimes, bride Cordelia is a brilliant enemies-to-friends development which is nuanced and complex and layered, and really delightful to read. The romance elements of the story are secondary to the friendship, which makes this a really delightful read.
Birchall is also just a really funny writer. There were many lines in the book which made me laugh out loud, or stop and read them out to whoever was closest to me at the time. Plus, shout out to Ye Old Mitre, a really nice pub in London that I've visited with friends back in the before times.

Funny, heartfelt, and eminently readable, this book was exactly what I needed as a pick-me-up, and I can't wait for it to come out so I can start recommending it to friends.

An easy, fun and addictive read. I absolutely loved this book and hope that there will be more in the future as I think there is definitely room for more tales from the secret bridesmaid and that as the main story ended a new one was definitely beginning. I laughed out loud in many places especially reading through the brides demands and emails back and forth from wedding suppliers and although I’m no wedding planner feel the pain of emailing back and forth to clarify wants, needs and demands on a regular basis.

Highly recommended

I loved this book!! So funny I literally laughed out loud but with a real heartwarming feel too. The characters felt real and relatable. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys Marian Keyes, Josie Silver and Sophie Kinsella.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid to help brides with their weddings. She assumes different identities so no one knows what she does. She's then hired by Lady Meade to help her daughter Cordelia. Cordelia doesn't want her and tries everything for Sophie to quit. Lovely book

What a great read! Light hearted but managed to deal with some bigger issues too. Characters were laid out brilliantly so I felt like I was there and experiencing it all first hand. Also managed a few laugh out loud moments, which are always welcome!

Loved this book from the first page to the last! A really lovely light hearted read with totally loveable characters along the way! I would highly recommend this book. Looking forward to further books from this author now. Many thanks to both netgalley and the author for the advance copy of this book. Please note any views expressed are purely my own.

Sophie’s new career as a professional secret bridesmaid leads to her taking on the role for a real Bridezilla. She loves weddings and this would be the perfect job for her to become more established. As a secret bridesmaid, she helps to organise the hen party, big day itself, and all the problems that can crop up.
However, the bride, Lady Cordelia, is resentful and doesn’t make things easy for Sophie, making a list of items she wants which are impossible to obtain.
This is a light-hearted, engaging story involving various characters, and lots of amusing dialogue. Sophie is a determined character and is resilient in her efforts to succeed, which are a joy to read. The characters are well drawn and relatable, and I felt empathy for Sophie trying to cope with Cordelia’s petulant demands. Sometimes wishing that Sophie would storm off and let Cordelia deal with the wedding herself!
I love the short extracts at the end of each chapter, in the form of either WhatsApp messages or emails within groups of friends, or other brides she is working with. They are hilarious to read, like the cream within the cake.
This is an engaging, light-hearted story with lots of humour, which I recommend highly, and I am looking out for Katy Birchall’s next book.

I judged this book by its cover and it's blurb, and boy was I wrong for doing that. I wanted to read this book because I read a lot of chick lit and romance, but I never expected to love this story, nor did I expect it to be a 5 star read.
Sophie is a professional bridesmaid (yes that’s a job…apparently) hired by brides to help plan and organise their special day. When she is hired by a brides mother she soon comes to realise this isn’t just any normal wedding, this is society’s biggest wedding, and the bride Cordelia is less than impressed by her mothers hiring of Sophie.

This book has become one of my all time favourites. It is a hilarious, feel good, heart-warming, easy to read chick lit. The romance was more of a side of line to this story and the main plot line is the friendship building between Sophie and Cordelia which was refreshing. The whole story was fun, and was broken up with snippets of the different weddings Sophie has been apart of. Overall an enjoyable, funny read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read this before publishing in return for a honest review.

This was such a fun read, I completely raced through it! I was totally hooked by the description and it really lived up to it, such a fun set up! It reminded me of things like 27 Dresses and Four Weddings and a Funeral, there's so much material to be mined from the joy and comedy of weddings! Sophie is such a likeable character - she's sweet and kind and caring but she really grows in strength and as she says, being "sassy" through the story. In the beginning I found I was genuinely angry at Cordelia's attempts to bully her out of the job but that made their change in relationship all the more satisfying. The romance wasn't actually as much of a focus in the story as the friendship and wedding elements but that was quite refreshing and there's still a good few swoons to be had!

Really enjoyable book!

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

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

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.

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.

Absolutely fab. A real easy read, entertaining, with page turning quality. Characters were interesting, and the storyline kept me hooked. So glad I got a chance to read this one.

Sophie Breeze has turned her bridesmaid skills into a full-time career. Not your average wedding planner, Sophie can be hired as a professional bridesmaid.
Hired as the bridesmaid for society's biggest wedding of the year, Sophie quickly finds that the bride, Lady Cordelia, is hell-bent on ensuring Sophie has nothing to do with the wedding. Despite being set near impossible tasks, Sophie finds herself breaking into a studio at night and wading into St James' Park lake to talk to the swans, she is determined to see the job through.
A happy mix of humour, chick lit and romance, I adored this book!

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.

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

What a lovely book. I have waitressed at many weddings and witnessed some strange behaviour from Bridal parties. Sophie, the title character, is there to assist the brides with the smooth organisation of their wedding day, but more importantly being there for the bride. In the first few chapters I was laughing out loud with some of the outlandish things Sophie was asked for. She is then asked by the brides mother to help a high profile bride who is quite opposed to having help. She has to win over the bride as well as smooth the path for martial bliss. In between times she needs to deal with issues in her personal life. This is a genuinely funny book.

What a job to have! A professional bridesmaid, all those weddings but I suppose all of those problems too. Sophie Breeze is a professional bridesmaid & supports the bride with all the wedding 'things' they need help with. A must for every stressed bride every where! Has she bitten off too much when she is employed by the mother of a socialite? Find out by reading this great entertaining book. Certainly a feel good book that I really enjoyed.

This was such a delight! I honestly didn’t know what I was expecting going in but The Secret Bridesmaid surprised me by being such a charming, heartfelt and often times very funny contemporary romance!

Sophie Breeze is a bridesmaid–a professional one whose job is be there for the bride whatever. Throughout the book you get a chance to see what that ‘whatever’ can sometimes entail and it often leads to some hilarious situations (*cough*Chewbacca costume*cough*). Luckily for Sophie she gets the chance of a lifetime when the mother of a past bride puts her in touch with the Marchioness of Meade–a high society wedding that could make or break Sophie’s career. Our professional bridesmaid is determined to do a good job but unfortunately things aren’t going to be easy for her–from the bride Cordelia’s adamant refusal of her services, to the outlandish attempts she makes to force Sophie to quit, to the way she insults her at every turn, every move Cordelia makes puts Sophie through the wringer. But our heroine meets all those challenges head on and proves how brilliant a secret bridesmaid can be.

Sophie truly is a wonderful heroine, she’s such a caring individual and her journey from being a bit of a pushover, to learning how to say ‘no’ is truly an inspiring one. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments within, from problems with wedding suppliers, to other bride’s and their ridiculous requests.

To balance out the more outrageously funny moments, the book also shares some truly tender moments, along with an achingly sweet romance and a wonderful message about friendships. My favourite part in this book is the friendship that develops, it’s one that tugs on the heartstrings and I found myself rooting more for them than for the romance! (Although I will say that Tom is dreamy. Who doesn’t love a charming English aristocrat?)

If you want an emotionally moving, loud-out-loud book about friendship and romance, then look no further than The Secret Bridesmaid! The perfect book for Spring and one I highly, highly recommend.

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 . . .

Can Sophie pull off the biggest challenge of her career, follow her heart and maintain her reputation - all while keeping her true identity hidden?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I LOVED this book! It made me howl with laughter in parts and tear up in others. I laughed at the emails throughout the chapters and could easily see why someone would want to hire a bridesmaid!

The perfect read whilst on the way to a girl weekend away if you love romance, friendship based novels or wedding chat - I have already been recommending this book to friends and I will definitely look out for the author in future - a full 5 star review from me!

I absolutely loved The Secret Bridesmaid. I read it over a poor weather weekend, as I couldn't put it down. Funny, laugh out loud, with some hilarious characters and moments. A feel good, chick lit, slightly predictable, (but we need that right now) and full of friendship, love and kindness. I'd highly recommend it - a fun read.

What a fun light book. With some great characters and many laugh out loud, moments.
Sophie is for hire as a professional bridesmaid, come, wedding planner, come general dogsbody for the bride and her family. Cordelia's (the bride's) antics are hilarious as a spoilt brat whom Sophie has been hired by the bride's mother aristocratic lady Meade.

The fun, frivolity, misunderstandings and general naughtiness of this book made it a really enjoyable read for a dull wet weekend.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read and enjoy this book. xx

I loved this funny and charming book. It was like a breath of fresh air and really helped to take me away from all the woes in the world. I was only a bridesmaid once and I really didn’t enjoy it at all. I highly recommend this book who once a giggle. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was a bit predictable but I don't mind that in a romantic comedy - it simply serves to give us something we know we'll love. The characters were fleshed out and felt real, with nuances and problems and reactions that felt both perfectly exaggerated and fantastically realistic, which is the careful balance in slice of life comedy - you want the characters to be larger than life without becoming caricature.

This is best shown in Cordelia. You know from the start that she's going to be the 'bridezilla' of the plot, from both the fact she's the entitled heiress and from the synopsis of the book - but whilst she toes the line of over the top rich bitch, it's dialled back by the Author at the perfect point. It never becomes 'roll your eyes' ridiculous.

One thing I loved about this book is that whilst romance featured, it was more in a 'letting love shine' theme, taking a back seat to the much more prominent theme of friendship. It's the one thing that really surprised me as I did go in expecting a romcom, but it didn't negatively effect my enjoyment at all - the book didn't feel lacking.

I'd like to take a moment to praise the little snippets of conversations she has with other brides. More books set in the modern age should contain snippets of text conversations - it's something that I think has potentially translated over well from her teen books; which I've not read but I remember something akin to it when I used to obsess over the princess diaries series. Seeing her cheerfully navigate Star Wars weddings and penny flute first dances with a level of professionalism I can only aspire to.

This was very fun, frothy and fantastic. I'd add this to your read on the go list, your read on the train list, the beach, the garden - it was quick and easy and super enjoyable. I'm really excited to see what else Katy Birchall has for the adult market, as this book felt like perfection.

The secret bridesmaid

I really loved this book. I read it in one long swoop. It had all the right ingredients for a lovely romance. The characters were great - good and bad! I have not read this author before but look forward to reading more of her books

Honestly I don't usually have the time to read a while book in one day but that's exactly what I did with The Secret Bridesmaid. I loved it - I used to be a huge fan of 'chick-lit' when I was younger but the ones I've read more recently have all fell a bit flat until this one. It was very predictable (but that's part of the charm of chick-lit) but I really enjoyed the characters, they felt like real people and there were some genuine laugh out loud moments - overall I loved it, a very lovely comforting read ☺️
I received this book through netgalley

Thank you NetGalley, Katy Birchall and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Secret Bridesmaid. This is my personal review.
Sophie Breeze has made a career out of being a bridesmaid! What an idea she has and being able to construct a backstory as to how she knows the brides is great! She is not actually a wedding planning, but she can surely do the job of being the professional secret bridesmaid to make the weddings a success.
The book was a fun one to read and gave me a story that is told so well. I want to thank Katy Birchall for this great book!

I found this a perfect escapism read. It was an absolute joy to read mixed with humour and angst. I loved the concept of a secret bridesmaid who was the mainstay for many a bridezilla. I would heartily recommend.

'The Secret Bridesmaid' is Katy Birchall's first foray into writing adult fiction - and she has hit onto a winner! Sophie has a very unique job, acting as a secret bridesmaid, confidante and general point of emotional and organisational support for overwhelmed brides. Once you get past the confusion about why on earth a bride would want to hire a stranger to be in their wedding photos, instead of just hiring a wedding planner, this novel hits the right notes throughout. We see Sophie's business flourish as her services are engaged for a high society wedding for Lady Cordelia Swann. Unlike the normal gushing, grateful bride, Cordelia is a handful and determined to drive Sophie to quit. Cue hijinks galore.

The premise is so interesting, original and pulled off with a lot more nuance than I was expecting. It is pacey and fun with a thread of more serious issues woven throughout. These threads led to some highly satisfying character development from our main 'Secret Bridesmaid' and her nightmarish client. At first, I thought Cordelia was unredeemable, but her arc, as Sophie digs below her spiky exterior, is actually lovely to witness. The swoony presence of Cordelia's older brother Tom is also an added bonus!

For fans of wholesome and amusing British romantic comedies, from the likes of Sophie Kinsella and Sophie Ranald, this is the perfect read for a sunny Spring afternoon. You will be completely sucked into Sophie's world and race through the antics of our bridesmaid and her kooky clients. An easy 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This isn't the sort of book I often read but I am so glad I did. A sweet, story with several laugh out loud moments. Definitely recommend for a light hearted, easy to read, funny book.

A funny, entertaining and sometimes poignant book that I wanted to keep reading.
An ideal lighthearted holiday chill-out read. I had not read this author's books before this one but I will look out for future books.

The Secret Bridesmaid is a witty, whimsical, genuine feel-good read about Sophie. She's such a good bridesmaid that she starts a professional company offer a "fake" bridesmaid service where she's basically the personal assistant of the bride, supporting them and making their dreams come true, then sharing their big day with them.

She gets hired by the mother-of-the-bride of a massive society wedding... but Cordelia, the bride has other ideas and since she can't fire her, she's determined to make Sophie quit!

The Secret Bridesmaid has tons of silly moments, laugh out loud snippets of Sophie's communications with other brides and the companies she has to deal with, whilst also delving deep into why Cordelia is outwardly such a mean-girl. It's not long before Sophie sees past the front Cordelia puts on, and realizes deep down, Cordelia is really hurting. Can she be a professional bridesmaid and a real friend?

Well, just to add to that complication... enter a connection with Cordelia's brother, who has no idea that Sophie isn't Cordelia's real bridesmaid. He doesn't even know her real name! So how's that going to work out? Well I'm not telling you, I guess you'll just have to read it.

This book hits the sweet spot of genuine friendship, romance and drama. 5/5 from me!

I really liked this book and found it difficult to put down. Light hearted, happy read. brother too, how lovely. A really enjoyable book that is well written and made me smile a lot,

Sophie is a professional Bridesmaid, hired to pretend to be a bride's friend when they don't want a full blown Wedding Planner and / or don't have a best friend to fill the spot. She is taken on by a Marchioness to act as the bridesmaid for her daughter, who turns out to be the Bridezilla from Hell.
Wow. This book really hit the spot for me. The amusing little parts detailing the weddings that she is planning (I loved the Star Wars one) interspersed within the main story counterbalance the more serious parts with Cordelia and her outlandish demands. I'm certainly not as organised as Sophie and I certainly couldn't take the stunts that Cordelia came up with. Her enthusiasm in doing the best that she can for her clients, whilst being extremely discrete, is refreshing and then finding out Cordelia's secrets as they are gradually revealed definitely kept me hooked all the way through the book. Definitely recommended and an author that I will certainly be following.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book

What a wonderful book to settle down with. The synopsis gives a very good insight as to what this book is all about. A professional bridesmaid is not the same as a wedding planner. Sophie in her job as a bridesmaid is there for the bride, to help with arrangements, appointment and getting the hard to get items the bride requires.

When she lands a very high brow wedding contract, the bride doesn't want any help, she is as unfriendly and down rude as it is possible to be. How on earth Sophie has the patience to deal with the antics, temper and moods of Cordelia is quite beyond me. But this is the uniqueness of Sophie, her ability to deal with people, even when pushed to the limits.

The author has created a story that is a blend of two stories. Both the women in this book have a reason for being distrustful and past experiences do tend to muddy the waters. The author created a fabulous storyline that gradually revealed more about the women as well as coping with the manic wedding plans.

This is a story that has some drama, some heartwarming and also a lovely romantic thread. It shows that first impressions can be misleading, that people do deserve second chances and sometimes when someone is loud and obnoxious they are hiding behind a wall.

A wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend to readers who like a story with drama, secrets and romance, a great all-around chick-lit read.

Oh this was great! And why isn't this a business yet, surely people need it? Really fun and engaging and heartfelt, I raced through it.

I loved this book - it was so much fun! I genuinely laughed out loud in several places, especially the email and WhatsApp exchanges. The characters were well rounded and (mostly) likeable.
I'd thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a rom-com.

I've lost count of the numbers of times I've been laughing out loud while reading this book. There is so much that just hit my funny bone and had me giggling at times close to hysterically.

This is especially true of some of Sophie's email exchanges with other bridesmaids or companies she is working with. They are so ridiculous that you can actually believe they are real!

And this is such a fabulous concept, a professional bridesmaid, I loved how Sophie describes her role in weddings, and the way she has all her bride's backs is really clever - and the lengths she will go to are varied and impressive and on occasion funny too!

Well until she is hired to work on the society wedding of the year, only the bride, Cordelia doesn't want Sophie's help and is determined to be so outrageous in her demands that it will force Sophie to quit.

I was completely enjoying part of Sophie's world, seeing just how she worked, and also some character development too. But for me it was all about the various weddings and the immensely entertaining scenarios that were presented.

It was a quick and easy read which I always love and when I wasn't reading I was trying to find excuses to ignore work and move back to the book. Perfect holiday / garden reading, when you just want to lose yourself in something that's hilarious.

This is the first book I've read by Katy Birchall, and it definitely won't be the last. If she always puts this level of humour in her books then I'll be first in line to read them all! A wonderful tonic to the past year and a bit, and we can all do with more laughter in our lives.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid. Not a wedding planner, a secret bridesmaid. Only she and the bride know that she is being paid to make sure that everything runs smoothly. A fun and light hearted read. Laugh out loud funny. Romantic comedy and friendship. Pure escapism.

Oh how I loved reading The Secret Bridesmaid, this was a pure delight and a great escape for me. I truly looked forward to getting into bed and snuggling up to read this one. If you're after a good chic lit, funny scenes and romance, then I would highly recommend checking this one out.

The Secret Bridesmaid introduces us to Sophie, a professional bridesmaid. Sounds strange doesn't it, but after reading the book I can certainly see the appeal. She is hired by bridesmaids under the premise that they already know her, to help plan their weddings and ensure that everything runs smoothly. Sophie loves her job, it is quite clear to see that given her dedication to her clients, I mean, who else would agree to dressing up as bridesmaid Chewbacca! That is of course until she meets Bridezilla Cordelia, a member of the aristocracy, who, after several antics in an attempt to put Sophie off the job, turns out to not be all that bad after all.

The friendship that builds up between Sophie and Cordelia over time is truly lovely, I really enjoyed this development throughout the book; it made me smile and think 'awww'. Likewise, the relationship between Sophie and Tom is rather cute, although this is not the main focus of the book. I do think it finishes in the ideal place, leaving the reader to create their own events afterwards or indeed leaving it open for a second book.

Overall, this really was more than I was expecting, I love being surprised by a read and this one certainly did that.

Aw, this was perfectly charming, hilarious, heartwarming, romantic, not-cheesy story. I giggled and I swooned.

The concept is straight out of a hallmark movie but it's absolutely adorable. Brilliantly paced and sentimental.

Sophie has all the right words and I loved seeing her wear Cordelia down. I loved the twist on kill 'em with kindness. Nope, we do not need more doormats. Kill 'em with kicking ass at your job is more like it! There was just enough detail in Cordelia's backstory to make you absolutely love her character arc and I never ever felt like we were dragging. Hot brother, this is a romance but I love that this romance didn't take centre stage.

There were different types of love explored in this story, and each got just the right amount of screen time in my opinion. Love of friends, lovers, family. Forgiveness and also putting people in their place...ness. Truly, it was great, I loved it and am excited to see more from this author.

Absolutely loved this book! It was such a great concept and although it is a long time since I got married, I can really see the value of having a "Sophie" at your side! Cordelia was such a character - you could see what she was trying to do but Sophie just wouldn't let her. The pace of the story was great - it kept moving and I just kept turning the pages as I really got hooked into it! Although you hope you know the direction the story is heading, I can't say I was ever certain it would get there. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep things interesting.

If you are looking for a feel good, easy reading book that is highly enjoyable, try this! I loved it and was actually sad to get to the end.

Thank you to Net Galley & the publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest review, which is what I have given.

a fab book, really funny, loved following Sophie journey with her job and life in general. a fell good easy read

This is a funny, cute and a light, quick novel with funny references and comical scenes that would probably translate well onto the big screen. This would make a great film
Excellent light and humourous novel .
Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review

Very funny read. If I was ever to get married, I think I’d like to hire Sophie Breeze as my Secret Bridesmaid.

The characters are brilliantly written in this book and it was a joy to read.

This is a great book, fun to read with quite a few laugh out loud moments.

Sophie is a professional bridesmaid hired by brides to assist them with everything and anything to ensure that their big day goes smoothly. Normally the brides want her assistance but when she is hired for Lady Cordelia's wedding, who doesn't want her help, has she taken on an impossible job.

The characters are well written and likeable and the story has an easy flow to it, a perfectly written romantic comedy.

Total escapism, one you don't want to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

An outrageously funny and poignant romantic comedy.

This laugh-out-loud romance is about a real Bridesmaid for hire - Sophie Breeze.
Sophie's life is already ridiculously complicated when she is offered a chance in a lifetime with a celebrity aristocratic wedding. The only problem is the future bride who goes out of her way to prove that the last thing she needs is a paid-for friend.
Perfect summer reading.

Thanks again to #netgalley for allowing me to read this hilarious book before release
Katy Birchall has written an amazingly funny, emotional and true to life book about weddings, bridesmaids and families. I think every bride should have a secret bridesmaid it would make life so much easier and less stressful
The book follows the life of Sophie a secret bridesmaid who goes quite honestly above and beyond for her brides as you will see in the Wookiee story !!
But Lady Cordelia Swann is a whole different level of complex she doesn’t want Sophie but her mother has hired Sophie and unless Sophie quits she stays
So Cordelia's mission is too get her to quit by whatever means possible but who will win ??

I loved this book! It was a slow burner but kept me guessing throughout as to whether Sophie would win over Cornelia. There were plenty of hilarious moments too. More adventures of Sophie please! Fans of Anna Bell will enjoy this !

I loved this!!


Sophie isn’t just an incredible event planner, or a wedding planner, she’s both titles squished under the career ‘professional bridesmaid’
Able to become the sudden, long lost best friend of any bride, Sophie steps in to support brides make their dream days come true, without anyone knowing she’s anything other than a very helpful, doting bridesmaid.

She finds her biggest ever challenge with Lady Cordelia Swann, an aristocratic, self centred, highest of the high maintenance bride (who happens to have an extremely handsome brother...)

I laughed, smiled and felt all the anxious nerves for Sophie whilst reading this. The character development was perfect and Sophie is my new favourite book character ever!