This comes to B&B from Contributor Niamh who lives in Northern Ireland. Here at B&B, the default reviewer is Kristen, so if anyone else contributes we’ll make sure to let you know! If you’re interested in reviewing anything, drop us a line at beveragesandbooks@gmail.com.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that I am unable to go the supermarket without at least perusing the book section. More often than not, perusing leads to purchasing and with my summer holiday fast approaching, I was in desperate need of a book that would transport me into the life of a sassy heroine. So in other words, I needed a book TARDIS. Enter Always The Bridesmaid. I’ve long been a fan of Lindsey Kelk’s work. I gobbled up her ‘I Heart…’ series and her ‘Girl’ series is going the same way. I love how when her damsels get into distress, they always get their damn selves out of it with sparkling wit and style.
This book follows Maddie, a thirtysomething events planner who is trying to juggle a demonic boss; a friend in marital trouble, and her newly engaged bridezilla bestie, Lauren. There’s also a rather satisfying man dilemma sandwiched in the middle for good measure. Maddie gets herself in a few pickles, the most hilarious of which involves some rabbits dyed pink and an illicit cigarette. You’re intrigued, right? The book is lighthearted and frothy, but I don’t want that to be taken as some sort of underhand criticism. After a stressful year and having my head buried in more university textbooks than I care to remember, this book was the perfect escape. It made me laugh out loud, which is a feat for any written text, and, in typical Kelk style, Lindsey writes characters that so many women can identify with. I felt every inch of Maddie’s angst at the ridiculous (but oh so common) ‘who should sent the first post-date text’ dilemma, and understood her frustrations from trying to be all things to all men and spreading herself too thin.
Whilst the book sometimes segues from the sublime to the ridiculous (see pink rabbits above), it was those scenes that gave me the most pleasure and induced the heartiest belly laughs. It made me laugh (and on occasions, snort whilst doing so), swoon and smile. I read a while back that the best books are the ones that you don’t want to end. Well, not only did I not want this to end, but also I would love to see it brought to our screens, and see these fabulously believable characters come to life even more. Worth every penny added on to my grocery receipt! In honour of our heroine’s favourite, I would recommend a gin and tonic with this book – light on the tonic…
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Further Reading:
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From Niamh: I bought this book with my own money; all opinions are simply my own rambling thoughts.