Title:   Bad Luck Bridesmaid
Author:   Alison Rose Greenberg
Genre:   Fiction
Rating:  3.5

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?

This read was a tiny step above “meh” for me. Solid writing, and parts of it were funny, but Zoey was pretty awful. She was very selfish, and she didn’t care who she hurt as long as she got what she wanted. She came across as childish to boot, and that didn’t make for a read that made me want to sing its praises. I’d read this author again, because I think the writing was well-worth it, but I just didn’t care for Zoey.

Alison Rose Greenberg lives in Atlanta. Bad Luck Bridesmaid is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

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