There was a lot of suggestions for this prompt as forbidden or secret romances feature in a lot of romance books. The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchell was sent to me by my secret book elf as a book they enjoyed and wanted to share. Main character Sophie is attracted to gorgeous Tom, the brother of her client, and someone who is strictly off limits.

What it’s about?

From Goodreads:

Matrimony meets mayhem in a modern British romcom about a young woman charged with pulling off the biggest aristocratic wedding of the year––and the misadventures that ensue.

Sophie Breeze is a brilliant bridesmaid. So brilliant, in fact, that she’s made it her full-time job.

As a professional bridesmaid, Sophie is hired by London brides to be their right-hand woman, posing as a friend but working behind the scenes to help plan the perfect wedding and ensure their big day goes off without a hitch. When she’s hired by Lady Victoria Swann––a former model and “It Girl” of 1970’s London; now the Marchioness of Meade––for 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, Lady Victoria’s daughter, Cordelia, is an absolute diva and determined to make Sophie’s life a nightmare. It’s also a bit inconvenient that Sophie finds herself drawn to Cordelia’s posh older brother, who is absolutely off limits. But when a rival society wedding is announced for the very same day, things start to get…well, complicated.

Can Sophie pull off the biggest challenge of her career––execute a high-profile gala for four hundred and fifty guests in record time, win over a reluctant bride, and catch the eye of handsome Lord Swann––all while keeping her true identity a secret, and her dignity intact?

Heartwarming and hilarious, The Secret Bridesmaid celebrates the joys (and foibles) of weddings, the nuances of female friendship, and the redeeming power of love in its many unexpected forms

What I think:

I am so grateful to my secret book elf for sending me this! It was so much fun to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

While the idea of being a professional bridesmaid does seem a bit bonkers to me, it is the perfect job for Sophie.

I loved the insights into Sophie’s day to day job through the email chains with suppliers and the various wedding WhatsApp groups which were hilarious. I genuinely laughed out loud as they reminded me of some of the chats I’ve been in.

Cordelia is a fabulous character. She is spoiled and entitled and every bit as difficult as you might imagine. But behind the bravado, there is actually a thoughtful and kind-hearted woman. As Sophie refuses to be defeated, Cordelia finds herself begrudgingly admiring her and their friendship begins to develop.

In fact, the friendship felt like a more significant relationship than Sophie’s forbidden romance with Cordelia’s dashing brother.

This is such a fun read. It would make a great movie. One of my favourites this year.