The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning

‘Promise me? If you hear any secrets, never tell me. That would make you a most treasured friend. More than a friend really. You’re almost like a sister to me…’

Your best friend….

From the moment they met as children, Sasha knew that beautiful, wealthy, and confident Caitlin would always be her absolute best friend.  Sasha would do anything to make Caitlin happy.  

Even keep her darkest secrets…

The years have passed, but their friendship remains.  And when Caitlin announces she’s getting married there is only one choice for the role of bridesmaid.  

Sasha will make sure Caitlin’s wedding is as beautiful and perfect as she is.  Won’t she? 

Your worst nightmare?

But Sasha is growing tired of always being in Caitlin’s shadow  – always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  And as the big day approaches, cracks begin to appear between the two woman.  Secrets and lies swirl between the two friends like confetti. Both of them are hiding dark secrets, both of them are lying. 

Could the secrets that once bound these two friends, rip them apart for good?

My Thoughts

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Caitlin and Sasha have been best friends since childhood. The pair met one another whilst Sasha’s family worked within the kitchens of Saxbury estate, which was owned by Caitlin’s family. This vast difference between their wealth and standing within the community puts some weight on their friendship, and in other circumstances the odds of them becoming friends are pretty slim. Despite all of this though, the girls remain close friends, that is until Caitlin announces her impending wedding.

The story is told from the Sasha’s perspective, alternating between the present where she is helping to prepare for Caitlin’s wedding, and the past – which shares memories of Caitlin and Sasha’s friendship as teenagers. Sasha has always felt as though she has been living in Caitlin’s shadow, and as she allows us an insight in to their past, it becomes apparent that their friendship is far from ideal. Sasha decides enough is enough, and uses her position as bridesmaid to expose a secret regarding Caitlin’s family.

Both Caitlin and Sasha are characters that I felt unable to really connect with. Sasha comes across as being rather naïve at times, yet she has been holding on to this secret for many years biding her time for the opportunity to expose it.. And then there is Caitlin, who shows little respect for her so called friend, and talks down to her quite frequently. I must say though, that this disconnection with the characters actually allowed me to immerse myself in to the story a little more, as I felt as though the characters have been created to be ‘disliked’ in many ways – I may be wrong about that, but that is how I found them.

The book is well written and has plenty of drive and drama throughout, and despite working out what the ending would be, there were many twists and turns throughout I hadn’t anticipated at all. Full of suspense and harboured secrets, this was an enjoyable enough read that I am sure others will enjoy.

You can purchase a copy of this book by following the link below

https://amzn.to/3uuVmh7

About the Author

*Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Nina Manning for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in return for my honest review. All thoughts are entirely my own and not influenced in any way.*