Friday, June 8, 2012

Review: There Goes the Bride by Holly McQueen



Title:There Goes the Bride
Author:Holly McQueen
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Imprint:Atria
Pub. Date:6/5/2012
ISBN:ISBN13: 9781451660937
Pages:403




And her older sister Bella couldn’t be more excited. Not only will Polly be home after five years in New York, but she’s coming back to marry the most perfect man on the planet, Dev. Dresses, cake, first dance … Bella’s looking forward to getting stuck into the arrangements.

Polly's best friend Grace is just as excited. She’s can’t wait to walk down the aisle behind her childhood ally, especially as the stylish Polly wouldn’t dream of dressing her bridesmaids in anything but the best, which will make a welcome change to the ‘mum-wear’ she’s adopted since her second child was born.

The only person who doesn’t seem to be bursting with enthusiasm is Polly. Which is why, before things can get any more chaotic, she calls the whole thing off. And there’s no way she’s going to tell them why. Some secrets are best kept hidden.

But she’s reckoned without Grace and Bella, who are determined to get Polly and Dev back together if it's the last thing they do. After all, solving someone else’s problems has got to be better than dealing with their own …?




(Summary via Goodreads; Cover via Amazon.com)
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Bella and Grace are ready for the upcoming wedding of Polly, Bella's sister and Grace's best friend. When Polly shows up in London declaring the wedding to be off, it throws Bella and Grace into tailspins. They can't understand why it happened. Of course, Bella and Grace have problems of their own. Bella desperately wants a child, but she can't have one of her own. Her slacker boyfriend is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of adoption. Grace meanwhile is stuck in a loveless marriage with an older man. When an attractive billionaire (and her husband's boss) begins to show interest in her, Grace's problems really start. In the end, Bella and Grace will have to solve their own issues before they can even begin to help Polly.


If you're looking for fun, quick reads, this is a great pick. There are some interesting issues at the root of the problems in this book though. Grace is a trapped in a marriage that seemed really great at first and has dropped off since then. Add two rambunctious kids into the mix, and a less than supportive husband seems even less great. Bella on the other hand can barely get a commitment from her flaky boyfriend. Bella is trying to go through the process of adopting a child, but her boyfriends antics aren't helping. When he invites one of his mates to stay with Bella without even asking, things go downhill. Grace and Bella both seemed a bit trapped in their situations. I waffled between feeling horrid for them and just wanting them to take control of their lives and move on. I think that neither one really felt they could do better than the situation they were in.

Polly had the most complex issues of them all, and it was directly tied into what was going on with Grace and Bella. I don't want to spoil anything, so that's about all I can say about that. It was a neat way to tie the two different storylines together. I found myself drawn to Bella more than Grace, which surprised me as I felt she was too hard on herself in the beginning. I think Grace's decisions put me off of her a bit. The great thing was to see growth and change in all the characters by the end. Of course, Grace's inability to fit in the with the other mom's at school was something I really related with. This book was not as escapist as I expected it to be, but I feel that's a good thing. I think a lot of people will be able to see themselves in Grace, Bella, and even Polly. While it's not complete fluff, it's definitely full of fun. There are some really hilarious parts. So if you are looking for a book that is fun while still being something you can relate to, definitely check this book out.

Book provided for review.

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