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Always the Bridesmaid - Book Review |
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Book Reviews -
Women's Fiction
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Written by Jennifer Thompson
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 Always
the Bridesmaid, by Whitney Lyles
How many bridemaid's dreses do you have hanging in
your closet? How much money have you shelled out for the shoes,
the salon appointments, the gifts, the luncheons...and of course,
the dresses? Or in the case of Cate Padgett, the pantsuit? Always
the Bridesmaid is about Cate Padgett's experiences in four different
weddings - none of them her own - and what she learns along the
way about friendship, love, dating and daring to take a risk.
I was hooked from page one when Ms. Lyles talks about Cate fake-smiling
her way through a series of pre-wedding photos, all the while wondering
if the wedgie she was feeling included her dress! How can you not
laugh out loud at something like that? Throughout the book we meet
Cate's friends Sarah, Leslie, and Beth, as well as her cousin Val
and experience all of their weddings through Cate's eyes. I had
a ball reading about each bride, one more over the top than the
last. And Cate's observations about the freaky relative and drunk
wedding guest are right on.
While the ending of the book isn't much of a surprise, it's a satisfying
conclusion, one that you see coming and at the same time hope the
author allows to happen. While Cate's boyfriend leaves much to
be desired, Cate has a few other good friends that more than make
up for him. Reading the book, I kept cheering for Cate, hoping
she'd see people for what they really were, and in the end I think
she does. Good for her. And good for us. Always
the Bridesmaid is
a charming book, great for those married and unmarried alike.
From the back cover:
What do you do after you walk down the aisle in four weddings
in a few months-none of them your own? What's left after you've
donned the must-have-not dresses of the season, forked over your
cash, and fake-smiled your way through countless photos? After
you've dealt with the smashed guest, the smooshed cake, the dashed
hopes, and the missed bouquets? That's what Cate Padgett is starting
to wonder, as she embarks on stint after stint on the sidelines,
watching friends swap bar-hopping for baby-naming...while her
own love life goes nowhere fast. But is Cate unwilling to settle
down-or just unwilling to settle? And can anyone really judge
her if they haven't walked in her dyed-to-match shoes?
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