Sunday 22 May 2022

Emma's Review: A Wedding at Sandy Cove - Part 1: Always the Bridesmaid by Bella Osborne

Reviewed by Emma Crowley 

This will be Ella’s eighth time down the aisle…

Ella has made it her mission in life to find every bride in their dream dress.

But every time she sends one of her happy customers off to the altar with a perfect, ivory silk gown, she thinks of those seven, hideous bridesmaid dresses hanging in her own closet.

She’s about to add another one, too, because her best friend’s wedding is now only months away. And this one, in a muddy shade of brown, might be the worst dress yet.

Ella is excited for her friend to have the perfect seaside wedding, but every discussion about flowers and centrepieces makes her feel more alone than ever.

So, Ella finally accepts her friends’ pleas to set her up on a blind date.

Ella is set to meet a handsome, gym-going estate agent. But a mix up on the night throws her into the path of Kit, instead.

Kit is most definitely not the man she was supposed to meet, but he could end up changing her life in ways she never thought possible…

Book Link: Kindle

Many thanks to Avon Books via NetGalley for my copy of Always the Bridesmaid:Part One to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.

It’s been awhile since I have read any books published as a serial prior to their full length publication but the cover for A Wedding at Sandy Cove caught my eye and I knew I had to dive straight in. Always the Bridesmaid is part One of Bella Osborne’s new series and it has the most gorgeous cover with such lovely attractive colours and reading through the blurb made even keener to see what awaited me. Yes, it’s short but there is lots happening which really set the reader up nicely for what is to come in future parts. With Bella Osborne, you always know you are in good hands and this introduction to Ella and her job as a seamstress in the bridal shop, Frills, Frocks and Fairytales was a pleasure to read and perfect for when you want something quick and light in between more longer or serious books.

Ella has often been a bridesmaid but never a bride and it appears as if this isn’t going to change as in just a few short weeks she will be bridesmaid for her friend Brittany alongside fellow friend Lucy. Ella loves her work but not necessarily the owner of the shop Wanda. She gets such a kick out of transforming dresses to suit brides and make their dreams come true. Yet as her friends tell her she is a bit of push-over when it comes to standing up for herself and they aren’t shy about telling her about the way Wanda treats her. You can see from the outset that Wanda is a bully and never minces her words. She takes Ella for granted and certainly doesn’t value her talent. The way she spoke to Ella was horrible and you wish she would stick up for herself more and not take the comments thrown at her but it’s not something she does. Ella trusts people to be decent but they take her for granted and crap all over her. She pushes things to the back of her mind instead of confronting things head on and ‘mentally ropes it off with warning tape’ To be honest, I think a lot of us do that with our own lives and like Ella we would love to be forthright and out there and say what we really feel but she is afraid that if she confronts Wanda then she will no longer have a job and in turn let so many brides down.

We do see Ella slowly start to gain some confidence and let her true feelings rip but unfortunately this doesn’t work out to her advantage and she finds herself in new and unfamiliar territory but maybe Kit can help her out with this? Ella is very much alone when it comes to romance and not having her ex by her side anymore makes her feel like the armour she once had has been striped from her. I found I instantly connected with Ella and alongside the more personal side of her life explored her we get lots of funny and laugh out loud moments. One scene in particular regarding a bride had me cringing and laughing in equal measure. But then the tables turn when a bride does something which leads to a change in direction work wise for Ella.

I loved how we got to know Ella’s family and how she aspires to one day have a relationship like her parents. But whilst she is on a blind date her world comes crashing down. She presumed everything to be rosy in the garden but is it? Here is where Kit enters and I can see where this angle may develop in the long term but for now they are like co-conspirators trying to solve a conundrum that if exposed and proven true than several lives will alter forever. I’m keen to see how this aspect of the story will develop over future parts. As for Lucy, I’m glad we get so see her work as a family lawyer and what she is dealing with. I sense there will be much more of a focus on her to come and Brittany too as we get closer to her wedding.

Always the Bridesmaid was the perfect introduction to this new series. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel we have been nicely introduced to all the characters and we know a good bit about them and I am excited for what is in store for them. I can’t wait for part two Stitched Up to be published as I feel there are lots of twists and turns coming Ella’s way.

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