ARC Review : Sister Of The Bride by Lauren Morrill



Sister Of The Bride by Lauren Morrill
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Yellow House Media
Publication Date : September 12th, 2023
A romcom retake on Father of the Bride about letting go, falling in love, and a whole lot of lasagna

For someone who doesn’t do well with change, Pippin Marino sure is dealing with a lot of it. First her twin sister returns from Europe with a fiancé and a plea for Pippin to plan the wedding. Then her mom announces plans to sell the 100 year old family restaurant that Pippin has been running since her father died.

But at least there’s one good development in Pippin’s life. Her best friend Toby Sullivan surprises her by moving back to Boston. Having him back is the one bright spot amidst her summer of panic, especially when he offers to help her plan the wedding.

But then one kiss changes everything.

And Pippin Marino does not do well with change.

Pre-order here!

This was such a fun friends-to-lovers romance!❣️✨ The cover caught my eye on Netgalley at first(how cute!) before I realized that I'd read some of the author's YA books when I was a teen and I hit the request button. Anyway, I'm glad that I enjoyed this one too!😆

I've never watched Father Of The Bride but I'm always up for rom com retakes and in this one we have Pippin Marino who has been running her family's 100 year old restaurant after her dad passed away and she's not really fond of change. But everything in her life is turned upside down when her twin sister Polly returns from London and announces that she's engaged to Mackenzie, a woman that she's known for six months. Though Pip is sceptical about this she's roped into helping with the wedding planning. And to top that, her mom and grandmom tell her that they're planning on selling the restaurant. The only silver lining in this is the fact that her best friend Toby has come back to Boston for his residency at a hospital. But, what will happen when she realizes that she has more-than-friendly feelings for him?😂

I loved how real the characters were in this one - flaws and all. Pippin's reaction to everything was quite bad at first, but she realizes it and makes amends. Can't really blame her though as everything in her life was imploding(but I also loved how Mackenzie's mom Nora gave her a reality check too). And as someone who also hated change, I found her relatable. I loved how snarky she was(even when she's being judgemental😂). Her relationship with her family especially her sister - Polly is amazing! It takes a while for her to warm up to Polly's fiance Mackenzie, but she does begin to appreciate her slowly too!

On the other hand she's always been the closest with her best friend Toby and I loved the slow progression from friends to lovers here! It's not one of my favorite tropes but it worked out so well in this one and it felt so believable! Also, we could truly feel how close they were even if we didn't have many recollections of their past because the connection is always present. So, I was rooting for these two to end up together and waiting for Pip to get over her fears and face her feelings for him.

Toby is such a cinnamon roll because he's so cute, patient and funny! Those dad jokes at the beginning of every chapter were hilarious and he was always there for her when she needed him!🥺 Also, he's willing to wait for her because he knows her difficulties and he understands that she needs time. I'd have loved this even more if we'd gotten his pov too as I was curious about when he fell for her and what prompted him to come back! But still I was very satisfied with the romance. And extra points for no third act breakup or drama. I feel like we can't find a romcom book without that these days, so I really appreciated the fact that there wasn't anything like that here 😂 I was scared for a while wondering whether Pip would change her mind or something, but when she accepts her feelings for Toby, she's very sure and feels secure too. And that was a highlight in her character development with how she has learned to accept change and other things!

Overall this was a great read that had some amazing and real characters with a really cute romance too!❣️✨

You can also find this review on my bookstagram here


*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Lauren Morrill is the author of spicy adult and sweet YA romance, including Sister of the Bride (coming September 12, 2023) Meant to Be (Delacorte) and It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). She loves all things romantic comedy and specializes in kissing books. Lauren lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, Adam Ragusea, and their two children.

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