Book Review - 'The Bad Bridesmaid' By Rachael Johns

This book was a lot of fun. Fred (Winfred’s) mother, Tracy, is getting married for the sixth time and Fred is far from happy about it. Fred doesn’t believe in romantic love and thinks her mother is making another terrible mistake. 

Fred can’t support another marriage she feels won’t last. She is sick of being there to pick up the pieces when her mother’s relationships eventually fail, leaving her with a broken heart. 

Fred likes to have fun with the opposite sex but doesn’t want commitment, romance, and all the drama that comes with it. In fact, she is writing a book called ’21 Rules For Not Catching Feelings’ after landing a publishing contract. 

Fred shies away from committed relationships to protect herself from being hurt. Her mother, on the other hand, seems to fall head over heals in love and jumps right in, headfirst with every guy she meets. 

Her mother asks her to be maid of honour, but Fred is determined to stop Tracy from making another mistake she will surely regret. Supporting Tracy through her last break up nearly did them both in. 

It’s a destination wedding on Norfolk Island. Fred begrudgingly agrees to go. She sees it as an opportunity to get some precious writing time in while leaving her a few days to hatch a plan to break them up and stop the wedding before it’s too late. Besides, it’s all being paid for by the groom. 

At the airport, she spots a sexy guy, and there is instant chemistry between them. She fantasies about a wild night between the sheets with the sexy stranger. To her horror, she discovers his name is Leo and that he is the groom’s son. 

Fred finds an ally in Leo. He is also against the marriage going ahead. Together they hatch a plan to stop the wedding. 

As Leo and Fred struggle to ignore the undeniable chemistry they share, the two families get to know each other, all hell breaks loose when a stomach bug takes down the celebrant starting a chain reaction of disaster, the groom ends up in hospital, and Leo and Fred discover a secret about the bride and groom’s shared history that changes everything. 

Leo and Fred finally give into their chemistry one night, and Leo tells Fred he has developed feelings for her. Fred immediately pulls away to protect herself. 

Fred is forced to face the real reason she shies away from love and shares a secret of her own with her mother. She knows she is worthy of love and feels she may have found it with Leo, but is it too late to let him know how she feels.

This story contains great character growth, lots of laughs, drama, and so much more.

I give it four stars.