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Publisher:
Avon / HarperCollins |
Release
Date: February 17, 2004 |
ISBN:
0060571667 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Paperback |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Adult fiction / Chick Lit. [Dublin, Ireland] |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Lynda E. Lukow |
Reviewer
Notes: Sexual content: Sweet (mild) |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
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Always
the Bridesmaid
By Sarah Webb
Amy
O'Sullivan, the Story Princess in a Dublin bookshop, no longer believes
in "happily ever after." Her thirtieth birthday is just
around the corner. Her job is okay, but it's not how she dreamed
of spending the rest of her life. Her ex-fiancé, Jack, has
started dating one of her best friends behind her back, and they
appear happier together than Amy and Jack ever were. Amy's younger
sister and other best friend have found the men of their dreams,
but her own love life has no viable prospects. So what does she
do when both ask her to stand up at their weddings? She attempts
to be the best bridesmaid she can, between her bouts with the blues.
"Always
the Bridesmaid" relates an embroidered look into Amy's unsatisfactory
existence. Throughout the majority of the novel she languishes in
self-pity and sabotages everyone's attempts to brighten her life.
She eventually strives to improve her lot, but not until an unlikely
source offers the right encouragement.
Beautiful
descriptions of life in Ireland, Amy's holiday in Rome, and the
weddings almost compensate for the depressing, albeit honest, view
of solo life. The few humorous scenes, especially Amy's attempt
at revenge, save the novel from melodrama. Well-conceived characters
shove the attentive plot along, but the end appears like a better
place to begin. Newly single readers may find "Always the Bridesmaid"
a great source for commiseration on a lonely Saturday night, but
readers looking for "happily ever after" might want to
wait for a (hopefully cheerier) sequel.
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