✨ "Well, isn't that just the nail in the coffin of my unrealistic dreams?" ✨
SOME SPOILER-FREE THOUGHTS: Once again, Meghan Quinn has put my heart and all my romance dreams into the pages of one of her funny and heartfelt rom coms! I've been looking forward to the second book in the Bridesmaid series for a while now and it did not disappoint! The banter was off the charts, the burn was slow and torturous in the best way, and the feelings were raw and real. The authenticity I felt in both Everly and Hardy's characters through the entire book made this read all the more special for me. They felt like friends who invited me on their journey and it was wonderful!
Author: meghan quinn
Finished: august 27, 2024
Reading Method: e-book
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️
What To Expect:
✨ Acquaintances to Friends
✨ Secret Crush
✨ Billionaire Boss
✨ Friends to Lovers
✨ Lovers to Enemies
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ JP Cane's Pigeon Fundraising
✨ Dual POV
SPOILERS IN
3...
2...
1...
✨ "I don't think I've ever been this far gone over a man... ever." ✨
I'm gonna start off by saying what we're all thinking... Hardy is just a dumb little bean. But, honestly, I think that's part of the reason I love him so much. Let's be honest, most guys IRL (especially the ones who are trying the hardest to find love) don't realize they're actually in love with their best friend until someone points it out to them. While the trajectory (and slight dumb-assery) of Hardy's pursuit of Everly might not fulfill the average romance reader's expectations, I found it so honest and real. He went from the cool, "that's my best friend" guy to "ah! pretty girl!" is zero to sixty and if that's not classic man behavior, I don't know what is.
And Everly's management of her massive crush while growing a friendship with Hardy and simultaneously trying to talk him up to Maple might be one of the most honest and authentic portrayals of a character Quinn has ever written. But that might just be because it hit so close to home for me as I've always been that friend who is secretly in love with someone while helping them find love somewhere else because I'm such a good friend. RIP me...
Of course there were fun antics that made me lol as there always are in Quinn's books. The bush-skewered, ketchup-bloody nose at the zoo, Hardy's accidental boob attack when he first sees Maple again, JP's pigeon / flamingo / penguin emails, "You're the One I Croissant," and parking lot beer pong kept the pages turning and the laughs flowing. And as much as I love when Meghan Quinn makes me laugh, I think the authenticity of the characters thoughts, feelings, and actions were really what brought this story to the next level for me. I love everything Quinn does, but this one felt different in the best way possible. Much closer to my heart than anything she's done before.
I especially loved that after Everly didn't immediately take Hardy back. Even if she couldn't resist him physically in those few moments (come on, who could?!) she didn't give in just because the boy she'd wanted for said he wanted her too. He'd hurt her and she needed to protect her heart, like she'd had to do for their whole relationship thus far. And once she'd gotten a few character witnesses to speak on his behalf while still showing solidarity for her, instead of a big confession of love, she just wanted to go out on a date with him. It was so simple, but so impactful, because that's all she'd wanted since the very beginning.
And as much as I loved the emotional side of the relationship and the development both characters went through to get to finally be together, I would be amiss if I didn't take the time to talk about the entire bachelor / bachelorette party slow burn scene because OH EM GEE I was DYING! Not gonna lie, I think the few splits between Everly and Hardy trying to figure out if their subtle flirtations and physical cues that they like the other was even steamier than some of the spicy scenes. Hot take? Let me know!
And when they finally did crash together we knew it was going to be incredible because Quinn hyped us up in the very first sentence of the book, letting us know to stick around because the pay off would be so worth it. And it was!!
Gosh, I literally could just go on and on at this point about Quinn's genius and the power of her storytelling. Like I said before, this book felt extra special to me because of how much I really connected with the characters. She's always written brilliant characters, but Everly and Hardy are my people! I love them and I can't wait to get some more of them when Hudson's story comes out next year!
That being said, I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite elements of a classic Quinn rom com: the cameos! Not only did we get a little Maggie and Brody (a lot of delusional Brody, pre-appendectomy, poor guy!) as well as Hudson, Haisley, and Jude from Bridesmaid for Hire, but we also got a visit (and should-have-been realization moment for Hardy!) from Breaker and Lia from A Long Time Coming and of course, many hilarious drop ins from our favorite bird-loving Cane brother, JP!
If you're a fan of acquaintances to friends to lovers to enemies to lovers (again) with your billionaire boss then Bridesmaid Undercover by Meghan Quinn is the perfect next pick for you! And it's on Kindle Unlimited, so there's literally no reason why you shouldn't drop everything now and lose yourself in this hilarious and heartwarming rom com!
All My Love,
Jane-Anne
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