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tiffysbookadventures's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was a super cute and light read. I really enjoyed the friends to lovers trope in it and how it developed. The characters were likeable and realistic and the added bonus of learning about another couple’s journey and wedding added much to the story.
daijoboy's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booksandotherwords's review
3.5
It’s gonna be an average three-star rating for “Sister of the Bride” and an additional .5 because it’s a childhood friends to lovers. My three-star rating by the way doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s actually a good rating. It just means that the book in my opinion, needed more. In this case, for this book, it needed more depth. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Toby and Pippin’s relationship. I just needed more, you know? Maybe for a book this “direct,” it would help to have Toby’s POV. But that’s okay. I found Pippin in the beginning of the book a little annoying. What she did at her sister’s wedding dress fitting was shitty. Although I understood where she was coming from but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t shitty of her. For some reason this book felt long but also fast. The pacing was a bit off for me. Other than that, I would still read more of Lauren Morrill’s future books!
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
starburst3625's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I can go either way on the friends to lovers trope, but this is one that I really liked. I’m usually a big fan of dual POV, but some stories just work best with single POV, and this is one of them. It was just right for it to be told from Pippin’s perspective. Pippin faces a slew of life-altering changes all at once, one of which is her sister’s whirlwind engagement and wedding, which Pippin ends up tasked with planning. Fortunately, her best friend, and dad joke aficionado, Toby has returned to Boston for his medical residency, and can be there to support her. Of course, the question becomes: is there more to their feelings for each other than just friendship? And can Pippin deal with it if there is? Pippin definitely fights hard to avoid the reality of her feelings. As her sister says: “‘You will crawl through a mile-long drain pipe filled with ******** in an effort to miss the point.’” Pippin’s fear and anxiety (and don’t forget grumpiness) in the face of change was very relatable. I found her a very engaging main character. Toby too. He is supportive, thoughtful, and kind. And the secondary characters added fun layers to the story. Some of them are really “characters”. The dad jokes were perfection. I loved the silly, sweet touch they added, and that they were a sort of love language between Toby and Pip. I enjoyed watching Pip finally come to terms with the scary changes in her life and figure out Toby’s place in her future. “‘But those are the times when love matters most. When the plans have evaporated and everything is ****, if you can still look at the other person and say, ‘at least I’m going through this **** with you,’ then you know.’” The epilogue is lovely and sweet. This is a detailed open door story with strong innuendo and frequent strong harsh language throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a complimentary copy of the book. This review was written and shared voluntarily, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Detailed open door romance, frequent strong harsh languagemcbryson's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rachelbrandwin's review
4.0
I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was adorable. It is the perfect example of the friends to lovers trope and I think it's done really well. I also though that the dad jokes at the beginning of each chapter were cute and it was a nice touch for it to be missing when the main characters aren't talking.
I don't really have much else to say about this book other than it was a very easy read and it was very enjoyable.
Merged review:
I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was adorable. It is the perfect example of the friends to lovers trope and I think it's done really well. I also though that the dad jokes at the beginning of each chapter were cute and it was a nice touch for it to be missing when the main characters aren't talking.
I don't really have much else to say about this book other than it was a very easy read and it was very enjoyable.
This book was adorable. It is the perfect example of the friends to lovers trope and I think it's done really well. I also though that the dad jokes at the beginning of each chapter were cute and it was a nice touch for it to be missing when the main characters aren't talking.
I don't really have much else to say about this book other than it was a very easy read and it was very enjoyable.
Merged review:
I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was adorable. It is the perfect example of the friends to lovers trope and I think it's done really well. I also though that the dad jokes at the beginning of each chapter were cute and it was a nice touch for it to be missing when the main characters aren't talking.
I don't really have much else to say about this book other than it was a very easy read and it was very enjoyable.
angelicfonz's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for this arc!
I grew up watching Father of the Bride so I was beyond excited when I saw this was a retelling from the sisters pov 😍
When the first chapter opened with being in an Italian restaurant making lasagna with all the chaos and family banter I was in love. Family, grief, finding yourself and big life changes were the main themes of the book and I think that’s what made me love it so much!
Pippa was hard to like at first. She is very judgemental and controlling which bothered me a lot. I understand her life is flipped upside but telling people how to live their life and spend their money is a bit far 😅 However,by the end, I was rooting for her happiness and growth.
Toby was easy to love. He’s cute, sensitive and patient. SO PATIENT 😭😭 he really loved pippa and I love his willingness to be vulnerable. The slow burn tension and banter between them was sooo good!! Childhood friends to lovers will always be a favourite trope. However, I did expect more romance in this book! I just felt like the romance took a backseat to pippas life and family drama. Toby would just literally pop up at the most randomest of times.
The plot was a little slow moving but I laughed a lot throughout the book. I did get a little sick of the dad jokes on every chapter (sorry 🥲). THE SMUT WAS HOT 😍😮💨
Overall, a cute book that I think would be perfect for readers going through life transitions that can be scary <<33
I grew up watching Father of the Bride so I was beyond excited when I saw this was a retelling from the sisters pov 😍
When the first chapter opened with being in an Italian restaurant making lasagna with all the chaos and family banter I was in love. Family, grief, finding yourself and big life changes were the main themes of the book and I think that’s what made me love it so much!
Pippa was hard to like at first. She is very judgemental and controlling which bothered me a lot. I understand her life is flipped upside but telling people how to live their life and spend their money is a bit far 😅 However,by the end, I was rooting for her happiness and growth.
Toby was easy to love. He’s cute, sensitive and patient. SO PATIENT 😭😭 he really loved pippa and I love his willingness to be vulnerable. The slow burn tension and banter between them was sooo good!! Childhood friends to lovers will always be a favourite trope. However, I did expect more romance in this book! I just felt like the romance took a backseat to pippas life and family drama. Toby would just literally pop up at the most randomest of times.
The plot was a little slow moving but I laughed a lot throughout the book. I did get a little sick of the dad jokes on every chapter (sorry 🥲). THE SMUT WAS HOT 😍😮💨
Overall, a cute book that I think would be perfect for readers going through life transitions that can be scary <<33
schwrtzdnll28's review
3.75
This book was actually so sweet. I love a friends to lovers story SO MUCH. Especially when it’s best friends to lovers. Pippin and Toby were SO FREAKING cute. There is NOTHING I love more than a guy who has is bad for his girl. And that was Toby. Even thought this was totally in Pippin’s POV and that girl was oblivious I could tell that Toby had feelings for her for a LONG time. Their tension was written so well. Their friendship was so sweet, and their bedding relationship and their chemistry was SO GOOD. I did really love them so much.
This was more of Pippin’s story than anything, the romance was more a secondary plot point in my opinion. (Which is fine, but books that are marketed as romance should have that as the main plot.) i just would have moved to see MORE of Toby and Pippin!! I did really like Pippin! She was funny and so confident, but also very vulnerable. She was so sure and so unsure about herself and that is VERY real, especially for someone at 26. I loved her and her family so much. They went through the hardest thing and were able to come out the other side stronger together, even when they were still very much struggling with the grief of losing her dad so suddenly.
Pippin was going through so many changes at once. She was feeling so left behind, upset that her sister is out living her life to the fullest while she’s ‘stuck’ taking care of things at home. Which is fully understandable. But she was acting like such a brat at first. It was painful to listen to her say how much she loves her sister but not be FULLY supportive just because she’s feeling left behind. Of course eventually it all worked out! Pippin was able to pull it together and see how happy her sister was and how great Mackenzie was too! It was so sweet. I’d LOVE to see Polly and Mackenzie again??? A little novella or something!?
And I loved Pippin’s story arc! It wasn’t always easy for her. She was feeling left behind and lost and unsure about what she could even do next. But I loved that she was able to really figure it out, and do something for herself for once. And that she actually realized all of these changes were good for everyone, herself included!!
Also the epilogue as absolutely perfect 🥹
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Yellow House Media for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was more of Pippin’s story than anything, the romance was more a secondary plot point in my opinion. (Which is fine, but books that are marketed as romance should have that as the main plot.) i just would have moved to see MORE of Toby and Pippin!! I did really like Pippin! She was funny and so confident, but also very vulnerable. She was so sure and so unsure about herself and that is VERY real, especially for someone at 26. I loved her and her family so much. They went through the hardest thing and were able to come out the other side stronger together, even when they were still very much struggling with the grief of losing her dad so suddenly.
Pippin was going through so many changes at once. She was feeling so left behind, upset that her sister is out living her life to the fullest while she’s ‘stuck’ taking care of things at home. Which is fully understandable. But she was acting like such a brat at first. It was painful to listen to her say how much she loves her sister but not be FULLY supportive just because she’s feeling left behind. Of course eventually it all worked out! Pippin was able to pull it together and see how happy her sister was and how great Mackenzie was too! It was so sweet. I’d LOVE to see Polly and Mackenzie again??? A little novella or something!?
And I loved Pippin’s story arc! It wasn’t always easy for her. She was feeling left behind and lost and unsure about what she could even do next. But I loved that she was able to really figure it out, and do something for herself for once. And that she actually realized all of these changes were good for everyone, herself included!!
Also the epilogue as absolutely perfect 🥹
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Yellow House Media for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
bookmarklit's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is the kind of book that you could easily sit and read in one sitting so I’m a little annoyed it took me so long to finish it! I really loved this. I’ve enjoyed Morrill’s young adult books and was so quick to request this from NetGalley when I saw she wrote an adult contemporary romance. The main character was occasionally frustrating but I have to say, the lack of drama and miscommunication in this one (especially in a few key areas near the end) was just perfect. There were a few repetitive sentences but they’re the type of thing that I think probably got cleaned up before the finished copy. I really hope she continues writing more books for adult readers! There’s the same charm and banter as her YA books so if you’re a fan of hers in general, I would recommend checking this one out as long as you don’t mind some spice!
thereadingraccoon's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Book Review: Sister of the Bride by Lauren Morrill
Sister of the Bride is an adult contemporary friends-to-lovers romance that takes place in Boston.
Pippin Marino is still working in the family restaurant and living with her mother and grandmother when her twin sister comes home engaged to her girlfriend Mackenzie after living abroad. Although Pippin is dubious of the quick engagement she immediately downloads a wedding app and starts helping with the wedding planning. But also back in Boston is her best friend Toby who is single and starting a residency at the local hospital. For the first time in years Pippin has the two people she loves the most back home but things are rapidly changing around her and her future is uncertain.
I really enjoyed this smart and funny contemporary romance. Lauren Morrill found a way to make the best friends to lovers trope both romantic and sexy. I also enjoyed the backdrop of both Boston and the family restaurant. I found Toby to be an enjoyable male main character who is confident without all the macho swagger and nonsense.
I look forward to more adult contemporary romances from Lauren Morrill!
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️