Always the Bridesmaid - Lindsey Kelk

Always the Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The hilarious new novel from Lindsey Kelk, author of the bestselling I Heart series

Everyone loves a bridesmaid - except Maddie, who’s perpetually asked to be one.
Everyone loves a wedding - except Maddie’s best friend, who’s getting divorced.
And everyone loves the way Maddie’s so happy behind the scenes - except Maddie herself.
One best friend is in wedding countdown while the other heads for marriage meltdown. And as Maddie juggles her best chance at promotion in years with bridezilla texts and late-night counselling sessions, she starts to wonder – is it time to stop being the bridesmaid?


I have been a huge fan of the I heart series and since then will read anything and everything that Lindsey Kelk writes. I was really excited when I got the chance to read Always the Bridesmaid and couldn't wait to start.

To be honest this book took me some time to read - this is not something that happens when I read her books, but for some reason I found this pretty tricky to get into. This could have been my own fault, I was unfortunate to not have the time initially to really get into this book and I think maybe that was where the problem lied for me.

This is a fun book, it centres around Maddie, who has been working as an assistant at an events and planning company. She has been there pretty much all her working adult life, she decides that she wants a promotion, but her boss is a nightmare and things for promotion seem bleak. Maddie's two best friends are very different, Lauren has just announced her engagement to a bloke she has only been going out with for just over a year, Sarah drops a bombshell about her marriage and Maddie has been single for two years. She has to endure her parents keep going on about her ex boyfriend and the fact he has just had a baby with his new wife. Maddie as an events planner is keen to help Lauren plan her big day, even though stress levels are rising and she also needs to have the responsibility of being a bridesmaid.

Maddie gets encouraged to go for a promotion at work by the HR department, this would be great for Maddie to finally get out of the role she is currently in, however her friend Sarah also is keen to apply. Maddie, begins to prove herself at the company she is at by taking on a christening, soon she realises perhaps she has taken on more than she can cope with but cannot back down now.

The story is a bit chaotic is places, with Maddie juggling her job, friendships and a new relationship on the horizon, in places I actually felt worn out reading about it. I felt that maybe Kelk could have focused more on one or two of the aspects, as I feel although I enjoyed the story - especially the second half, there was a lot going on.


I think that this is a fun read and although from the blurb and the cover it didn't stand out to me I am glad I took the time to read it. There are funny lines in the novel, not as many as I would have hoped but it still made it an enjoyable read. I loved the format of the book, written as a journal and I enjoyed the last few pages where the text was laid out in different formats. I think it was also a good stand alone, however I don't think it is up to the standard of the I heart series or What a girl wants. I hear Lindsey is bringing out another book from the What a girl wants series, which I cannot wait to get my hands on!

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.