Bride Without A Groom by Amy Lynch

Today it is my stop on the Amy Lynch blog tour for her book Bride Without A Groom. I am kicking off with an extract from the book that will give you a great taster of what is to come.....

One

What will the girls think? I’m a wreck; we’re talking tears and snot, here. Scrambling through my overstuffed Chloé handbag, in between soggy tissues, my wallet and a hairbrush, I retrieve a make-up bag and study myself in a compact mirror. Once I wipe away the panda eyes and smooth my sleek blonde hair, I’m passable. A dash of daring red lippie finishes the patch-up job. You can do this!

The taxi pulls up at the Ice bar, and I thrust a tenner at the driver. He mutters something, but doesn’t even have the decency to ogle my legs as I get out. I’m scuttling towards the door to escape the drizzle which threatens to frizz my hair. This is not easy in an overpriced pair of Manolo Blahniks, as they are of six-inch-heel proportions, and are already killing me. Still, they make me feel like I might pass for my late twenties, so I decide that it will be worth it. Beauty is pain!

A few stiff drinks will be just the ticket. Yes, Barry and I have had the mother ship of arguments. No, last night’s birthday dinner didn’t exactly go to plan. But deadlines are extended all the time. It will all work out.

I’m ready to make an entrance.

The girls have already arrived, and are sitting in a booth with the drinks lined up. They spot me instantly and are on their feet to greet me.

‘OMG! Rebecca, you look so thin!’ Emer squeals in approval as we air kiss.

‘Becks! You skinny malink.’ Pam kisses me twice on each cheek. I think the month in France at the family chalet has gone to her head.

I’m sucking in my tummy.

‘No! Are you serious? I've bloody ballooned. Thanks, though.’

Quick aside: I’d squeezed myself into something very tight and black before the taxi had honked. FYI, the ensemble was over a one-size-too-small pair of Spanx that I had purchased (with huge shame) in Marks & Spencer’s. Judging by my gal pals, it has sucked me in at all the right places and created a slimming illusion. Honestly, it is a kind of black magic – worth every penny. Breathing is so over-rated, anyway.

Since I’ve now passed the big Three-Oh threshold, I’ll need to be on major frump alert.

‘Happy birthday,’ Emer and Pam chorus as I slide in beside them.

Pam passes me a Brown Thomas gift bag, and I air kiss her again. It’s probably a darling lipstick from the Chanel counter. Pam slides a birthday card over to me, with a badge that reads ‘I’m 30, buy me a drink!’, and there is a spa gift voucher inside.

‘Thanks, girls,’ I give a watery smile. ‘Let’s hope this evening is better than last night.’

The girls exchange uneasy looks. I’d texted them both this afternoon in a right state, so they know that something is up. Hopefully, they can utter words of wisdom in between cocktails.

‘What happened, pet?’ Emer asks.

Dressed in a jersey wrap dress and expensive jewellery, Emer oozes effortless class. She smacks of old money. You know, there's not much of that about these days. Such a pity. Her blonde hair is shoulder length and sensible.

Pam, on the other hand, is dressed in a black shapeless dress, and her auburn hair is scraped into a large clip. I can tell that she’s hungover from the night before by the way she’s knocking back her Malibu and Coke. Her eye make-up is smudged.

‘Well,’ I sigh dramatically for effect.

The girls lean in closer. I’m the centre of attention, and loving every minute.

‘I think I'll start with a Sex on the Beach. For old time's sake.’

‘Forget the drinks!’ says Pam. ‘Tell us!’

MY REVIEW

I loved the sound of Bride Without A Groom by Amy Lynch from the synopsis it sounded like it was going to be an outrageous, funny read so I couldn’t wait to start this one and see what on earth our main character Rebecca is going to get up to!

Rebecca has her glamourous wedding all booked, we are talking Vera Wang dress, enough cake to feed an army and the honeymoon of everyone’s dreams but there is one teeny tiny problem the Groom Barry knows nothing about the wedding and has still yet to propose!

I can honestly say that Rebecca has taken the trophy for most outrageous bridezilla character I have ever come across! She has taken the word Bridezilla to the extreme. When the book began I was so shocked at just how much she had planned for the wedding and I found this hilarious especially when poor Barry got wind of it, any sane man would have run a mile!

I did enjoy this book and there were times that I was laughing away and at other times I was just gobsmacked. I did struggle a little bit with Rebecca, she wasn’t a character I can say I liked and whilst when we first met her she made me laugh, by the time I reached the middle of the book she was really starting to irate me. The book had a great beginning but did lose pace in the middle part of the book but I did feel that it redeemed itself in the last few chapters of the book.

Amy Lynch has a great way with humor and so I would definitely read another book by her it was just I personally struggled with our main character in this book but I wouldn’t let this put me off picking up another book by this author.

Paperback               Kindle