Book Title: "There Goes the Bride”
Author: Holly McQueen
Published By: Atria
Age Recommended: 18+
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5

Review: So much happens when Polly Atkins decides to ditch her wonderful fiance’ at the last minute! Her friends vow to reunite the couple, secrets unfold and excitement ensues in this very fulfilling romantic excursion.
This book has laughs, tears, fun, chaos and so much more! I definitely recommend this read to all the ladies! ( )

There Goes The Bride by Holly McQueen is a story about three very different women Polly, Grace and Bella. Polly and Bella are sisters and Bella is making all the arrangements for Polly's wedding as Bella is also a caterer. When she goes to the airport to pick up Polly, who is moving back to England from New York, Polly is nowhere to be found. When Bella does finally find her sister, Polly tells her the wedding is off and will not tell her why.
Bella is a caterer and has a boyfriend who leaves a lot to be desired and is in the process of trying to adopt a child. Bella was in a terrible car accident and is unable to bear children, so with trying to do all the right thing for the adoption and getting her sister to talk about why she called off the wedding, she also has to contend with a good looking guy who is staying in her flat at the request of her boyfriend.
Grace is wife to a man who to me is a real jerk and a bully, ordering Grace around and belittling her at every turn. She had been his secretary and he left his wife to marry Grace. They have two children and she is pretty much ostracized by the mothers at her kids school. She accidently meets a wealthy good looking man and starts to have an innocent relationship with. Things turn serious and steamy when she finally has enough of her husband.
All three of these women's lives are drawn together in this delightful novel. This story has a little bit of everything in it, raising children, marriage, infidelity and lots of humor. A fast paced fun quick read, perfect for the beach. I loved it and recommend it to anyone who are fans of Jennifer Weiner or Sophie Kinsella. ( )

Bella and Grace are ready for the upcoming wedding of Polly, Bella's sister and Grace's best friend. When Polly shows up in London declaring the wedding to be off, it throws Bella and Grace into tailspins. They can't understand why it happened. Of course, Bella and Grace have problems of their own. Bella desperately wants a child, but she can't have one of her own. Her slacker boyfriend is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of adoption. Grace meanwhile is stuck in a loveless marriage with an older man. When an attractive billionaire (and her husband's boss) begins to show interest in her, Grace's problems really start. In the end, Bella and Grace will have to solve their own issues before they can even begin to help Polly.

If you're looking for fun, quick reads, this is a great pick. There are some interesting issues at the root of the problems in this book though. Grace is a trapped in a marriage that seemed really great at first and has dropped off since then. Add two rambunctious kids into the mix, and a less than supportive husband seems even less great. Bella on the other hand can barely get a commitment from her flaky boyfriend. Bella is trying to go through the process of adopting a child, but her boyfriends antics aren't helping. When he invites one of his mates to stay with Bella without even asking, things go downhill. Grace and Bella both seemed a bit trapped in their situations. I waffled between feeling horrid for them and just wanting them to take control of their lives and move on. I think that neither one really felt they could do better than the situation they were in.

Polly had the most complex issues of them all, and it was directly tied into what was going on with Grace and Bella. I don't want to spoil anything, so that's about all I can say about that. It was a neat way to tie the two different storylines together. I found myself drawn to Bella more than Grace, which surprised me as I felt she was too hard on herself in the beginning. I think Grace's decisions put me off of her a bit. The great thing was to see growth and change in all the characters by the end. Of course, Grace's inability to fit in the with the other mom's at school was something I really related with. This book was not as escapist as I expected it to be, but I feel that's a good thing. I think a lot of people will be able to see themselves in Grace, Bella, and even Polly. While it's not complete fluff, it's definitely full of fun. There are some really hilarious parts. So if you are looking for a book that is fun while still being something you can relate to, definitely check this book out.

Book provided for review. ( )

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