⭐⭐⭐💫 3.5 stars | If you've looking for a rom-com that's just as much about love as it is about friendship, then The Wedding Ringer is for you. Willa Callister was a super successful blogger who seemed to have it all, until she found her fiancé and best friend in bed together. Since then, she's moved in with her sister and her family and started working for her event company as Princess Sparkleheart. It feels like she's hit rock bottom but she truly does want a fresh start. First, she needs money though. That's where Maisie Mitchell comes in. She needs another bridesmaid for her wedding and after randomly bumping into Willa at a coffee shop, she offers to pay her to be a bridesmaid. It sounds crazy but against her better judgement Willa says yes and that's when her life starts to turn around.
Even though the book is technically a romance, I want to talk about the friendship first because we meet Willa after she's lost two important people: the man she thought she was going to marry and her lifelong best friend. The author shows how it's the latter that hurts the most and why it was so hard for her to open up to Maisie initially. But both women are inherently kind and empathetic and it's not long before their friendship becomes real. That was probably nicest thing to see in the story, although I still can't imagine paying someone to be my friend nor could I totally relate to either woman but you know me, I love seeing a wonderful friendship unfold. It's through Willa's bridesmaid duties that she meets the best man Liam Rafferty and sparks fly immediately, even though she was determined to dislike him. But like I said, as cute as the romance was, it really wasn't at the forefront (at least for me). Willa's journey was about letting go of her past to appreciate what's right in front of her, romantically and friendship-wise, family (born into and found) and getting back on her feet on her own terms.
Do I recommend? Yes, but I'd borrow it from the library. I liked it but didn't quite fall in love with it. As much as I enjoyed the overall themes of the book, I didn't fully connect to the story or the characters. There was just something missing for me.
I just got this book in the mail and I'm looking forward to reading it!
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