There Goes the Bride

Sep 21, 2012 Tifferz rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think the cover of There Goes The Bride is steller. This is my first novel by Holly McQueen. After reading the blurb I was hooked. I thought this story would be told from Polly's point of view. But it was told from the view of Grace Polly's best friend and Bella Polly's older sister. I was surprised at how much I liked reading the story from their point of view. Okay Polly calls off her wedding a month before it takes place. Grace and Bella want to help Polly and fix her problems. The only pro...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Amy Lignor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From word one this book (as all other Holly McQueen titles do), shows how entertaining and humorous it will be for readers. Full of gals who love and hate each other, the story will remind everyone of the special characters that made up “Sex and the City.”

Polly Adkins is a British subject who’s living in New York City, and is about to leave for England in order to get married. Her sister, Bella, is waiting for her arrival with a bit of anxiety, considering she is going to be the wedding planner...more
From word one this book (as all other Holly McQueen titles do), shows how entertaining and humorous it will be for readers. Full of gals who love and hate each other, the story will remind everyone of the special characters that made up “Sex and the City.”

Polly Adkins is a British subject who’s living in New York City, and is about to leave for England in order to get married. Her sister, Bella, is waiting for her arrival with a bit of anxiety, considering she is going to be the wedding planner. In addition, waiting in the wings is Polly’s best friend, Grace. Grace is 28-years old, married and a Mom. What she sees is the fact that she is the oldest gal in her group and she’s anxious for Polly to settle down, have children and join the ‘boring, hum-drum’ world of wife and mother.

Polly, however, is not exactly ‘gung-ho’ to walk down the aisle and actually wants to call the wedding off. But it seems to be impossible, seeing as that both her sister and her friend are determined that she gets married. In fact, they have taken up the mission of getting the bride and groom back together.

This is harder than it looks, seeing as that Bella and Grace love Polly but are definitely not crazy about each other; and their own relationships seem to be more than a little off-kilter. Bella has a boyfriend who is far from perfect, and Grace’s marriage to Charlie is not going well, but she’s trying to hold everything together for the sake of their children.

No matter what her sister or best friend say, Polly doesn’t want to deal with the reasons why she doesn’t want to get married, she just doesn’t. In other words, Polly will not tell them the truth about why the relationship has gone South.

This book deals with almost all women’s issues imaginable. From sisters to friendships to infidelity, and a little dependence on alcohol, the story makes you laugh one minute and cry the next. It is a great deal of fun ‘watching’ Bella and Grace find strengths they didn’t even know they had while butting into Polly’s life – and the conclusion for each woman is filled with pure heart and a whole lot of laughs. Enjoy!

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Jun 18, 2012 L_manning rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more 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.(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Book Him Danno rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, books-sent-by-author-publisher-for

Initially it seemed this book would be about Polly, the bride of the title. Returning home to England to get married to the wonderful Dev, she suddenly decides that she cannot go through with the wedding. This, of course, upsets her best friend Grace and her older sister Bella. Unfortunately Polly isn’t talking to anyone, especially about her cancelled plans. So the story is laid out through the alternating voices of Bella and Grace, as they try to coax out the story from Polly. They want to kn...more Initially it seemed this book would be about Polly, the bride of the title. Returning home to England to get married to the wonderful Dev, she suddenly decides that she cannot go through with the wedding. This, of course, upsets her best friend Grace and her older sister Bella. Unfortunately Polly isn’t talking to anyone, especially about her cancelled plans. So the story is laid out through the alternating voices of Bella and Grace, as they try to coax out the story from Polly. They want to know what is wrong so they can fix it. Through this process we learn their stories, and Polly turns out to be the much needed cathartic projection of their own issues, a means to seeing their own problems form an objective perspective. If you are looking for a fun romantic comedy sort of book, Holly McQueen really delivers. But if like me you are always looking for some deeper meaning behind the story that can speak about life in general, something applicable to all our lives, well she also delivers there. Typically people in trouble will learn to gloss over their problems for the sake of happiness. They lose the ability to see the trees in their own lives because the forests of world are in the way. In trying to fix Polly’s relationship they are finally able to see the problems in their own. It is this new found perspective that opens their eyes; they begin to understand you can’t lift someone out of their problems if you are stuck in the mud too. Basically the message is marriage is a major life decision and should not be taken lightly. Too often people just jump in to quickly with the easy out of divorce blinding them to the hazards just below the surface. Both Grace and Bella are in relationships with the wrong guy, perpetually to be disappointed and unhappy. It shows how important it is to be married to the right person for the right reasons if you want a chance at success. Through Polly’s example they find a way to right their ships and then and only then are they able to help Polly. I was a little disappointed at how cavalier the break up of a relationship was portrayed. There is a whole lot of baggage to be worked through once a long term relationship goes bad, and for the sake of style (it is a comedy after all), the author just bypasses that. In real life they made the right choice in the end but it would have been a much longer and depressing road to recovery than time constraints allowed. But it does support the thesis that making the right choice in the first place is always the better option. A fun light hearted read well worth your time. Entertaining but plenty of things for a book group to dig into.
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Jun 18, 2012 Kathleen Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more

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May 20, 2013 Bethany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I cannot say enough great things about this book! It is simply brilliant! This is one of those books that I am begging all my friends to read because I feel like they are totally missing out by now knowing about it. From the very first page, I was instantly hooked. Being a huge Sophie Kinsella fan, I feel like I have just found another author that I can add to my list of little addictions! Holly McQueen, you are amazing! This book is hilarious, most of the time. :) I instantly connected with the...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Laurie Carlson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: london, wedding-called-off, wedding-date, wedding-dress, wedding-planning, sister, best-friend, boyfriend, husband, affair, contemporary-fiction, chic-lit, new-york, christmas-holidays, new-year-s-eve, adoption, from-the-publisher, for-review

I happened to LOVE this book! I thought it was very thorough, a good plot, and very entertaining. The characters were very enjoyable and I felt like I really knew who they were. This is a very enjoyable story as I laughed out loud in so many places! Holly McQueen throws in humor in the least expected places! You laugh hard at the time, but later in the day when you think of that same scene in the book again, you are laughing at it again even harder! She has a gifted talent with comedy throughout...more I happened to LOVE this book! I thought it was very thorough, a good plot, and very entertaining. The characters were very enjoyable and I felt like I really knew who they were. This is a very enjoyable story as I laughed out loud in so many places! Holly McQueen throws in humor in the least expected places! You laugh hard at the time, but later in the day when you think of that same scene in the book again, you are laughing at it again even harder! She has a gifted talent with comedy throughout this story.
Each character talks in the first-person narrative, so we get to hear what they are thinking in all of the different situations that we are presented with, kind of like 'insider information'. It can be tricky for an author to write this way, yet she easily pulled it off with these different characters! Wow! I enjoyed this story more than very much! LOVED it! As well as her writing in this book makes me want to read her other books she has written, which are all listed below under 'about the author'!
There will be no 'Here Comes the Bride', nor 'Happily Ever After' going on in this story for Polly Atkins! At least not now that she's called her wedding OFF! Yes! That's right! She has decided to leave her fiance', Dev, at the altar! (In plenty of time so he won't literally be standing there, in case you were wondering!) Polly still flies back home to London during the Christmas holidays, as her wedding was to take place on New Year's Eve, but she is breaking up with her fiance'. She has kept they reason 'why' she called the wedding off to herself, and is keeping him, Dev, at arm's length away as well. She wants to break up with him. No one can understand why Polly would do such a thing because they all seem to think that Dev is the perfect guy for her.
Let's meet Polly's sister, Bella Atkins. She is up in arms! She's frantic! She cannot believe her own sister has done this and she is very upset, to say the least, especially since she has been playing the 'unofficial' Wedding Planner for Polly. Bella cannot believe this has happened, and she stoops to some low levels to try to figure out WHY she has called the wedding off, including hacking into Polly's email account. To make matters worse, Polly won't even talk to Bella, nor give her a reason as to 'why' she has done this. Bella calls Polly's actions 'Faffiness'.
Along with the event of the wedding, another event that Bella has been working on is trying to adopt a baby, well, a child. A "child" is really the word she says she should use instead of "a baby", she convinces herself, worried that a slip-up such as that may put off the Adoption Agency's Representative and they may not allow her to adopt after all. Another big problem she has is her boyfriend, Jamie, as he is not showing up for these really important appointments Bella has with the adoption agency. Jamie says out loud that he does want to adopt a child with Bella, but she can't help but feel his actions are showing her differently. Bella gets all worried about how this all looks to the Adoption Agency. Not only that, but this is where we get to meet Liam. Wow! We REALLY get to meet Liam! That story I will leave for you to find out about!
Then we have Grace. Grace is married to Charlie and their marriage isn't very secure, so they have plenty of their own problems to deal with, along with a couple of young sons. These two seem to be each going in their own direction, not together as they should be.
So as Bella and Grace try to fix and/or help Polly, just like the synopsis of this book says, solving someone else's problems can be easier than fixing your own. Polly still does not budge, and they are trying to think of any and everything as to why she would throw this all away. She has the best man in the world for her, and still no answers. These two stop at nothing! They are bound and determined to get to the bottom of this and fix it, no matter what it takes!
And HOW does this story end? That's up to YOU to read and find out! No matter how this story ends for Polly, happy or sad, or just as she wanted, you WON'T be disappointed! This was a GREAT book!
I HIGHLY recommend reading this book! As I said above, I LOVED this book! It will make a great summer read for you, not to mention you'll be able to go on vacation to London in it! Enjoy!
FTC REGULATIONS COMPLIANCE LAW:
I received this book for FREE from the Publisher, Atria Books, a Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc., in exchange to read this book and write a review about it. It is NOT required for this review to be either positive or negative, but, of my own honest opinion. “Free” means I was NOT provided with ANY MONIES to read this book nor to write this review, but to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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Jun 30, 2011 Leah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2011, for-review

I like Holly McQueen. I loved her Isabel Bookbinder books, because they reminded me of Sophie Kinsella. They were funny, they were warm and although they were a bit daft sometimes, I generally enjoyed all three of Isabel’s novels. So when I heard Holly’s new book was not an Isabel book I was worried – after all, Holly does Isabel well and even though I thought Confetti Confidential was only OK, I’d have still happily read a fourth Isabel novel. However I liked the sound of There Goes The Bride a...more I like Holly McQueen. I loved her Isabel Bookbinder books, because they reminded me of Sophie Kinsella. They were funny, they were warm and although they were a bit daft sometimes, I generally enjoyed all three of Isabel’s novels. So when I heard Holly’s new book was not an Isabel book I was worried – after all, Holly does Isabel well and even though I thought Confetti Confidential was only OK, I’d have still happily read a fourth Isabel novel. However I liked the sound of There Goes The Bride and was pleased that it finally arrived – only a month of so late (thanks Spanish post!). It was my weekend reading, but sadly it failed to impress me.

I hate writing bad reviews. Truly hate it. There’s nothing worse. I like Holly, she’s a lovely person and the last thing I want to do is offend her, especially since she’s a fellow Manchester United fan, but There Goes The Bride didn’t hit the mark for me. It may be almost 500 pages long, but I didn’t feel that anything actually happened. I’m sure things did happen, but it felt as if nothing happened. It was like, here are a few plots, lets chuck them in and see where they go… and they went nowhere. I thought the book would be all about Polly and her big secret as to why she couldn’t marry Dev, but surprisingly that takes a backseat. To what? You ask, well to Bella (Polly’s sister) trying to adopt a child and Grace (Polly’s best friend) contemplating cheating on her husband. There weren’t many pages dedicated to Polly and Dev and their crumbling relationship, certainly not enough for the synopsis to revolve around Polly.

What was worse, is that Bella, Grace and Polly were all like wet weekends. Bella was consistently whinging about her boyfriend Jamie and his lack of interest in the adoption process, without actually doing anything about it – going so far as to ‘let him’ go to a Manchester United match when the adoption social worker comes around. That didn’t wash with me because surely, surely, surely both of the people interested in the adoption has to be present for the initial – and subsequent – visits? A social worker’s hardly going to be OK with only dealing with one half of the couple. Grace went on and on and on about how patronising her husband Charlie was without doing anything about it. Don’t get me wrong, Charlie was horribly patronising but it was up to Grace to do something about it instead of fawning over someone else. Then there was Polly, who snapped at everybody who asked her about why she called off her wedding. I get it, it’s her life, it’s her right to do whatever the hell she likes, but I’m sorry, if your sister has been planning most of the wedding for you, you might have the decency about you to tell her why it’s off. I thought she was selfish.

I’m quite disappointed, because I expected a lot more. I expected a ‘Runaway Bride’ sort of plot, not what I got. I wanted my characters to have more backbone. I shouldn’t get annoyed by the main characters, I should be on their side, want them to succeed. I didn’t care for Polly, I didn’t care for Grace, and after a while I didn’t care for Bella. The men weren’t much better. Even Liam, a widower, wasn’t someone I liked. Describing someone as a hairy monkey is not going to appeal to me in any kind of way, especially if he’s meant to be a hero of the novel. To add insult in injury, the book didn’t even make me laugh! Not once. Every Isabel book made me laugh, but there was nothing funny about There Goes The Bride. I’m really gutted, I expected more, I expected something different. The ending doesn’t even redeem it in the slightest, because it showed that Polly is one of the most selfish, horrible characters I’ve ever come across. What made it worse was Grace and Bella’s justification for it. If I’d enjoyed the novel up to then, that would have turned me off completely. I wanted to enjoy There Goes The Bride but it wasn’t for me. It happens, sadly.(less)

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Nov 22, 2012 Amoora29 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At the beginning I thought I wouldn't like this book. That it would be one of those books, which I just read and forgotten half of it, but throughout reading the book I loved how it showed us that it wasn't about the person who we think it is. I mean the Book says There goes the bride, and typically we would think OMG, the bride has fled and that everything is about the bride that day. What we foresee is how people around the bride have their own secrets far worse than the bride running away.

I...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Jasmine Ko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, received-from-publisher

I have been waiting for this book for what seems like a long time. I love me some chick-lit every now and then, but I just haven't been able to root for the characters in the chick-lit I've read lately. They just seem so much like caricatured versions of whatever stereotype they are supposed to represent - the lonely housewife, the unfulfilled career woman, the lost and drifting girl in her early twenties. It's been hard to find characters that you could root for, but this was NOT the case with...more I have been waiting for this book for what seems like a long time. I love me some chick-lit every now and then, but I just haven't been able to root for the characters in the chick-lit I've read lately. They just seem so much like caricatured versions of whatever stereotype they are supposed to represent - the lonely housewife, the unfulfilled career woman, the lost and drifting girl in her early twenties. It's been hard to find characters that you could root for, but this was NOT the case with There Goes the Bride... AT ALL.

What I loved the most about this book was that it drew me in with realistic, believable characters. The story is told from the perspectives of Polly's older sister, Bella and her best friend, Grace. It seems like I've been enjoying multiple perspectives a lot lately in my reading, but the best part about it is that it added so much to the story being able to be in the head of two very different women. McQueen adeptly introduces various characters in a way that makes it easy to follow. (I don't like it when an author throws a bunch of characters at you all at once and you spend the rest of the book trying to remember who so-and-so is and how they're related to the main character.) It picked me up from the first page and never lost it's momentum. I love when a book does that!

Bella, Grace and Polly are flawed and just oozing with insecurities, but the way McQueen writes, she nails down all of raw and REAL insecurities of most women. The way women look at each other and automatically assume that the other is thinking the worst about you. It's a daily battle for me. Bella and Grace battle with all of the insecurities that women struggle with everyday - How do we measure up? Are we pretty enough? Am I skinny enough? Will he love me forever? Am I a good mother? What do people really think of me? McQueen writes about women so well and about how cruel we can really be to other women with all the passive-aggressive, emotional one-upping over each other. I can't wait to read more of her books.

It's been a long time since I've finished a book within a night. I thoroughly enjoyed There Goes the Bride and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an well-written story that will draw you in from the first page and be almost impossible to put down once you get started. You won't be disappointed!

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Jun 12, 2012 Pam Asberry rated it 4 of 5 stars

My summer vacation read was the newly-released There Goes the Bride by Holly McQueen. What a great choice it turned out to be!

From the back cover:

Polly Atkins, a Londoner living in New York City, is headed back across the pond for her wedding, a grand affair that has her older sister, Bella, in a whirlwind of excitement. Bella can't wait to take over the wedding plans - and neither can Polly's best friend, Grace, whose life as a wife, housekeeper, and mother is making her feel older than her twe...more My summer vacation read was the newly-released There Goes the Bride by Holly McQueen. What a great choice it turned out to be!

From the back cover:

Polly Atkins, a Londoner living in New York City, is headed back across the pond for her wedding, a grand affair that has her older sister, Bella, in a whirlwind of excitement. Bella can't wait to take over the wedding plans - and neither can Polly's best friend, Grace, whose life as a wife, housekeeper, and mother is making her feel older than her twenty-eight years. She's desperate to see Polly settle down in the same city - and the same life.

The only one who isn't bursting with enthusiasm is Polly. Which is why, before things can get any more chaotic, she calls the whole thing off and lets go of the most perfect man on the planet. There's no way that Polly is going to tell anyone why she's changed her mind. Some secrets are best kept hidden. But Grace and Bella are determined to get Polly and her fiance back together if it's the last thing they do. After all, solving someone else's problems has got to be better than dealing with your own...

Told from the points of view of both Bella and Grace, who love Polly dearly but mistrust each other deeply, this is a great story with sympathetic, believable characters and plenty of plot twists to keep you turning the pages. Bella's live-in boyfriend, Jamie, consistently lets her down at the most important times; Grace's marriage to Charlie has become a loveless, sexless sham, that she is struggling to keep together for the sake of their two young sons. Which explains why both women are utterly devastated when it appears that Polly isn't going to get her happily-ever-after with her dashing Dev. And what is most confusing is that no one - not even Polly's fiance - can get to the bottom of why she breaks off their engagement just six weeks before their New Year's Eve wedding is to take place.

Although this book deals with deep issues such as women's friendships, sisterhood, infertility, infidelity, and alcoholism, it is at heart a romantic comedy that made me laugh out loud many times. Will Bella and Grace find the strength to deal with their situations? Will Polly be able to accept the love she thinks she doesn't deserve? Read this wonderful novel and find out for yourself. Highly recommended!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book for FREE from the publisher, Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., in exchange for a written review. There was no expectation that this review be either positive or negative, and I was not given any financial compensation to read the book or write the review. This information is disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Seaside Book Nook rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely loved There Goes the Bride. It was a very "new" style of book to me. The story is told by two people, and one of them is NOT Polly! So there are actually three different stories inter-weaved together. The book alternates between Bella, Polly's sister, and Grace, Polly's best friend.

Bella is the opposite of Polly. She is a carter, slightly overweight and average height. Polly is perfect in every way. Bella tends to date "losers" and can't have children. Polly is engaged to a "catch,...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, from-publisher-author

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Bella, a bit overweight, runs a catering company and her lovely, perfect sister, Polly, is set to marry THE perfect guy. Except Polly has commitment issues and even her best friend, gorgeous Grace can't convince her to carry through with the plan. Told in alternating points of view of these three women, it proves the point that you can't know what goes on behind closed doors of seemingly perfect people. Bella and Grace, although not really friendly, try to get Polly to get bac...more

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May 28, 2012 Mary Gramlich rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why does everyone else seem to have the perfect life?

Friends as close as Bella, Grace, and Polly should be able to tell each other everything. Right now, they are not telling each other anything especially Polly who has decided at the last minute to not get married. She has come home to London only to reveal that there is something wrong but don’t ask what it is because she is not talking.

Bella is trying to help her sister Polly by getting her back together with the fiancé. All this while workin...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Theresa Cazares rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Of course, by the title, a person would think the book is about Polly. But it's much more than that. The story is told through the voices of Polly's sister, Bella and her best friend, Grace. They are trying to fix Polly, who just canceled her wedding to the perfect man. But Bella and Grace have plenty of problems of their own and the story goes back and forth from each of them trying to figure out why Polly canceled her wedding to their own messed up lives.
It's a light hearted, easy to read book...more

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May 03, 2012 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"There goes the bride" ist das zweite Buch, das ich von der Autorin gelesen habe.
Nachdem mich "Sie dürfen die Torte jetzt küssen" restlos überzeugt hat, muss ich zugeben, dass ich mich mit diesem Buch ein bisschen schwer getan habe.

Es ist zweifellos gut geschrieben mit sehr interessantem Inhalt, doch meiner Meinung nach hat die Umsetzung nicht ganz ... gepasst. An manchen Stellen wirkte es sehr langatmig, vieles hat sich wiederholt und auch die Geschichten der der Hauptpersonen Bella, Grace und...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

Polly has decided not to marry Dev, just a month before the wedding. Her sister, Bella, is struggling with the fact that she cannot have a child despite the fact that her boyfriend is a total jerk. Her best friend Grace is married to a jerk and she is attracted to a super rich guy who happens to be her husband's boss. No one knows why Polly has called off the wedding, but there is a twist and a long lost secret that is revealed at the end of the book. Cute, not particularly compelling and a much...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Agi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Actually, I don't know what to say about this book. It was a nice reading about nothing. The real action started for me in the last quarter of the book. And all the women in this book were like... I don't know, like slaves? Especially Grace, I have pitied her and was almost always angry with her, she let her husband to bully her so much and she couldn't defend herself in any situation... This secret that Polly had and revealed at the end of the book - well, I have expected almost a bomb, and it...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Alexa Yupangco rated it 4 of 5 stars

(This review was originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

Reading chick lit is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I need a break from my fantasy novels or issue books. There Goes the Bride is a fun chick lit novel, featuring multiple character narration and exhibiting a distinctly British flavor.

This book is about Polly, but then again, it’s also not about Polly. The fact that she breaks off her engagement to the apparent love of her life is definitely one of the most important even...more (This review was originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

Reading chick lit is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I need a break from my fantasy novels or issue books. There Goes the Bride is a fun chick lit novel, featuring multiple character narration and exhibiting a distinctly British flavor.

This book is about Polly, but then again, it’s also not about Polly. The fact that she breaks off her engagement to the apparent love of her life is definitely one of the most important events in this novel, but she’s never actually the true focus of this story. Instead, the event becomes a catalyst in the lives of her older sister Bella and her best friend Grace – and we watch as everything unfolds quite organically.

Bella is the older sister who means well when she butts into planning Polly’s wedding, and then when that falls apart, Polly’s reunion with her fiancé. Her character was extremely easy for me to relate to because I’m an older sister as well, and I could totally see myself butting into my sisters’ lives if I thought it would do them some good.

However, with Bella, she doesn’t even give her own life a second glance until this crazy situation with Polly forces her into it. We see how she’s clinging on to the unhealthiest of relationships simply because she doesn’t want to have any heartbreak; this doesn’t help her need to settle down and raise a family. It’s fascinating to watch how she can have so much to say about Polly’s errant situation, but refuses to really focus on her own until things come to a head.

Grace, on the other hand, struck me as a character that sounds young and posh. Unlike Bella, she’s married with two kids and raising her little family as best she can. Like Bella, however, she’s also settling for things without realizing that she’s neglecting herself. While I didn’t find her as relatable as Bella, I did find the way she ended up challenging the limits placed on her (and mostly by her own self) interesting. I would never have done what she did, but I can see where she’d think it was a logical course of action.

These two women are completely different, and yet their stories are intertwined through their relationship with Polly. I love how the author was able to weave their individual tales together so well, as I never felt confused or shocked by the shift in POV. Plus, it was also helpful to have Polly’s own emails included in the narration, as we get hints of her side of the story!

And as everything finally came to light – for all three characters – I felt a very big sense of relief and satisfaction. Things played out in a way that pleased me, and I needed that kind of ending at the time I was reading this book. I will say that the big revelation was quite a shock to me though!

All in all, There Goes the Bride is not your typical novel about a bride who gets cold feet, backs out of a wedding and all because of some deliciously scandalous secret. In fact, this novel is not even about the bride at all but about two of the most important women in her life and their individual journeys to finally arrive at a point where they are sweetly satisfied with the people in and the state of their lives.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Donna Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Polly’s flying home and she’s getting married! Except, she’s not. The wedding’s off and nobody can figure out why. After all, Polly seemed head over heels with her fiance Dev and the wedding is just around the corner. Polly’s friend Grace and her sister Bella both have enough problems of their own but with Christmas and a wedding just around the corner, they need to figure out how to get Polly down the aisle.

I really enjoyed There Goes the Bride. Although the main aspect of the story is Polly’s...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Kitty Bullard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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!

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Aug 03, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

What is it about chick-lit and the London-New York connection? Aside from that convention, there was one major thing I liked about this book. The title character (Polly) only appears as related by the two narrators (Grace and Bella). This was especially interesting, as the two narrators were constantly making observations about each other. These served to reveal their own characters and also gave a hint as to how accurate their opinions about Polly might be.

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Jul 07, 2012 Molly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked the description of the plot more than the actual book. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Instead of being about Polly calling off her wedding, it was about her sister Bella and her friend Grace and their problems. Problems being mainly the men in their lives that they don't seem to do anything about. I found it frustrating. Also, for 400 pages, not that much really happened. At least, it felt that way and I found the ending a bit unsatisfying.

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Feb 06, 2012 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sounds awful, doesn't it? Well it wasn't - I actually really enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of "shopping" type chick lit, but this one's got more depth than I ever expected, and it was well-written too. Badly mis-sold by the "blurb", the Polly/Dev story line is almost a distraction from the story of Grace, her insufferable husband and her decision to change her life - and then there's sister Bella who caters parties and has an equally dreadful relationship with Manchester United fan Jamie. Touching a...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Arianna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about Polly, who calls off her wedding a few weeks before it's supposed to happen. The book is told from her sister, Bella, and her best friend, Grace, different perspectives. In fact you hardly hear from Polly except from a few emails. Bella and Grace try to help Polly figure out her life, while mistakenly figuring out theirs as well. I though this book was cute and all ended well.

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Aug 23, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

This book was a bit heavier than the frothy fun read I expected, touching on serious themes of divorce, infidelity and betrayal. Also it did not focus on the runaway bride but on her sister and her best friend. The ultimate resolution was easy to predict. Still, I have a weakness for books set in London. I enjoyed reading it and laughed out loud at one particular line.

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Mar 04, 2013 Aishah Q. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I luh-uved this book. All the characters were so perfect...Polly, Grace, Bella, Saad! Plus, it was set in the lovely city of London (a.k.a. my future home). There Goes the Bride is fun, dramatic, and will keep you hooked until the end!

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Oct 21, 2012 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kritter-reviewed-2012

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Two sisters and one best friend each take turns telling this story of how one moment in time can change lives forever and how forgiveness can take such a big role in how we operate on a daily basis. The men in this book were mostly unappealing, so if you are looking for a swoon worthy character, there was only one in my book that I wanted to hear more and more about! The three different women were all going through a struggle that most women can rel...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Aileen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book it was quite funny, this is the first book,
I have read by this Author, I would definitely recommend and will look
out for more books by this Author in the future.

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Jul 03, 2012 Andra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Adorable, Heartfelt, and meaningful, this is a cute, sweet, easy read for the summer months

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title link	preview: There Goes the Bride: A Novel
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