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The Bridesmaid Pact
One for all and all for one! As children, Sarah, Dorrie, Beth and Caz were inseparable and vowed to one day be each others bridesmaids. But life got complicated. Now they have one last chance to fulfil their promise. Dorrie is planning her ultimate Disney wedding to the delicious Darren and is determined to have her friends back together for the Big Day. But Dorrie's fairytale is not all that it seems! Beth is desperate for a baby and is starting to resent her more fertile friends. Is a mistake from her past about to destroy her future? Caz's wild streak has tested her friendships over the years. One by one she has let her friends down, not least when she commits the ultimate betrayal to Susan. Can she change her ways and more to the point, does she really want to? Married to Steve, Sarah is plagued by doubts that she went down the wrong path. Does Sarah have the strength to make a change and will she ever be able to forgive Caz? As Dorrie's big day dawns, all eyes are on whether the ultimate act of friendship will be honoured and obeyed!
357 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 12, 2024
An uncomplicated read about friends and friendships. The ending was a bit twee but sometimes you need an unchallenging read!
June 18, 2017
Die Autorin erzählt uns hier die Geschichte von vier Freundinnen, die sich in der Jugend einen Brautjungfernpakt geschworen haben. Jetzt sind doch schon einige Jahre vergangen und nun wünscht sich noch die letzte von ihnen, dass auch sie eine schöne Hochzeit hat. Allerdings sind die vier nicht mehr so eng befreundet, wie damals, denn es gab einige Zwischenfälle…
Persönlich fand ich das Buch toll und unterhaltsam. Mir hat es gut gefallen zu erfahren, ob auch Dorrie nun ihre Traumhochzeit bekommt oder ob doch die Ereignisse von früher Probleme machen. Die Autorin erzählt uns zudem auch einiges über die Privatleben der anderen, was ich sehr interessant fand, denn es waren sehr realitätsnahe Dinge, die uns hier erwarten. Außerdem gibt es zusätzlich Ausschnitte aus der Vergangenheit, die unter anderem Dinge über Prinzessin Diana und selbstverständlich auch die Zwischenfälle von damals erwähnen.
Die Freundinnen haben mir als Hauptcharaktere sehr gut gefallen. Ich empfand eigentlich alle als authentisch und glaubwürdig in ihren Taten. Sehr sympathisch.
Den Schreibstil empfand ich als sehr flüssig und locker zu lesen. Die Seiten sind bei mir nur so dahingeflogen. Schön fand ich, dass uns die Autorin, die Geschichte aus Sicht der vier Freundinnen erzählt, welche sich laufend abwechseln. So bekommt man doch sehr viel Einblick in das jeweilige Gefühlsleben.
Das Cover konnte mich leider nicht 100% überzeugen.
Fazit:
4 von 5 Sterne. Kurzweiliger, schöner Roman, den ich als lesenswert empfinde.
Persönlich fand ich das Buch toll und unterhaltsam. Mir hat es gut gefallen zu erfahren, ob auch Dorrie nun ihre Traumhochzeit bekommt oder ob doch die Ereignisse von früher Probleme machen. Die Autorin erzählt uns zudem auch einiges über die Privatleben der anderen, was ich sehr interessant fand, denn es waren sehr realitätsnahe Dinge, die uns hier erwarten. Außerdem gibt es zusätzlich Ausschnitte aus der Vergangenheit, die unter anderem Dinge über Prinzessin Diana und selbstverständlich auch die Zwischenfälle von damals erwähnen.
Die Freundinnen haben mir als Hauptcharaktere sehr gut gefallen. Ich empfand eigentlich alle als authentisch und glaubwürdig in ihren Taten. Sehr sympathisch.
Den Schreibstil empfand ich als sehr flüssig und locker zu lesen. Die Seiten sind bei mir nur so dahingeflogen. Schön fand ich, dass uns die Autorin, die Geschichte aus Sicht der vier Freundinnen erzählt, welche sich laufend abwechseln. So bekommt man doch sehr viel Einblick in das jeweilige Gefühlsleben.
Das Cover konnte mich leider nicht 100% überzeugen.
Fazit:
4 von 5 Sterne. Kurzweiliger, schöner Roman, den ich als lesenswert empfinde.
December 28, 2020
I think this was a great plot in a wrong genre. Each of the main characters is going through some kind of trauma- illness, divorce, infertility and the death of an estranged mother- all hard-hitting issues that Williams could have explored with depth. Instead it was written very basically, with dialogue being short and stilted.
I liked the interactions with the four main ladies as their friendships disintegrated and repaired and it was great that Williams picked such diverse issues for the four to experience. I just think there was so much more that could have been explored.
I liked the interactions with the four main ladies as their friendships disintegrated and repaired and it was great that Williams picked such diverse issues for the four to experience. I just think there was so much more that could have been explored.
January 12, 2025
A beautiful story and I was hooked from the first page. The characters are all so interesting and written in such an incredible way. The ending was truly beautiful and the story is so wholesome, reflecting on love and loss, betrayal and how it’s never too late to make the right decision or put yourself first. This is the only book to make me cry and in a good way. I was so happy with how it ended it felt as if it were my own friends getting everything they ever wanted. 10/10 - this will be my new recommendation to friends for a read
July 26, 2025
I won’t say the story was good, but it was going okay. However, towards the ending everything started happening so suddenly. It was like we were trying to give the characters happy ending no matter whether the plot makes sense or not. Like I am definitely not against happy endings but at least they should be reasonable. I just believe a beautiful ending is as much important as the whole story itself. Such haphazard endings lose the whole charm of the story.
July 17, 2020
This was a bit of a slow burn. Wasn't sure about it at first, but boy, did it build. I knew this was well and truly a five star book when one of the characters went through quite a trauma and I was verbally empathising for her. Loved it.
June 2, 2019
I listened to this as an audio book in the car. A nice easy story of friendship which I could enjoy in bits and pieces between ferrying the kids around.
March 21, 2017
Enjoyable and entertaining
A book to help take your mind off the pressure off every day life. Entertaining, a good reminder of the ups and downs of friendship.
A book to help take your mind off the pressure off every day life. Entertaining, a good reminder of the ups and downs of friendship.
December 18, 2011
Julia Williams has been a favourite author of mine since I read Pastures New a long while back and since then I’ve devoured her other books: Strictly Love, Last Christmas and her most recent novel The Summer Season. However, her fourth novel The Bridesmaid Pact has sat a bit forlornly on my shelf as I just haven’t found time to go back and read it yet what with all the other excellent books out. However, wanting a bit of a break from review books, and seeing that it didn’t seem to be too long a read, The Bridesmaid Pact filled the hole nicely.
I generally don’t have preconceived notions of books before reading them but with the pale blue cover and bridesmaid-led title, I figured The Bridesmaid Pact would be a fairly easy read about weddings. While there are a few weddings in the book, the book is about much more than that. It’s about four friends coming together after many years of fractured relationships and trying to stick themselves back together to try and fulfil a pact they made when they were young – to be bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. Back when Dorris, Caz, Beth and Sarah were 8 they made a pact: a pact to always be there for each other, to be bridesmaids at each other’s wedding, but so far as Caz and Beth and Sarah married, the pact wasn’t fulfilled, but Dorris is determined to make sure the pact will finally be fulfilled in her upcoming marriage to Darren.
All is not what it seems, however, as each of the women have their own troubles. Beth’s desperate to have a baby, worrying that a mistake in her past will damage her future; Caz has spent her life being reckless and destroying her friendships and wonders if there’s any way to make amends; Sarah is worried about her marriage, about whether she made the right decision; and Dorris is keeping a big, big secret from her friends. There’s a lot that goes on during the book – it’s almost as if there’s four books in one, in fact, and although I did enjoy each storyline, it did, at times, seem a bit too much. To fit four massive storylines into a novel under 400 pages is always going to be a stretch and despite massively enjoying the book, it could have been just as good if a storyline was cut to give more space to the other storylines abound.
When I read the synopsis for The Bridesmaid Pact I immediately drew my own thoughts. I didn’t think I’d like Caz, I thought Dorris was a bit of a daydreamer, I thought Beth was a bit shy and that Sarah was a bit of a pushover. Despite some of it being true – Dorrie is a daydreamer (though not detrimentally, in fact, it’s nice to read of someone lusting after a fairytale, Disney-style wedding) and Sarah is a bit of a push-over, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved Caz, despite her faults and flaws. Because she acknowledged her wrongs I was able to like her. Sarah, too, was great and I adored Dorrie – she was just so likeable, you just couldn’t dislike her if you tried. Beth was the only one with a question mark. She was sweet, sure, but her secret (which I guessed really quickly) was a bit unfair of her to conceal, I felt. It seemed somewhat out of kilter with the Beth she was supposed to be, all sweet and light and adverse to confrontation of any kind.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Bridesmaid Pact. It was a relatively quick read, all in all and despite being somewhat heavier than I expected, I enjoyed seeing how the girls dealt with their issues and problems and how their friendship moved on and was repaired or not repaired as the pages progressed. Julia Williams is an excellent storyteller and I’m kind of sad now that I don’t have a novel of hers on my TBR shelf, that I need to wait for her next novel to read a new Julia Williams novel. I’d definitely recommend The Bridesmaid Pact, it was a fun novel and I loved that the main focus was on the friendship of the four girls, novels about female friendship seem to be few and far between at the moment so it’s nice to read one for a change. Definitely recommended.
I generally don’t have preconceived notions of books before reading them but with the pale blue cover and bridesmaid-led title, I figured The Bridesmaid Pact would be a fairly easy read about weddings. While there are a few weddings in the book, the book is about much more than that. It’s about four friends coming together after many years of fractured relationships and trying to stick themselves back together to try and fulfil a pact they made when they were young – to be bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. Back when Dorris, Caz, Beth and Sarah were 8 they made a pact: a pact to always be there for each other, to be bridesmaids at each other’s wedding, but so far as Caz and Beth and Sarah married, the pact wasn’t fulfilled, but Dorris is determined to make sure the pact will finally be fulfilled in her upcoming marriage to Darren.
All is not what it seems, however, as each of the women have their own troubles. Beth’s desperate to have a baby, worrying that a mistake in her past will damage her future; Caz has spent her life being reckless and destroying her friendships and wonders if there’s any way to make amends; Sarah is worried about her marriage, about whether she made the right decision; and Dorris is keeping a big, big secret from her friends. There’s a lot that goes on during the book – it’s almost as if there’s four books in one, in fact, and although I did enjoy each storyline, it did, at times, seem a bit too much. To fit four massive storylines into a novel under 400 pages is always going to be a stretch and despite massively enjoying the book, it could have been just as good if a storyline was cut to give more space to the other storylines abound.
When I read the synopsis for The Bridesmaid Pact I immediately drew my own thoughts. I didn’t think I’d like Caz, I thought Dorris was a bit of a daydreamer, I thought Beth was a bit shy and that Sarah was a bit of a pushover. Despite some of it being true – Dorrie is a daydreamer (though not detrimentally, in fact, it’s nice to read of someone lusting after a fairytale, Disney-style wedding) and Sarah is a bit of a push-over, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved Caz, despite her faults and flaws. Because she acknowledged her wrongs I was able to like her. Sarah, too, was great and I adored Dorrie – she was just so likeable, you just couldn’t dislike her if you tried. Beth was the only one with a question mark. She was sweet, sure, but her secret (which I guessed really quickly) was a bit unfair of her to conceal, I felt. It seemed somewhat out of kilter with the Beth she was supposed to be, all sweet and light and adverse to confrontation of any kind.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Bridesmaid Pact. It was a relatively quick read, all in all and despite being somewhat heavier than I expected, I enjoyed seeing how the girls dealt with their issues and problems and how their friendship moved on and was repaired or not repaired as the pages progressed. Julia Williams is an excellent storyteller and I’m kind of sad now that I don’t have a novel of hers on my TBR shelf, that I need to wait for her next novel to read a new Julia Williams novel. I’d definitely recommend The Bridesmaid Pact, it was a fun novel and I loved that the main focus was on the friendship of the four girls, novels about female friendship seem to be few and far between at the moment so it’s nice to read one for a change. Definitely recommended.
July 5, 2015
its more a 3.5 star, I enjoyed the book, it was quick and easy to read, an alright story all round, but it was confusing! whether I was too tired when I began this book or it was just jumbled up, it flips from year to year and different characters, (it didn't help that is seems this book is older than I realised) I had no idea what year I was in half the time and she just thrown it boyfriend's and husbands like I was meant to know who they all were. where did Steve come from?, how did they meet him, where did matt come from?
Caz became increasingly boring by the end, repetitive. dorrie was hard to not like, except her name!, Beth was Okay and I just pictured Sarah as a pathetic house wife with no character. Also everyone was constantly saying 'sorry', 'no I'm sorry!' to each other, which was too cheesetastic for my taste
spoilers ahead!
it all worked out too cliché. I know it's chick lit and I'm asking for cliché in reading these types of books, but the last 2 chapters felt way too much like yay everybody wins! at least have Beth doing a 3rd ivf and it succeeding or Caz not straight away being I love you dad! and the whole I loved him and didn't realize story is a little silly, plus brother in law Joe just being so perfect was a little too much and in a way just thrown on you, (yes I'm aware you can tell from the Start what will happen!) also Dorrie is possibly commuting suicide and everyone is taking their time and being a little too calm all like 'yay I love you *enter name* everything is perfect' make haste silly women! She should have written some of their ending stories after going Switzerland and delving just a little deeper in their respective endings
Caz became increasingly boring by the end, repetitive. dorrie was hard to not like, except her name!, Beth was Okay and I just pictured Sarah as a pathetic house wife with no character. Also everyone was constantly saying 'sorry', 'no I'm sorry!' to each other, which was too cheesetastic for my taste
spoilers ahead!
it all worked out too cliché. I know it's chick lit and I'm asking for cliché in reading these types of books, but the last 2 chapters felt way too much like yay everybody wins! at least have Beth doing a 3rd ivf and it succeeding or Caz not straight away being I love you dad! and the whole I loved him and didn't realize story is a little silly, plus brother in law Joe just being so perfect was a little too much and in a way just thrown on you, (yes I'm aware you can tell from the Start what will happen!) also Dorrie is possibly commuting suicide and everyone is taking their time and being a little too calm all like 'yay I love you *enter name* everything is perfect' make haste silly women! She should have written some of their ending stories after going Switzerland and delving just a little deeper in their respective endings
September 24, 2012
The Bridesmaid Pact is a story of four best friends – Caz, Beth, Sarah and Dorris. They made each other a promise as children that they will be each other’s bridesmaids. But things happen, and their promise broken. Caz weren’t there on Beth and Sarah’s wedding, and none of Caz’s friend was there when she had her wedding. Now it’s down to Dorrie to have all of her friends as her bridesmaid for her fairytale wedding. But things were really not that simple.
The Bridesmaid Pact was a bit confusing at the beginning as it was written in four points of views – Caz’s, Beth’s, Sarah’s and Dorris’. I had a hard time keeping up with who is who and had to refer back to the cover to figure that out. But the changing point of view works for me as I continued to read the book.
I just couldn’t help but to love those girls although I wasn’t sure that I was going to like Sarah and Beth at the first place. But I did! It was difficult not to. And I like that little bit of romance with Sarah and Caz. It was really sweet!
I had expected that The Bridesmaid Pact to be the usual romantic comedy on wedding planning. But I was clearly wrong. The Bridesmaid Pact is more than that. It is a heart-warming story on the four girl’s friendship. Sure, they had broken up with their friendship over betrayal. But in the end, they need to stick together and overcome their problems together and be there to support each other. Because that is what friends do, right?
The Bridesmaid Pact was a bit confusing at the beginning as it was written in four points of views – Caz’s, Beth’s, Sarah’s and Dorris’. I had a hard time keeping up with who is who and had to refer back to the cover to figure that out. But the changing point of view works for me as I continued to read the book.
I just couldn’t help but to love those girls although I wasn’t sure that I was going to like Sarah and Beth at the first place. But I did! It was difficult not to. And I like that little bit of romance with Sarah and Caz. It was really sweet!
I had expected that The Bridesmaid Pact to be the usual romantic comedy on wedding planning. But I was clearly wrong. The Bridesmaid Pact is more than that. It is a heart-warming story on the four girl’s friendship. Sure, they had broken up with their friendship over betrayal. But in the end, they need to stick together and overcome their problems together and be there to support each other. Because that is what friends do, right?
April 1, 2016
This book was ok. Not great but ok. It was written back in the 90s and you could tell. I didn't like the chapters in Disney as I am a massive Disney nut it annoyed me that things weren't accurate and it sounded to me that Julia was trying to state how crap she thinks Disney is because everyone hated it and hardly any good things were said about it. Which annoyed me a lot. I'm a massive Disney nut and Disneyland is the most magical place of all.
I also found the writing style wasn't really my cup of tea. I found the characters irritating and it didn't flow well for me at all. I nearly threw the book across the room halfway through as I was getting fed up of going over the same things again and again. Really not for me
I also found the writing style wasn't really my cup of tea. I found the characters irritating and it didn't flow well for me at all. I nearly threw the book across the room halfway through as I was getting fed up of going over the same things again and again. Really not for me
July 7, 2011
Not overly impressed with this book. Seemed to have too many 'different' stories and problems all going on at the same time, which I disliked. As well as this I found that the Willaims used somewhat more impressive language momentarily shoved in along with your every day spoken words. This seemed to me like a desparate attempt to add class and to 'show off her writing skills' but I didn't find this effective in the slightest.
I gave this book 2 stars because of these reasons but 2 as well for I did find the book somewhat entertaining at points, and the characters where developed well :D Not a popular author and I would'nt say never again to her books, but shes no Jodi Picoult...
7.7.11
July 7, 2015
. This was one of the best books that I have read in a while. The story didn't drag on like some and it kept me gripped throughout. The way the book is broken up helps to understand how the plot has progressed. It switched between each of the characters both in the present and also in the past which I would normally have found confusing but I didn't this time. I did feel that the story centred around Caz rather a lot. I would have liked to hear about Caz meeting her extended family as it felt that her meeting her father again was added as an after thought. I would also of liked to hear about Dorrie's wedding, although I'm sure that would make a whole different book of its own!
September 9, 2015
Reading challenge #45 A book you own but have not read
The Bridesmaid Pact. Hmm. The book of apologies. Or the book of feeling guilty? The book of keeping secrets from your best friends. Don`t get me wrong, I liked it. But..
Dorrie, Caz, Beth and Sarah are best friends, life putting their friendship to a serious test. Their relationship has an opportunity to heal while preparing for Dorrie´s wedding.
But "I am so sorry.." "No, it is me who is sorry" "No, I am sorry" kind of started to irritate me. They went over the same topics several times. And why on earth would best friends keep such secrets?
The Bridesmaid Pact. Hmm. The book of apologies. Or the book of feeling guilty? The book of keeping secrets from your best friends. Don`t get me wrong, I liked it. But..
Dorrie, Caz, Beth and Sarah are best friends, life putting their friendship to a serious test. Their relationship has an opportunity to heal while preparing for Dorrie´s wedding.
But "I am so sorry.." "No, it is me who is sorry" "No, I am sorry" kind of started to irritate me. They went over the same topics several times. And why on earth would best friends keep such secrets?
August 16, 2012
this is not my usual type of read but I was intrigued to read something by Julia Williams, it's fairly familiar groud - group of four women who have been friends for years etc. But the characters are well rounded and interesting, the story is not all shoes and shopping - these people have real lives, and it is quite moving in places too - I am quite anxious to see what happens at the end - this books really should not be judged by it's cover!
December 1, 2011
To be honest, I haven't read a book with so much negative emotions for a long time. Nobody was happy, everybody had problems and perhaps it's a real life but anyway, a little sunshine will do. Mixed feelings about some of the girls but in the end they have made it. Nice writing, not too many, not too less but still, not this what I am looking for in a book.
2,5 stars.
2,5 stars.
May 24, 2012
This book was fantastic. Written from each of the girl's perspectives helped to maintain a fast pace and kept me hooked. It's great to read 4 sides of the 1 story.
Easy to read and hard to put down, I actually cried reading this (happy tears mostly) so beware where you read it (I was on a bus at the time my tears came along)
Great book, well written, will be reading more by this author.
Easy to read and hard to put down, I actually cried reading this (happy tears mostly) so beware where you read it (I was on a bus at the time my tears came along)
Great book, well written, will be reading more by this author.
January 20, 2012
Typical girly book about enduring friendships and how life can get in the way of pre laid plans.
Really easy read and enjoyable - I liked how it was written with each section being 'authored' by one of the main characters.
Really easy read and enjoyable - I liked how it was written with each section being 'authored' by one of the main characters.
August 12, 2016
Chick Lit Fans - if you haven't already you need to read this book!!! It's the perfect chick lit/romance story: laughter, tears, drama, arguments, friendship, romance and a wedding at the end!
Ps, Dorrie's wedding = wedding goals!!
Ps, Dorrie's wedding = wedding goals!!
September 18, 2010
An enjoyable easy read, the cover indicates a light fluffy book but the four main character's stories are a little bit deeper than that.
March 1, 2011
So appart from 3 or 4 pages this book was rubbish filled with stupid girls, irrationality and self pity the whole way through.
June 18, 2011
A fun read - I loved this book.
July 21, 2012
Sadly I had to stop half way through this book it was getting confusing, the book is about four girls/women and the book was telling the story from each of them which was confusing.
September 22, 2012
I liked it so much. It gets boring at times, but with strong first pages and a very good ending. It has a lot of drama in it, though. I recommend it to young teens.
August 19, 2013
took me a while to read it but did enjoy it.
December 17, 2012
Very good quick read. Made me laugh and was very moving in some parts. A very enjoyable, girly book :-)
April 7, 2013
thought this was a good read
May 14, 2015
A good summer read.
June 15, 2013
Was pleasently surprised by this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews