Always the Bridesmaid

by Whitney Lyles

What do you do after you walk down the aisle in four weddings in a few months-none of them your own? What's left after you've donned the must-have-not dresses of the season, forked over your cash, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425195139
• ISBN13: 9780425195130
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Laugh Outloud Funny

Cate Padgett is surrounded by friends who are getting married. Meanwhile Cate has an almost non-existent boyfriend she refers to as No Call Paul and a growing collection of hideous bridesmaid dresses taking over her apartment. Cate begins to reassess her life and relationship with Paul and it doesn't take long to figure out that Paul just isn't cutting it. Before she gets the chance to break up with Paul, he beats her to the punch. Shocked by the dumping, Cate surrounds herself with good friends to help her feel better. She surprises herself when she begins to realize she's developing feelings for her long-time friend Ethan. Cate is worried that acting on these feelings will ruin their friendship. With a growing mountain of hideous dresses and dyed shoes, Cate must decide if her friendship with Ethan is worth the risk. If she doesn't take the risk could she be passing up on the possibility of ever finding happiness and marriage for herself? Anyone who has ever had to deal with the hassle of being a bridesmaid will appreciate and relate to Cate Padgett. Always a Bridesmaid is full of comedy, style, wit and romance.

For those about to walk we salute you!

That phrase should be the front cover of this book. Any girl who is about to walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid, or has in the past will love Cate Padgett. She is a bridesmaid veteran and should be saluted for the wedding combat she survives. For that matter, anyone who has ever been to a wedding will enjoy this book. Whitney Lyles's descriptions of "the wedding drunks" and the "freaky relatives" which can be found at every wedding are oh so true. There is also a lot more to the story than all the hilarious wedding ventures Cate embarks on. Lyles relays some very valuable messages about modern weddings and the way society has made them so ridiculously over the top. She llustrates how people can get so caught up with planning their wedding that they forget about the marriage - a very important statement. All around, this book was a funny AND insighful look at modern day weddings. Loved it!

Must Read Book

Always the Bridesmaid is a hilarious story about what to expect as a bridesmaid...comedy! I found the book hysterical and romantic all wrapped into one. The characters in the book are so real and you can put yourself in their shoes. Great and quick read with lots of comedy, romance, and never boring. Right from page one I knew I would love it!

Quite entertaining

In just a few months, San Diego kindergarten teacher Cate Padgett has earned a Purple Heart as she has served in combat, being a bridesmaid at four weddings. Besides purchasing gifts that the members of the Cheney energy task force could not afford and buying and wearing one time use ugly dresses, Cate also attends boring bachelorette galas.Cate is sick of helping others on their trip down the aisle. She feels ready to plan her own wedding. However, she wonders whom she should encourage as her mate. Should she select the centerfold hunk "No Call Paul" or her faithful companion dependable nice guy Ethan? That is assuming either would even walk down the aisle with the perpetual ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID.Fans of contemporary tales will find the amusing ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID quite entertaining especially the scenes leading up to and occurring at a wedding. Readers will recognize the diva from hell, the drunk who was stoned before arriving, and other disasters that typically make up a decent sized wedding ceremony. Though who should prove the victor between the rivals is too obvious to everyone as Paul's ego is bigger than the Pacific Ocean, making him the top discerning fan a loser. Still this is Cate's choice so that the audience will have to read this amusing charmer to decide whether either one is the groom or if there even is one in this unhappily unmarried chick lit tale.Harriet Klausner

Always A Hit

This book is hilarious! And true! Not only will this become a classic for bridesmaids all over the world, but anyone who has ever been involved in a wedding will appreciate these tales of matrimonial mayhem. Lyles is so observant, pinpointing the freaky relative and wedding drunk that are always found on the dance floor at weddings. It's so refreshing to have a good hearted, patient heroine who is a trooper til the end. Cate Padgett is the ultimate wedding warrior! Though all her freinds are getting married, rarely does she feel sorry for herself or indulge in pity parties. Rather, she makes the best of each wedding crisis that she encounters and continuously saves the day. All the bad hairdos, ugly bridesmaids dresses and wild bachelorette paries she encounters will be appreicated by all wedding "veterans". I'm in a wedding next summer and I want to give this to all my fellow bridesmaids at the shower!