Angie Lawson is at her friend's bachelorette party but she's bored and her sophisticated look doesn't fit with the barely-clad ladies around her. Male strippers aren't getting her interest and her bride-to-be friend, Brittany, tells her everyone in Seattle dresses more sexily. Angie's always been a tomboy, she works as a personal trainer and thinks women should be valued for more than their cleavage. But then again, her last boyfriend left, so maybe there was something in the remark?

THE BRIDESMAID'S BEST MAN centres on the wedding where Angie is obliged to mix with a lot of girls who are one- upping other girls and passing remarks behind backs. They don't mean any harm, but Angie doesn't feel comfortable. Then she realises that her ex-boyfriend Cole, a private detective, is in the group, and her enjoyment level drops to zero. He tells her he's undercover, but this is a group of ordinary folks, not jewel thieves. She has no reason to believe him. Then another bridesmaid is found knocked unconscious. While the bride wails that her party is ruined, Cole and Angie get busy providing first-aid. The other girls stand around like decorative birds. What on earth can be behind this situation? To maintain his cover Cole asks if he can pretend to be Angie's date. Angie thinks this is a step too far....

Angie is a great heroine; practical, unfussy, friends with lots of guys and unwilling to date if it'll get her hurt. Cole had known she was a fine match for him but he panicked when she suggested moving in together. Now he thinks he has a chance to earn her trust again. I did think that Angie shouldn't have got back in bed with Cole if she still had doubts about him, but those doubts keep surfacing. The overly organised wedding is good for a laugh, with rules for bridesmaids including responding to all texts at once, and no changes of hair colour or getting tattoos and piercings before the big day. This doesn't prevent the girls from ending up in hospital.

This adult romance with a touch of intrigue will be wryly amusing for anyone involved with organising a wedding, and let's hope most weddings go more smoothly. THE BRIDESMAID'S BEST MAN by Susanna Carr kept me reading to see how much more fun the author would have with her situations, as well as liking the main characters.