Kerry Rea's first novel, The Wedding Ringer, is a funny, profane romance with unexpected depth. It begins with Willa Callister, resigned to being "Princess effing Sparkleheart" for her sister's event company, accidentally ruining a birthday party. Willa used to be an influencer in Columbus, Ohio, with a hugely popular blog detailing her visits to local places--until the day she found her fiancé in bed with her best friend and deleted all her social media accounts. Now disillusioned about both love and friendship, and unable to manage even washing her hair, let alone hitting the hottest new restaurants, she glumly plays the world's worst princess at birthday parties. Willa is stuck in this terrible rut, unable to see a way out, until the day she meets a flustered woman named Maisie in a coffeeshop, and Maisie tries to hire Willa as her bridesmaid.
Willa, somewhat to her own astonishment, finds herself agreeing to the scheme. And as she and Maisie fake their friendship, and Willa is drawn deeper into Maisie's circles of friends and family (including the handsome groomsmen), she discovers that maybe, just maybe, she could find both love and friendship again.
Hilariously funny, but also sweet and poignant, The Wedding Ringer is the sort of romance novel to be gobbled up in an afternoon. It's a charming rom-com, perfect for anyone who's ever hoped for a second chance, or for readers of Kerry Winfrey or Susannah Nix. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Flagstaff, Ariz.