Book Review of 'A Bridesmaid's Guide to Murder' by Abigail Scott

Hello Bookworms!

2025 was the first year I really dove into new genres one of those being cozy mysteries. While it was an adjustment at first it quickly became one of my favorite genres of the year and today I am featuring a novel that I read over the holiday break that charmed me in the best way.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Cozy Mystery and let me know in the comments if you're a cozy mystery fan and any recommendations for me. I am currently reading the rest of this series so be on the lookout for more reviews coming soon!♥️

About the Book

Title: A Bridesmaid's Guide to Murder
Series: Emelia Walsh Cozy Mystery #1
Author: Abigail Scott
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: May 17, 2025
Genre: Cozy Mystery

She's paid to be your best friend on your big day... but she never expected murder to be part of the deal.

Emelia Walsh has one of the most unusual jobs on the planet—she's a Professional Bridesmaid. Armed with an emergency kit that would impress MacGyver, Emmy steps into strangers' weddings and becomes whatever the bride needs: a confidante, an emotional buffer, or a human fire extinguisher.

When Emmy arrives at the picturesque Evergreen Summit Resort for Monica Turner's winter wedding weekend, she's prepared for the usual challenges: wardrobe malfunctions, family tensions, and maintaining her cover as the bride's "old college friend." What she's not prepared for is the web of secrets, rivalries, and suspicious circumstances swirling beneath the perfect snow-globe setting.

When a shocking murder disrupts the wedding plans, Emmy’s role shifts from emotional buffer to amateur sleuth—all while dodging questions from handsome but infuriating Detective John Sutton, who seems both suspicious of her—and strangely interested.

In this charming first installment of the Bridesmaid's Guide to Murder series, Emmy discovers that when you make a career out of stepping into other people's stories, sometimes those stories include murder.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub

My Review

I picked up this book during the Christmas break as I was in desperate need of an escape from reality, and this was the perfect remedy. I ended up reading it in one sitting and immediately started the second book in the series. Talk about smitten!

”It was strange, the way a whole weekend could unspool like that. Everything planned down to the last flower petal—undone by something so tragic.”

The interesting premise is what initially drew me in, and before I knew it, I couldn’t tear myself away. This entirety of 2025 went to helping plan my sister’s wedding this past November, and I felt myself thinking about all that went into that and what mirrored this story. No, there wasn’t a murder, but there was some major drama, and the truth was a mystery, so I could see a lot of parallels.

Despite having to suspend reality to read cozy mysteries, I think this was masterfully done. Everything is kept simple and surface-level with nothing going too deep despite this being a murder investigation. The characters are believable and have a certain charm that keeps the reader engaged, and while the predictability is evident, there was a little twist I didn’t see coming, which is always a treat.

This is such a great start to a series, and I’m excited to see where the Emelia Walsh mysteries take us next!

My Rating: ★★★★★