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The Bad Bridesmaid

'No one does romance and comedy better' Australian Women's Weekly
By Rachael Johns
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Brief Description
A good rom-com is a balm for the harshness of the outside world, and no one does romance and comedy better than Rachael Johns. Australian Women's Weekly When serial dater Winifred Darling – Fred – is asked to be the maid of honour at her mother's... Read More
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A good rom-com is a balm for the harshness of the outside world, and no one does romance and comedy better than Rachael Johns. Australian Women's Weekly

When serial dater Winifred Darling – Fred – is asked to be the maid of honour at her mother's sixth wedding, she's determined to do everything in her power to stop it. As the author of a forthcoming book called 21 Rules for Not Catching Feelings, she knows better than most about the perils of falling in love.

On arrival at the island wedding destination, Fred is delighted to discover that the groom's hot muso son Leo is just as set against the wedding as she is. Together, they come up with 'Operation Break-Up' to prevent their parents from making what they believe will be a catastrophic mistake.

But as Fred and Leo get to know each other better, their unexpected feelings for each other create further complications, and Fred is forced to rethink her own rigid rules about romance and family. Maybe not every relationship has to play by the book, and could Fred become the star in a romcom of her own?

A heart-warming friends-to-lovers romance about the magic and mayhem of weddings – and what happens when everything you thought you knew about love is turned upside down.

Prolific, entertaining and charming, Rachael Johns is arguably the best romantic writer in Australia. The Australian

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761341762

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 December 2025

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 1.0mm

Width: 1.0mm

Height: 1.0mm

Weight: 1g

Pages: 416

Collections

Contemporary Romance Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Rachael Johns Romance

About the Author

Rachael Johns was once (briefly) an English teacher, before turning her attention to writing - and never looking back. She now writes award-winning romance, women's fiction, and the occasional awkward text. Her novel The Patterson Girls won the 2016 ABIA for General Fiction, and she's a two-time winner of the Romance Writers of Australia RUBY Award. When she's not writing, Rachael can be found hanging out with her adorable Sheepadoodle, listening to audiobooks, or fuelling her latest obsession-reformer Pilates. She lives in the Swan Valley with her husband and two of her three sons (the other has flown the nest), and tells herself she'll read more non-fiction every year-but let's be honest, the novels always win. Rachael is the co-host of two podcasts- Reading Between Deadlines and Dear Rach & Soph, and also runs the vibrant Rachael Johns' Book Club on Facebook. You can find her at www.rachaeljohns.com or subscribe to her Substack, Pink Ink, where she shares behind-the-scenes bookish thoughts and writer life.

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