Ringing in a new novel with Kerry Rea...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Simon Yao

Today we are pleased to welcome Kerry Rea, who recently published her debut novel, The Wedding Ringer. We love the cover of this one and the story sounds like so much fun. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Kerry Rea is a 2017 and 2019 #Pitchwars mentee. Her work has appeared in Seventeen Magazine. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and four dogs.  (Bio courtesy of Kerry's website.)

Visit Kerry online:

Website * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

After finding her fiancé in bed with her best friend, once-successful blogger Willa Callister has sworn off love and friendship. She now spends her days performing at children's birthday parties in a ball gown that makes her look like a walking bottle of Pepto Bismol and dreaming of a fresh start. All she needs is the money to make it happen.

Maisie Mitchell needs something too: another bridesmaid for her wedding. After a chance encounter at a coffee shop, Maisie offers to pay Willa to be in her bridal party. Willa wants nothing to do with weddings—or Maisie—but the money will give her the freedom to start the new life she so badly desires.

Willa's bridesmaid duties thrust her into Maisie's high-energy world and into the path of hotshot doctor Liam Rafferty. But as Willa and Maisie form a real friendship, and Liam edges his way into her heart, Willa starts to rethink her plans. And when a secret from Maisie's past threatens to derail the wedding, Willa must consider whether friendship—and romance—are worth sticking around for.

"Kerry Rea hits it out of the park with her touching and hilarious debut. The fake bridesmaid premise and pre-wedding shenanigans had me howling, but it was the friendship between Willa and Maisie that captured my heart."

—Sarah Smith, author of Simmer Down

"I loved this warm hug of a book! The Wedding Ringer explores the pitfall-filled world of adult friendships, from the shock of an unexpected friend breakup to the difficulty of making new friends. Most importantly, it shows that no matter what tough situation you’re facing, you can get through it by being vulnerable and finding support. Full of hilarious dialogue and heartstring-tugging moments, this book made me laugh and cry. I loved every second of it, and I can’t wait to read what Kerry Rea writes next."

—Kerry Winfrey, author of Not Like the Movies

"Get ready to be charmed! Funny and witty, The Wedding Ringer reminds us that the right people in our lives lift us up. Rea's debut is a page turner of unlikely friendship and blossoming romance that keeps you smiling."

—Kelly Siskind, author of The Knockout Rule

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
I wrote three novels, completed two rounds of the Pitch Wars mentorship program, and received lots of rejections before finally signing with my agent, but I didn’t give up! 

How is Willa similar to or different from you?
Willa and I both subscribe to the motto “what doesn’t kill you makes you funnier”—and we both turn to The Golden Girls as our comfort TV show. Plus, we share the key belief that tacos make everything better. But we’re different in a lot of ways, too. She’s way more adept at social media than I am, and I tend to have more of a glass-half-full outlook than she does. And I’m quicker to warm up to people than Willa, or at least the Willa we meet at the start of the book. 

If The Wedding Ringer were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Willa - Jenny Slate
Maisie - Anna Kendrick or Ellie Kemper
Liam - Giacomo Gianniotti (DeLuca from Grey’s Anatomy)

Which TV series are you currently binge watching?
Midnight Mass on Netflix

What have you learned about yourself during the pandemic?
I’ve learned that I’m a lot stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. I think a lot of people have discovered that about themselves! It takes resilience and gumption to find joy in times like these. And I’ve definitely learned that you can never own enough pairs of leggings. 

What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?
Stuffing! And spending time with family, of course. But mostly stuffing. 

Thanks to Kerry for chatting with us and to Berkley for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends November 23rd at midnight EST.

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