New Release Spotlight: Always a Bridesmaid by Cindi Madsen + Excerpt

Today I've got a fun excerpt to share with you from Always a Bridesmaid, the second book in the Getting Hitched in Dixie series by Cindi Madsen. I adored the first book, Just One of the Groomsmen and am looking forward to reading this one. The synopsis sounds so entertaining and it looks like it will be another awesome read.

Always a Bridesmaid (Getting Hitched in Dixie #2) by Cindi Madsen

Release Date: May 26, 2020

Violet Abrams has always been in love with everything love and weddings. Good thing, too, since she’s been a bridesmaid no less than seven times. Sure her turn was next, she’d been planning her own nuptials meticulously in a treasured three-ring binder...until her longtime boyfriend left her for someone else.

Fast-forward to the day of his wedding, an ill-advised match being lit to said binder, and the fire department getting called to her sister’s bakery. Violet’s always been a little impulsive and a lot awkward, but having to explain to the super-cute firefighter, Ford Maguire, why she was setting fire to a bunch of wedding dress photos? Worst day ever.

Except now her bridesmaid expertise has her helping Ford cover his “man of honor” duties in his best friend’s upcoming wedding. Ford may be a “bridesdude,” but forever is the last thing on his mind. And if there’s one thing a perpetual bridesmaid knows, it’s the importance of a happily ever after.

“For the bridesmaid dresses, I’m thinking super-low-cut tops with short skirts,” Ford said as he flopped on his couch for the first wedding-planning meeting of what he’d been informed would be many. “Not short enough that I’ve gotta tuck my junk, but I want to show off the muscular thighs my firefighter training has given me.”

Addie, one of his very best friends and the bride-to-be, giggled.

Lexi blushed.

The three German shepherd puppies that’d been delivered to him earlier this week ran amok.

A lot of life-changing events had happened within his tight-knit group of friends last fall. His buddy Shep had married Lexi, the blond debutante currently tilting her head at Ford. Then, in the middle of all the pre-wedding activities, two of his other closest friends had gone and fallen in love.

At first, Ford had hated the idea of Tucker and Addie. But once he’d seen how hard Tucker worked to win over the girl beside him, how good they were together, and—most importantly—realized the group wasn’t going to be split by their merger, he got on board.

Now they were soon to be hitched.

When Murph, known as Addison Murphy to the rest of the town, had asked him to be her bridesdude/man of honor, of course he’d said yes. He’d do most anything for his friends.

Lexi, one of the other bridesmaids—along with Addie’s sister, Alexandria, who was lucky enough to get out of wedding planning on account of living the next state over—withdrew a giant binder and a few thick magazines from her bag. She tossed them on his coffee table next to the dog toys and the remotes, where they starkly contrasted the pile of Alabama Outdoor News.

“This should get us started,” she said, notebook and a pen at the ready.

“Started?” Addie blinked at the stack. “Are we startin’ a fire? ’Cause that’s what that pile of nonsense makes me wanna do.”

Lexi sighed and crossed one leg over another, the skirt of her red dress flaring with the motion.

Like he said, he’d do anything for Murph, who’d always been one of the guys, but wedding planning tiptoed mighty close to the line. Her brown eyes were as wide as he assumed his were, though, and they’d sworn long ago to never leave a man behind.

Since he was the best dude and Addie didn’t know the first thing about being a girly girl, Lexi was the only one experienced in everything a wedding entailed, so here they were.

Staring at a color-coded binder.

Addie reached for the six-pack of Naked Pig Pale Ale beer. After taking a large glug from her bottle, she hesitantly lifted the binder off the table.

Give him a fire to fight, a lost hiker to find, or a destructive force of nature to contend with, and he’d jump right in, no fear. But wedding to-do lists filled with line upon line of gibberish? Well, he was about to cry for his mommy.