The Bridesmaids Union

In this sharply satiric take on nuptials and social media from Vatner (Carnegie Hill), Iris Hagarty loves weddings, but hates brides. Iris, a 30-year-old single mother, can’t find a boyfriend and is sick of all the demanding brides she has accommodated as a bridesmaid over the years. To cope, she creates a secret Facebook account called the Bridesmaids Union, a support group where unhappy bridesmaids can vent about their worst wedding experiences. Then, Iris’s spoiled younger sister, Jasmine, who designs dog booties, announces her engagement to a tech entrepreneur worth $50 million. Iris tries to get into the spirit of things as entitled Jasmine holds a quiz to see who her maid of honor should be, and Iris almost goes broke planning her sister’s destination bachelorette party weekend. To complicate matters, Iris finds herself attracted to Jasmine’s fiancé. Then, the content of Bridesmaid Union, including Iris’s complaints about Jasmine’s wedding, is made public, and all hell breaks loose. Vatner digs beneath the story’s shiny rom-com surface to unearth some hard truths about weddings and family ties. Iris makes for a punchy heroine and Jasmine a worthy foil, and their story is entertaining and, in the end, quite moving. Reading this spiky tale is like catching a beautiful bridal bouquet with thorns. Agent: James Fitzgerald, James Fitzgerald Agency. (June)