Member Reviews

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Faber and Faber Ltd in exchange for an honest review.

It is no secret that I love island-based thrillers and Every Vow You Break is a great addition to the genre. Abigail Baskin has just married a very rich man, one rich enough to whisk her away to a remote island resort for their honeymoon. There's only one problem-days before the wedding, Abigail slept with a mysterious man on her bachelorette weekend. When he turns up at the resort, Abigail begins to panic and soon he's making demands of her that she's not prepared to fill. It starts to become very clear that she doesn't know her new husband very well either, and things quickly go south when an incident at the resort has Abigail fearing for her safety.

Swanson has struggled in the past with making me relate to his characters, but thankfully that's not an issue here. Even with the cheating aspect, Abigail is very likeable and you really feel for her and her situation. A lot of the strength of this book comes from the fact that you really don't know what's going on. Every time I was sure I knew what was happening, something else would throw doubt on that and it meant I was constantly generating theories and changing my mind about characters. It really put you in the shoes of Abigail (who doesn't know who to trust) and it made for effective thriller tension.

I won't spoil the plot of course but I will say that it does lean on the more dramatic side compared to a lot of domestic thrillers. Some people might find it unbelievable and if you prefer stories more grounded in reality, this might not be the book for you. Still, overall I would recommend this as a thriller to check out. Swanson consistently produces thrillers with a classic setup and then puts a unique spin on it, and this is hugely enjoyable to fans of the genre. This is the perfect book for a holiday (or wishing you could holiday if you're stuck inside) and definitely worth picking up.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Was this review helpful?

This is my second Peter Swanson book and I definitely enjoyed this more than the first, but it still didn't blow me away. This tells the story of Abigail, who is preparing for her wedding and has a one night stand during her hen party. The man in question turns up during her honeymoon and things escalate in drastic fashion. I found this book to be a pretty enjoyable page turner, although all of the characters were a bit one dimensional. The plot is utterly ridiculous, but in a great escapist way and honestly, it reminded me of a cheesy slasher horror movie. So in effect, this is a great popcorn book that I had a good time with but ultimately won't remember.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a roller coaster ride and I loved it!

The connections between all of the characters was so believable and powerful for the short occurrences they had.

I didn't see ANY twists coming at all. If that means I missed massive clues I really don't care.

It's written so well and gripped me! I completed it in one sitting. I feel like the pacing was perfect and Peter definitely knows how to keep you turning the page.

This definitely satisfied my feminist bone haha, The men is this are pigs and I loved it

Couldn't recommend this enough!

Was this review helpful?

I liked the idea of this book, the blurb made it sound intriguing. It got off to a slow start, and I was waiting for the suspense and mystery to appear - but it never really did. There were a couple of moments where it began to grip me, but then the characters did something that slowed it all down again. I couldn't warm to Abigail, or any of the characters. The ending wasn't what I was expecting, and it didn't really fit with where it appeared the story was going. Other people have loved this book, but it wasn't for me, sorry.
Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is my third book by Peter Swanson and I loved it as much as the others I've read including, most recently, Eight Perfect Murders.

In Every Vow You Break, Abigail Baskin, an editor for a New York poetry publisher is due to marry Silicon Valley tech billionaire Bruce Lamb. Although she is not head over heels in love with him, she knows they're good together and he is a stable, reliable guy. Just before the wedding, while Abigail is enjoying her hen weekend, she has a drunken one-night stand with a hunky Californian she knows only as Scottie...

I absolutely adored this book; the plot was well written, it was heavy on drama, and exceptionally exciting, tense, and nailbiting all the way through. The characters were all well-drawn, and the twists and turns were abundant. Set on a remote island, Every Vow You Break was chilling, extremely dark and suspenseful and Peter Swanson's masterful writing continues to wow me. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Faber and Faber via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

This novel follows Abigail as she is about to marry her fiance Bruce. They’ve had a whirlwind romance and everything has happened very quickly. At Abigail’s hen party she has a one night stand and when this man contacts her before the wedding she is fearful that her happy ever after might be about to fall apart! This premise drew me in right away and I couldn’t wait to read this book but I’m sorry to say that it just didn’t really work for me. I’ve read and loved the author’s previous novels but this one just lacked something for me. The plot does have twists in store and I didn’t see them coming, which I did like but the suspension of disbelief required was too much for me and I just couldn’t get invested. I also had issues with the way Abigail later describes her one night stand, it felt too obvious to me that this was a male author writing a female character and it really pulled me out of the story. This is a fast-paced read and I did finish it in a couple of sittings but it’s just not my favourite by the author.

Was this review helpful?

Rating : 3.5 ⭐️

I’m a massive Peter Swanson fan. When I got his new book accepted on Netgalley I was thrilled ! Finally got the chance to read it.

The synopsis grabbed my attention right away. A potential mind-boggling psychological thriller. And the beginning of the book was great, I could tell it was leading up to something explosive.

But then it just got super...weird ! Thrilling, but weird.

It just didn’t lead to where I thought it was going to. Some of the scenes were pretty dark, and at times, creepy. And I wasn’t much of a fan of Abigail...

I do love Peter Swanson’s writing style though. He always seems to know how to suck you in. And I was definitely intrigued. The title was very clever too - and I’m going to be honest, I’ve had The Police stuck in my head since finishing this 😂

I enjoyed this book but I don’t think as much as The Kind Worth Killing (which is one of my favourite books) or All The Beautiful Lies. It just didn’t have the same unpredictability about it as the others.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I'm not typically a thriller reader, but this is the kind of book that makes me wonder why I don't pick it up more often. I have read from Peter Swanson before and enjoyed it, I've also been recommended his books a lot and have some on my radar so I was excited when I got given a copy of this one to read and review (thank you publishers/NetGalley).

I can see why a lot of people would not like this one. Men are awful, basically, and there are a lot of problems in this. It is awful, the characters are deceptive and manipulative and you can't trust anyone. But that's what I loved. It kind of moved away from mystery/thriller and felt more like a thriller/horror to me. The things that happen in this one are really scary and I lived for it.

I found it to be an incredibly fast-paced book and it was such a quick read because of that. I must admit I did guess some of the 'twists' but it didn't take away from the story for me. I felt great that I knew what was going on and I was on the right track and it made me more excited to see how it would play out.

I loved the atmosphere, the setting, and horror of it all. I didn't particularly like any of the characters but I was rooting for some anyway.

Go into it tentatively if you don't like mental abuse/gaslighting etc in books. I don't usually but got on well with this one.

I'll definitely be picking up more Peter Swanson and can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve.

Was this review helpful?

I was really happily surprised with this novel. It's not that I think Peter Swanson does not write good books, but sometimes I see negative reviews which kind of turn me off reading his latest novels. I'm being silly, because his latest novel twists and turns deliciously just like The Kind Worth Killing.

The story is one I don't usually pick up myself. Abigail, a soon-to-be-wife cheats on her husband during her bachelorette party. She decides to keep this to herself, but when her husband whisks her off to an isolated island and her one night stand shows up, she doesn't know if she can keep this information from him.

I was annoyed at the start of this novel because I don't like the lying and the cheating, especially not in my protagonist.

This annoyance soon turned into edge of my seat thrills because the mysterious island and her one night fling showing up had me guessing like crazy what would happen. Let me tell you, it's pretty difficult to guess because Swanson can throw a curve ball in there like the best of them.

The question Abigail asks herself at times is: "What movie am I in?" I love that question, and I have to say that this novel is pretty unique. I had a hard time plotting it in a novel.

Sure, sometimes the motives are not easy to understand. The ending is a bit hap-hazard and rushed, but it's a thrill and I love it. I still have Swanson's Before She Knew Him on my shelves and I actually can't wait to dive into that one.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun and exciting read this was. I had never read anything by this author before but I will certainly be trawling through his back catalogue after really enjoying this well written and plotted thriller. It all seemed so effortless which hides the skin and artistry of the author. I was drawn in straight away and read the book in one breathless sitting.

Twists, turns, great characters and and a credible and fascinating plot.

What more can you ask for?

Was this review helpful?

Peter Swanson can do no wrong.
Every single book I have read from him has been at least 4 stars!

Its a tense, addictive read that kept me guessing all the way through.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved The Kind Worth Killing so was delighted to receive a copy of Every Vow you Break. This is a totally addictive nail biting thriller with twists galore that I certainly didn’t see coming. I could not put this down. I loved it. Although not as good as A Kind Worth Killing, it certainly gripped me!

The story features Abigail and her soon to be very wealth husband Bruce. After a whirlwind romance the couple decide to get married. On her bachelorette party, Abigail gets drunk and sleeps with another man, Scott. She gets back home decides not to tell Bruce about her infidelity. When she sees Scott back in her hometown and receives an email from him she feels he is stalking her. Her marriage and wedding to Bruce goes ahead without her telling him about Scott but what happens on the honeymoon???

This is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year. Four and a half stars as it wasn’t as good as The Kind Worth Killing but I will round it up to five nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley, Faber and Faber and the author for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I have greatly enjoyed Peter Swanson's earlier works - complex thrillers which are "different" from the run-of-the-mill thriller writers. This one, although enjoyable, seemed to lack his normal unusual characters and plots, and had I not known that he was the author, I would not have guessed it to be one of his.

It seemed to me to be pretty predictable and the grand finale came as no surprise - the heroine fleeing for her life and finding super-human strength is not the kind of cliche one expects in a Swanson novel. Nonetheless a reasonably entertaining book but I hoe that the author picks up his game for his next outing.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

I have read and enjoyed other novels by Peter Swanson but this one was not quite as absorbing. The character of Abigail, the bride and her husband were not that likeable and all of the other characters thinly written. I liked the claustrophobic and eerie setting of the island but the third part of the novel lacked pace and unpredictability. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

This book kicks off in Abigail's romantic, complicated life and is an easy read from the start. It's written very addictively, before I knew it I was halfway through the book. Then the psychological twist start and they just keep coming. Making you guess what's actually happening all the way through. I was absolutely hooked and couldn't put it down. I did find this book was very borderline thriller to horror and it did made me on edge a few times.

After a whirlwind, fairytale romance, Abigail Baskin marries Silicon Valley millionaire Bruce Lamb. For their honeymoon, he whisks her away to an exclusive retreat at a friend's resort off the Maine coast on Heart Pond Island. But once there, Abigail's perfect new life threatens to crash down around her as she recognises one of their fellow guests as the good looking, charismatic stranger who weeks earlier had seduced her at her own Bachelorette party...

! CW: Psychological abuse

Was this review helpful?

I’ve heard great things about Swanson but I didn’t love this as much as I wanted to. I have another of his work- Eight perfect murderers- which I’m still incredibly excited to read as I think it was a fluke that I didn’t love this. It was still an enjoyable story but I think I was confused in a way I don’t like to be when reading. There was a lot of changing perspectives throughout and I’ve definitely seen it done better in other novels.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
Has there ever been a disappointing Peter Swanson publication ?
Not in my opinion, although I will say there are certain parts of this story that I found just a little bit far fetched.
Nonetheless a good read that kept my attention and allowed me to devour it in a couple of sessions.
Four Stars.

Was this review helpful?

Plot:
I have loved every Peter Swanson book I have read, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to read this one... and it definitely didn’t disappoint! At certain points reading this novel I had to remind myself that I was in fact reading a triller. At times, it felt very domestic and pretty run of the mill. I do enjoy reading about the intricacies of marriage and how vulnerability and power are exchanged on an almost daily basis, so although there were periods where I felt the plot didn’t progress, I was still invested enough. When the twist came it was quite shocking and was definitely unexpected. Initially, I was definitely onboard with the plot but then the more I read the more it became slightly ridiculous and implausible. I was able to look past this, but it did mean that my review couldn’t be 5 stars as I became slightly detached from the storyline instead of being immersed.

Characters:
I enjoyed reading from Abigail’s perspective and I was sympathetic to both her choices and actions. Bruce, I struggled with however, I was meant to believe that this billionaire happened upon a young woman in a café and happens to fall in love with her immediately. I understand why the author portrayed his character to be perfect gentleman and the man of Abigail (slightly dulled down dreams) as this would make for a bigger reveal down the line, but this meant that I simply did not care about his character throughout the story. I felt more attached to Scottie as he at least had some sort of background information and character development. I was truly shocked by the men’s actions of the island and was truly scared for the women’s safety.

Ending comment:

I could not put this book down and enjoyed the escapism it brought. I did struggle with the unbelievability of it at times, but I accept that this is the case with some thrillers. The gaslighting and mental abuse that was mentioned towards the end of the books was well-written and terrifying. I was able to put myself in the women’s shoes and could not stop reading until I was certain thy would be ok... for me, this shows what excellent writing it was.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book. It was another great read which I actually finished within a day! I honestly didn't expect the twist that came. Although I knew something was going on, this I did not expect. Which is perfect to keep you guessing and interested. Although in the end I did find some of it a little bit creepy and could possibly trigger some people with certain issues. But that being said, I still read on and enjoyed it and just had to know the ending.

Was this review helpful?

An absolutely addictive page-turner that had me on the edge of my seat on more than one occasion. You just know from that one mistake that Abigail and Bruce’s relationship story isn’t going to be plain sailing! I’m surprised they even made it to the island!! Heart-stopping, thrilling and packed with suspense. I can’t wait to read more by the author.

Was this review helpful?