Reading Between the Wines book review #15/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Day After the Party
Author: Nicole Trope
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: I had never heard of what traumatized Katelyn into forgetting hours of one day. It was very interesting, and if true, it seems the author did a lot of research. This book is about friendship, love, lust, and loyalty. It is great to see childhood friendships extend into adulthood. But what happens if you outgrow those relationships? I think this is what has happened to Katelyn and her best friend Leah. Friendship that has been outgrown as well as secrets that you should never keep from your best friend.

Cheers and thank you to @Bookouture and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @TheDayAfterTheParty.

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I really enjoyed this one! Katelyn and Leah have been best friends since they were six years old. Or have they? Jealousy runs rampant through this story as one friend strives to have what the other one has. I tried to figure out early in the book what was going to happen, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’ll be looking out for other books by this author now, particularly because I love the style of writing she has.

This book was definitely a page turner where I just wanted to know what actually had happened from the start, it has many different twists which made me hooked and it was impossible to understand what actually happened until the end. I enjoyed reading this and did so in only a few hours, I definitely will try to read more from this author!

WOW! What did I just read?! What a fantastic book! I wasn’t sure which way this book was going to end it had so many twists and turns. Katelyn has a birthday party to celebrate turning 36. Sometime during the party she develops amnesia and can’t remember what happened during the party. Secrets, lies, and hidden feelings come out. Katelyns best friend Leah has always been by her side. Why won’t she help her remember what happened? Why isn’t her husband telling her?

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

In a charming home adorned with twinkling fairy lights, Katelyn gathers with her husband and friends to celebrate her thirty-sixth birthday. The atmosphere is joyful, and the night seems perfect. However, when Katelyn wakes up the next day, the world has turned into a nightmare.

Shaken and terrified, she finds herself in a hospital bed, with no recollection of the birthday festivities. The sweet taste of cake icing, the anger of her best friend at midnight, and the hurtful words from her husband are all lost in a fog of amnesia. The entire party has vanished from her memory.

As Katelyn seeks answers from her husband about the events of that night, he insists that nothing happened. Yet, something in his voice, a subtle shift when he denies any wrongdoing, sends shivers down her spine. Is he hiding something?

Questions swirl in Katelyn's mind. Was she harmed at the party? What secrets lurk behind her husband's denials? Could she herself be responsible for something terrible?

The only certainty in this web of uncertainty is that trust is a fragile commodity. Katelyn grapples with the fear that if her lost memories resurface, they might unravel everything and tear her world apart.

The premise of this story unfolds like a mystery wrapped in a psychological thriller. The author skillfully weaves a tale of suspense, making readers question every character's motives. The fear of the unknown permeates the narrative, creating an atmosphere of tension that keeps you hooked from the beginning.

The strength of the narrative lies in the exploration of trust and deception within relationships. Katelyn's journey to uncover the truth becomes a gripping ride, with each revelation adding to the complexity of the plot. The author adeptly captures the emotions of confusion, fear, and doubt, making the reader empathize with the protagonist's unsettling situation.

The writing style is accessible, drawing readers into the story with straightforward language. The narrative unfolds smoothly, maintaining a steady pace that ensures engagement. As the layers of the mystery peel away, the reader is left on the edge of their seat, eagerly anticipating the next revelation.

In the end, this is not just a story about a forgotten party; it's a narrative that delves into the intricacies of human relationships and the fragility of trust. With its suspenseful plot and well-drawn characters, the book keeps you guessing until the final pages, making it a compelling read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers with a touch of mystery.

I just reviewed The Day After the Party by Nicole Trope. #TheDayAftertheParty #NetGalley

I loved this one it was fast paced twisty and I couldn't stop talking about it to my friends all of which have purchased it and read it, we all agreed that it's a solid 5 star book one of my favourite reads of 2023.

Love hate relationship with these types of books because if he's lying then GET OUT OF THERE!! But I know we wouldn't have a book if they did lol. Kept me reading because I was interested in what actually happened. BUT overall was a little disappointed because it was slow. The back and forth timeline didn't help.

The Day after the Party
Nicole Trope

Publication Date: 30th October 2023

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Leah and Kaitlyn have been lifelong best friends since they were 6 years old. Kaitlyn is married to Toby and they have a 3 year old daughter Harper.
Leah is newly divorced and single.

Kaitlyn wakes up in hospital with no memory of the night before - the night of her party celebrating her 36th Birthday. She is diagnosed with a form of amnesia that can be brought on by stress. She can remember everything else but can't recall anything from the night of her party. Toby and Leah tell her nothing happened that night but she thinks they are acting strange and doesnt believe them...

What actually happened at the party??
What are they hiding?? Or is Kaitlyn faking the amnesia???

This was a really entertaining read. I really enjoyed it. Theres a lot going on as we are told the story from the perspective of both the two main female characters - Leah and Kaitlyn.
Personally I disliked both their characters - they certainly weren't likable. The plot is full of drama, secrets, lies, jealousy and betrayals - so you will certainly be kept entertained throughout.

'The Day after the Party' had a really unique plot, plenty of twists and turns and the ending left me completely shocked. It is a really fast paced read and I flew through it in a couple of sittings.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. One I would recommend and I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Thanks so much to Netgalley.co.uk and Author Nicole Trope for an advanced reading copy prior to the publication date in exchange for an honest review.

3 5 stars rounded up to 4
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I read this book in two days, it was unputdownable, one of the best books ive read in a while and very fast paced

I've read a bunch of Nicole Tropes other books and usually find her writing to be 5 Star however this one took me a while to get into and was difficult to follow through with the bsck and forth

Nicole Trope is one of my go to authors. With every new release, I know I'm in for a treat!

This book was no different. An absolutely superb read that I flew through in two days. As recommended as always!

My first book by the author and it will not be my last. I love thrillers that keep me guessing and this one did not disappoint. Highly recommend!

The day after the party one of my favorite reads for 2023. Nicole tropes is an amazing writer. I would give this one 4.5 stars. Good story and great writing

Nicole Trope is always a Must Read for me! “The Day After the Party” keep me reading all night. Every time I said one more chapter, it ended on a cliff-hanger and I just had to know what was going on!!!
If you like a twisty thriller, this book is for you! The ending came out of now where for me. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was absolutely unputdownable!!! I couldnt predict how it was going from one chapter to another, such a brilliant story and so well written. I will definitely read more by Nicole Trope, I loved it!!

🔹 My take: 4/5

🔸 Katelyn and Leah are childhood best friends and their friendship spans over three decades. They met in not so ideal circumstances but have been with each other through thick and thin. It is Katelyn’s 36th birthday party today and she is super excited to celebrate it with her husband Toby, Leah and all her lovely friends. Fast forward 5 hours - the house is showing aftermath of the party; Katelyn is bewildered why guests have not arrived and she is asking Toby and Leah why house is a mess since the party is about to begin. Toby is confused as to why Katelyn is behaving weird as the party has already finished and they all had a great time. What follows is a story of betrayal, lies, deceit and revelations.

💖 Wows - This was a very taut, page-turner psychological thriller. I couldn’t stop reading as the suspense was nail biting. The climax blew my mind and was thrilling to the core. I loved the character building and the writing style which was very lucid. The chapters were small and hence it was easy to keep pace.

💔 Ows - Somewhere in middle; the plot lost steam for a minuscule bit but the start as well as the end was superb so we could oversee that.

💫 This is my 3rd book by Nicole Trope and I have loved reading all her thrillers. She has a knack of delivering mind blowing plots.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @bookouture @nicoletropeauthor and @netgalley for sharing the DRC in exchange for honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really had a hard time getting into this book. The idea was so interesting and I really enjoy books told from multiple perspectives but this just dragged on. It felt so repetitive. I also do not like books with sexual violence. At all. That isn't entertainment to me. I really wish we could see content warnings on books so that folks can choose to read what they like. We have them for movies all the time and it isn't a big deal, why not with what we read? That isn't a beef with this book in particular. As for this book I just felt it was drawn out and far too long. It might have worked really well as a short story but as it was at just around 250 pages it took me nearly a month to read because I just didn't feel compelled to pick it up. I hear great things about this author and a looking forward to giving her another try. This one just wasn't for me.

Katelyn is super excited about her 36th Birthday but she didn't know that it would be unforgettable. When she wakes up in the hospital Toby, her husband, tells her that she has TGA. Katelyn was told it was cause by stress but doesn't know what was so stressful on her Birthday could have caused it. What she does know is that Toby is acting our of character and this is concerning her. Why wont he tell her what cause it and wants to know what he is hiding.

This is a psychological suspense book you will for sure want to grab and read.

My first read by Nicole Trope and she is now added to my be on the look list! Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance read.

I have read quite some novels by Nicole Trope and so far she never disappoints. I want a good gripping thriller, Nicole gives it to me.
So I am not surprised that I loved the book. It’s so comforting you know you don’t even need to read the blurb, you’ll like it.

I loved this one and I will be recommending to book friends highly

4 stars