Memories are funny sometimes... some are good, some are bad. Some disappear with time and others disappear to protect you. When you need them the most... sometimes they fail you. What do you do when your mind is the only thing you can rely on to keep you safe but it's hiding from you?

For psych thriller readers, enjoy the ride!

Many thanks for the ARC! While the writing style of this book wasn't particularly my favorite, I thought that this was a really great read! This book drug on at some parts for me, but the last 100 pages had me hooked! I was very surprised by the ending and didn't see it coming (so automatically a bonus point for me!).

Katelyn smiles around at her husband and friends, gathered to celebrate her thirty-sixth birthday in their beautiful home decorated with fairy lights. But the next day Katelyn wakes up shaken and terrified in a hospital bed…
She doesn’t remember the sweet taste of birthday cake icing, or how angry her best friend was at midnight, or the terrible things her husband said. She doesn’t remember the party at all.
When she asks her husband what happened the night of the party he says ‘nothing’. But her blood runs cold at the way his voice lilts slightly. The way it always does when he is lying.
Did someone at the party harm her?
What is her husband hiding?
Or did Katelyn herself do something terrible?
Only one thing is certain. Nobody can be trusted. And if Katelyn’s memories of the party do come back, it will tear them all apart…

The story begins with Katelyn and her husband Toby inviting guests for her thirty-sixth birthday party. But then soon the next day, Katelyn finds herself in a hospital with no memory of what really happened the night at the party. She tries to regain her memory by asking her husband question but her husband is very evasive about that night. What really happened that night?
The pacing in this book was slow, half of the book describing about Katelyn’s friendship with Leah and their marriage life. There wasn’t much twists and turns in the book and only the ending was a bit OK. The story divides between past and the present that describes what happened the night before Katelyn was taken to the hospital. Overall this book worth 3 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

A must read. The writing style wasn’t my favorite as it isn’t easy to flow from past to present. It was a good story and a great thriller to have on my shelf

Nicole Trope is quickly becoming one of my most favorite authors. In The Day After the Party, secrets are kept, and many mistakes are made. Can Katelyn really trust those she his closest with? Can she trust herself?

Unfortunately, I didn't care for the author's voice in this book which is sad because I have enjoyed her writings before. I was not able to finsih.

I was really excited to read this book, and was pulled in from the beginning. The mystery behind what happened at the party kept me going, but I think some of the twists fell flat. I was kind of waiting for something bigger to be revealed, but never really happened. The timeline jumps were a little confusing, and kind of gave away information that would have made the twists a little less predictable. There was also a lot of information that ended up being very irrelevant. Overall, I did enjo the book, and really appreciated how PPD was represented.

The Day After the Party
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Nicole Trope

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Bookouture and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: The perfect birthday or the perfect nightmare?

Katelyn smiles around at her husband and friends, gathered to celebrate her thirty-sixth birthday in their beautiful home decorated with fairy lights. But the next day Katelyn wakes up shaken and terrified in a hospital bed…

She doesn’t remember the sweet taste of birthday cake icing, or how angry her best friend was at midnight, or the terrible things her husband said. She doesn’t remember the party at all.

When she asks her husband what happened the night of the party he says ‘nothing’. But her blood runs cold at the way his voice lilts slightly. The way it always does when he is lying.

Did someone at the party harm her?
What is her husband hiding?
Or did Katelyn herself do something terrible?

Only one thing is certain. Nobody can be trusted. And if Katelyn’s memories of the party do come back, it will tear them all apart…

My Thoughts: What an excellent twisty read. Trope’s storytelling ability is just brilliant, always keeps you guessing until the end. This thriller packs so much with the suspense, lies, secrets, betrayal, the unique plot, jealousy, unpredictability, character exploration, and the unexpected ending, WOW! Katelyn remembers preparing for her birthday party but does not remember the actual party and wakes up in a hospital. Her husband knows what happened but he is not telling her a thing. Leah is her best friend for decades and is also not talking about what happened at the party. Katelyn was diagnosed with Global Transient Amnesia (TGA) and this is usually brought on by extreme stress. Katelyn knows she cannot trust anyone and once her memory starts to fill the huge gaps, will her memories of the party events tear them all apart?

The story is narrated by both Katelyn and Leah with narration from both past and present timelines, in a third person POV, which was necessary for this format, and it worked very well. Both of our narrators were unreliable. No one can be trusted. While TGA is a popular focal for thriller books, this one does it differently, which was refreshing. The characters were developed well with unpredictability, they had depth, they were mysterious, and were creatively woven throughout the story. The author’s writing style was complex, intriguing, twisty, suspenseful, and just brilliant. The characters are built up in the beginning. The plot is delivered in many twisty layers. When you think you have it figured out, something else will happen to strike that down. The flow and pacing was superb.

Trigger warnings of adultery, childhood trauma, and postpartum depression. Trope hooked me from the first sentence to the last sentence. This psychological thriller was dark, disturbing, twisty, compelling, and gripping. Once I started reading, I had to finish because I had know how it ended. There were a few plot holes that left a few unanswered questions, however, it did not alter my enjoyment of the book. If i see Nicole Trope authored a book, I will read blindly, as I know her books will keep me on the edge of my seat. I would highly recommend this book and any book by Trope, she does thrillers to the next level.

You know how there's a whole genre of romance that people describe as 'trashy romance' books? Not that they're BAD, but just that they're so stereotypical and there are like, hundreds of them to choose from, all seemingly intense and fun during the read, but forgettable? That's the genre I'd put this book into - trashy thriller. It's not a bad thing at all! I've read dozens of them in the past several years, so I've just about had my fill, but this fits nicely in that genre. Lots of twists and turns, super unlikable characters, the necessity to suspend disbelief juuuust a little bit because the storyline is so over the top. These kinds of books, when well done - like this one, are usually a max of a 3 for me, so I'm giving it a 3. However, I do feel like there's a gigantic group of people who LOVE these books and would love this one as well.

I wasn't quite sure who to feel sorry for in this one ... the story a good reveal as Katelyn tries to remember her birthday party after suffering from amnesia. There is some medical jargon about why she lost her memory but it adds to the plot as the days and years are unraveled. There are several twists and turns and you are led down differing paths as the story is told from alternating perspectives. It is interesting to follow the friendship Katelyn and Leah and see how they both got where they are now and how each view each other. I found the story believable while the ending was more sinister than I expected. A real page turner and a good read for this season.

I was so surprised by the ending. I did not see this coming. The book is well written. Plot uncovers bit by bit and keep you guessing till the very last page.

When I pick up a Nicole Trope book I can never read it quickly enough, and she never disappoints. The story is told from Katelyn's perspective. It has a dual timeline that jumps back and forth from the past to the present day. This book is so unpredictable, with well-developed characters, and some good twists.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to red a complimentary copy of thias book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I thought this book was going to be way better than it was. It was a pretty quick read and the premise was really interesting but the storyline and the ending were lacking for me. I couldn't get into the characters and, this just wasn't the book for me.

I always enjoy a psychological thriller, and whilst this wasn't the best I've ever read, it was good enough.
Lots of twists and turns, a good example of unreliable narrators and some surprises along rather way, kept me engaged.

This was a fast paced story and I found it interesting how we never really know those closest to us. Intention is everything and Leah was a troubled and overall bad person. That was clear from the beginning. I don't think Katelyn's relationship is a healthy one and I don't know if anyone will ever know what truly happened the night of the party.

That was my first book by this author and it was a great read! I cannot wait to read more of her books! Definitely add to your TBR!

The Day After the Party was an incredible story with relatable characters. I was drawn in from the first chapter.

TALK ABOUT ADDICTIVE!!!

This was a super fast paced and intriguing thriller.

Katelyn has a party for her 36th Birthday but wakes up in the hospital shortly after and has no idea what happened that night & we go through in multiple timelines (present, during the party, and childhood) to see what exactly happened.

I really loved how addictive this was & by the end of the book I was turning the page faster than I was reading. I NEEDED TO KNOW OKAY?!?!

I really enjoyed this one!

4.5/5 for me!

***** I have received and read an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for giving my honest feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.*****

I love the concept of this book, but the execution was just the tiniest bit lacking for me.

The twists and turns were nice, but everything felt just a little bit too overdramatic for my tastes.

Not terrible at all, just not great either.

I gave this book 3/5 stars! It's my first book by the author and at first going back and forth between the different times before, after, during the party etc with the two FMC got a little confusing but once I started to actually get to know the characters it was easier. I kind of guessed most of the twists so it wasn't like shockingly crazy for me but it was still good! I am glad I read it and appreciate the opportunity to have been able to read it. Once the ending started I kind of knew how it was going to end, but at least I didn't know until we got there! Thanks again NetGalley and publishing team for allowing me to get access to this book in exchange for my review.