Fast paced, tense and full of characters you love to hate. It kept me guessing throughout! Kate has exceeded herself with this venture into adult fiction. I’m just pleased I don’t have any forthcoming hen parties!

A hen party should be fun and frivolous, but for these five best friends - Lauren, Saskia, Dominica, Farah and Tansy - it could be deadly! They have known each other since they were children, and two of the friends are on the cusp of getting married. But when they all get together for Tansy's hen night, secrets and old grudges begin to show, and when Tansy is murdered they are all left wondering whether one of them is a killer.

I loved the sound of this one, and I enjoyed it. The women were all close friends at some point, but you can see cracks have developed in their friendships over the years. If I'm honest, none of the women are particularly likeable but not in a way where it spoilt the story. They all have their own flaws, jealousies, secrets and issues which lead to mistrust and resentment amongst the group. Whilst I didn't like any of them, they each had their own "something" about them, whether it be a mysterious affair, blackmail or stealing, which kept me interested in them and their stories!

Whilst it's a deeply dark mystery keeping us guessing as to who the killer is, it does have it's funny moments with lots of black humour to keep you laughing! I loved the male strip club and found that part hilarious! There are lots of suspects to chose from with lots of twists and turns to keep you hooked, and I genuinely didn't guess who the killer was! This was a clever and funny read, but be warned that there is some talk of sex throughout! Would recommend!

You May Now Kill The Bride is a thriller, with the main storyline being linked to the upcoming marriage of Farah. Farah is obsessed with her upcoming big day, and will stop at nothing to make sure she has the perfect wedding.

Farah and her four best friends have known each other since reception at school, and thirty years later they are still embroidered in each others lives. All the women have busy lives - Farah and Tansy are both engaged, Dominica is excelling as a lawyer, Saskia is a perfect Stepford wife, and Lauren is still looking for love.

At Tansys hen do, there is a death amongst the bridal party - leading to a murder investigation. As the friends continue to celebrate their lives, the deaths keep occurring - who is killing all these people and to what end?

We get perspectives from all the characters, as they all wonder who the murderer among them is. Each character is shown to be flawed, jealous, spiteful and bitter in their own way, each with their own agenda to ensure their own success and happiness.

This was a fun, easy and quick read which kept you guessing and entertained throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Decent light thriller with a good premise but I wasn't really into the flashbacks and the characters.

I absolutely loved "You May Now Kill the Bride" by Kate Weston. The story kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The tension between the friends was palpable, and I found myself constantly guessing who the killer could be.
The characters were so well-developed, each with their own quirks and flaws. Farah's bridezilla behaviour was both infuriating and endearing, and the dynamic between the group of friends felt so real and relatable.
The plot was cleverly crafted, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me intrigued. The mix of humour and suspense was just right, and I found myself smiling at some moments while on the edge of my seat at others.
Overall, "You May Now Kill the Bride" was a complex and satisfying read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique, secret-filled, and entertaining thriller. Bravo, Kate Weston! I can't wait to read more from you.

Surprisingly humorous, with twist after twist! Great modern prose, with interesting (to say the least) characters, this isn't predictable, and engages you from start to finish, while maintaining it's own specific vision of society and friendships, which I don't think we see a lot, but is captivating to watch unfold .

Friends on a hen party. What an earth could go wrong. It's just all about having fun, isn't it.
I'd go with a humours thriller. It's not dark, its more of a mystery.

The Blurb

Not all hens went to the party to have a good time.

Lauren, Saskia, Dominica, Farah and Tansy have been friends since nursery. They wonder if that was the last time they all actually liked each other.

Reunited as bridesmaids at Tansy's spiritual hen party in the woods, it doesn't take long before old grudges begin to surface. Not to mention the secret they've been hiding for twenty years.

But what starts as a weekend of macramé and penis straws ends in murder when Tansy chokes to death on a poisoned cacao.

And as the body count keeps climbing, the friends realise that one of their group must be the killer - and they need to watch their backs.

My views.

It was good, not superb but certainly good. It felt different yet enjoyable. Occasionally a couple of characters got on my nerves, but I think that was the intention.
A wedding/Hen weekend theme for this book. The girls were once upon a time best friends, but I don't think this friendship has transpired into adulthood. I'm not to sure I'd like them as my friends.
When things start to go wrong at a hen party, the blame is thrown around. The mystery starts to unravel.
A good and sometimes fun read. I have not read anything from this author before, but would look out for her work again.
It was a very easy read, I got through this in an afternoon.

This darkly comedic and suspenseful tale revolves around a hen party that takes an unexpected and deadly turn. The dynamics among Lauren, Saskia, Dominica, Farah, and Tansy, friends since nursery, are skillfully explored as they reunite for Tansy's spiritual hen party in the woods.

The narrative deftly weaves together old grudges, secrets, and hidden resentments, creating a tense atmosphere among the friends. As the weekend unfolds with macramé and contraband vodka, it takes a sinister turn when Tansy dies from a poisoned cacao drink. The story evolves into a murder mystery where the body count rises, and suspicions intensify among the group.

The dark humor and unexpected twists make this a gripping read. The author successfully combines the complexities of friendship, long-buried secrets, and the consequences of their past actions. A compelling and entertaining story that keeps you guessing until the very end.

You Nay Now Kill the Bride is Kate Weston’s brilliant adult debut novel. This is a darkly funny, satirical, murder mystery thriller that will hook you in and leave it nearly impossible to put down.

You May Now Kill the Bride is the story of five women who have been best friends since they were about 5 or so. The novel begins with them being on the eve of two of their weddings, Tansy’s and Farah’s. Farah has been with her fiancé for a decade and cannot wait to make it down the aisle, though her moment is being somewhat eclipsed by Tansy’s upcoming nuptials after having only met her fiancé a few months prior. Events take a turn when during her hen party Tansy dies following a cacao ritual. Then as the body count keeps climbing, the friends realise that one of their group must be the killer - and if any of them want to make it down the aisle, they need to watch their sash-covered backs.

As I often find with mystery/thrillers this one took a little getting into as we come to be acquainted with the five friends and set the scene. But as ever, once you hit that tipping point it became impossible to put down. I thought the way Weston weaved the characters throughout the story worked really well once I got into the rhythm of it. I also really liked the flashbacks that revealed more about the friends and the secret that had kept them together all this time.

I will say that each of our friends are pretty unlikable, but not in the way that puts you off reading, but rather makes you want to read more about them. Their narcissism, pettiness and one up man ship made for some absolutely hilarious moments amongst the mystery. Throw into this mix all the usual hen do trappings and you’ll find this darkly humours tale has you laughing out loud. I don’t think I’ve even come across a bridezilla quite as unhinged as Farah is in this story, it’s quite something.

I won’t give away the ending, but the big reveal was both a great twist and really humorous in the way that it was delivered. I did guess one of the earlier twists but it in no way diminished my enjoyment. There is so much to keep you guessing and it all comes together really well.

This was such a fun murder mystery that I’d definitely recommend.

This book was a mix of fun and murder, which is a great combination in my books! I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and the darkness that emerged between them.