Here comes the bride...and here comes the mother of the bride!

Lizzie has returned from a six month working hiatus in Dubai with a fiancé in tow. She met Owen at her employer's pool party when she had inadvertently stepped back into the pool. Owen jumped right in to save her citing she already had his attention, she didn't need to nearly drown to get it.

Now they are back in London having stopped at her friend Peter's place for the duration until they got the money together for a place of their own. But they were nearing outstaying their welcome when Lizzie took a phone call from her mother who then invited them to come and stay with her. Having grown up in the same house and then escaping when she was 18 to university, Lizzie couldn't think of anything worse. She simply did not want to risk her mother getting her claws into Owen and ruin this chance of happiness.

Arriving at the Cotswold house, adorned in roses and blooms galore, Lizzie grit her teeth and bared the two days they were to stay. But then the fates aligned, or maybe conspired, to keep them there when Peter told them not to return and subsequently blocked her. Lizzie was stunned. But she had more pressing concerns. Her mother had discovered their engagement and thus took control of everything, organising their entire wedding for two weeks' time.

But at the back of her mind, Lizzie remembered the outcome of her elder sister Shelley's wedding the year before when her groom Rafe was found dead in their kitchen before the ceremony. Lizzie never told anyone but she found her mother's corsage beside his body. She had hidden it and intended to confront her mother about it later but never did.

Did Owen have a similar fate ahead of him?

With thoughts of poisoned berries, accidents on the stairs, of being locked in the cellar to the mournful strains of Mozart's death requiem, Lizzie can't be sure that they are safe staying with her mother.

This tale of a complex and rather dysfunctional family is an addictive read from start to ‌finish. Sylvia, the mother of the bride, is someone you really love to hate but then there are added complexities to her character also. And I just loved the setting of this one...the beautiful picturesque Cotswolds. It almost felt like an episode of Midsomer Murders!

I went into this book knowing that not all is as it seems...I mean why would it be? The title, the description...it was all a little too convenient. So it's not surprising I had the big twist figured out before the reveal. But it didn't ruin my enjoyment of this stunner of a thriller. The thrill is in the ride and Samantha Hayes has given us just that. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

I would like to thank #SamanthaHayes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #MotherOfTheBride in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

First of all, a huge thanks to Bookouture and Samantha Hayes for the opportunity to read this ARC on Netgalley.

Mother of the Bride is an addictive psychological thriller that follows Elizabeth on the journey to her upcoming wedding, though being on her psychotic mother’s terms.

This book is a true page turner. It keeps you on your toes until the very end. Given you only have a single point of view, coming from an unreliable narrator nonetheless, it leaves much room for creating theories on what the story holds.

Most characters were rather unlikeable, Lizzie included, with the many lies and miscommunication she fosters with everyone around her. While that would be a dealbreaker on a romance book, I personally prefer thrillers with deeply flawed characters. It’s what fuel the plot and conveys and even more frenetic need to know what will happen next.

I feel somewhat proud of myself for partially guessing the ending, which is always something I’m not very good at. However, it should be noted I was not expecting it in the least to play out the way it did.

The writing style was fluid and easy to follow, even when the storytelling goes back to recount episodes of the past and returns to the present. I never got lost.
I would say that, mainly in the second act, the dialogues could have been developed better, as well as the pacing that slowed significantly compared to the rest of the book. However, that quickly improved as new characters got introduced and considerably enriched the plot.

This was the book that broke my reading slump after binging a high fantasy series. I would immensely recommend it for someone in the same situation, as well as anyone looking for a good thriller, or even those who are just starting to read in English - it would be a great place to start!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest domestic thriller by Samantha Hayes - 4.5 stars!

Lizzie is so excited to be getting married to Owen, but worried that her mother will ruin everything with her controlling ways. Plus, the memory of her sister's husband dying on the day of their wedding hangs over the family. Lizzie doesn't trust her mother and fears for Owen's safety.

Go into this one as blindly as possible, to more thoroughly enjoy all the twists and turns. The relationship between Lizzie and her mom is so full of drama, and her dad is in a psychiatric facility. You won't be sure who you can trust along the way, since everyone is keeping a secret or two or more. Once you start reading, you'll have to finish, so block off some time and enjoy! I thought the narration of the audiobook was perfect, and enjoyed having both versions so I could keep reading.

I have always enjoyed Samantha Hayes novels and this one was gripping. Slightly predictable at times but nonetheless really interesting.

We meet main characters Lizzy and Owen,, they are living with Lizzy's mother and planning their wedding. To say that Lizzy is unsure about her mother is a slight understatement, she is seemingly suspicious and on edge around her.

The relationship between mother and daughter was cleverly written and really gripped me. I have to admit Lizzy was a bit annoying at times, where you want to go and shout at her but it did not ruin this novel for me.

A year ago, Lizzys' sister partner was murdered and Lizzy found her mothers corsage next to him. This is where the suspicious mind has come from.

The novel was good, great writing and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Samantha Hayes and the publishers.

I chose this as my weekend and was hooked from the very beginning! It was SO addicting! I constantly found myself thinking, “this b!tch!!”. However you have got to be careful not to let the MC get to you because she will!! It was thrilling, engaging, and overall a great read !!

Samantha Hayes has done it again! Absolutely brilliant read that I knew would have me hooked.

Lizzie meets Owen whilst on a placement in Dubai, love at first sight and after 6 months together they are engaged. When back home in England, they are struggling to makes ends meet until Owen gets his pay through for a job, and after overstaying their stay at Lizzies friends, it’s time to spend some time with her mum. Only Lizzie knows this is a bad idea, her mum is dangerous, she won’t stop at anything to prevent any man taking either of hers daughters.

What should Lizzie fear the most, her mum with her secrets and her scary past, or loosing her soon to be husband when he realises what a messed up family he’s getting involved with?

Wow, just incredible writing and the twists & turns in this story are amazing, highly recommended!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @bookouture for my free copy of this book!

A great, super fast read that takes you for a thrilling and mysterious ride! Fans of Emily Shiner and Freida McFadden will really enjoy this thriller!

Newly engaged couple, Lizzie and Owen return home, to her mother's house, after living in Dubai. Lizzie's mother is meddlesome, a little insane and maybe even murderous. Last year, her sister's husband-to-be was found dead on the morning of his wedding as well as her mother's corsage.

Is her mother a murderer? Sure, her mother had been a drama queen that threw tantrums to get her own way, plus she was fired from her job under mysterious circumstance, but that doesn't mean she's a murderer....or does it? Determined to find out once and for all what her mother is all about. Lizzie investigates her mother's past and is astonished in what she discovers!

Not everyone is who they seem and many secrets are revealed as Lizzie comes to see the whole truth as it's revealed on her own wedding day.

This was a fast and easy read, I devoured it in one day. I did figure out the mystery not even half way through, the clues that were scattered throughout the story were so obvious to me. Despite that, I did continue to read it, although a big motive for that was to see if I was right.

Nevertheless, it was a good story, but maybe better suited for someone new to the genre. I have read so many mystery thrillers so it felt a little too predictable for me. I prefer when I can't see the twist coming.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lizzie goes off to Dubai after her sister's wedding ends in tragedy. Shelly was supposed to marry Rafe but he was found dead just before the wedding and Lizzie found her mother's courage near the body. Lizzie's mother Sylvia has always been difficult, but is she a murderer? While in Dubai, Lizzie meets Owen. Things move quickly and 6 months after meeting they are back in England engaged and expecting a baby. Sylvia insists that they get married in Lizzie's hometown in the near future, but Lizzie worries what happened to Rafe will happen to Owen.

I enjoyed this book. This was one of the rare occasions where I actually figured out what was going on pretty early, but I really thought anyone could have been guilty so I wasn't sure if I was right. Wondering what happened and if I was right kept my interest level high throughout. Another good read from this author. Looking forward to her next..

Good cover. Good story. Poor writing.

Absolutely putdownable for me had it not been for all the drama of the bride's mother, the domineering control-freak, who never tires of finding ways to insert herself in her children's lives to make them hell !

The storytelling is cliched and disengaging. Feel bad that it could have been more.

So 2.5 out of 5 from me.

Talk about whiplash! Just when I thought I knew what was happening in the gripping and jaw dropping book, Samantha Hayes threw in a twist and reveal which had me sitting there with my mouth open and thinking "well done, Hayes, well done." I enjoy books that keep me on my toes and turning the pages and Samantha Hayes delivered.

Lizzie has news! She and Owen are getting married. It should be a time of celebration, but Lizzie is apprehensive about breaking the news to her mother as she knows her mother will want to take over and plan the wedding herself. Lizzie can't help but remember her sister's wedding the previous year where her sister's fiancé was found dead.

With her mother helping with the wedding plans, will Lizzie and Owen have the wedding of their dreams?????????

Mother of the Bride was a riveting, shocking, dramatic, and well written book that knocked my socks off! I love how this book shocked me. Plus, the family drama was entertaining, captivating and so well done! I look forward to reading what Samantha Hayes writes next!

I was lucky enough to have both the e-book and audiobook version of this book which made for an enjoyable reading experience. I thought the narrator did a great job.

#MotheroftheBride #NetGalley #SamanthaHayes #Bookouture #BookoutureAudio

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 ⭐️

This was an easy to read thriller, with a few twists that I didn’t predict! The family dynamics were very interesting to read about, and I wish we’d have gotten more detail around that part of the story.

However, I did think this book was pretty disappointing overall. It didn’t need to be as long as it was, and it felt like there was a bit too much going on. It was therefore a below average read for me.

Predictable domestic drama.

Liz and her new fiancé, Owen, are visiting her mother to announce the news of their engagement. Intending to keep their pregnancy secret, they tread lightly around Liz's erratic and unstable mother. Poor Liz can't bring herself to share stories about her mother with Owen as her childhood was difficult. Liz is uncomfortable being back in the house where she grew up, but is happy to see her sister, Shelley, and dad again. All have been treading lightly and carefully around the mom for years. Now she wants to play mother of the bride in earnest and is determined that she will organize Liz and Owen's wedding at the beautiful local church. What can go wrong? None want the reminder of what happened when Shelley tried to get married last year.

Again, a very predictable plot with all the tells being easy to see from the start. The characters were stereotypes and mostly their thoughts and behavior were very irritating. It always seems that they deliberately close their eyes to the most obvious of signs that there are things amiss. The climax was exactly as anticipated and the outcome as I expected. It's a fast read, though, so it will likely keep some entertained for a couple of hours.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC e-book and audiobook as I both read and listened.

I started this book thinking I would know exactly what was going to happen. The title, the blurb, and the buildup throughout the book had me curious about what would happen that I hadn't already figured out. This plot was executed well, and the characters were well developed.

There were times when Lizzie's thoughts seemed repetitive. I feel that the book could've been shorter if the repetitiveness was eliminated. Also, Lizzie had flashbacks to the past and those weren't always easily identifiable. I was slightly confused at certain points, but not to the extreme that I couldn't follow.

Now back to the plot. Everything I thought I knew while reading this was WRONG! The last 5-6 chapter blew my mind! They made the book in my opinion. My mouth hung multiple times during the unfathomable ending. Very worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The fast paced psychological thriller centres around Lizzie who finds herself pregnant and engaged after a whirlwind romance. Her fiancé Owen, seems perfect for her, loving, caring, hardworking and the biggest problem in her life appears to be her mother. Lizzie believes her mother is. Responsible for the death of her sister’s husband to be on their wedding day. This is partly to do with her mother’s erratic behaviour whilst she was growing up and a piece of evidence she found (and later concealed) upon discovering his body.

On their return from Dubai, Lizzie & Owen end up staying at her childhood home whilst they find somewhere to rent, which is where the story really starts.

There are many twists and turns throughout the book, completely drawing you in and plenty of red herrings. I thought at about 60% in that I had it all figured out but was pleasantly surprised that I hadn’t the book keeps on giving and the ending is well worth waiting for

I don't really like books in the first person and the main character was very assuming and never asked any questions, if she had it could have been over a lot quicker, lots of twists and turns, but not really the style of writing I like.

Thankyou for allowing Me to read this ARC ahead of release.

The description really gripped me in so I thought I would try it out. It was a good read, however I found it to be quite a slow burner. Once it had kicked in the storyline wss great and I did not expect the twists at the end

Mother of the Bride had me hook, line, and sinker from the very beginning! Who doesn't love a tense family drama based around one of most stressful (to plan) days in someone's life, add the possibility of a dead groom to the mix and you've got a winner! All of the characters were so well rounded and played out so well and the pacing felt like I was running a race, things just kept happening that made me want to keep reading. That ENDING...ugh it was so good.

Thank you to Netgalley and Samantha Hayes for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fabulous family psychological thriller! There are secrets, deviousness and evil waiting around most corners. The characters are fleshed out and easy to follow their stories right up to the incredibly shocking end!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

This was a fast paced read that is based on things not always being what they seem. Chock full of surprises and twists this one has layered characters that you can hate and then love. Some of the main players I didn’t really connect with and I found them a bit annoying but it didn’t take too much away from a solid plot.
This is a solid author who consistently puts out solid books. A fast read that you didn’t want to put down!