I really struggled to get into this book. I felt the writing was a bit confusing and flat. Did not enjoy the multiple POVs and it just seemed over the top.

Till Death Do Us Part
Thriller
Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
⭐️⭐️⭐️

• paranoia • Alternating timelines • Deceit •

I was actually hoping for a little more from the book. The synopsis made me instantly curious but the plot itself was a bit disappointing.

The pacing was ok but it did shift and change throughout the book, especially in the chapters from Bev's POV.

I don't usually mind alternating timelines but switching between 1999 and 2022 didn't really work for me.

The characters themselves were ok. I wasn't blown away by them and I wasn't rooting for anyone in particular but at the same time, I didn't hate them 😂.

There were some things left unanswered that bothered me but the epilogue took me by surprise.

Overall, this wasn't a bad read and I'm sure other readers would like it but it was underwhelming for me

A fantastically fresh novel, set in the vineyards of the Napa Valley. The novel tells the story of June, a widow who lost her husband Josh on their honeymoon. During the planning of her wedding to her new fiance, she catches a glimpse of Josh and her world turns upside down.
The plot is very well done, and perfectly paced with mouthwatering descriptions of viticulture - it had me opening up a bottle whilst reading! The characters were beautifully created, complex, human and messy. Very female forward, this is a beautiful read.

‘Till Death Do Us Part’ by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn is a sumptuous, slow burn suspense novel full of viticulture and intrigue. The book tells the story of natural wine bar owner and widow June, whose glorious and joyful elopement with Josh was cut short at the honeymoon stage by a tragic drowning. After years of grief, and just as she begins to plan her wedding to patient and understanding new fiancé Kyle, she sees Josh and everything she thought she knew comes crashing down.

I liked how the references to the stages of the winemaking process became fitting metaphors for the narrative: the harvest, crushing, fermentation, clarification and ageing sections perfectly embodying how secrets and lies can tear people apart, strengthen and have lingering impact after they are revealed. The dual timelines, focusing on June in the modern day and Josh’s mother Bev in his adolescence, were revealing and kept the pages turning swiftly as the cliffhangers in both storylines marinated. I also appreciated the shocking twists throughout the chapters and the way that despite some outlandish elements of the plot, the characters’ actions felt realistic and genuine.

This gets 4.5 stars from me. It leaves a memorable taste long often the final page like a sip of the very finest wine, and I’d highly recommend it.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher HQ via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first novel I’ve read by the author and I was drawn to it after reading the excellent reviews of her debut.
It’s told from two points of view - June in 2022 and Bev in 1999. June is about to remarry after her previous husband Josh died, supposedly in a drowning accident. Bev is Josh’s mother and back in 1999 she is having difficulties in her relationship with Josh’s father. Much of the novel is set around the description and consumption of wine - June owns a natural wine bar and Josh’s family own a vineyard.
It’s a fairly slow paced novel and I found the sections from Bev’s POV quite drawn out. I was not interested in the character and did not find her completely convincing. June’s story is far more compelling and intriguing.
I found the descriptions of wine and wine making overlong but they did add to the overall atmosphere and story telling.
A mixed read for me that I enjoyed overall.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book but it was quite slow to get going. I don’t think the writer fully explains what happens to Michelle and this was a bit grating. On the other hand, the Epilogue was a complete surprise and this revelation did have me gasping in disbelief.

There’s a lot of wine in this book. And I mean, a lot. No surprise, really, considering that it is set on a winery and the one of the protagonist’s, June, runs a natural wine bar. However, I did think the consumption of wine was a bit excessive and could not understand how the characters were not more tipsy! Perhaps they have a stronger constitution, considering they are surrounded by this beverage all day. Yet, what I really liked was the sections of the book where Flynn details the different stages of the wine making process. I enjoyed this because it connected to the plot development and foreshadowed how June and Bev’s lives were going to alter to another state.

Told across two different time periods, readers learn about widow, June, on the cusp of getting married, a decade after losing her first husband. June cannot shake the theory that her first husband, Josh, was not the victim of accidental drowning, and this hunch intensifies when she believes she has spotted him in New York. Switch back a decade and we follow Bev, Josh’s mother, and the events that changed her and her family’s lives forever.

June’s paranoia made me sympathise for her as it feels like she cannot look forwards to her pending nuptials. I felt sorry for Kyle, her fiancé, as he is fed lies whilst June tries to find out who was the man she had married and what clues there were to his death. As June finds herself drawn back to the wine regions of Napa, I think her confusion intensifies and this isn’t helped by the lack of honesty from those around her.

On the other hand, I could not warm to Bev in the slightest. I found her to be incredibly selfish and was never convinced by her role as a mother. The way that Flynn portrays this character is quite negatively because Bev just sees motherhood as a chore and I didn’t feel that she loved her husband very much, either. In the end, I grew frustrated with her narrative, even though it begins to add clues to June’s story.

This book definitely has some unexpected twists and turns but I think they were more exciting in the last quarter of the book. The mystery behind Josh’s death and who June is seeing makes this a puzzle, especially when Josh’s history is fully revealed. However, I do think the writer could have capitalised on Josh’s background a bit further: in my opinion, it wasn’t developed enough and I think some more sinister undertones could have been added.

It’s wine o’clock all the time in this book and I was swept away by the vivid descriptions of the enticing valleys. The characters were not on par with the setting, certainly not all of the time, but I was gripped by trying to figure out June’s mystery and the truth behind Josh once and for all.

With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TIL DEATH DO US PART - LAURIE ELIZABETH FLYNN -
ARC
When June's husband goes missing one morning and she gets a weird text off him saying he's gone for a swim, she doesn't think he's dead not really, something just doesn't feel right. Bev is complacent, so happy to go along with life and not ruffle any feathers then she finds something in her husbands pocket that changes everything. Alongside duel pov's is also like wine facts and how it's made etc. I know the book is based on a vineyard but still felt weird to me. I know it would appeal to a lot of people though. So much happens in this book it's hard to keep track of, the twists at the end felt too much like they were trying not to be guessable they are, instead, so unrealistic. I feel like I am really easily pleased when it comes to books but this one just felt flat. I feel as though I would have liked it more if the ending was better.
Release date - 24th October
@rachaelmcreads

Twisty suspense novel that kept me up late to find out what had really happened and left me craving a glass of wine and a visit to Napa Valley. Told from different view points and from different times. Excellent descriptions of relationships (lovers and family), emotions and wines. I also enjoyed that it was told women's perspectives.

I had high hopes for this because of the synopsis but unfortunately it was a DNF for me. I personally found it very slow and I didn’t care for the story or characters. I did try to give it a chance but I just found myself not wanting to pick it up at all. I think if you enjoy slow burn thrillers and not having a character to root for this will be for you.

A RANDOM TRAGEDY &A LOOKALIKE…

Set in the Napa Valley, Josh disappears…

Atmospheric. Full of secrets. Mystery. Moody &Bold. This twisty thriller spends time scene setting but picks up the pace as the story unfolds.

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Dual narratives
- Wine!
- Slow burn
- Suspenseful stories

With thanks to HQ and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Wine with a side of murder? Yes please and thank you! I was a huge fan of Laurie's debut, and thought Till Death Do Us Part was even more gripping, and the setting was absolutely top notch.

Till Death Do Us Part is a thought-provoking and poignant read, blending mystery with an emotional exploration of family and personal identity. Though it may not meet the traditional thriller’s fast-paced criteria, the richness of the characters and the complexity of the narrative more than makeup for it. It's a story that lingers long after the last page, offering a haunting reflection on the choices we make—and the secrets we keep—in the name of love and survival.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Was a DNF for me,unlikeable characters and too much about vineyards etc and the writing style was not for me,apologies

The premise of this book is what made me want to read it, it sounded so intriguing and like nothing else I’d ever read. Unfortunately, the execution of this story fell flat. As well, as this, this book has two storylines, one of which I didn’t even have an inkling of which was more than a little surprising. In addition this book has a very slow start and I was thinking about DNFing it on a couple occasions. Characters take actions that do not always make sense, and often seem (borderline) cruel and I didn’t find myself much invested in any of the characters. Overall, I did hope to like this book, but in the end it just fell short, with a plot that was unexpected and convoluted, and characters who had had several features that made them not just boring but dislikable.

Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn is such a dark, twisty ride! It’s about a woman trapped in a messed-up marriage, and the tension is wild. I loved the rich, intense writing—Flynn really nailed the wine imagery! It’s moody and suspenseful, with so many unexpected twists. The main character’s strength shines through, making you root for her the whole time. If you’re into dark romance with surprises, this one’s a must-read. 4/5 stars!

I had high hopes for this following my enjoyment of Flynn's previous novel, but sadly this one really fell short for me. The two POV characters are unlikeable, and the twists are so far fetched they're practically on another planet. Plus there are things we simply never get answers to. I did enjoy all of the wine talk, and I found myself invested in the story, but I'm left feeling disappointed at how it panned out!

First the cover and the title are 😍😍😍
I loved the duel perspective between the now and the past
It was interesting full of twists and. Was completely blew away a few times
I read it in nearly one sitting as I didn’t want to put to down
Definitely worth a read
A fantastic thriller with interesting characters twists you don’t see coming!

Thank you Netgalley for this one. This book kept me guessing from the very beginning! I loved it. So many secrets throughout the whole story which i couldn't keep on top of. A really good thriller! Defo recommend this one!

Till Death Do Us Part follows June, a widow whose husband Josh died years ago. She is now getting ready to marry again and suddenly Josh reappears.

The story is told in the present day through June’s perspective and in the past through Josh’s mum Bev’s perspective and we get to know both women and the secrets that their lives hold.

This is a twisty thriller which I devoured in one sitting however some of the twists were a bit too unrealistic, i’m all for suspending my disbelief but it get a bit into eye roll territory by the end. Nevertheless this was a fast paced and addictive thriller that kept me guessing - a great beach read.

The book starts with a diary entry from the character June back in 2012, where we the reader, are treated to a bombshell opening. Josh and June had married in a whirlwind and eloped without telling their friends and family, but June writes that she didn’t realise that seven days later she would be a widow.

Fast-forward a decade to 2022, and June is now getting engaged to Kyle. A man who sounds just about as perfect as can be. But June still wonders what her life would have been like had she had the opportunity to continue it with Josh. To this current day June is not convinced that Josh’s disappearance and ultimate ruling of death was an accident.

Well this book had quite the opening in my opinion, what a hook to reel the reader in. There was no way I could read those first few chapters and not be eagerly curious about what had actually happened to Josh.

We also follow the timeline of Bev, Josh’s mother, from 1999, where she lives in St. Helena and works on a wine estate with her husband. We learn early on that something happened with Josh in the past but we don’t know what. Yet another little hook to get the reader eager to learn more.

I really enjoyed the setting of the book, with the majority of the book set within the Napa wine region. I learnt a lot I didn’t know about wine making and the process behind it but it wasn’t the focal point of the book or too much detail to detract from the overall story.

The two timelines go back and forth between Bev in 1999 and June in 2022, whilst slowly revealing secrets of their past. Although there are two timelines being told from two different perspectives, both stories were told seamlessly that I never felt lost. The two stories actually work in harmony together.

Although this is definitely somewhat of a slow burn, when it comes to how the story unfolds, in that for most of the book there isn’t that many big shock moments, there is a very big reveal moment at the end which makes the wait worthwhile. The slow burn element just adds to the suspense and kept me racing through the pages to see how everything fits together.

This is one of those books that truly kept me guessing all the way through. I just couldn’t quite work out how all the pieces fit together, and I didn’t not see the final big reveal coming at all!

I would recommend this book for anyone that likes their mystery reads told with a lot of background story building up to a big reveal.