2.5 stars.

Rebecca Heath can write; I’ll give her that. This book was enthralling. I flew through it because I couldn’t wait to see how it all came together…but then it didn’t. It didn’t come together at all. The ending made no sense and I’m left feeling like I missed something because the rest of the book was so well written.

Things that didn’t make sense:
-What did Dorothy see her that made her take action?
-What happened with the other men in Dorothy's life?
-What was the deal with Fiona and Jason?
-Why did Adele and Jason act the way they did at the jetty 12 years ago?

I’m not counting Heath’s books out. Like I said, she’s a great writer and I was so invested…I just didn’t think the ending made sense at all.

I will not be posting this particular review on any of my social media/rating sites. I don’t want to discredit the author’s work. I know it was a labor of love and even though it did not work for me, I’m sure others will enjoy it.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Aria & Aries via NetGalley.

The book promises a suspenseful thriller set against a sun-soaked Australian wedding backdrop, where three families, bound by a shared tragedy, reunite. The story follows Adele and Jason, childhood sweethearts celebrating their big day, surrounded by friends and family who harbor dark secrets. Adele, however, is not as honest as she seems, and as tensions rise, secrets from a tragic event a decade earlier resurface, threatening to unravel the celebration. Was the accident on the jetty truly just that—an accident—or is there more to the story?

Despite its intriguing premise, the book fails to deliver the compelling drama it hints at. The novel alternates between multiple points of view and dual timelines, which, instead of enhancing the mystery, often adds confusion. The narrative teases moments of suspense that never quite materialize, leaving readers waiting for a gripping climax that never comes.

The pacing feels uneven, dragging at times and lacking the suspense needed to keep readers on edge. Although Adele's cryptic messages and the presence of Melanie, a grieving mother desperate for the truth about her son’s death, offer potential, the plot twists are predictable and fail to pack a punch. The story’s climax feels anticlimactic, and by the end, the book doesn’t deliver the impactful reveal it promises.

A wedding is stressful enough but add in a murder and the pressure mounts. Set in the beautiful sunshine yet with real, dark undertones the contrast between what things look like and what they are is very atmospheric.

This was the perfect read for a rainy day when I just wanted to lose myself in another world. It’s actually quite a complex story and at first I got a bit lost with the characters but it rewarded the effort

I really enjoyed this multiple POV and dual timeline (past and present) mystery/suspense novel about three families united through a tragic event a decade ago as they come together to celebrate the wedding of Adele & Jason. With clearly labeled chapters with POV and timeline, this was a novel that was easy to follow along with despite the jumps back/forth in the timeline.

Thank you for the ARC! I found this novel to be underwhelming. It had a lot of promise and I was excited to start, however, it fell flat with the plot progressing strangely and some thoughts never materializing. It made it a bit hard to follow. The multiple POVs were not for me.

I received an ARC of this book from Aria & Ares via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. Unfortunately, this did not work for me. It was quite slow with many chapters of really nothing happening. There was a lot of repetition - Adele is unsure about getting married. Melanie is mourning her son. Dorothy is obsessed with her little dog. Ok, we get it!

I also felt there were some plot lines left unresolved or that seemed unnecessary. What exactly was Ollie involved in as a teen? What was the point of Giovanni? Sophie's crush on Pip? And then other portions that were really not believable, such as one character's action at the very end. The final reveal fell flat for me and similarly seemed not quite believable.

There were also some typo's which hopefully would be rectified before final printing.

Wedding thrillers are always hit or meh for me. This one is verging on the meh side. The story itself is alright and the twist at the end is satisfying enough but sadly, I don’t think this will be one I’ll rave about or remember a year from now

This book was an ARC from NetGalley. This is a multi-timeline murder mystery taking place as everyone returns home for a wedding bringing the past crashing into the present. Overall, this book lacked significant character development, and left a lot of plotlines open with only high level details. The storyline from the past did not engage me, and didn't really add anything but the final twist in the story. With a more focused approach this could have been interesting, but as is, nothing notable. #netgalley #theweddingparty #mudermystery #past&present

I’m shocked. That twist was the only thing saving this book. It was hard to follow at times with the alternating POVs. I couldn’t imagine if this was my wedding weekend.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

3.5 STARS
Adele and Jason are all set for their upcoming wedding on a beautiful coastline in Australia. Will a 12-year old mystery return to spoil their dream day? Told in multiple POVs and dual timelines, this novel is full of unlikeable characters with their own agendas. Complex family relationships, interwoven with a mother’s desire for revenge makes this a fun and entertaining thriller.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

This book was not for me-It did not hold my attention even though I loved the concept. I think because the characters were all truly awful.

📜The Wedding Party
✍️Rebecca Heath
📠Aria & Aries/ Head of Zeus
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: January 23, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @headofzeus for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Childhood sweethearts, Jason and Adele, plan to spend their wedding on the coast of southern Australia.

✨ Their group of friends gather to celebrate with them, yet are still reeling from a death that happened off the jetty 10 years prior.

✨ Told from multiple points of view, the story unfolds a deeper and darker set of lies, and the truth as to what happened so long ago.

✨I wasn’t as captivated as I thought I’d be from the beginning, although this is typically something I’d love reading.

#netgalley #theweddingparty #rebeccaheath #headofzeus #thrillerfiction #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #winterreleases

WOW I have nothing but great things to say about this book! "The Wedding Party" is my first book by Heath, but I was hooked from the first chapter! I won't lie, some of the back and forth between first and third person POV was a bit confusing at first, but later it felt like a good fit as it went back and forth between different time periods. While I wanted to shake Adele the entire time and tell her to wake up, I found myself enjoying all of the characters, even if they weren't very likable. I loved how each chapter provided just enough to end on a cliffhanger without being too frustrating. Trust me when I say you won't see the ending of this one coming. Thank you so much for this ARC!

The Wedding Party is a slow burn thriller that takes place over the course of a few days leading up to a wedding and through flashbacks of a tragic event that affected each of the characters in a different way. It was kind of obvious to me who the “bad” guy was. 🤷🏼‍♀️It was hard to predict the actions of the characters though and that kept it interesting. I think I would have enjoyed the book much more if there weren’t so many questions that I still had by the end. For example, was Adele seeing Jason when they were teenagers? Was Ollie actually on drugs? What was Sophie planning to accomplish by being in the wedding? Why would *character* actually do what they did on the boat? What was the deal with the mayor? Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

📖 Book Review 📖 Every wedding sure has it’s hiccups, small moments that go awry that hopefully you can laugh at in the moment…or at least look back and and have a good chuckle. Adele and Jason’s wedding is fraught with tension so thick that a knife could cut it (and may be too dull by the time it’s time to cut the wedding cake- if the weekend even makes it that far). The Wedding Party is a fast-paced thriller that definitely keeps the readers on their toes!

The Wedding Party is a captivating exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of relationships, set against the backdrop of a sun-soaked Australian coast. The story revolves around childhood sweethearts Adele and Jason, whose wedding day serves as a reunion for old friends and family. However, beneath the surface of joy and celebration, dark secrets lurk, threatening to unravel the festive atmosphere.

Adele, the bride, is hiding the truth about her relationship, casting a shadow over what should be a day of happiness. Meanwhile, some members of the bridal party are still grappling with the emotional fallout from a tragic death that occurred a decade earlier, leaving them to carry burdens that they can no longer ignore. The haunting memory of that fateful day on the jetty looms large over the celebrations, with everyone insisting it was merely an accident. But as the narrative unfolds, the reader begins to question whether that's truly the case.

Told through alternating perspectives—Adele's and that of Melanie, the grieving mother of Ollie, Adele’s former boyfriend who tragically died—the novel masterfully weaves together the themes of grief and hidden truths. Melanie's presence at the wedding adds an intriguing layer of tension, as she struggles to reconcile her loss while confronting the people and memories that still haunt her.

With its sharp prose and well-developed characters, The Wedding Party deftly examines the complexities of friendships and the impact of unresolved trauma. The tension between the characters is palpable, making for an engaging read that keeps you guessing until the final pages. Ultimately, this novel reminds us that beneath the veneer of celebration often lies a tangled web of emotions, secrets, and the profound ways in which we navigate the past.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

Thanks Netgalley for the early read! Enjoyed this thriller and setting, and this had some fun twists with the secrets some in the group were keeping. Overall a solid read, but I think I may be too burnt out on wedding party thrillers ha!

First off, the cover is gorgeous and I was taken in just from that.

The story however wasn’t for me. The jumping storylines and the pacing just bogged it down a little. The twist at the end though was the saving grace