When I first went into this book after putting it down a couple of times, I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. The characters were kind of hard to tell apart between the two sisters so it was a bit confusing there but, once I got about 20% in I was hooked! Between the two sisters they had an incredible bond between them even after going through so much together when they were younger. I really appreciated that aspect because it shows that someone can become a better person even when they've gone through the worst. Overall I enjoyed the book but felt the ending could've been persecuted a little bit better so that we understood what really happened.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This one sounded so interesting, but the market for these types of books has become so saturated lately that it's hard to feel as though any of them stand out or are truly surprising

This book was middle of the road for me. A well written thriller that explores interesting relationship dynamics between sisters, but didn't bring anything revoluntionary to the table. This is a story that I'm sure many casual thriller and true crime readers will find just fine and easy to read, but was just average for me.

Absolutely love this book. I was invested from the first to the last page. I love the characters and the plot of the story. I cannot wait to read more from the author in the future.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unsettling: 😬😬😬😬😬
DEATH: 💀💀💀💀💀
INTRIGUE: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠
Plot: 5/5

Tropes: unreliable narrators, mystery,

TW: murder, death, stalking

Main Characters: Laura, Joe, Gabe, Kevin

I don't know how this book doesn't have at least 4.5 stars. I can see that it can be a little slow going in the first 25% because you aren't completely sure that you can trust the narrator. But it picked up and my mind ran after it. I couldn't stop trying to make sense of everything that was happening. Trying to figure out what did what, was the narrator recalling information as it was, or as they recall it.

I loved Laura. She is a flawed woman with trauma. She tries to do everything she can to not only find her way of coping but also how to deal with current circumstances. She wanted so much what she wasn't given as a child. Something that every person wants is to be loved for who they are, not what they have done. I can really relatw to Laura in the way that she fell in love with the potential of people. You see what you want to see because you hope that they can be that person for you. Even when they aren't even close.

I can't lie and say that this book didn't play with my head on so many ways that I fell into every little web that was woven along the way.

I cannot wait to read more from Wendy and go on some more psychological adventures.

While this isn't my favorite Wendy Walker book, it was still twisty and oh so psychological! It was a quick read for me and not super memorable, but kept me turning pages!

A great, twisty thriller that kept me up all night. Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up not finishing this one, it just wasn't for me, thanks anyway for taking the time to accept my request.

It took me awhile to get through this book. I kept putting it down. It was a good story, but it just didn't keep my interest. I felt that Walker was trying so hard to fit certain details in the story, and it didn't flow nicely in my opinion. I liked it, but I would not read it again.

*Thank you @stmartinspress for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon because less than 4 stars.*

This was intriguing at first, but became mundane. I was waiting for something, hoping to be surprised, but it never happened. It was nothing special, just okay.

This was a good quick read that was told from two perspectives. Rosie and Laura are sisters with a past in their town. The story takes place over a few days as Laura goes on a date and doesn't come home. The perspectives were interesting as it follows Rosie while she is desperate to find her sister, and Laura's perspective tells the details of what is going on. Something felt like it was missing while I was reading, and it might have been that the characters were lacking depth. Though we get context and histories of the characters, it just seemed like they fell flat. The story was fairly predictable, but I kept reading to see if I had guessed correctly. This was not a bad book, but it definitely seems better for someone who doesn't typically read this genre.

I felt something as missing from this book. I just can’t put my finger on it. I think the characters are just not where they need to be and the story is a bit predictable. I know this sounds like a bad review. But I did enjoy this story. It is just not to the level I expect out of Wendy Walker.
It is still a good, quick thriller!

DNF at 25%. It's been over four years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now.

A classic thriller. It has heart pounding twists and well built characters and relationships. You must try this author.

Eh. Most of this was a stretch in believability and realistic expectations of what would happen in such situations. Just a huge stretch. Possible?I guess, but not really all that “real” to life. And the main character was just so unlikable. Ick. Just didnt think this was a great book. It was not terrible, but I wouldnt really recommend it either.

This is a very atmospheric and creepy thriller, the main character is so well done and so well immersed into the storyline that it makes this book seem like you’re watching a movie while you’re reading. If you’re into thrillers or just creepy books in general, this would be a great addition to your reading.

Two very different sisters, one goes missing the night before and the other tries to put the nightmare together.

The Night Before is a clever, unique, fast-paced story that had my heart racing right from the start. The characters are so well-developed and the well-layered plot drew me right into the lives of these two very different sisters, their bond and their dark secrets.

I love unreliable characters and Wendy Walker does such a great job here with keeping me on our toes with the best possible sense of dread as I tried to figure out who was the danger and who was in danger.

The twists and turns, red herrings had my head spinning from the excitement and I was going in so many different directions trying to figure out how it was all going to come together I didn’t see that unexpected ending coming that came together so well. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Jordan from St Martin's Press for my copy from NetGalley to read and review.

I really regret not reading this when it first released. I picked up The Night Before on a whim this past summer and didn't look up until I finished the book a few hours later! I thought I knew where the plot was going so many times only to be proved wrong at every turn. Wendy Walker is an auto-buy author for me now and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

This is a thriller about a woman who comes to today with a lot of baggage. The story was good and for the most part it kept moving, but it was not one that I would necessarily recommend because it swept off my feet.

Laura is obsessed with getting someone to love her. So much so she overlooks a lot of red flags with her date, Jonathan. Laura's sister, Rosie, is worried when she doesn't return the next day. There are lots of questions and we really aren't sure who to trust. The twists and red herrings are pretty easy to see through and I had it figured out pretty much from the beginning but there were a couple of things that came as a surprise.

This book was ok. It felt like I have read the story before and then it was wrapped up too quickly too perfectly. The two points of view were very hard to differentiate. Once I got into the flow halfway through it got a bit better. The story was decent, the book was entertaining. Just not mind-blowing.