This was one of those books where I had to keep reading a little bit more because I wanted to see what happened next. The format and writing was very readable and engaging. I read it in less than 24 hours. Laura has moved home and is living with her sister and her sister's family. She is recovering from a recent heartbreak. Home is not where she wants to be, given a traumatic even in her past, but she does want to be with her family, so here she is. The chapters alternated between the night before a date with someone she met on a dating website, with Laura getting ready and then going on the date, and the days after, when Laura didn't go home and her sister is trying to figure out where she is. There were also brief exchanges taken from past therapy sessions. Along with the mystery of where Laura is now, there is also a mystery of what happened when Laura was in high school and was a suspect in a murder. How involved was she in that incident? What's happening now? Is she a victim? Or a danger? I absolutely wanted to know the answers to those questions and am glad I kept reading. Our narrators are not reliable historians or good judges of character, so I was kept guessing until the end (I also am not someone who tries to figure it out, so some might have been able to predict the twists and turns). I very much enjoyed the ride and recommend this book!

Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy Walker is a master in twists and turns, this book will keep you guessing. Told in alternating POV's it put so many theories in my head. Everything is possible and every time i thought i knew it kept going twisting and turning upside down. Suspensefull mystery with excellent pacing and use of flashbacks. I love books that flips between a current character and a past character.

What a wild ride! I was totally gripped - The Night Before was such a page turner!

Laura is unlucky in love and haunted by a teenage tragedy that has defined her life. She always seems to choose the wrong men. Determined to give love (and herself) one more chance, Laura returns to her childhood suburb and joins an internet dating site. She has an immediate connection with one man from the site and decides to meet him for a blind date. Nervous and excited, Laura walks out of her sister Rosie's house to meet up with her date and doesn't return. Rosie begins a frantic search to find her sister and uncover what really happened to Laura the night before.

Told from the alternating perspectives of both Laura and Rosie, The Night Before gripped me from the onset and never let go. The more you read, the more you question everything and everyone. The pacing of the book left my pulse racing as the suspense (and my anxiety) mounted. I found myself weaving plausible (and implausible) theory after theory. Wendy Walker definitely kept both the tension and suspicion levels high throughout the book!

The Night Before is a well crafted, riveting and thoroughly entertaining thriller that I have no hesitation in recommending! Cozy up, grab snacks and dig in my friends - this is one you won't want to miss. 🥰

So, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the idea of the "unreliable narrator" is SOOOOOO fucking overdone. I mean, I don't even think I could name every novel I've read in the past year that would fall into that category. In theory, the trope is fine. An unreliable narrator can add an extra layer of intrigue to a story; but I am really- REALLY- tired of the drunk female unreliable narrator. If the only way you can think of to discredit your narrator is by getting her shit faced then, honestly, take your book somewhere else.

However, there are some authors who are so incredible at denigrating their main characters that it becomes an integral part of the story instead of a glaringly obvious plot tool. If this is the type of writing youre looking for, have I got the lady for you.
Wendy Walker. I first found her through the beauty of BOTMC when she released Emma In the Night a couple of years ago. (Check out our review of it right here!)
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of her soon to be released The Night Before, and oh. My. God. I have some feelings.
So. The short story: main character Laura is your typical child of divorce with daddy issues to sort through. With a track record of bad dating choices, and a recently ended "serious" relationship (which she also quit her job and moved away from) she is living with her sister while she regains her emotional composure. She is going on her first date with someone she met online, and is understandably nervous.
But why is her sister nervous?
The longer story? Her high school boyfriend was found bludgeoned to death and she was standing over him holding the murder weapon.
Walker completely subverts that classic "damsel in distress" trope. And this is not your average Princess Leia "self rescuing princess" kind of subversion. This is "you fucked with the wrong girl" level stuff.
I can't really say too much because I don't want to give away ANY of the twists, turns, or red herrings (I'll be honest, I totally ate fish on this one!) because the overall experience was fast paced, entertaining, and I read the whole thing in a day because I COULD NOT HAVE STOPPED IF I WANTED TO. (I didn't want to.)
The final breakdown:
The Book
🌹🌹🌹🌹

The Writing
🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

Readability
🕰️🕰️🕰️🕰️🕰️

I just loved this novel! There was a noticeable tension surrounding the comings & goings of the main character Laura Lochner. I didn’t know if she would end up dead in the end. I really didn’t know if she was a killer, a drama queen, a psychopath or all three. The conclusion was a big surprise I didn’t see coming. I’d say the novel was a real shocker; it had me hooked right from the start.
Did Laura kill Mitch Adler when she was 16 years old? Was Lionel Casey, the crazy old, homeless man wrongfully convicted of Mitch’s murder? It seemed trouble surrounded Laura wherever she went. Men ended up in trouble or dead. She was such an intelligent woman, working as an analyst in the profession of financial services, yet she was so emotionally immature. She was so needy. She didn’t feel validated unless she had a man next to her. She really was kind of a slut. As I continued reading this engrossing, entertaining, & interesting novel, the reasons for her actions were made clear.
The novel construction was very understandable. The author labeled her chapters as points of view from the various characters. The chapters were also labeled as either present days or past days. Also included as separate chapters were excerpts from Laura’s therapy sessions with her psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Brody, which were from the past few months when Laura was living in New York City. In the present day, Laura had taken a leave of absence from her employer, and returned to her home town of Branston, CT. She is temporarily living with her sister Rosie & Rosie’s husband Joe. Laura meets a man from a dating website, & goes on a date with him. She doesn’t come home the next day. The search for Laura begins. As I noted above, the conclusion is a stunning surprise.
I’ve read a few other novels by Wendy Walker & enjoyed them all.
For fans of domestic thrillers & psychological drama, “The Night Before” is a must read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, MacMillan U.S.A. & NetGalley for the opportunity to read & review this terrific novel.

"We are drawn to the familiar, even if it hurts us." Is one of my favorite quotes from the book.

I really enjoyed this one i got sucked right into the story and it keep me wanting to read on to find out what happened to Laura. I enjoyed the time lines of the chapters and the segments from the sessions with the therapist.

What lengths would you go to to save a childhood friend?
Laura and Rosie are sisters who were close and spent their childhood with joe and Gabe. One night at a party something went wrong and it's been haunting Laura's life since. Rosie ended up marrying Joe and they recently let Laura move Into their house after a horrible break up.  Laura goes on a dating website to try and move on with her life. She finds a suitable male and ends up going on a date.  However she hasn't return by the next morning and everyone is in a panic to find her and make sure nothing horrible happened like that night in their childhood. Will they find Laura? Will more lives be ruined? Will they all remain friends in the end?
This is one fast paced thriller that I definitely enjoyed and would give 4🌟


I would like to thank St.Martins Press and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review


My review will also be posted in my Instagram as of may 5, 2019 www.instagram.com/teatime_with_a_book and also is posted on my goodreads

I gave this book an extra star just because it was so engaging and thrilling that I read it all in one sitting! (It’s been a while since a book has sucked me in that intensely) I had to know what happened next. It’s no small feat to be able to write a book that takes place all in one day (for the most part) and even a bigger one to keep it fast paced and interesting! It combines past, present, and multiple views perfectly to be just the right amount of mysterious and yet not too confusing. The twists and turns are mildly predictable but still pleasantly surprising!

Having read Emma in the Night, also by Wendy Walker, this book far exceeded my expectations! This had the same family rooted drama and mystery but was much more on the thriller side of things!

I enjoyed this book- my second read from Wendy Walker. It’s a new twist on the “unreliable narrator” as in the back of your mind as the backstory unfolds you start to wonder if Laura is telling the truth, or if she knows what the truth is. I thought the structure alternating chapters with “the night before” and present day was very effective. I also felt it had a satisfying and surprising ending.

Laura had resigned her job and left her apartment in New York city to return to Connecticut where her sister Rosie, brother in law Joe and young nephew Mason lived, after a disastrous relationship went wrong. Moving into Rosie’s apartment meant they were under one another’s feet, but their support for Laura was paramount. For some reason she was always unlucky in love – now she had a date lined up with a man she’d met on an internet dating site. The blind date worried Rosie and Joe – Laura was confident though.

When Laura hadn’t returned the following morning – after promising she would return – Rosie immediately hit the panic button. Not calling the police – yet – she began her search by trying to find the man Laura had met. She only had a name, but was it his real name? Laura didn’t answer her phone, the car was missing, Laura was missing – what was going on? With a suddenness that took Rosie’s breath away, the past and its secrets started rising to the surface. What had happened the night before?

The Night Before by Wendy Walker is a psychological thriller which I have been looking forward to reading. The author’s previous two, All Is Not Forgotten and Emma in the Night were both 5 star reads for me, but this one didn’t seem to have the same pull. I couldn’t connect with Laura; her constant inner bickering while with her internet date became irritating and her focus on herself annoying. I was disappointed I didn’t enjoy The Night Before as I'd expected to.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I love psychological thrillers and was really looking forward to reading this book, having heard a lot of good things about her previous book, Emma in the Night. The Night Before definitely kept me turning the pages, but ultimately had me rolling my eyes. I didn't end up caring about any of the characters and the writing was disappointing.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Before is another fast-paced, addictive psychological thriller from Wendy Walker. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. My mind was constantly running through all of the possible theories and endings. The alternating time periods and points of view flowed perfectly from chapter to chapter and helped keep the story paced just right. Wendy Walker knows how to expertly craft a realistic mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book that I read by this author and it did not disappoint.

Laura has moved in with her sister Rosie and her family after a bad break up that left her feeling somewhat vulnerable. She finally decides to go on a date with a man she met online. Laura does not come home from her date which leaves her sister Rosie a nervous wreck in trying to find her.

Everything during this date and after is very questionable. The story alternates between Laura being on this date and what happens after, to Rosie’s present day when Laura is missing and Rosie’s quest to find her. You also get a scoop into Laura’s childhood past and an understanding of what makes her so vulnerable with men and some questionable childhood decision making that comes back to haunt her in her adult life. Which keeps you guessing who she can trust to save her from The Night Before.

I got an ARC in return for an honest review on NetGallery

The Night Before is truly a twisting and turning delight of the largest magnitude with unsuspecting revelations and jaw-dropping discoveries. A story of secrets between friends and family in a fast-paced, page-turning and surprising conclusion.

If you like deep and dark and twisty, this is it. Pulse quickening and brilliant I loved every second. This is the type of thriller I appreciate. One that makes the hair on your arms stand up and keeps you guessing. I want more from Wendy Walker!

"Me, a twenty-eight-year-old who needs a shrink to tell her how to behave. I didn’t tell him about my childhood here, running wild in the woods behind our house with the neighborhood kids. Me and Rosie–and Joe, whose family lived up the street until he went to high school and they moved closer to town. And I didn’t tell him why I’ve stayed gone all these years."

Laura has been running from her past for 11 years. That night in the woods where she was found with a dead body. She only wants to love someone and be loved in return, but people end up dead around her. Will this first date be different? Will Laura’s sister, Rosie, be able to find her before something terrible happens?

Set in Branston, Connecticut, the story is told in three parts surrounding Laura’s first date with a stranger: Laura’s past sessions with her shrink, Laura in present day and Rosie in present day.

The suspense is inescapable and builds slowly to the point where you read into the night to find out what has happened to Laura.

The characters are believable and go through a lot of internal turmoil to trust their instincts and try to wrap their heads around a shocking finale. I choose Rosie as my favorite character who has had to be her sister’s protector all of her life. I see her sacrifice happiness in order to defend her sister’s reputation and her frustration of constantly witnessing her sister’s bad choices. She’s a strong woman who loves her sister unconditionally.

I loved this psychological thriller with a surprising twist. I have found yet another author who I plan to place on my TBR pile. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Ms. Walker and NetGalley for letting me review this book with no expectation of a positive review given.

I enjoyed this book; it was a fun, quick read. From the beginning it sucked me in and I needed to find out what happened. It was engaging in the fact that the reader was suspicious of the characters at all times. It was a different writing style and the change was welcome.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting mystery that had me on the edge of my seat! While I didn’t love all of the characters I found the story to be engaging. Would recommend!

This is a case where absence might have made the heart grow fonder. When I originally finished The Night Before (months ago, because I suck at posting timely reviews), I found the ending to be satisfactory, but not really any sort of a “wowzers!” type of experience. However, the more I think about it the more I realize how refreshing it was to not read an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type of thriller. Obviously not a whole lot can be said about this one without ruining the entire thing - but I can say the premise here is that Laura left NYC and moved in with her sister Rosie’s family after her last (bad) breakup. Deciding she might be ready to move on, Laura agrees to a date with a man she’s been chatting up via the interwebs. You know how that goes, right????

*cough Catfish cough*

When Laura doesn’t return home, her sister is left in a panic. What could Laura’s date have done to her? Or even worse, what could Laura have done to her date?

This story relies on the oft used wibbly wobbly timeline and dual narrators as it bounces from past via Laura’s therapy sessions to Rosie’s present. The present is offered up at a good, urgent pace, but the past???? That’s where things are juicy . . . . .

While All Is Not Forgotten is such a hard act to follow that unfortunately every following book will probably end up being compared to it, I enjoyed this sooooooo much more than Emma in the Night (standing by the “sophomore novels are HARD” belief) that Wendy Walker is sure to be an auto request at this point.

Recommended for poolside readers who like to get their stab on : )

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I could not get through this book. It felt so haphazard and not cohesive at all. Could not follow along with the plot line.

This was definitely a page-turner! I read most of it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. It’s an interesting premise, and at a certain point in the book, I suspected that any one of the characters may be the one to fear. May be the one who might kill…

Laura left her Wall Street job and New York City apartment after a devastating break up to stay in her sister’s home in the neighborhood where they grew up. A tragedy in her past coupled with a string of bad relationship choices has caused her to question her own feelings and judgment. When she goes out one night with a man she’s just met on an Internet dating site and doesn’t return the next morning, her sister fears the worst and begins a desperate search to find her. But she’s not just worried about what this man may have done to Laura. She’s worried about what Laura may have done to him…

My favorite thing about this book was the internal life of Laura. She reminded me of a Shirley Jackson-esque character who is full of doubt, mood swings and neuroticism, which makes her seem at times sympathetic, at times unreliable and at times dangerous. I loved the character!

It was an incredibly fast and exciting psychological thriller that kept me reading and guessing, and now I want to read more by Wendy Walker!

This comes out May 14, and I’d definitely recommend it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Most people know Wendy Walker from the hit “Emma in the Night” which was one of my favorite books in 2017 so I was so excited when I was able to read an advanced copy of it via Netgalley. Lately I feel like the recent thrillers I’ve read have not been as I expected but this one was very twisty and just when I thought I knew where it was heading it changed. Love when books keep me guessing. I enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it to my friends!