I foolishly started this one morning before work while I enjoyed my morning coffee. It quickly became obvious to me that I was going to have a hard time being productive that day. I found myself squeezing in a chapter or two every moment I had. After work, I could not put it down and raced through the remainder of the pages before bed.

This was a quick and engaging read, full of all of the plot twists that you would expect from a psychological thriller However, I found some of the twists a bit contrived. But it provided ample entertainment throughout my day. I enjoyed the book and would absolutely recommend to others.

I have not yet read Wendy Walker's other books, but look forward to adding her to my lists of authors to keep up with!

This review will be posted to Goodreads closer to publication.

The Night Before is everything that could go wrong with online dating and more. Right away, the story hooked me with the idea that Laura would meet up with a man she met online (Jonathan), and then get in the car with him and switch locations. With a dead mobile phone in her purse. You can see where this is headed. Or can you? There were so many switchbacks in this story, that every time I thought I knew what was coming, another twist came along,. Laura believes her instincts are telling her something is wrong, and then constantly second guesses herself. Her sister Rosie who sounds the alarm when Laura doesn't show up home, but then starts to doubt whether she's doing the right thing. Throw in a bad breakup with a mysterious ex whom Laura never told her sister about and the suspense is riveting. A few of the characters could have been developed a little more, and towards the end Rosie has questions I thought were already answered which distracted me (or maybe I was just racing to get to the exciting ending) which is why I deducted one star. I will definitely read other books by Wendy Walker.

It's been years since I've read a book that I just could not put down. I'm happy to say this book broke the long dry spell. I was drawn in from the start. So many twists, turns and I was constantly re-evaluating who the "bad guy" could be. Needless to say it is well written, imaginative thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Were it possible to give a book more than 5 stars this book would be the one. Ms. Walker brought to life interesting character that you wanted to know more about and how things would turn out for them.

Laura Heart returned to her hometown to live with her sister Rosie and brother-in-law Joe and their son Mason. Laura, Rosie, Joe and Gabe all grew up together. Rosie and Joe friends since childhood ended up getting married. One day Laura goes on a date with a man she meets on a dating website and she doesn't come home. Rosie immediately knows that something has happened to her sister and starts searching for her. Laura has not made the best decisions in the past and was hoping for a fresh start by coming home.

The story is told through the eyes of Laura, Rosie and Laura's conversations with her therapist, whom she's also having a love affair with. Many secrets are revealed as the story unfolds, from their childhood and present day.

This book was a real page-turner and I finished it in one sitting because I needed to know how the story would end.

Thx to St. Martins Press, Wendy Walker and a Netgalley for this ARC. Now that I’ve read all 3 of this authors books, I think this is my favorite. I can’t imagine ever forgetting this book ! One so called crazy lady, who actually wasn’t crazy at all. Or was she. ? This story was so complex in so many ways. I loved it, every turn was better then the last. I never saw the end coming in just who did what.. this story kept me page turning right up to the end..I loved it !

The Night Before is one of most original thrillers I’ve read, bar none.

Rosie and Laura are sisters and total opposites in their personalities and ways of life. While Rosie has lived the expected life marrying her childhood sweetheart and having a child, Laura is single and has had a lifelong difficulty with anger. It was said as a child that she had fists for hands.

Laura experienced a trauma in her teen years that explains some of why her path has been a diversion from Rosie’s. But why does her life continue to tumble and fall apart every time she meets a new man?

Laura is staying with Rosie and her family when she goes on a blind date and does not return home. Rosie immediately starts looking for her, but knowing her sister’s past, she is desperate to find her. She questions whether her sister could have harmed the man she met on the date, or was Laura this time. As the pieces of that puzzle are shown, it kept me guessing back and forth about Laura’s innocence or guilt.

Another original aspect of this story is the timelines. The story is told in the present day by Rosie as she searches for Laura, the night before (when Laura was on the date) by Laura herself, and in brief entries of conversations Laura had with her therapist in the past.

The Night Before had me riveted, glued to my Kindle, confused by my own thoughts about Laura’s culpability (which I loved!), and questioning just how I felt about Laura and of what she is capable. I felt intense empathy for her knowing the trauma and life experiences she’s had.

Wendy Walker did an exceptional job conveying how two sisters growing up in the same household can have vastly different experiences shaping their entire lives. The Night Before receives my highest recommendation, and I predict it will be a top thriller for 2019, coming your way in May!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

**review will be live on my blog and Goodreads on publication day, May 14, 2019.

I liked the way this story was told, alternating between Laura and her sister, Rosie and the past and present. It was handled deftly and added depth to the characters and plot. The writing was very good and the premise was interesting. There were many twists and red herrings. The story does go off the rails for the ending, not that it was bad. The reveals to get there are quite sad actually.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press for a copy in exchange for a review.

Intriguing story of a young girl who’s life has been turned upside down since high school. She has struggled to feel worthy of love and belonging since her dad left her month in her early teen years.⁣
⁣
Laura has searched for love and every time she is left feeling unworthy of being loved by any man. As her life begins to unravel again The Night Before she finds the truth...⁣
⁣
Wendy Walker is a storyteller that leaves you wanting more and wondering what will happen next. The Night Before is 4/5 ⭐️‘S and does NOT disappoint.

This is my first book from Wendy Walker. I was surfing Netgalley, I was looking for thrillers with mystery and suspense and since I read the author’s brief synopsis I was totally in.

Twelve hours earlier, she was...
Hopeful.
Excited.
Safe.
Now she's gone.

THE NIGHT BEFORE was written in multiple POVs and in dual timelines between the two sisters, Laura and Rosie. In the beginning, I thought it would be difficult to read, but the story was so well written that it made the reading flow. I was easily caught inside this intense thriller.

I loved that this story was very believable. This can happen to any of us and that was pretty scary. The characters make you live the story and it’s a constant search for the truth. You build all these theories in your mind and it has a non-foreseeable twist that will leave you with an open mouth and your stomach in knots. Now I know that I can expect the unexpected with this author.

Not scared enough? Let me warn you that you might have nightmares because of the intensity and because it plays with your mind. Can’t wait to read more of this author in the future.

Are you afraid of the Big Bad Wolfe? If you’re not, you should be. After all, “If you keep leaving the herd, the wolves will come.” And there’s nothing worse than encountering a wolf in sheep’s clothing, right? Who can you trust with your life if you can’t trust yourself? The Night Before is yet another brilliant, warped, dark tale written by Wendy Walker. 5 stars

his story is told in dual timelines. The night before and the day after. 

There are also conversation from months ago with what looks to be her therapist. Laura is angry, self-destructive and obsessed with finding love. 

We find out bits and pieces seen through the eyes of Laura as well as her sister Rose.

Laura grew up believing her father loved Rose more. And then he left. Is Laura simply not loveable? She has a pattern of falling for unavailable men and then exploding when they don't commit. So when her latest relationship is over, she heads home to Rose and Joe. The first thing she does is sign up for a dating app. When she doesn't come home after one date, Rose isn't sure who she is more frightened for. Laura or John.

As Rose, Joe and best bud, Gabe search for Laura, long-buried secrets come bubbling to the surface. Did any of them really know the others? The past seen through the eyes of all of them is quite different. But who is right?

This one sent me in so many different directions! It was like trying to untie a complicated knot! There were secrets inside of secrets and when it all came to a head at the end I was left sitting there with my mouth hanging open! What???

Netgalley/ May 14th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

I tore through this book, eager for hunts, clues, resolution, answers, anything! I was not left dissatisfied by the ending. The Night Before centers on Laura Heart's disappearance after a first date with an Internet match. Her sister, her brother-in-law, Joe, and her childhood neighbor, Gabe, all longtime friends since birth, all scramble to find Laura. Rosie trolls her phone logs, her husband scours the neighborhood, and Gabe searches the Internet. They ransack Laura's life as Laura's disappearance ransacks their own.

The Night Before is told from 3 perspectives: Laura before, Laura during, and Laura's sister, Rosie, during. The author drops the readers breadcrumbs and Easter eggs along the way, giving the reader almost enough, but not quite, to figure out what happened to Laura.

This is the story of childhood trauma, perceived histories, and lifelong bonds.

One thing I really loved about this book: the childhood friends. Laura, Rosie, Joe and Gabe have all known each other since birth. They grew up as neighbors and remained close into adulthood, with Rosie even marrying Joe. I'm from a small town, and I miss that life sometimes, so I really relate to this level of friendship. This is also a clever literary device used by the author, as the closeness of the bonds serve to advance the storyline but also muddy the waters for both the readers and the characters.

Another thing that worked for me: Laura's internal monologue. As she evaluates her own mental fitness, she relives therapy sessions and tries desperately hard to live according to the advice she's received. She runs psychological wellness in her head. Anyone who's been in therapy can relate to this level of self-help. It all makes sense, and we can understand exactly how Laura ended up in this situation.

Perhaps the ending was a little too contrived, but I really enjoyed it. I think the author did an excellent job of not making it too tidy, too convenient OR too outlandish. She doesn't fool the reader enough to cause resentment, but she doesn't shovel a nice, sugary ending down our throats.

This is a great read.

I had such a different reaction to this book than the rest of my Goodreads friends. I thought it was slow-paced and definitely put-downable. I kept reading because I did want to know what happened to Laura and because of the rave reviews of others, but even when what I think were supposed to be big twists were revealed, I didn’t care.

The premise is that Laura, who has been angry and violent since she was a child, leaves the city and comes home to her sister, Rosie, and Rosie’s husband, Joe. Joe, Rosie, Laura, and Gabe were close childhood friends. Laura left town as soon as she graduated, but Rosie and Joe got married and stayed there. Laura goes on a date with a man that she met online and then goes missing. Rosie loses her mind looking for her.

This novel alternates between Laura and Rosie’s points of view, and also back and forth in time. I like those types of devices in novels, but I found Laura’s endless dithering about whether she could trust her date even though she found troubling things that didn’t add up grated on me. I’ve done the online dating thing. Everybody lies a little, and sometimes you have to be savvy and figure out if the lies are alarming (oh, I think this person is actually married, egads!)

I’m not entirely sure why this read didn’t work for me, but it didn’t.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to reveal this novel, which RELEASES MAY 21, 2019.

Thank you St Martin's Press for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Laura has been through a lot in her lifetime. She has just recently broken up with a boyfriend and moved in with her sister Rosie. To get back into the game, she decides to go on a date with a guy she met online, borrow her sister's dress and car, and head out on the town to make an impression and move on from the past. 4 am comes around, and Laura is no where to be found. Rosie is starting to freak out and enlists the help of her husband and a long time family friend. What happend to Laura? Is she safe? Better yet, did Laura do something that she's going to regret? The past is coming back to haunt her, and it's not looking good...

The book was a little slow to start, but the last 30% of it made my head spin in all different ways. WOW. What a wild ride this book was! I went into it completely blind (meaning I did not read any synopsis of the book beforehand) and I really loved doing that. I really enjoyed the fact that you were reading about the entire night as it was happening (in Laura's point of view) and also reading it after the fact (in Rosie's point of view as she was trying to find out what happened to her sister) all at the same time. There are multiple twists in the end that I didn't see coming. I couldn't quite wrap my head around what was happening as I was reading it. One reveal lead to another, and my husband caught me screaming out loud in amazement. That, my friends, is when you know it's a fun book to read.

4.5/5 Stars

Two sisters, Rosie and Laura, grew up in the same dysfunctional family but have learned to live with it in two very different ways. Rosie marries the love of her life and Laura moves through life feeling unlovable.
When Laura decides to go on a blind date from an online website and doesn't return, Rosie is left with wondering what happened and is left to dredge up old memories. Is Laura a victim or did she commit a crime? Rosie spirals out of control as secrets get revealed and more questions pop up.
This story has numerous twists and turns. I didn't want to put it down until I uncovered the answers. This is definitely a book worth reading.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Intriguing . It began with a trouble woman, who doesn't exactly knows the reason why all of her relationships never works out. Is it her or the men? It was an interesting read. This book has great twists and turns. I could never exactly put my fingers on the mystery of it all. Without giving up too much of the ending, it was a little disappointing. I saw this book going in a totally opposite direction. The ending could have been so much more, but it turned out to be more of the norm. That being said, it still kept my attention and was a good read.

Oh wow. Put some time away for this book. It has all the ingredients for a terrific psychological thriller.

No spoilers from me. Book is great with lots of lies, deception, tragedy, and twists. Also, loved the unpredictable ending. Can't say enough great about this. Read it today!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fabulous book.

"Haven't you figured that out? No one is what they seem..."

Synopsis: Rosie and Laura are two sisters who are as different as can be. Laura is impulsive and somewhat unstable; Rosie is her protective sister who is married with a child. One night, after moving into her sister's house, Laura goes on a blind date. However, she never goes home. Now it's up to Rosie to figure how what happened the night before...

I read Emma in the Night last year and enjoyed it, so I was excited to see that Wendy Walker had a new book coming out! There were several aspects of this book that I enjoyed. I liked how the story was told from the perspective of the two sisters with alternating timelines. Laura's story is told from the night before, whereas Rosie's story is told from the day after. I also liked how Laura comes off as an unreliable narrator:; even when telling her part of the story, I wasn't sure if I should believe her. The characters in this book aren't who they initially appear to be; every time I thought I had the twist figured out, the story went in a different direction. This kept me on my toes and wondering what was going to happen next. There's an overall message that although you can't run from your past, it doesn't have to affect your future. This one gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It was definitely a book that kept you thinking! I would definitely recommend this book to fellow readers. Thank you!

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book A fiercely suspenseful and powerfully original novel of psychological suspense, .I would recommend it