This book was a challenge for me.

When I downloaded this book, I had the impression that it would move to another course, which would be something more "hectic." But not. It revolves more around the protagonist's psychological than in the crime / drama genre. And that was GREAT.

In several moments I thought the villain was a certain person and in others I thought it was somebody else but in the end I was 100% deceived! It was a huge surprise.

The late kick made me feel uneasy when I played down the right side. It was explained why MAS was not convincing (for me).

Anyway, I recommend reading.

Laura has a habit of desperately searching for love in all the wrong places. She falls too hard and fast when meeting someone new. She is fresh out of a relationship and has decided to move back to her hometown with her sister, Rosie. Rosie is married with one kid and is happy to have her sister back home after so long. Rosie worries a lot about Laura, so she wastes no time trying to find answer once she doesn’t come home after a date.

What an interesting read this turned out to be. I had no idea what to believe throughout and Laura seemed to be too unstable and delusional for me to trust any of her thoughts. Everyone seemed to be manipulating Laura in some way which almost made me not trust Rosie and her family. Rosie came across a bit paranoid and over the top at times, so it made it difficult to trust her thought process as well.

I caught myself second guessing almost all of the scenarios put in front of us. I was so drawn into everything that was fed to me at one point that I failed to come up with my own thoughts.

Overall, I thought this was a really good read with great suspense. I was a bit shocked at the ending which to me equals a job well done.

Thank you Netgalley and st martins press for the opportunity to read The Night Before.

This was one of my most anticipated summer reads. I became of fan of Wendy Walker after I read Emma in the Night a while back. I think she does a great job of weaving a story into past and present until you get the full story at the end.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It had me holding my breath and nervous at times. I had a few guesses along the way but was pretty surprised with the outcome when it was all said and done. I really liked how fast paced the story went- there was never a dull moment.

I felt Laura was an interesting character- you knew there was much more to her then what it seemed. I felt myself rooting for her but also skeptical about her choices and what she may do next. I honestly did not know if I liked her or not.

I will definitely read more of Walker's novels after enjoying both this and Emma in the Night.

Laura Lochner has never been lucky in love. She falls too hard and too fast, always choosing the wrong men. Devastated by the end of her last relationship, she fled her Wall Street job and NYC apartment for her sister’s home in the Connecticut suburb where they both grew up. Though still haunted by the tragedy that’s defined her entire life, Laura is determined to take one more chance on love with a man she’s met on an Internet dating site. When Laura does not return home the following morning, Rosie, Laura's sister, fears the worst. As Rosie begins a desperate search to find her sister, she is not just worried about what this man might have done to Laura. She’s worried about what Laura may have done to him… review: This book was just "ok" to me. It kept me turning the page and was a quick read but I feel like it easily got lost in the sea of other thrillers. There was never a moment where I was totally taken aback or shocked and I think that's what this book was lacking compared to Wendy Walker's other books. If you like thrillers, I think you should give this a shot. It's not overly anxiety-inducing, but it does have a twisty factor that keeps you turning the page. rating: 3 out of 5 ⭐️

While I enjoyed this book and I was thoroughly entertained, it ranked only average to me. It wasn't bad by any means but it wasn't a stand out. I feel like these days with all of these "psychological thrillers" - which let me say I enjoy, I just think it is really hard to bring home an ending that is surprising or shocking. With that said, since I read so many books in this genre I also enjoy good character development and a solid plot with nice build up.

The book is told in dual POV's of two sister's, Rosie and Laura. Rosie is the stable one. She married her high school sweetheart, Joe and they have a baby. Laura on the other hand is prickly and flighty, can't hold down a relationship and at this point is living with Rosie and Joe. Laura uprooted her entire life from NYC to move into her sister's attic after a traumatic break up and another failed relationship.
Rosie's POV is what is happening in the present and Laura's POV is in the past. While I love this type of story telling I felt like in Laura's POV I didn't gain any real insight to Laura and therefore, found her very one dimensional and found it hard to understand her.
The plot stems from one incident that happened when they were all teenagers. Laura was there and never could definitively give any real answers as to what really did happen that day. For year's there was a lot of suspicion towards her from the families involved, and her inner circle. Due to this, when Laura goes out on a blind date and doesn't return home, Rosie worries about what kind of trouble Laura could of gotten herself into again. While Rosie goes in search of Laura, old secrets come to the surface about what really happened all those years ago and what happened to Laura the night before.
As I said, it was a solid read. While I felt some characters were under developed and certain things just seemed a little unrealistic, the book was entertaining enough to over look that. The buildup to the ending was a little unsurprising and predictable. I enjoyed Emma in the Night and would pick up more titles by this author.

This was a suspenseful thriller that was easy to read and kept me wanting to read.... even when it was time for bed. Definitely a great thriller that will keep you wondering what will happen next.

The Night Before is the story of Laura, who goes missing after being out on a date with a man she met online, and Rosie, her sister who is desperately trying to find her. The story is told in dual POV, alternating between Laura's date and Rosie's search for her sister.

Wow, this story is captivating and the twists definitely managed to surprise me without being too out there. I feel like I could have figured them out, but I was busy looking in the other direction. There's definitely enough going on in the plot to keep you interested.

The only problem I had was I wasn't sure I really cared about the characters. I found Rosie's babying of her sister annoying and I didn't believe the narrative Laura had in her head about how she sought out men who couldn't love her since she felt unloved by her dad. I think this is in part to the way that some of her background is revealed and had I learned things in a different order I would have understood Laura better. (Sorry, but Rosie is still annoying.)

This was my first book by Wendy Walker and I'll definitely be reading more from her.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thought the pacing on this one was fantastic - I literally could not stop reading. Two twists at the end that I didn't see coming at all. Very much enjoyed.

The story follows the sisters Rosie and Laura who don't seem to really know each other. You can feel the tension between Laura and everyone from her past, sensing there is something about Laura. Wendy Walker managed to keep the suspense very well throughout the entire book. I did have a feeling about the outcome towards the end, though that was right before the author revealed the 'villain' of the book. Overall I'm quite satisfied with the development of the story. There were a couple of twists as well that I didn't see coming.

By throwing two different situations together, Wendy Walker created a sublime mystery mix. You are pushed towards one way, while the actual dangerous action is happening right the other way. Walker managed to intertwine these stories well.

The settings and characters are limited in number. This felt good to me, having this little clique in which the story unfolds. You get to know each character a bit more thorough and get more familiar with them, which makes you get better engaged in the story.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I'm intentionally not giving spoilers, but I highly recommend this book. This book takes you on so many twists and turns, and alternating voices. I can't recommend it enough.

DNF. I am sorry to say that after trying my best to like this book (I swear I tried) I had to stop reading it altogether. I am just NOT into girls/women who are on the verge of desperation to prey on any man/all men that happens to be available/or not. I promised myself to steer clear of this kind of book in the future and use my time to read better things. NO, thank you! Not for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the free digital copy in exchange for an HONEST review.

I absolutely loved Wendy Walker's last book, Emma in the Night, so when I saw she had a new one coming out I had to read it. And while it didn't quite live up to my expectations, I was thoroughly entertained and kept in suspense. It was a fast read but I didn't quite connect to the characters like I did in her previous novel. If you're a fan of suspense and need a quick but gripping read, pick this up!

I can't remember the last time I read a book that felt so tangled (in a fantastic way) I had SO many guesses as to where this story was going, which made it a ton of fun to read. There is family drama, murder, first dates, basically everything you could ask for in a twisty fun novel.
I didn't expect the ending until it was already happening. Such a fun, enjoyable read.

Laura returns to her hometown to stay with her sister, Rosie, for a while after breaking up with a boyfriend. Laura has avoided her hometown and changed her last name due to a traumatic adolescence. When she was in high school, police responded to a crime scene at a party where they found Laura’s boyfriend dead and Laura holding he murder weapon. Laura was not found guilty, but people still suspect it may have been her... even her own sister.

Laura takes a chance and secures a date using and online dating site. She borrows her sisters car, but does not return the next morning. Rosie and her husband are afraid to co tact the police due to Laura’s past. They worry that something went wrong on the date. Did the date hurt Laura, or could Laura have hurt her date and be on the run?

An interesting read with a different concept, but it was a little slow moving. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t an earth shattering read that I couldn’t bear to put down at night. It took me a few days to read this book.

A good suspense and psychological thriller. I liked the past and present writing, at first I didn’t really care for the main character but as the story went on I began to like her more. I look forward to more from Wendy Walker.

Entertaining and engaging thriller. The twist at the end was unexpected. Would recommend to other thriller lovers.

I’ve been a fan of Wendy Walker since her first book “All Is Not Forgotten” and this is the third book I have read of hers. I love her story telling skills and her writing style. The Night Before is told from past and present perspective, which keeps it intriguing, as you are lead through the book building momentum and suspense. Just the kind of book I love. I liked the storyline of online dating, which I’m sure can be dicey. The author never quite gave the reader the whole story of Laura’s past and present, so I felt compelled to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. Sometimes I felt a bit confused about the male characters, and who was who. But as I kept reading on I figured it out. It was a cleaver story and unique. I’m not sure if I liked the main character Laura Lochner... I like stronger women in lead roles. I enjoyed The Night Before, but must admit I didn’t love it as much as her two previous books. But I’m glad I read it and found it enjoyable. I read the book and purchased the audible book so when I couldn’t read, I could listen. The narrator did a good job and I recommend either the book or audible version to anyone who enjoys suspense/thriller/mystery genre.
*A very special thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press, the Author Wendy Walker, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. *

This was a good psychological thriller, it got me hooked from the start. Such an unexpected twist at the end you never expect. I will be looking out for more by this author in the future
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this

This was definitely an interesting read and not exactly what I was expecting! The whole time I was really questioning Laura because she and Rosie had such different personalities and I found her to be a bit of an unreliable narrator. But that ending... I kind of saw it coming but then again... I don't know if I did. I was caught off guard for sure, but maybe not so surprised? Does that make sense? The story was interesting although I think it was a little basic and I don't know that it will be that memorable.

The Night Before was an entertaining read that kept me hooked while reading, but I don't know if it one that I will continue to think about. I would recommend it as a fun and light suspense novel - perfect for a weekend summer read, but I don't think it is one that would be at the top of my must read list. It was definitely entertaining and fun though so check it out! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3/5

A tale of two sisters, their family being the only thing they appear to have in common. Laura has gone missing and tells her story in the past. Rosie tells her story in the present, during her desperate search to find her sister and the reasons for her mysterious disappearance. Laura is completely unreliable. Rosie appears grounded and convincing. Both timelines will keep you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend ignoring the synopsis before reading this thriller. Just race through and enjoy the twists and turns!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted advance copy. All opinions are my own.