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4/5 really enjoyed my first Wendy Clarke. Great twists and didn't see the villain coming or that ending!

The Bride by Wendy Clarke had me hooked right from the start! That opening prologue really sets the scene and keeps you guessing as to what happened and who it happened to. I just could not put this story down especially when the twists started coming and then even the twists had twists. I was mindblown at the turn of events and wondered how the story would end.

Alice Solomon is at a low point in her life. Her job has been made redundant and her fiance is walking out on her. Not knowing what to do, Alice jumps at the chance to visit her long time girlfriend, Joanna. Joanna is recently engaged and wants Alice’s approval before they get married. But, when Alice arrives, Joanna is missing according to her fiance, Mark. Where is Joanna? Did something sinister happen to her and is Mark somehow involved in her disappearance?

I wavered back and forth with my thoughts on Alice. Did I like her? Did I not? Was she really a reliable character? These are just some of the questions going through my head during the course of the story. Although, I can sympathize with what she is going through in her own relationship. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean I had to like her. I think she had her good points, but also a lot of bad ones as well. I definitely could relate to her claustrophobia though. The thought of dark closed in spaces really freak me out.

Wendy Clarke really did a fantastic job of keeping you guessing throughout the story and I definitely could not make heads or tails with all of the twists coming out of nowhere. Clarke just hit you with them without warning and quite a few times I was like “Holy Hell, I did not see that coming!” This is definitely a mindf*ck type of story line.

Wendy Clarke has put the “psychological” in thriller with her latest release, The Bride. Be stunned and awed by the many twists and turns this story takes. A definite recommended read for me.

Storyline is amazing. I could predict part of what's going on but couldn't understand why was it happening. Other characters come into the scene as story progresses. There is an aura of mystery and secretiveness associated with each characters. Location of plot is one of the best part of story. Scenes got really spooky sometimes and I got so damn scared. Human emotions are brought out so finely. There were so many mind whirling scenes and that left me brainstorming about it. I was little unsatisfied with the ending but nonetheless it was an amazing read. I will definitely recommend it to all the psychological thriller lovers out there if they want to be kept hooked on the edge. Language is pretty simple so beginners can try it as well.
3.5⭐/5 for me.

I found this book to be somewhat slow, but it picked up a lot towards the 60% mark. If you enjoyed novels like Gone Girl or Sometimes I Lie you’d probably enjoy this one. There were a few plot holes in my opinion and a lot of it was a little predictable, but overall it was a solid thriller.

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

Alice and Joanna had been best friends but why did they stop 10 years ago? Alice's fiance dumps her and she gets a txt from Joanna to come see her and meet her fiance. So Alice decides she needs a change of scenery and goes to visit Joanna. But Joanna isn't home and her fiance, Marc, didn't know Alice was coming. In fact Marc had never heard of Alice. Joanna starts getting uncomfortable in Joanna and Marc's home and feels she should leave. Marc begs her to stay and says Joanna is missing. They wait a few days and then contact the police. But their inquiries open up more questions. This kept me on the edge of my seat and even though I had an idea of what was going on, I didn't know why.
I received this from Bookouture and NetGalley for review.

Wow, what a whirlwind of a book! Wendy Clarke has done well with the twists and turns in this one— I didn't see almost any of them coming, and they kept me extremely engaged in the story. The Bride is about a woman called Alice who has just broken up with her fiancé, is out of work, and is generally having a tough time of things. An old friend, Joanna, gets in touch out of nowhere, and invites Alice to her apartment to reconnect and meet her new partner. Alice is delighted and sets off on her way, only to arrive and find that Joanna isn't there— just her fiancé Mark. And he hasn't seen Joanna since the night before. Where on earth is Joanna?

This was unputdownable, and fast-paced, and you'll be kept guessing until the very end. If you'd like a change of pace and an unpredictable thriller, give this one a read.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was definitely exciting to read with all the twists. Nothing I was expecting. The characters were great and it was definitely a thrill ride I'd go on again.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this book, my expectations weren't very high. I thought, oh another "domestic thriller" with an unreliable narrator, yay. But a few chapters in, I began to realize my assumptions were wrong. Yes, Alice "seemed" unreliable, and I questioned her motivations. But the twists had me rethinking everything I thought I knew, and were much more unpredictable than I expected. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Alice gets a text from her childhood best friend. Joanna wants her to come and meet her fiancé. They were going to get married after only knowing each other a month. When Alice arrives at Joanna’s door she finds Mark the charming fiancé, But no Joanna. She’s gone missing he tells Alice. Oh my goodness! The twists in this book! It was a quick read. It was fast paced, I flew threw it trying to get to the end. I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen, but no I was always wrong! I recommend to any one who enjoys thrillers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This is my first book by Wendy Clarke and I wasn't sure what to expect going in.

We follow Alice who is in a bad place from losing her job, being rejected by her father and then the breakup of her engagement. She hears from her old best friend and agrees to meet her, only to discover upon her arrival that Joanna isn't there. Instead she meets Mark, Joanna's new fiancé whom she has never met before. It soon transpires that Joanna is missing and Mark is reluctant to go the police.

Obviously from the get go you know that something is off, but the real drama unfolds later in the book. I read this within a few short hours, wanting to keep turning that (digital) page and find out more.

The latter chapters of the book also bring in Joanna's perspective which I thought was a brilliant touch. It added depth, darkness and those twists we all look for within a psychological thriller.

With only a handful of characters you find yourself constantly second guessing everything you have read, that you think you know. An empty building with only a few residents in the luxurious apartments, beside the docks creates a deliciously dark atmosphere too.

I will be sure to look for more books by this author.

Alice and Joanna met when they were in boarding school. Joanna saw how nervous Alice was so she took her by the arm and they became best friends for many years. Alice came from poor parents and Johanna came from wealthy ones. Years later, something happened that pulled them apart from one another.

Ten years later, Joanna texts Alice that she is going to get married and wants her to come and help her plan the wedding. This comes at a good time because Alice has just lost her teaching job because her school closed. In addition, her long time fiancé has admitted to having a girlfriend who is now pregnant.

When Alice arrives in the new development where Joanna lives, she is shocked that it is in the middle of a decrepit neighborhood with only a few residents living there. Evidently, the development simply did not take off. She meets Mark, Joanna’s fiancé who says she has gone to a class somewhere and should be back in a couple of days. He insists that Alice stay in their guest room. Mark is the developer along with the monetary help of Joanna’s parents. After a few days pass, Mark tells Alice that Joanna is missing. Where could her old friend be? Did something happen to her?

As the next few days pass, Alice, who is a nervous person anyway, becomes even more spooked at the emptiness of the building and, having left her phone charger at home, is unable to contact anyone. What is going on here?

The scariness of the whole event is enough to set Alice off and she becomes very frightened, but Mark tries to calm her with his explanations of what could have happened to Joanna. Is he telling the truth or is something more sinister at work here?

I felt that Alice was a total twit with so many hangups I wondered how she found herself able to even get up in the morning. While there are some good twists here, there are also some things that did not make sense and I wondered if the author forgot to connect the dots sometimes. However, I’m sure readers will enjoy this book.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a roller coaster! So many mysteries and twists! I thought I knew what was going to happen then BAM! we get hit with another twist. Literally, none of my thoughts turned out right! Had my heart racing in parts.
Not going to lie! I found Alice so frustrating! Why stay at a house without your best friend, with a man you don't even know the name of, let alone ever met before? and mark telling Alice, Joanna will be gone for the weekend she must of invited Alice to come forgetting she already had plans. Surely she should turn around and go home? No! The story only gets better from there.
I love how only a handful of characters appeared in this, yet the book was so hard to predict! Hands down one of my best reads so far! This book played on my mind all night! Amazingly written! I'd give more than 5 stars if I could! .
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Joanna and Anna weren’t just best friends, their bond seemed deeper than that, but why haven’t they stayed in touch? A surprise message means Anna makes a rash decision to catch up and look for solace in the soothing arms of a nostalgic friendship. Joanna’s new life seems to include a luxury lifestyle and a mysterious new fiancé who is hiding something. Joanna is missing and while Anna seems to be getting too comfortable in her new surroundings, there is something unsettling in the air that is make her and reader question Mark’s true motives.

Just when you think you have a handle on where Clarke is taking you, her characters take a swift turn and the tale takes a darker road to the unpredictable conclusion.

A great twisty psychological thriller. If you are anything like me you will have lots of theories but none will be right !!

Alice’s world is falling apart. She has recently lost her job, failed to build bridges with her father and now her fiancée has left her. Out of the blue she receives a message from Joanna, her best friend from 10 years ago, saying she’s getting married. Alice and Joanna make plans for Alice to come and stay to meet Mark, her fiancé.

Alice arrives at Joanna’s apartment to find that only Mark is there. Apparently Joanna has gone on a course and won’t be home until the following day but Mark persuades Alice to stay. When Joanna still doesn’t come home Mark admits that she has been missing for a few days. Why hasn’t he been to the police ? And why hasn’t he told anyone ? Alice agreed to stay and help Mark find Joanna, but will she regret that decision ?

This is a great psychological thriller with plenty of twists to keep you hooked. With very few characters you will still be guessing about who is guilty and what they are hiding.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I did not see the ending of this book coming! I had to stay up late to finish this book because the ending was so twisty and surprising! Good quick read, and I would recommend this book.

Everyone is terrible. That's my summary.

Well - wait. Toxic friendships - manipulative people. Alice is pathetic. Mark is terrible. Joanna is the worst.

Still - quick read with a tight light woven story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Well, this was my first time reading anything by Wendy Clarke and as a fan of psychological thrillers I very much appreciated the opportunity to read an ARC of The Bride.
Like other reviews I’ve read, I was quickly drawn into the storyline with the prologue setting the scene for what was to follow.
Essentially this thriller focuses on a friendship turned sour so that when we are first introduced to Alice, ten years have elapsed since she’s seen best friend Joanna, her stalwart companion since her boarding school days. Alice is portrayed immediately as a rather fragile, almost pathetic character, estranged from her father, recently made redundant from her job as a school teacher and her relationship with Drew is in its last dying throes. With life spiralling out of control, imagine Alice’s surprise when Joanna messages her out of the blue. An invitation to meet Mark, Joanna’s fiancé , following a whirlwind romance could be the perfect opportunity for the friends to build bridges and reignite their friendship.
I think the location for this thriller, an undeveloped part of London Dockyards is a perfect setting for creating a sense of menace and intrigue, the refurbished tobacco warehouse when Joanna lives deserted and isolated. Setting off from Brighton, Alice has absolutely no idea of the lions den she’s about to walk into and her initial meeting with Mark immediately raises alarm bells. Especially as Joanna is nowhere to be seen.
This is where I began to think turn of events were highly improbable. Why would Alice agree to stay in a friend’s apartment, having only just met her fiancé, without her friend being present?? I would have swiftly turned back to whence I’d come but there seems to be an invisible thread connecting Alice and Joanna which pulls Alice back into her orbit, similar to the Sirens luring sailors to their deaths. The question is why?? I have to admit that I found Alice immensely frustrating, terribly naive and trusting of a stranger and a situation that is frankly bizarre. Where on earth is Joanna and why can’t either Alice or Mark make contact with her??
Sound intriguing and your kind of book? Well I definitely thought so which is why I felt compelled to keep reading, despite my misgivings about the plausibility of the plot, and I managed to finish it in virtually one sitting. As events progressed I started to wonder about the credibility of the narrator which for the most part is Alice as well as questioning Mark’s behaviour with the author managing to tie me up in knots, not knowing who to believe. So many psychological thrillers are hyped as ‘full of twists’ which I often take with a pinch of salt but in this case the hype is real. I simply didn’t know how on earth this book would conclude.
The tension is ramped up another notch with the inclusion of Joanna’s voice and I think it’s at this point my overall opinion of the plot improved. With an ending I absolutely loved, this psychological thriller will keep you guessing with every turn of the page. Jealousy and control are at the heart of Alice and Joanna’s friendship which hasn’t lessened with the passing years and there was definitely a creepy undertone throughout, making The Bride an addictive read.
I would be keen to now read other titles by this author on the strength of this book and my thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the chance to read The bride by Wendy Clarke. The premise of the story sounded right up my alley when I requested it, and I tried several times to get into the story but had to admit this story was definitely not for me. I have to like something about the characters and just found I didnt like anything about Alice at all.

This was one of those totally absorbing novels that I didn’t want to put down! Having read another of Wendy Clarke's novels, We Were Sisters, I was thrilled to be able to read this one too. Even if I hadn't, the premise of this was novel was pretty exciting to me, as a keen psychological thriller reader.

Alice and her fiancé Drew have just parted ways and shortly after she receives a text message from her best friend Joanna, she decides to pay her a visit. Still grieving over her failed relationship, when she arrives at Joanna's luxury apartment she is surprised to learn from Joanna's new fiancé that she isn't there. Mark invites Alice to stay in the apartment with him until Joanna's return. After avoiding Alice's questions, Mark eventually comes clean and confesses that Joanna has vanished. Unable to understand why Mark is so reluctant to contact the police, Alice decides to start looking for her missing best friend herself. As the reasons for Joanna's disappearance gradually come to light, I have to say I didn't see them coming.

Right from the start, I was completely absorbed by the suspense and the intriguing story-line. Wendy Clarke effortlessly brings to life some interesting characters in this gripping thriller, as well as delving into the motives and thoughts of each of them. Duplicity and secrets are uncovered and the author is in complete control as she brilliantly manoeuvres this tale, blurring the boundaries between right and wrong. Wendy Clarke’s skilled writing made this appear effortless, keeping the story flowing so that I was never bored. With a few noteworthy twists I was totally engaged all the way through, until the strong conclusion. Atmospheric and claustrophobic, I flew through this unpredictable, entertaining psychological thriller.

Overall, Wendy Clarke’s special way with the narrative made this compelling tale quite distinct, resulting in The Bride being a very worthwhile read. If you’re a fan of the genre, you should really read this book and it's a fantastic choice if you prefer your thrillers to be gore-less. I will certainly be looking out for more of this talented author’s work in the future. Well worth five shiny stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Alice and Joanne, firm friends until time intervenes. But Joanne wants her bestie back for her wedding to Mark. Then Joanne goes missing...
Dark and brooding, The Bride is a welcome addition to this over-packed genre. Had me gripped from page one right until the climatic ending. 5 stars.