This book has everything you could possibly want from a psychological thriller!.
The characters were realistic and wonderfully developed, all of them adding something to the story.
The storyline itself was intriguing and utterly captivating to the very last page. The author has such a remarkable way with words, you quickly find yourself fully immersed in the world brought to life in this book.

Perfectly paced, brilliantly written, and full of twists and turns you don't see coming, this was a marvellous read.

Slow to start however such a good read. Shows the careful balance due to trauma and how it affects us all differently. Did not see the ending coming such a twist.

I would suggest you do not read this book if you’re in the middle of planning your wedding. Talk about a wedding gone wrong. Lauren and Adam have been together for 18 years and are finally going to get married. Now personally I think if you’ve been together this long you might not need a huge wedding and if they had not had a huge wedding then none of this would’ve happened. Anyways Lauren is happily planning her wedding when she receives a card with the words “he does not love you“ written on it. There is also a creepy doll that resembles Lauren with a slashed up wedding dress. This is followed up by missing phones, miscommunications, doubts, and secrets. Not only was I questioning if Lauren and Adam would ever say “I do“, I was questioning if they should.

This was an addictive fast paced story. The narrative bounced between past and present. Lauren is a very likable character and you really want her to have her big day. Adam on the other hand, I still am not quite sure about him. There was a large cast of secondary characters and I was seriously suspicious of all of them at one point or another. But I do have to say at about 75% I was pretty certain of the culprit. Even though I knew the who I wasn’t quite sure why until it was revealed. I’m still not sure how I feel about the end it was slightly over the top. A fun read with some pretty wild twists.

This book in emojis 👰🏻‍♀️ 🩺 📱 🖼 🌊

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Real rating is 3.5. good book, it kept me interested. It was a little predictable, in that, the author kept trying to make you believe everyone was a suspect. Although, the ending was still a little bit of a surprise.

A marvelous novel of a bride whose perfect wedding turns into a perfect nightmare. Surprising and exciting!

The wedding was such an unexpected and interesting story. I’m always looking forward to read stories with a romance side plot and this one didn’t disappoint at all.

After a very strange occurrence that left our heroine recovery and having to change her wedding date, they decided to fly to Australia and have their wedding and honeymoon in a beautiful setting where her sister resides as well.

It’s a great story about love, family secrets and a twisted story that brings up jealousy and emotions that can drive a person life.

Everything pointed out to one culprit but , I was so wrong, even if after reading the epilogue, I took a minute and everything make more sense 🙈.

I would say that this book could easily be turned into a movie that many will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book, so many twists and turns that I just couldn't not work out who the culprit was!
Lauren is just about to get married, and slowly life starts to unravel. I really liked Lauren as a character, and her husband to be, I also enjoyed the UK/Thailand setting too. Each time I thought I had worked out where the story was going, something happened to completely turn that on its head.
I flew through this book, just dying to see how it would turn out.

The book started well with an intriguing plot but peters out to a predictable conclusion. The supporting characters are better than the main characters who seem to be gullible to the extent of idiocy. The good writing supports the story to some extent. An okay read.

Lauren and Adam were planning the wedding of their dreams! Lauren started to receive threatening cards and began finding out little lies that Adam had been hiding from her. Would the wedding happen? Could Lauren trust Adam? Who didn’t want them married?

I was thoroughly entertained the whole way through this book! There wasn’t a single part that I wanted to skip over. I thought I had guessed who was trying to stop the wedding many times, but I never truly guessed the ending!

To be honest, I was a bit annoyed by Adam. He had so many secrets and he hid so much from Lauren. I kept finding myself saying “drop him!”. Also, most characters were unlikeable. Kiera, Sam, Tony, Tracey, Jasmine, and sometimes Adam. Ugh! That truly did not take away from the book, however.

This was a very quick read for me. A nice little escape from reality for a bit. I would recommend this book and would read other books by this author.

Lauren and Adam, childhood friends, sweethearts and now engaged to be married are all set for the wedding of their dreams when Lauren receives a nasty note in mail. This sets off a trail of doubt and suspicion and it soon becomes clear that someone is attempting to sabotage their wedding? Who could it be? What are her/his motives for this?

I love how this fast paced book twisted and turned. Each time I thought I knew who the culprit was, I was wrong. I just had to read it straight through to the end or I wasn't going to be happy!

A thoroughly enjoyable, twisted and suspenseful book - the kind of book you'd like to read simultaneously with a friend and keep comparing notes to see if we're both on the same page! ;)

My first book from this author, but I'll be looking out for more books from her.

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Bookouture and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book was March 03 2021.
I love thrillers and I’m not picky about the books I read nor the authors I choose. And Ruth Heald was a new author for me to discover and keep up with her other books.
About this one, the story was very well planned. The perfect betrothed and wedding, what could go wrong? Well, how about: everything? Literally everything. Secrets, betrayals, dark past, death, oh boy, so many things. And every chapter have us gripped because we want to know more about what it’s going to happened and who is doing all the bad things.
I will not talk about the characters in detail because I really tent to spoil things without meaning it. They could have been a bit more worked up. What I will say is: they were all quite different and peculiar. Lauren, in my opinion, was a softie in so many things, but I honestly didn’t dislike her.
The thing about this book that didn’t get me to give it more than 3 stars, was because I easily figured out the plot halfway through the story. The plot was easy for me to understand sooner than I expected, and the end of the book was a bit rushed. It gave me mixed feelings. Maybe because I read it when my mindset was not in the right place? Maybe.

First, I want to thank Ruth Heald, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

WOWZERS!! Ruth Heald is back with an incredibly twisted, intense, mind blowing book entitled The Wedding!! Trust me on this one if you like psychological thrillers you must put this on your TBR list!! It is one of the best Ruth has written!

The Wedding had so many twists and turns I almost fell out of my comfy chair! Oh this book was amazing! This is one book you will read in just one sitting! Yes, It is that good!!

There was so much heartbreak, loss, secrets, tragic accidents, resentment, unresolved feelings, drama, sick stalkers, intense moments and shocking revelations!

Just when you think you have figured out the book Ruth puts a rapid spin on it! At that moment in time you are shaking your head wondering who is trying to keep Adam and Lauren apart!

One thing I loved about this book is that the flashbacks were based when they spent time in Thailand! I am a huge fan of Farmer Markets so I loved hearing about the market they visited. All the food just sounded wonderful.

I just loved the way Lauren and Adam’s family grew up together and seeing their relationship blossom. I love reading about when friends become lovers.

My heart broke for all the sick and twisted things that happened to Lauren in this book! She is a strong woman to have gone through all of what she did!

Creepy and addictive enough to keep me up past my bedtime. Lots of twists; the suspect pool widens, then shrinks, then widens again. I loved it.

"The Wedding" by Ruth Heald is the first book I've read from this author. The book focused on Lauren and Adam, childhood sweethearts who were poised to get married soon. Along with the events leading up to their wedding day, there were also flashbacks to a time their two families spent in Thailand for vacation in the past.

There are a lot of interesting tidbits that come to light in this book. I need to be vague because I don't want to ruin any of the surprises for you, but let's just say, a lot of the characters have something to hide. And poor Lauren is almost always left out in the dark.

As the wedding draws near, Lauren gets menacing notes and terrible things start happening to her-- she finds creepy dolls with severed heads, is pushed down the stairs, and at the end, is even almost killed.

I really appreciated that the author took the approach of having so many viable suspects for the reader. At different times, you could think it was different people doing these cruel things to Lauren. While I was able to guess correctly who was perpetuating these acts, it still was a fun journey to the end.

It was an intriguing, interesting to read. Not my favorite thriller I've ever read, but certainly enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of "The Wedding" by Ruth Heald in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the story of the build up to and the wedding of Lauren and Adam. They have known each other’s for years as their mothers were best friends. Lauren’s parents died in Thailand during a white water rafting trip. Lauren loses touch with her sister but with the impending wedding they get back in touch and start building bridges. All is going well.

Then Lauren gets a note saying that Adam doesn’t love her, who sent it? Then a series of incidents happen as someone obviously has it in for Lauren and doesn’t want her to marry Adam. Will they both make it to their wedding day, will they find out who has it in for them? You will have to read it to find out.

I have been a fan of Ruth Heald since her debut "The Mother's Mistake" and with each new thriller she has kept us on our toes and gripped from start to finish. THE WEDDING is no different. I didn't even read the premise until long after I joined the tour, assured in the knowledge that I would enjoy the thrill ride I was sure she would take us on. And I wasn't wrong.

Thirty five year old Lauren has been dreaming about this day for years. Marrying Adam, her childhood sweetheart, with whom she'd grown up and has loved for eighteen years. Now, she sits in their flat between shifts as a busy A&E doctor, about to start their wedding invitations. The gorgeous photo of her and Adam that her best friend Zoe took for their engagement features on the invitations. It is their favourite photo - one that Adam keeps framed on his desk at the surgery. But the thought of her parents not being there for her perfect day brings a shadow over her happiness. Killed when she was 17 on a holiday in Thailand eighteen years ago, Lauren has always blamed herself for what had clearly been an accident. And when Adam returns home to find her in tears, he makes a suggestion to help put her mind at rest. A visit to their memorial and an invitation to their wedding, at which they will be in spirit and memory.

Now two months later, Lauren opens the card adorned with their favourite engagement photo, expecting to see a congratulatory message wishing them well in their upcoming wedding. But as she opens it, her smile turns into shock. Inside was a photograph of a doll with dark curly hair fanned around its face, piercing blue eyes and high cheekbones. A doll that looks like her. In a wedding dress that has been slashed and her neck cut. Just four words accompanied it...

"He doesn't love you."

And so begins a sequence of menacing events in the lead up to what is meant to be the happiest day of her life. Flowers with more than an unpleasant smell are left on her doorstep. A doll, just like the one from the card, is found floating in their bathtub filled with water tinged blood red. And then on her hen's night, Lauren is pushed down the stairs at a club and her phone disappears. Someone, it seems, wants to ruin their wedding plans. But who? Who doesn't want the loving couple to live happily ever after?

When her sister Tracey, who has been living in Thailand for the past eighteen years, returns to the UK for Lauren's hen night she brings her teenage daughter Jasmine whom she adopted after the 2004 tsunami which saw Jasmine's parents killed. Lauren and Tracey had been estranged for fifteen years since their parents' deaths and have only in the last couple of years have reconciled, putting the past behind them.

Meanwhile at the surgery, Adam is having a battle of his own. After a drunken night in the pub when Lauren was working nights, a patient has latched on to him and makes any excuse to see him. Although he has tried fobbing her off, she won't take no for an answer, claiming that that night had to mean something to him. Adam is faced with a quandary. Does he report the patient and risk his career? Or does he keep quiet and risk her going to the senior partners anyway? It soon becomes clear that Adam has not been entirely honest with Lauren about his past...among other things. Could he be the catalyst that started this whole chain of sinister events?

As things escalate and get darker, Lauren soon begins to question whether Adam is having an affair. But with who? His best friend Kiera is not interested in men...or is she? After a spectacular breakup with her partner and in tears, Adam invited her to come and stay with them in their spare room. Lauren knows he is only looking for his friend...or is he? Lauren isn't sure anymore. Everything that she thought she knew and trusted is being questioned.

As things go from bad to worse, the suspect pool deepens. Each one is plausible and believable in their own ways. And I loved deliberating over who it could be. I had three suspects in mind - each with their own motives. I had already written their backstories in my mind before Ruth presented it to us, so therefore I figured I was on the right track. Until it changed course. And so I narrowed it down again...to two...and then one. But while distracting us with a brightly colour red herring, another twist was thrown in making our heads spin. Was I right? Or was I wrong? Or was Ruth playing with us again?

THE WEDDING is a fun fast paced read that gets to the point without all the extra baggage weighing it down with long winded narratives and detailed descriptions. It's fast, it's fun and it's addictive from start to finish. If I didn't have so much going on I would have devoured this in one sitting! As it was, I had the bulk of it read in one leaving just two hours to complete it the following day. The plot is compelling, the story addictive. Nothing is dull or slow and although there may be some eye-rolling moments, THE WEDDING is entertaining with its dramatic danger, suspense and compelling twists making it an enjoyable quick read.

This is what reading is all about for me. Entertaining escapism in a fun and delightful read that is addictive and doesn't disappoint. Yes, it may be cliched but I don't care. The fun, for me, is in the ride. And if the author can give that to me and make it fun, thrilling and addictive then that's what makes it a five start read. Not to mention those short snappy chapters which keeps the pace moving at break-neck speed.

A fast delightful read that I did not want to put down, even when sleep was calling to me, THE WEDDING is predictably unpredictable that will have you turning the pages long into the night. Full of sabotage, shocks and twists, I would definitely recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers with a fun fast pace.

I would like to thank #RuthHeald, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWedding in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren is addressing invitations for her wedding with Adam. It is a difficult endeavor as she can’t stop thinking about her parents who drowned 18 years ago. It is sad that they won’t be at her wedding. Adam and Lauren’s mothers had been very close friends and, thus. Lauren and Adam grew up together. Lauren is a doctor working the night shift in the A&E department at the hospital, and Adam is a GP physician.

One day, Lauren gets a card in the mail with a photo of a doll looking a lot like Lauren with its head sliced and the words: “He doesn’t love you.” This frightens Lauren and she wants to know who sent it.

Adam’s receptionist, Kiera, has just broken up with her girlfriend and needs a place to stay. When she asks if she can stay in Adam and Lauren’s spare room, he agrees. They have been friends for a long time and she will be his “best woman” at his wedding, and is in charge of organizing his stag party.

Adam has a persistent female patient who comes in each week with a new ailment. She is threatening to him and it bothers him. Kiera promises to only allow her to see another physician.

When more threatening things happen, Lauren becomes increasingly afraid that someone wants to sabotage her marriage to Adam.

This book kept me guessing as to who could be the person doing all of these things and why. Each chapter opened yet another little clue but it waits right until the end to expose who it is. Well done with terrific descriptions. My only cringe was the amount of alcohol they drank especially seeing two were physicians.

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

Well, this is a difficult one to review without using too many superlatives! Right from the start, the stunning prologue gripped me, and this book didn’t let go until the very last page.

I had no idea who would want to target Lauren and Adam in this way. They seemed to be the perfect couple, childhood sweethearts, and so happy to be getting married.

There are so many aspects to this book that make it an absolute must-read. The characters are so interesting and complex, and the fact that we get the story told from both Lauren and Adam’s perspectives gives us a real insight into both of them, and perhaps also plants a seed of doubt as to their relationship. The dual timeline also adds to the intrigue and mystery. The plot is multi-layered, with elements from the past emerging. The setting is also really beautifully described and just adds an extra dimension to the whole book. I won’t give too much away by saying where they end up, but it’s a fabulous setting, at odds with the events that take place.

After a variety of potential suspects went through my mind, I began to have a bit of an inkling nearer to the end as to who the culprit might be. But at this stage it doesn’t matter, as events take a dramatic turn and hurtle along at breakneck speed to the climactic ending, with a few extra twists along the way.

I particularly loved the way the plot, after all the twists and turns, then becomes cyclical, and takes us back to where we started, to the shocking prologue. Suddenly, all the pieces begin to fit together.

This is a book that you need to cancel everything for, a book that will keep you reading late into the night. There is no way that you can put it down once you have been sucked into it. An absolute must-read.

Ruth Heald has done it again!!! Only BETTER!!! This is by far her best book to date and I have loved them all!!! Her writing is so easy to devour in a single sitting! I loved how the layers peeled back from each of the characters one by one until we were left at the end with the raw truth. I was guessing all sorts of scenarios and I thought I had it all figured out only to be whacked over the head with the ending and then the very end left me looking like Chris Pratt in that gif from The Office where he’s like, “Ohhhhh!!!” I hope you know the one because that was honestly my face when I read the last page. I most definitely recommend The Wedding and I’m so excited for Ruth’s next book!!!!

Huge thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Wedding in exchange for my totally honest review!

This wasn't what I was expecting but I loved it!! Will definitely be following this author and checking out more books