The Wedding by Ruth Heald is a psychological thriller in which main character Lauren, is finally marrying her childhood love, Adam. The two families were longtime friends, and were together when tragedy struck Laurens parents leaving her and sister Tracey orphans. A few weeks before their big day, Lauren starts receiving threatening messages...the first one says “He Doesn’t Love You”. As the wedding day approaches, and the stalker behind the messages becomes more aggressive, Lauren doesn’t know who she can trust. That includes Adam, can she trust the man she is supposed to be spending the rest of her life with?

The setting takes place in both London and Thailand, which was very interesting. The plot flows nicely and the pacing was perfect. The characters were well developed. Lauren is very likable, Adam is not. There are a lot of characters that could have been guilty of the threats towards Lauren, and I swore I had it figured out....but I didn’t. Which I appreciated. The ending has a very fast pace and the twists continue until the last page. Was I happy about the ending? Not really, but it is what it is. It’s a very enjoyable book that will keep you engrossed and anxious from the beginning.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Bookouture and Ruth Heald for an advanced reader copy of this book n exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book. After the first twist, when some of the pieces came together, everything else was predictable. Still, I didn’t lose interest in the story. I wanted to find out what happened next. When a book holds your interest from start to finish, it’s worth reading. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and interesting read, with a little bit of thrill thrown in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lauren opened the card, expecting to see a congratulatory message about her upcoming wedding.

But, inside was a photograph of a doll in a torn wedding dress, her neck cut.
A doll with dark, curly hair fanned out around it, piercing blue eyes, and high cheekbones.
A doll that looked like her.

The note which accompanied it, was just four words.
“He doesn’t love you”

This is how this book begins!
Who would want to sabotage or STOP, Lauren and Adam’s wedding?

It’s a simple plot, with simple dialogue.
Lauren seems much younger than her 35 years and quite naive.

But, what the author does VERY well is to provide the reader with MULTIPLE suspects, and you WILL suspect each of them at one point or another!

Although too melodramatic for MY personal tastes, it is a QUICK read and will be a hit for my friends who love TWIST AFTER TWIST AFTER TWIST AFTER TWIST!

Thank You to Bookouture for my gifted copy!
It was a pleasure to provide a candid review!

Available March, 3, 2021

3.5 stars

‘He doesn’t love you’ written on a note sent to Lauren is the start of a sequence of menacing events in the build up to her wedding to Adam. The story is told by them in the present day and backtracks to 2001.

The first half is really enjoyable, there’s a good pace to the plot, it’s a quick and entertaining read. The strange things that happen to Lauren are intriguing, though over the top but they do make you want to gallop on to see if your ideas are correct. There’s betrayal, plenty of suspects as a number of protagonists are being very devious and covering things up. There is some suspense but I would have liked more! I like the Thailand setting for part of the story which adds colour and warmth (!) to the proceedings.

However, the second half doesn’t work as well for me as the first as it’s easy to work out the perpetrator so there are no huge surprises. The plot twists become predictable and clear to see. The end is overdone, overly dramatic and feels like the cliche end of a bad soap opera! Adam is not likeable and I can’t understand why he’s regarded as such a ladies man and a catch as he’s such a coward! The characters are a bit one dimensional and none of them are conveyed particularly strongly. The style of writing is a bit flat and impersonal and it might have been more dramatic and tense if written in the first person.

However, overall, despite having a number of reservations I did enjoy it despite its predictability. It’s escapist reading so perfect for lockdown and on the plus side you can vicariously enjoy a trip to Thailand!

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc for an honest review.

That was bonkers! I made some notes while reading it and it seems to consist of mainly questions! That’s what you do when reading this twisty little gem - question everything! Because nothing, absolutely nothing is as it seems. I had a lot of fun reading it, it was full of unreliable narrators and twists and red herrings and, and ...

After a very dramatic prologue which foreshadows danger ahead we go back a little while to get the full story. Lauren Haywood (35, an A&E doctor) is due to get married to Dr Adam Glenister, a GP. But strange and unsettling things start to happen. She gets a card with the same picture she has chosen for the invites. Inside, the stark message “he doesn’t love you” screams at her! That’s just the start. Things escalate and get darker and soon she is wondering if Adam is having an affair. The loving couple is due to get married in a church that had special significance to Lauren’s parents who died 18 years ago in a white water rafting jolly in Thailand. But that, too, comes undone.

She is also about to meet her sister, Tracey, for the first time since the funeral. She and Tracey have been estranged since then and Lauren is keen to set things right and reconcile with her sister. At the same time it is clear that Adam has not been entirely honest with her about his past among other things. It is fun watching Adam tie himself in knots trying to wriggle out of fessing up to a number of things. How will this end?

The wedding is moved to Thailand where her sister owns a luxury resort hotel. And that is when things start to get seriously twisted. Reading my notes back I can see where I jumped from one conclusion to another. All I can say is - don’t count your chickens! This was a sometimes light and frothy read but it had plenty of darker moments. The pace was fast and consistent throughout. The characters were a little cliched but served the purpose for the story they were written into. It got a little far fetched as it went on but I think that’s the nature of the genre. You are never meant to take this sort of story seriously! All in all I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be keen to see what this author comes up with next. This book will appeal to thriller lovers and those who enjoy a psychological drama. Thanks to, Netgalley, Bookouture and Ruth Heald for providing a copy for review. My opinions are my own. I give this one 4 solid stars.

Once again, Ruth has written an unputdownable psychological thriller. Soon into the book, poor Lauren, the bride-to-be, starts to receive sinister gifts. Then came the scary happenings which absolutely set me on edge while reading. Cue the tension.

I loved how the mystery then deepened. So many suspects but not once did I want to believe that any of them could be tormenting Lauren, but someone was and I had to stay up into the early hours to reach the end.

I have to mention the Thailand location. It really made me feel as though I was there, making lockdown that little bit better. So I got a healthy dose of escapism too.

Lauren was a likeable character, someone you can properly root for. The two main perspectives used in the book were Lauren and Adam, her fiancé. I found his chapters gave me further insight into what was happening and I enjoyed those just as much. I particularly loved the flashback chapters.

The book starts with a deadly bang that had me turning the pages fast, and the revelations were shocking. Just when I thought I had it all sewn up, my theories unravelled which totally kept me on my toes. If you love a fabulous twisty turny read, then this is it!

Lauren & Adam are both horrible characters.
I prefer my MC's to be strong, capable people, sprinkled with secrets.
I just couldn't take their naivety seriously; way too over the top.
The plot itself is pretty good, but I had trouble getting past their ignorance.
Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my DRC.

I’ve only read one book by Ruth Heald prior to The Wedding and after completely devouring this book I realise I’ve been missing out on a fabulous author. To say this book had me hooked from the first page is an understatement. It’s a tense, gripping psychological thriller that moves at such a pace you’ll be left trying to catch your breath. It’s completely absorbing and I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

This was a good psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. There were plenty of twists and turns and every time I thought I had figured it out I was wrong. I would recommend this book to anybody that likes a good mystery you won’t be disappointed. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rating: 4⭐️-I loved it.

Who doesn’t love a good thriller?

Lauren is planning her perfect wedding to her perfect fiancé Adam. But when she gets a letter in the mail that says “he doesn’t love you”. Things begin to spiral and all Lauren’s plans go down the drain.

I really enjoyed this book. It had short chapters to help push through quickly. Every time I thought I knew the “who” it changed. By the end it was pretty obvious who the “who” was but they why kinda fell flat for me. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Grips you from the very first page!

Although it has been 18 years since both of Lauren's parents drowned, she still holds on tightly to her memories of them As Lauren writes out wedding invitations for her wedding to Adam, she is sad that her parents will not be there.

A few weeks later as the wedding nears, Lauren receives something very disturbing in her mailbox...

Riveting! HIGHLY recommend.

Many Thanks to Bookputure and NetGalley for a truly great read.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It certainly had lots of twists and kept me guessing from start to finish, would definitely recommend this book.

I was lucky to be allowed to read this book early from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This was the first book I've read by this author and I can promise you it will NOT be my last! WOW! This book takes you on a wild ride and has everything you want in a psychological thriller. I seriously thought I had the book figured out and guess what - I was SO wrong! This will keep you guessing all the way to the end. The cover of this book is what drew me as who doesn't like a book about a wedding? Do yourself a favor and read this the moment it's released as you will not be disappointed.

⭐ 3 Til Death Do Us Part Stars ⭐️

Fictional characters really need to stop planning elaborate weddings. Their special day always goes off the rails 😅

For better...
▪short and to-the-point chapters move the story along at a good pace.
▪the attempts at misdirection along with the multiple possible suspects.
▪it's not filled with only unlikable characters.

For worse...
▪the characters were too one-dimensional. It made connecting with them difficult.
▪the twists were pretty obvious. I had easily figured out the 'who' by the end of the book. The 'why' was less obvious but a little too implausible for my personal tastes.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺!

The Wedding was an entertaining and enjoyable 4 star read.

Seemingly very unlucky bride to be, Lauren, finds, in the build up to the big day, that someone is trying to scare her away from marrying long term partner, Adam. The threat escalates as the strange occurrences become increasingly sinister

A number of suspects emerge, all of whom have opportunity and motive - it’s a bit of a whodunnit (without a murder!)

Throw in an exotic location and it all really kicks off!

I guessed quite early on who the perpetrator was, but I was still impressed to find a twist in there that I certainly hadn’t anticipated and this is always gratifying in this genre of novel!

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Mixed feelings with this one. On the one hand, It was an entertaining read and I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know what would happen next. The short chapters helped with that. Also in the beginning, they were multiple suspects. But on the other hand, everything was pretty obvious. Only one of the plot twists surprised, but I guessed who was guilty way before the end. The characters seemed also a little bit meaningless to me, flat. It was an entertaining read just not something that surprised me.

10 things I liked about this book

1. The settings of London and Thailand

2. The many unexpected ‘changes of plot direction’

3. The fact it had me sneering muttering ‘well that was easy, I know who it was and why’ early on

4. The fact I didn’t

5. Then after I knew I had got point 3 wrong I then managed to work it out correctly and guessed ‘who, what, why and when’

6. The fact I hadn’t ( again )

7. The easy style writing of the book, it was written for the reader and was welcoming

8. The Characters, good and bad who were easy to visualise and ‘get to know’

9. The description of the hotel where the wedding took place, the rooms, food and atmosphere

10. That it was a comforting read, very enjoyable and at the same time fooled me ( at least twice )

10/10
5 Stars

Oh my goodness what a brilliant read from beginning to the end, it just had me on the edge of my seat all the way and couldn't stop reading, I imagine it would be like being in a spin dryer when it wouldn't stop.

All the characters were believable and interesting and what a brilliant ending, not who I thought it was going to be, just brilliantly addictive, I can't stop thinking about it.

I can most definitely recommend this book, thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book.

Perfect Day Turns Disastrous.....
Who would want to spoil such a perfect day? That perfect day turns disastrous in this very readable suspense novel with an enjoyable cast, numerous suspects and twists aplenty. Gripping escapism.

Lauren and Adam are together since she was 16. Their moms were best friends and the tragic death of her parents bought Adam and Lauren together.
As the date for the wedding draws near, Lauren receives an anonymous card warning her that Adam might not be who she thinks he is. Strange things keep happening, scaring Lauren so much that she begins to doubt if she would be able to go ahead with the wedding at all.

A gripping tale of estranged sisters, close friends and secrets, after a long time finished a book in one sitting.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC