Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of All Dressed Up, in return for a fair and honest review.

I like cozy mysteries just fine, and I like the idea of this - a mystery weekend, with multiple levels of murder going on! It makes the plot interesting - when the protagonist overhears discussions that appear to refer to murdering someone - do they refer to the murder game, or to real life murder? I enjoy the multiple layers of the plot.

The part I didn't enjoy was the characters, particularly the protagonist. I could not find any feeling for Becca - while I do understand her ambivalence over staying with her cheating husband or leaving him, I quickly became tired of her constant thoughts about it. I really didn't think that all the marital infidelity ruminations (both by her and by other characters) was all that interesting in the context of the plot. Plus, while an unreliable narrator can make a plot more interesting, I just didn't feel that it worked here.

On thinking about it, I think my main problem was that the mystery aspects definitely played second fiddle to the marriage aspects. Far more attention was devoted to the whole question of marriage, both of the main character and secondary couples. It appeared that the author was mainly interested in analyzing marriage and what's important in a marriage and how do you make a marriage work. The mystery aspects seem to have been thrown in as a vehicle to discuss this.
And, while I found the book somewhat entertaining, I was more looking for a mystery than marriage counselling.

The premise of All Dressed Up had great potential. A couple dealing with the aftermath of the husband's infidelity goes to a weekend 1920's themed getaway that turns into a murder mystery. I wanted to love it.

In reality, there was too much time spent in Becca's (the protagonist) head and focusing on her anxious thinking. The murder mystery aspects were okay but got lost in the shuffle of the relationship stuff. It was hard to focus on the mystery or to feel empathy for Becca as she wallowed.

Most of the characters in the book were pretty unlikable which made it hard get into the story.

Jilly Gagnon’s All Dressed Up has an interesting premise. Blake surprises his wife Becca with a murder mystery weekend to make up for his prior infidelity. There is a “murder” which the characters are supposed to solve, but Becca suspects that an employee of the hotel has really been murdered and the book focuses on her efforts to answer this question. The book also asks the broader question of who people really are beyond the characters they are playing. I liked the premise, but the book was frequently difficult to follow as there was not much time spent on character development causing the plot to drag. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced electronic copy of the book.

Husband caught cheating decides to try repairing his marriage by planning a get away weekend at a Mystery house..Why? Because his wife loves murder mysteries. Does he share with her that it is a theme weekend...umm, no.
So they and three other couples, one of whom they actually know, embark on a weekend of "who did it"
The wife , who sees symptoms of infidelity in every move her husband makes, tries to settle down and play the WHO DONE IT game.
Unfortunately she begins to find clues that she believes might be real as opposed to part of the game. The maid goes missing....a door gets left open.
Full of twists, this books entertaining but is also hard to read do to the many switches between the wife history with her husband, the other couples history with them, the game, and other activities of the staff.
If you don't mind flipping back a couple pages from time to time.....this is readable.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC

One Sentence Summary: During a murder mystery weekend with a 1920s theme, Becca and Blake work to repair their marriage, but actual murder might get in their way.

My thoughts:

I’m a big fan of Clue, both the movie and the game, and the 1920s is one of my favorite time periods. Combine that with a murder mystery weekend at an isolated hotel and I’m intrigued! All Dressed Up has a couple whose marriage is on the rocks trying to work things through while attending a themed murder mystery weekend. It sounds like it should be a lot of fun, perhaps a little humorous and maybe a bit suspenseful. I mean, there are two mysteries going on at the same time even if one is completely fabricated. Unfortunately, there just seemed to be too much going on and the characters were mostly flat, each playing one or two roles and doing nothing else. I found it to be a more pleasant reading experience as long as I didn’t think about it and simply went with the flow.

At its heart, All Dressed Up is about Becca and Blake trying to repair their marriage after an unforgivable breach of trust. It’s woven throughout the book, though it takes a while for what happened to come to light, and then Becca just dwells and dwells without making much forward progress. Honestly, about three quarters of the way through I still wasn’t sure of what she intended on doing and whether or not this supposed last ditch effort was actually going to work. For one, Becca was excellent at keeping things from her husband, and her husband felt like he used his introversion to get out of just about everything that actually mattered to his wife. Though she didn’t do much about it herself, telling herself that was just what her husband was like and she ought to take care of him. It really sounded a bit like a bizarre marriage where both of them avoided a lot of things, but I suppose it worked for them. I was just left dissatisfied with how this plot line ended.

Then there are the two mysteries. One is contrived as it’s the one four couples are working to solve while taking on 1920s personas, including a gangster, a reporter, and a society lady. It was humorous the way it was so contrived and the acting on the part of the staff was clearly subpar, but so amusing. I loved how this one hit the ground running and I liked how the character backgrounds and the different game play sessions were woven in. It made me feel like I was reading one of the Clue books. Unfortunately, this one had the most unsatisfactory ending despite being my preferred plot line. The second mystery took a while to get going, but I liked how it seemed to really get to Becca psychologically. It made me feel a little nuts, too, especially since it was woven in right alongside the contrived mystery. Sadly, it felt like they didn’t jive together well and poured too much confusion into the story. They, since both used the same people, tended to blur together too much to the point where it was impossible to tell who was playing their 1920s role and who was actually involved in the very real mystery. This one did have a satisfactory ending and I liked that it made sense, even if I was missing out on all the hints that should have lead to whodunit (I don’t actually remember very many clues to this).

But my biggest issue was with the characters. There are four couples, two who are unknown to Becca and Blake and one who are basically couple friends with Becca and Blake. Only one couple, one of the unknown ones, was really into the theme of the weekend, making it impossible to tell which mystery they were actually involved with, which really made things confusing. They were the only ones who actually played their 1920s roles well. The others felt like they were doing things half-heartedly. But, at the same time, I really couldn’t figure out their actual characterizations. They all just felt like they were there for the sake of the story and no more thought was put into them. I did find the hotel staff to be interesting, though. They played their 1920s roles and then easily slipped back into being modern people. Their transitions were clear and I liked how they could pull off the duality in a way that made all the hotel guests just feel confused about what they were there for.

On the plus side, the contrived mystery did feel a bit tongue in cheek, very much like Clue. I loved how exaggerated it was and just how well each piece was actually thought out. I also loved how isolated the hotel was, and how the grounds and hotel reminded me of the mansion. Even though the story slipped back and forth in time, I loved feeling like I was working to squeeze myself into one of the Clue books. The setting was probably my favorite part of this book, so I was a little disappointed the characters and plot didn’t use it quite as well as I would have liked.

All Dressed Up had so much promise. There are so many good pieces that just didn’t work well together, making it feel like it was trying to bite off more than it could chew. The characters felt like cardboard cutouts, the marriage story was pushed and pulled in and out of the spotlight in a way that felt uneven. The mysteries were poorly meshed. There was simply too much going on, and I hated the way Becca and Blake were supposed to be there to repair their marriage but managed to not actually spend much time together. Overall, this was disappointing, but I was highly amused and really loved the contrived mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love any mystery in a gothic mansion. This was a fun ride. While a great story, it also looks at what makes for a successful marriage and how outside influences can reshape such views. Everyone has secrets, and what happens if they are exposed? I enjoyed this book as a simple mystery as well as a psychological look into people's lives.

Could have been a good story but I’m sorry to say it was disappointing.
My feeling was that the author tried to put too much in the story and ending up diluting both the mystery and the mental agony the main character is going through. It isn’t till nearly the end that you have a bit better understanding of the main character when some of her past is explained. In the meanwhile, you are getting sick of her whining and want to tell het either trust your husband and forgive him or divorce him. More than likely you both need professional counseling. The murder mystery in itself had as good ending but all through the story it was hard to define what was a mystery game and what was a real murder. This is the first book I read by Jilly Gagnon, and I might give her another try to see if her writing grows on me.

A trip to a luxurious hotel to take part in a murder-mystery themed party seems like a perfect get-away for Becca and Blake. But Becca can't get out of her mind that Blake sees this as an " I'm sorry" trip hoping for forgiveness for an affair he had with a co-worker. While the premise of the story is interesting and has the twists normally involved in such a theme....an actual murder takes place which puts a whole different spin on the game and the participants. Whodunit? I wanted to like the book more than I did..it managed to spin around a bit much between learning back-history of Becca/Blake, dealing with a problem-marriage, playing a game - and yet then looking at an actual murder! I had difficult becoming invested in any of the characters as there was so much going on. Granted - this will be a favorite for many readers. However - while parts were a good read - the whole fell a little flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #AllDressedUp #NetGalley.

This was a fun book and I was really excited to read this one when approved. I overall enjoyed it and I think it was a decent story! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this one.

Becca and Blake have hit a rough patch in their relationship and have decided a Roaring 20s murder mystery weekend will help repair things. Aside from the planned "murder" of the weekend, one of the maids/actresses goes missing. Becca is the only one who thinks this is more than a flakey employee but doesn't want her already fragile relationship further tested if Blake doesn't believe her.

All Dressed Up combined the fun/awkwardness of a murder mystery event with the difficulty of figuring out how to move on from infidelity. Jilly Gagnon ultimately shows, through an interesting cast of characters and the actual mystery afoot, that trying to emulate someone else's relationship as the "ideal" will leave all involved unfulfilled.

I loved that the setting and characters led to the creepy feeling of the book. I could picture myself there and how off-putting the situation would be. I think being able to empathize with where Becca was coming from, really being able to be in her head, added to how the story worked. Jilly Gagnon made her so relatable but not without faults and questionable decisions.

This one was. a bit challenging because I just wasn't invested in the characters or the story. There was too many side drama and I was uninterested in her marriage problems. Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the opportunity to read this book and provide my unbiased opinion.

Becca and Blake head to a a weekend getaway in a beautiful hotel and Becca is unaware it is a murder mystery weekend. Blake thought his wife would love a themed weekend giveaway due to her love of mysteries and to attempt to make amends for his infidelity. The book weaves you through the Becca and Blake tumultuous marriage and the murder mystery. For Becca, the line between real life and the game blur to the point she cannot separate the two. As the game unfolds, Becca cannot tell if there was a real murder or if it is all part of the game.

A well written novel that is fast paced and keeps one engaged. Many did not like the focus on Blake and Becca's marriage and the constant focus on Blake's infidelity. I found it important to the overall plot, and as the plot unfolds, Becca and Blake's relationship goes through a transformation. Dive in to find out who the murderer is and is there hope for Blake and Becca?

Thank you #JillyGagnon , #NetGalley and #BantamPublishing for the eARC of #AllDressedUp in exchange for my honest review.

A book with a 1920s-themed murder mystery weekend, with nefarious behind-the-scenes events. Doesn't that sound like the perfect book? So let's get into the details of why this only ended up as a 3-star read for me.

The Pros:
-The concept and themes of the book
-The setting -- I was all in over the theme and even appreciated the detailing on the "characters" acting skills.
-The blending of the real events occurring over the weekend vs those occurring within the murder mystery game

The Cons:
-The characters -- I did not feel like they were well fleshed out, and quite honestly, the main character, Becca, annoyed me

The other two cons contain spoilers -- please see my Goodreads review for these!

All in all, this was a page-turning, quick read -- the quintessential "popcorn thriller." The bones were there for a great book but I'm sad that it didn't live up to its potential. Given this, I would definitely read more from Jilly Gagnon in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Balentine Books for a chance to read this book and provide my honest review :)

This book provides mystery, intrigue, and personal conflicts. The premise is good and for those who like murder mysteries, this would be a good choice. It was sometimes difficult to match the "real" character with their "part." The talk of whether or not they were their real selves or engaged in their characters was superfluous and confused things for me. The meddlesome main character and the conclusive reveals reminded me of Scooby-Doo! :)

Imagine a murder mystery themed event at an isolated manor. Guests were to wear period costumes, given a new identity, storylines, clues, and 48 hours to solve the mystery. This is the synopsis of “All Dressed Up” by Jilly Gagnon. Sounds fun, right?

Unfortunately, the slow telling of the story and a disagreeable main character made this difficult to get through, especially since we spent so much time in her head. The Christie-esque plot was promising yet the execution fell quite flat to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

I don’t know if I have much to say on this one lol, and that’s just me being honest. It was just…. Okay? Yes. “Just okay.” I loved the premise to start (despite its simplicity), what with its classic “Whodunit” vibes, isolated manor setting, & 1920s party theme. But then it adds in this whole…. Secondary plot regarding the MC’s marital problems. While the mystery itself was fun & cozy enough, I hated* being in Becca’s head for all of it bc she obviously had…. Like, a lot going on lmao, she needed to have several seats & maybe a Xanax 🥴 All in all, this one was fine, I just wish it had been more tonally balanced.

3.5 Stars.

I *love* the idea of this book - four couples are spending the weekend in a mansion for a 1920s-themed murder mystery party. The mystery party had a Clue (the movie) vibe, and I really enjoyed this part of the storyline.

The story is told from Becca's point of view - she and her husband Blake are one of the couples at the party. As clues are presented and staff goes missing, Becca is trying to piece together what is part of the fictional story and what might actually be a real murder.

Becca and Blake's marriage is in trouble, and Blake has booked this weekend to try and get them back on track. This is the piece that didn't work as well for me; I couldn't really get invested in them or their relationship.

Definitely a fun read overall, especially if you enjoy the movie Clue.

I think the concept of this book was good, however, I'm not sure that it was executed as well as it could have been. I felt as if this book were a bit all over the place. The main character Becca was relatable to an extent but a bit over the top. Being that the characters were all participating in a murder mystery weekend it was hard to tell when they were "in character" and when they were just being there everyday selves. I guessed what was going on well before the end which was also frustrating to me. I'm afraid I would have to say this book was just okay.

I was really looking forward to reading this one. The setting and the story line sounded good but in the end it just wasn’t what I expected. The added descriptions of the characters murder mystery parts added to the confusion. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon

This story had a wonderful start and exciting finish, but it got lost in the middle. Will this this murder mystery weekend be all too real?

Clever names are given to the players at this Catskills murder mystery weekend: Miss Terry Yuss, Miss Ann Thrope. Most players dress up and play their parts from a script. The killer is to be discovered.

Where it gets bogged down is with Becca Wilson. She and her husband Blake are there to revive their marriage. Becca becomes totally consumed with the disappearance of one of the cast members, Bethany. She begins an all consuming search for this girl.

I liked the original story line, the character development and writing style, but the obsessive search for Bethany just didn’t work for me. As a result, I’m giving this mystery a three star review. Thank you to #BallantineBooks and #NetGalley for this ARC.