An enjoyable beach read that doesn’t break any new ground but provides for some fun and light reading.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123112160

Thanks netgalley for giving me an early copy of this book to read.
I found a lot of the book rather silly and overlong.
Kass was engaged to Murray and his parents were making them an engagement party, much to her shock they lived in a huge mansion and were very wealthy.
Murray had never told her about the wealth of his family and it came as a huge shock.
The house was full of people to celebrate their engagement and it should have been a happy occasion but there was a murder in the house of one of the guests, and Kass was prime suspect.
The book was ok
. Gill

I enjoyed this twisty thriller, and the juxtaposition of the extreme family wealth with the rather unclassy and tawdry behaviors of the story's main characters. Like, all was not well in perfectville; at all! This was a quick read, with short chapters and lots of movement. It was just creepy enough for my liking. I enjoyed that maze of mirrors that the grand old home became in the final chapters, and the bombshell ending was a surprise. I would read this author again.

This was a compelling read, that I found I did not want to put down! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Suspenseful and thrilling. I felt every emotion. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

This was a fantastic read, full of twist and surprised, I really liked the writing style, I haven't read this author but love to read more! Excellent paced book! 4 stars

This book was so-so, in my opinion. It started off a little on the boring side, then picked up a bit, but then ended as a big mess. The last 20% of the book seemed like it was thrown together quickly and that the author was trying to tie up all the loose ends, resulting in an unbelievable ending. This is the first book by this author and unfortunately, I don't think I will read anything else she puts out or recommend it. (Sorry.) 2.5 - 3 stars.

The Engagement Party is a debut thriller from author Finley Turner. The genre of the book is adult fiction mystery/thriller.

The book is told from a single POV in the first person narrative. Kassandra and Murray are a newly engaged couple living in NYC. They scrape by on their two salaries in NY but Murray comes from an ultra wealthy family in North Carolina.

An invitation comes from Murray’s family, the Sedgemonts. They are throwing a huge engagement party for Kass and Murray. When Kassandra arrives she is overwhelmed at their home and wealthy friends. Kassandra not only doesn’t come from wealth, she is also harboring a deep secret. Someone knows her secret and starts sending threatening messages to her social media.

During the party one of the guests is found dead. The police encourage everyone to stay in the home while they investigate. Kass is accused of the crime since she is an outsider among the rich and powerful.

I really loved the pace of the book and the chapters kept me wanting more. I enjoyed reading this during a thunderstorm when there was a thunderstorm in the book as well. I love a stormy night/locked door mystery.

My only criticism would be that I wanted to know more about what happened to some of the other characters at the end, but I was satisfied with the conclusion regarding Kassandra.

The Engagement Party will be released on November 7, 2023. Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Finley Turner for this ARC in exchange for review.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Engagement Party by Finley Turner published by Crooked Lane Books
I thought this novel was allright, it just didn't grip my attention like other novels. Plot was there, characters were decent and well described, but I unfortunately I was bored reading it.
The story centers on Kassandra and her fiancee Murray, who have just become engaged. His parents are throwing and engagement party for them, so they are traveling to spend the weekend. Once they arrive, Kass is in awe of the property and realizes how rich Murray's parents are, but that doesn't make up for how his mother treats her. She slowly begins to realize she may not want to be part of this family.
I found that I just couldn't buy into the reality of the story, it was "too" fictional for me. At times Kass came across as having street smarts but other times her actions didn't make sense.
I give it 2.5 rounded to 3 stars
I would read another novel by this author however

When I went to mark this as “currently reading” on Goodreads, I noticed most of my friends had given it three-star ratings. A three-star book is still decent to me, so I went on, knowing there might be boring bits. I found that there were none! I wouldn’t call this a page-turner, but I was invested in the entire story.

I think the reason for the low-ish ratings may partly have to do with the formula this follows: a whirlwind romance, an insanely wealthy family in the one percent, a party where someone is murdered, which becomes a whodunnit. It’s a formula that is classic but slightly overdone. As long as you don’t mind that, you’ve got a pretty good book on (or in) your hands!

Kassandra and Murray (yes, like the dog on “Mad About You” - there was even a reference to his name sounding like a dog’s) are the couple in the whirlwind relationship, and they’ve just gotten engaged after only a few months. They envision a courthouse wedding with friends, and a chill after-party with some PBR and kush. A few days after their engagement though, they receive a VERY formal invitation to their own engagement party - to be hosted at the estate of Murray’s parents.

Murray has always been quiet about his family and past, and Kass hasn’t questioned it because she has secrets too (classic). He has said he has a brother, and that his family is full of “rich assholes”. Still, they decide to leave Brooklyn for North Carolina and to this dreaded party. They’ve pulled together this party so quickly, and Kass has to meet them eventually…right?

When they arrive at the estate (no this is not your typical house), Kass is almost angry that Murray never told her this his family was THIS rich. She’s anxious to meet the family, but you guessed it, she meets the butler and maid before any of the family. Finally, it’s time for day-drinking cocktails and a very nerve-wracking meeting.

In my mind, I’ve cast Beatrice and Phillip, the parents, as Meryl Streep (as Miranda Priestly) and the late Prince Phillip. They are obviously in a separate class, and Kass feels pretty inferior at this point. Then she’s blindsided again - the brother that Murray talked about are actually two brothers: Emmett and Kennedy, identical twins. Why wouldn’t he have mentioned that?

Then we get to the party - there are a lot of characters because of the magnitude of the event, and when the murder happens, everyone is told to stay there until the police can talk to them. Then this is just a case of who committed the murder, and why.

Formulaic as it may be, I thought this was really well-written, especially for a debut novel. The past stories that Kass and Murray have tie together perfectly with the theme of the party, and the ending was something I definitely didn’t see coming. Sometimes a book is just good because it’s entertaining, and that’s the case with this one. Four stars!

(Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Finley Turner and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on November 7, 2023.)

Finely Turner hooked me with this book! I could not put it down! I have mentioned this to several friends and will definitely be sending it out to friends for a great read! It had me wanting more and more! I could not put it down!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Kass is engaged to Murray but it was a whirlwind romance so does she really know him?
His mother sends an invite to their engagement party. Kiss is shocked when she sees his home and realize how well off they are, Kass is receiving threatening texts. Who is sending these and why? So many secrets and then there is. a murder and all eyes turn to Kass. Can she prove she’s innocent?

This one was just okay for me…..

Kass just got engaged to Murray and within a week his surprise uber wealthy family whom she’s never met is throwing them a lavish engagement party at their sprawling mansion. Obviously there’s a lot more than meets the eye and chaos ensues.

The premise of this story was promising but I don’t think it ever really got to the finish line. Kass could’ve been a good character but she was so dumb at times, even for a fictional character, that I caught myself rolling my eyes more than once. I mean, honestly, what innocent person (who is the main suspect) goes into a crime scene the next day and basically rolls around in all of the blood and touches everything?!

I would’ve loved more back story on Kass, Murray, and the twins. I think that would’ve really helped bring the story to a stronger conclusion.

Overall, I think this is a decent debut novel and look forward to what the author comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The Engagement Party is a locked room romantic mystery. Or is it?

Kass becomes engaged to a very wealthy man. A rapid invitation to his parents house for an engagement party reveals his family is far wealthier than she thought and that her soon to be mother in law is more than a handful.

Kass begins receiving social media threats. Her fiancee's friends and family see her as an interloper. She has deep secrets that she does not share. At the engagement party someone is murdered. Her past comes to light and she has to come to turn with her past to solve the mystery and prove herself innocent.

This was a quick, entertaining read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

I enjoyed this thriller as it has a gothic vibe to it and Turner kept the action going throughout! Kass and Murray get engaged and his wealthy parents throw them an engagement party but it's odd that they seemed to have known about it before Murray even asked her. But regardless, they travel to visit the family but Kass is overwhelmed by so many things: mother-in-law's fascination/repugnance, twin brothers who are odd, the ex-girlfriend who is gorgeous, and above all; the creepy, rambling house with its secret corridors and rooms. But Kass has a secret of her own and she harbors guilt over her part in a catastrophe. When all things coalesce (of course during a thunderstorm), all hell breaks loose and everything is exposed! Fast and furious (and fun)!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Kass Baptiste loves her fiance but realizes she knows very little about him when his ultra rich parents throw a surprise engagement party at their estate. Who is Murrays' parents? Why is Kass recieving threatening texts now that she is engaged. Kass has a few secrets of her own that she is dealing with and they are mostly revealed when a murder occurs at the party! Will Kass survive this very lavish and very dangerous weekend?
Fun story line and interesting premise! A great tale for anyone interested in family secrets! #CrookeLanebooks

I was instantly intrigued by the title and cover of this novel. Kass pulled my attention in right away as the main character and I kept wanting to learn more about her currently as well as her past self. She is in a whirlwind relationship with her fiancé murray and they are forced to go to an engagement party to celebrate with his family that he hardly talks to. At the party, Kass meets many people and there even is a murder.

A quick locked door style mystery! Kass has recently gotten engaged to Murray, then his estranged family invites them back home for an elaborate engagement party. Things seem suspicious to Kass from the start, but when someone ends up dead at the party things go to a whole other level.

This wasn’t the most suspenseful read for me, I wasn’t really surprised by anything that happened. It was a decent read, but I wouldn’t shout from the rooftops that you should read it too.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.

This book was just ok for me. It centers on Kass, who is engaged to her fiancé Murray after a whirlwind romance when she finds out that his parents are super rich and are throwing them a party. When tragedy strikes, Kass, who is keeping her own secrets, finds out that Murray has some secrets of his own.

First of all, I found it completely ridiculous that Kass didn’t have any idea about Murray’s family. Don’t you google the person you are dating early in the relationship? Continually, there is mention of a 3 karat ring when she constantly talks about them struggling to keep up with rent- didn’t she wonder how he afforded that? If you can get beyond Kass’s wide-eyed naïveté about Murray’s background, she did show some chutzpah when things got tough, which endeared me to her a bit. Though I didn’t figure out the twist early, I think that is because there were too many coincidences and not enough breadcrumbs laid to get me there.

Overall, it was a decent read but I really had to suspend my disbelief in order to get behind these characters. The mystery was ok but I wasn’t fully invested in it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very meh. It started out quite intriguing. Then it slowed to a snail's pace and literally nothing happened. I was so bored I skimmed most of the rest of the book.