The Engagement Party was an ok read but didn't stand out like I had hoped for when I read the blurb.

An engagement party being held by your finance's wealthy and secretive family on an estate with suspicious people and a murder sounds like something similar to the movie Ready or Not but this didn't have as much action and thriller.

It had great potential when the night of the party popped off but everything else was kind of boring and uninteresting. The plot took too long to develop and there wasn't much character development. I didn't like any of the characters except Kass but being in her head almost most of the book got annoying and I would have rather spent more time reading about the events going on. The end was a bit abrupt and I felt there were things left unresolved.

The writing was good though and the author did a good job detailing the creepiness of the estate and the partygoers but I just wanted a bit more unease and a sense of doom.

Thank you NetGalley, Finley Turner and Crooked Lane books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this book. Of course I only request books I think I’m going to really like reading. This book was not for me. It was actually down right boring. Early on you get a glimpse that Kass has a fear of enclosed or small spaces and the story unfolds from there. I would give this author another try through. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

Kass Baptiste says yes to the marriage proposal of Murray Sedgement, whom she believes is the man of her dreams and everything changes the next day. They find out that his family, who unbeknownst to her, is an extremely wealthy and powerful NC family, plans an over the top engagement party for hundreds down at their estate home and Kass and Murray must fly down. Murray had always claimed " non involvement " with his family so this was a surprise.
The Engagement party is the start of unmitigating suspense, mayhem, including murder and one person turning on the next. Kass immediately becomes the main suspect as her relationship with Murray, grows complicated and less than ideal.
The story is rich in mystery and intrigue with very dysfunctional but clearly entertaining, at times, characters both of the family and family friends & associates.
A good study of rich people behaving badly and a well defined lesson in how not to act when your bank account exceeds 7 zeroes.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

The bones (of the plot, silly) are okay and no better, but the characters all read as amorphous blobs with differing levels of personal care.

This was fine. Not a showstopper, not particularly interesting tbh, even though it had potential. I liked the description of the estate where the ✨party✨ was held, and I felt the night of the party itself was well written and described - but the conclusion fell so flat for me ultimately, and it was downright boring IMO. I also didn’t love any of the characters except Kass, who was admittedly a great protagonist. Unfortunately, my review is to skip this one.

As I was reading this, the way the story was written, it really gave me chills. The way you could see families and others act like this, this book really freaked me out.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advance read.

This book had so much potential most of it sadly never matriliazed. Kass and Murray are newly engaged after a very fast courtship. Living happily together in NYC. Working towards their dreams. Kass has secrets in her past. Murray, it turns out also has secrets. Like a very wealthy family he claims to want nothing to do with. An invitation arrives in the mail for an engagement party being held at Murrays opulent family home in North Carolina. The first 50 percent of the book moves slowly. Building a sense of unease along the way. I appreciated the atmospheric touches like the faint smell of rot and mold drifting through the house. The hidden staircases and servants appearing out of thin air. I would have liked more backstory for both William and Gloria. The descriptions of over the top party guests were fun. The storms moving in and the protesters and occasional journalists outside in the pouring rain was a nice touch that added to the growing tension of this locked room mystery. But like many of the other aspects of this book nothing ever came out of it. We spend much of the book inside of Kass's head. And not enough time with things actually happening and when things do happen they are not fully resolved. There is a scene in a tunnel which gave me goosebumps. And I was all in for the creepiness of the twins. I did enjoy the authors writing style enough to recommend. I'm sure people who like over the top rich people will really like this. And I will seek out more of this authors work in the future. This was an okay book just needed a little bit more Thank You to Crooked Lane books and NetGalley for my ARC of this.

Expect the unexpected and get ready to see how the dark past gets intertwined with murder and turns a lavish engagement party into a deadly night.

The book is mysterious, suspenseful and unputdownable. The interwoven mystery and twists and turns will keep you at edge. Many unexpected things happens in the plot and it was intriguing to read how a lavish engagement party turns into a deadly night. The book deals with wealth and power. The author has very well described the wealthy family and their inner issues. The ending shocked me. Something was strange in house and the protagonist became suspicious as soon as she entered in the Sedgemont Estate. There were secrets lying in dark passageway and perhaps there were quarrels and quandaries too but as soon as she figured out the reason behind them, they upended her world . It was too late. She was being watched and the threat messages kept her at edge. But In the tunnel of darkness, secrets, threat messages and murder, the protagonist must find her way out

Thank you Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Thanks to the author.

I was hoping that this novel would go in the direction of You're Next or Ready or Not meets Agatha Christie, but instead the locked room element (and indeed the murder) took too long to kick in. We get flashes back to something horrible in Kass's past, but it takes too long for that to come to light as well. Throw in an absurd coincidence, and it didn't 'fully mesh for me. The writing itself was entertaining though, and I'd definitely give another Turner novel a go.

This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, Revenge, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! It wasn't one of my top favorites but still worth reading! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was an atmospheric locked room mystery that takes place during the weekend of a glamorous engagement party. I liked the creepy vibe and creepy characters. The twists and turns were good if not a little convoluted. I didn't like the end as it came abruptly and I felt like some things weren't tied up and explained. But it was a quick read by the pool. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a locked-door mystery — especially one on a massive estate filled with suspicious people — but The Engagement Party didn't live up to its premise. As other reviewers have noted, it took too long to pick up and the characters were undeveloped or one-note. I wasn't invested in anyone, including Kass, and by the 30% mark, there was no real plot. This book would have been more successful for me if the reader was dropped right into the action rather than the week leading up to it.

This started slow and took too long to develop the plot. Not enough character development.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

The synopsis of this book gripped me right away! Kass and Murrary's simple New York life is interrupted when his estranged parents throw them an engagement party, which is when Kass realizes that Murray hasn't been exactly forthcoming about his family's wealth and dynamics. I love a good twisty thriller where the reader is left in the dark just as much as the narrator, we get to piece together the puzzle right along with Kass. The dynamics of Murray's family are also interesting and the plot gives off the perfect creepy undertone!

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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Kass Baptiste is newly engaged to her fiancé Murray Sedgemont after a whirlwind romance. Before they even get to share the news, an invitation arrives via messenger - to an engagement party hosted by Murray’s parents. When Kass and Murray arrive at the Sedgemont Estate, she is astonished to learn that Murray’s family is one of the most powerful families in North Carolina. As Kass’ future mother-in-law, Beatrice whips herself into a frenzy over the perfect party for the state’s elite, Kass begins to receive anonymous threatening social media messages.
On the night of the event, as champagne is popped and the celebrations begin, a body is found in the lavish home. All eyes are on Kass, the interloper amongst the rich and powerful guests. Over the course of the party, Kass’s dark past unexpectedly becomes intertwined with the murder, and in order to prove her innocence, she must finally come to terms with her secrets.
As Murray’s family secrets are revealed, Kass must prove herself innocent while evading the anonymous threats that haunt her every move.

Oh, the joys of the inlaws who probably don't like you but are putting on a good front as they are eviler than you ever can imagine..and perhaps you are, too! Well written and very current with the social media aspect and how it can utterly ruin your life overnight. (Just ask Bud Light or Nike Sports Bras if they have any media-related regrets of recent....hahaha!) A great book to read or gift for the holiday season as it will entertain readers of all ilks except those literature snobs who are in their ivory towers with Margaret Atwood!)
#shortbutsweetreviews

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read The Engagement Party by Finley Turner. Wow. I loved this twisty book!